CHAPTER 135: CHAPTER 135: ENEMY SITUATION DISCOVERED!

At the mention of "Princess Xinyue," Shang Ruyi’s eyes dimmed immediately.

After a while, she looked up and smiled, saying, "I was wondering why we were moving so slowly on a regular route. Since it’s because of the Princess, there’s nothing we can do."

"..."

Lei Yu remained silent, just frowning as she looked at Shang Ruyi.

She originally came over to inquire about Yu Wenye, but for some reason, seeing the ever-jealous Shang Ruyi forcing a smile, she suddenly felt a mysterious pain in her heart.

This was so strange.

After a moment of silence, Lei Yu stood up and said, "I’m going back now, you—you should rest early too."

Shang Ruyi looked up at her, "You’re leaving just like that?"

"Is there anything else?"

"..."

At this moment, Shang Ruyi inexplicably wished someone was there to accompany her. If that someone was Lei Yu, that would be even better. It was not just because of their "shared grievances," but also because an inexplicable unease kept spreading in her heart, making her feel something was going to happen.

However, it wouldn’t be good to force someone to stay.

Shang Ruyi could only muster a faint smile, "It’s nothing, thank you—thank you for the grilled meat, Miss Lei."

Lei Yu waved her hand, indicating that Shang didn’t need to mind, and as she turned to leave, she couldn’t help muttering, "How can he be like this!"

The voice wasn’t too loud or too soft, but it reached the ears of several people around. Mu Xian looked embarrassed and turned to look at his Young Madam’s dim eyes, cautiously saying, "Young Madam, actually the Young Master—he’s with the troop, and can’t move alone."

Shang Ruyi smiled, "I know."

Saying this, she put the bowl and chopsticks aside and got up to walk towards the tent.

Mu Xian hurriedly said, "Young Madam, won’t you eat a little more?"

Shang Ruyi waved her hand, "No, I’m going to rest. Don’t disturb me tonight if there’s nothing urgent."

With that, she walked into the tent in a few steps and let down the curtain. The moment the curtain fell behind her, the smile on her face vanished instantly.

It felt as if a boulder was pressing on her chest. She took a deep breath, finally alleviating the suffocation for a moment, but when she reached out to touch her chest again, she could still feel the coolness inside.

After an unknown period of time, she finally looked up, giving a gentle bitter smile to the small tent and herself inside it.

"It’s okay..."

She whispered softly to herself.

Even though she said it was okay, deep down, something was indeed wrong.

That night, Shang Ruyi tossed and turned, unable to sleep. More strangely, there would usually be the sound of wind on the grassland even at the quietest times, but tonight there was no sound at all. The entire camp seemed enveloped by an invisible shield, with not even a breeze blowing in.

But this tranquility heightened the unease in Shang Ruyi’s heart by several degrees.

Feeling it was around 3 AM, she still felt no drowsiness, staring blankly at the pitch-black tent ceiling. Suddenly, she heard Tushere outside complaining about something, stirring up a commotion around her. After a moment’s thought, she decided to get up, dressed, lifted the tent flap, and went out.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw a black creature dart past her feet with a swoosh.

"Ah!"

Shang Ruyi was startled. Tushere quickly ran over, "Miss, did you get scared too? This thing is really annoying!"

Looking closer, Shang Ruyi saw it seemed to be a grass mouse from the grassland.

She instantly frowned, "How could there be these things?"

Tushere complained, "Exactly, there were suddenly lots of mice tonight, one even ran over my feet just now, it’s disgusting."

"..."

Shang Ruyi’s eyebrows knitted together immediately.

Although there were many grass mice on the grassland, it was already winter, especially on the grassland where winter arrives earlier and is colder than in the Central Plains. The grass mice should have already hoarded food and dug holes for winter; when their large troop arrived a couple of days ago, the nearby overwintering grass mice got scared off and left, logically speaking, there shouldn’t be any more mice.

Moreover—

She instinctively looked towards the camp. People outside the nearby tents seemed to be alarmed by the running grass mice, shouting one after another, and those grass mice, without exception, were running from north to south.

Suddenly, Shang Ruyi’s mind went blank, and she urgently shouted, "Mu Xian!"

Mu Xian, who had been instructing the guards for overnight patrols to remain vigilant, heard her voice and immediately ran over, "Young Madam, is there something?"

Shang Ruyi nervously said, "You, quickly wake up our people, don’t sleep anymore, get the horses ready immediately!"

"What?!"

Mu Xian was startled, "For what?"

She said hoarsely, "A large troop is approaching us."

Mu Xian exclaimed, "A large troop? Young Madam, do you mean—"

Just then, a troop suddenly approached from the north, galloping directly into the camp towards the King’s Tent; instantaneously, countless torches lit up around the King’s Tent, illuminating the entire camp!

They were the night-patrolling Imperial Guards!

In such an open-air camp, riding a horse at full speed without emergency military orders is forbidden as it would alarm the Emperor and cause panic. When patrols are galloping, there’s only one reason—

They’ve detected the enemy!

If earlier, Shang Ruyi merely suspected, seeing the patrol galloping through the camp and the King’s Tent brightly illuminated, she could now be sure!

The Turkic people are coming!

Shang Ruyi urgently said, "Quickly, prepare the horses, I will inform Miss Lei!"

After saying that, she hurriedly ran towards the Lei Family’s tent.

By this time, the entire camp had awakened, and many people began to panic. As Shang Ruyi made her way, she heard people exclaim in shock and others complaining cluelessly. Just then, someone suddenly ran towards her through the chaotic crowd and grabbed her shoulder.

It was Lei Yu!

"Hurry and—"

"Run!"

The two spoke simultaneously and then stopped at the same time. Lei Yu stared into Shang Ruyi’s reddened eyes and immediately understood, "You know too?"

Shang Ruyi said, "The Turkic people are coming!"

At that moment, a flash of trepidation crossed Lei Yu’s eyes, but there was no time for sentiment. She hurriedly said, "Alright, let’s together—"

Before she could finish, a sharp sound sliced through the night, and a cold light, with flames like lightning, shot into the camp, striking the tent behind Lei Yu.

With a loud boom, flames erupted.

It was a fire arrow!

The flames illuminated the terror in Shang Ruyi’s eyes, and everyone’s gaze simultaneously turned towards the direction from which the cold light came.

It was the north of the camp. In the pitch-black night, a mass of deep black gloom seemed to be moving towards them, and immediately after, countless flaming arrows, like meteors, rained down upon them!