Qi Wang sat behind his desk, letting the physician tend to his wounds.
It wasn’t until Xiong Liangyong arrived that his expression changed slightly.
Seeing that Qi Wang was still alive, Xiong Liangyong finally let out a sigh of relief. As long as the prince hadn’t died, everything else could still be covered up.
He immediately asked, “Your Highness, what’s the situation now?”
The situation?
Qi Wang’s face darkened again at the question. After a long silence, he said in a deep voice, “Two dead, more than twenty injured. The fire still hasn’t been put out.”
Xiong Liangyong had seen the scene when he came in. He couldn’t help but ask: “Forgive my bluntness, Your Highness, but how could such a serious oversight happen? Was no one on night duty?”
This wasn’t some ordinary task. Every year when they offered fireworks as tribute, they monitored the process with the utmost seriousness, just to prevent accidents like this.
Since the prince had summoned these craftsmen, he had surely made adequate preparations.
So how had something like this slipped through the cracks?
At the mention of this, Qi Wang fell into an even heavier silence.
Only after a long while did he coldly say, “I want a wanted notice issued, say my residence was bombed by mountain bandits.”
Then he rubbed his temples and handed Xiong Liangyong a portrait. “Also, conduct a city-wide manhunt for this woman. If she resists, kill her on the spot!”
A woman?
Xiong Liangyong immediately thought of the person Qi Wang had gone to such lengths to bring back from the capital. His right eyelid twitched involuntarily.
Could it be… this massive fire at the Prince’s manor was her doing?
He found it hard to believe.
This was the Prince’s residence!
A single woman, capable of setting it ablaze and escaping unharmed?
Qi Wang’s mood was already at rock bottom. He clearly had no interest in explanations, and after giving his orders, he suddenly kicked the physician over.
The physician stumbled up in a panic. “Your Highness, do you feel discomfort anywhere else?”
But Qi Wang ignored him. With a sharp motion, he stood up and strode straight toward the courtyard where Qi Yuan had stayed.
The moment the lantern had dropped, Qi Yuan had already leapt onto the roof. Taking advantage of everyone rushing to protect Qi Wang, she had swiftly escaped the manor.
Liujin, who had been waiting to receive her, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her descend. “Miss Qi, are you alright?”
Qi Yuan shook her head. “Where’s Beize?”
Just as she asked, Beize appeared, jumping down from the wall.
Seeing she was safe, Beize smiled. “Miss, I followed all your instructions to the letter!”
Qi Yuan nodded, glancing back at the chaos of Qi Wang’s residence. She slowly curved her lips into a smile.
But Liujin was still puzzled. “Miss Qi, you blew up the gunpowder depot at Qi Wang’s manor, and then… that’s it?”
Though honestly, that alone was already incredible.
After all, they’d already secured Divine Physician Xue, and even managed to destroy the depot and get away safely.
Still, Liujin couldn’t shake the feeling like something was still unfinished.
He hesitated, unsure if he should ask.
Qi Yuan caught his expression and smiled. “What, are you wondering why I didn’t kill Qi Wang?”
Caught red-handed, Liujin gave an awkward cough.
She lowered her eyes. “What’s the rush? The real show’s only just begun.”
Just begun?
Liujin was confused. He didn’t understand what she meant.
But he quickly found out, because moments later, another wave of shouting erupted from the distance.
Something was happening.
Startled, he looked at Qi Yuan, then swiftly climbed a tree. From a high branch, he could vaguely see that the main gates of Qi Wang’s manor were ablaze.
Tonight, it looked like the manor might need to dig a new well just to put out all the fires.
He turned to Qi Yuan, mouth agape. “Miss… was that you too?”
But… this operation only had himself, Chunsheng, and Beize by her side.
Chunsheng was already escorting Divine Physician Xue back to the capital.
Which meant, only he and Beize were left here.
So then, what was going on at the main gate?
Back inside the manor, Qi Wang, still speaking with Xiong Liangyong, also heard the commotion outside. With mounting irritation, he asked, “What now?!”
Xiong Liangyong, sensing his murderous mood, quickly tried to calm him. Then he turned to the just-arrived Eunuch Feng and asked, “What happened?”
Eunuch Feng was so frightened he could barely walk straight. His lips trembled as he looked at the prince: “Your Highness, someone is attacking the main gates of the manor! They even set fire to the entrance!”
What?!
Xiong Liangyong slammed his palm on the table and stood up. “Outrageous! Who dares such recklessness?”
But Qi Wang’s mind immediately leapt to Qi Yuan and Xiao Yunting.
No one in their right mind would dare challenge a prince’s estate. Only a madman would dare to set fire to the front gate and charge in head-on.
His right eyelid started twitching violently.
Eunuch Feng, clearly panicking, said, “We don’t know yet, our guards have gone to block them. Your Highness, should you perhaps withdraw for now?”
Tonight’s events were so chaotic and absurd, Eunuch Feng felt like his brain couldn’t keep up.
He never imagined so many things could happen in a single night.
Withdraw?
Qi Wang sneered. “No. Tell everyone to kill them all for me. However many come, kill them all. The more they kill, the more they’re rewarded!”
How many people could Xiao Yunting even bring?
If he wanted to stay under the radar, he couldn’t have brought a large force.
Things had already come to this, might as well go all-in.
After all, Qi Wang had already prepared thoroughly in anticipation of luring Xiao Yunting in.
Most of the guards were stationed at the manor.
Victory or defeat, it was winner takes all. The dead would never speak.
When the dust settled, only the survivors’ words would shape the truth.
Qi Wang led his men out of the study.
The once stately manor was now in utter disarray.
Even from the corridor, one could see the raging flames at the front gate.
Xiong Liangyong frowned. Something felt off.
He couldn’t help but lower his voice to ask: “Your Highness, who could possibly be so bold as to storm the prince’s gates?”
And just then, as if to answer his question, his legal aide came running into the courtyard, shouting: “My lord! The attackers claim to be mountain bandits!”
Mountain bandits?!
How strange, never before had he heard of bandits admitting they were bandits.
And certainly never had he seen bandits charge headlong into a prince’s estate.
This wasn’t some highway robbery in the mountains, this was Qi Wang’s residence!
Xiong Liangyong shouted angrily, “Utter nonsense! The mountain bandits are all in Songcheng. How could they be here in Hongdu?!”
The aide wiped the sweat from his brow. “My lord, that’s what they’re saying. They keep shouting they’ve come to kill the corrupt and tyrannical Qi Wang who oppresses the people!”
He had truly never seen anything like it before.
Qi Wang, however, immediately understood what Xiao Yunting was trying to do.
He was using Qi Wang’s own methods against him.
