Morning came far too quickly for Xiao Zhi's liking. She had spent the night scribbling notes, trying to find a good plan for the secret attack. Arrows and circles, along with words like "run" and "hide," piled up messily on the page.
"Hmm… Nothing works." She gave up and tossed the papers aside. "This isn't a game. I can't just log out if things go wrong."
A soft knock disturbed her from her thoughts.
"Come in."
The door creaked open, and Shen Han stepped inside.
"Princess, I've confirmed the envoy's route. They'll cross the mountain pass, just outside the border, by tomorrow."
Her head shot up as panic began to surge. "Tomorrow? That's barely any time!"
He spread a map over the table, weighing the corners with jade bars.
"I'll dispatch my men today, and they will reach here by tomorrow morning." He pointed at a bend in the trail. "If bandits strike here, it will seem natural. Narrow cliffs, easy ambush. No suspicion towards the court."
Xiao Zhi stared at the map, tilting her head. "So you mean… we can stop him?"
Shen Han lifted his head to look at her. "Yes. I'll dispatch my men in disguise. To anyone else, it will look like nothing more than an unfortunate bandit's raid."
"Then do it! Quickly. If he never reaches the capital, there will be no envoy, no marriage, no—" She bit down on the word death, swallowing hard. "Please, Shen Han. You're the only one who can help me."
"I will handle it," he promised, softening his eyes to calm her. "Rest, Princess. Leave the battlefield to me."
"Thank you…"
Neither of them spoke for a moment. Shen Han's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he finally turned away.
When he left, Xiao Zhi fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow… it all should be over.
By afternoon, Shen Han's riders charged out of the capital. Dressed in black and masked, they moved like shadows. To the world, they were bandits. To their general, they were soldiers.
Standing at the palace gate, Xiao Zhi watched them vanish into the horizon. "Please... come back with good news."
***
Outside the border, a caravan moved slowly along the road. At the front rode a single carriage, small but well-built. Behind it, three wagons with heavy loads of chests, silks, and gifts for the bride. A group of soldiers walked alongside, keeping watch. Their armor was clinking with each step.
At the very front, on a high horse, rode a tall man wrapped in a fur cloak. His face was sharp and hard, with narrow, calculating eyes and lips set in a cruel line.
The Tughril caravan.
High on the cliffs, hidden among rocks and bushes, Shen Han's men were waiting. The air was tense. A falcon's cry cut through the silence.
The signal.
Suddenly, arrows flew from the cliffs. The horses screamed and ran in circles. Shen Han's men jumped down with their swords ready. It was loud and messy. Metal hit metal, and the ground turned red. The "bandits" were too fast and too strong for the guards. The caravan collapsed under the attack.
Then it happened.
A richly dressed figure fell from the envoy's carriage, thrown into the chaos. His face hidden, crushed beneath a panicked horse. Bandits cut down anyone who tried to help.
To Shen Han's men, it was enough.
The envoy was dead. Mission accomplished.
***
Xiao Zhi was pacing around the garden that night, waiting for Shen Han to return with good news.
Seeing a familiar shadow move through the dark, she rushed forward before he could even bow.
"Well? Tell me! Did it work?"
Shen Han paused, then gave a single nod. "The envoy's caravan was attacked on the road. He will not be coming to Hua."
She bounced on her toes. "We did it!"
Without thinking, she threw herself forward. Her arms wrapped tightly around Shen Han's armored chest. "We actually did it!"
Shen Han's mind, which was usually so quick in battle, went blank. She laughed so close to his ear, and heat rushed to his face. He wasn't prepared for this. His arms hovered awkwardly before settling gently against her back.
"P-Princess…"
She pulled back, grinning at him, "Shen Han, you saved me! You saved my mother!"
For a split second, he forgot his training, his duty. All he could see was her face, smiling so happily. He quickly straightened, clearing his throat to hide the flush in his cheeks. "It was nothing. Protecting you is my duty."
Xiao Zhi giggled, still buzzing with joy. "Duty or not, I'll never forget this."
That night, she ate dinner happily with her mother, even humming as she sipped her soup.
Consort Ling watched her with a mix of confusion and joy. She didn't know about the "plot edit" her daughter had just performed, but as long as she was happy, then that was all that mattered.
She fell asleep smiling. For once, the nightmare felt like it might actually end. In her mind, the novel's cruel plot had finally been torn to shreds.
***
The next morning, Xiao Zhi woke up to the sound of the palace bells.
She stretched, welcoming the warm sunlight filtering through her curtains with a wide smile.
Peace is a bliss, she thought, and her smile grew even wider.
Then a maid rushed in, pale as paper. She bowed low, her hands trembling as she spoke. "Princess! The Tughril envoy… he has arrived at the palace gate."
"What?" Xiao Zhi's smile shattered at the shocking news. "That's impossible. He's dead. Shen Han said—"
Then Shen Han himself walked in, his expression was hard as stone. "Princess… I have bad news."
The maid's voice trembled as she repeated the words, "The Tughril envoy is here, princess. The Emperor has summoned you to the hall."
The air in the room suddenly felt like winter.
If the envoy had arrived… then who did they kill?
She turned to Shen Han. Her eyes met his, just as haunted and confused as her own.