Lan Fan did not wait for dawn, leaving Chu Minghao's room early.
He did not return to his own room but walked out of the courtyard, gazing from afar in the direction of the critically ill area.
He actually hated Chu Qianli to the point of wanting to tear her apart.
Yet, at the same time, he felt it would be a pity to do so.
He had never met such an intelligent woman, and what was more valuable was her wisdom in handling matters and her calmness in the face of adversity, qualities that even the most outstanding generals could not match.
A character who was detestable yet highly admirable.
For Lan Fan, this admiration transcended the boundaries of gender.
He was purely appreciating a talented individual who possessed wisdom, considered the bigger picture, and cared for the common people.
Such a princess was by no means comparable to the mediocrity that was Chu Minghao.
Chu Minghao, like Prince Yu, was cruel and inhumane. If Nan Ming were to fall into their hands, Lan Fan did not know if the empire could be preserved, but it would certainly not be remembered as a glorious tale for the ages.
It was more likely that they would only earn the title of tyrants.
Then, under the rule of a tyrant, even if he became a national advisor, he would merely be a tyrant's national advisor.
He could already foresee what kind of infamy a national advisor to a tyrant would eventually face.
Would he be remembered in history or cursed for eternity... Suddenly, he felt as though his path, in its very first step, had been a mistake in his choice.
But now, Chu Qianli was still in the critically ill area, which was indeed a place of deep water and fierce fire.
Moreover, while the royal guards were busy rescuing people, the guards of Prince Yu's mansion were each harboring hidden killing intent.
Whether Chu Qianli could walk out alive remained an unknown.
Lan Fan cast one last glance towards the critically ill area, finally pursing his thin lips and turning away.
If you can still come out alive, perhaps... there might not be other choices.
If you die in there like this, then there is no need to ponder any of this further.
For now, let's see what fate has in store for you.
...
Xi Jiu soon discovered something was amiss.
The formation of Prince Yu's mansion guards was too peculiar.
"Hurry and inform Leng Ji, tell him to temporarily put down whatever he is doing and come over immediately. Say... say it is the Prince's order, and he is to come at once."
"Yes!"
Not long after, Leng Ji arrived in a hurry.
"Where is the Prince?" He had been busy and had not noticed anything unusual, but on his way here, he immediately recognized that something was wrong.
"The Prince and the Princess are still inside rescuing people. The Princess does not allow us to enter, so I am not very clear about the situation inside."
"Then you..."
"It's just that I feel Prince Hao's side seems to have some different plans."
Leng Ji was startled and quickly lowered his voice, "You noticed it too? On my way here, I smelled a very strong scent of kerosene."
Kerosene was a fuel that could make things ignite instantly.
It seemed they had also prepared dry firewood...
"Could it be that they intend to set the critically ill area ablaze?" Leng Ji immediately understood.
Xi Jiu nodded, "That is what I am worried about, but I cannot leave my post..."
"I understand."
Leng Ji bowed and said solemnly, "Leave the matters outside to me. You protect the Princess and the Prince."
"Alright!"
With someone cooperating, his heart was put at ease.
Although the relationship between the Prince and the Princess was unpredictable, Xi Jiu still trusted the capabilities of Prince Xuan's subordinates.
After Leng Ji left, he immediately summoned the Four Killers.
However... why was one person missing?
"Where is Yu Xing? Where has he gone?"