Ambush

From that day, Zhang Zhengyang made sure Zhao Xing took her medication every day. Zhao Xing didn't know why, but every time he watched her take her medicine, she would feel unwilling to drink it, the resoluteness she had before would be gone. It didn't taste as bitter before, but now it was suddenly unbearable to drink.

"You know more than I do what would happen if you don't drink it." Zhang Zhengyang said with a frown. They had paused especially for her to take her medication, Zhao Xing sat outside with the Crown Prince, her mood foul.

She looked around at the guards around them. She felt embarrassed that she was being coaxed like a child. But she couldn't drink, and so she poured out her frustration unto the Crown Prince. "So what? Isn't it because of you? The medicine wasn't so bitter before, why does it suddenly taste this awful?"

Zhang Zhengyang smiled, "If it tastes worse than before it's a sign that heaven is punishing you for this prince."

'What the hell is this man talking about?'

Zhao Xing calmed down took the bowl from his hand and gulped the content it down with her eyes closed.

Her face changed, it tasted even worse than the day before!

She held her chest, even her saliva was too bitter to swallow. She was going to die from the taste. She turned to the Crown Prince and glared at him.

"Heaven punishing me for your sake, huh? It's surely you who's playing dirty tricks!"

"Dirty tricks? Did you think this prince would punish you using dirty tricks?"

Zhao Xing still felt something was amiss, how could she trust him easily? "Humph! How would I know?"

Zhang Zhengyang smiled, and it gave her goose bumps. She no longer argued with him. But it didn't mean she didn't resent him in her heart.

Those around didn't make a sound. Xiao Chen had already had his fair share of such scenes and was used to it. But others present couldn't believe that their master would ever have the patience to argue with someone over something so minute not to mention it was with such a small nameless girl.

They soon reached the vast forest, they had passed here when they were coming, at that time Zhao Xing felt that it looked familiar. But she didn't remember where she had seen it before.

As they travelled deeper, the sun was high up in the sky, it was hot and Zhao Xing soon felt sleepy. Seeing her nodding every now and then dozing off, Zhang Zhengyang recalled the day she had leaned on his shoulder. It was during his Imperial Father's Birthday. That night she had sat right next to him and said, "Zhengyang lend me your shoulder, good friend."

The memory made a small smile appear on his face.

"Zzzt-"

A piercing sound of arrow flying across and hitting the carriage's wooden walls was heard, alerting everyone present, the carriages all came to a stop.

Zhang Zhengyang's eyes narrowed, Xiao Chen had a grim expression on his face.

The enemy was here.

"Assassins!"

"Protect the Master!"

Zhao Xing was immediately awakened, her eyes widened as she looked around confused. "Ah?" She had yet to ask what was going on when she saw Zhang Zhengyang staring at her.

"…assasins?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"Hide." Was the only response she got.

Her brain took time to connect things, but she quickly remembered the compartment in the seat, and felt unreconciled. It was so hot that afternoon she didn't want to suffocate to death!

But the Crown Prince wasn't going to repeat himself and so she could only do as he said, though unwillingly. Fortunately the two sides of the compartment were made of net, and it had some space that let in air, though not as much as she'd want.

"Why did the Carriage stop?" Zhang Zhengyang asked.

"Reporting to Master, the enemy surrounded us." Someone from outside quickly replied.

"Continue."

"Master…" Xiao Chen was surprised by his master's decision. They had already prepared for an ambush, but it was dangerous too move at that moment.

"Move."

The carriage began to move, it started a bit unsteadily, but continued.

Clashing of swords could already be heard from outside. Men in black came in a large frightening number. They were very skilled, and swift.

'Fourth Brother is really something isn't he?' He thought to himself as the image of his brother's smiling face appeared in his mind.

The men that followed the Crown Prince didn't fall short in skill and speed, and managed to keep the carriage safe for a while. But the enemy had come well prepared. Soon a rain of arrows came descending on them. Hitting the Carriage multiple time and killing some of the men.

The scene quickly became bloody.

The assassins were silent and didn't speak a word, and only fought. When they saw their target was trying to get away they quickly followed. But the Crown Prince's men were quick to obstruct their way. But they surely couldn't hold all of them down. It was at that moment that Zhang Zhengyang's shadow guards arrived. They split themselves into two groups, one group was to help the men that fought, and the other group followed the Crown Prince.

Zhang Zhengyang was still calm. Xiao Chen who sat in front of him was a bit anxious. Zhao Xing who hid in the seat, felt suffocated, not because of the lack of air, but because her imagination ran wild hearing the commotion outside. She was surprised when the carriage began to move, and because she hadn't heard Zhang Zhengyang nor Xiao Chen's voice for a while, she started doubting whether they were still in the carriage. The noises outside that had been so loud started to fade as they went further.

She became restless, but she couldn't get out for some reason. Of course she was too anxious to remember that Xiao Chen was sitting on it. So she began to hit the top of the compartment with her fist.

"Zhang Zhengyang? Are you still there?"