Chapter LXXX - The Trap Inside the Estate
The attack came at noon.
Not at night.
Not beneath shadows.
Not from the palace.
Which made it infinitely more dangerous.
Because no one expected it.
—
Snow drifted lazily through Prince Rui's estate while servants carried supplies between courtyards.
Everything appeared normal.
Peaceful.
Safe.
And that was precisely why the attack almost succeeded.
—
Shen Li spent the morning reviewing relief inventories for the northern settlements.
Medicine. Winter blankets. Food stores.
The preparations for joining Prince Rui's northern relief mission continued steadily.
Then a servant entered carrying tea.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing suspicious.
The girl bowed deeply.
Placed the tray down.
And withdrew.
Routine.
Perfectly routine.
Until Qingyu froze.
The young maid's eyes narrowed.
Then immediately—
she knocked the teacup from Shen Li's hand.
Crash.
Porcelain shattered.
Tea splashed across the floor.
The room exploded into confusion.
Shen Li looked up sharply.
"Qingyu?"
The maid had gone pale.
Terrifyingly pale.
Then quietly—
almost unable to speak—
she whispered:
"Poison."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
—
The entire estate locked down instantly.
Steward Zhou arrived within moments.
Guards flooded the residence.
Servants were detained.
Interrogations began.
Prince Rui's household transformed into a fortress.
Again.
Because somehow—
even with Prince Rui hundreds of miles away—
someone had attempted to poison Shen Li.
Again.
—
The physician confirmed it shortly afterward.
The poison was subtle.
Colorless.
Nearly undetectable.
Deadly.
One sip would have been enough.
The room remained silent as the report concluded.
Then Shen Li softly asked:
"The servant?"
The answer came immediately.
"Missing."
Of course.
Always missing.
Always dead.
Always disappearing.
The pattern had become infuriatingly familiar.
Then Steward Zhou lowered his head.
Ashamed.
Furious.
"This servant failed Princess Consort."
Shen Li shook her head gently.
"No."
Because she understood something.
This attack wasn't targeting security.
It was targeting predictability.
Someone knew her routines.
Someone knew her schedule.
Someone had information.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
—
Far north—
Prince Rui was winning.
Again.
Another fortress captured.
Another enemy retreat.
Another victory.
Yet for some reason—
his mood continued worsening.
The commanders noticed.
Everyone noticed.
Because their terrifying prince looked increasingly restless.
Then a military courier arrived.
Fast.
Too fast.
The moment Prince Rui saw the seal—
his expression changed.
The camp temperature dropped instantly.
Because the seal belonged to his estate.
Not the capital.
His estate.
His home.
His wife.
The letter was opened immediately.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The generals exchanged nervous glances.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Then Prince Rui folded the report carefully.
Far too carefully.
Which somehow felt worse.
Then quietly he asked:
"The servant escaped?"
The messenger swallowed.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Silence.
Then:
"Princess Rui remains unharmed."
Prince Rui closed his eyes briefly.
One breath.
Two.
Three.
Then he stood.
And everyone in the command tent immediately understood:
Something terrible was about to happen.
Because Prince Rui's face had become completely expressionless.
The battlefield expression.
The one soldiers feared most.
Then softly—
dangerously softly—
he said:
"Prepare the horses."
The generals froze.
One finally gathered courage.
"Your Highness?"
Prince Rui's gaze lifted.
Cold.
Terrifying.
"This prince is returning to the capital."
Silence crashed through the tent.
Because it was impossible.
The campaign wasn't finished.
The war wasn't finished.
The frontier wasn't secure.
Yet somehow—
everyone believed him.
Because the look in Prince Rui's eyes left no room for doubt.
If Shen Li had died—
he truly would have abandoned the war.
The realization frightened even his commanders.
—
Meanwhile, that same night—
the Black Sparrow stood atop Prince Rui's estate wall.
Watching.
Silent.
Invisible.
And for the first time in many years—
she looked angry.
Because she recognized the poison.
Recognized the method.
Recognized the network.
Someone had moved without authorization.
Someone had endangered Shen Li prematurely.
Then her eyes narrowed.
Dangerously.
Because suddenly—
she realized something important.
The people targeting Shen Li no longer understood the game.
They thought Princess Rui was leverage.
A hostage.
A weakness.
Fools.
Absolute fools.
The Black Sparrow had read enough letters now to understand the truth.
If Shen Li died—
Prince Rui would not surrender.
He would not negotiate.
He would not break.
He would burn everything.
And the resulting chaos would drown the empire in blood.
The realization settled heavily beneath the falling snow.
Then the assassin vanished into the darkness.
Because for the first time—
she wasn't hunting someone.
She was hunting the people foolish enough to threaten Shen Li.
And somewhere far away—
Prince Rui was already riding south. ??????