Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 502 The Crown Prince Feels Sorry for Her

The river at the South Gate gleamed with a cold light, and the night wind carried moisture that seeped into one's bones.

Shen Yanzhou, dressed in night clothes, crouched down against the base of the city wall, watching the soldiers beside him cleanly and efficiently cover the mouths of the patrolling rebels, the daggers slicing through their throats with barely a sound.

But the sound of the rebel kicking his legs before he died still startled the lanterns not far away, causing the group to sway. They held their breath for a moment until the lanterns' light stabilized before daring to continue.

"Your Highness, the ladder is ready."

A soldier reported in a low voice, leaning a bamboo ladder against the city wall, the steps still stained with the sweat of the previous soldier.

Shen Yanzhou nodded and stepped onto the ladder first. The moss on the city bricks was very slippery, and he had to grip the steps tightly with each step. The sleeve of his night clothes was torn by the brick seams, and he didn't even notice the bloodstain on his arm.

As soon as I climbed to the edge of the city wall, I heard the laughter and curses of the rebels coming from inside.

Shen Yanzhou gestured for the soldiers to wait, then jumped in and hid behind the arrow tower, watching two rebel soldiers drinking against the railing, spilling wine from their jugs all over the ground.

Taking advantage of their inattention, he rushed forward and covered their mouths with one hand each, then with a forceful pull of his wrists, two muffled thuds were heard, and the rebels collapsed to the ground.

"Quickly, hide the body, don't leave any trace."

Shen Yanzhou lowered his voice, and the soldiers quickly stepped forward and dragged the rebels' corpses to the haystack behind the arrow tower.

Once everyone had climbed up, Shen Yanzhou looked at the dark streets and alleys of the city, and his worries deepened.

Where are Shi Wanxia and the others now? Are they in danger?

The main street's cobblestone path was uneven. Shi Wanxia supported Lin Yiyu's arm, and with each step, the wound on her chest felt like it was being crushed by a blunt object, causing her to feel dizzy with pain.

Lin Yiyu's leg injury had long since become infected, and it was wrapped in thick gauze. Every time he moved, he would gasp for breath, but he still forced himself to help Shi Wanxia block the debris on the side of the road: "Slow down, the corner is just ahead. His Highness the Crown Prince and the others should be waiting there."

Wang Ying followed behind, clutching a pair of scissors in her hand, warily looking around.

Just now, when they passed through a small alley, they almost ran into the patrolling rebels. Luckily, Shi Wanxia reacted quickly and pulled them into the woodshed, so they were not discovered.

"There's someone over there!"

Wang Ying suddenly whispered, pointing to the dark figure at the corner.

Shi Wanxia quickly looked up and saw a dark mass of people dressed in black walking towards her. The leader was tall and straight, and even in the darkness, his familiar silhouette could be seen.

She was about to speak when she heard the other person's voice, tinged with urgency: "Sister Wanxia?"

It was Shen Yanzhou.

Shi Wanxia wanted to walk forward, but her legs went weak and she almost fell over.

Shen Yanzhou rushed over and grabbed her arm—his touch was immediately met with a cold, damp sensation. Looking down, he could finally make out Shi Wanxia's appearance by the moonlight:

His face was covered in bruises, old soot from the stove hadn't been washed off, and new bloodstains were piled on top of it;

His coarse cloth clothes were torn in several places, and his exposed arms and wrists were covered with abrasions and bruises. Dark red blood seeped from his chest, soaking through his clothes.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly by a hand, the pain making it hard for him to breathe.

Is this still the same Shi Wanxia from the capital, wearing a light blue dress and with a sparkle in her eyes when she smiled?

How did she become like this? She's covered in injuries and can't even stand up straight.

“Wanxia, ​​you…”

Shen Yanzhou's voice trembled. He wanted to touch her face, but was afraid of hurting her, so he could only hold her arm tightly, disregarding the proper distance between men and women.

"How did you get injured like this? Why didn't you find a place to recuperate first?"

Shi Wanxia endured the pain and tried to bow, but Shen Yanzhou stopped her, saying, "Don't move, your injury..."

"Your Highness, let's not talk about this now."

Shi Wanxia interrupted him, took a breath, and spoke haltingly due to the pain in her chest.

"The large granary... is still waiting to be rescued, let's go quickly."

Looking at her pale face and the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, Shen Yanzhou felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

He wanted her to stop and rest, but seeing the determination in her eyes, he knew he couldn't persuade her otherwise.

She has always been like this, putting the safety of others before her own, even when she is on the verge of collapse.

"Okay, let's go."

Shen Yanzhou held her arm and deliberately slowed his pace so that she could save some energy.

“I received information that there are tunnels beneath the large granary, where the rebels’ armory is located, and where many captured young women are being held deep within the tunnels.”

Lin Yiyu, leaning on his cane, followed behind. Upon hearing the word "tunnel," he frowned: "When we checked the defenses before, we didn't find any tunnels... It seems the rebels were prepared in advance, and there might be traps inside."

The group walked towards the large granary. Just as they turned a corner, they heard the footsteps of the rebels ahead.

Shi Wanxia quickly pulled Shen Yanzhou into a nearby shop. The shop door was unlocked, and there were many miscellaneous items piled up inside.

The group held their breath, listening to the rebels' footsteps passing by the door. One of the rebels muttered, "Tonight is really weird. There seems to be some movement at the south gate. The captain told us to patrol a few more times so nothing goes wrong."

Once the rebels were far away, Shi Wanxia finally breathed a sigh of relief, but as soon as she relaxed, the pain in her chest became even more intense.

She leaned against Shen Yanzhou and couldn't help coughing, coughing until tears streamed down her face. She clutched her chest, and the blood seeping from between her fingers stained Shen Yanzhou's night clothes red.

"Late Summer!"

Shen Yanzhou quickly helped her up, his voice filled with panic.

"You'd better not go. I'll send someone to escort you to a safe place. We'll be at the granary soon. I can destroy it."

Shi Wanxia nodded, slowly stopped coughing, and took out the half-melted candy from her pocket—the candy had long since melted from her body heat and was stuck to the candy wrapper.

She unwrapped the candy, popped it into her mouth, and the sweet taste slightly masked the metallic taste of blood in her throat: "It's okay, I can handle it."

There were more guards outside the granary than expected. A dozen rebels, brandishing knives, paced back and forth at the entrance. The windows of the granary were all nailed shut, and only the occasional flashes of fire could be seen inside.

Shen Yanzhou signaled the soldiers to spread out and deal with the guards at the gate first. But just as they were about to make their move, they heard a woman crying and the rebels cursing from inside the granary: "What are you crying for! If you cry again, we'll throw you to the dogs!"

Shi Wanxia's heart clenched instantly. Without waiting for Shen Yanzhou's order, she took out a tinderbox from her bosom and threw it into the woodpile next to the granary.

She and Wang Ying had already sprinkled oil on the firewood pile, and as soon as the tinderbox touched it, it immediately burst into flames with a "whoosh," the flames shooting up ten feet high and illuminating half the sky.

"Fire! Help! Fire!"

The rebels at the gate panicked and ran towards the woodpile.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shen Yanzhou led his men to rush forward, slashing the rebels' throats with swift and decisive movements.