Ding Dian spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed heavily to the ground, his fate unknown.
"Guard Ding!" The remaining guards cried out in alarm, and many hurried over to save him.
Li Qingluo frowned but did not attack again. Instead, she watched the figure opposite her warily. "Attacking from behind is the behavior of lowlifes."
"The victor is king, the loser is bandit. What would a woman like you know?" The man sneered, clearly paying no heed to her words. At the same time, he leaped out of the fray rather than entangling himself with the guards.
"Zhao Guicheng, it's you!" Zhao Gou recognized the newcomer at last, his expression turning to shock and fury.
The newcomer was none other than Prince Yi, who had supposedly gone to guard the Suizao Corridor. Hearing this, he smiled. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Zhao Gou said bitterly, "I meant to lure out Jia Sidao alone, yet I ended up drawing out two hungry wolves."
Prince Yi sighed. "Your Majesty gave us such a fine opportunity. If I did not act, would I not be letting down Your Majesty's goodwill?"
Zhao Gou's eyes blazed with anger. "I believed I had treated you well. I raised you from an ordinary member of the imperial clan and made you the mighty Prince Yi. Why have even you turned against me?"
"Treated me well?" Prince Yi seemed to have been struck at a sore spot. He said resentfully, "Back when Your Majesty had no heir, the court selected young members of the imperial clan from all over. Zhao Guicheng and I were both sent to the capital. Whether in literary talent, military skill, intelligence, or ability, in what way was I not a hundred times better than Zhao Guicheng? Why was he, inferior to me in