Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 409 The Strange Change of the Vicious Shadow
The atmosphere inside the central command tent of the Shilipo camp was lively.

The Prince Xian had a high alcohol tolerance. Without the presence of his wife to dissuade him, he seemed much more relaxed, frequently raising his cup with generals such as Li Zhao, Qi Mingyang, and Lu Youan, and drinking heartily.

After several rounds, his cheeks were noticeably flushed.

Qi Mingyang and Lu Youan also drank quite a bit, and the tent was filled with a strong smell of alcohol.

Suddenly, the tent flap was lifted, and Yu Qianshan strode in, bringing with him a chilling aura that instantly dispelled the warmth inside the tent.

"Your Highness..."

His expression was solemn as he walked straight to Li Zhao's seat and lowered his voice.

"Just now, while patrolling the west side of Wild Fox Ridge, I discovered traces of the remnants of the Xiao clan... There were not many of them, about ten or so, and they looked like scouts. I led my men to give chase, but the enemy was extremely familiar with the terrain. Taking advantage of the deep forest, thick snow, and the cover of night, they slipped into a hidden ravine... I was incompetent and lost them."

He paused for a moment, then offered something.

"Your subordinate found this on a tree branch at the mouth of the ditch..."

Li Zhao took it and examined it closely by candlelight.

It was a piece of cloth soaked through with snow water, stained with a few blackened but still foul-smelling stains—clearly dried bloodstains.

"Did you get a clear look at the leader's face?" Li Zhao asked.

"The night was too dark, and the wind and snow were too heavy. I only vaguely caught a glimpse of the leader, who was unusually tall and burly, and extremely brave, unlike an ordinary soldier." Yu Qianshan spoke very quickly. "This subordinate has already dispatched more men to seal off the surrounding area and notified Commander Xue. Commander Xue has already led his men to search and annihilate the enemy in the direction of Wild Fox Ridge..."

Li Zhao suddenly put down his wine glass, clutched his chest, and stood up.

"Your Highness?" Yu Qianshan was startled.

Li Zhao raised his hand to stop him from speaking, feeling his heart pounding wildly. A nameless panic gripped him, as if he were about to lose something important...

He loosened his collar to let in some fresh air, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"What's wrong?" the wise king asked with concern.

"It's nothing." Li Zhao stood up quickly. "There are urgent military matters to attend to in the camp. I'll be right back."

"Military affairs are of utmost importance, Your Highness, please make your own arrangements," said the Wise Prince.

Li Zhao nodded, and without even straightening his clothes, he strode out of the tent, his figure quickly disappearing into the flickering firelight.

The people inside the tent looked at each other in bewilderment, and the atmosphere of the banquet suddenly froze.

"Keep up!" Li Zhao braced himself on the saddle with one hand, nimbly mounted the horse, and pulled on the reins, causing the jet-black steed to rear up.

"drive--"

With a sharp shout, the black horse neighed and charged out like an arrow released from a bow.

Seeing this, Yuan Cang and the others quickly rode off to follow.

The horses' hooves trampled the snow, stinging people's faces.

Li Zhao felt no cold; his body felt as if it were being burned by fire, and his heart grew increasingly panicked. It was as if a voice was shouting in his ear, "Go quickly, go quickly!"
When he was still half a mile away from Jingbo Garden, he saw the firelight.

Not one place, but several.

The towering fireworks were a fiery red, illuminating half the night sky, and even the falling snowflakes seemed to be stained with blood...

"Your Highness! This is Jingbo Garden, the residence of Miss Xue Liu!"

Li Zhao felt all the blood rush to his head, then instantly turn cold.

He whipped his horse wildly, and the black horse seemed to sense its master's near-collapse rage, its hooves galloping relentlessly through the snow, almost flying away.

The closer you get, the fiercer the firelight becomes, and you can hear the crackling of wood popping, interspersed with the faint screams of a woman.

"It's gone..."

"Help! Help!"

"Help! There's a fire..."

"The princess is still inside! Quickly, save the princess..."

The screams and cries inside the courtyard were chaotic.

Suddenly, several maids surrounded a disheveled figure who rushed out of the firelight in the east wing. Her face was covered in soot and she looked disheveled. It was none other than Princess Wen, the virtuous princess who had been rescued by the maids at the risk of their lives.

