It was June, and the atmosphere in the capital was stifling; only at dusk did a faint breeze bring a touch of coolness.
But this refreshing breeze was soon dispelled as a long wedding procession made its way from Changmen Street towards the Princess’s residence, the jubilant sounds of suona horns echoing throughout the city of Tai’an.
“Ride a grand steed, welcome the bridegroom, forge a blessed union, may the years be endless!”
“Ride a grand steed, welcome the bridegroom, forge a blessed union, may the years be endless!”
The silvery voices of the young children sounded like a flock of chattering sparrows, raising their voices to shout the auspicious words their parents had taught them.
As the children’s voices rose and fell in unison, the ladies-in-waiting from the Crown Princess’s residence scattered handfuls of wedding sweets and coins, causing the children’s cheers to grow even louder, as if they were trying to rouse the heavens themselves.
Alas, no matter how festive and lively it was outside, the sounds reached the wedding palanquin only as a faint echo. Lu Qiuci felt as though he were submerged beneath the water; none of the sounds from the outside could truly reach his ears.
The veil, embroidered with a phoenix seeking its mate, swayed rhythmically with the gentle jolting of the palanquin. Beneath it, Lu Qiuci’s face was pale, his lips trembling slightly.
This was hardly the expression one would expect from a newlywed groom, but then again, to whom had he been married? To the Crown Princess of the Great Zhou Kingdom—that capricious, cruel and tyrannical Crown Princess!
Were it not for the Crown Princess’s tyranny, how could a mere fifth-rank official—the son of a Censor-in-Chief—ever have been chosen to marry into the Eastern Palace?
The capital of the Zhou Kingdom was vast, with a permanent population of no fewer than a million. The wedding procession, with its clanging and drumming, took nearly two hours to travel from the Censor-in-Chief’s home in Dongping Street to the Crown Princess’s residence on Changmen Street.
Yet even the longest journey must come to an end.
As a lady-in-waiting called out: “Lower the palanquin—”
“The bride has arrived—”
Lu Qiuci had finally reached the Crown Princess’s residence!
His wife, his future home, and the rest of his life would all lie beyond that vermilion gate.
“Oh my, isn’t this Grand Tutor Zhao? You’ve arrived so early?”
“Lady Huayang, do come to this table and join me in observing the proceedings. I wonder what sort of character this nobleman Her Majesty has chosen for the Crown Princess?”
The Crown Princess’s wedding was a cause for celebration throughout the city, and the Crown Princess’s residence was teeming with people; as far as the eye could see, they were all members of the imperial family.
The entire ceremony was presided over by officials from the Ministry of Rites and court ladies-in-waiting. Course after course of exquisite delicacies flowed out like a stream, whilst lavish gifts were carried by young attendants in an unending procession to the rear hall.
The scale of the occasion and the extravagance of the expenditure drew gasps of admiration and left everyone in awe.
Everyone’s gaze was inevitably drawn to the star of the day: a tall, slender woman clad in a crimson brocade robe, her beauty so exquisite and striking that she stood out from the crowd, causing some of the younger noblemen to blush.
Alas, the faint shadow of malice in her eyes completely marred her bearing, like a crack in the finest white jade.
When her eyes, dark as ink, swept across the crowd, those who had been surreptitiously observing her felt a sudden chill in their hearts, as though they were standing amidst ice and snow.
“Whoa! I say, Fifth Sister, who’s upset Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess? Look at her—she looks as though she wants to kill everyone.”
“How terrifying.”
“The Crown Princess of all people, yet her consort is the son of a lowly Fifth-Rank official. Even if the Emperor herself arranged the marriage, do you really think our Crown Princess could be happy about it?”
“Hmph, Sixth Sister, she and the man behind her are truly cunning.”
The Seventh Princess, who had spoken first, quickly pulled her companion aside: “Oh dear, please keep your voice down!”
“Look, the Sixth Princess has arrived.”
The woman, with her elegant and unassuming demeanour, immediately clamped her mouth shut and said no more.
The princesses arrived early and departed early, behaving in a manner entirely unlike that of blood sisters. Yet one could hardly blame them; the current Crown Princess was notorious for her reckless and unscrupulous ways. Were it not for the immense protection bestowed by the late Empress and the Emperor’s favour, it would have been impossible for her position as Crown Princess to remain so secure.
