Tangli Fried Snow

After two months of miserable imprisonment, Duan Yuanshan was granted a special decree by the emperor to treat Prince Wei well. Therefore, his life improved considerably afterward. Lord Lu moved him from the highest-ranking prison to a simply furnished room. Although he was still under strict guard, his food and lodgings were much better than before.

He even had guards who combed his hair every day, changed his clothes and bathed him at fixed times, and took meticulous care of his food, clothing and shelter. Lord Lu was afraid that he would be bored, so he sent him a lot of books to read, giving him a great deal of respect.

Prince Duan has recently been studying the Diamond Sutra thoroughly. If he could go out, he could even discuss the Dharma with the enlightened abbot.

He had several bodyguards serving him, one of whom was named Qingshan. He was in his twenties, handsome and upright, and clearly had been a soldier.

Qingshan's job was to keep a close watch on Duan Yuanshan for twelve hours a day, along with two guards. Every morning, they would bring him hot water and help him wash up and maintain personal hygiene. After breakfast, they would watch him read and paint, with each person taking turns for four hours. There were special people in charge of his change of clothes and food, which had to go through layers of checks before being sent in.

Qingshan is on the afternoon shift today; when his shift ends, someone else will come to relieve him.

As soon as his shift ended, he rushed home. He had recently gotten married, and a delicate, mature woman was waiting for him. He was already twenty-five, definitely an older single man. He had originally served as a bodyguard to Shen Shibai, but due to his incompetence, he was transferred to the military camp as an adjutant for a few months. His family spent a lot of money and used many connections to get him transferred back to the capital.

He's not young anymore, and his parents are counting on him to come back, settle down, and carry on the family line.

Having just solved his job problem, a relative introduced him to a delicate young woman as his wife. With double happiness on his mind, he has been riding high lately.

As soon as he entered the door, he saw that his wife had prepared a sumptuous dinner and was waiting for him to come back to eat. His wife's name was Qiu Ling, and she was only eighteen years old. She was a beautiful girl with an oval face and big eyes. She was gentle and virtuous, and she was an excellent cook. She was a distant relative of the neighbors. The two met at the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. They fell in love, and before the first lunar month was over, their parents started arranging their marriage.

The two lived in an inconspicuous little courtyard, with two rooms and a yard. There was also a big yellow dog at the door. In two years, the old lady would give birth to a big, fat son for him, and he would finally be able to live a life with a wife and child and a warm bed.

While enjoying the side dishes cooked by his wife and drinking a couple more cups, as the moon climbed to the treetops, with his beauty in his arms, it was natural to do some things to continue the family line. After a passionate encounter, his wife lay on top of him, panting, and asked, "Husband, why were you transferred away from Lord Shen's side?"

Qingshan mumbled in a daze, "It's just that I didn't do my job well."

"What errand?"

"He had a lover, and his daughter kicked someone to death while riding a horse. He asked me to clean up the mess, and a shoe fell to the ground..."

Qiu Ling's body trembled involuntarily.

“A distant relative of mine said that her younger brother went out to fetch water in the middle of the night and disappeared. Counting the time, it was around the same time as when you had the accident. It can’t be such a coincidence. It must be my unlucky relative.”

Qingshan's snoring continued, and he didn't hear his wife's words at all.

In the darkness, a single tear silently slid down the corner of the new bride's eye.

. . . .

The Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace had an appointment with a beautiful woman today. He and a group of guards secretly took the beautiful courtesan Chu Beitang to a manor on the outskirts of the city for a spring outing. They first discreetly left the city center by carriage, then changed to horses in the suburbs, riding down the hillside along the official road until they arrived at a flat grassland, where everything was lush and green.

In this mid-spring season, with lush greenery covering the mountains and fields, sunshine filling the sky, and with an unparalleled beauty by his side, the prince's heart was filled with joy.

Chu Beitang excitedly spurred his mount to his side, and the two rode side by side, chatting incessantly, the beautiful woman's laughter ringing out. She smiled, her slender finger pointing to a small hill, saying, "That's the famous 'Hot Spring Resort.' There's a towering ancient tree on the mountain, and the hot spring at the summit is excellent for both drinking and bathing. How about a contest between the Crown Prince and me? Whoever reaches that ancient tree first wins."

Zhao Hehua said excitedly, "Great! Tangtang must come with me to the hot springs then."

Today, the beautiful woman is dressed in a tight-fitting white outfit with narrow sleeves, which makes her look even more beautiful than a peach blossom, and she is incomparably beautiful.

