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

Chapter 234 Treason

A figure in white stood at the bow of the ship under the blue sky. The sea breeze was so strong that it made people unable to open their eyes, but the figure remained as immovable as a mountain. Gu Lounan lifted the curtain, and the fierce sea wind tore his voice into a broken shape, "There is news from the capital." Xiahou Ying turned around suddenly, his figure as fast as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he had snatched the note from Gu Lounan's hand.

A rare hint of relief appeared on his usually expressionless face. The next second, the note in his hand turned to ashes and flew into the boundless sea. "Fireworks, the capital city will proceed as planned." Gu Lounan's narrow eyes twitched slightly upwards.

"Your Highness is really willing to sacrifice the Princess. Knowing her as I do, she will never give in so easily." Xiahou Ying raised his index finger and pointed it at Gu Lounan. Gu Lounan instantly flew to the side like an arrow released from a bow. A hole about the size of a thumb appeared on the side of the ship behind Gu Lounan.

"I hate your self-righteous tone when you think you know the Princess Consort." Gu Lounan pouted. "Your Highness, you should think carefully. Can you really give her a lifetime of monogamy? If not, Your Highness should let go as soon as possible." Xiahou Ying's eyes flashed with cold light, and his white robes fluttered without wind.

The chilling killing intent made Gu Lounan's heart tremble. "Although it is said that a subject must die if the ruler commands him, Your Highness, have you really thought this through? It seems that the Qiongjing Gang pirates only recognize me, the young master of the manor." Xiahou Ying narrowed his eyes, and the dangerous aura, along with the creaking of the ship's planks, made Gu Lounan's heartstrings feel as if they might snap at any moment.

The ship swayed and suddenly veered to one side. The two men exchanged a glance, then dodged to the side. The cargo behind them crashed down with a thud. Kou Yun rushed in, shouting, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Our ship has struck an underwater reef, and now the hull is broken. I'm afraid we can't save this ship!"

Xiahou Ying frowned, and his figure flew out. He saw that the boatmen on the deck were being rocked to the side, and people were falling into the water one after another. Xiahou Ying's white silk sleeves fluttered and pulled everyone out of the water. Gu Lounan hurriedly grabbed the broken mast.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, like a gray-black curtain pressing down, making it hard to breathe. The gale relentlessly ravaged the already dilapidated hull. The planks under Xiahou Ying's feet had begun to crack due to bearing the weight of too many people. Kou Yun wiped the seawater off his face.

"Your Highness, hurry! If anything happens to you, all our efforts will have been in vain!" The veins on Xiahou Ying's forehead were gradually bulging. "Leave? Do you think we can go anywhere without these people who are familiar with the water?"

"Your Highness..." Xiahou Ying glanced at Gu Lounan, "Quickly change the ship's route and try to sail towards the nearby land." "Your Highness, be careful!" Kou Yun gritted his teeth and rushed out.

Large raindrops began to pelt down, the rain intensifying, blurring visibility. The person Xiahou Ying was holding was only kept from falling into the sea by his white silk ribbon; Xiahou Ying's arm was gradually going numb. A flash of lightning ripped through the black curtain of darkness.

The plank beneath Xiahou Ying's feet snapped with a crack, and Gu Lounan shouted, "Xiahou Ying!" He leaped up but only managed to grab a section of Xiahou Ying's sleeve.

"Xiahou Ying cut the white silk!" Upon hearing Gu Lounan's words, the crowd below immediately cried out, "Your Highness, save us! Your Highness, save us!" But even though they were on the verge of life and death, Gu Lounan still couldn't find a trace of panic on their faces.

“Gu Lounan and the others must be kept alive, I…” The next second, the white robe in Gu Lounan’s hand tore apart with a ripping sound, and Xiahou Ying’s body fell straight to the seabed like a kite with a broken string. Gu Lounan stood there in disbelief. Wasn’t this the thing he had always dreamed of?

Eliminating him would solve all his problems; eliminating him might allow Yin Quan to choose himself. But at this moment, he felt no joy whatsoever, especially since Xiahou Ying's last words kept lingering in his mind.

"Xiahou Ying! You can't die!" Yin Quan suddenly woke up from the bed, her body soaked in cold sweat. Harina rushed in, his clothes disheveled.

"Miss? What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Yin Quan's eyes were still a little blank, and her face looked like she was still in shock. As soon as Harina got close, she was grabbed tightly by Yin Quan. The cold touch made Harina shrink back involuntarily.

"Xiahou Ying is in trouble! What should we do? No, I can't wait any longer, we have to go find him now!" Harina hurriedly held down the flustered Yin Quan.

"Miss, please listen to me. You just had a nightmare. The Prince is perfectly fine. Didn't you receive a letter from him a few days ago?"

"A letter?" Yin Quan's brain seemed to be starting to work slowly. It seemed that she had indeed received a letter from Xiahou Ying two days ago to let him know that she was safe. However, the tone of the letter was completely unlike what Xiahou Ying would say. Perhaps it was from that letter that she began to feel increasingly uneasy.

Harina took Yin Quan's hand and gently rubbed it. "Miss, don't worry unnecessarily. Didn't the Prince say in his letter that he would be back in a few days?" Yin Quan's heart was pounding wildly. She took a deep breath and calmed down.

