Wang Han was a man who cherished his life, and being buried alive was an exceptionally cruel way to die.
Cold sweat poured from Wang Han like rain. For a moment, he was terrified to the extreme, yet he dared not make a sound, afraid that the slightest noise would reveal his presence. His heart leaped into his throat as he frantically struggled to free his hands from the bonds behind his back. Only by doing so would he have a chance to escape. After being captured, he had not been maimed or dismembered, and his martial arts skills were not weak to begin with.
Holding his breath, Wang Han worked on loosening the ropes while continuing to listen to the conversation of the men not far away.
"Brother, what exactly did this guy do to deserve such treatment from our master?"
"You don't know this, but this guy used to work for our master too, and on very important matters. Now that the master is under scrutiny, he can't be left alive. The master originally planned to deal with him in Luozhou, but who would have thought he'd dare to turn back? So, we just captured him and decided to handle it right here."
Wang Han's heart sank at these words. So, the Empress had never intended to spare him!
She had planned to take his life in Luozhou, but he had unexpectedly turned back earlier than expected...
The thought sent a chill through Wang Han's heart, as if it had been plunged into an ice cellar. His family background was humble, and it was only through serving the Empress that he had gained advancement. Otherwise, he would have remained a low-ranking guard for the rest of his life. Because of this, he had felt a sense of gratitude toward the Empress, which was why he had done so much for her. He had initially believed she was a master worth following, but he never imagined that while pretending to arrange for his departure from the capital, she was actually plotting to kill him!
The realization filled Wang Han with a bone-chilling coldness.
This was the Empress—the Empress who was a model of virtue for the nation. How could she possibly uphold the Path with someone as lowly as him?!
Wang Han felt both sorrow and rage, but soon, fear consumed him entirely.
The Empress disregarded his life, but he had no desire to die. Gritting his teeth, Wang Han barely dared to breathe as he managed to free his hands from the ropes.
In the distance, the two men continued their conversation...
"If that's the case, why not deal with him earlier in the palace?"
"Heh, the Empress is now under Prince Cheng's watchful eye. How could she dare to act in the palace?! In the past, this guy would have been dead ten times over..."
"Ah, this guy is just unlucky to have run into such a situation."
"It's his own foolishness for daring to trust those above. If it were me, I wouldn't have listened to their arrangements. If they told me to go to Luozhou, I'd head straight to Yunzhou as soon as I left the capital—that's the only way to truly escape. But him? He actually dared to turn back."
Wang Han's heart was filled with bitterness. During the few days he had been on the run, how could he have known what was happening in the palace? Besides, he had genuinely wanted to secure some wealth to rely on, which was why he had dared to turn back. Little did he expect that the Empress had already stationed men to guard against him!
Feeling utterly disheartened, Wang Han pulled off the blindfold and surveyed his surroundings. Soon, he had a rough idea of where he was. Near the capital, there was only one such burial ground—at the foot of Qiwu Mountain. So, this was where they intended to bury him alive!Wang Han glanced over and saw only two tall figures. Though dressed in ordinary clothes, their sturdy builds clearly revealed martial training, and their entire demeanor carried a disciplined rigor that spoke of rigorous drilling. Wang Han instinctively knew these two must also be imperial guards from the palace—and likely the Empress's trusted confidants at that.
A torch was stuck in an unmarked grave mound. The two diggers were working sideways beside the grave, paying no attention to his direction. With trembling hands, Wang Han curled up and began untying the ropes around his legs. Soon, all the bindings were pulled loose. He had regained his freedom. Overwhelmed with excitement, he couldn't resist scrambling to his feet—but this movement caused the dry leaves and twigs beneath him to crackle loudly. Instantly, the two diggers turned around!
"He's awake! Don't run—"
At this critical juncture, only a fool wouldn't run!
Not only did Wang Han need to run with all his might, he also had to find a way to shake off these two. However, Wang Han had just regained consciousness, and the diggers were positioned toward the mountaintop, blocking his path upward. Thus, he could only flee in the opposite direction—down the mountain!
"Halt!" Another loud shout, but it meant nothing to Wang Han.
