Chapter 23

Young Master Wen uttered a single phrase, causing the lamp in the Crown Prince's chamber to illuminate throughout the night.

In the dead of night, the sound of clashing swords suddenly echoed in the quiet inn. Dozens of black-clad figures launched a surprise attack on the backyard. Fortunately, the imperial guards were stationed there, and both sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

Amidst the flickering lights, within the inn, a wave of terrified cries resounded. Yuan Shu, carrying a large sword on her back, wordlessly charged into the group of black-clad men. Her dominant and unrivaled swordsmanship immediately reversed the declining situation of the imperial guards.

Ren Anle kicked open Han Ye's room door and saw the Crown Prince, who usually slept comfortably with soft pillows, standing by the window wearing his inner garment. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked forward.

"Your Highness, these assassins have come to your doorstep, and you're not even hiding?"

Han Ye turned around, looking at Ren Anle, who had entered casually with her long hair scattered and loosely draped in a robe. No emotions could be seen in the deep black of his eyes. After a while, he suddenly walked up to her, fastened the belt of her robe without uttering a word, and returned to the window side.

Ren Anle relaxed for a while, then narrowed her eyes into a crescent shape. Taking three or four steps, she walked to the window and looked at the two sides battling fiercely under the night sky.

She spoke confidently, "Your Highness, rest assured, with me here, these people won't be able to harm you in the slightest. Oh... Where is Wen Shuo?"

"Gu let him go back to his room and copy the Diamond Sutra. Without my order, even if this inn is reduced to ruins, he wouldn't dare to come out. Han Ye lowered his head and looked at her, with a barely visible warmth in his eyes.

"My Imperial Guards are not so useless as to require you to charge ahead personally."

(Jīngāngjīng): Diamond Sutra (a Buddhist scripture)

"Yuan Qin, go and guard Wen Shuo's room."

Ren Anle instructed Yuan Qin, who was by the door. She then glanced at the ongoing battle outside with a serious expression and said.

"These people are well-trained, their moves are cunning, and they can hold their ground against the Imperial Guards of the Eastern Palace. We must not underestimate them. Commander Jian and Chang Qing have gone out to investigate the river works. It seems they have found a good opportunity. Can His Highness discern any clues from these people?"

Han Ye's gaze flashed slightly, his hands behind his back. With disdain, he said, "A mere Mu Tian Prefecture still can't produce such competent secret guards. Mu Wang's actions are not slow either. I only entered Mu Tian Prefecture yesterday, and today he has already sent a generous gift."

(Note: Han Ye used '我' (wǒ) instead of the '孤' (gū) he always used to refer to himself when talking to everyone. However, both Chinese characters mean "I" or "me" in English.)

This is the first time Han Ye did not refer to himself as 'gu' in front of Ren Anle. Ren Anle found it strange and looked at him suspiciously, but the night was dark and she couldn't see anything clearly except for the Crown Prince's slender eyelashes.

"It seems that Mu Tian Prefecture has indeed become a possession of Mu Wangye," Ren Anle's lips curved with a faint sense of solemnity.

"The sounds of swords and knives resound for miles. Even though the Ping'an Inn is located in the western suburbs, the government officials should not be completely oblivious. Your Highness, Mu Tian Prefecture is not a place that can be easily obtained."