Oops! My Inner Thoughts Are Ruining The Plot

Chapter 12: Chapter

The night wind swept sharply across the capital as several horses raced through the empty streets at terrifying speed. The thunder of hooves echoed against the stone roads while guards from the Xi family followed closely behind. Not a single person along the streets dared to stop them.

At the front, Xi Jianyu rode forward with a cold expression while Xi Wenzhe followed beside him, his dark robes whipping violently in the wind. Neither father nor son spoke during the entire journey. The atmosphere around them was already heavy enough to suffocate anyone nearby.

Inside Xi Wenzhe’s mind, Su Yueqing’s earlier words repeated endlessly.

The Crown Princess should die tonight.

At first, it had sounded impossible.

Ridiculous.

But after everything else she revealed had proven true, neither of them dared ignore her warning anymore.

Soon, the palace gates appeared ahead.

The guards stationed there immediately stiffened after recognizing them.

"Grand Duke Xi?"

Xi Jianyu did not slow down.

"Open the gates."

His cold voice alone was enough to make the guards panic. The palace gates were quickly opened and the horses rushed inside immediately.

—

At the same moment, the atmosphere inside the Crown Princess’s palace remained peaceful and elegant.

Soft music drifted through the brightly lit hall while several noble ladies sat around a large table, chatting and laughing quietly with the Crown Princess. Servants moved silently around the room as maids carefully poured tea for everyone present.

The Crown Princess sat near the center in pale golden robes embroidered with phoenix patterns. Expensive jade ornaments rested beautifully in her dark hair while a gentle smile lingered on her face as she listened to the conversation around her.

Nothing appeared unusual.

Nothing seemed dangerous.

A maid slowly stepped forward carrying a fresh cup of tea respectfully in both hands.

"Your Highness, your tea."

The Crown Princess smiled lightly and reached for the cup.

At that exact moment—

Bang!

The palace doors burst open violently.

Startled screams instantly filled the hall.

The Crown Princess looked up sharply as Xi Jianyu strode inside with terrifying pressure surrounding him while Xi Wenzhe followed close behind, his sharp eyes sweeping across the room in an instant.

The palace guards froze in shock.

"Grand Duke Xi?!"

The Crown Princess herself looked stunned.

"Grand Duke Xi, what—"

"Do not drink that tea!"

Xi Jianyu’s cold voice exploded across the hall.

The entire room froze.

The Crown Princess instinctively stopped moving.

At the same second, the maid holding the tray suddenly changed expression. The fear and nervousness on her face disappeared completely, replaced by cold killing intent.

Without hesitation, she threw the tray aside.

Crash!

The teacup shattered across the floor.

Before anyone could react, a sharp dagger slipped from her sleeve as she lunged directly toward the Crown Princess.

"Protect Her Highness!"

Screams erupted everywhere as the noble ladies scattered in panic while palace maids fell to the ground trembling.

The assassin moved fast.

Xi Wenzhe was faster.

The moment the dagger appeared, his hand had already moved.

A cold flash crossed the hall.

Thud!

An arrow pierced straight through the assassin’s throat before she could even reach the Crown Princess.

Blood splattered instantly.

Her eyes widened in disbelief before her body collapsed heavily onto the floor.

Dead silence filled the hall for one brief moment before chaos exploded completely.

"Assassin!"

"Protect the Crown Princess!"

"Guards!"

The Crown Princess staggered backward in shock while several palace maids hurried to shield her.

Before anyone could recover, more figures suddenly dropped from the shadows above the hall.

Several assassins dressed in rough dark clothing jumped down from the roof beams one after another.

Their clothes looked painfully familiar.

Xi Wenzhe’s eyes darkened instantly.

Bandits.

They were dressed exactly like the mountain bandits from earlier.

At that moment, both father and son finally understood.

The bandit attack earlier had only been a diversion.

The real target had always been the palace.

One assassin charged toward the Crown Princess again while another attacked the palace guards directly. The elegant hall descended into complete violence. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Xi Jianyu unsheathed his sword instantly.

Slash!

One assassin fell to the floor before even taking another step.

Meanwhile, Xi Wenzhe calmly drew another arrow and released it without hesitation. The arrow pierced directly through another assassin’s chest.

Screams echoed throughout the hall as blood spread across the floor. Tables overturned violently while frightened noble ladies cried and hid behind pillars.

Several assassins attempted to escape after realizing the ambush had failed, but Xi Wenzhe’s expression only grew colder.

"None of them leave alive."

His voice carried terrifying killing intent.

The Xi guards immediately moved.

The battle inside the palace turned chaotic within moments.

Yet beneath the blood and screams, one terrifying truth had already become clear.

