The prince is fierce: Who dares to steal my woman?

Finally, Yang Rong was left wearing only a thin bodice. In the moonlight, her fair skin was faintly visible, revealing glimpses of her skin, breathtakingly beautiful yet tinged with a sense of sorrow and helplessness. This scene drew the burning gazes of the surrounding soldiers, their eyes filled with greed, pity, but mostly with a numb indifference.

Seeing this, Wei Kui's eyes burned with even more intense desire. He panted heavily, like a wild beast about to pounce on its prey, ready to forcibly possess this helpless and delicate body.

However, at this critical moment, a dark figure darted out from the shadows like a ghost, moving with astonishing speed. It was a masked man dressed in black, his tight-fitting black clothes accentuating his impressive figure. He held two swords, one long and one short, gleaming with a cold light, like two silver lightning bolts that instantly ripped through the night sky.

The man in black was agile and wielded a sharp sword. Every strike was precise and accurate. In the blink of an eye, Wei Kui's soldiers had fallen one after another, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Wei Kui's expression changed drastically, his shock evident. He had never seen such fierce skill before, and for a moment he stood there, unable to move.

The man in black slaughtered Wei Kui's soldiers, then stared coldly at him, his deep, powerful voice echoing in the night: "Why aren't you leaving yet?"

Seeing this, Wei Kui could only flee in a sorry state, filled with resentment and fear, disappearing into the depths of the night.

The man in black slowly removed his mask, revealing a head of slightly long silver hair tied back, a neutral, flawless oval face, a slender and tall figure, two straight and long beautiful legs, deep and cold eyes, and a face as unyielding as ice.

Li Yuerui, the second of the four beauties of the capital, known as "Silver Bud," is an infiltrator within the Jiankang Imperial Guard. Her short sword, named "Spring Thunder," is two feet four inches long and weighs one pound and three ounces. It is incredibly sharp, capable of cutting through hair with a single blow, and is primarily for offense. Her long sword, named "Embroidered Winter," is three feet two inches long and weighs ten pounds and nine ounces. It is remarkably blunt and can cut through iron like mud, and is primarily for defense.

Li Yuerui was highly skilled in martial arts. Her twin swords, one for offense and one for defense, allowed her to move freely and in all directions, striking fear into the hearts of all.

"Yinrui is late; the princess has been frightened."

Li Yuerui was kneeling on one knee, her face as calm as a still lake.

Yang Rong quickly straightened her clothes, which had just been disheveled by Wei Kui. Her voice trembled slightly, but she still maintained her dignity and composure: "Yinrui, get up and speak."

Li Yuerui stood up and said, "A major event is about to happen in Jiankang City. This matter is of great importance. Even at the risk of exposing my identity, I must immediately report everything to the princess."

Upon hearing this, a resolute glint flashed in Yang Rong's eyes. She looked around and saw faint lights flickering in the streets and alleys. She then said in a low voice, "Yinrui, this is not the place to talk. Let's go to Mianyue Tower to discuss this in detail."

Immediately, the two leaped onto the carriage and sped through the night, arriving at the Moonlit Pavilion in no time. This renowned brothel was now dimly lit, with faint music playing, seemingly out of place with the tense atmosphere outside.

Yang Rong and Li Yuerui navigated the winding corridors with ease and arrived at an elegantly decorated room. Pushing open the door, they saw a beautiful woman inside—Green Pearl—quietly sipping a pot of tea with her gentle demeanor.

"Yinrui, what brings you here? Did something happen?"

Green Pearl was slightly surprised. She knew that Li Yuerui was hiding in the Imperial Guard and would never easily show herself unless the situation was urgent.

"Yinrui, sit down and talk."

"Green Pearl, pour the tea."

As soon as Yang Rong entered the room, she called out urgently. She plopped down on the couch, took the tea that Green Pearl had poured for her, and sipped it down in two large gulps.

Li Yuerui nodded, sat down at the table with a solemn expression, and slowly said, "The Emperor... I'm afraid his days are numbered."

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Rong nearly dropped her teacup. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "That old scoundrel Liu Yilong, is he really going to die so easily? I, Yang Rong, haven't even settled old scores with him yet. How can he die peacefully in his old age? He's really getting off easy!"

Li Yuerui sighed softly and continued, "The emperor should be passing away in the next few days. To ensure the smooth succession of the crown prince, he has appointed He Jian as the commander-in-chief, and Han Xiu will replace He Jian as the protector-general."

Upon hearing this, Yang Rong's brows furrowed in disappointment. She exclaimed in surprise, "What? Does that mean the Imperial Guards inside and outside Jiankang City are all under the Crown Prince's control? Does that mean the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne is a foregone conclusion?"

Green Pearl's eyes darted around as she spoke, "Once that dog emperor dies and the crown prince successfully ascends the throne and controls the court, won't our plan to use their sons' struggle for the throne to incite internal strife in the Song Dynasty and avenge our Great Chouchi be ruined?"

Li Yuerui's voice rang out softly in the quiet room, carrying a hint of imperceptible gravity: "The matter is probably not settled yet, and there are still variables lurking."

Upon hearing this, Yang Rong frowned slightly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement: "Variable? What variable?"

Li Yuerui's gaze was deep as she continued, "Although He Jian has successfully taken over the position of Commander-in-Chief, the former Commander-in-Chief Jiang Zhan still has some cronies hiding in the Imperial Guard, like undercurrents. Now, most of them have been secretly bribed by the Prince of Guangling."

Upon hearing this, Yang Rong's eyes flashed with excitement: "But, with just these people, what kind of trouble can they possibly cause?"

Li Yuerui's expression became even more serious: "Princess, you must not underestimate this power. At crucial moments, it is enough to shake the overall situation."

As he spoke, he slowly took out an exquisite map from his bosom, gently unfolded it, and laid it on the table. The map had delicate lines and detailed markings, as if it included every corner of the entire palace.

Yang Rong and Lü Zhu moved closer at the same time, their eyes fixed on the map, as if they could glimpse the secrets of the deep palace through the paper.

“Princess, please look…” Li Yuerui pointed to the map and continued, “Under the command of the General of the Army, there are the General of the Left Guard, the General of the Right Guard, and the General of the Martial Guard. They each have their own duties and are responsible for the defense of different areas of the palace. This is a detailed map of the palace.”

Yang Rong stared at the map, then suddenly perked up: "Yinrui, continue."

Li Yuerui's finger moved slowly across the map, pointing out each point: "The Left Guard General is responsible for the defense of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Profound Justice, the Hall of Hanfeng, and the Hall of Xianyang. The Right Guard General is responsible for the defense of the route from Yong'an Gate to Xiandao Gate, and the Martial Guard General is responsible for the defense of the route from Xuanwu Gate to Suzhang Gate. Currently, the Left Guard General has been replaced by Tan Lin by He Jian, and the Right Guard General has been replaced by Tan Hui by He Jian. Both of them are confidants of the Crown Prince."

Tan Lin was nicknamed "Fire God Steed" and Tan Hui was nicknamed "Wind God Steed". The two were cousins ​​and both were highly skilled in martial arts, possessing the courage of ten thousand men. They were fierce generals of their time and were also extremely loyal to the Crown Prince.

Yang Rong was very anxious and quickly asked, "Then... what about General Wuwei?"

Li Yuerui continued, "Princess, this is exactly what I wanted to say. He Jian has only been in office as the Commander-in-Chief for a short time, and the time left for him is too short. He has not completely dealt with the cards. The biggest variable in this is this General of the Martial Guard, Liancheng."