PNB Chapter 466: Trouble at the Palace
Chapter 466: Trouble at the Palace
After a fierce battle, Pei Yan and Ouyang Tuoba finally managed to eliminate the assassins who were harassing them. Both of them bore numerous wounds, but their expressions were filled with determination.
They rushed to where Fang Xiaoxiao and the others were, only to find the scene in complete chaos, the place a mess from the recent battle.
Upon seeing the prince, Ouyang Tuoba immediately knelt down and said with a face full of remorse, "Your Highness, I deserve to die. It was not my intention to kidnap the princess. I beg Your Highness to forgive me."
The prince waved his hand magnanimously and said, "It's alright, there's a reason for this, I won't blame you."
Fang Xiaoxiao, standing to the side, frowned. She was still very angry about Ouyang Tuoba's actions and said, "Ouyang Tuoba, you have gone too far this time! Even if the prince doesn't blame you, you still have to take responsibility for your actions."
Ouyang Tuoba lowered his head, not daring to look Fang Xiaoxiao in the eye.
Fang Xiaoxiao continued, "You will pay for the reconstruction of Lingxi Pavilion, which was destroyed by fire. There is no room for discussion on this matter."
Ouyang Tuoba replied without hesitation, "Alright, I'll do whatever Miss Fang says."
At this moment, Ouyang Tuoba looked at the prince and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, do you have any news about the whereabouts of the Crown Prince?"
The prince shook his head and said solemnly, "There isn't one yet. I've been sending people to search, but we haven't found any clues."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Tuoba's face showed disappointment.
Fang Xiaoxiao said, "Don't be discouraged, everyone. As long as we keep trying, we will definitely find the Crown Prince."
Everyone nodded, and the atmosphere became slightly heavy.
Suddenly, a guard ran up to report: "Your Highness, we have just received news that there seem to be some rumors circulating in the capital about the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted.
The prince hurriedly asked, "Tell me quickly, what rumor is it?"
The guard took a breath and said, "It is said that someone saw a person who looks like the Crown Prince in an inn in the capital, but it cannot be confirmed."
The prince pondered for a moment and said, "Whether it is true or not, we must investigate."
Fang Xiaoxiao said, "Pei Yan and I will go together too."
Ouyang Tuoba also said, "Count me in."
The prince nodded in agreement: "Alright, then proceed with caution."
Therefore, Fang Xiaoxiao, Pei Yan, and Ouyang Tuoba, along with several guards, immediately set off for the capital.
They rode at breakneck speed all the way, not daring to delay in the slightest.
Upon arriving in the capital, they began inquiring about the location of the inn.
Finally, they found the inn on a street corner.
Fang Xiaoxiao entered the inn and asked the innkeeper, "Innkeeper, I heard that someone here saw a person who looks like the Crown Prince. Is that true?"
The shopkeeper looked them up and down and said, "That is true, but the person has already left."
Fang Xiaoxiao asked anxiously, "Then where did he go?"
The shopkeeper shook his head: "I don't know about that."
Left with no other option, the group could only continue searching for clues in the capital.
Before they knew it, night had fallen, and the streets of the capital were brightly lit, but Fang Xiaoxiao and the others had no time to appreciate it. They had only one thought in their minds: to find the Crown Prince's whereabouts as soon as possible...
Meanwhile, the real Crown Prince Pei Yan was accompanying Fang Xiaoxiao and the others as they searched for him everywhere, a bizarre situation that left everyone both amused and exasperated.
Fang Xiaoxiao and the others searched the streets and alleys of the capital for a long time, but still had no clue. Everyone's face was full of fatigue and anxiety.
Just when they were feeling desperate, a mysterious Taoist nun appeared before them. The nun wore a gray Taoist robe, held a whisk, and had a cold expression.
"I know where the prince you are looking for is," the Taoist nun said calmly and serenely.
Pei Yan found it amusing and couldn't help but laugh: "Someone actually knows where I am?"
Despite their doubts, the group decided to accompany the Taoist nun.
The group followed the Taoist nun, passing through the bustling crowds, leaving the prosperous capital city, and arriving at a slightly dilapidated Taoist temple on the outskirts of the city.
The nun stopped and turned around, saying, "If you want to know the whereabouts of the prince, you need money to repair this Taoist temple."
Determined to find the Crown Prince, Ouyang Tuoba said without hesitation, "Alright, as long as we can find the Crown Prince, money is no problem." With that, he took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and handed them to the Daoist nun.
The nun accepted the silver note, her face remaining expressionless. She simply said calmly, "Once the temple is repaired, the prince will appear."
