Shen Ducai lowered his head, clasped his hands into fists, and stood bowed before Xiao Jinfeng, like a statue.
"Your Highness Ming Wang, I never expected you to come to such a remote village to enjoy yourself. Do you know how worried the Empress has been since you went missing?"
After speaking, Shen Ducai slightly raised his head, glancing at Jin Huaihua from the corner of his eye, his gaze filled with murderous intent.
Xiao Jinfeng sneered upon hearing this, "Did Mother send you? Go back and tell her that this King is starting his own faction and will never return to the capital. If she dares to harass me again, don't blame this King for being impolite!"
"Heh heh..."
At these words, Shen Ducai curled his lips into a mocking smile, his laughter filled with scorn and disdain. "Your Highness, forgive this subordinate for speaking frankly, but if the Empress hears what you just said, even if you don't die, you'll lose a layer of skin!"
Hmph, after staying in the countryside for a few days, your temper has certainly grown.
You dare to defy the Empress's orders? You're really asking for trouble.
"This King doesn't care about Mother's thoughts at all. For years, she has used this King like a beast of burden for her own selfish interests, ordering me around and having her way. This King has had enough!"
Xiao Jinfeng's eyes reddened, and he clenched his fists tightly. "In my entire life, I've never fought for my own destiny, never done anything I liked. I don't even have the right or the ability to protect or cherish the girl I love. Why is Mother so overbearing? Was I born to be her puppet?"
"That's right..." Shen Ducai spoke without reservation, raising his chin. "Your Highness Ming Wang, since you know you can't escape, it's best to behave yourself, so this subordinate doesn't have to waste time and effort!"
After he ties up Ming Wang and puts him in the carriage, he'll go kill the Crown Prince.
After all, the Yun family's front, back, left, and right have already been surrounded, and the hidden guards around the village are almost dealt with.
Even if the Crown Prince had wings, he wouldn't be able to escape.
"Shen Ducai, if you dare to lay a hand on this King today, this King will tear you into pieces and mince you into meat paste to feed the dogs!" Xiao Jinfeng straightened his chest, unyielding.
Seeing this, Jin Huaihua rushed over, sweating anxiously.
She had stayed at the Yun family's for so many years and had experienced many storms, but she had never seen a scene like this.
One wrong word and it could lead to swords and guns being drawn; a moment's carelessness could mean death.
Shen Ducai narrowed his eyes, staring at Xiao Jinfeng. "The Empress has ordered that if Your Highness Ming Wang does not cooperate, then this subordinate can only resort to force..."
As he spoke, Shen Ducai took a step forward and grabbed Xiao Jinfeng's shoulder. "Your Highness Ming Wang, forgive this subordinate's rudeness!"
He intended to knock Xiao Jinfeng unconscious with a single palm, but just as he raised his arm, a silver dart suddenly flew from the shadows.
"Swish!"
"Clang..."
Shen Ducai, with quick reflexes, drew his sword and deflected the silver dart, retreating several steps to create distance from Xiao Jinfeng.
Er Longzi, with two hidden guards, ran over and blocked in front of Xiao Jinfeng and Jin Huaihua. "Your Highness, Miss Huaihua, are you injured?"
He was covered in blood, with knife wounds of varying degrees on his shoulders and back.
He had just fought a bloody battle with Shen Ducai's men. Although Gu Mingyan's hidden guards had helped them, the enemy numbers were too great. After fighting for over half an hour, Er Longzi managed to disengage and return to the Yun family to protect Xiao Jinfeng.
"This King is fine. What's happening outside?" Xiao Jinfeng asked in a low voice.
Er Longzi shook his head. "My men are either dead or wounded; there aren't many left..."
As he spoke, Er Longzi glared fiercely at Shen Ducai, drawing his saber to block him. "Lord Shen, if you want to take Ming Wang away today, you'll have to step over my corpse. Come on!"
Shen Ducai was stunned for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Hahaha, what an overconfident fellow. Do you think you can stop this official by yourself? Hmph, it's simply wishful thinking..."
Shen Ducai had met Er Longzi once before. Because he found the young man handsome and skilled in martial arts, he wanted to recruit him to serve in the Capital Prefecture.
Who knew that this fellow would give him no face at all, saying that he would only ever be loyal to Ming Wang.
Therefore, Shen Ducai couldn't help but feel some resentment when he saw Er Longzi this time.
Meanwhile, the two scouts squatting on the rooftop had already returned to report after ascertaining the situation at the Yun family's residence.
"You're seeking your own death, so don't blame this official for being cruel!"
Shen Ducai tightened his grip on his saber, narrowed his cold eyes, and slowly walked towards Er Longzi.
Seeing this, Xiao Jinfeng's mind raced, trying to figure out how to stall Shen Ducai.
Based on the timing, the Imperial Guards sent by the court should be arriving soon.
Before Xiao Jinheng left, he had instructed Kong Xingzhuo to send a carrier pigeon to the palace, explain the situation, and seek protection from the Emperor.
Suddenly, Xiao Jinfeng's eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Shen Ducai, you came to Dashui Village this time not to kill the Crown Prince?"
Shen Ducai paused, his brow furrowed. "That's correct. After this subordinate deals with your disobedient subordinate, I'll go find the Crown Prince..."
"You don't need to look!" Xiao Jinfeng said with a wry smile, nodding towards the west courtyard. "To be honest, His Highness the Crown Prince left Dashui Village several days ago. He is the Emperor's son, this King's own brother, intelligent and sharp-sighted. How could he sit here waiting for you to kill him? It's simply laughable!"
Shen Ducai: "..."
What did he say?
The Crown Prince had run away?
If that were the case, he would be the one flayed alive upon his return.
Thinking of this, Shen Ducai quickly ordered his subordinates, "What are you standing around for? Go find the Crown Prince immediately! Alive or dead, bring him back!"
He believed that the Empress was meticulous in her planning, and at least on this matter, there would be no leaks.
But how did the Crown Prince know that the Empress was coming to kill him?
This was very confusing.
"Yes..." A subordinate replied and went to the west courtyard to search for Xiao Jinheng.
A moment later, the subordinate returned and reported, "Lord Shen, this residence is empty. There is no sign of the Crown Prince at all!"
"Wh-what?" Shen Ducai's face paled with shock, his body trembling with rage, his eyes burning with anger. "How could this be? Where did he go, this living person?"
The subordinate lowered his head, trembling in fear.
Shen Ducai swayed, his heart pounding.
Given the Empress's temperament, if he failed to complete the mission, he wouldn't have an easy time.
Thinking of this, Shen Ducai looked coldly at Xiao Jinfeng. "Your Highness Ming Wang must know his whereabouts. Go tie him up for me!"