Of course, the most attractive thing to her was Prince Qin’s convoy following not far behind.
The man riding the tall horse had a tall and straight posture, his xuan-colored clothes fluttering. No matter how she looked at him, he seemed exactly like a male lead walking out of a period drama.
Xie Zhaofan watched for a moment, then suddenly turned her head.
“Sister.”
“What is it?”
“That Prince has been staring at you since the beginning.”
“Ah?”
Xie Jinyi clearly hadn't expected her to suddenly say this. Her expression instantly became unnatural, and she subconsciously glanced at Madam Shen, who was resting.
Fortunately, Xie Zhaofan kept her voice very low and leaned in close to speak, so she didn't wake their mother.
“Don't talk nonsense! How could a dignified Imperial Prince just look at me casually?”
Xie Jinyi lowered her voice, but her cheeks were already turning slightly red.
Xie Zhaofan looked at her current state, her interest piqued.
“What’s wrong with him looking? You’re so beautiful, you know medicine, and you’re talented. If I were a man, I’d like you to bits too.”
“Xie Zhaofan!”
Xie Jinyi quickly covered her mouth, her face finally showing several hints of embarrassed annoyance.
“Stop talking nonsense. If someone else hears such words, do you know what the consequences would be?”
She was truly a bit afraid.
Prince Qin’s status was far too sensitive. If any rumors were to spread between them, it wouldn't just affect her own reputation, but the entire Prime Minister’s residence.
Furthermore, the current situation in the imperial court was delicate, with undercurrents flowing between the various Princes. Any marriage alliance between a Prince and the Prime Minister’s residence could be interpreted in many different ways.
Xie Zhaofan, however, had no such concerns. She just found it amusing.
“Don't worry, there are no outsiders here.”
After saying that, she glanced outside again and muttered softly, “Though I do think he’s much better than that Pei Shaohuai.”
Xie Jinyi was speechless for a moment. She naturally knew what kind of character Pei Shaohuai had, but such things couldn't be compared so casually.
She was about to say something when the world outside suddenly changed.
A thunderous, enraged roar suddenly erupted on the originally sunny official road.
“Kid of the Zhao family, give up your life!”
The voice exploded like a crack of thunder, making the carriage windows tremble slightly.
The smile on Xie Zhaofan’s face instantly froze.
In the next moment, several dark shadows suddenly lunged out from the woods on both sides of the road. Several men in tight-fitting outfits leapt from the treetops like birds, cold glints flashing in their hands as they rushed straight toward Prince Qin.
“Protect the Prince!”
“Assassins!”
Amidst a chorus of startled cries, the guards behind Prince Qin instantly drew their sabers to meet the attack.
The convoy, which had been leisurely and slow just a moment ago, descended into chaos in an instant.
Warhorses neighed in fright as the drivers quickly pulled the reins tight, and the surrounding guards rapidly closed in.
Madam Shen was also startled awake by this sudden commotion.
She lifted the carriage curtain to glance outside. Her face instantly became solemn, yet she did not panic. Instead, she immediately reached out to pull her two daughters to her side to protect them.
“Zhao-zhao, Jinyi, don't be afraid. Stay close to Mother.”
Xie Zhaofan looked at the flashing blades and shifting shadows outside, her entire person a bit dazed.
She had just come out for a temple outing to relax. How could she run into such a grand scene as an assassination attempt on a Prince?
As expected, the ancient world wasn't fun at all.
Just as she finished complaining internally, another enraged roar came from a distance. Several assassins had already engaged Prince Qin’s guards, the sounds of clashing weapons ringing out continuously.
And one of them suddenly changed direction amidst the chaos.
His target was unexpectedly not Prince Qin, but the Prime Minister’s residence’s carriage where they were.
“Shadow guards, protect the carriage! If anything goes wrong, I’ll have your heads!”
At the same time Prince Qin’s voice fell, his figure was already being death-locked by two martial arts experts.
The three figures crossed paths in mid-air, saber light and palm shadows colliding repeatedly, emitting a series of muffled thuds.
He wanted to quickly resolve the two people in front of him, but these two assassins were clearly prepared. One attacked primarily while the other coordinated, their cooperation extremely seamless as every strike targeted his vitals, preventing him from escaping for a moment.
But Prince Qin knew better than anyone that the most important thing right now wasn't himself, but the carriage from the Prime Minister’s residence behind him.
Inside sat his future wife, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law, especially with Xie Jinyi being among them.
If even the slightest mishap occurred to them because of him, he, this Prince Qin, wouldn't be able to hold his head up in the capital ever again.
As his stern shout fell, the shadow guards originally hidden in the dark finally stopped hiding.
Two dark figures lunged out almost simultaneously from the dense woods on both sides of the road, their sleeves fluttering in the air.
One of them directly met the martial arts expert trying to strike the carriage. Their weapons slammed together, the immense force causing the surrounding leaves to rustle and fall.
That martial arts expert clearly hadn't expected there to be hidden experts near the Prime Minister’s residence’s carriage. His originally certain strike was forced to a halt.
And several days ago, it was unknown what methods Prince Qin and Xie Jinyi had used to quietly slip into the Prime Minister’s residence. Shadow Seven, who had become Xie Jinyi’s newest personal head maid, had also reached the vicinity of the carriage long ago while the residence servants were fleeing in panic.
She wore a common maid’s attire and even carried an exquisite food box in her hand, looking no different from an ordinary servant girl.
But her eyes were chillingly cold, staying fixed on the situation on the field.
If anyone dared to cross her line of defense even half a step, she would strike without hesitation.
Xie Zhaofan was indeed startled at first by the sudden shouting and killing. After all, no matter how bold she was, she was just an ordinary person who grew up in a peaceful era.
When truly facing a scene of blades being drawn, her body would still instinctively tense up in fear.
However, after she looked through the carriage curtain that was blown open by the strong winds and saw the situation outside, she gradually relaxed.
Because she soon discovered that the situation didn't seem as bad as she had imagined.
The strength of the Prince Qin’s residence guards was even more formidable than she had anticipated. Although those martial arts experts were all highly skilled, they clearly began to fall into a disadvantage when facing the more numerous and better-coordinated Prince’s manor experts.
It made sense. If Prince Qin truly were a royal who only knew how to eat, drink, and play, he would probably have died a countless number of times by now. How could he have deterred the four directions for Great Zhou, and how could he have made those in the martial world turn pale at the mention of his name?
After confirming there was no immediate danger, Xie Zhaofan relaxed completely.
She even began to have the mood to appreciate this rare live version of a martial arts battle.
Blades flashing, movements as swift as lightning, and occasionally someone would strike with a palm, causing the nearby tree branches to snap and the dust on the ground to fly with the exchange of blows.
This kind of scene was much more exciting than the dramas on Blue Star.
No matter how realistically the martial arts scenes in dramas were filmed, they were ultimately pre-designed. But the people before her were risking their lives. A slight mistake and they could drop dead on the spot.
Rate on N.U.
