The Prince Consort's Secret (GL) - Chapter 16

Suddenly, we turned a corner, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw several people giving chase—it was the palace guards, clad in black nightwear, finally showing up as if they’d just changed clothes. Were they late because they were changing into their uniforms?

…Anyway, some of them weren’t my guards but the Crown Prince’s. The fact that they already knew I’d been captured—well, I had to admit, that was fairly efficient.

Soon, the raucous brothel-lined streets faded behind us. A quarter of an hour later, we were gliding above a quiet residential district. Below, only the occasional night watchman or passerby could be seen. Though the curfew was still a ways off, most people in this era tended to go to bed shortly after sunset. There weren’t many nightwalkers.

Xiao-gongzi carried me through the night, flying fast and carefully avoiding the sight of those below. Suddenly, he glanced back and smiled smugly. My heart sank. His qinggong (lightness skill) was exceptional—there was a good chance the guards wouldn’t be able to keep up.

At this point, I wasn’t sure whether I’d live to return. If I were to die now, well, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Maybe I’d just transmigrate again—back to my previous world, to a parallel one, or maybe I’d be reborn as a child with my memories wiped.

It was also possible that I’d simply cease to exist. Honestly, there wasn’t anything in this world worth clinging to. Whether I moved on to the next stop or disappeared forever—it didn’t matter.

But even if I’m not afraid of dying, waiting to die isn’t exactly noble either. Time to think fast!

Plan A: Find a way to disable him, just like I did with the other Xiao. …Unfortunately, I’m the one currently immobilized. My upper body is completely numb. While I can still move my legs, a knee to the groin won’t be fatal—so Plan A is a no-go.

Plan B: Convince him to let me go. Improbable, but it seems like the only option left. Thankfully, he hasn’t knocked me out—probably assumes I can’t fight. My acupuncture point is sealed, but I can still talk.

(Although there are pressure points that can render one permanently mute…)

How do I convince him to release me? If I tell him he’s got the wrong person—that I’m not Mu Han—will he let me go or kill me? If I really were Mu Han, he wouldn’t dare kill me, since I must be useful to them.

But if I weren’t? He’d likely silence me to avoid complications.

So… there’s basically no way to make him let me go. That realization hit hard. But the next blow was worse—

He turned his head, smiled, and said, “Young Master Mu—or rather, Miss Mu—thought of a plan yet?”

Miss Mu?!

Before I could fully process the implications of those two words, he struck the back of my neck with a swift karate chop—and darkness swallowed the world.

Half-conscious, I thought bitterly: I really need to distance myself from the name “Mu Han.” That name attracts trouble more than the Crown Prince does. And “Miss Mu”? What am I even supposed to say to that…

I didn’t know how much time passed, only that the pleasant floating sensation abruptly gave way to a sharp, piercing pain on my philtrum. It yanked me back to reality. I opened my eyes with a jolt to find Qin

Huaiyu smiling as he withdrew a silver needle. It looked like I’d been rescued—thank heavens.

I had half expected to wake up in a dark interrogation room, face-to-face with torture tools. But I was still on the second-floor balcony. Maybe I was safe after all… Unless—what if Qin Huaiyu was in cahoots with those two Xiaos? Panic surged, and I instinctively pushed away the hand supporting me.

Glancing around, I saw the familiar wooden railing, the dim crescent moon above, and a sky that was anything but star-studded. Looking down—Xiao was gone.

Suspicious, I stared at Qin Huaiyu. “Why was it you who rescued me?”

He smiled. “I’ve been trailing you from the shadows and struck at the right moment.”

This imperial physician sure had some serious skills. Envy crept in.

I thanked him, then asked, “Did you catch the elder Xiao?”

He shook his head. “We nearly did, but someone else suddenly showed up and helped them escape.”

I laughed. “No worries. At least the younger Xiao didn’t get away. He’s been secured by our people, right?”

“He should be,” Qin Huaiyu replied. “We’d best not linger—Lin Huan will be worried. It’s been a full quarter-hour already.”

So I’d been gone for half an hour? And the Crown Prince was still lounging at the brothel like nothing happened? Real comforting.

