Chapter 131: Saving Oneself

Just then, Old Ninth’s voice rang out from outside. Yan Yan instinctively tried to step forward, but the man in black held her fast. She felt another chill against her throat. Before she could turn her head, she heard him say, “Blades are merciless. Your Ladyship had best not move recklessly.”

At once, Old Ninth’s voice rang out again. “What kind of hero bullies a group of women and children? Open the door at once.”

The man in black burst into mocking laughter behind Yan Yan. “How lightly you speak, Ninth Prince. During the Ten Days of Yangzhou, why did none of you Manchu barbarians think to show mercy to women and children?”

Yan Yan noticed that the four burly men disguised as women trembled at his words, and the atmosphere around them grew tense. As someone from a later age, she had naturally heard of the Ten Days of Yangzhou, but the other women present seemed largely unaware of it.

By now, Yan Yan had more or less guessed that the people beside her were probably descendants of those who had survived the Yangzhou massacre. Driven by hatred of a conquered nation and vengeance for their families, they were capable of anything. Yan Yan was no saint, nor was she particularly virtuous. The weight of history was more than she could bear. She did not care what kind of blow these people intended to strike against the Qing government of the present day, but she did not want her child—or Old Ninth, whom she cared about—to be harmed because of it.

After hearing those words, Old Ninth seemed to fall silent as well. Not a sound came from outside.

The man in black gave a cold laugh and suddenly struck Yan Yan hard. Completely unprepared, she cried out in surprise. But the moment the sound escaped her, she realized her mistake and covered her mouth.

Old Ninth had clearly heard her. He kicked the door violently and shouted, “Open the door! If you have the courage, come at me. Stop making things difficult for her!”

But with two of the disguised men bracing themselves against it, the door did not budge. The man in black let out another strange laugh and yanked hard on Yan Yan’s hair. This time, however, she had learned her lesson and refused to make a sound.

The man in black sneered. “You have quite a backbone, don’t you?”

Yan Yan said viciously, “You are punishing people of the present for the mistakes of history. What kind of hero does that make you? What you are doing today is no different from what those people did all those years ago.”

“I am merely carrying out Heaven’s justice,” the man in black replied coldly.

Yan Yan laughed scornfully. “It is nothing more than an excuse for the hatred in your own heart. Why dress it up in such lofty language?”

The man in black was just about to retort when a tremendous crash came from the roof. In an instant, several bannermen guards dropped into the room. They had broken through the roof.

The four disguised men immediately attacked, apparently intending to kill the Qing soldiers before they could react. Unexpectedly, every one of the guards who had burst in was an exceptional fighter. In the blink of an eye, they became locked in fierce combat with the disguised men.

At that moment, the door, which had been guarded so closely by the four men, was kicked open by Old Ninth. Old Ninth, the Tenth Prince, and the Fourteenth Prince strode rapidly inside.

The instant Hongzheng saw Old Ninth, he broke free from Madam Chen’s grasp and ran to his side, pointing at the man in black and shouting furiously. When he had finished, he glared at the man in black as though he wanted to tear him apart with his eyes.

Old Ninth picked Hongzheng up and handed him to Wang Quan’er. He then swept his gaze over the women behind him and said in a low voice, “Escort all the women out. Keep them together, and have the guards protect them for the time being.”

Wang Quan’er answered firmly and hurried over to Cui’er with Hongzheng in his arms.

By then, Wu Tong had also rushed in. Seeing how badly Cui’er had been injured, he was overcome with pain. Cui’er, however, handed Hongzheng to Madam Chen and insisted on staying behind to share Yan Yan’s fate.

To everyone’s surprise, Anna did not leave either.

Old Ninth, of course, had no attention to spare for Cui’er or Anna at that moment. He stared coldly at the man in black. “Let her go, and I may still spare your life.”

The Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince both held their precious swords, poised to act at any moment.

The man in black laughed coldly. “Very well. Come and trade places with her yourself.”

He appeared utterly confident. Even though his companions were on the verge of being subdued by Old Ninth’s guards, he showed no sign of panic.

Old Ninth narrowed his eyes and stepped forward without the slightest hesitation.

The Tenth Prince immediately seized his arm. “Ninth Brother, be careful. It may be a trap.”

The Fourteenth Prince also grabbed him and said in a low voice, “Ninth Brother, they must want more than this. We need to consider our options carefully.”

Old Ninth paid no heed to either of them. He continued forward with unwavering resolve.

Yan Yan stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. Yes—what could stir a woman’s heart more deeply than a man willing to die for her? Whatever Old Ninth was thinking at that moment, Yan Yan felt that she ought to be content.

Moved beyond words, Yan Yan looked at him and called softly, “Stop! I am not afraid of dying. You do not have to trade places with me.”

Old Ninth smiled at her tenderly. “Fool, close your eyes.”

Yan Yan shook her head desperately. The violent movement caused the dagger at her throat to shift slightly. Even so, it left a thin line of blood across her fair neck.

She watched as Old Ninth drew closer, step by step. He was getting nearer and nearer. She was frantic. She knew he could not fall into these people’s hands. He was a prince, and he possessed a prince’s pride. He could die in battle, but he must never be taken prisoner.

The Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince were equally anxious. They wanted to call Old Ninth back, but they knew he would not listen to them now. The Fourteenth Prince even considered knocking him unconscious outright, yet if anything happened to Yan Yan, he felt he might never again be able to face Old Ninth for the rest of his life.

While the two men hesitated, Old Ninth had already reached the middle of the room.

As he drew closer, Yan Yan’s breathing grew more and more labored. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something. She stared deeply at Old Ninth, then brought her foot down hard on the man in black’s instep. At the same time, she drove her elbow into his abdomen. With her other hand, she seized his wrist and, moving with lightning speed, forced the dagger into her own body.

The man in black was terrified by her action. He stared at Yan Yan with his eyes wide.

Yan Yan smiled with grim determination, her face pale yet bewitching. “It is better to save yourself than beg others for help. You will never understand that.”

Everyone stood stunned by what Yan Yan had done. Suddenly, Anna screamed.

The Tenth Prince felt a gust of wind sweep past him. With a resounding crash, one of the burly men disguised as a woman fell heavily to the ground.

The man in black had evidently been rescued by that man. The remaining disguised men shouted, “Master, run!”

The Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince had no intention of allowing him to escape so easily. They charged forward with their swords drawn.

But the man in black swiftly scattered a handful of concealed weapons and fled through the opening in the roof that the bannermen guards had made.

Although all the other disguised men were captured, the Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince still wore grim, dark expressions.