The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Chapter 978 - 555: "By Mr. Zhao’s Order, We Escort the Young Lady North

"What’s happening outside?" Zhao Ke felt the sedan chair stop, and couldn’t resist pulling aside the curtain slightly to ask.

The maid following beside the sedan shook her head: "I don’t know, it seems like there’s a scuffle."

At this moment, the military officer next to the sedan chair grew tense, giving a signal to a subordinate: "Go have a look."

Immediately, a soldier sprinted into the crowd, and soon returned with information:

It was a drunkard eating at a restaurant without paying, who, in his drunken state, started fighting with the owner, drawing a crowd of onlookers nearby.

"Disperse them!" The military officer relaxed, annoyed as he ordered.

Under the rebel army’s intimidation, the road quickly cleared, and Zhao Ke lost interest without anything to watch, reluctantly dropping the curtain to continue onward.

Yet today, somehow, the journey was particularly troubled.

After traveling two streets, they encountered mad horses disrupting the order.

Then again, they came across a store’s sign falling onto the street, blocking passage.

The sedan chair moved in starts and stops; a journey initially taking over half an hour ended up dragging on for over an hour.

The rebels in charge of patrolling were also on edge yet relaxed, left feeling agitated and distressed.

"Huh?"

As the sedan chair resumed moving, Zhao Ke, who had just peeked out to watch the commotion, suddenly noticed an extra envelope on her skirt.

Someone must have thrown it in during the chaos.

But who could do this so silently?

Zhao Ke’s beautiful face turned serious, cautiously opening it to find two pieces of paper inside.

One of them was a rare purple talisman.

The other contained only two lines on white paper:

"Beware of Mu Prince!"

"In need, tear the talisman to save yourself!"

Zhao Ke was bewildered.

Who was warning her? What danger was she about to face?

Beware of Mu Prince? Why? Though she was under surveillance, she was also protected while her father served the Mu Prince Manor. Who in the city would dare harm her?

Zhao Ke couldn’t make sense of it.

"Miss, we have arrived at the Confucius Temple."

Suddenly, the sedan chair slowly stopped, with the maid’s voice coming from outside.

On instinct, the young lady slipped the letter into a hidden pocket within her skirt, pretending as if nothing had happened.

The curtain was lifted by the maid, and Zhao Ke stepped out of the sedan chair, facing the Confucius Temple by the city’s lakeside.

Today, she was out both to clear her mind and to burn incense for her father’s safety, who was far away in Yongjia.

However, as she walked inside, the group of rebels followed her closely.

Such a grand escort frightened the other devotees in the Confucius Temple into hiding away.

Zhao Ke kept a stern face, displeased rather than happy with this show of force, stopping outside the hall with her eyes bright and cold:

"Do you all intend to follow me into the hall? Would you even follow me while I sleep?"

The stern military officer clasped his fist: "I wouldn’t dare."

Immediately, he signaled, and several soldiers rushed into the hall, surveying a round inside to ensure no one was there before returning.

Zhao Ke took a deep breath before lifting her skirt slightly, stepping inside the hall.

She closed the door behind her.

Leaving everyone to wait outside.

Once it was quiet, Zhao Ke picked up three incense sticks, lighting them as she knelt on the praying mat, silently praying.

Suddenly, her ear twitched, faintly hearing footsteps from outside, as though someone was approaching.

Miss Zhao sharply looked up, heart racing, quietly tiptoeing to the door, ear to it trying to listen externally.

Someone who entered the courtyard had caught the military officer’s attention, and it sounded like they were conversing:

"The Prince has ordered, where is Zhao Shixiong’s daughter? Why isn’t she in the manor?"

The military officer replied: "She’s burning incense in the temple, may I ask what the Prince orders? We are protecting Miss Zhao well. We think it inappropriate to prevent her from burning incense."

The person said: "Hmph, no need to be polite to her anymore. Zhao Shixiong colluded with the court, secretly releasing prisoners and assassinating the supervisor. The Prince can no longer tolerate him. Quickly capture this girl, and bring her back to the manor. In his fury, the Prince plans to vent it upon her."

The military officer was shocked: "...Yes."

Inside, Zhao Ke’s mind felt as if struck with a club, temporarily crashing, her entire body turning cold!

Her father had allied with the court? Xu Jingtang wanted to eliminate her father and vent his anger on her?

Though merely a girl, difficult and spoiled as she was, Zhao Ke understood military situations, knowing the relationship between the Mu Prince and her father was not solid.

Yet when this day came, it caught her off guard, almost instinctively, her mind flashed to the letter she had just received.

"Beware of Mu Prince!"

So that’s what it meant... Zhao Ke’s eyes widened in realization.

Thinking further about recent days, how the Second Young Master of Mu Prince Manor suddenly increased manpower, strengthening her surveillance, and the faint rumors overheard about events on the front lines.

Without hesitation, Zhao Ke backed away, turned to the room’s rear window, forcefully pushing it open to escape.

She didn’t bother with the talisman in the letter, equally lacking trust in whoever sent it to her.

Though a warrior’s child, Zhao Shixiong raised her strictly as a girl, forbidding her from learning martial arts, thus leaving her without martial power, only agility.

Easily climbing out the window, she was preparing to run deeper ahead when suddenly, from the shadows of a nearby corner, emerged a black silhouette: "Trying to escape?"

Zhao Ke’s vision went black as the mysterious person knocked her unconscious, her body going limp as she fell to the ground.

Song Jinxi emerged from the shadows, slowly withdrawing his hand knife, supporting Zhao Ke with one hand, turning to look toward the corner.

Scholar and Hong Ye, two spies, silently approached as well.

At this moment, each held something in hand.

The Scholar held a small, delicate horn, which he had placed in his mouth moments ago, now lowering it. It had been with this Magic Artifact, known as "Illusionary Sound," that he had woven all the noise and conversation Zhao Ke had heard.