The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 173 - Assassins

Chen Xiang had no intention of leaving Song Chuyi alive. The stampeding horses were just a distraction to create chaos; the real threat lay in what was coming next. Despite the hunt supposedly being an opportunity to view the eligible young ladies, the men were stationed in a distant pavilion, merely watching from afar.

Thus, the hunting grounds were filled with defenseless young women.

Song Chuyi expected Chen Xiang to act, but she hadn't anticipated such a large-scale scheme. It was clear he intended for more than just her to die today—he was prepared for all the noble girls here to be sacrificed.

In a flash of realization, she understood the purpose behind it all. With her rumored ill fate, if something happened here, it would be blamed on her "star of calamity." The responsibility for security fell on Song Jue, the Song family's Yulin Guard commander, and Old Lady Du, a supporter of the Crown Prince's faction. Most present belonged to the Crown Prince's circle.

If many were harmed, Song Chuyi would be further tarnished, Song Jue would be condemned for failing in his duty, and even Lady Du would face consequences. Survival for any of them would be bitter, and others loyal to the Crown Prince might start to reconsider the risks of serving him. After all, what good was a crown prince if he couldn't even protect his own circle?

When the time comes, Emperor Jianzhang will likely hold the Crown Prince accountable. After all, if the Crown Prince hadn't pushed so aggressively with the Yangzhou affair, things might not have escalated to this point. Eventually, he may even suspect that the incident in Prince Duan's inner residence was also orchestrated by the Crown Prince...

It's clear that Chen Xiang is making a desperate final move, prepared to drag others down with him. Considering their track record, they're fully capable of such actions. Prince Duan has no future prospects left, and with Chen Xiang's affairs being gradually exposed, both men, crazed and reckless, have abandoned any hope of saving themselves. Now, they're simply trying to take down as many others as possible with them.

What about Song Jue? Prince Duan has wanted him dead for years; how could he pass up such a chance?

Chen Mingyu trembled in the crowd until she spotted Song Chuyi running out, skirts lifted. Her instincts kicked in before her mind could catch up, and she immediately lunged forward to grab Song Chuyi's arm. Today, Song Jue was in charge of the Yulin Guard, and he would never let his sister fall into danger. Staying close to Song Chuyi was the safest choice.

Song Jue was already leading his men in a charge to rescue Song Chuyi. The situation was far more chaotic than anticipated. With armed Jinyiwei guards stationed throughout the mountain, any of them could easily release a hidden arrow in the confusion, putting Song Chuyi in dire peril.

But he quickly realized the situation was even more complex than expected. The grounds were filled with noble young ladies, raised in comfort, who could hardly remain calm in such an incident. They were fleeing in every direction, crying, screaming, with horses running wild. Reaching Song Chuyi through the chaos was nearly impossible.

Held back by Chen Mingyu's firm grip, Song Chuyi struggled but couldn't break free, and her irritation flared. Before she could express her anger, she noticed shadowy figures appearing on the surrounding mountainsides.

Dizzily, she realized the hunting grounds were encircled on three sides by hills, and around them were various slopes—a strategically deadly terrain. Glancing beyond the pavilion, she saw Ye Jingchuan and Zhou Weizhao already leaping over the fence, rushing toward her.

"No!" Ignoring the conflicted expression on Chen Mingyu's face behind her, she raised her voice and shouted, "Everyone, run to the center and north! Quickly—the mountains are going to collapse!"

As if to confirm her warning, rocks began tumbling from the mountainsides, loosened by the night's rain and exposing patches of yellow clay.

Chen Mingyu froze, then abandoned Song Chuyi, sprinting toward Zhou Weizhao and Ye Jingchuan. Dressed in a riding outfit, she moved quickly and efficiently, soon reaching them and grabbing Zhou Weizhao's sleeve. "Your Highness...it's too dangerous, don't go any further..."

In the mountainside pavilion, the onlookers realized something was terribly wrong. Before anyone could sound a warning, they saw rocks tumbling down the mountainside.

Even the experienced Old Lady Du couldn't help but scream, panicking as she prepared to flee down the slope.

Spotting the scene, Song Chuyi felt her heart nearly stop. Lady Yu was still up there! She cupped her hands and shouted at the pavilion, "Don't move! Stay low and stay there!"

Moving down the slope now would be suicidal. At least the pavilion was guarded by the Jinyiwei and close to the northern Jinwu Guard station, far safer than the hunting grounds.

Old Lady Du, however, wasn't inclined to trust a young girl's word, but Lady Yu immediately took charge, sternly ordering the others to stay put. Coming from a proud and resolute family, Lady Yu's commanding tone took effect, and none dared move any further down the slope.

Only those who had already started down the slope were truly unfortunate. Some were crushed under rocks, and others were hit directly, collapsing and lying motionless on the ground.

With rocks cascading down from three sides, the only direction to run was north. Anyone with a shred of composure began fleeing that way.

Zhou Weizhao quickly freed himself from Chen Mingyu's grasp, but as he reached Song Chuyi, he suddenly stopped and shouted, "Get down!"

Song Chuyi barely had time to react before Zhou Weizhao tackled her to the side. Turning her head, she saw a long blade lodged into a horse's body where she had been standing.

The impact had left her elbows and knees throbbing, but she ignored the pain, instantly realizing the gravity of the situation. Zhou Weizhao yanked her to the side just in time for another blade to slice into the ground where she had just been lying.

Chen Mingyu, covering her mouth, nearly cried out in fear. But compared to the other frightened noblewomen whose legs had given way, she recovered quickly. Seeing the masked men descending with blades from the mountainside, she wasted no time and turned to run north.