Chu Beitang gave him a flirtatious glance, spurred her horse forward with her long legs, and said with a sweet laugh like a silver bell, "He Hua, you'd better do your best."

Zhao Hehua was captivated by the beautiful woman's charming gaze and rode off after her. His guards, not daring to be careless, chased after them on horseback while keeping a close eye on the two.

The prince learned riding and archery from a young age, and the horse he rode was a top-notch Akhal-Teke, with first-class speed and endurance.

But as he gazed at the beautiful woman's slender figure and watched her cheerfully turn back to speak to him, he suddenly lost all competitive spirit. A smile played on his lips, and his mind was filled with images of playing in the hot springs with the one he loved. His horse followed the beauty's tail at a distance, galloping easily towards their destination.

Zhao Hehua's mind raced with thoughts. This morning, the eunuch brought him some great news: the Empress Dowager was secretly arranging his marriage to Princess Yaoguang.

He was unsure whether to be happy or worried after hearing this. If it weren't for the upheaval at the palace banquet, his father hadn't fallen ill, and the Prince of Wei hadn't been imprisoned, marrying Duan Xueyao would have been a godsend, a stroke of genius that he couldn't have asked for. But now, her father was a prisoner, and her elder brother was a rebel leader. Marrying her now would be like having a chicken bone—tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away. For a moment, he didn't know whether it was better to marry her or not.

Chu Beitang rode into a sparse forest, and the Crown Prince followed closely behind on horseback, also entering the woods.

Her figure gradually disappeared into the depths of the sparse woods, as beautiful as a dream. He was watching her intently when suddenly a strong wind swept in from the front.

The sound of the crossbow bolt whistling past his cheek, the powerful arrow whizzing by and piercing the chest of a guard behind him. The guard groaned and fell to the ground, falling from his horse and dying instantly.

Zhao Hehua was terrified, his hair standing on end. His first thought was for Chu Beitang's safety. Her figure was nowhere to be seen; she seemed to have already left the woods. He was extremely anxious. Looking around, he saw several men in black emerging from the forest; they must have been hiding there all along. The Crown Prince, worried about his beloved's safety, was about to rush forward to check when the sound of triggers rang out, and several more powerful arrows were shot at him.

He drew his sword to parry, and the guards behind him rushed to his side. One of the guards spurred his horse, nocked an arrow, and fired back, killing an assassin dressed in black with a single shot.

The wind whistled, and a crossbow bolt shot out from behind the thickest tree on the left.

Zhao Hehua dodged suddenly, the crossbow bolt grazing his face and embedding itself in the tree behind him—a truly close call. Immediately, two guards rushed to the tree, and before the assassin could nock another arrow, they had already pierced the black-clad man's chest with a single shot.

Knowing the situation was critical, Zhao Hehua spurred his horse and prepared to quickly cross the dense forest.

Suddenly, a rope appeared out of nowhere, and the Akhal-Teke horse beneath him let out a mournful cry. Zhao Hehua and his horse fell to the ground. He rolled forward four or five times before stopping. His riding and archery instructor had specifically taught him how to deal with falling off his horse and had even given him several special training sessions. Thanks to his instructor, he was able to barely save his life in this critical moment.

Before he could get up from the ground, footsteps approached, and more than a dozen men in black surrounded him. He fired the crossbow he had prepared beforehand at the man in front, and the man fell to the ground.

Zhao Hehua drew his sword again to defend himself. His skills were average; he had only learned some fancy moves. For him, martial arts training was more like a way to improve his health. Looking at the group of fierce assassins, he couldn't help but feel fear.

A thought struck him: why not fight back, buy time for the guards to arrive, and try to find a chance to survive?

Just as he was barely managing to hold his own against the men in black around him, and his fear intensified, the guards behind him caught up and each of them took down half of the enemies with an arrow. Zhao Hehua felt a glimmer of hope. He made a quick decision, rolled to the ground, and landed behind a large tree. As soon as he stood still, he was shocked to feel a piercing pain in his forearm. He had been too nervous to notice his injury, and his clothes and flesh were torn open with a large hole, from which blood was gushing out.

A cold sweat broke out on his body, and a wave of dizziness and terror washed over him. He knew in his heart that this was bad; if the arrow was poisoned, this day next year would be his death anniversary. He slumped down against the tree, and behind it, shouts of battle echoed, a cacophony of swords slicing through flesh and men's muffled groans rising and falling.

After the initial pain and panic subsided, Zhao Hehua calmed down. He couldn't help but peek at the battlefield and saw several masked men lying haphazardly on the ground. There were seven or eight guards and enemies who were still alive and fighting together. He first saw his personal guard commander, Tian Xiao, charging left and right, killing the enemy and causing them to fall.

