After the crown prince woke up, why did he look like he didn’t recognize her?

Is this due to a serious injury causing amnesia?

Qin Zheng only felt the oppressive gaze falling on her, clearly not malicious, but it made her scalp tingle more than when the former commander of the Imperial Guards stared at her.

She was thinking about whether to say something else, but saw the crown prince suddenly furrow his brow, seeming to be in some pain as he pressed his temples.

Qin Zheng had also considered taking advantage of his current weakness to run away, but the problem was that there were Imperial Guards outside the door.

If she went out, wouldn’t it be like throwing herself into a trap?

Moreover, just relying on the martial arts of the crown prince, who used a golden silk thread to pierce the forehead of the Imperial Guards commander, Qin Zheng didn’t dare to run rashly.

What if as soon as she turned around, the remaining golden thread in his hand directly pierced the back of her head?

However, in just a few seconds, Qin Zheng had already weighed the pros and cons.

Endure the humiliation a little longer!

She took a step forward, looking concerned: “Your Highness, are you all right?”

After enduring the headache, when the crown prince looked at Qin Zheng again, his expression became strange for some reason.

“I’m fine.”

His voice was hoarse but pleasant.

He glanced at the corpses scattered around the hall and asked, “What’s going on here?”

Qin Zheng followed his gaze and was about to answer when she suddenly thought that the crown princess, being a woman secluded in her palace, must have been greatly frightened by such a bloody scene.

So Qin Zheng tried hard to squeeze out some tears, lowered her voice with a sob, and said:

“Your Highness, while you were unconscious, the city was breached, and the rebels are about to enter the palace! The commander of the Imperial Guards, with his ambitious heart, has even turned traitor! Fortunately, Your Highness woke up and saved me. Now the remaining Imperial Guards are still guarding outside…”

She thought her acting was top-notch, but unexpectedly, the crown prince, seeing that she was about to cry but didn’t, looked even more strange.

Qin Zheng couldn’t figure out what went wrong.

Seeing that the crown prince was about to get up, she reached out to help.

However, the crown prince calmly avoided her hand and supported himself on the bedpost, standing up somewhat laboriously on his own.

Qin Zheng was somewhat stunned.

The description of the crown prince in the book was not detailed, only mentioning that he was a lustful person.

But from what she could see now, the crown prince seemed to be somewhat indifferent to her.

Before Qin Zheng could think more, there was suddenly a commotion outside the hall, with the sounds of fighting shaking the heavens.

Trembling, she said, “The rebels must have broken in!”

Summoning her courage, she ran to the door and poked a hole in the door screen with her finger to look outside.

She saw that the Imperial Guards were engaged in a fierce battle with the attacking rebels.

The commander of the Imperial Guards hadn’t had a chance to communicate with the rebels yet.

The rebels thought that the Imperial Guards were here to protect the crown prince, so they started fighting as soon as they met.

Qin Zheng wasn’t really that bold; she just wanted to confirm if the person coming this time was from Shen Yanzhi.

But obviously, it wasn’t.

The leader of the rebels was a big general with a face full of rough flesh. With one swing of his axe, he cut an Imperial Guard in half at the waist.

Qin Zheng’s stomach churned, and she didn’t dare to look anymore.

She hurried back and said, “Your Highness, the rebels are fighting with the Imperial Guards. Let me help you escape!”

There was no hope for Shen Yanzhi.

She deliberately said this to let this prince, who was quite skilled, take her along when he fled.

But the crown prince raised his hand and knocked over a nearby bronze lamp stand, spilling lamp oil all over the floor.

The lamp wick quickly ignited, flames licking up the curtains in front of the bed and instantly spreading to the rafters.

He glanced at Qin Zheng and ordered in a deep voice, “Strip and put on a eunuch’s outfit.”

Qin Zheng knew that if she fell into the hands of the rebels, she would have no good end.

Changing into a eunuch’s outfit to escape was definitely better than wearing luxurious clothes.

In a life-or-death situation, one could indeed overcome many fears.

Just moments ago, Qin Zheng was so scared that her limbs went weak when she saw the killings.

But now, in order to survive, she could endure the nausea and strip off the outer robe of a young eunuch.

She quickly took off the gorgeous palace dress and put on the blood-stained outer robe of a young eunuch, with swift and decisive movements.

After all, Qin Zheng was not an ancient person.

She was still wearing a plain silk undergarment inside the palace dress. Besides, the crown prince was her nominal husband.

In a life-and-death situation, she didn’t even consider whether to avoid the issue or not.

It was the crown prince who, while she was changing clothes, turned his back on her, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and changed into another set of eunuch’s clothes.

With time pressing, after Qin Zheng changed her clothes, she quickly removed the hair ornaments from her head and threw away what she could, keeping only a few heavy gold hairpins in her sleeve pocket.

She didn’t know how to style ancient hairdos, so she tied her hair into a bun and put on the eunuch’s hat, then smeared some blood on her face.

