The Princess Cannot Escape: The Cunning Prince Is Not to Be Messed With

Chapter 23

When there's nothing to do, it's easy to overthink, and Yin Quan is exactly that kind of person.

Thinking of this, she looked away and continued to cast her signature 360-degree smile at the faces filled with hope and curiosity.

The people of the capital were very hospitable, especially the women and children.

For these women who usually have no freedom or status at home, it is always a joyful opportunity to step out of their homes and share in the celebration that shines upon the world at this moment.

In any era, women have always yearned for beauty, even if it's just to look at those dazzling strangers.

No one can resist beautiful things.

Looking at those faces, some simple, some stunning, some brimming with excitement, Yin Quan suddenly had a thought. She stood up, took off her phoenix crown, and pulled out a delicate dagger that looked less sharp than a weapon from her bright red wedding boots. Then, to everyone's astonishment, she pried off the pearls and gems adorning the phoenix crown one by one and scattered them into the crowd.

"The Prince of Duan is getting married! The whole country is celebrating! These are red envelopes bestowed upon everyone by the Princess Consort of Duan!"

The new queen scattered pearls and jewels among the crowd like boulders thrown into the sea, creating ripples that instantly engulfed the people like boiling oil in a cauldron. They all tried to break through the armored guards' obstruction to rush to the carriage and prostrate themselves before this incredibly bold and generous queen.

The crowd surged forth in waves.

Even the most steadfast and resolute armored guards could not ultimately prevail against the overwhelming numbers of the common people.

Just as the human wall formed by the imperial guards was about to be broken apart by the surging crowd, a black steed galloped in like lightning. A tall, purplish-red figure descended like a ghost on its back, and silence fell over the place where it went.

"Seven Killers of the Heavenly Wolf, heed my command! Do not allow the public to approach the carriage. Protect the Queen's safety at all costs!"

The figure let out a sharp shout, and immediately several dark figures flew in from all directions, as if they had been waiting there all along.

As he spoke, the man pulled on the reins, grabbed the black horse's head, and turned it around. He raised his narrow phoenix eyes slightly and smiled, "Your Majesty, I am late in protecting you. I have frightened the Princess."

Seeing the seven-colored light reflected from his crimson robes in the sunlight, Yin Quan was suddenly stunned.

Colorful auspicious clouds...

It fell from the sky...

This... this person...

"Push the people back three steps! Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot!"

Seeing Yin Quan's slightly stunned reaction, Gu Lounan gave a command, his voice fierce and resolute.

“You’re more handsome than Lai Liaobu…” Yin Quan finally spoke after swallowing hard and regaining his composure.

With a slight furrow in his brow, Gu Lounan maintained his impeccable smile and demeanor, looking at her with a composed smile.

"Please, Your Highness, sit down quickly. If you stumble or fall, it will be my responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Yin Quan quickly returned to her seat, her heart pounding like a drum.

Oh, God……

You really did hear my fervent prayer...

They really sent a celestial being riding on auspicious five-colored clouds...

Suddenly, at that moment, Xiahou Ying's expressionless face flashed into his mind, seemingly carrying a hint of anger.

Uh……

Shaking her head to banish the images of the two people from her mind, Yin Quan let out a sigh of relief.

The most handsome guy in her family will always be Sakata Gintoki, Gintoki's mom is her lifelong fan...

Xiahou Ying must have found out about the chaos and commotion she just caused...

How will he punish her?

She was punished by having to clean all the toilets in the city, and she couldn't sleep until she finished.

Or should we copy all the Buddhist scriptures in the entire library? We can't eat until we finish copying them all.

Thinking this, Yin Quan suddenly realized something.

She'll escape in an hour!

Why worry about these things?

This is so unlucky!

She will definitely escape! She definitely will!

Sitting in the carriage at the very front, Xiahou Ying, whose face was expressionless, pursed his lips even more tightly than before.

He knew that even with Long Jue by her side, she would still do something outrageous.

Suddenly, at that moment, Gu Lounan's voice rang in my ears, still in that nonchalant and casual tone.

"Is she the one you chose this time..." Gu Lounan's tone always carried a hint of a smile, making it impossible for anyone to guess what kind of scheme was hidden behind his smiling words.

Xiahou Ying did not respond; his aloof and handsome face remained tense, devoid of any extra expression.

“If Your Highness doesn’t like to hear this, I have something else that I believe Your Highness will find interesting.” Raising his sharply defined chin, Gu Lounan glanced outside, his eyebrows slightly raised, and a haughty smile bloomed on his lips, as if the person getting married today was not Xiahou Ying sitting in the carriage, but himself.

"Just now, the Princess Consort said that I am more handsome than Lai Liaobu. Do you know who this Lai Liaobu is?"

"Dead man." Xiahou Ying finally parted his tightly pursed lips into a barely perceptible gap, and answered.

Gu Lounan was slightly taken aback by his words, then laughed and tugged at the reins slightly.

As he watched the carriage at the front of the procession gradually move forward, he narrowed his long, phoenix-shaped eyes and slowed the pace of the black horse beneath him.

Looking at the secret agents of the Seven Killers Army disguised as palace maids and eunuchs on both sides of the carriage, Xiahou Ying kept his hands inside his bright red wedding robe and kept his gaze fixed straight ahead.

The question Gu Lounan raised was also the question he wanted to know at this moment.

Who is Lai Liaobu...?