He felt reassured and kept a close eye on the battlefield.

Tian Xiao was tall and strong, with exquisite swordsmanship and amazing arm strength. He used clumsiness to defeat skill, and with a slanted slash, he deflected the enemy's sword. Then, with a sudden change in the blade, he slit the enemy's neck without hesitation.

Several guards worked together to cut down the other assassins. The last assassin, who was agile, saw that the situation was hopeless and tried to escape, but Tian Xiao threw his long sword, which pierced through the chest. The last assassin knelt down and died on the spot.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the sound of horses' hooves rang out. Thinking that there were still enemies lying in ambush, everyone raised their weapons to prepare to fight. But when they looked up and looked closely, they found that the person who came was Chu Beitang, who had returned.

Terrified, she dismounted and rushed towards the prince behind the tree, tears streaming down her face. In a trembling voice, she asked, "He Hua, are you alright?"

"Ah! You're injured." When she saw the glaring bloodstains on Zhao Hehua's hand, she cried out in anguish.

Zhao Hehua was initially very scared, and her arm was still burning with pain. But when she saw her beloved crying with tears streaming down her face, she couldn't bear it and forced herself to comfort her, saying, "I'm fine, it's just a minor injury. Don't cry, don't cry."

After crying a few times, Chu Beitang calmed down and stopped crying. While shedding tears, she tore off a piece of her skirt and used it to bandage his wound before helping him up.

"It's dangerous here, let's leave quickly."

The group helped the prince onto his horse, and then galloped away, hastily leaving this dangerous place.

An hour later, the imperial physician carefully bandaged the prince's wounds.

Tian Xiao stayed by his side without leaving for a moment. As soon as the imperial physician left, Tian Xiao knelt on the ground and looked at the crown prince sincerely, saying, "Today's assassination attempt must have been carried out by an insider who leaked Your Highness's itinerary. Your Highness must be careful of those around you!"

Zhao Hehua's face turned pale and then flushed, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Another head of the guards brought Qian Liang, an advisor from the Crown Prince's residence, to report, "Your Highness, we have sent people to investigate. The assassins were all soldiers, with ordinary skills, and their weapons were unmarked. The Prefect has sent skilled men to investigate, and it seems they have hired someone to commit murder."

"Could it be that the man surnamed Jin did it?"

Qian Liang shook his head and said, "Not necessarily. If the Crown Prince were murdered, everyone would think that the Empress was behind it, and the court would be in chaos. She wouldn't do something so obviously suspicious."

Tian Xiao said, "Could it really be that the Empress hired someone to do it, so that she could easily deny it afterward and say that someone framed her?"

Qian Liang pondered for a moment before saying, "It shouldn't be the Empress. Why would she hire some novices to do such a thing, leaving evidence for others to trace back to her? She's been busy dealing with Ying Longhua with Shen Shibai lately, so it shouldn't be her."

Zhao Hehua breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost lost his life and was injured. If it weren't for the recent unrest and the fact that he always brought enough guards when he went out of the mansion, he might have been in grave danger today.

He said with lingering fear, "Luckily, I brought enough experts with me, otherwise I would be dead today."

Qian Liang said, "To find out who did it, we just need to keep a close eye on the Empress and we'll definitely be able to find out who's behind it."

Tian Xiao said to Qian Liang, "They don't seem to want to take the Crown Prince's life. Even the Beitang girl, who doesn't know martial arts, returned unharmed. If they really wanted to assassinate the Crown Prince, why would they only send ordinary soldiers to do it?"

The Crown Prince interjected, "Who knows about today's itinerary?"

Tian Xiao replied, "Things have been rather unsettled lately. Everyone who knew His Highness's itinerary went with him today, and... and then there's Miss Beitang."

The prince closed his eyes, his eyeballs darting back and forth under his eyelids.

After a long pause, he sighed softly and said, "You may all go down now."

The two exchanged a glance, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. Qian Liang gently shook his head, and the two withdrew together.

Before the Crown Prince could even get a proper rest, the door opened again. He was about to reprimand the person who came in when Chu Beitang entered carrying a bowl of medicine. With graceful steps, she approached Zhao Hehua, looked him up at him for a moment, and said gently, "Hehua, it's time to take your medicine."

When the Crown Prince saw the beauty's clear, bright eyes, filled with an innocent and naive charm, his suspicions about her lessened considerably. He even felt a subtle urge to protect and cherish her even more, as if he had wronged her.

It can't be hers, it can't be hers.