At this point, even if caught, Wang Han was determined to fight to the death!
Just as this thought crossed his mind, a sudden gust of wind struck from behind. Wang Han sensed danger instinctively, but before he could react, a sword sheath slammed hard into his spine. Running at full speed, the impact sent him sprawling forward. The fall left him dizzy and seeing stars, his back in excruciating pain, and his hands and elbows bleeding.
Wang Han's heart sank—he hadn't expected his pursuers to possess such formidable martial skills. He knew perfectly well that, unarmed, he stood no chance against these two.
Gritting his teeth, Wang Han scrambled up and dashed downward again. He ran until he was gasping for breath. Having been bound all day, he was nearly exhausted. The combined strain of running and falling had drained his remaining strength, yet the sounds of pursuit grew ever closer. Wang Han disregarded everything—the pitch-black night, the increasingly steep terrain. Suddenly, he sensed something wrong ahead, but before he could figure out what, his foot plunged into emptiness and he tumbled down!
A searing pain shot through Wang Han's ankle as he crashed heavily to the ground. Tears welled from the agony. Lifting his head, he saw he had fallen onto a broad road leading up to Qiwu Mountain. During the Qingming Festival, this route would be busy with carriages, but now, in the dead of night, it was utterly deserted. Wang Han still remembered the pursuers behind him, but despite his utmost efforts, he couldn't stand—his ankle seemed dislocated...
Despair flooded Wang Han's heart. This time, death was inevitable!
Just as this thought solidified, the sound of carriage wheels suddenly echoed. Wang Han's heart jolted. Whose carriage could this be on the mountain path so late at night?! Could it be some wandering spirits...
The thought crossed his mind, but he felt no fear. In his view, even ghosts were preferable to the pursuers behind him.He looked up and saw a carriage accompanied by four or five light cavalry charging swiftly down the mountain Path, quickly arriving before him. Wang Han was dazed with pain, and just as the carriage was about to run him over, it abruptly halted.
"Your Highness, there's a person on the road—seems to be injured!"
Your Highness?! Wang Han abruptly raised his head to stare at the carriage. The curtain was drawn, and he couldn't see who was inside, but in the capital, only a handful of people could be addressed as "Your Highness"!
Hope surged in Wang Han's heart. "Help! Your Highness! Help! This humble one is an imperial guard of the royal city—"
Wang Han wanted to stop this group—it was his only chance to survive!
"An imperial guard?" The guard beside the carriage exclaimed in surprise, immediately riding forward.
Wang Han saw a handsome yet indifferent face. He looked pleadingly at the man before him, then glanced back at the dark, shadowy forest up the road. The guard on horseback quickly noticed movement in the woods and alertly asked, "Is someone chasing you here?!"
Wang Han's eyes lit up. This guard was sharp—his master must be extraordinary. Who could it be?!
No sooner had the question arisen than Bai Feng said, "Inside the carriage is Prince Rui's heir. He came tonight to pay respects to the late princess consort. Who are you? There's no reason for an imperial guard to be on this mountain in the dead of night!"
To save his life, Wang Han was willing to say anything now, and he was even more astonished to learn that Prince Rui's heir was inside the carriage!
Wang Han knew Yan Chi's reputation well. Moreover, anyone with even a slight inclination toward military service would hold Yan Chi in deep admiration. With shining eyes, Wang Han pleaded, "I beg Your Highness to save this humble one! I know certain things, and now someone wants me dead. I beg Your Highness to save me..."
As he spoke, two dark figures leaped down from the forest, landing ten paces in front of Wang Han.
The two men saw Wang Han and, naturally, Bai Feng as well. They were startled, clearly not expecting another group to appear so quickly. Wang Han, however, was immediately terrified. "Your Highness, save me—"
He stared at the carriage curtain and cried out in desperation.
After a moment, a soft "Hmm" came from inside the carriage. Bai Feng quickly understood the meaning, while the two men opposite paled, likely having heard the address "Your Highness." They seemed about to retreat, but Wang Han urgently added, "Your Highness, don't let them escape—they're the Empress's people—"
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