Instantly, she looked not only unattractive but also terrifying.

When the crown prince finished changing and turned around to see her appearance, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, as if he thought she was quite clever at critical moments.

The fire spread quickly.

Before the Imperial Guards outside had all died, the inner chamber of the entire sleeping palace was already engulfed in flames.

Following the crown prince to a side chamber, he pushed open the window at the back and said to her, “Climb out.”

With darkness falling, where the firelight couldn’t reach, everything in sight was shrouded in shadow, and the wind carried a strong smell of blood.

The screams of palace maids and eunuchs and the sinister laughter of the rebels sounded particularly harsh in the night.

Qin Zheng placed one leg on the windowsill and prepared to climb out when suddenly, there was a loud “bang” from the main hall, indicating that the rebels had broken through the main gate and entered the sleeping palace.

A fierce and brutal voice rang out, “Who the hell set fire to the Eastern Palace? Find the crown princess! I must taste what this beauty, fought over by Shen Yanzhi and the dog crown prince, tastes like!”

Qin Zheng was so frightened that her feet trembled, almost causing her to fall from the windowsill.

Fortunately, the crown prince caught her arm in time.

His hands were steady and strong, inexplicably giving her a sense of security.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Even though there were countless wolves behind them, these two calm words helped Qin Zheng to alleviate some of her fear.

After she landed safely, the crown prince quickly let go of her arm and, with a push against the windowsill, leaped out smoothly, not at all like someone on the verge of death.

He reached back to close the window leaf and said in a deep voice, “Go to the stable side and leave through the side door.”

After the rebels entered the palace and looted treasures, Qin Zheng, tightly clutching the corner of his robe, followed him as he ran.

The fire in the main hall lit up the night sky, occasionally casting a red glow.

Qin Zheng occasionally stole a glance at him, only able to see half of his cold and stern profile and a glimpse of his exquisite jawline.

An indescribable feeling arose in her heart.

In the original book, the crown princess was forcibly married back to the crown prince because he coveted her beauty.

But now, in the face of great danger, he showed no intention of abandoning her and fleeing alone.

It seemed… he wasn’t as bad as portrayed in the original book?

The stable was located in a remote corner of the Eastern Palace, and it seemed that the rebels had not yet come here.

When the crown prince stopped, Qin Zheng was already gasping for breath, needing to lean against the wall to steady herself.

Her body had always been pampered, and she had probably never run so desperately before.

Qin Zheng felt as if her lungs were tearing apart, the pain extending from her chest.

The crown prince wasn’t much better off than her.

In the moonlight, his face was pale and frightening, one hand pressing against the arrow wound on his chest, beads of cold sweat rolling down his forehead.

His body emanated a strong smell of blood, indicating that the wound had reopened.

On the dark and poorly lit road earlier, Qin Zheng had focused all her attention on finding the way to escape, so she only now noticed the crown prince’s condition.

After all, she had relied on him to escape safely to this point.

Qin Zheng hesitated for a moment before approaching and asking, “Your Highness, has the wound reopened? Shall I help you re-bandage it?”

“I’m fine,” he refused coldly, his brow furrowed tightly.

“This is not a place to stay for long.”

The crown prince looked at Qin Zheng and suddenly said, “I…”.

“I”? Qin Zheng was puzzled, but then he continued, “Since you have a choice now, I know you did not willingly marry me. If you want to go back to Shen Yanzhi, hide in the haystack behind the stable and wait for him to arrive at the Eastern Palace before coming out.”

He didn’t mention the second choice.

The situation of the Chu Kingdom was already lost, and he was seriously injured.

It would be difficult for him to escape with Qin Zheng.

Even if they managed to escape from the palace, they would have to hide and live in fear.

His words left Qin Zheng even more stunned.

Had the foolish crown prince in the book finally come to his senses after the country was lost?

After staring at Qin Zheng for a long time without speaking, he asked, “What do you think?”

The sounds of burning, killing, and looting could still be heard in the distance.

Along the way, Qin Zheng had also seen many palace maids who had died in disarray.

After experiencing the anticipation of the first two times, Qin Zheng now doesn’t have much hope for Shen Yanzhi to come and save her.

In the book, he blamed himself for saving the crown princess too late. Now, Qin Zheng understands how late he really was.

If the crown prince hadn’t survived like in the book, she might have already perished by now.

Qin Zheng didn’t dare to hide alone in the stable. If the rebels came before Shen Yanzhi, she couldn’t imagine the outcome.

She quickly shook her head. “I’ll go with Your Highness.”

Upon hearing her answer, the crown prince gave her a strange look but didn’t say anything.

He just raised his hand slightly, indicating for her to continue holding onto his sleeve.

Qin Zheng quickly grabbed it. For some reason, being allowed to continue following him made her feel relieved.

