Chapter 1882: Betrayal

A Fantasy Novel

He silently entered the courtyard, where he saw dozens of purple-armored soldiers surrounding the area. His brows furrowed slightly.

He had initially expected it to be officials from the Jingzhao Fu, the Grand Judge, or even the Sili Xiaowei, and he wouldn't have been surprised at all. However, these purple-armored guards were quite intriguing.

This was because, throughout the capital, only imperial princes' guards were permitted to wear purple armor. He wondered which prince they belonged to.

When did apprehending fugitives become the duty of an imperial prince?

At that moment, Chu Youzhao spread her arms, blocking the doorway. "You're not allowed to search! Without a warrant from the Grand Judge, what right do you have to search a private residence?"

"Moreover, this is the residence of a Duke!"

"The residence of a Duke? Where are the two Dukes now?" A middle-aged general, clearly the leader of the purple-armored soldiers, sneered repeatedly.

Chu Youzhao's breathing quickened slightly. "It's true that the two Dukes of the Qin family are currently imprisoned, but until the imperial court convicts them, the Qin family remains innocent! This is no place for you to act so wildly!"

"Heh, the Duke's Residence, what great prestige! Unfortunately, while that might intimidate others, it doesn't scare us. We are here on the orders of the Prince of Jin to apprehend an imperial fugitive. No matter how powerful your Qin family Dukes are, can they compare to our Prince of Jin?" The middle-aged general cupped his hands towards the direction of the Prince of Jin's estate, his face filled with arrogance.

Zu An was taken aback. The Prince of Jin?

Having spent a considerable amount of time in the capital, he naturally knew who this Prince of Jin was.

Although Zhao Hao had many children, only two were born to the late Empress: the current simple-minded Crown Prince Zhao Ruizhi, and the Prince of Jin, Zhao Ruiyong.

Zhao Ruizhi, whose name meant "wise," was actually a fool.

Zhao Ruiyong, whose name meant "brave," was in reality frail and sickly, with very poor health. Many famous physicians throughout the land had said he did not possess the appearance of longevity.

Thanks to Zhao Hao, who possessed vast resources, various rare spirit herbs were gathered to sustain his life and prevent an early demise.

Yet, despite the abundance of elixirs and Zhao Hao periodically nourishing his meridians with his unparalleled cultivation, the imperial physicians in the palace had privately reached a consensus: the Prince of Jin would likely not live past thirty-five years of age.

It was important to remember that this was a cultivation world where human lifespans significantly exceeded the average of his previous life, making a life of thirty-five years truly brief.

Zhao Hao also felt pity for this son, giving him the best treatment among all the princes, almost on par with the Crown Prince.

However, everyone knew he wouldn't live long, so no one was particularly jealous.

Even when the Empress and Crown Princess previously discussed the princes who might contend with Zhao Ruizhi for the throne, his name was never mentioned.

Zu An secretly mused, "Is there something wrong with the names chosen for these brothers? They're completely opposite!" At the same time, he wondered why such an unassuming prince would come to apprehend an imperial fugitive.

At this point, Chu Youzhao's face showed some anxiety. "Even if he is the Prince of Jin, he cannot disregard the law!"

"The law? The Emperor has been assassinated, his fate unknown. The Prince of Jin is heartbroken and wishes to avenge the Emperor to fulfill his filial duty—what's wrong with that?" the middle-aged general said coldly. "On the contrary, Young Master Chu, harboring an imperial fugitive, you still dare to speak of the law?"

Standing at the very edge, Zu An thought, "So that's it." The Prince of Jin had always been deeply favored by Zhao Hao, and he naturally respected and loved his father very much.

Unlike his simple-minded elder brother, the Crown Prince, he naturally knew his father's chances were slim, which was why he sought someone to vent his frustration on.

"Murong Qinghe has nothing to do with the assassination case! Why must you treat her as an imperial fugitive?" Chu Youzhao was both angry and anxious. She and Murong Qinghe had been childhood friends with a deep bond, so she naturally wanted to help her escape danger.

"Her father, as the Minister of Imperial Sacrifices, was originally responsible for the Emperor's security. With the Emperor's assassination, her father bears primary responsibility. Furthermore, she was also among the imperial guards at the time, and is therefore culpable for dereliction of duty. Her current attempt to flee only confirms her guilty conscience!" The middle-aged man's voice grew steadily louder.

The Prince's guards under his command pressed forward. The group of them exuded a murderous aura, their every synchronized step sounding like a death knell, making Chu Youzhao and the others' hearts pound.

With the Qin family's two patriarchs and two young masters arrested, the family had scattered, some fleeing and others dispersing. Currently, there weren't many guards left in the Qin residence.

Only four or five house guards quietly remained by Chu Youzhao's side. Seeing the current situation, they each nervously swallowed, their legs trembling slightly.

One of them whispered to her, "Young Master Chu, the Qin family can barely protect itself right now. We truly can't protect Miss Murong."

