The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 286

The refugees who had been stranded outside the city for five days, realizing they had no chance of entering, grew increasingly agitated. It only took one or two instigators to stir the rest into chaos.

Having just eaten the relief meal provided by the imperial court, they were full of energy and surged toward the guards in a frenzied rush.

By the time the Crown Prince arrived, the guards and refugees were already locked in a violent struggle. Bound by the Crown Prince’s prior orders, the guards dared not harm the refugees, but the refugees, unaware of restraint, wielded sticks, iron pots, and torches, striking the guards indiscriminately. Soon, several relief tents were set ablaze.

The Crown Prince scanned the crowd carefully and noticed that the most aggressive among them moved with unnatural agility—nothing like ordinary civilians. He pointed at them and commanded, "Huaishui, apprehend them."

"Yes."

Huaishui leapt forward, kicking down a man wielding a torch who had already burned several guards. The guards swiftly moved in and subdued him.

Huaishui was the Crown Prince’s personal bodyguard, a top-tier martial artist from the imperial court. With his intervention, the guards acted even more efficiently.

But the assailants’ true target wasn’t the guards.

One figure suddenly broke free from the refugees, brandishing a sword snatched from a guard, and lunged from above, aiming straight for the Crown Prince.

"Bang—"

A wooden staff flew from a distance, striking the descending blade with enough force to knock it off course. The one who intervened was Buyan.

Zong Jincheng, seeing the raging flames outside, couldn’t bear the worry and had forced Buyan to come check. Sure enough, they arrived just in time to witness an assassin targeting His Highness.

The young boy picked up a sword from the ground and stood protectively in front of the Crown Prince, declaring earnestly, "Your Highness, don’t be afraid! I’ll protect you!"

The Crown Prince trembled, staring at the small figure before him—barely reaching his chest, untrained in martial arts, yet shielding him with sheer courage. His heart swelled with emotion.

"Give the sword to me," he said.

Zong Jincheng recalled the day at the hunting grounds when the Crown Prince’s hands had faltered with a blade. He shook his head hurriedly. "No! I’m really strong—I even stabbed Luo Jingfeng once! I’m a prodigy!"

"Give the sword to me," the Crown Prince repeated.

The little troublemaker obediently handed it over. Despite his rebellious streak, he never wanted to displease His Highness.

The moment the Crown Prince gripped the sword again, the nightmares that had haunted him day and night flashed through his mind—the blood-soaked, rain-drenched night of blades and screams, the shadow he could never escape.

But he had to break free.

His hands still shook as he held the sword, shielding Jincheng while retreating. Yet more assassins emerged from the refugees, their attacks ruthless and unpredictable, each strike aimed at the Crown Prince.

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"Your Highness, these are You Country’s men. They’ve infiltrated the refugees."

Having lost three cities to Great Chu’s forces, You Country had resorted to assassinating the Crown Prince to buy themselves breathing room. The five days of calm had been nothing but a ruse—their goal was always his life.

Huaishui shouted, "Reinforcements won’t arrive for another half-hour! Your Highness, retreat to the rear—we can hold them off a little longer!"

The Crown Prince pulled Jincheng back, but assassins lunged from both sides. Summoning all his strength, he swung the sword.

"Snap—" The blade shattered.

The Crown Prince coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Zong Jincheng’s eyes widened in horror. "Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!!" The Crown Princess’s voice rang out from afar.

She hadn’t seen the Crown Prince in days, worried his health might deteriorate, and had brought the imperial physician to check on him. Spotting the flames, she rushed over—only to witness this scene.

Still adorned in her hairpins, the Crown Princess, trained in martial arts since childhood, moved with fury and precision, cutting down the assassin with a single stroke.

Her small retinue was enough to hold out until reinforcements arrived. The Crown Prince had already lost consciousness, and the physician quickly examined him. "Your Highness, His Highness has no external injuries, but the sudden exertion has aggravated..."

Aggravated what?

Zong Jincheng turned to the physician, but the man refused to elaborate.

The Crown Princess ordered urgently, "Return to the capital! To the Eastern Palace!"

The night descended into chaos. The Crown Princess escorted the Crown Prince and Jincheng back to the city while reinforcements subdued the incited refugees.

The You Country assassins, all suicide operatives, bit into hidden poison upon failing their mission, leaving no survivors.

Zong Jincheng paced anxiously in the Marquis’s estate.

The Crown Princess hadn’t taken him into the palace, and no news of the Crown Prince reached him. He couldn’t sleep, tormented by uncertainty.

Xu Wan, equally shaken, stayed with the young troublemaker in his courtyard, soothing him. "Don’t worry. You said the assassin’s blade never touched His Highness—he must be fine."

"But Mother, His Highness coughed up so much blood!" The boy’s eyes reddened with distress.

Xu Wan speculated, "His Highness’s health has always been frail. The impact might have jolted him too harshly."

"Is that really all?" Zong Jincheng pressed.

Xu Wan reassured him, "Don’t let your thoughts spiral. We must wait for answers. His Highness cares for you deeply—he wouldn’t hide anything from you."

The boy gradually calmed, repeating to himself, "Right. His Highness loves me best. He promised to visit me at least once a month. He’ll come."

Days ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍of restless waiting later, word finally arrived from the Eastern Palace: The Crown Prince was fine and urged him not to worry or blame himself.

The little troublemaker exhaled in relief, whispering guiltily, "I’ll never cause trouble for His Highness again. If he tells me to leave, I’ll go immediately."

Xu Wan patted his head. "His Highness just told you not to blame yourself, and here you are, doing it again. You’re overthinking. Didn’t Buyan block a strike for His Highness too? You helped—you weren’t a burden."

Zong Jincheng buried his face in her embrace, his voice muffled. "Mother, there are so many bad people in this world. His Highness is so good—why do so many want to hurt him?"

Xu Wan stroked his hair, thinking silently: Perhaps because he is so good, he stands in the way of many, making him an easy target.

But telling a child such a truth would only breed cynicism—that goodness goes unrewarded, that the world isn’t worth it.

Yet the world is worth it.

Otherwise, why would the Crown Prince endure it all so willingly?

She squeezed the boy’s shoulders and said firmly, "That’s why you must strive. Never surrender this world to those you despise. The higher you rise, the more power you’ll have to veto injustice—to shield those you love and force every unfairness to yield before you."

The little troublemaker stiffened, then burned with newfound resolve, as if he’d finally found his purpose.