The Return Trip

It was still late at night, but sleep was impossible.

Elder Yue said, "Your Highness, the pseudo-emperor's lackeys are relentlessly pursuing us. This place is not suitable for lingering. Why don't we travel tonight and arrive at Yinghui Commandery as soon as possible? Then we can rendezvous with the reinforcements."

Princess Dongyang lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked Qin Sang, "Young Master Qin, based on your understanding, how many assassins has Jiangshan Tower gathered in Three Witches City?"

Qin Sang cautiously shook his head, "I'm not sure. I'm afraid there are at least dozens."

Princess Dongyang nodded. "Two were killed by Young Master Qin, and only ten appeared this time. This indicates that our whereabouts were not completely leaked. Jiangshan Tower either divided their forces or Granny Li and the others fought them to the death, killing most of them. Elder Yue, what if we return to Three Witches City tonight?"

Elder Yue was greatly alarmed. "Your Highness, absolutely not! Three Witches City is already a dangerous place. King Zhenshui has likely defected to the pseudo-emperor. All the other guards have been assassinated, leaving only a few of us. If we are ambushed, even if we fight to the death, it will be difficult to guarantee Your Highness's safety, and I won't be able to account for it to the Prince!"

Princess Dongyang smiled slightly. "To achieve great things, how can one be afraid of personal sacrifice? If even Elder Yue dares not let me return to Three Witches City, the pseudo-emperor's lackeys will certainly not expect it. As for King Zhenshui, I don't think he has necessarily defected to the pseudo-emperor. Otherwise, the pseudo-emperor wouldn't need to resort to such underhanded tactics."

Without waiting for Elder Yue to speak again, Princess Dongyang shook her head. "Elder Yue, there's no need to persuade me further. My mind is made up. Commander Bai, you and Guard Zhou ride together on one horse, taking the severed arm. Hurry back to Three Witches City. There is an imperial physician in King Zhenshui's mansion, and perhaps the limb can be reattached."

Bai Jianglan quickly responded, "Yes!"

The horses were still there. Princess Dongyang, being a woman, showed no signs of fragility. She mounted her horse, and without stopping, they reached the north gate of Three Witches City by dawn.

As expected, they did not encounter any assassins from Jiangshan Tower on the road.

Like the south gate, the north gate also had a side gate open. Qin Sang, being familiar with the area, helped Princess Dongyang and the others to blend into a merchant caravan, breaking into smaller groups. Only Water Monkey's injuries were too conspicuous, so Qin Sang found a secluded courtyard outside the city to look after Water Monkey. Princess Dongyang, Elder Yue, and Bai Jianglan went to see King Zhenshui.

Water Monkey, exhausted and severely wounded, fell into a deep sleep.

Qin Sang sat in the courtyard, waiting for news from the Princess, vigilantly observing the movements outside, ready to flee at any moment.

From the snippets of conversation between Princess Dongyang and Elder Yue, Qin Sang could roughly piece together some of the context. The pseudo-emperor they mentioned was likely the current Emperor of Great Sui. Jiangshan Tower was apparently working for the Emperor, which explained why they dared to assassinate the governor in broad daylight.

It was said that King Dongyang and the current Emperor were born of the same mother, and King Dongyang was the elder brother. After the former Emperor's death, the younger brother ascended the throne. The elder brother was relegated to the status of a commandery prince, which was against the natural order.

There must have been many conflicts in this matter, but outsiders could not know the inside story.

Now, Great Sui was plagued by constant natural disasters. In the four commanderies of the north, countless people were rebelling, and chaos and warfare were rampant.

Seeing that Great Sui was in turmoil and its foundations were unstable, the common people widely rumored that the new emperor was incompetent. It was likely that King Dongyang also saw an opportunity and could no longer remain idle. The fact that Princess Dongyang, Granny Li, and Elder Yue referred to Jiangshan Tower as the pseudo-emperor's lackeys was clear evidence.

If King Dongyang were to raise the banner of rebellion against the pseudo-emperor, the first thing he would need to do would be to win over King Zhenshui.

