Shu Mingye sat tall atop his horse, the reins steady in his hands as the wind tried its best to slap him in the face. His cloak flapped behind him. Forty guards followed behind him, the official escort he was supposed to have. The other group, the shady bunch involved in the assassination attempt and escort of Prince Han, had already left earlier.
But something about this was… strange.
Very strange.
No one had tried to stop him when he left the palace. Not a single guard raised an eyebrow. No questions. No demands. Not one brave soul stepped forward to say, "Hey, weren't you under suspicion for possible treason just five minutes ago?"
That was suspicious. Too suspicious.
Shu Mingye frowned, eyes narrowed against the wind, his thoughts racing faster than his horse. The emperor had to know by now. The south was under attack. Demons were attacking the second wall. Shulin was in danger. And on top of that, the imperial palace itself had just gone through a night so wild: assassination attempts, prison breaks, and the missing General Zimo.
He had expected at least one suspicious eyebrow raise. But no. Nothing. They just… let him go. He narrowed his eyes, thinking hard. The last time things were this quiet, someone set something on fire.
His thoughts drifted to her.
The fake princess.
The one who claimed to be named Linyue.
She hadn't said anything before he left—just stood there with her usual sleepy eyes and secretive face. Come to think of it, her maid wasn't there. Neither was the taller guard. Only one guard stood beside her. That was definitely suspicious.
He didn't want to assume she had done something outrageous again, but then again, she had kidnapped General Zimo.
What else had she done?
Shu Mingye didn't even want to imagine it. He shook his head hard. Knowing her, it could be anything. Maybe she sweet-talked the emperor into handing over a royal pardon and a snack. Maybe she convinced the guards she had a rare, dangerous condition called "question allergy" and mustn't be spoken to under any circumstances. Or maybe she had simply yawned, declared the night too exhausting, and crawled into bed while the world burned around her.
He looked back at the forty guards galloping behind him. Should he be worried about her and her little strange group? Should he send someone back? Maybe two, just in case they were halfway through blowing up the emperor's wine cellar by now. Was she even still in the palace? Or had she vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only confusion and someone's stolen shoes?
He sighed.
There was no time for side quests.
Shulin needed him now. Urgently. The border was under attack, and the people were in danger. That was what truly mattered now.
Still…
After everything was settled… maybe, just maybe, he'd return to the imperial palace. Just to check. Maybe. Not because he was worried or anything. Definitely not because he was curious what else she'd burned down.