The crown prince remained silent all the way, leading her through the complex palace paths, avoiding the looting rebels, and fighting desperately when necessary.

Because of this, the smell of blood on the crown prince became stronger, and his face became paler.

At first, he led Qin Zheng, but later, it was more like she was supporting him like a human crutch.

When the two of them hid in a secluded corner of the palace wall, Qin Zheng asked in a low voice, “Your Highness, are we going to find the emperor?”

The crown prince, who had been silent all the way, suddenly sneered, “That incompetent ruler?”

The words “incompetent ruler” shocked Qin Zheng when they came out of the crown prince’s mouth.

After all, Emperor Chuyang was his father. Was the crown prince really so unrecognizable after waking up?

The crown prince seemed to realize that his words were inappropriate.

After that, he only gave directions, and silence fell between them again.

Qin Zheng thought that since they were father and son, she could casually ask.

Since the crown prince didn’t want to mention Emperor Chuyang, she naturally wouldn’t either. She had almost been strangled by Emperor Chuyang’s men.

She was happy that the crown prince didn’t want to find Emperor Chuyang.

After killing more than ten rebels on the way, the two of them finally arrived safely at the West Gate. However, the main gate ahead was tightly locked, with no way out.

In the distance, chaotic footsteps could be heard. The night wind carried the angry shouts of the rebels: “Two eunuchs just fled to the West Gate! Chase them!”

The crown prince seemed unaware that they were at a dead end with pursuers behind them.

He calmly asked Qin Zheng, “Do you know how to swim?”

Now, they were like two crickets on the same string, and Qin Zheng didn’t hide anything.

She nodded.

The crown prince continued, “There’s an underground river below the plank bridge that leads to the moat outside the West Gate.”

It was only then that Qin Zheng understood the crown prince’s true intention in coming to the West Gate.

He wanted to escape from the palace through the underground river!

---

The fire in the main hall of the East Palace had spread to the adjacent palaces.

The palace maids and eunuchs didn’t even have time to escape, as the rebels were busy looting treasures and no one was fighting the fire.

The fire continued to spread.

When Shen Yanzhi arrived at the East Palace, the main hall had already been burned to the ground.

He got off his horse unsteadily, looking at the sea of flames before him, his face drained of color.

He was too late, he had come too late after all!

The rough general who had arrived at the East Palace ahead of Shen Yanzhi sneered at him, “Did Prince Shen catch up with the carriage leaving the palace? The crown princess must be in the carriage, right?”

Shen Yanzhi turned his head to look at the general, his eyes filled with hatred, and the whites of his eyes were tinged with a terrifying red, as if he wanted to taste the flesh and blood of the man before him, “Where is the crown princess?”

With the palace breached, he had originally planned to go straight to the East Palace, only to find out that the crown princess had been taken away by the general’s men ahead of him.

In his urgency, he went to chase after the carriage leaving the palace, but to his surprise, the person in the carriage was not the crown princess.

Shen Yanzhi suddenly realized that he had been tricked!

Seeing the night sky above the East Palace lit up by the flames, his blood ran cold.

The general looked at Shen Yanzhi’s fierce appearance and sneered, “The crown princess? She tasted quite good. After playing with her to death, I threw her in and burned her!”

Shen Yanzhi’s eyes were bloodshot. “Burned?”

The general had long been at odds with Shen Yanzhi.

The gentry looked down on them as rebels, and they despised the gentry’s high and mighty attitude.

Rarely did he see the refined Shen Yanzhi lose his composure like this, which made him ecstatic.

He deliberately tried to provoke him further, “The crown princess is indeed a rare beauty. If Shen Yanzhi had come a step earlier, he would have seen how she served me… uh…”

No one expected that the seemingly gentle Shen Yanzhi would suddenly erupt, drawing his sword and beheading the general.

The sword cut halfway through his neck, causing his head to tilt to one side, but he was not dead yet, with blood gushing from the wound.

Everyone present was stunned.

Shen Yanzhi seemed like a madman, stepping forward and grabbing the general’s collar, mercilessly stabbing him several times, each stab deep and bloody, splattering his face and making his handsome face look like that of a demon:

“How dare you touch her? Who gave you the courage to touch her?”

He let go, and the general fell to the ground like a pile of mud, blood still pouring from several holes in his body.

This time, he was truly dead.

For a long time, no one in the entire East Palace dared to speak, only the crackling sound of the fire burning.

When the deputy general arrived and saw the general’s corpse on the ground, he couldn’t help but feel weak in the legs.

This general was the rebel leader’s own brother.

Shen Yanzhi had killed him, which meant he didn’t want to live anymore!

He cried out in despair, “Shen Yanzhi, what… what have you done? When we attacked the East Palace, the crown prince and crown princess were already gone!”

Compared to his despair, Shen Yanzhi’s eyes, full of deathly gloom, suddenly showed signs of life.

His Qin Zheng was still alive?