147 Insane Proposal of Marriage with One's Body

Sixth Princess Li Yurou ran toward the back door at a very brisk yet completely composed pace, refusing to believe that she, a mere princess, could draw the attention of those power-hungry men locked in political struggle at court. Her mind was fixed on a single thought: if her crown prince brother truly failed to secure the throne, she still had to remain a princess—and a living one at that.

Just as the light of the back door came within arm's reach, a sudden whooshing sound pierced the air behind her, carrying an unmistakably malicious intent as it hurtled straight for her back.

Startled, she whipped around to see Yin Ruting, the Prefect of Shengjing, hurtling toward her with his body suspended horizontally, arms thrust forward and fingers spread wide.

Li Yurou thrust the dagger in her hand defensively before her chest. "Prefect Yin, do you dare to commit treason against your superior?"

Yin Ruting’s eyes were wide as copper bells, and he didn't even blink at her words, continuing his forward flight with that grasping, claw-like grip.

A flash of panic crossed the depths of Li Yurou's eyes, but her hands gripped the dagger tighter. Estimating the distance between Yin Ruting and herself, she abruptly closed her eyes, raised the dagger high with both hands, and plunged it downward with all her might.

*Splat*—the sound of the blade piercing flesh was clearly audible, and immediately afterward, Li Yurou felt the warm splash of fresh blood across her face.

Did she hit him? She snapped her eyes open in a rush.

Her eyes opened, but she froze in place.

Before her stood a broad back.

That figure was gripping Yin Ruting's neck with one hand while holding the other arm horizontally before her—supposedly a protective posture.

Yet protruding squarely from that protective arm was the very dagger she had just driven downward.

The figure turned around. It was Guan Shiyin, wearing the face of Daichuan.

Guan Shiyin tossed Yin Ruting's corpse aside. Though the dagger hadn't actually injured him, he still put on a face of seventy percent agony, then leaned against the nearby wall while clutching his arm. "Sixth Princess, your humble servant is late in providing rescue. Please forgive me."

He had no intention of kneeling to this Sixth Princess who was harboring delusions of grandeur. Therefore, to prevent arousing her suspicions, he had to pretend that she had wounded him, and make it look quite severe.

Guan Shiyin pressed his forehead against the wall, feigning endurance of great pain. Then, grasping the dagger embedded in his other arm with his free hand, he gritted his teeth and pulled—*slash*! The blood pack hidden within his sleeve ruptured right on cue, spraying fresh blood halfway across the wall.

He heaved a heavy sigh, making a show of bowing forward. "Daichuan pays his respects..."

"Lord Commander, please dispense with the formalities!"

True to his expectations, Li Yurou spoke up to halt his bow. A flicker of triumph welled up in Guan Shiyin’s lowered eyes. But that sense of triumph had barely surfaced before it was instantly shattered. What was this woman's hand climbing up his arm? What was this woman's body leaning intimately against his side?

Guan Shiyin suddenly felt as though his entire world was collapsing. What on earth was this...

He snapped his head up to find that Li Yurou, who had drawn close to him at some unknown moment, was gazing up at him with a tender, watery smile.

"Lord Commander, are you alright?" Li Yurou's hand brushed across Guan Shiyin's arm, marveling that she had never known a man's arm could be so robust and sturdy.

"In my panic, I accidentally injured Lord Commander, yet you saved my life. How can Yurou ever repay such a profound debt of gratitude?" Li Yurou pressed close to Guan Shiyin’s side, her peripheral vision darting to scan his back. Why had she never realized that this Commander Daichuan's back bore such a striking resemblance to the man she had secretly cherished in her heart for over a decade?

Guan Shiyin shuddered violently. The covetous hunger in her eyes was far too blatant—it was an exact mirror of the look he gave Fang Rulai.

"Lord Commander, are you cold? Is it because of excessive blood loss? Allow me to bandage it for you right now." With that, Li Yurou lifted the hem of her skirt and actually began to tear at her own white undergarments.

Hesitating no longer, Guan Shiyin bent his knees and dropped straight to the ground. "Sixth Princess, please spare Daichuan from such excessive mortification!"

