Chapter 190
**Chapter 188: You Shot My Husband**
The Yan Wang drew his sword, his face dark and foreboding. Only a few knew about sending Shen Wei to the Wenspring Mountain Villa; how could the news spread so quickly?
There must be someone in the Yan Wangfu colluding with the Heng Wang, leaking their whereabouts.
Outside, the sounds of clashing swords echoed, the thick scent of blood wafting into the carriage. Shen Wei's head buzzed; was it always this chaotic in Yan Jing? Even stepping out could lead to an encounter with assassins.
She cautiously lifted the curtain of the carriage.
What she saw made her heart race—a tide of black-clad assassins, with the Yan Wang leading his elite guards in a fierce battle.
The scene was gruesome.
Shen Wei's heart pounded as she anxiously watched the terrifying fight. The Yan Wang's martial prowess astonished her; he seemed like a god of war amidst the sea of assassins. Yet even so, he bore deep, terrifying gashes from blades.
Shen Wei silently prayed for his safety. If the Yan Wang fell, all her plans would be in vain. Of course, she couldn’t afford to die either.
Once someone dies, everything is lost.
“Your Highness, you must leave!” a guard shouted, carving a bloody path through the chaos.
Shen Wei's eyes dimmed.
The guards couldn’t hold off the assassins forever; to save his own life, the Yan Wang would have to abandon her! In such a life-and-death situation, any smart man would throw aside Shen Wei, the burden, and escape.
But Shen Wei wasn’t disheartened; one must look out for oneself. If she were the Yan Wang, she would surely flee alone today.
She pulled a dagger hidden in her luggage, tucking it into her sleeve for protection. If the Yan Wang abandoned her, she would have to find a way to save herself—
Just as Shen Wei was racking her brain for a way to survive, the carriage was suddenly split open by swords. Blinding sunlight poured in, and in the next moment, the Yan Wang reached in, pulling her close. Pain shot through her waist, and the world spun around her.
Bang—
Her head collided with the Yan Wang's hard chest, the strong scent of blood filling her nostrils. The surroundings jolted, and it took Shen Wei a moment to regain her senses.
In this life-and-death moment, the Yan Wang had effortlessly scooped her up, holding her close as he galloped away.
Shen Wei was momentarily stunned; he was surprisingly good at this...
The horse galloped swiftly, and Shen Wei obediently nestled in the Yan Wang's embrace, peeking back at the relentless pursuers. Cold arrows whizzed past, grazing the Yan Wang's clothing, and she immediately ducked deeper into his arms.
Even if she were struck by an arrow, with the Yan Wang as her sturdy shield, her injuries would be less severe.
In her heart, she relied on the Yan Wang as her shield, but on the surface, her voice trembled as she said, “Your Highness, don’t worry about me... Your life is the priority.”
The Yan Wang replied softly, “I will not abandon you.”
Shen Wei had borne him three children, and the scars from childbirth had yet to heal. As a man, as a husband, he could never leave her behind.
Shen Wei lowered her head, resting it against the Yan Wang's chest, seemingly moved.
They bounced along the road.
The horse raced, and Shen Wei felt nauseous from the jolting, her head spinning. Dizzily leaning against the Yan Wang, she seemed to faint for a moment before groggily waking up.
Time passed, and the sky had completely darkened. The horse, exhausted, collapsed to the ground.
Shen Wei tumbled off and struggled to rise from the patch of wild grass. It was dark, and the cold moonlight spilled down. Looking around, she found herself in a desolate forest, not far from the fallen Yan Wang and the horse.
Panicking, she rushed over. In the silvery moonlight, she saw the horse was injured all over, its breathing growing weaker, struggling a few times before finally lying still.
The horse was dead.