Zhenshui Commandery and Dongyang Commandery were interdependent, standing on the west and east sides of the Great Sui's southern region. If King Zhenshui was not brought on board, King Dongyang's rear would be unstable, let alone sending troops to suppress the rebels.

Princess Dongyang had put herself in danger by coming to Three Witches City alone, likely to persuade King Zhenshui. Unexpectedly, word leaked out, and Jiangshan Tower found out, ordering an ambush.

In the current Great Sui, who knew how many undercurrents were at play.

Qin Sang, initially unaware of the situation, had unintentionally boarded King Dongyang's rebellious ship. There were opportunities to escape, but he chose to stay.

His goal had never changed. He didn't care whether the Emperor of Great Sui was King Dongyang or the current Emperor. What he wanted was to find a shortcut to contact an immortal master.

As the saying goes, chaos breeds heroes. Following King Dongyang in rebellion was undoubtedly a good opportunity.

Now, it all depended on whether Princess Dongyang could persuade King Zhenshui.

If she couldn't, Princess Dongyang would be doomed. He wouldn't stay to die with her; at most, he would fight his way out and flee to another country.

By noon, Qin Sang suddenly heard footsteps approaching the small courtyard. He stood up alertly, listening.

Someone was speaking, and it didn't sound like a confrontation.

Qin Sang put Yanwang aside, and soon the courtyard gate was pushed open from the inside. Bai Jianglan entered first, followed by an old man carrying a medicine chest. Princess Dongyang walked alongside a middle-aged man in luxurious attire, speaking intimately, her expression unchanged.

Only then did Qin Sang relax. He let Yanwang return and stepped forward to greet them.

The person speaking with Princess Dongyang was King Zhenshui himself. The one beside Bai Jianglan was an imperial physician from King Zhenshui's mansion. After examining Water Monkey's wound, the imperial physician stroked his long beard and examined the severed arm for a long time before shaking his head. "Reporting to Your Highness and Your Highness, this severed arm is severely damaged and has no life force. Moreover, too much time has passed, and I'm afraid it cannot be reattached."

Bai Jianglan's eyes suddenly dimmed.

Princess Dongyang said, "Then I will trouble the imperial physician to stop the bleeding for Guard Zhou and treat the wound properly, so as to avoid endangering his life."

"As you command!"

The imperial physician opened his medicine chest and began treating the wound.

King Zhenshui said from the side, "Don't worry, Niece Anning. Imperial Physician Wang's medical skills are divine; he will surely be able to save this brave warrior's life. I have prepared a splendid banquet. Why don't you come with me to the mansion to dine and rest?"

"Thank you, Uncle," Princess Dongyang curtsied, her voice betraying her exhaustion. "Anning came to visit Uncle quietly, so there's no need for such extravagance. Now that Anning's matter is settled, I trouble Uncle to send me back to Dongyang Commandery, lest my father worry about Anning's safety and anxiously await my return. That would be Anning's filial impiety."

King Zhenshui said indignantly, "I can't believe that a mere organization of martial arts assassins dares to cause trouble in Zhenshui Commandery and assassinate royal daughters and nobles. I have already ordered a thorough search of the entire commandery, ensuring that not a single chicken or dog will be left alive, to give my elder brother and you, Niece Anning, an explanation! Since Anning is determined to return... Someone, prepare a large ship, arrange a banquet on board, and then order General Zhao Xiang to dispatch his most elite soldiers to escort Your Highness back to Dongyang Commandery. If Your Highness loses a single strand of hair on the way, I will hold him accountable!"

"Yes!"

Qin Sang, Bai Jianglan, and Water Monkey traveled together in a carriage, with elite guards preceding and following them. As they passed Cuiming Mountain, Qin Sang lifted the curtain to look outside.

With his own future uncertain, he did not disturb them.

They boarded the ship and sailed downstream. Three days later, they arrived at Chun City, the capital of Dongyang Commandery.

Qin Sang followed Princess Dongyang, escorted by royal guards, back to the Prince's mansion. As they passed by, he got a glimpse of the city, feeling that the customs and traditions of Chun City were quite different from those of Three Witches City.