What did kneeling matter? One who aspired to great things did not fuss over trifles! He shouldn't have tried to be clever just to avoid a single bow. Look at the clinging pink disaster he had brought upon himself now! Damn it, why had Fang Rulai never looked at him with such a gaze? Was this the ultimate illustration of planting willows without intending them to shade? He could kick himself! He had merely wanted to put on a display of loyalty, so why on earth was this Sixth Princess managing to spin it into a script for a romance drama? This was utterly, maddeningly insane—she was altering the plot on the spot and forcing him to throw down his responsibilities!

"How could this be mortification! Before life and death, all people are equal. Ah, no—Lord Commander, having saved Yurou's life, is precisely the great benefactor to whom Yurou should kneel and express her gratitude!" Li Yurou's mind raced. If the crown prince lost, Guan Shiyin would certainly never fall into her grasp. And if she wished to avoid being arbitrarily betrothed by the second prince who might seize power, her next best alternative was undoubtedly this Commander Daichuan, whose back bore such a strong resemblance to the man of her heart.

The post of Commander could certainly be considered one of high power and influence. Though it still fell short of matching her status as a princess, for the sake of his back's resemblance to Guan Shiyin's, she would endure it!

Li Yurou offered a coy, bashful smile. The hand she had extended to help Guan Shiyin up suddenly pulled back, and her own knees went weak as she dropped to the floor beside him. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and declared, "Lord Commander's grace in saving my life is greater than the heavens. Yurou has no way to repay it, and is willing to offer her entire person in marriage!"

Surely, with her dignified stature as a princess proactively confessing and begging to be married, no man could possibly resist? Li Yurou squeezed her closed eyelids even tighter. Though this was a choice forced upon her by circumstances, it was still terribly embarrassing. The posture of kneeling facing one another felt just like a wedding ceremony where the couple bowed to each other! Would he... would he directly pounce forward and embrace her? Should she dodge? If she dodged, should she dodge right away, or let him hold her for just a tiny moment before dodging? ...

She waited and waited, but there was no movement from the person before her. What was going on? Li Yurou cautiously pried open a crack in her eyelids, only to discover that the Commander Daichuan who should have been kneeling opposite her had long since vanished.

"Lord Commander?"

"This subordinate is here."

The voice came from behind her. Li Yurou scrambled to turn around, only to be greeted once again by a retreating back.

Guan Shiyin turned his profile at a forty-five-degree angle, his voice heavy with sorrow. "Daichuan was personally promoted by the crown prince. Let alone marriage, even this life of mine belongs to His Royal Highness to command. Just now in the great hall, Daichuan saw someone trailing behind the Princess, and in my panic, I quite forgot that the Crown Prince was still locked in a life-or-death struggle..."

Li Yurou's eyes lit up as she listened. He forgot about the Crown Prince just because of her? Could it be that he had harbored feelings for her all along?

"...Now that the Princess is safe and sound, Daichuan naturally must return to the Crown Prince's side. If His Royal Highness should meet with any misfortune during this time, Daichuan will have no choice but to die to atone for my failure! As for what the Princess just said, Daichuan..." He paused, turning his head slightly as if wanting to look back at her.

Li Yurou felt her heart flutter violently at the sight. This back, these words, he...

Guan Shiyin abruptly snapped his head back forward, then bolted toward the direction of the inner hall. "Daichuan—Daichuan will pretend he heard nothing!"

His voice was laced with the utmost grief and despair.

Watching his sorrowful retreating figure, Li Yurou felt hot tears suddenly well up in her eyes, and her body listed sideways as she collapsed to the floor. She had merely wanted to secure a fallback option for herself, never dreaming that she would stumble blindly into a man who had long been enamored with her! It made sense, of course—with her peerless elegance and myriad charms, what man in the entire palace could lay eyes upon her and not lose his heart? No, she couldn't let him just go and die like this!

"Brother Chuan—" she cried out in a deeply affectionate call.

Guan Shiyin's stalwart frame gave a violent jolt, and he nearly tripped over his own left foot and tumbled forward.

Seeing this, Li Yurou felt an even deeper pang of heartache. Did he love her so deeply that he couldn't even bear the sound of her voice? No, she had to save him!

Li Yurou scrambled to her feet and raced toward the back door. There were palace guards outside the back door, people loyal to her. She needed to bring them in quickly and charge into the main hall to rescue her Brother Chuan!