If one cannot stand up to the Crown princess, surely one can at least avoid her?
The lively ceremony reached its climax after the ritual of joining the cups; amidst the clinking of glasses, the officials drank heartily in celebration.
As the night deepened, the officials gradually dispersed. Stepping out of the Crown Princess’s residence, they felt the night breeze and realised their robes were already soaked through.
Thank goodness, thank goodness—the wayward and tyrannical Crown Princess had not caused any trouble tonight.
One official could not resist glancing back and suddenly saw several shadows swooping down from the sky towards the brightly lit courtyard.
Splash—
A long blade plunged cleanly into the body of one of the Princess’s attendants. The black-clad, masked assassin wrenched the blade free with a forceful tug; crimson blood spurted out like a fountain, and the attendant fell to the ground, eyes wide open.
“An assassin!”
“Protect Her Highness!”
“Protect the Princess!”
With a loud thud, the vermilion gates of the Princess’s residence slammed shut to prevent the assassins from escaping.
The official’s legs gave way and she nearly fell; she hurriedly had her servant help her into the carriage, urging them in a trembling voice: “Hurry, hurry!”
“No, go and report to the Imperial Guards at once! An assassin has attempted to kill the Crown Princess!
These assassins were exceptionally brutal; within mere minutes, they had already killed many people. Seven or eight bodies lay in pools of blood, staining everything crimson.
Fortunately, the guards at the Crown Princess’s residence reacted swiftly and had already surrounded her in layers of protection.
Throughout the entire assassination attempt, the area immediately surrounding the Crown Princess had become the safest zone.
“Crown Princess! Crown Princess!”
The people of the Crown Princess’s residence surged towards her in terror, hoping to find protection within the ranks of the guards.
Yet their actions only made it easier for the assassins to strike; in the blink of an eye, the people of the Crown Princess’s residence were falling like cut wheat.
“Your Highness! It’s far too dangerous here, we must leave at once!”
The guard responsible for the Crown Princess’s protection shouted urgently at Xu Chen, clad in a crimson robe, whilst fending off the assassin.
Xu Chen stood motionless, her expression impassive. The guard was frantic, yet could not help but feel a sense of unease.
When had the Crown Princess ever been so composed? Faced with an assassination attempt, how could she remain so unflappable?
Or had the Crown Princess simply been struck dumb with fear?
The assassin closed in, his bloodstained blade glinting coldly beneath the festive lights. The guard’s panic intensified; he shouted, “Crown Princess, flee!”
Just then, a figure darted in with blinding speed, blocking the assassin’s blade with a long sword in a piercing clang of metal.
This person’s skills were extraordinary; in a matter of moments, they had repelled the charging assassin. Guarding Xu Chen, she said, “Princess, I arrived too late to save you. Please follow the guards to a safe place first.”
Xu Chen finally moved, turning to retreat to the safety of the main hall under the escort of the Princess’s guards.
The woman wielding the long sword charged after the assassin, whilst the sound of heavy footsteps gradually grew louder outside the Eastern Palace—the Imperial Guards had finally arrived.
The assassins daere not stay any longer; without a second thought, they leapt onto the city walls and, with a few bounds, vanished into the night.
BOOM—
The gates of the Eastern Palace were smashed open by the Imperial Guards. The commander of the Janwu Imperial Guard, gripping the hilt of her sword, demanded urgently, “Is the Princess safe? In which direction did the enemy flee?”
The captain of the Princess’s guards had already been killed; her corpulent body lay on the ground, a gruesome gash gaping across his abdomen.
The middle-aged woman who had blocked the assassin could only report to the General of the Imperial Guard: “The Princess is unharmed; the assassin has fled towards the Western Quarter.”
That there were assassins within the capital, and that one had managed to infiltrate the Princess’s residence—even if the Princess was unharmed, as the commander of the Imperial Guard, she would likely find it difficult to escape blame.
Even if she escaped punishment, she could probably forget about advancing any further in her career.
The General of the Imperial Guard’s face turned ashen, and she ground out the words through clenched teeth.
