Play was play, mischief was mischief, but the Sovereign's safety was no laughing matter.
Yun Ce quietly took a step to the side in front of Shen Tang. Su Shi Yilu, ever the shrewd one, didn't want to miss such an effortless chance to win favor and likewise moved to step forward. Unfortunately, he collided with Yang Ying halfway there. He had never managed to outdo Yang Ying, who had secretly applied a subtle force.
He staggered a little toward the opposite direction.
This twisted Su Shi Yilu's old face in the darkness.
He glared viciously at Yang Ying in displeasure, baring his teeth.
Yang Ying's response was understated: she merely glanced back, raised her thick brows slightly, and her eyes seemed to say, Old geezer, got a problem?
Su Shi Yilu: "..."
Having been glared back at, he was bursting with displeasure, yet he couldn't vent it on the spot. For one thing, that would easily expose their identities. Startling the enemy would be a minor issue; ruining Shen Tang's good mood and getting punished later would be worse. For another, Yang Ying had been Shen Tang's personal guard and trusted subordinate. She was far beyond comparison with a surrendered general from Wu Province who had fought alongside Shen Tang in her early years.
On this point, Su Shi Yilu still had some self-awareness.
If he got into a scuffle with Yang Ying, Shen Youli would definitely take Yang Ying's side.
Aside from those reasons, there was also the fact that he had sensed an indescribable danger from Yang Ying. A Martial Gall Warrior's instincts were far more useful than a Literary Scholar's and could save one's life at a critical moment.
Thus—
He decided to be the bigger man and not contend with Yang Ying.
In the blink