Not Your Typical Villianess

Chapter 164: The Casualties of war 4

The Southern borders

Hanriu looked around before running forward, as he ran into the bushes, he called out in loud whispers, "Your highness! Your Highness!" 

Zhongshan Ling looked towards his right as he heard his name being called, he stepped out from behind the tree when he saw that it was Hanriu. "Here I am" he whispered. 

Hanriu's looked toward the direction, he heard the Crown Prince's voice. His eyes fell on the hand Zhongshan Ling clutched to his chest, he gave Zhongshan Ling a thorough look down before running closer. He bowed at the Crown Prince, "highness, I am here to take you to safety. While the others keep prince Du and his men entertained".

Zhongshan Ling looked back, the men were still fighting heavily. They were now evenly matched, unlike much earlier. He turned back to Hanriu and nodded, "lead the way".

Hanriu glanced at the hand he clutched to his chest and pursed his lips, Zhongshan Ling followed his gaze down. "I think a bone is broken, no need for first aid. We can take care of this when we are safe".

"Your Highness, can you handle the pain. It must be uncomfortable running while holding your injured arm. I have a scarf, I can use it to hold your hands up. That is if you would like that" Hanriu brought out a dark blue scarf from inside his tunic and held it up to the Crown Prince.

Zhongshan Ling nodded, it was more practical to do that. Plus he wanted to be able to run easily without pulling them down. He couldn't possibly run fast while holding his hand up, it was smarter to follow Hanriu's suggestions. Hanriu put his sword into the sheath and spread out the scarf, he folded it into a slimline.

Then holding the Crown Prince's injured arm firmly to his chest. He tied the scarf around, the Crown Prince's injured hands and tied the other end of the scarf before hooking it over his neck and shoulder. "Sorry your highness", He said as the Crown Prince hissed silently. He stepped back when he was done and liked up. 

"Are you comfortable, your Highness? If you are not, I could adjust the scarf a little_"

"No need, it is okay. Let us go" he whispered looking back to check if they were being followed but everyone was still busy fighting.

Hanriu nodded and pointed to a slim path by their left, "this way, your highness. I will follow behind in case we are being followed".

Zhongshan Ling nodded and ran through the path, they kept running. While looking back a few times to check if they were being followed but as far they weren't even after running for close to thirty minutes. Hanriu led him through a few turns through the forest, until they got to a wide field. They stopped by a tree to catch their breath and rear for a few minutes before they continued heading back to the watchtower. 

Minutes later, when his heartbeat and breath somewhat settled, patting Hanriu on the shoulder Zhongshan Ling signalled that they should continue. They resumed tuning towards the watchtower, they ran for close to forty minutes. Zhongshan Looked through the forest and noticed that no familiar landmarks were in sight were indicating that they were getting closer to the watchtower. 

They had been running for over an hour and a half, as far as he knew they should be getting closer to their destination but there wasn't a tower insight. He suddenly got a gut feeling that danger was up ahead but based on his long history and trust in Hanriu. He couldn't believe that he was betrayed but he was fully convinced of the betrayal as they came out at a small field with a well. 

He turned around to Hanriu, "this isn't the way to the watchtower, Hanriu. After all these years, why betray me?"

Hanriu drew his sword and placed it on Zhongshan Ling's jugular, "it was a pleasure serving you, your highness but that must come to an end. Don't take this to heart, it has nothing to do with you. I just want to think for myself for once, working with you is not that beneficial in the long run"

Zhongshan Ling gaze went from the sword on his neck to the old retainer that after year's of service, he had no longer considered a servant but now saw as a friend. The amount of trust he has developed in this spymaster of his made the betrayal all the more painful. After all, they had experienced, he was curious why and who turned one of his most trusted servants against him.

"Who ordered you to do this?"

"Informing you of that is irrelevant not when you are not likely to survive this. There are no hard feelings between us, it is just that I have gotten tired of working with losers like you. While I won't deny that we had made good memories working together. I cannot stand working with a weakling like you, who rely on the Lu family and the Empress for everything.

"Yet you still dare to doubt their sincerity, so what if her highness poisoned your concubine mother. In the Imperial family, whose hand is clean. Even your so-called mother's hand is filled with blood. You are lucky that the Empress took you in. If not you would have never become the Crown Prince!"

"Do not insult my mother, she was nothing like that!"

"Oh please don't lie to yourself, you know that I am telling the truth. The Empress doesn't go around killing people and even if she wanted to kill someone out of jealousy. Why would she kill a mere Imperial concubine who wasn't even favoured but was lucky enough to give birth to a son? 

"Please, even you find that odd but since isn't in line with the innocent image you painted of your mother. You don't want to think on your suspicion, it is better to make the Empress your enemy. If you doubt what I am saying, just look into how the Empress lost her child. You would be shocked what you will uncover, too bad you can't but don't worry. I will tell you who started the fire, it would be my last duty to you."

"I would be stupid to take a traitor's words to mind"

Haha haha, "why? Scared? Because it would run the innocent image, you painted for your mother. Too bad your opinion isn't relevant, your highness" he moved closed the Zhongshan Ling, "the fire that faithful night was arranged by your mother and her darling Nanny. You see your mother was jealous when the fourth prince was named the Crown Prince. She was hoping that the throne would be passed to you since you are the only surviving prince then.

"She had worked so hard to kill off the other prince that came after you but never counted on the Empress having a son this time after so many years. She knew that as a concubine without a strong backing, she would need her son to be adopted by the Empress but that can't happen when the fourth prince is alive and kicking. Much less when the position of Crown Prince was already occupied by a one-week-old baby.

"So they devised a plan to take care of that child but she didn't count on two of the most favoured concubines in the haram getting pregnant and giving birth to a son one after the other. Not to speak ill of the dead but if you ask me your mother got what she deserved because like you, she was an ungrateful person that bit the hams that fed it. The Empress had a valid reason for killing her off, the only mistake she made was keeping an eyewitness alive. If I stayed on with you, I would have regretted my decision."

Zhongshan Ling glared at Hanriu's smiling face but Hanriu didn't pay him any mind and instead pulled him closer. A slight disturbance on the bushes made him pull Zhongshan Ling close such that his back rested on his shoulder and held the sword to his neck. Zhongshan Ling shivered as the sword drew blood, he looked to the grass opposite them when he heard loud handclaps from that direction.

He watched as Prince Du walked out with a few of his men, they dragged Xie Feng and two brutally bruised men forward. The men looked to be the two men that previously fought Prince Du, their faces were bloody with their eyes nearly shut. Zhongshan Ling suddenly swallowed and looked back at Prince Du. The bloody knuckles of the giant of a man drew his eyes, he felt the breath leave his lungs when he locked eyes with Prince Du's maniac like eyes.

He looked like he was in a frenzy, he didn't even mind as the blood dripped down his face and hands. Prince Du's nearly spotted when he saw the white face of Zhongshan Ling. His undisguised fear took the fun out of everything for him. While he liked his victims scared, he still preferred them to put up a fight. 

He unsheathed his