“If Your Grace doesn’t mind, may my younger brother and I sit and have a cup of tea with you? We’ve just arrived after a long journey and didn’t bring much silver. We’re simply parched and had no choice but to trouble you!”
Yun Shang led Ah Du up to the middle-aged man. Judging by the group of attendants behind him, it was clear that each one was formidable.
The man was about to sip his tea when he was interrupted. He glanced at Yun Shang with a hint of surprise—and something like admiration flickered in his eyes.
This woman was indeed beautiful, but now that she had left the palace, she wasn’t overly ostentatious. It didn’t seem like she was deliberately trying to seduce him.
Compared to the constant flattery and attention inside the palace, she was low-key. Yet even among the bustling crowd, she stood out.
“Of course,” he replied.
People are generally more tolerant toward someone attractive. And these two—girl and boy—were both striking in appearance. Sitting together, even having tea, was a pleasing sight.
“I’ve heard that in the capital, anyone you meet is either noble or wealthy. Judging by the attendants behind you, Your Grace, your status must be even higher than I imagined, am I right?”
Yun Shang smiled warmly. As the saying goes, “It’s hard to scold a smiling face.” And they would likely need his influence in the future, so a friendly approach was certainly wise.
The middle-aged man only smiled faintly and said nothing, but his demeanor radiated some warmth. His attendants, however, seemed displeased.
“If the young lady merely wishes to drink tea, then just drink. Why the need to make a fuss and speak to my master directly?”
Clearly, the attendant assumed Yun Shang was one of those who flattered the powerful to gain favor and intended to push her away.
“Sister, we haven’t offended you. Why speak to my sister in such a way?”
Ah Du was the first to react. He didn’t care who these people were, only that if anyone dared bully Yun Shang, he wouldn’t allow it.
Having learned so many skills from the old man, he didn’t hesitate to use them on anyone who dared to threaten his sister.
“Why turn a simple tea into a quarrel? Perhaps you’ve spoken too much,” said the middle-aged man, mildly irritated, placing his teacup down with a clink.
He didn’t mind speaking with the boy and girl, but his overzealous attendants had clearly gone too far. Realizing his attitude, each guard lowered their heads in shame and fell silent.
“You are kind, Your Grace, to tolerate my brother and me. In gratitude, I wish to give you something for protection!”
Yun Shang pulled a small sachet from her sleeve and handed it to the man.
“By fate, we have met. If you trust my words, carry this with you. I foresee that within the next hour, you may face a life-threatening danger. Carrying this will protect you and keep you safe.”
Without waiting for a response, Yun Shang stood, took Ah Du’s hand, and disappeared into the crowd.
“Sister, what does this mean? What exactly are you trying to do?” Ah Du asked curiously.
“Don’t worry about that for now. The more mysterious we appear, the more curiosity we spark. Don’t worry—he will come to us himself.”
Yun Shang was confident. Though Ah Du didn’t fully understand, he trusted that whatever she did was right.
The man opened the sachet and found only an ordinary leaf inside. How could such a thing possibly have power? Yet the young girl and boy seemed mysterious, almost otherworldly.
He had left the palace incognito, not to show off. Seeing them as beautiful and polite, he didn’t mind sharing tea. Since they had given him the sachet, he decided to keep it.
Yet the lighthearted mood from before faded. What had she meant by a “life-threatening danger”? Even with a full entourage, could anything truly happen?
Perhaps the girl was simply trying to catch his attention, as palace women often did—but the thought left him uneasy.
They went to a tavern and ordered fine food and drink, yet he could hardly eat.
Being an emperor, he was not prone to superstition, but “life-threatening danger” sounded ominous. If something happened, what could he do? And of course, the unexpected always comes when one fears it most.
Just as he pondered the meaning of “danger,” a young servant swiftly drew a dagger from his sleeve and lunged at the man.
The strike came too fast for the guards to react. By the time they realized and moved to intercept, it was almost too late.
The man watched helplessly as the blade approached his chest, unable to dodge. Suddenly, the sachet began to emit a green glow.
The leaf inside shot out, slicing through the assassin’s neck with ease. The attacker collapsed silently. The glowing leaf drifted to the ground.
As the light faded, it became an ordinary leaf. Everything had happened so quickly that no one had fully reacted.
Yet everyone had clearly seen the glowing leaf—it was extraordinary.
“Your Majesty is unharmed! Were you injured, I could never make amends, even if I died a thousand times!” a guard cried, kneeling in apology.
They had thought this incognito outing would be uneventful, but an incident had still occurred.
Who was that girl? What kind of power did the leaf in the sachet possess to act so miraculously?
The emperor said nothing, only glancing at the assassin’s corpse before picking up the leaf that had cut through him.
Blood still clung to it. The green glow was gone, leaving a simple ordinary leaf—only he knew how extraordinary it had been moments before.
Indeed, the “life-threatening danger” she mentioned had manifested. Could it be that this girl was no ordinary person and possessed such a powerful artifact?
The emperor’s eyes brightened. It seemed that this incognito journey had uncovered something remarkable.