Princess, Spare My Life - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Princess Has Arrived (Third Part)

“Hurry! Go surround them for me! Not even a single rat is allowed to escape from me!”

When Yuan Shang heard the commotion and looked back, she saw that the army was led by a general with a beard. He was eight feet tall, wore golden armor, sat on a highbred horse, and had a long silver blade in his right hand.

Chen San took the two of them down the hall toward where the medicine was stored in the rear courtyard. He opened the secret room where the precious herbs were. “You two, hide in here! I will deal with the people outside. Until I call you, you must not come out!” Immediately after he said that the door to the hidden chamber was closed.

The chamber’s door closed, abruptly turning the room dark. However, the two of them were professional killers and being unable to see had no impact on them.

There was a small flight of steps next to the steps leading out of the chamber. There were two small peepholes over the smaller flight of steps. Two rays of light pierced through the holes, which was especially conspicuous in this dark chamber.

Yuan Shang walked to the hole and peered into it, finding that it was a long trumpet-shaped hole that could be seen from the inside but not from the outside. Yuan Shang matched what she saw to the recollections of the scenes outside. She realized that these two holes were connected to the two eyes of the big bronze statue outside!

Something warm leaned against her. Yuan Shang did not need to turn around to know that it was Yu Qinghong. Yu Qinghong used the other hole to look outward.

After a brief moment, there were the sounds of many footsteps getting louder, which stood out in this spacious medicine storeroom. Yuan Shang heard the familiar voice that pierced through her bone marrows. “All of you, leave and wait outside. No one is allowed to approach this room!”

Hearing this clear tone, Yuan Shang’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

Strange. Yuan Shang’s mental strength had always been good, so how could she be nervous because of several imperial soldiers? If she wanted to, she could easily overturn everything and everyone in the courtyard. It would only take a bit more effort and skill—Chen San’s collection of medicinal ingredients were pretty complete as all kinds of precious medical herbs were here. Whether it be thousand-year-old ginseng or a Ganoderma Lucidum, neither was lacking! It could be said that if the emperor wanted good medicine, he would have to secretly pull some strings to please the old man. In the past few days, Yuan Shang had made all kinds of paralyzing drugs, antidotes, and other medicine. Her whole body was covered in various of these, which finally made this insecure and paranoid professional killer a peace of mind.

But every single time, an extraordinary martial artist would appear and make her feel an inexplicable crisis.

When Yuan Shang saw that familiar person from the peephole, she watched as that person came in with Chen San.

“Princess, are you even going to search through this old man’s medical ingredient cabinets?”

Princess Minghui smiled and said, “What is Senior saying? How could Yuemin dare to search through your place? Regarding Senior’s sect, Elder Shen Jizi and this senior are like senior brothers to me. Yuemin is like your junior sister. Compared to you, Yuemin is just like a little girl. You are an elder, so Yuemin will listen to your teachings. How could Yuemin dare to search your courtyard? If these soldiers dare to set foot into this courtyard to search through the grass and trees, then Yuemin will be in the wrong! “

After these words were said, Chen San opened his eyes and smiled. She was able to talk much more than the female assassin, Yu Qinghong. In addition, her voice was naturally followed by a smile. A sweet taste would pass through anyone who heard her, making them feel comfortable. So how could anyone hate her? As Chen San listened, his expression relaxed. “When facing you, Tianyun Temple people, I see that one would speak more than the other!”

The corners of Yuan Shang’s mouth curled. This princess would pretend to be well-behaved and was extremely popular amongst the populace. For more than a month, she also concealed her true identity?

When she heard those words, “Tianyun Temple,” she felt that they were familiar. After thinking for a while, she became shocked. About this “Tianyun Temple,” was it not the Tianyun Temple from the story of the “Meeting Between the Prince Consort and Princess, a Golden Couple” that had been spread among the citizens? Rumor had it that the Duke of Zhao’s grandson, Su Qi, was a member of the Tianyun Temple and was a talented and intelligent person. In the folklore, she was taken into the sect by a real expert from the legendary Tianyun Temple. With superb and outstanding martial arts, she was later able to save Princess Minghui from danger. Compared to the weak princess in the story, her highness… Supposing Yuan Shang stood next to Princess Minghui, who would look more like a weak and delicate woman?

Tianyun Temple… It was originally a baseless rumor. If there really was a martial arts school called the “Tianyun Temple,” it would be extremely formidable—otherwise, how could anyone teach the princess without being a powerful master?

Chen San sat on a chair next to a medicine cabinet as Princess Minghui sat down opposite him with a faint smile. At this moment, the clothes that Princess Minghui wore were modest and clean; her short pink robe was lined with golden threads. This resembled the hunting attire for the imperial family members.

Princess Minghui sighed and said, “Senior Brother is knowledgeable. Have you heard of the rumors regarding the recent Imperial City’s assassination attempt?”

