Chapter 972: 453 The Origins of Long Yi (First Update) Chapter 972: 453 The Origins of Long Yi (First Update) “Have you ever removed his mask?” Princess Xinyang asked.

The Dragon Shadow Guard does not easily allow their masks to be removed. Gu Jiao didn’t know if Xiao Hen had ever removed it, but others who have tried to take off Long Yi’s mask are now under two-metre-tall weeds.

“I did once,” Gu Jiao said truthfully.

Princess Xinyang sighed softly, not bothering to ask why she had done it. It was already done, so asking was pointless.

“However, removing the mask of a Dragon Shadow Guard is very dangerous. You’d better not do it casually in the future,” Princess Xinyang kindly reminded her.

Gu Jiao nodded, “Okay.”

Princess Xinyang couldn’t help but take another look at Gu Jiao, who could sometimes be exasperating and sometimes touchingly docile.

She took a sip of tea and said, “Long Yi’s tattoo is not on his face, but on his back, a blue dragon.”

“Hm?” Gu Jiao’s eyes widened.

On his back, sure, but a dragon?

Was that why he was called Long Yi?

“Does Your Highness have other Dragon Shadow Guards? Are they the same?” Gu Jiao inquired.

“No, only Long Yi is like this; the others have tattoos of Xuanwu on their faces,” Princess Xinyang explained.

Just like the Emperor’s Dragon Shadow Guards.

But why is only Long Yi so special?

Gu Jiao continued, “Are the others as skilled in martial arts as Long Yi?”

Princess Xinyang shook her head again, “No, Long Yi’s martial prowess is the highest.”

This was strange, why was Long Yi’s skill the highest? Or perhaps the question should be, why had the previous Emperor given the most skilled Dragon Shadow Guard to Princess Xinyang?

Did the late Emperor intend for Princess Xinyang to rebel?

It seemed as though she had guessed Gu Jiao’s confusion. Princess Xinyang faintly curved her lips and said, “The late Emperor gave me the Dragon Shadow Guards to protect against Marquis Xuanping.”

Gu Jiao: …Searching for the Emperor’s mind is like searching for a needle in the ocean.

After a pause, Gu Jiao asked, “If Marquis Xuanping were to rebel, would you kill him?”

Princess Xinyang did not hide her thoughts, perhaps because she had hidden them for too many years and was tired of doing so, or perhaps because she thought Gu Jiao would not divulge this matter. She said, “I would have to do so.”

Could this be the cause of this couple’s unhappiness? Because there was not even basic trust between them?

Gu Jiao thought for a moment then asked, “Does Marquis Xuanping know?”

Princess Xinyang lowered her gaze to the tea leaves in her cup, “I don’t know if he knows.”

Gu Jiao felt that with Marquis Xuanping’s intelligence, he probably had guessed it, but she wondered how he had been dealing over the years with marrying a princess who might kill him at any moment.

Rumors had it that their marriage was unhappy, yet it seemed that Marquis Xuanping was very protective of Princess Xinyang.

When Princess Xinyang decided to raise Xiao Hen as her own flesh and blood, Marquis Xuanping acknowledged Xiao Hen as his only legitimate son.

Gu Jiao: Hm, I don’t understand the men of ancient times.

If it was to guard against Marquis Xuanping, then the late Emperor’s actions made sense. No, Gu Jiao still felt something was off.

She had witnessed the strength of the Dragon Shadow Guard first-hand; a few of the standard versions were enough. There was no need to send a highly upgraded version like Long Yi.

Gu Jiao asked, “Princess, how many Dragon Shadow Guards did the late Emperor give you?”

Princess Xinyang replied, “Five, why do you ask?”

“Uh… The late Emperor only gave four to His Majesty.” The more Gu Jiao thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss. Guarding against Marquis Xuanping was important, but the safety of the sovereign was equally critical. It would be understandable to give five to the Emperor, or an equal split, but favoring Princess Xinyang over the Emperor was odd.

“Princess, are the other Dragon Shadow Guards like Long Yi… you know?” Gu Jiao pointed to her head.

Princess Xinyang understood what Gu Jiao meant: Long Yi apparently had not been completely tamed.

She shook her head for the third time, “No, the others are not like that.”

Gu Jiao stared at her, and a bold guess flashed through her mind, “Princess, is Long Yi really a Dragon Shadow Guard given to you by the late Emperor? He didn’t just intrude, did he?”

Could he be a lost assassin who saw his kin and muddled along with them?

The others couldn’t defeat him or shake him off, so they had to resign themselves to his presence.

Princess Xinyang frowned and thought deeply for a while, then had an epiphany, “Now that you mention it, the late Emperor clearly said he was giving me four just before he died, but when they were handed over to me there was an extra one. I thought the late Emperor had changed his mind at the last minute and sent me an additional one.”

Gu Jiao: “…”

So Long Yi really did intrude!!!