Fang Xiaoxiao frowned and said, "Taoist nun, you can't lie to us."
The nun closed her eyes slightly and said, "A nun does not lie."
So, everyone began to repair the Taoist temple. Pei Yan and Ouyang Tuoba personally moved bricks and tiles, while Fang Xiaoxiao helped tidy up the miscellaneous items.
Time passed by, and with everyone's efforts, the Taoist temple gradually took on a new look.
However, the crown prince still did not appear.
Ouyang Tuoba grew anxious and approached the Daoist nun, asking, "Daoist nun, the Daoist temple is almost finished, why hasn't the Crown Prince shown himself yet?"
The Taoist nun said calmly, "Don't rush, the time is not yet ripe."
Fang Xiaoxin was also filled with doubt, but at this moment, it seemed that she had no other choice but to believe the Taoist nun.
When the Taoist temple was renovated, everyone looked at the Taoist nun with anticipation, hoping to find out the whereabouts of the prince.
The Taoist nun simply said meaningfully, "Far away yet right before our eyes."
Fang Xiaoxiao and the others looked bewildered, not understanding the meaning of these words, so they hurriedly pulled the Taoist nun to ask her.
Just as the Taoist nun was about to say that the Crown Prince was Pei Yan, at this critical moment, an arrow shot from who-knows-where whistled through the air.
With a "whoosh," the arrow pierced straight into the nun's chest.
"A Taoist nun!" Fang Xiaoxiao exclaimed in surprise.
The nun's eyes widened, her face still bearing the words she hadn't spoken, before she slowly collapsed.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events and stood there dumbfounded.
Pei Yan was the first to react. He quickly looked around and shouted, "Who is it? Show yourself!"
However, apart from the sound of the wind, there was no response from any direction.
Ouyang Tuoba rushed to the Taoist nun's side, trying to check if she was still alive, but the arrow had hit her vitals, and the Taoist nun had already lost her breath.
Fang Xiaoxiao was both shocked and furious: "What exactly happened? Why would someone kill a Taoist nun?"
Pei Yan frowned, lost in thought: "It seems that someone doesn't want us to know the Crown Prince's whereabouts, or rather, doesn't want the Daoist nun to tell the truth."
"So what do we do now?" Ouyang Tuoba asked.
Fang Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth: "The Taoist nun's last words must have a deeper meaning. We need to think about it carefully."
The group began to recall the Taoist nun's words, "far away yet right before our eyes," trying to find clues from them.
Pei Yan paced back and forth in the Taoist temple, then suddenly stopped, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Could she be referring to..."
Before he could finish speaking, another volley of arrows rained down.
"Watch out!" Pei Yan shouted.
Everyone quickly took cover.
Fang Xiaoxiao, hiding behind a pillar, said, "It seems we're close to the truth; the other side is getting anxious."
Ouyang Tuoba also said, "No matter what, we must find the mastermind behind this."
During a lull in the rain of arrows, Pei Yan said, "Let's leave here first and then discuss this further."
Everyone nodded in agreement and cautiously retreated out of the Taoist temple.
As soon as they left the Taoist temple, they found themselves surrounded by a group of men in black.
"Who are you people?" Pei Yan glared at the men in black.
Without saying a word, the man in black attacked with his knife.
A fierce battle broke out again.
Pei Yan and Ouyang Tuoba fought hard against the attacks of the men in black, and Fang Xiaoxiao was not to be outdone. She picked up a wooden stick from the ground and joined the battle.
Despite their best efforts, the men in black were numerous and highly skilled in martial arts, and gradually, Fang Xiaoxiao and the others began to run out of energy.
Just at this critical moment, the sound of horses' hooves and shouts of battle came from afar.
It turned out that the prince had arrived with reinforcements.
Seeing that things were not going well, the man in black quickly retreated.
The prince asked anxiously, "Are you all alright?"
Fang Xiaoxiao shook her head: "Your Highness, the Daoist nun has been killed, and we still haven't found the Crown Prince's whereabouts."
The prince looked at the dead Taoist nun, his face grim: "This matter is becoming increasingly complicated. We must find out the truth as soon as possible."
The group carried the nun's body back to the capital.
In a secluded room, Fang Xiaoxiao and the others gathered again to discuss their next plan.
"What exactly did the Daoist nun mean?" Ouyang Tuoba asked.
Fang Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment: "'Far away yet so close', could it mean that the Crown Prince is right beside us, but we haven't noticed?"
Pei Yan was startled, but he didn't show it.
Just then, a trusted aide rushed in and whispered a few words in the prince's ear.
The prince's expression changed drastically: "Something's wrong, something's happened in the palace."