The Yan Wang lay nearby, the moonlight casting a ghostly glow over him. Shen Wei approached cautiously, silently praying, *Please don’t die, don’t die. If you must die, let it be later.*
Getting closer, she noticed a bloody wound on his back, where an arrow had pierced him. He clutched a bloodied iron arrow in his right hand. The arrowhead was slick with blood; it seemed that when the Yan Wang fell from the horse, he had pulled the arrow out to prevent it from embedding deeper.
“When did he get hit?” Shen Wei murmured.
She had been in a daze, and the Yan Wang had remained silent despite being injured; he truly was a man of strength.
Shen Wei placed her hand under his nose, feeling the warmth of his breath against her fingers. She sighed in relief; he wasn’t dead, just unconscious.
They were in a desolate area, and she had no idea if the assassins would catch up. The Yan Wang was injured; how could she save him?
Just as Shen Wei was fretting, she heard rustling footsteps nearby. Suddenly, a few arrows whizzed past, startling her into thinking the assassins had returned.
But upon closer inspection, the arrows on the ground were ordinary wooden hunting arrows, their tips rough, not the sharp iron arrows of assassins.
“Brother, it doesn’t look like a deer up ahead; let’s go check it out,” a deep voice called out, laced with a rustic accent.
Two hunters, brothers, were out in the mountains at night, hoping to catch a deer. They cautiously approached the area where they suspected a deer might be.
There was no deer, only a man and a woman on the ground.
The two hunters exchanged glances, and the younger one scratched his head, asking innocently, “What’s a girl like you doing out here in the mountains at this hour?”
Shen Wei, filled with anger, raised the bloodied wooden arrow in her hand, her eyes reddening as she indignantly questioned, “Is this arrow yours?”
The hunters were taken aback, “Y-yes.”
Shen Wei lamented, “You shot my husband!”
The two hunters were stunned.
...
...
Time passed, and the sound of birds chirping filled the air. The Yan Wang slowly opened his eyes, finding himself staring at the worn straw roof of a dilapidated hut. A few rays of harsh sunlight streamed through the broken window, glaring down on his eyelids.
Where is this?
The Yan Wang shot up, a sharp pain shooting through his back. Looking down, he saw he was no longer in his black silk robes but in rough gray cloth.
He remembered being attacked by assassins on the way to the Wenspring Mountain Villa with Shen Wei.
He tried to get out of bed, but the arrow wound on his back throbbed painfully; any movement felt like tearing flesh. Just then, the wooden door creaked open, and bright sunlight flooded in, along with Shen Wei’s surprised voice, “Husband, you’re awake!”
The Yan Wang was taken aback.
Shen Wei was dressed simply in a peasant girl’s plain skirt, her long black hair wrapped in gray cloth, looking quite charming. She stepped into the room, noticed the gaping wound on his back, and frowned, saying, “Don’t get up yet; your wound isn’t healed. I’ll go find Granny Liu for some herbs to stop the bleeding.”
With Shen Wei around, the Yan Wang felt much more at ease.
Shen Wei dashed out and returned shortly, carrying a bowl of herbs. She carefully pulled back his clothing and patiently applied the herbs to his wound.
She briefly recounted their ordeal.
They had been ambushed yesterday, and in the chaos, the Yan Wang and Shen Wei had ended up in a desolate area. The Yan Wang had lost consciousness, and Shen Wei had encountered two brothers hunting in the mountains; they lived in a nearby village called Liu Jia Village.
Liu Jia Village was over a hundred miles from Yan Jing.
One brother was named Liu Da Niu, and the other Liu Er Niu. Liu Er Niu had carried the Yan Wang back to their home and sought the village doctor, who treated him through the night. Fortunately, the arrow hadn’t penetrated deeply, and the Yan Wang’s strong constitution had helped him survive.
“While out here, we can’t let your identity as a prince be exposed,” Shen Wei said, scratching her head shyly, stealing a glance at the Yan Wang. “So I made up a story, saying we’re a couple who ran away together... When Granny Liu asks, don’t let anything slip.”
The Yan Wang: “...”
His Wei Wei was indeed clever.
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