Half of the Shadow Guards went to chase Zhao Zeng, while the other half surrounded the carriage.
The leader of the Shadow Guards knelt before the carriage to apologize.
“This subordinate arrived late. Please punish me, Your Highness.”
Chu Yunge’s tone was cold and hard: “You did let This Princess down greatly. With so many of you, you couldn’t even take down one Zhao Zeng. You couldn’t complete a single one of This Princess’s orders!”
“If Zhao Zeng hadn’t been aiming to kill me, he could have killed This Princess a hundred times over.”
“This Princess is still a woman. Besides being killed, she would have been humiliated. If Zhao Zeng hadn’t blabbered on for a few extra sentences, by the time you arrived, This Princess could have a bastard growing in her belly.”
Fortunately, the eldest prince of Zhao State had failed to escape the villain’s talkative fate.
“With mistakes at this speed, if it happened while protecting the emperor, This Princess doesn’t believe you’d have lives left to keep.”
The Shadow Guard leader knelt on the ground, his face covered in cold sweat, shuddering in terror.
Because Chu Yunge was right. If such a blunder happened while protecting the emperor, they’d die several times over and it still wouldn’t be enough.
“Please punish us, Your Highness.”
The Shadow Guards knelt on the ground. Xie Wangze did not kneel, but he felt as if Chu Yunge’s words slapped him across the face again and again.
Chu Yunge paid no attention to Xie Wangze and only looked at the Shadow Guards.
“You do deserve punishment.”
She sneered lightly: “Do you think you’re the shadow guards protecting the emperor and that protecting This Princess is beneath you, so you slacked off like this?”
“Otherwise, why would you fail so miserably and disappoint This Princess so greatly.”
The shadow guards on TV weren’t like this. Reality should be better too. Even though Xie Wangze was capable, the time had still been too long. The problem lay with them.
The Shadow Guards on site were drenched in sweat.
Because Chu Yunge spoke the truth. They had indeed been careless.
Chu Yunge rarely encountered danger on normal days. Before this, the worst was just some forceful grabbing of common men, which regular guards could handle. They merely lurked in the shadows.
Today, their delayed arrival stemmed from that carelessness at the start.
“Please punish us, Your Highness.”
This time, they willingly accepted the punishment, never to forget it for life.
Chu Yunge punished them heavily, but the Shadow Guards were filled with gratitude. After all, the princess was the ruthless sort who had ordered them to castrate Zhao Zeng—even half a root would do.
They had never heard such a command before. The princess was the first.
Only then was Chu Yunge satisfied. She hadn’t expected such danger even as a princess. Her safety was crucial, so the Shadow Guards had to be drilled properly. This once would leave a deep impression, ensuring they’d never slack off again.
After dealing with the Shadow Guards, the emperor’s men arrived.
They cleaned up the scene and conveniently took Xie Wangze away as well.
The Chu Emperor suspected Xie Wangze of colluding with Zhao Zeng of Zhao State, even starting to doubt Chen State’s alliance intentions.
Everyone knew this was impossible. It was merely an excuse for the Chu Emperor to detain Xie Wangze.
Xie Wangze knew this clearly. He hadn’t struggled when captured but only looked toward Chu Yunge, who wore his clothes and appeared even more pale and delicate: “Could Xie send Your Highness back…”
Without permission, Xie Wangze looked at Chu Yunge: “Your Highness.”
Chu Yunge had been about to board the carriage. Hearing this, she scoffed: “Xie Wangze, you don’t still expect This Princess to speak up for you, do you?”
She had wanted to get along peacefully with them before, not wanting to lose her life to Xie Wangze’s revenge or schemes. Plus, as the original princess who poisoned him, she had actively helped detoxify.
In the end, they only misunderstood her as still harboring lustful intentions, pushed her around to disgust her, and now she had nearly been assaulted.
After all that, she still had to suffer, yet he expected her to welcome him with a smile and speak for him?
In his dreams.
“Interrogate him. Interrogate him thoroughly for This Princess.”
Chu Yunge’s words held not a trace of weakness.
Xie Wangze stiffened all over as he was taken away.