Su Yueqing truly knew the future.

...

The smell of blood spread heavily throughout the ruined hall.

Broken cups and overturned tables littered the floor while frightened servants trembled in the corners. Several lanterns had fallen during the fight, causing flickering shadows to dance violently across the walls.

The elegant atmosphere from earlier had disappeared completely.

Now the hall resembled a battlefield.

The last assassin tried desperately to rush toward the Crown Princess, but before he could take more than two steps, Xi Wenzhe’s sword flashed coldly through the air.

Blood splattered.

The assassin’s body crashed heavily onto the floor.

Silence followed.

Only uneven breathing remained inside the ruined hall.

Several guards carefully searched the surroundings while palace maids shakily helped the terrified noble ladies stand again.

The Crown Princess herself still looked pale. One hand pressed tightly against her chest while her breathing remained unstable from the shock.

If Xi Jianyu and Xi Wenzhe had arrived even slightly later, she would already be dead.

Xi Jianyu slowly lowered his sword, his expression still cold and dangerous.

"Search the palace," he ordered immediately. "Check every hidden corner. Make sure no one else is hiding nearby."

"Yes, Duke!"

The guards moved at once.

Meanwhile, Xi Wenzhe calmly wiped the blood from his blade before his cold eyes swept toward the remaining assassins still alive on the floor.

Two of them had been severely injured during the fight and were currently pinned down by Xi guards. One struggled weakly beneath the pressure.

Xi Wenzhe stepped directly in front of him.

The terrifying aura around him made the assassin freeze instantly.

"Keep these two alive," Xi Wenzhe said coldly. "I will interrogate them personally."

The guards bowed immediately.

"Yes, Young Master."

The injured assassins were dragged away across the bloodstained floor while their painful screams slowly disappeared outside the hall.

At that moment, a tall man dressed in black approached Xi Wenzhe from behind.

It was Dong Li.

Xi Wenzhe’s most trusted subordinate.

Dong Li lowered his voice and whispered several words into his ear.

The moment he finished speaking, Xi Wenzhe’s expression darkened even further.

His eyes became frighteningly cold.

Xi Jianyu immediately noticed.

"What happened?"

Dong Li hesitated briefly before answering respectfully.

"The remaining bandits in the mountains killed themselves before interrogation."

Xi Jianyu’s face instantly turned colder.

Dead men could not speak.

Which meant the people behind tonight’s assassination had prepared everything carefully from the beginning.

Meanwhile, the Crown Princess had finally regained some composure. Supported by her maids, she slowly walked toward Xi Jianyu and Xi Wenzhe.

Her face still looked pale beneath the lantern light, but gratitude filled her eyes.

"Grand Duke Xi... Young Master Xi..."

Her voice was softer than before.

"Tonight, you both saved my life."

The surrounding servants lowered their heads even deeper.

Everyone present understood the seriousness of what had almost happened tonight.

If the Crown Princess had died inside her own palace, the entire imperial court would have descended into chaos.

Xi Jianyu calmly cupped his fist.

"Protecting Your Highness is this minister’s duty."

The Crown Princess shook her head lightly.

"No. If you had arrived even slightly later..."

Before she could finish speaking, another commotion suddenly sounded outside the palace.

Fast footsteps echoed through the corridors before several guards hurried inside and bowed quickly.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

The atmosphere inside the hall shifted instantly.

A moment later, the palace doors burst open once again.

A tall figure strode inside so quickly that even the servants barely had time to announce him properly.

The Crown Prince had arrived.

His robes were slightly disordered from rushing over in haste, and unlike his usual calm appearance, obvious panic covered his face.

More shocking still, he had not arrived in a royal palanquin.

He had ridden directly on horseback through the palace grounds the moment he heard news of the attack.

As soon as he entered, everyone inside immediately bowed.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

But the Crown Prince ignored them completely.

His eyes searched the hall frantically until they landed on the Crown Princess standing safely near the center.

At that moment, all composure shattered completely.

He rushed toward her immediately.

"Wan’er!"

The Crown Princess’s eyes instantly turned red.

Before anyone could react, the Crown Prince had already pulled her tightly into his arms.

His breathing sounded uneven, almost unstable.

"You scared me to death."

His voice was low and hoarse, filled with genuine fear he did not bother hiding.

The Crown Princess slowly gripped his sleeves tightly.

"I am fine now..."

But the Crown Prince still refused to loosen his hold on her.

Only after several long moments did he finally lift his head.

Then his cold gaze slowly swept across the blood-covered hall.

The dead assassins.

The shattered tea cup beside his wife’s seat.

The dagger lying beside the dead maid.

The terrifying killing intent inside his eyes exploded instantly.