Chapter Seventy-Five: The Pursuit (Part One)

The Tang Dynasty operated under the militia system, where soldiers were required to supply their own weapons, so there was no prohibition against civilians carrying arms. In the Tang Code and its commentaries, it was only specified that civilians could not privately forge armor; there were no particular restrictions regarding weapons. Thus, it was perfectly normal to see someone carrying a saber on the street.

Because of this, when the gate guards first saw someone approaching with a blade, they did not immediately become alarmed. Moreover, the attackers were prepared and agile, so two guards were lost in the very first encounter.

Inside the carriage, upon hearing the shouts from the guards outside, Fulai was momentarily stunned, then quickly stood up, crouched by the door, and spread his arms to shield Li Yuechen behind him. Li Yuechen, sitting against the side of the carriage, was also at a loss. What was happening? Someone was attempting to assassinate her in broad daylight? Could this be a misunderstanding?

Outside, all the gate guards responsible for her protection drew their blades and surrounded the carriage at once. The two assailants had already reached the carriage and swung their swords at the guards, who had just drawn their weapons. Meanwhile, amidst the crowd of civilians fleeing in panic, another dozen men burst forth, swords drawn, and attacked the nearest guards.

For a moment, the clash of metal resounded across the surroundings.

Li Yuechen immediately rose inside the carriage, pressed herself against the side, and lifted the curtain to peer through a narrow gap. She saw more than twenty men besieging her carriage, engaged in fierce combat with the guards. The numbers on both sides were roughly equal, but the attackers were clearly superior in skill; the guards were being overwhelmed.

One attacker swung his blade horizontally, and the guard failed to defend in time; his neck was slashed open, blood spurting everywhere as his body collapsed limply.

Li Yuechen’s eyes widened in shock, and she crouched down, taking deep, gulping breaths. Truth be told, it was the first time in two lifetimes she had witnessed someone killed right before her eyes. Fear wrapped her entire body, and her limbs trembled uncontrollably.

“Your Highness!” Fulai hurried over, gently patting her shoulder. “Don’t be afraid, I am here!”

Li Yuechen did not answer, only breathing heavily. Yet, after merely two or three seconds, she calmed herself, the trembling ceased. As an extreme athlete, fear was her most familiar companion. She had faced avalanches, monstrous waves, and bottomless cliffs countless times. When fear enveloped her, it was precisely when she was most composed.

Now calm, Li Yuechen listened to the clang of metal and occasional screams outside. She looked up at Fulai. “How skilled are you?”

“I…” Fulai lowered his head, unsure how to respond. He had entered the palace as a servant from childhood, never been to the battlefield, nor handled any weapons. If brawling among eunuchs in the palace counted, he was merely average. Fulai’s strengths lay not in martial prowess, but in courage. He had survived countless dirty jobs in the palace—perhaps not skilled, but bold and ruthless.

Li Yuechen rose again, peered outside through the curtain. Five or six guards lay fallen, their blood pooling beneath them, still fresh. Only one of the attackers had fallen; the remaining guards were barely holding on.

From this alone, it was clear these assassins were no ordinary men, but highly experienced fighters.

“Your Highness, best not to look—let us stay here…”

“No.” Li Yuechen crouched, her face grave as she addressed Fulai. “These men are formidable. The guards cannot hold out until reinforcements arrive. This place is not safe!”

No sooner had she spoken than there was a loud crash; the carriage shuddered twice. Both Li Yuechen and Fulai were startled, but they quickly realized someone had been knocked against the carriage.

The situation was grim. Li Yuechen thought for barely a second, then stepped over Fulai, lifted the curtain, and emerged from the carriage.

“Your Highness, you mustn’t!” Fulai reached out to pull her back, but she deftly evaded him.

Stepping onto the carriage frame, Li Yuechen saw a nearby attacker cut down a guard and immediately reach for her. She retreated two steps, returning inside.

The man was about to follow, but another guard rushed up and forced him back with a slash.

Back inside, Li Yuechen narrowed her eyes.

“Your Highness, do not act rashly—wait for reinforcements!” Fulai warned.

Li Yuechen recalled the attacker’s movement; he had a sword, yet reached out with his left hand to grab her. Clearly, their aim was not to kill, but to abduct her. Indeed, kidnapping a princess and assassinating one were entirely different matters. If they managed to abduct her, as long as she returned later and the conspirators were silenced, there would be no evidence; even if the emperor was enraged, he couldn’t act too recklessly. But if she was killed, the emperor might well go mad, evidence or not, unleashing a bloodbath.

Most likely, these men were after the soap recipe. After all, she was just a child. In their view, no matter how clever she was, a little intimidation would make her talk.

Li Yuechen nodded slightly, a plan forming in her mind. If this were the plains, she might have had no choice but to wait and surrender. But in the city, she was confident she would not be caught.

She turned to Fulai. “Fulai, when you get the chance, go call for help!”

“Your Highness, you mustn’t!” Fulai knew exactly what she intended, and in his worry, disregarded propriety, clinging tightly to her sleeve.

“If this continues, we can only wait for death!”

Li Yuechen didn’t waste words; she twisted her body, and Fulai’s hand suddenly loosened. Looking down, he saw only her outer robe left in his grasp; she had already left the carriage.

Li Yuechen jumped onto the carriage frame, grabbed the horizontal beam above the door, and hoisted herself up. Then, with a flick of her legs, she somersaulted onto the roof of the carriage.

