The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 174 - Escape

Qingzhuo, Hanfeng, and a few other young guards who usually accompanied Zhou Weizhao closely arrived just in time, forming a protective circle around them as they withdrew.

The hunting grounds were in utter chaos, but somehow Song Chuyi didn't feel quite so afraid anymore. In the past, when she had nothing, she hadn't been scared; now, she even had people willing to risk their safety to pull her through. Perhaps fate wasn't as unfair to her as she'd thought. Though her last life was brutally cut short, this time around she'd gained much. And even if, as Master Yuanhui predicted, she was indeed under a cursed fate, she no longer feared it. At least this life hadn't left her alone to face such misfortune.

Ye Jingchuan hurried over and, seeing her pale lips and mud-streaked clothing, couldn't help but ask with concern, "Can you walk on your own?" Although it had been a short distance, he'd seen how intense her run had been, stirring a feeling of worry he found hard to describe. Song Chuyi was stronger than any girl he'd ever met; she always exceeded his expectations of bravery and resilience. Just now, she'd even managed to save another girl from being struck by falling rocks...

Without hesitation, Song Chuyi nodded. All these years she'd trained hard in riding, determined not to be a burden. If she couldn't get through a crisis like this, all her years of rebirth would've been for nothing.

Looking around anxiously, she searched for signs of the Yulin Guards, a deep, unshakable worry on her face. "I'm afraid my brother is one of their targets. It's obvious they're not just here for me... Your Highness, you must be careful as well."

To Prince Duan, a man as ruthless as he was, taking down the Crown Prince's heir would be a prize—an outcome that would let him die laughing.

Zhou Weizhao had realized this the moment the rocks began tumbling down the mountainside. Prince Duan and Chen Xiang intended mutual destruction, a final desperate attempt to take their enemies with them. He knew his uncle's character: stubborn and paranoid to the point of madness. With his private affairs in chaos and the Yangzhou and northern trade routes exposed, his first instinct wasn't to plead with Emperor Jianzhang but to eliminate his enemies—such was his way.

"Don't worry," Zhou Weizhao said briefly to Song Chuyi, "we were prepared for this. Though things went a bit off-plan, we have enough men. The Yulin Guards are stationed to the north, the Jinwu Guards on the mountainside, and while the Jinyiwei are positioned centrally, the worst of the chaos has passed. They aren't all Chen Xiang's men or die-hard loyalists..."

Song Chuyi took a deep breath and regained some composure. Indeed, as the panicked horses were cleared, she saw the Jinwu Guards flooding in from the northern gate, quickly taking control of the scene.

Chen Mingyu, still shaken, leaned against a tree, her face shifting from pale to flushed as she looked at Song Chuyi, a pang of regret stirring in her heart. If only I'd held the Crown Prince's Heir back a little longer, Song Chuyi might have met her end under that blade...

Old Lady Du, trembling, was helped to her feet, her legs shaking uncontrollably. She never expected to face such a disaster, especially so close to the Emperor. How could anyone be so audacious? However, as the most senior present, and with the Jinwu Guards mostly being men, it was up to her to stabilize the situation for the wounded ladies. She steadied herself and turned earnestly to Lady Yu and the others, saying, "In such an ordeal, we elders must bear the responsibility... With the chaos, the Jinwu Guards likely won't allow anyone in too freely. We can't find additional help immediately, so we'll have to manage with the few attendants we brought along. Let's each take some people to assist the injured girls, shall we?"

The others nodded readily, recognizing that it was no time to leave anyone in need. Each took attendants to support the girls who were calling out for help. Fortunately, although many were severely bruised, none were gravely injured, and Lady Yu finally felt a bit of relief, though the fear lingered. If they hadn't heeded Song Chuyi's warning to stay up on the hillside, they might have ended up with broken limbs, if not worse.

On the ground lay scattered blades, remnants of the chaos. Zhou Weizhao glanced over at the fallen black-clad attackers, then exchanged a look with Song Chuyi.

Thanks to their foresight, they'd stationed additional guards just in case; otherwise, they would have been entirely at the attackers' mercy. Emperor Jianzhang was in the imperial palace, and with most of the Jinyiwei and Jinwu Guard stationed there, only a limited number of Yulin Guards and a rotation of Jinyiwei and Jinwu Guards had been assigned to the hunting grounds.

Song Chuyi's survival truly owed something to luck. If she'd reacted even a moment slower, she could have easily ended up trampled or crushed. She surveyed the disordered scene in the hunting grounds, uncertain whether to feel relief or satisfaction—the larger the chaos, the worse Prince Duan's fate would likely be.

From a distance, Shen Qingrang saw Song Chuyi standing unharmed and felt a wave of relief. But as he started to approach, he suddenly hesitated. He recalled Master Yuanhui's reading of her fate. Just two days ago, she'd been deemed cursed, and now here was this calamity. Although he didn't blame her, a part of him couldn't help but wonder if her so-called "lone star" fate truly had some truth to it. He'd once dismissed such things as mere superstition, yet now he wasn't so sure.

After a moment's hesitation, he decided not to ask her directly about her well-being and instead turned to look for Shen Huiyi. Although Huiyi had a sharp tongue, she was easily frightened. Who knew how she'd be handling the situation?

To his surprise, Shen Huiyi wasn't nearly as distressed as he'd imagined. Although timid, she'd stuck with others, following them and hiding wherever possible. In fact, she'd run so far in her efforts to avoid the commotion that she hadn't even realized they'd been attacked until Shen Qingrang pointed out the swords and horse corpses scattered across the ground.