She coughed incessantly, her hair disheveled, tears streaming down her face, yet she still gripped the maid's hand, asking anxiously:
"Where is Miss Xue Liu? Has Miss Xue Liu from the west wing come out yet?"

No one responded.

The servants looked at each other, their faces turning deathly pale.

"Peace!" Li Zhao shouted, his voice breaking in the wind and snow. He leaped off his horse and staggered toward the fire.

The houses were mostly burned down, flames licked at the eaves, and thick smoke billowed out.

"Where are they? Where are they... Guanya! Xiao Zhao!"

The two maids left behind by Lady Wen rushed over, their faces pale as they looked at the Crown Prince who had suddenly barged in, trembling like leaves.

"Miss...Miss is in the west wing..."

Li Zhao's eyes were bloodshot, and ignoring the guards' attempts to stop him, he tried to rush into the fire.

"Your Highness, the fire is too big... It's dangerous." Yuan Cang was so anxious that he forgot his rank and grabbed his arm.

“Ping An is inside…” Li Zhao suddenly shook him off, rushed forward with bloodshot eyes, like a trapped beast driven to the brink of despair.

The thick smoke made it impossible to open one's eyes, and every breath felt like swallowing burning coals.

Li Zhao grabbed water from a bucket next to him, poured it over his head, then grabbed a wet cloth, covered his mouth and nose, and rushed in like a madman.

The heatwave is scorching!

The orange-red flames danced wildly.

The burning wood made a terrible cracking sound, and sparks occasionally flew onto his body, burning his skin painfully...

Yuan Cang was terrified, "Your Highness, you mustn't!"

A charred beam was teetering on the verge of collapse.

As Li Zhao approached, it crashed down with a loud bang, blocking the doorway.

"Cough cough cough..." Yuan Cang choked and coughed incessantly, then suddenly lunged forward and hugged Li Zhao from behind.

"Your Highness! We can't get in...cough cough...the door is blocked...going in is suicide, Your Highness—"

The room crackled and popped as the beams, pillars, tables, and chairs were engulfed in flames.

Li Zhao stared intently at the sea of ​​fire, as if all his strength had been drained away, leaving only an endless chill that froze him from his feet to his heart.

Yuan Cang mustered his courage and choked out, "Your Highness, if Miss Xue were aware of this, she wouldn't want Your Highness to... die in vain..."

Li Zhao was struck dumb. He stared at the burning sea of ​​fire, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word.

How could this be?
He had clearly arranged everything.

He hasn't told her yet that he's always kept the "Guardian Heart" sword close to his body.

He hasn't kept his promise to do her hair once.

He hasn't... taken her back to the capital yet, given her a proper title, and seen her smiling serenely in the bright spring sunshine...

There are still so many things he hasn't had time to do...

His entire future, all his thoughts, were tied to her. He couldn't bear to watch her turn to ashes before his very eyes...

"Release them! If you disobey again, I will exterminate your entire family—"

Amidst the swirling snow, the firelight illuminated Li Zhao's deathly pale face, making him appear as ferocious as a vengeful ghost.

Just as Yuan Cang was about to lose control, Yu Qianshan suddenly shouted from behind.

"Your Highness, a suspicious person has been spotted outside the west wall..."

Li Zhao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a burly man quickly leaping over the snow-covered low wall and ditch, fleeing towards the cliff, seemingly carrying something on his shoulder...

The mountain behind the villa has steep cliffs and jagged rocks, making it impossible for warhorses to pass.

Li Zhao shoved Yuan Cang aside, jumped over the burning low wall without saying a word, and ran away through the snow. He disappeared into the flames in a few leaps.

"Your Highness!"

Yuan Cang roared.

He snatched the torch from the side and shouted to the equally shocked Yu Qianshan, "General Yu, you stay here to clear the fire, protect the princess, and treat the wounded. I will take men to assist His Highness."

"clear."

Yu Qianshan drew his sword from his waist with a livid face, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Everyone, listen up! Seal off the exits, put out the fire, rescue people, and search every corner. Anyone who dares to commit arson and violence right under my nose, I'll see which demon crawled out of the King of Hell's palace..."

　See you tomorrow! Thank you for your support, sisters! Sending you love!!

　　(End of this chapter)