"That's right. They're just asking Miss Murong to go for an investigation; they might not do anything to her. Perhaps we should..."

"Silence!" Chu Youzhao glared, cutting them off directly.

At this moment, the middle-aged general from the Prince of Jin's estate laughed heartily. "It seems Murong Qinghe is indeed here. Men, go in and apprehend her!"

"Who dares!" Chu Youzhao drew her sword. Although she was a woman, she showed no sign of backing down in this situation.

"Young Master Chu, do not harm yourself. Any one of my guards can defeat you with your cultivation. If this truly escalates into a bloody conflict, it won't prevent us from apprehending Murong Qinghe. Instead, it will only confirm your crime of harboring an imperial fugitive, and then I will have more than just one person to arrest." The middle-aged general's tone was grim, his threat palpable.

Upon hearing this, the few Qin family guards immediately threw their weapons to the ground. "This matter has nothing to do with us."

"You!" Tears welled up in Chu Youzhao's eyes, but she also knew she couldn't blame them.

For them to have stayed with the Qin family until now, they were already considered loyal.

Ultimately, this was just a private matter between herself and Murong Qinghe; there was no reason to involve them.

With that thought, a flicker of determination appeared in her eyes, and she held her sword horizontally. "If you want to seize Sister Qinghe, you'll have to go over my dead body..."

"I'll go with you!" A soft, sharp cry rang out from within the house, followed by a tall figure slowly emerging. A pair of shapely, long, straight legs immediately drew the attention of all the men present.

In particular, her honey-colored skin added a wild beauty, while her face retained the innocence of a young girl. These two distinctly different temperaments combined perfectly in her, truly creating a unique kind of beauty.

However, at this moment, her brows were etched with exhaustion, gone was her usual spirited demeanor. Her clothes were heavily damaged, and her face was marred with dried, clotted blood, whether hers or an enemy's, it was unclear.

Standing there, she appeared exceptionally gaunt and forlorn.

"Qinghe!" Chu Youzhao exclaimed in alarm at the sight.

Murong Qinghe glanced at her, her eyes filled with tenderness.

"Big Brother Chu is usually so gentle and refined, yet just now he protected me so fiercely, more heroic than many warriors in the army. My years of liking him were not in vain."

However, she did not reply. Instead, she turned to the Prince of Jin's men. "I secretly snuck in here just now without alarming anyone. The Qin family members were unaware and are not involved. I ask General Liu not to trouble anyone else."

The middle-aged general nodded. "Of course."

Hearing this, Murong Qinghe nodded and threw the long spear in her hand to the ground. At once, soldiers stepped forward to shackle her with chains.

"Let's go," Murong Qinghe said coldly. After fleeing for so long, her heart was completely weary, and she was ready to face her destiny.

Just then, the general surnamed Liu chuckled. "Wait. Chu Youzhao harbored an imperial fugitive. Apprehend her as well for investigation."

Murong Qinghe froze at his words, then flew into a rage. "Liu, you lied to me!"

She had surrendered precisely because the other party had promised not to hold Chu Youzhao accountable. Otherwise, with her spear mastery, if she truly resisted, she might not have escaped, but she would have made these people pay a very heavy price.

But now, shackled from head to toe, she was like a fish on a chopping block, utterly incapable of resistance.

Chu Youzhao was also both shocked and furious. "Despicable! Qinghe, you shouldn't have trusted these people!"

The general surnamed Liu said coldly, "How can the laws of the state be privately negotiated or exchanged? My reason for acting this way was merely to reduce casualties among my subordinates. What fault is there in that?"

As a confidant of the Prince of Jin, he naturally knew how furious the Prince was upon learning of the Emperor's predicament, and how intent he was on seeking revenge for him.

The Murong family, responsible for guarding, and the Qin family, King Qi's loyalists, were both thorns in his side.

The Murong family was one thing, but the Qin family, even in decline, still held immense influence, like a lean camel being bigger than a horse. They had numerous former students and subordinates in the military, which was why the two Dukes had yet to be convicted.

If they could use the charge of harboring an imperial fugitive as an entry point to completely bring down the Qin family this time, the Prince of Jin would undoubtedly be delighted, and he himself would earn the appreciation of various influential figures in the capital...

Hearing his self-righteous words, the two young women trembled with rage, but at this point, there was nothing they could do.

With a wave of his hand, several purple-armored guards surrounded Chu Youzhao. As Prince's guards, their cultivation was naturally much stronger than that of ordinary soldiers.

Chu Youzhao was not known for her cultivation, so even in a one-on-one fight, she might not be an opponent.

The thought that her disguise as a man would likely be exposed if she were captured made Chu Youzhao's face turn pale, and her heart instantly plunged into despair.

Just then, a cold voice rang out: "I thought the Prince of Jin's people were truly capable. Turns out they only know how to deceive two young juniors. I'm taking these two; no one else can take them!"