When pushed onto the horse, Xie Wangze couldn’t help turning back to look at Chu Yunge, but she had already ducked into the carriage.
For a moment, Xie Wangze couldn’t describe his mood.
Chu Yunge slumped in the carriage: “Let’s go back.”
Too many things had happened today. She wanted to return early to her soft haven.
Just as Chu Yunge drowsily drifted toward sleep, the carriage jolted. Before she could react, the roof suddenly caved in.
Zhao Zeng leaned down from a tree by the road, his fan-sized hand reaching for Chu Yunge, his eyes full of evil, lecherous grins and utter confidence.
Chu Yunge couldn’t help yelping.
This villain was too stereotypically wicked, nightmare-fuel levels.
Striking twice now.
Chu Yunge rolled under the seat with a gurgle, just about to curse if the Shadow Guards were dead.
The Shadow Guards had already struck. Zhao Zeng dodged their attacks, his hand pausing for an instant, but the next second he still reached for Chu Yunge.
He had escaped before, but he hated too much. No one had pushed him this far!
If he didn’t get revenge, he couldn’t swallow this anger. Tonight, he had to take Chu Yunge and teach her a harsh lesson.
Just as she was about to be grabbed, Chu Yunge suddenly looked to the side.
Yan Feng, clad in black, arrived under the moonlight with sword in hand. Before he landed, a dagger flew first, piercing Zhao Zeng’s arm like lightning.
“Ah!” Zhao Zeng cried out in agony, instantly pulling back his hand.
Spots of blood splashed onto Chu Yunge’s face and forehead. She tilted her head up, watching Yan Feng and Zhao Zeng clash.
Zhao Zeng, wounded and ferocious-faced, drew his blade swiftly, flashing like lightning. His form was so fast it left afterimages, chilling to the bone.
Yan Feng’s sword light flashed fiercely, supple as a roaming dragon. His strikes were both fast and vicious, the blade edge razor-sharp.
The Shadow Guards nearby didn’t lag either. Remembering Chu Yunge’s earlier words, their moves were vicious, all aimed at the lower body.
Zhao Zeng cursed profusely. Yan Feng glanced at the Shadow Guards’ techniques, recalled what Zhao Zeng had done to his Yan women before, and hardened his gaze, imitating them.
In the end, Yan Feng was Yan Feng. Zhao Zeng grew more disheveled.
When Yan Feng slashed his arm again, nearly severing it, he pulled over a subordinate protecting him, using the man to block a Shadow Guard’s sword, then hurled him at Yan Feng and fled in the chaos.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
The Shadow Guards gave chase. Yan Feng landed on the carriage shaft, crouched, and fired an arrow from his sleeve at top speed, striking Zhao Zeng’s right leg squarely.
Zhao Zeng didn’t make a sound, but his steps faltered for an instant before he continued fleeing.
Killing intent flashed in Yan Feng’s eyes. He leaped after him, his gaze sharp as a sword, unmasked murder burning like fire within.
All his life, these dozen-plus years of training had been for killing Zhao State’s royals—especially Zhao Zeng.
Last time, he had let him slip away. This time, the chance had finally come.
He had no entourage protecting him now. Full of strength, neither hungry nor thirsty—this was his best shot at killing Zhao Zeng.
Sure enough, following the princess gave him more chances to encounter his foe, making revenge easier.
Yan Feng shot forth like a sharp arrow.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Guards who had been tracking earlier chased a short distance before returning at full speed.
Their greatest duty was protecting Chu Yunge. Without further orders from her, they no longer dared act on their own.
As they passed each other, Yan Feng overheard their regret at failing to castrate Zhao Zeng and complete the princess’s task. He paused.
He suddenly remembered that in his hasty glance earlier, Chu Yunge wore what seemed to be Xie Wangze’s clothes, not his own.
Thinking of Zhao Zeng’s past deeds, Yan Feng’s expression changed: Had the princess been…
Of course. Otherwise, why would she have ordered the Shadow Guards like that.
Yan Feng’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot. He had to kill Zhao Zeng. Today, he would definitely kill Zhao Zeng!