Chen San nodded slightly as Princess Minghui raised a smile that she had been known for throughout many years. She said, “This assassin was seriously injured and sought medical treatment at the medical center near the Imperial City. I sent someone to follow the assassin and found that the assassin had escaped in this direction. I am worried that the assassin acted like how ‘a cornered dog will jump over a wall’ and end up coming to Senior Brother Chen’s courtyard. This one called over soldiers from the army and acted impudently towards you. So Senior Brother Chen might be offended by this one’s actions and words.”

(TLN: ‘A cornered dog will jump over a wall’ means being driven to doing a desperate action.)

Chen San snorted and said, “If you have come to search for the assassin, why are you acting so secretive about it?”

Princess Minghui faintly smiled and raised her eyebrows. She said, “But the truth is that it’s not like Yuemin is trying to be secretive. Senior brother, may you allow the soldiers to search through your house? We are just worried that the assassin would look for Senior Brother for medical treatment, putting Senior Brother in a bind.”

Princess Minghui paused before saying, “There are two assassins and we have caught one of them. Only by doing this did we know that the assassins were disciples of the Thousand Jade Pagoda. The famous figures from the five leading martial arts circles include the Godly Medical Sect’s Shen Jizi, Tianyun Temple’s loose Daoist cultivator, Thousand Jade Pagoda’s Yu Wantian, White Horse Temple’s Venerable Master Kong Wen, and the Yellow Spring Valley’s Cheng Tianyao. During the previous dynasty, they faced the Xiongnu soldiers outside of the Great Wall and rushed into the battlefield to kill the enemy.

The owner of the Thousand Jade Pagoda had an old relationship with my family. During those years, they had taken care of my family several times. Yuemin had always been deeply moved by their actions. The three conditions that the Gu Imperial family imposed on the Thousand Jade Pagoda had never been shaken. The Thousand Jade Pagoda had never assassinated a member of the Gu’s Imperial family for decades. But why was this time an exception? Their confession and martial art skills cannot be faked. Since the Thousand Jade Pagoda had violated the promise they made during those years, I had no choice but to allow the assassin to go back. Then, I allowed five of the emperor’s leading troops to head to the Thousand Jade Pagoda to consult Yu Wantian.”

By the so-called “leading the troops to go find the reason for the events” theory, it was natural to meet on the battlefield. The Thousand Jade Pagoda came out from those troubled times and possessed their own means to get out of sticky situations. But against the current Imperial Army, how could they retreat?

Chen San said with a tense expression, “This… isn’t this bad? In the beginning, the emperor once promised the Thousand Jade Pagoda…”

“The Thousand Jade Pagoda had also promised to take care of the Gu family…” Princess Minghui smile dwindled as she stood up. As she sighed, she said, “Senior Brother and the Thousand Jade Pagoda are old acquaintances. If Senior Brother wishes to defend them, Yuemin can’t help Senior Brother. This time, the assassin did not expose the outsider who commissioned for this assassination. Therefore, if my father, the emperor, wants to let the matter die down,  it is not impossible. But it’s just that…”

Chen San immediately said, “How could the imperial court and Thousand Jade Pagoda become hostile towards each other? Today, if the swordsmen were to raise a fuss, it will be the commoners who will suffer… Princess, what is troubling you? Just say it. If the emperor really wants to pursue this matter, then, I will sell my old face to the imperial palace to state my request.”

Princess Minghui’s delicate eyebrows wrinkled together as she sighed. She said, “It’s not that easy of a matter to deal with. However, this assassin kidnapped my family’s prince consort… Senior Brother must already know that my family’s prince consort is the Duke of Zhao’s grandson, whose mother was the first wife. During those days, my father, the emperor, became sworn brothers with the Duke of Zhao. The prince consort is the only blood descendant of the general. Once my father and the Duke of Zhao finds out about the incident, then the peace treaty between the Thousand Jade Pagoda and the imperial family will be broken!”

While Chen San listened, he stroked his white beard. As he continued to hear her explanation, the hand that was stroking his beard pulled some hairs out. Interrupting Gu Yuemin from speaking again, he said, “I have encountered the assassin and have indeed met her. But because of the covenant with the imperial family, I did not treat her. I simply introduced a good doctor to her. This time really wasn’t the Thousand Jade Pagoda’s fault. The incident was caused by a few young disciples who did not understand the gravity of the matter. They offended the imperial family by picking up an outsider’s hit list. They didn’t wish to participate in any political affairs. I’m going to speak with the owner of the Thousand Jade Pagoda. I will make her capture the person who gave the hit list and hand that person to the emperor. Then, once you retrieve the prince consort, this entire matter shall be dropped, alright?”

Minghui’s eyes lit up and said, “Senior Brother, do you know where the prince consort is?”