Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 519 A Blade Grazed the Neck! Reinforcements Arrive at the Last Moment

Shen Yanzhou didn't look at her. His gaze first swept over the short knife in Cui Zhihao's hand, then fell on his bleeding wound. His brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly: "Throw away the knife."

Choi Ji-ho then realized that he was still holding the dagger, and quickly let go, the dagger falling to the ground with a crisp sound.

He supported Cui's father, his voice still trembling slightly: "Father, are you alright?"

Father Cui shook his head, but tears streamed down his face: "It's alright, it's alright... all thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Cui Mingyuan leaned against the door frame, watching more and more patrol soldiers pour in, knowing he couldn't escape.

He suddenly burst into maniacal laughter: "Shen Yanzhou! Don't be so smug! His Highness Prince Rongyang has a backup plan! You will all die sooner or later!"

Shen Yanzhou gave him a cold look and said to the soldiers beside him, "Tie him up and keep a close watch on him."

The soldiers immediately stepped forward and bound Cui Mingyuan tightly with iron chains.

Cui Mingyuan was still struggling, shouting "King Rongyang will surely win" repeatedly, when his mouth was gagged by soldiers and he was dragged away.

Seeing their leader captured, the remaining men in black lost all will to resist and surrendered, throwing down their weapons. They were quickly taken away by the patrol soldiers.

The courtyard finally quieted down, leaving only the Cui family father and son, Shi Wanxia, ​​and Shen Yanzhou.

Shen Yanzhou walked up to Cui Zhihao, squatted down, and looked at the wound on his leg, his brows furrowing even more: "What happened to the wound? Wasn't it treated yesterday?"

Cui Zhihao pursed his lips, about to speak, when he heard Shi Wanxia suddenly hiss, clutching her shoulder, her face turning pale.

Shen Yanzhou immediately turned his head to look at her and saw that the wound on her shoulder was still bleeding. His eyes instantly turned cold: "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

He took out a small medicine bottle from his pocket and tossed it to Shi Wanxia: "Apply this first, and we'll have the physician treat it properly when we get back."

Shi Wanxia took the medicine bottle and was about to say thank you when she saw Shen Yanzhou's gaze fall on the direction where Cui Mingyuan was dragged away, with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

"His Royal Highness,"

A sudden unease rose in Shi Wanxia's heart. "What does Cui Mingyuan mean by saying that the Prince of Rongyang has a backup plan?"

Shen Yanzhou remained silent for a moment without answering. Instead, he looked at Cui's father and asked in a serious tone, "Uncle Cui, do you know which strongholds the remnants of the Prince of Rongyang still hold?"

Mr. Cui shook his head, his expression turning grave: “I don’t know… When they arrested me, they only told me to lure my son over.”

Shen Yanzhou frowned even more, and just as he was about to say something more, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.

A soldier rushed in, looking flustered, and knelt on the ground: "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! The granary in the west of the city... has been burned down!"

The grain warehouse was burned down?

Shen Yanzhou, Cui Zhihao, and Shi Wanxia froze at the same time, their smiles vanishing instantly.

The granaries in the west of the city store half of the capital's grain. If they are burned down, the people of the capital will soon run out of food.

This will inevitably cause chaos—is this the "backup plan" Cui Mingyuan was talking about?

Shen Yanzhou stood up, his eyes as cold as ice, and said to the soldiers, "Take men and put out the fire immediately! Also, pass on my order to strengthen the guards at all the city gates of the capital, and no one is allowed to enter or leave at will!"

"Yes!"

The soldier immediately obeyed the order, turned around, and ran out.

Shen Yanzhou looked at Cui Zhihao and Shi Wanxia, ​​his tone grave: "The burning of the granary was no accident. Come back to the manor with me and tell me in detail what happened to you—this matter is probably more complicated than we imagined."

Choi Ji-ho, supporting his father, nodded.

He watched Shen Yanzhou's hurried departure, then glanced at the wound on Shi Wanxia's shoulder, and a sudden unease rose in his heart:

Was the Prince of Rongyang's backup plan merely burning down the granaries? What will they face next?

The carriage wheels creaked as they rolled over the cobblestones, the sound particularly clear in the quiet night.

Choi Ji-ho helped his father sit on the inside of the carriage, his heart still clenching as he looked at the faint bloodstain on his father's neck.

Shi Wanxia sat opposite, her head down, using the medicine powder Shen Yanzhou had given her to treat the wound on her shoulder. She was so careful not to pull on the wound, but she still couldn't help but gasp twice.

"Miss Wan,"

Mr. Cui suddenly spoke, his voice still a little hoarse.

"Thanks to you today. If you hadn't stopped him, that kid Zhihao..."

He got teary-eyed halfway through his sentence and couldn't continue.

Shi Wanxia looked up and forced a smile: "Uncle, please don't say that. Brother Cui and I are friends, and it's only right that we help each other."

Cui Zhihao squeezed Shi Wanxia's wrist, his eyes full of heartache: "Does your wound still hurt? I didn't even have time to ask you when we were in the yard."

"It's okay, just a minor injury."

Shi Wanxia patted his hand to reassure him, but when her fingertips touched the calluses on his palm and she remembered how he had raised a knife to commit suicide, her nose suddenly stung with tears—she had almost lost him.

The carriage soon arrived at the entrance of the Crown Prince's residence.

Shen Yanzhou was already waiting there. His black outfit was still covered in dust, indicating that he had just returned from the granary in the west of the city.

Seeing them get out of the car, he quickly walked forward, his gaze first falling on Cui's father, then sweeping over Shi Wanxia's shoulder, and finally stopping on Cui Zhihao's leg: "Uncle Cui, please go to the side courtyard to rest first. The physician is already waiting over there."

"Huai'an, Miss Shi, please come with me to the study."

Knowing they had important matters to discuss, Mr. Cui nodded and followed the servant to the side courtyard.

As he passed by Shi Wanxia, ​​he paused deliberately, patted her arm, and his eyes were full of gratitude.

This girl not only saved his life but also protected his son; she is a rare and wonderful woman.

They were too arbitrary in the past and misunderstood this girl, such a brave, resilient, intelligent and quick-witted girl.

It is An'er's good fortune that she can catch her eye.

In the study, the candlelight flickered, casting the map on the wall in alternating light and shadow.

Shen Yanzhou walked to the map, pointed to the western part of the city, and said in a solemn tone: "The fire at the granary has been brought under control, but the losses are heavy. At least 30% of the grain has been burned."

"Thirty percent?"

Shi Wanxia suddenly opened her eyes wide. "How long can the capital's food supply last?"

"At most half a month."

Shen Yanzhou's voice turned somber, "The most troublesome thing now is that the people are still unaware of the fire at the granary."

"Once the news spreads, some people will definitely take the opportunity to hoard food, causing prices to skyrocket, public sentiment to waver, and it may even trigger unrest."

Choi Ji-ho sat down, leaning on a chair for support. The pain from his wound made his face pale, but he still forced himself to speak: "Could it have been done by Choi Myung-won's accomplices?"

"They burned down the granary to create chaos and take the opportunity to exonerate Prince Rongyang?"

"possible."

Shen Yanzhou nodded, took out a secret letter from his pocket, and handed it to them.

"This was just found on Cui Mingyuan. It says 'On the night of the full moon, burn down the granary and disturb the people's hearts,' and is signed with the character 'Shadow.'"

Shi Wanxia took the secret letter, examined it carefully, and frowned: "'Shadow'? Could it be that the Prince of Rongyang has a subordinate codenamed 'Shadow'?"