Ying Wang placed the paper money into the clay pot and looked up at his maternal grandfather's memorial tablet.
His grandfather had been very kind to him. Although they didn't spend much time together, every time they met, his grandfather would look at him with gentle eyes and secretly give him some toys that children liked.
He remembered when he was a child, his grandfather would lift him onto his shoulders and take him to buy animal lanterns for the Lantern Festival.
Since childhood, his mother had demanded him to be perfect, comparing him to his siblings, while his teachers always taught him according to the standards of a Crown Prince.
But his grandfather would always smile and pat his head, saying he was the best child.
His throat choked and he couldn't hold back anymore. He knelt in front of the memorial tablet, covering his face and silently shedding tears.
"Your Highness, this is inappropriate," the Tian family servants were somewhat panicked. Although Ying Wang was the grandson of the Tian family, he was a prince, a ruler. It was unheard of for a ruler to kneel before his subjects.
They quickly helped Ying Wang up and urged him to sit and rest in the side room.
Ying Wang didn't want to trouble them and sat in the side room, lost in thought.
"Your Highness, something has happened," Ying Wang's personal attendant hurriedly entered the room. Seeing the sorrowful expression on Ying Wang's face, he hesitated for a moment before approaching and said, "Fushou Junzhu and Jiamin Junzhu have gone missing. They can't be found in the warm room."
"What did you say?" Ying Wang exclaimed in shock, "Who would dare to kidnap someone in the Tian family estate?"
"Fearing that the matter would escalate, the Tian family didn't dare to make it public. The other guests are still unaware," the attendant said, "However, we have already sent people to report the incident to the palace."
"Immediately dispatch people to thoroughly investigate and guard the city gates tightly," Ying Wang could no longer focus on his grief. Princess Shunan and her Fuma1Male Consort of a Princess. had been married for so many years; Jiamin Junzhu was their only daughter. If something happened to Jiamin Junzhu, Princess Shunan would surely hold a grudge against the Tian family.
He didn't know whether it was his misfortune or the Tian family's, but nothing that had happened recently had been in his favor.
Which one of his brothers was scheming against him?
When Hua Liuli opened her eyes, she saw the eaves covered in cobwebs. Realizing that something unexpected had happened, she closed her eyes again, pretending to still be unconscious.
Unfortunately, the person beside her didn't seem to have the same understanding. She sat up and started cursing her.
Hua Liuli: "..."
What did this have to do with her? She wasn't involved in this matter at all.
Sensing that Jiamin Junzhu was about to kick her while she had the chance, Hua Liuli quickly rolled over and tremblingly sat up from the ground, "Wh-where is this?"
"Awake?" A woman spoke, her expressionless gaze fixed on Hua Liuli and Jiamin Junzhu. She turned her head and shouted outside, "Boss, she's awake."
"Who are you people? What do you want?!" Jiamin Junzhu looked at the man walking in from outside; suppressing her fear and covering her chest, she asked "Who sent you?"
"Why are you covering yourself?" The man in black sat on the ground and said, "I'm a professional assassin. I only care about taking lives. Don't squawk like a mother hen. I have a strong sense of morality. When you were unconscious, I specifically had a female assassin watch over you. I didn't even enter the room, so don't act like I'm going to molest you."
The outside sky was somewhat dim, indicating it was either dusk or just dawn. Above the room was a statue that had lost its original color, resembling an abandoned local temple.
In the capital city, where every inch of land was precious, it was impossible to have such a dilapidated temple. This place should be a relatively remote area on the outskirts of the capital.
She didn't know how much effort these people had put in to bring them out of the Tian family, but one thing Hua Liuli could be certain of was that there were insiders within the Tian family working with these people.
Was it because the public security in the capital city was so poor, or was it just her bad luck that she had been encountering such unfortunate things?
"Which one of you is the Junzhu?"
"She is!" Hua Liuli and Jiamin Junzhu both pointed at each other.
Wu San looked at the two young ladies in the room, one with a fiery temper who yelled and shouted at him, while the other trembled and constantly coughed, clearly in poor health.