We reached the second-floor hallway. Just as I was about to descend, Qin Huaiyu stopped me. I nodded in understanding and followed him into a private room. Inside sat the Crown Prince, Ning Guangshi, and several guards. The Crown Prince spotted us immediately and sighed in relief.

I sat down at the table. He grinned and said, “I knew you’d be fine with Brother Qin on the job.” I rolled my eyes. Calm as ever, while Ning Guangshi sat there drenched in sweat.

Seeing him made my bl00d boil—but more than that, I was confused. Why was he involved with the Xiao brothers?

I turned to him. “Guangshi, care to explain what’s going on with those two subordinates of yours?”

Ning Guangshi looked miserable. “They… they’re not actually my subordinates.”

I frowned. “Not your men? Don’t tell me they’re complete strangers?”

Still sweating profusely, Ning Guangshi opened his mouth—only for Qin Huaiyu to clap him hard on the shoulder. He winced in pain as Qin said cheerfully, “Our dear Guangshi has a habit of recruiting drinking buddies from wherever he happens to be—brothels, taverns, you name it. Right, Guangshi?”

I choked on my tea from sheer exasperation. This idiot—how was Qin Huaiyu still laughing? Luckily, the Crown Prince clearly had no patience for Guangshi either; he refused to even look at him.

I coughed and snapped, “So this time, you managed to ‘recruit’ two Khitan spies. Congratulations, General Guangshi—what a historic achievement.”

Guangshi chuckled sheepishly but said nothing. The Crown Prince muttered, “Khitan spies infiltrating the capital… too bad the younger Xiao is dead—we won’t be getting anything out of him.”

Wait, what? “He’s dead? I didn’t kill him—I just knocked him out.”

Damn. Someone silenced him afterward.

The Crown Prince examined me for a moment. “Your needlework is impressive—accurate pressure point placement and depth.”

I blinked, then gave a modest smile. “I’ve always been interested in medicine. Looks like that interest finally came in handy.”

He shook his head. “Interested in medicine… What an odd hobby.”

He glanced at Qin Huaiyu, who looked a bit embarrassed. I frowned. What did my interest in medicine have to do with Qin Huaiyu?

Qin coughed and changed the subject. “But why did the Khitan want to capture the Princess?”

The Crown Prince smirked. “Were they after my sister—or Mu Han?”

Probably Mu Han. When Xiao called me “Miss Mu,” even after realizing I was a woman, he didn’t question my identity. That meant Mu Han was a woman to begin with.

It was… weirdly satisfying. But why were the Khitan targeting Mu Han? Even if her identity was strange, at least it seemed she wasn’t one of them.

Still, maybe I shouldn’t mention that Mu Han is a woman. I remember from my past life an opera about a woman becoming the imperial consort—maybe that’s what’s going on here. If Mu Han is the protagonist, she has to be one of the good guys. If I reveal her secret, I might be doing her more harm than good.

They debated for a while over whether the Khitan were targeting me or Mu Han. They even asked how Xiao addressed me privately. Eventually, the conclusion was: it was probably Mu Han.

Then they started speculating about why the Khitan would go after the Princess’s betrothed. If they’d infiltrated the capital, shouldn’t they be gathering intelligence or recruiting court officials? Why go after a mere assistant minister of personnel?

All the wild theories made me feel like I lost a billion brain cells.

At last, after planning tomorrow’s palace visit, we realized half an hour had passed. The noise downstairs had died down too—Han Wu’er had likely made her appearance. The guests who weren’t staying had gone home, and those who were probably moved upstairs.

As we walked down, the brothel madam, Madam Han, greeted us with a fake smile and said she hoped we’d come again.

Just then, a loud commotion erupted from the back courtyard. People were shouting, “Han Wu’er has escaped! Stop her!”

Everyone froze. Then, to our astonishment, Han Wu’er—dressed in ornate silk—burst through the back gate, leapt into the air, and sprang off people’s heads as she dashed out of Zhen’an Brothel.

I was speechless, then burst into quiet laughter.

Finally, it wasn’t just me getting into trouble tonight. Madam Han would be having a rough few days. Not only did she lose her prize girl, but now she’s going to be famous across the capital too!

Although… maybe that’s not a good thing. A princess sneaking into a brothel dressed as a man and a top courtesan escaping on the same night? This story is bound to spread like wildfire through Bianjing…