After Marrying a Vegetative Princess, I Went Crazy With Joy! - Chapter 230:

Chapter 230

Late into the night, during the third watch, on Changan Street, squads of patrolling soldiers were marching along the main road and adjacent alleyways. Since the last attempt on Su Che’s life, General Weichi Gong had become stern and ordered a threefold increase in nightly patrols. Consequently, Changan City’s nights had grown unusually serene. The once occasional petty thieves who tried their acrobatics on house break-ins had vanished entirely. This was especially true on the street where the princess resided, with five soldier teams patrolling ceaselessly.

Princess Changle even instructed her household servants to set up a pavilion before the mansion’s gate at night, offering tea and snacks to the patrolling soldiers. At this moment, two groups of soldiers were approaching each other on the street. Upon reaching the princess’s residence’s side entrance, they entered the pavilion, planning to take a brief break.

“It’s been unusually calm lately. Just the other day, I was on duty near Kangping Lane. Even the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, which used to be bustling day and night, was deserted. Old Madame Gui, the owner of that establishment, was sitting at the door trying to attract customers. Still, she didn’t even approach us,” one of the soldiers chuckled as he shared recent anecdotes, revealing agreement and laughter from the others. After a while, they couldn’t help but sigh.

“If only all officers were as benevolent as Prince Yongle. Not long ago, there were so many casualties. Some distant relatives in my hometown were oppressed by influential families and had no one to turn to for help. Their entire family would have suffered greatly if it weren’t for the Prince.”

“But perhaps you’re not aware of this? Once, I was working around General Wei Chi’s side, and I overheard a few generals chatting. They all said Prince Yongle is like a celestial being, accumulating merits until he returns to the heavens.”

“It’s not just the Prince, but the Princess and the Young Prince. You haven’t seen the Young Prince. During that incident at the pastry shop, I was part of the second group to arrive at the scene. A three-year-old kid managed to take down six or seven strong men and didn’t cry or fuss afterward. He’s incredibly sensitive. Unlike my child at home, who’s seven or eight years old and only knows how to play with mud. Whenever something happens, he just cries.”

This remark immediately led to hearty laughter from those around. Naturally, the conversation turned to how brave and sensible young Su Che was.

Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderous noise reverberated. The ground beneath the men’s feet started shaking continuously. Over a dozen soldiers jumped up simultaneously, clutching their waist knives. The noise was so immense that it left their ears ringing, rendering everyone temporarily deaf. Despite their training, they were caught off guard and rushed onto the street to fulfill their duty.

Soon, they witnessed a scene that left them utterly astonished. The western wall of the princess’s residence had completely crumbled. It extended from there to the west, stretching half a mile. Every courtyard wall along this straight line had vanished into thin air. In an instant, everything turned pitch black before their eyes. The people residing on this street were all high-ranking officers, and even those with slightly less merit were not qualified to settle there.

The fortunate aspect was that only the walls had collapsed. At most, some of the gatehouses of the mansions might have been affected, and casualties should not be significant. Nevertheless, it was an enormous event!

In the distance, disheveled individuals rushed out from various mansions, panic-stricken and shouting in fear. The entire facade of Duke Fan’s mansion had crumbled into ruins. Duan Xuanzhi emerged from the mansion, his upper body bare, carrying a long sword and exuding an imposing aura. He roared angrily, and dozens of fully armed subordinates gathered around him. Even unaffected mansions had their gates wide open, and squads of generals’ guards poured out, forming a nearly thousand-strong army. They cordoned off the explosion area, brandishing their icy blades and remaining vigilant.

The soldiers patrolling the street were closely monitored and escorted to a nearby open space. Before long, Duan Xuanzhi, riding a horse, raced to the front of the soldiers.

“What has happened? Has someone launched a night attack on Changan?” Duan Xuanzhi’s upper body was still bare, revealing his chest covered in thick hair. His tone was even more sinister and fierce.

The soldiers all shook their heads, wearing bewildered expressions. They still had no idea what had occurred. They had only heard a loud roar, and when they looked up, the street had turned into a scene of devastation.

“Useless!” Duan Xuanzhi shouted angrily, then headed towards the western wall of the princess’s residence.

By now, numerous military leaders had gathered here. Li Jing crouched on the ground, examining the soil and sniffing it.

“This scent, why does it resemble the strange odor produced by alchemy methods of the Taoist sect?” Li Jing furrowed his brow. Beside him stood Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Li Ji, Li Xiaogong, and others.

“Starting from here and extending to my residence, there’s a black mark under the walls. “I don’t know what was burned along this path,” Duan Xuanzhi grumbled, sharing his findings.

The group of seasoned generals couldn’t help but furrow their brows. This sudden major incident near the Imperial Palace was alarming. In just a quarter of an hour, they had gathered here. They knew Changan City’s defenses well, and it was clear that causing such a commotion near the palace walls couldn’t be done clandestinely.

Moreover, while the street appeared devastated, significant casualties hadn’t occurred. If this was a deliberate act of malice, it raised questions about its purpose. Why collapse mansion walls instead of directly attacking people? But if humans didn’t cause it, the explanation was equally puzzling. Who could possess the power to collapse walls half a mile away instantly?

Everyone’s expressions grew solemn. This incident was either a natural disaster or a grave act of malice. These seasoned battlefield figures could see the gravity of the situation. Suddenly, Qin Qiong shouted angrily, looking towards a corner of the collapsed wall.

Amidst everyone’s astonished gazes, a small figure with a soot-covered face stood up. He offered an embarrassed smile, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, and waved a small hand towards the group of veteran generals.

“Hello, uncles… How are you all?”