The Hua family was a family of military officers, so their daughter should also be quite assertive.
"Are you Hua Yingting's daughter?" Wu San looked at Jiamin Junzhu.
"I'm not, she is," Jiamin Junzhu didn't even hesitate and betrayed Hua Liuli.
"You..." Hua Liuli looked at Jiamin Junzhu in disbelief, tears welling up in her eyes. On the verge of crying, she said, "Since you said I am, then I am."
After saying that, she turned to the two assassins and said, "You're looking for me. This Junzhu is innocent. Let her go."
Wu San frowned. The more he looked, the less she resembled the person in the portrait.
Could it be that both of these young ladies were lying? He retrieved the portrait from his pocket and carefully examined it, but he couldn't discern who was truly Hua Yingting's daughter.
They both had two eyebrows and two eyes. How was he supposed to choose?
"Boss, take them both away," the female assassin sneered, "Ladies, beautiful ladies, beautiful young ladies from the noble families never speak the truth. It doesn't matter who the real one is as long as we bring them all to the Young Master. Our Young Master will be able to identify her."
"How did noble young ladies offend you?!" Jiamin Junzhu retorted unhappily.
"Sorry, I have a grudge against the wealthy," the female assassin took out a dagger and pointed it at Jiamin Junzhu, "Say another word, and I'll cut out your tongue."
Jiamin Junzhu looked at the sharp blade against her neck and swallowed, "Actually, sometimes I also have a grudge against the wealthy."
Hua Liuli turned her head to look at her. How come Jiamin Junzhu, who usually speaks straightforwardly, is not being straightforward today?
"What are you looking at?!" the female assassin glared at Hua Liuli, "You noble girls, you're even afraid of a knife?"
"I-I was looking at how beautiful you are," Hua Liuli said shyly, "Sister Assassin, where did you buy your rouge? Why does it look so lovely when you apply it?"
"Rouge? I don't have time to put on rouge like you," the female assassin put away her dagger, her face still cold and merciless.
"Even without the rouge, you're still so beautiful..." Hua Liuli muttered softly, seemingly afraid of displeasing the female assassin.
Jiamin Junzhu turned her head to look at Hua Liuli. This shameless flatterer, she can say anything to save her own life.
Their eyes locked in the air, and they both averted their gazes.
After a while, the female assassin brought in two bowls of noodles, "Eat!"
Jiamin Junzhu noticed that there was an extra egg and a few more pieces of meat in Hua Liuli's bowl.
Are female assassins nowadays so shallow? Just because this shameless flatterer praised her beauty, she receives preferential treatment?
"Thank you, sister," Hua Liuli received the bowl and smiled timidly at the assassin.
"Who's your sister? Shut up," the female assassin retorted and turned away. After a while, she tossed a handful of wild fruits in front of Hua Liuli, not giving any to Jiamin Junzhu.
Jiamin Junzhu: "..."
She finally figured it out. This female assassin is indeed that shallow. It seemed that Hua Liuli's flattery didn't just work on men; even women can't escape it.
However, given the situation, Hua Liuli remained much calmer than Jiamin Junzhu had anticipated. She didn't burst into tears or make a scene. Instead, she finished eating the bowl of mediocre-tasting noodles.
Although she had some knowledge of martial arts, she had no idea how skilled these two assassins were, nor did she know how many people were on guard outside. Moreover, she had Hua Liuli as a liability by her side, so she didn't dare to act rashly.
After they finished their meal, the female assassin tied up their hands and feet. With a cold expression, she warned, "Don't even think about escaping. Our people surround this place. If you lose an arm or a leg by accident, don't blame us."
Hua Liuli and Jiamin Junzhu sat obediently without struggling.
Seemingly satisfied with their reactions, the female assassin's expression softened slightly, "If you need to use the restroom, you can call for me."
After the female assassin left, the dilapidated temple fell silent.
"You deliberately misled them, making them think I'm the one they are after," Jiamin Junzhu cursed, "Your heart is truly wicked."
