Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince-Chapter 46 - If Alive Must See the Person, If Dead Must See the Body

Chunlan didn’t understand the complexity of it all, but since her Princess was brilliantly intelligent, following her was undoubtedly right.

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The matter was of great importance, how could a foolish Princess know to rush over and rescue someone when Prince Qiu got injured?

Moreover, at that time, Li Mingjue’s life was uncertain, and Li Ming’an’s men watched over the deep mountains.

Even if she had taken people with her, they would have been diverted.

Only the three of them taking an alternative path, avoiding the public eye, could quietly have a chance to find him.

Li Tianze, after hearing her words, knitted his brows and thought for a moment, then suddenly reprimanded, “Nonsense!

Is the hunting ground a place to fool around?”

The emperor’s anger was too much for most to bear; all who stood around, except a man named Zhou Fu, bowed their heads and knelt.

Following Qi Yu’s instructions, Chunlan continued in a choked tone, “Your Majesty, the Princess is not frivolous.

It’s just that since noon, she has felt somewhat restless, insisting on seeing the Prince to be at peace.”

These words shook Li Tianze slightly, reminding him that it was also Qi Yu who had miraculously saved Li Mingjue, who had already been entombed.

Could there really be some unspeakable bond between these two?

Zhou Fu, realizing the gravity of the situation, softly advised, “Your Majesty, the Princess has a childlike nature.

She isn’t keen on discerning right from wrong; she is merely concerned about the Prince.”

Li Tianze’s expression softened a bit, thinking as long as Qi Yu was there, Li Mingjue should be fine.

His anger mostly abated, his gaze troubled, he stared at the fires in the deep mountains.

Then his eyes narrowed slightly.

Could it be that Li Mingjue’s misfortune was not an accident?

He instructed Zhou Fu, “Convey my order.

Have the Patrol Camp send additional personnel.

They must find Prince Qiu and the Princess.”

“Yes,” Zhou Fu replied, not daring to delay and immediately went to propagate the order.

But Li Tianze stopped him, his gaze coldly adding, “Alive, I want to see the person; dead, I want to see the body!”

Zhou Fu’s spirit trembled, he nodded, and hastened his step.

After the man left, Chunlan slumped, completely unable to support herself and sat down on the ground.

She quickly tightened the tent, making sure not even a fly could get inside.

Looking at Shiqi and Shen Nanxing, both covered in blood, her heart churned with worry.

After giving them a simple dressing, Chunlan tightly wrung her handkerchief, saying to them, “I hope the Prince and Princess return safely.”

At the other end, Shen Xiheng, riding closely behind Li Ming’an, his usually carefree expression now carried a bit of sharpness, his hand also holding a sword.

Li Ming’an was very annoyed by Shen Xiheng’s actions, turned his horse around, and demanded, “What does this mean, Lord Shen?”

Suppressing the fierceness in his eyes, Shen Xiheng’s lips slightly lifted, “As the Prince knows, I’m just a cowardly commoner, naturally seeking the Prince’s protection.

Otherwise, how would a frail scholar like me survive in these deep woods?”

Li Ming’an felt a bit of relief hearing this, and expelled some of the stifled air he had harbored in his chest over the past few days.

He raised an eyebrow, his tone mocking, “I never thought I’d see the day when eloquent Lord Shen could be like this.”

Unperturbed, Shen Xiheng replied, “Of course, I must rely more on the Prince now.”

Li Ming’an didn’t overthink it.

Even if Shen Xiheng’s approach was to find out Li Mingjue’s whereabouts, as a half-competent without martial arts skills, he could simply be killed outright.

After all, Prince Qiu had already disappeared without a trace, and what harm would losing Shen Xiheng do?

He considered it an act of brotherly kindness, sending someone to accompany his brother on the road to the underworld—making it somewhat livelier.

Having thought through all this, Li Ming’an suddenly found even the usually detestable Assistant Minister Shen a bit more endearing.

He continued riding forward, saying to the people behind him, “Since Assistant Minister Shen has determined to follow, I have no objections.”

“However,” Li Ming’an suddenly laughed wickedly, his laugh echoing eerily through the silent woods, “this area is riddled with cliffs and fraught with danger at every turn.

Assistant Minister Shen must be careful.”

Behind him, Shen Xiheng’s grip on his sword tightened, his gaze piercing as if it could burn holes through someone.

Compared to the other officials, who, though busy, were like headless flies, Li Ming’an looked as leisurely as someone out for a scenic excursion, strolling towards Huxi Cliff with his personal guards at a relaxed pace.

Shen Xiheng, however, was not so leisurely.

Although not a master of martial arts, he could detect the lurking dangers in the ominously silent mountain.

A gust of autumn wind swept through, the rustling leaves sounding eerily like sighing.

Arriving at the edge of the cliff, Li Ming’an suddenly raised his hand, dismounted, and said to Shen Xiheng, “We’ve reached the end of the forest here, does Assistant Minister Shen wish to go down and explore?”

Shen Xiheng heeded the words and dismounted, standing opposite Li Ming’an with his hands behind his back, his smile not quite reaching his eyes as he said, “Prince jests, a mere coward like me, how dare I?”

Li Ming’an laughed loudly with abandon, clearly very satisfied with Shen Xiheng’s keen self-awareness.

His mood today was exceptionally exhilarated, having not only forced Li Mingjue to jump off the cliff but also sent Qi Yu down with him.

If it weren’t for those two Hidden Guards from Prince Qiu Residence who escaped, he could have sent them down as well.

However, those two hidden guards were already severely wounded and without their master, how long could they survive in this deep, dense forest?

And each reeking of blood, likely they couldn’t move a few hundred meters before being devoured alive by the wild beasts in the mountains.

By now, Li Ming’an had nothing left to pretend.

All of a sudden, his demeanor changed, his gaze intently fixed on Shen Xiheng’s pale face.

He motioned with his hand, and immediately a Hidden Guard flashed out from behind, brandishing a sword and charging forward.

Shen Xiheng had anticipated that Li Ming’an would strike at him, but he hadn’t expected it to come so quickly.

He had intended to delay for a while longer.

If Li Mingjue and Qi Yu had survived, it was only a matter of time before they would be found; all he needed was to stall Li Ming’an.

But now, he could no longer afford such considerations, forced to draw his sword to respond to the fierce attacks from the opponent.

Although a civil servant, he had formally studied martial arts for several years, a fact known by very few apart from Li Mingjue.

Li Ming’an, watching coldly, was taken aback as Shen Xiheng, the amateur, actually held his own for a few exchanges against the Hidden Guard.

Suddenly, he realized the protective stance was clearly meant to lead him to Li Mingjue.

Not just that, Li Ming’an’s eyes narrowed slightly as he suddenly sneered.

Shen Xiheng’s true intention was to stall him, no doubt.

But with Prince Qiu’s influence waning, the actions of one Assistant Minister of Rites were futile, like trying to stop a carriage with one’s arm.

Since he had come, they might as well all be killed!

Li Ming’an slightly tilted his head and commanded, “Forward, capture him!”

The Hidden Guards hidden in the shadows surged out one after another, all clad in clothing suited for night operations, swarming and encircling Shen Xiheng.

Although Shen Xiheng was determined to resist, he couldn’t handle so many at once.

With his sword in hand and muscles tensed, his mind raced, trying to devise a means of escape.

Just at this critical moment, a large ancient tree hidden in the darkness nearby suddenly shook violently.