The Second World in Ancient Times

The morning mist hadn't yet completely dissipated, but the hunting grounds were already shrouded in a tense atmosphere. With the sound of a horn, the hunt officially began. The king, atop his majestic horse, rode into the grounds with a dashing presence, his imposing presence drawing cheers from the crowd.

I rode my horse, mingling among the concubines and ministers, and slowly entered the hunting ground. On the surface, I pretended to be excitedly appreciating the surrounding scenery, but in fact, my eyes were scanning the surroundings vigilantly like a hawk.

"Your Majesty, look at that forest. It feels eerie. Is it dangerous?" Wanqing whispered beside me.

"Hmph, the danger isn't limited to those woods." I responded in a low voice, "The Queen and the Prince are probably impatient to take action. We must be careful."

As expected, as the crowd gradually dispersed, each seeking their own prey, I keenly sensed unusual movement in the surrounding bushes, as if countless pairs of eyes were watching from the shadows. I knew the Queen and the Prince's ambush had begun.

"Wanqing, go find the king immediately and tell him that the situation is critical. Ask him to move to the open area in the east, where our people can better protect him. Then notify Lord Li, Lord Zhang and other loyal ministers to move closer to the king and form a defense." I gave orders to Wanqing calmly.

"Empress, what will you do? I can't leave you." Wanqing looked at me with concern.

"Don't worry about me, I have my own way to delay them. Go quickly, it will be too late if you are any later." I urged.

Wanqing gritted her teeth and galloped off in the direction of the king. I slowly advanced towards the direction where the ambush might be, pulling a flare from my sleeve. This was a tool I had prepared in advance to communicate with the guards.

As I walked, I said loudly, "The scenery of this hunting ground is really charming, but it's a pity that some people have evil intentions and want to ruin this great hunting experience." My voice echoed in the hunting ground. I knew that the queen and the prince's people would definitely be able to hear it, and I just wanted to let them know that I had noticed their conspiracy.

After a while, I saw several figures appearing in the woods ahead. They were dressed in black, holding sharp blades, and walking towards me with fierce eyes.

"Empress Yu, you are really smart. It's a pity that today is the day you die." The leader said with a sneer.

"You few guys want to kill me? Do you think I will wait for you to take my life without any defense?" I responded calmly, and at the same time quietly placed my hand on the soft sword at my waist.

"Hmph, we are just following orders. You can't escape today." The man said, waving his hand, and the people behind him surrounded me.

"On orders? On whose orders? The Queen and the Prince, right? Do you think they can succeed? This world still belongs to the King. You are aiding and abetting the evil, and you will not have a good end." I tried to use words to undermine their fighting spirit.

The leader snorted coldly: "Your Majesty, please don't say too much. We only know how to take money from people and help them get rid of disasters."

I sneered, "Do you really think the Queen and the Prince can bring you wealth and glory? Once this is exposed, they will definitely use you as a scapegoat to protect themselves."

A thug nearby said hesitantly, "Brother, what the lady said seems to make some sense."

The leader shouted, "What do you know? If we retreat now, we will die."

I took the opportunity to say, "It's not too late to turn back now. If you help me expose the Queen and the Prince's conspiracy, I will keep you safe and even plead for you with the King, who will grant you good farmland and a beautiful house."

After hearing what I said, everyone looked at each other and slowed down their pace a little.

"Don't be fooled by this woman's sweet words. She can't even protect herself, how can she protect us?" the leader shouted.

"Although I am a woman, I also have considerable prestige in this palace. I can do what I say. Think about it, the king is wise and powerful, how could he not know what you are doing today? Instead of following the queen and the prince to the end of the world, it is better to turn to the light instead of the dark." I said earnestly.

Several of the ambushers were visibly shaken, and the weapons in their hands dropped slightly.

"Brother, how about we..." An ambush soldier hesitated to speak.

"Shut up! Whoever dares to waver again, I will kill him first!" The leader's eyes were wide open with anger.

Seeing this, I was secretly happy, knowing that my words had worked, but I also knew that they would not give up easily.

"Your time of death has come!" The leader saw that his men were wavering, became angry and attacked again.

I quickly drew my soft sword and charged forward. Although I didn't have much combat experience in modern times, with my daily practice and understanding of some fighting techniques, I could still hold my own against them.

"Do you think you can trap me like this? I have already arranged my people around here. Once you take action, don't even think about getting away unscathed." I said loudly while resisting their attacks.

When they heard my words, they hesitated, their attack slowing slightly. At that moment, I seized the opportunity and fired a signal flare. A sharp whistle echoed, followed by the sound of horse hooves.

"Your time has come!" I shouted.

However, to my surprise, the arrival wasn't of my assigned guards, but rather more ambushes. It turned out the Queen and the Prince had been prepared, diverting my forces in an attempt to completely isolate me.

"Haha, Concubine Yu, do you think your little tricks can fool us? Just prepare to die today." The leader laughed again.

My heart sank, but I refused to show weakness on the surface. "Don't be complacent. Even if I die here today, the king and other loyal ministers will not let you go."

"Then go underground and wait to see what happens to them." As they spoke, they launched a more fierce attack.

I fought hard, silently praying that Wanqing could successfully pass the message to the king and the ministers. Otherwise, I would really die here today. In the fierce attack and defense, I gradually lost my strength, but I told myself to hold on. Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, I couldn't give up.

"You traitors, how dare you assassinate me in the hunting ground? The king will never forgive you!" I shouted loudly, trying to attract more people's attention.

However, there was no response except for the shouts of killing. I knew I had to find a way to break out and couldn't just sit there and wait for death. So, I spotted an opening and rushed in one direction, trying to fight my way out.

Seeing this, the ambushers rushed in pursuit. I rushed left and right on horseback, surrounded by danger. Just when I felt desperate, I suddenly heard a familiar cry: "Empress, we are here to save you!"

I looked up and saw that it was Afeng and several guards rushing over. It turned out that after being transferred away, they noticed something was wrong and struggled to break free from the enemy's entanglement and rushed to support me.

"Afeng, you've arrived at the right time. Come on, let's go meet the king together." I shouted.

With Afeng and the others joining us, my pressure was immediately relieved. We fought and retreated, heading towards the king. Meanwhile, Wanqing had successfully passed the message to the king and his ministers, who were organizing forces to come to the rescue.

The battle in the hunting grounds is about to break out. I know that this life-and-death contest with the queen and the prince has just begun. I must rely on my wisdom and courage to lead the loyal people to smash their conspiracy and protect the peace of the king and the palace.