Volume One, Chapter Ten: The Assassin

"General, there is no need to jump to conclusions so hastily." Changning leaned back languidly in her chair, gently stroking the ends of her hair. Her tone was soft, yet it concealed a sharp edge. "The true nature of King Sheye remains to be seen. However, I cannot remain ignorant regarding the matters of my own dowry escort."

"I have stationed secret guards within the prefectural residence, Your Highness. They are fully committed to ensuring your safety." Gu Han endured his pain, beads of sweat forming on his brow, his voice cold as frost.

"Rest assured, Great General of Fuyuan. I have no intention of reporting your secret guards and private troops to my Imperial Father."

Gu Han’s gaze flickered. He scrutinized her and replied, "I shall bear your instruction in mind, Your Highness."

"Someone, take the General to have his wounds dressed and administer the antidote." Princess Changning walked lazily back toward the bed and waved her hand dismissively.

Gu Han let out a cold snort and turned to leave, not sparing her even a sidelong glance.

Princess Changning watched his retreating back, the corners of her mouth curling upward slightly.

This young general, despite his age, had quite the temper and a fierce expression—he was not very amusing.

Great General of Fuyuan, I hope we can coexist peacefully along this journey.

The next morning, the princess's entourage departed from Bianzhou Prefecture. For breakfast, she had requested lamb-braised noodles, tofu pudding, spicy soup, and cucumber with wheat gluten.

Before the sky had fully brightened, the area before Princess Changning’s carriage was already bustling.

The procession was assembled with military precision. Before the prefectural office, Liu Hanzhang and a group of officials stood like a rehearsed honor guard, their faces wreathed in smiles as they came to see the Princess off.

Inside the carriage, Princess Changning nibbled on a peanut brittle, yawning as she muttered, "Qingluan, tell Eunuch Xu that from tomorrow on, breakfast is to be served at the end of the Chen hour, and we shall not depart for another three-quarters of an hour."

The grand escort proceeded toward Guanyin Mountain, located outside the south gate of Bianzhou Prefecture.

As it happens, Guanyin Mountain was a fine place, boasting both magnificent scenery and flourishing incense.

Upon arriving, Princess Changning said with a straight face to the escort official, Lord Wang, "As an imperial princess of this great nation, would it not be a sign of disrespect if I were to pass by the mountain of the Bodhisattva Guanyin without offering my worship?"

Lord Wang dared not utter a single word of dissent and nodded repeatedly. "Your Highness is truly compassionate; it is the good fortune of the common people."

As soon as the carriage reached the foot of the mountain, Princess Changning strolled up the steps, her maids and guards following closely behind.

Before the Buddha, she requested incense and bowed three times, muttering a wish under her breath, her demeanor appearing exceptionally devout.

Noticing the bamboo slip container before the Buddha, Princess Changning felt a flicker of curiosity. She reached out and took it, examining it closely.

She tentatively shook the container, as if testing a new toy. Then, her expression turned serious, and she shook it vigorously with both hands until a single slip clattered to the ground.

The inscription read: "When flowers are embroidered with gold, their beauty is enhanced; when fortune arrives, wealth and status are both attained."

The abbot took the slip, stroked his graying beard, and said with a benevolent smile, "This is the most auspicious of omens. Your Highness’s marriage is heaven-sent; your husband shall surely be a man of handsome appearance and peerless valor. A happy union will blossom in the near future."

Changning raised an eyebrow and handed the slip back to the abbot with an air of nonchalance.

After a while, the abbot presented her with a safety talisman and said with a smile, "May everything go smoothly for you, Your Highness, and may you be safe and satisfied. May the Buddha be merciful."

Changning smiled as she accepted it, pressing her palms together. "Thank you, Abbot. May the Buddha be merciful."

She took one of the safety talismans and quietly passed it to Eunuch Xu, who was standing to the side.

Eunuch Xu tied the talisman to the leg of a white pigeon, sending it back to the Great Sheng Imperial Palace.

Before long, the group gathered inside the Guanyin Mountain temple to partake in a vegetarian meal.

