The morning came too quickly. Xiao Zhi had been spending the night scribbling notes, trying to find a good plan for the secret attack. Arrows. Circles. Words like run, hide, attack, then crossed out again.
"Hmm…Nothing works," she muttered, tossing the parchment 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," she said
The door cracked open, and Shen Han stepped in.
"Princess," he said quietly, "I've confirmed the envoy's route. They'll cross the mountain pass, just outside the border, by tomorrow."
Her head shot up. "Tomorrow? That's barely any time!"
He placed a map before her, 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 toward the court."
Xiao Zhi stared at the map. Her pulse pounded. This is really happening. "So you mean… we can stop him?"
Shen Han lifted his head. "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. Her fists clenched inside her wide sleeves, nails digging into her palms. "Please, Shen Han. You're the only one who can help me."
Shen Han's eyes softened."I will handle it," he said firmly. "Rest, Princess. Leave the battlefield to me."
Her throat tightened. "Thank you…"
Silence lingered between them. His gaze lingered on her longer than it should have, 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. Their cloaks were dark, faces hidden with masks. Bandits to the world, soldiers to their general.
Xiao Zhi stood at the palace gate, watching them vanish into the horizon. "Please," she whispered, "come back with good news."
***
The caravan moved slowly along the road. At the front rode a single carriage, small but well-built. Behind it, three wagons creaked under heavy loads of chests, silks, and gifts for the bride, stacked high and wrapped carefully. A group of soldiers walked alongside, keeping watch, their armor 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, eyes narrow and calculating, lips set in a cruel line. The Tughril envoy.
High on the cliffs, hidden among rocks and brush, Shen Han's men crouched, waiting. The air was tense. A falcon's cry cut through the silence.
The signal.
Arrows rained down.
The first rain of arrows hit perfectly. Horses panicked, throwing riders. Men shouted and scrambled for shields, but the second arrows came immediately, cutting down anyone who hesitated.
Then the soldiers charged.
They ran down the cliffs, blades flashing, shouting as they went. Steel clashed, sparks flying into the dry air. Blood sprayed.
The caravan collapsed under the attack. One wagon toppled, spilling its treasures into the dirt. Another broke under the weight of men fighting on top.
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. Soldiers cut down anyone who tried to help.
To Shen Han's men, it was enough.
The envoy was dead.
Mission accomplished.
***
Night fell heavily over the palace, but Xiao Zhi's nerves made it feel even heavier. She was pacing around the garden, waiting for Shen Han to return with good news.
When she saw a familiar shadow appearing in the dark, she rushed to him before he even finished bowing.
"Well? Tell me! Did it work?"
He paused, then nodded once. "The envoy's caravan was attacked on the road. He will not be coming to Hua."
She sighed in relief. "We did it!" she cried. Without thinking, she threw herself forward, arms wrapping tightly around Shen Han's armored chest. "We actually did it!"
Shen Han froze. His mind, usually so quick in battle, went blank. Heat rushed to his face. He wasn't prepared for this. Her warmth, her laugh so close to his ear. His arms hovered awkwardly before settling gently against her back.
"P-Princess…" His voice cracked, heart pounding.
She pulled back, grinning up at him, "Shen Han, you saved me. You saved my mother. You saved everything."
For a heartbeat, he forgot his training, his duty. All he could see was her face, smiling so happily. He quickly straightened, clearing his throat, masking 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 happily with her mother, even humming as she sipped her soup. She went to bed smiling for the first time since this nightmare began. 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 stirred, stretching with a rare smile. The sun filtered through her curtains, warm and kind. Maybe this world wasn't so bad after all.
Then a maid rushed in, pale as paper. She bowed low, her voice was shaking. "Princess! The Tughril envoy… he has arrived at the palace gates."
Xiao Zhi froze, her smile shattering. "What?" Her pulse spiked. Her lips went numb. "That's impossible. He's dead. Shen Han said—"
Then Shen Han himself strode in, his expression hard as stone. His jaw clenched, his fists white at his sides. "Princess…I have bad news."
The maid's voice trembled as she repeated the words "The Tughril is here, princess. The Emperor has summoned you to the hall."
Her blood ran cold.
If the envoy had arrived… then who did they kill?
Her eyes met Shen Han, confused as she was.