No one had expected such a move; even the assassins below stared in shock, unsure what the princess was doing.

Li Yuechen observed carefully: none of the attackers carried bows. Carrying a saber in the street was normal, but a bow would be far too conspicuous. With so many men, bringing bows into the capital would surely arouse suspicion. Clearly, the attackers had considered this, so they had not brought such weapons.

This was why Li Yuechen dared to act. Without ranged weapons, she need not fear being shot.

She took a running start on the roof, then leapt in an arc, landing steadily on the wall of the district nearly two meters away.

Glancing back, she sprinted along the wall toward the southern market.

The wall was barely as wide as an adult’s shoulder, making it extremely dangerous to run along, but Li Yuechen was confident in her abilities.

Seeing their target escape, the lead assassin shouted, “Quick, after her!”

The guards, initially stunned, quickly rushed forward to intercept, entangling half the assassins in combat. About ten men broke off to pursue Li Yuechen.

Three of them vaulted over the wall, chasing her from below. This way, wherever she jumped down, they would catch her.

Of course, Li Yuechen had no intention of out-running them—a child could hardly outrun grown men.

As she ran, she observed the route ahead. Spotting the second-floor eaves of a house not far from the wall, she immediately formulated a plan.

She sped up, leapt forward, and her hands caught the eaves. Using the momentum, she swung herself up, landing precisely on the eaves of the second-floor corridor.

This feat astonished the pursuers below. Intelligence had noted the princess practiced martial arts from childhood, but she was still just a child.

No one had expected her to possess such skills at such a young age!

Li Yuechen knew that those who took on such jobs were either family-trained death warriors or desperate outlaws. She was not safe yet; she had to keep escaping.

Jumping down from the railing, she heard laughter from inside the room. She saw the window was open, so she climbed through.

Inside, she found herself in a well-furnished room, likely belonging to a wealthy merchant.

On the bed opposite, a slightly chubby man and woman were teasing each other, their bodies barely covered.

When a child suddenly entered, the woman instinctively screamed, grabbing a cup to cover herself.

The fat man turned, seeing a girl in silk underwear and men’s trousers standing at the window.

“Who are you?” he blurted out.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.” Li Yuechen spoke as she ran toward the door. Just as she was about to reach it, she abruptly turned back and walked straight to the bedside.

The fat man instinctively shielded the woman, about to speak, when Li Yuechen picked up the woman’s hairpin from the bedside. “I’ll borrow this. Next time, I’ll repay you with a better one!”

She said this while heading out, winding her ponytail into a bun and pinning it with the hairpin.

Only after Li Yuechen had run out and opened the door did the fat man turn to the woman and ask in bewilderment, “Did she say ‘I’?”

…

The servants in the merchant’s house were all stunned to see a child descend from the second floor. They wanted to question her, but none dared speak.

Li Yuechen ignored them and dashed out.

She found herself at the base of a wall, in a corner piled with various goods and an abandoned carriage frame.

Taking a running start, she leaped onto the carriage frame, bounced a few times, and vaulted over the wall.

Landing, she was now in the southern market, crowded with people—a perfect place to hide.

She was just about to find a place to lay low when a woman’s scream rang out nearby.

Turning, she saw the assassins had pursued her, their blood-stained blades terrifying the bystanders.

The assassins saw Li Yuechen and immediately gave chase.

Damn it… Li Yuechen cursed inwardly and hurried into the southern market.

It was vast, bustling, with complex streets—taverns, temples, shops everywhere.

A lone child running through here would easily be spotted. The assassins pressed close behind, so Li Yuechen darted into the most crowded areas, hoping to slow their advance.

But the assassins were clever; entering the market, they sheathed their weapons to avoid causing panic and quickly closed in.

Seeing them drawing nearer, Li Yuechen dashed into a tavern.

In such places, there were often multiple exits, so she didn’t worry about getting trapped.

Li Yuechen leaped, landed on the windowsill, and dove nearly two meters into the air.

Two men sat opposite, drinking. Suddenly, a child dove in through the window, pressed her hands to the table, contracted her body, then used the momentum to swing herself another meter, landing firmly.

The two, about to clink glasses, saw a flash of white as the child landed and continued running.

Her fluid movements left the tavern patrons mystified; some spontaneously applauded.

It was a parkour move—the King Kong jump. For Li Yuechen, it was second nature.

The assassins entered just in time to see her slip out the side door. They split into two groups, flanking her from both directions.

Li Yuechen glanced back, thought quickly, and darted into the fabric shop ahead.

She was too young to engage in a long chase across open ground.

Seeing her enter the fabric shop, the assassins immediately surrounded it, entering through all front and back doors to force her upstairs.

Li Yuechen, too, intended this; she headed straight for the second floor.

Halfway up the stairs, she kicked off, grabbed the railing, and climbed up.

The assassins followed closely. Though not as agile as Li Yuechen, they were strong and able-bodied.

Once they swarmed the second floor, Li Yuechen saw they were close behind and ran for the window.

The assassins were surprised. The princess was skilled, but would a child really dare jump from the second floor?

Was she panicking?

They rushed after her. Li Yuechen reached the window without hesitation, kicked off, and soared into the air.

With a leap, her body formed a straight line and flew out the window.

The assassins lunged in shock, trying to grab her, but missed by a beat, forced to watch as she dove outside.