Noisy sounds came from outside the Prince's Mansion. Yin Quan frowned. "Why is the Prince's Mansion so lively so late?" Harina looked outside, picked up a trench coat from the side and put it on Yin Quan. "Miss, I'll go out and take a look first."

Before Harina even reached the door, Wei Jun's urgent voice rang out, "Your Highness, please come out quickly." Yin Quan and Harina exchanged a glance. Wei Jun was always composed, but his current panicked state meant something serious must have happened.

Yin Quan quickly tied her hair back before letting Harina open the door. Wei Jun's face was unusually pale. "The Princess Consort is in trouble. The Emperor was assassinated tonight, and the entire capital is in turmoil." Yin Quan frowned. "What does the Emperor's assassination have to do with us?"

Wei Jun hesitated for a moment, "The person who assassinated the Emperor was a former member of the Yin family..." Yin Quan's teacup slipped from her hand, splashing tea all over herself. A member of the Yin family? Doesn't that make her a traitor now?

“Your Highness, there’s no time. His Majesty has already sent men to arrest all the former members of the Yin family. This time, His Majesty has even deployed his most trusted Heavenly Secrets Team. Once you’re in that place, even if you’re not guilty, they’ll add several more crimes to your record. Besides, the Prince isn’t in the capital right now. I’ve arranged for Yun Sheng to take Your Highness to a safe place first, and we’ll wait for the Prince to return to resolve everything.”

Yin Quan sneered, rubbing her throbbing temples. "I'm afraid all of this was planned while Xiahou Ying was away, wasn't it?" Wei Jun said anxiously, "Your Highness doesn't have time. Harina, hurry up and pack your things!"

Harina was clearly shocked and somewhat at a loss by this sudden change. Before she could even step out the door, Yun Sheng had already blocked her way.

"There's no time. The Heavenly Secrets Team has already surrounded the Prince's Mansion. If we want to get out, it will probably be a fierce battle." Yin Quan frowned and shook his hand.

"No! We can't escape. If we run away, the crime will be confirmed, and Xiahou Ying will probably be implicated as well. So help me pack up quickly. What's meant to be will be." Wei Jun didn't expect Yin Quan to be so calm.

"The Heavenly Secrets Team is not to be underestimated. Even a seven-foot-tall man can't last three days inside..." A hint of tension appeared on Yun Sheng's usually calm face.

"The situation is very unfavorable for us right now, let's take cover for a while..."

A sharp shout came from outside the door, "Men, surround the Prince's residence. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Your subject, Tong Jing, respectfully invites the Princess to the Heavenly Secrets Team to ask her some questions."

Yin Quan smoothed her slightly disheveled hair, took a deep breath, and calmly walked out of the room. Yun Sheng gently tugged at her sleeve and smiled slightly at her to indicate that she was alright.

No matter how big the case, Yin Quan could never win. It was just questioning; she could handle it.

Tong Jing had an extremely pale face, with a hint of malice in the corners of his eyes and a faint bluish tinge around his eyes. He wore a pure black brocade robe with trim, making him look like a soul-reaping messenger from hell.

Upon seeing Yin Quan emerge, he slightly clasped his hands in greeting, "Greetings, Your Highness. Today, His Majesty was assassinated, and all those involved must be questioned by the Heavenly Detective Team. We apologize for the inconvenience, Your Highness, but we apologize for the inconvenience." Wei Jun frowned, somewhat displeased, and said, "Tong Jing, don't think you're so great just because you're directly under the Emperor. How dare you investigate people and even trace them back to our Duan Prince's residence?"

Tong Jing casually lowered his hands, but gripped the sword at his waist tightly. "Although I, Tong, am not of high rank, I am acting on the Emperor's orders. How dare the Prince Duan's mansion disobey the imperial decree?" Yin Quan understood. It was clear that they could not escape this calamity today.

She stopped Wei Jun, who was still trying to resist, and walked step by step to Tong Jing's side. She sneered, "Since Lord Tong is also unable to disobey the imperial order, we will not make things difficult for you. However, everyone knows that from the day I married into the Duan Prince's Mansion, I, Yin Quan, have already severed ties with the Yin family."

Yin Quan's words were addressed not only to Tong Jing but also to everyone present, effectively drawing a line between their respective camps.

Tong Jing gestured for Yin Quan to follow, and Harina caught up. "I want to stay with Miss!" Tong Jing glanced at Harina, and Yin Quan shook her head. "Then you mustn't do anything reckless." Harina, however, raised her stubborn little face.

"I am the princess's personal maid. If the princess is a suspect, shouldn't I also be a suspect?"

Tong Jing narrowed her eyes and sneered, "What a loyal girl. Since you've said so, have someone take her away." Yin Quan's anger surged.

"Your Highness, please don't be angry. Our Tianji Team's tea is also quite good." Yin Quan clenched her fist and saw Qin Chang'an's figure flash by in the corridor as she walked out of the palace.

Qin Chang'an is quite something. Tonight's events are rather strange, and she is probably involved.

The cold night wind enveloped Yin Quan's thin figure, and for some reason, Yun Sheng felt a pang of pity for her.

The Heavenly Secrets Team was located in the most secluded spot on the outskirts of the city. Even before entering, various hoarse shouts, pleas for mercy, and painful struggles could be heard from afar, filling the darkness and sending chills down one's spine. Harina's face turned pale with fright, and she tightened her grip on Yin Quan's arm.

"Miss, will we be alright...?"