What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?

Chapter 454 - 449: A Dream of Past Dust—Jiaojiao Side Story (Part 2)

The first year of Zheng Yuan, the first month.The ice and snow had just begun to melt, yet the chill lingered.

A beauty, in splendid attire and on an ornate saddle, rode her horse leisurely by the water.

Wherever her gaze landed, it seemed to be on floating ice on the water’s surface, but upon closer inspection, there was no such ice.

With the wedding imminent, she shouldn’t have come out to enjoy the spring.

But who could stop Miss Tang?

The attendants could sense that Miss Tang was restless, so they quietly followed her, heads down.

The servants gathered like clouds, yet there was a deathly silence.

Even their footsteps were absorbed into the soft, muddy grass by the water, making them barely noticeable.

Because of this silence, Tang Jiaojiao suddenly heard unusual sounds coming from the sparse forest by the roadside.

Whimpering noises, accompanied by the indistinct laughter of men, and shadows flickered within the forest.

Tang Jiaojiao furrowed her brows in discomfort: "Go and check it out!"

As soon as she spoke, a scream from a man came from within the forest, followed by several thudding sounds of a fight.

Before the servants could enter, a person emerged from the shadows of the trees.

A tall, slender figure, dressed in plain short attire, with a curved knife at his waist, giving the impression of a wandering adventurer.

He slightly raised his head, and with a smile that arched his long eyebrows and phoenix-like eyes, he cupped his hands towards Tang Jiaojiao: "So it’s Miss Tang! Yao happened to come across some lawless men, and since I don’t have anyone with me, could I borrow a few of Miss Tang’s people to escort these villains back to the city?"

Tang Jiaojiao lifted her chin: "Choose for yourself!"

Yao He, hearing her straightforwardness, couldn’t help but take another look at her.

Tang Jiaojiao snorted coldly.

She cared little for such trivial matters, but since her younger sister had become the Empress, these people daring to commit crimes in the Capital City was an affront to the Empress. An affront to the Empress was an affront to Tang Jiaojiao.

Even without Yao He today, if she had come across this incident, she would have intervened.

Yao He, not standing on ceremony, chose four attendants and a maid.

Returning to the forest, they soon emerged, bringing out five people, four men and a woman.

Tang Jiaojiao glanced at these five people unintentionally.

In an instant, her chest felt as if it had been struck, the pain nearly making her fall from her horse.

"Miss?" Yao He stepped forward two steps keenly.

Tang Jiaojiao gripped the reins tightly, steadied herself, and swallowed the metallic taste rising in her throat, asking, "Who are these people?"

She stared intently at these five individuals.

The four men were ragged and disheveled, with unsightly appearances.

"They should be nearby beggars, let Yao take them back for questioning."

As for the woman—

Tang Jiaojiao focused her gaze but still felt disoriented.

The woman was wrapped tightly in an ordinary cloak, its hem trailing on the ground, making her appear even more fragile and pitiful.

Her ink-black hair was scattered, concealing her face, revealing only ghostly patches of pallor.

There was no breakdown, no tearing; it was clear she wasn’t from an ordinary family.

Noticing Tang Jiaojiao’s gaze, she finally lifted her face.

Her face wasn’t particularly beautiful, marred by bruises and some scratches that left bleeding wounds, yet her eyes were remarkably captivating.

Her look was both proud and vulnerable.

Tang Jiaojiao suddenly felt another stab of pain in her chest, so intense it made her vision go dark.

She closed her eyes.

The moment she opened them again, she suddenly dismounted and approached Yao He.

Yao He retreated warily: "Miss?"

"Pa!" Tang Jiaojiao slapped a whip onto the nearest beggar and then pointed to the knife at Yao He’s waist, "Give me the knife!"

Yao He held onto the curved knife at his waist and took another step back: "What do you intend to do?"

Miss Tang was not one to explain herself. She furrowed her brow and commanded, "Take his knife!"

The attendants immediately surrounded him.

Yao He, seeing her murderous look, dared not give her the knife.

As he dodged, he tried to persuade, "These villains will be handled by the authorities. Miss, your wedding is near, and seeing blood is inauspicious!"

Tang Jiaojiao couldn’t hear a single word.

Her mind was filled with a singular thought: kill them! Kill those scoundrels!

But Yao He’s skills were extraordinary. Her attendants encircled him for ages, yet couldn’t even touch his coattails.

Tang Jiaojiao swung her whip again at a beggar, sneering coldly: "Do you believe I’ll make it impossible for you to stay in the Capital City?"

Yao He didn’t believe her and continued to evade, "If I gave you this knife, I truly couldn’t stay in the Capital City!" Just as he said this, he stopped, looking off into the distance.

"Haven’t you taken it down yet?" Tang Jiaojiao urged.

"Jiaojiao?"

Tang Jiaojiao’s mind seemed interrupted, causing a momentary pause and blankness.

"What’s going on?" His voice asked as he reached her side, hugging her shoulder possessively.

Tang Jiaojiao abruptly turned, pulling the short knife from his waist.

Li Xingyuan, shocked, hurriedly grasped her wrist: "What are you doing?"