Princess Changning, ever generous, donated a sum of money. The abbot was moved to tears and led the others in chanting sutras to pray for the safe journey of the Princess of Great Sheng.

The officials of Bianzhou then took their leave, offering their respectful farewells and wishing her a safe journey.

"Your Highness, take care!" Liu Hanzhang said, standing to the side with respectful words.

Changning nodded slightly and watched them depart.

The marriage procession then officially continued its journey southward.

The terrain here was mountainous, making the road difficult for the carriages, so they traveled slowly. After an hour and a half, they entered a dense forest.

An unsettling atmosphere began to permeate the air.

Princess Changning frowned, lifted the carriage curtain, and scanned her surroundings; something felt wrong.

Just as she was about to investigate further, a group of assassins suddenly appeared in her line of sight, charging toward the procession in an orderly fashion.

"Protect the carriage!" Lord Wang shouted, immediately leading the accompanying officials to retreat to the rear.

Gu Han and his deputy generals drew their swords and charged into the fray, fighting alongside the soldiers.

"So, there are assassins after all," Changning remarked softly.

Hidden assassins emerged from the forest, their movements agile and fierce, attacking different parts of the marriage procession simultaneously.

These assassins were well-trained; they ignored the priceless dowry and focused solely on killing, specifically targeting her.

How interesting!

Princess Changning’s personal guards held their swords firm, forming three layers of protection around her carriage.

Changning squinted as she watched waves of assassins charging at the carriage from all directions, the air filled with the flash of blades and murderous intent.

Seeing the number of assassins growing around the carriage, Gu Han signaled for his secret guards to join the fight.

Inside the carriage, Changning lifted the curtain and watched Gu Han engage the assassins. Suddenly, she turned back inside, changed into a black outfit, donned a mask, and emerged looking as nimble as a martial arts wanderer.

She slipped out of the carriage with care, blending into the chaos of the battlefield.

She snatched up a broadsword, wielding it with fierce, decisive strikes.

In the midst of his fierce fighting, Gu Han caught a glimpse of a slim, dark figure in his peripheral vision. The stature... it looked so familiar.

His heart jolted as an incredible suspicion took root.

The figure in black moved like a ghost among the enemies, and under her control, the broadsword seemed to gain newfound power, each strike finding the lethal points of the assassins with precision.

Assassins frequently lunged at Gu Han, but he responded with lightning speed, sidestepping and counter-attacking, piercing one assailant through the chest before leaping up to kick another away.

Just then, the black-clad figure darted toward him. As the intensity of the battle reached its peak, Gu Han caught a whiff of a familiar fragrance, and his heart skipped a beat.

He swung his sword to strike down an enemy while simultaneously grabbing the figure's wrist. The figure did not resist much, as if there were a silent understanding between them.

The two coordinated seamlessly, fending off several assassins together.

"Your Highness!" Gu Han looked furious, his tone laced with anger. "How could you rush out like this? You know how dangerous these assassins are!"

"There are too many of them," Princess Changning said, flashing a sly smile as she swung her broadsword. "Me helping you is better than you being overwhelmed, is it not?"

Gu Han rubbed his temples in frustration. "If anything happens to you, Your Highness, I shall be held accountable."

As he spoke, he pulled Princess Changning aside and turned to strike another assassin.

"Oh?" Changning curled the corners of her mouth, her eyes glinting with wit. "Then I shall simply not hold you accountable."

At that moment, the assassins seemed to sense that something was wrong, and the two remaining attackers attempted to flee.

Changning was quick-witted; she threw a flying dagger, which struck its target with unerring accuracy, sending the man crashing to the ground.

Seeing this, Gu Han did not hesitate, piercing the chest of the final assassin with his sword.

"Now, that’s settled," Changning said, clapping her hands before turning toward the procession. "No more danger; they are all taken care of."

Gu Han grabbed her wrist with a cold expression, intending to lead her away.

Unexpectedly, the wily little princess suddenly exerted force, broke free, and dashed toward the carriage, giving Gu Han no time to react.

Once hidden inside the carriage, she quickly changed into another set of clothes.

She leaned down and whispered to Eunuch Xu, "Go tell the General to have the bodies of these assassins burned to ashes immediately."