Today must be the first time she has met Gu Lounan. How could she say such things to a man she has just met, especially at a wedding ceremony? Does she have no sense of propriety at all?

The spies attending the royal carriage suddenly felt a chill emanating from someone inside. The low air pressure made them feel short of breath and unable to move. They hesitated, wondering whether to signal the Grand Preceptor or something similar, but were quite troubled by the situation. It seemed that the Prince Duan's low air pressure had started after the Grand Preceptor said something. Although it was considered taboo to overhear conversations between superiors, and even if one did hear them, one should pretend not to, they had definitely heard the words "Lai Liaobu."

Could it be Prince Duan's rival in love, the ex-boyfriend of the future princess?

That’s why…

Thinking of this, Tianlang and Qisha, who were walking on either side of the chariot, immediately understood. They didn't hesitate to signal or report to the Grand Preceptor. Everyone knew what was going on.

After completing a tour of the inner city, one must also tour the outer city before the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and donning the crown at Phoenix Terrace takes place.

The journey from the outer city to Phoenix Terrace required changing from a palanquin to a sedan chair, which was Yin Quan's only chance to escape.

As the sky gradually changed from blue to red, and then from red to purple, Yin Quan's already sweaty palms became even wetter.

She tucked her hands into her wide sleeves, where she concealed a mask that Long Jue had made for her, a mask that bore an exact resemblance to herself.

Although Long Jue had some doubts, he still helped her. She touched the cloth bag containing the mask with her fingers, her heart pounding like a drum.

She would never use this mask unless absolutely necessary.

That would put Long Jue, who was a subordinate of Prince Duan, in a position of disloyalty and injustice, which was not the outcome she wanted to see.

The scenery outside the chariot gradually dimmed, and the lanterns covered with red paper emitted a dark red light, which shone on the bushes and cast a blurry black shadow.

Phoenix Terrace was right in front of her. Yin Quan clenched her fists, sweat trickling down her temples and dripping onto her exquisite and beautiful wedding robe, which she did not even notice.

As the towering stone walls of Phoenix Terrace drew ever closer, the shadowy figures reflected upon them flickering like ghosts. Yin Quan pursed her lips, about to speak, when suddenly one of the soldiers guarding the altar in front shouted, "Traitor Lu Xun has been discovered! Protect the Emperor with all your might!"

At the same time, Gu Lounan rode his black horse and flashed to Yin Quan's side like lightning, shouting, "Tianlang Qisha, listen to my command! Protect Prince Duan and Princess with all your might!" After saying that, he suddenly leaned down to Yin Quan's carriage and grinned at her, "Even if it costs me my life, I will do my best to protect Princess."

Watching Gu Lounan's black figure move like lightning, Yin Quan frowned.

Uh...did he come over here specifically to tell her?

She didn't spend much time on Gu Lounan. She peeked out of the carriage and saw that the servants guarding the front and back of the carriage all had sharp eyes and tense expressions, clearly indicating that they were not just simple servants.

She pursed her lips and retreated into the carriage, suddenly having a strange feeling.

Even without the traitor Lu Xun, this wedding ceremony might have had other unforeseen circumstances.

Or rather, from the very beginning, someone was planning to use the wedding as an excuse to commit acts of disobedience.

Is he the Imperial Advisor or...?

Yin Quan did not continue thinking about it.

She didn't want to get involved in the so-called power struggle too early in this way. She had read a lot of palace intrigue novels, but only for entertainment, to pass the time that seemed extra because of betrayal.

The life the female protagonist in the book didn't live was what she wanted; she didn't have the intelligence or the luck.

She never had any sense of how to judge people from the very beginning.

It was true before time travel, and it will definitely be true after time travel.

Thinking this, Yin Quan began to loosen her belt. Soon, the gorgeous and heavy formal dress was removed, leaving her in only a light, dark blue outfit. With everything ready, she suddenly pointed to the sky and shouted, "Ah! UFO!" Then, taking advantage of everyone's gaze being fixed on the heavens, she lit a cannon about two fingers thick and threw it forcefully outwards. A loud "bang" resounded, immediately drawing everyone's attention. It was precisely this brief opening, lasting only a few seconds, that allowed Yin Quan to successfully escape from the dozens of people surrounding the Seven Killers of the Heavenly Wolf and make her escape.

When the elite troops came to their senses, all that remained on the enormous wedding carriage were the magnificent wedding gowns, but the person who should have been wearing them was nowhere to be seen.

"You still haven't told me who Lai Liaobu is."

A voice tinged with laughter rang out behind her ear, and Yin Quan, who was hiding in the bushes, suddenly jolted, almost falling out of the pitch-black shadow.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not here to chase you." Reaching out, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Gu Lounan's smile was gentle, and the silver auspicious cloud pattern embroidered on his collar emitted a hazy, faint blue light under the moonlight.

"Then why are you grabbing me?" Yin Quan asked, her voice low and her brows furrowed.

"I just said, you still haven't told me who Lai Liaobu is. I have a bad habit of digging into everything." With a slight smile, Gu Lounan spoke gently, but he never let go of Yin Quan's hand.

“Since it’s a bad habit, you have to change it quickly, starting now. I have urgent business to attend to, so let go first.” Seeing Wei Jun walking towards the bushes where she was, Yin Quan began to struggle, but unexpectedly Gu Lounan got up and poked his head out at this moment, calling out Wei Jun’s name loudly.