“One troop remains to guard the Eastern Palace; the rest follow me in pursuit!”
This night was destined to be sleepless; the entire Imperial Guard was swiftly mobilised, scouring the city for the fleeing assassins.
Yet to the despair of the Imperial Guards, the assassins seemed to have vanished into thin air; they searched high and low but could find no trace of them.
At the Princess’s residence, the originally festive atmosphere was now shrouded in a blood-red gloom. Though the bodies had been cleared away, the stench of blood lingered in the air.
After Xu Chen was escorted back into the hall by her guards, she waited until the hour of the Tiger. Then, heavy footsteps sounded from outside, and the General of the Imperial Guards, clad in full armour, dared not raise her head as she knelt on one knee before Xu Chen.
“This humble servant begs forgiveness from Her Highness the Crown Princess. The Imperial Guards have failed to apprehend those wretches.”
Xu Chen’s gaze, as cold as ice, immediately fixed upon their leader. Li Yang felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively bowed her head even lower. She detected the scent of blood in the room and feared the Crown Princess might have been wounded by the assassins. She felt an immense weight bearing down upon her shoulders, and a fine sheen of cold sweat began to form on her brow.
“General Li, according to you, the mightiest Imperial Capital Guard of our Great Zhou—over ten thousand men of the Jinwu Royal Guard—failed to apprehend a handful of traitors and rebels who dared to attempt an assassination on the Crown Princess.
“Does General Li feel that his head has grown tired of sitting on his neck?”
Though the Crown Princess’s voice was not loud, nor did her tone carry much anger, Li Yang could not help but feel a bone-chilling sensation. For a single moment, it truly felt as though her own head were being severed from her body.
The Crown Princess today was a far cry from the impression she had always given. Though she was known for her tyranny, she was in truth all bark and no bite; indecisive in her actions, timid and hesitant, and lacking in true resolve. Those she usually victimised were mostly commoners, servants and eunuchs; the truly high-ranking officials and noblewomen with deep-rooted connections did not fear her in the slightest.
Li Yang, having risen to the rank of commander of the Imperial Guard, naturally fell into this category; ordinarily, she harboured little reverence for the Crown Princess.
Li Yang dared not even ponder the reason for this; heart trembling, he racked his brains to find a defence.
“This humble servant is incompetent; I beg the Crown Princess’s forgiveness.”
“The Jinwu Guards of the Imperial Capital’s Palace Guard have no need for the incompetent. What do you think of that, General Li?”
“Continue the search. If you fail to apprehend the criminals, General Li, you need not come to me to beg for forgiveness; go and report to Her Majesty the Emperor.
Li Yang hurriedly left the Crown Princess’s residence. More Jinwu Guards were dispatched to search every corner of the capital. By the fourth watch, dawn was approaching, yet Li Yang’s heart remained as dark as night.
Her own dawn, it seemed, would never break again.
Li Yang’s figure hurried away, swiftly swallowed by the night. Within the brightly lit study of Chenghua Hall in the Crown Princess’s residence, six women clad in black cloaks emerged from a secret chamber. Joined by the guard who had single-handedly intercepted the assassin earlier, the seven knelt before Xu Chen.
“We report to Your Highness that we have not failed in our mission.”
“The operation to eliminate the traitors has succeeded; all targets have been neutralised without exception.”
Facing these people, although the shadow of grim determination lingering between Xu Chen’s brows remained, one could clearly sense that her demeanour towards her subordinates was entirely different from that displayed towards the commander of the Jinwu Guards who had departed earlier.
Under the bright candlelight of the Princess’s residence, the features of several shadow guards were fully exposed; their eyes, sharp and piercing, were unmistakably those of the assassins who had just attempted to kill the Crown Princess.
“You have done well.”
Xu Chen’s voice rang out in their ears.
Author’s Note:
A new book is here! A long-awaited female-dominant story—let’s have some fun! Female-dominant stories are so cool; if you’re a fan of this genre, please don’t forget to show your support. Hop on board—let’s get going!
First time Trl This kind of work(it’ll be confusing at first), thankfully its not a long book.
Don’t hesitate to comment if there is an error…Thank you for reading!