The noise outside grew louder and louder, clearly, Qi Wang’s guards had already charged out to reinforce the front.
Xiong Liangyong was so hoarse he could barely speak. Nearly choking with rage, he bellowed, “Are the generals guarding the city all dead?! How did they get into Hongdu?! Where’s Fang Yuanping?! Where are the city’s defense commanders?! Go call them here, all of them!”
The legal aide gave a bitter smile.
“My lord, who can even get out now? The front, back, and side gates of the prince’s manor are all blocked. No one knows where those people came from with so many troops.”
He hesitated, then glanced at Qi Wang.
In truth, he blamed Qi Wang for all this.
Just a few days ago, the prince had ordered people to leave the city in the dead of night to receive guests.
If Qi Wang hadn’t constantly opened back doors for this and that, those intruders might never have gotten in.
Xiong Liangyong was nearly beside himself with anger. “Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! Where did they get their men from?”
Surely they hadn’t really breached Hongdu and slaughtered the entire city guard to enter?
That would be an absurdity beyond belief.
Just then, a loud boom shook the entire manor, even rustling the trees and startling birds into flight.
Then came the endless crackle of firecrackers.
Anyone unaware might have thought it was New Year’s.
Qi Wang’s face was ashen; Xiong Liangyong looked increasingly uneasy.
From the moment he heard the prince’s estate was surrounded, he had a sinking feeling. Now, hearing that endless barrage of firecrackers, he was sure, this was no simple matter.
Where would mere mountain bandits get things like this?
They weren’t mountain bandits at all!
Soon, Qi Wang’s personal guards returned from the front, faces grim. “Your Highness, they’re definitely not bandits. They’re highly organized. At first, they even tied firecrackers to ox tails and drove the oxen straight at us…”
A large number of the guards had been trampled to death.
And if that wasn’t enough, those attackers had brought a massive squad of archers, all of whose arrows were dipped in fire oil. Anyone hit was instantly set ablaze.
The remaining guards all fell to their knees: “Your Highness, so long as the green hills remain, there’s no fear of lacking firewood. Let’s retreat, for now!”
Qi Wang gave a twisted smirk.
To be driven to such desperation in his own estate, was he really going to become a rat scurrying through the streets?
Just the day before, he had been plotting how to bait Xiao Yunting and take him down with one blow.
Just yesterday, everything had been going according to plan.
But after just one day and night, everything had flipped upside down.
His chest seared with pain, and a sharp pang suddenly shot through his back. He could barely stay standing.
Eunuch Feng threw himself at Qi Wang’s legs in tears: “Your Highness! This old servant begs you, listen to Guard Liu!”
Xiong Liangyong had come to his senses as well. He grabbed Qi Wang’s arm and urgently pleaded: “Your Highness, they’re right! So long as you’re alive, you can rise again! Survive first, then worry about the rest!”
After all, the attackers didn’t dare admit they were imperial envoys, they were only claiming to be bandits.
If they’re bandits, then hunt them like bandits!
Right now, survival came first.
As long as they could make it to Pingxiang, Shangrao, or Songcheng, wherever they fled, so long as they flew Qi Wang’s banner, no official would dare refuse reinforcements.
There was still hope!
Qi Wang clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging from his neck, forehead, and even the backs of his hands.
Xiong Liangyong sighed heavily. “Your Highness, if you die here today, wouldn’t that be exactly what they want?”
Only then did Qi Wang waver. He finally let Guard Liu and the others drag him along.
Dozens of guards flanked him and Xiong Liangyong as they retreated toward the secret escape tunnel.
Any royal residence of such stature would, of course, have escape routes, just in case of disaster.
Qi Wang’s estate was no exception.
Xiong Liangyong let out a silent breath of relief. As disastrous as things were, at least they could still escape.
As long as they were alive, there was still a chance to come back.
Seeing that Qi Wang looked like he was about to pass out from sheer fury, Xiong Liangyong tried to soothe him with whatever words came to mind: “Your Highness, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. This is just temporary, you’ll rise again.”
Qi Wang said nothing.
His entire body burned with rage, but he had no outlet for it.
How had it come to this?
How did it come to this?!
Why were Qi Yuan and Xiao Yunting always so lucky? Why did everything they did seem to go so smoothly?
He clenched his fists until they turned white. His right eyelid twitched violently.
Guard Liu carefully stepped forward, pressed a hand to the hidden mechanism, and opened the tunnel.
A blast of fresh air rushed in, chilling them to the bone.
Guard Liu exited first to check for safety, then motioned for Qi Wang and the others to follow.
This tunnel exited onto Qingyun Street, hidden beneath a bookstore, another one of Qi Wang’s properties.
For the first time that night, Guard Liu finally relaxed a little. He whispered, “Your Highness, let’s first settle, ”
But he didn’t finish the sentence.
Suddenly, his face changed dramatically, and in one smooth motion, he drew his sword and slashed.
CRACK!
An arrow shattered in midair.
A chill ran down his spine, every hair standing on end.
“Ambush!”
Ambush?!
Qi Wang’s head snapped up, just as something whizzed past his face.
A sharp, searing pain flared across his cheek. He reached up, his fingers came away slick with blood.
They were under fire.
He glared coldly toward the courtyard wall, only to see Qi Yuan perched lazily atop it, smiling down at him.
She gave him a half-lidded look and raised her brows: “Qi Wang, fancy seeing you again.”
Then she laughed softly. “You forgot, didn’t you? Your secret study had a map of your entire estate too.”
The words hit like a blade, slicing Qi Wang to pieces.
All the privileges and trust he had once given her were now the weapons she used to stab him in the heart.
He roared in fury: “Wretch! You d*mned wretch!”
Qi Yuan smirked. “Takes one to know one. Wasn’t it Your Highness who invited me here in the first place?”
Xiong Liangyong’s legs buckled. He could no longer speak, he simply stumbled backward, stunned and terrified.
Guard Liu shouted: “Protect His Highness!”
Immediately, bodyguards leapt in front of Qi Wang.
Guard Liu climbed up a nearby tree and leapt toward Qi Yuan.
But she was calm and collected. With a smooth motion, she drew her bow and fired three arrows in quick succession.
One of them struck Guard Liu in the thigh.
He screamed in pain and crashed to the ground.
Qi Yuan had already aimed again, this time directly at Qi Wang.
The arrow gleamed like a shooting star and flew straight toward him.
Qi Wang’s eyes widened in disbelief.
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