"What do you know?" Hua Liuli rolled her eyes, "I'm trying to save you, don't you understand? They only want to find Fushou Junzhu. It seems they want me alive. Assassins don't show mercy. It's inconvenient for them to take two people out of the capital. Can you guess how these people will treat the person they don't need?"
Jiamin Junzhu fell silent.
"Only dead people tell no tales," Hua Liuli retorted, "Do you want to die?"
Jiamin Junzhu stopped arguing altogether.
Both of them lay on the cold ground. After a while, Jiamin Junzhu spoke in a low voice, "When they take us to leave the capital, find a way to escape. I'll cover for you."
Hua Liuli opened her eyes in the darkness, "What about you?"
"I'm not as weak and useless as you. I have been practicing military strategy and martial arts since I was five..." Jiamin Junzhu paused, "I'm doing this for the sake of the Great General's wife; I'll save your worthless life for her sake."
"Oh, so you admire my mother," Hua Liuli suddenly realized, "No wonder you always think I'm holding back the Hua family. You're just jealous."
"I'm not!" Jiamin Junzhu scoffed, "I just feel sorry for the Great General's wife. She is a heroine among women, and having a daughter like you, who is deceitful and scheming, is the only regret in her life."
"No matter what you say, I am still the daughter of the Hua family. My father, my mother, and my older brothers, they all dote on me. They say I'm the best daughter in the world. Your jealousy is pointless."
"You..."
The door was pushed open by the female assassin, who had a cold expression, "If you keep talking, I'll cut off both your tongues."
Both of them fell silent.
The female assassin closed the door again, but they could hear no footsteps outside. They didn't know where these assassins were hiding.
Jiamin Junzhu's heart sank gradually. These assassins, who didn't make any sound, were trained killers from a young age, highly skilled in martial arts. She was no match for them.
Was she really going to die at the hands of assassins?
If she had to die, why did she have to die alongside this girl she despised so much?
In the dimly lit room, Jiamin Junzhu found it impossible to sleep. Meanwhile, Hua Liuli slept soundly on the ground. Seeing her carefree state, Jiamin Junzhu felt the urge to kick her, but her hands and feet were bound by ropes.
Before dawn, they were dragged into a dilapidated carriage. The carriage exuded a strong musty odor, a reminder of its previous occupants.
"Boss, all the gates and roads are heavily guarded. We might not be able to escape."
"Why don't we disfigure their faces? After all, the young master only wants them alive; he never said we couldn't harm them."
The carriage jolted violently, causing Jiamin Junzhu to nearly vomit. She feared she would be tortured to death on the way. Reluctantly, she sat next to Hua Liuli and said, "Hey, if you feel uncomfortable, you can lean on me temporarily. I don't want to be stuck with a corpse halfway."
Hua Liuli's face was pale, but her eyes sparkled astonishingly, "Do you know what my childhood dream was?"
"What nonsense are you talking about now?" Jiamin Junzhu thought Hua Liuli was seriously ill. Discussing dreams at a time like this... Why couldn't she just faint and dream?
"My dream was to become a famous beauty, even in sickness," Hua Liuli sighed, "But it seems that dream will have to be put on hold for now. It's truly suffocating."
The assassins were already preparing to disfigure their faces, yet she still aspired to be a famous beauty?
It would be better to commit suicide now and have a better chance at it in reincarnation.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Jiamin Junzhu: Oh my goodness, this person is an idiot.
Hua Liuli: Having dreams is great!
Ying Wang placed the paper money into the clay pot and looked up at his maternal grandfather's memorial tablet.
His grandfather had been very kind to him. Although they didn't spend much time together, every time they met, his grandfather would look at him with gentle eyes and secretly give him some toys that children liked.
He remembered when he was a child, his grandfather would lift him onto his shoulders and take him to buy animal lanterns for the Lantern Festival.
Since childhood, his mother had demanded him to be perfect, comparing him to his siblings, while his teachers always taught him according to the standards of a Crown Prince.
But his grandfather would always smile and pat his head, saying he was the best child.
His throat choked and he couldn't hold back anymore. He knelt in front of the memorial tablet, covering his face and silently shedding tears.
"Your Highness, this is inappropriate," the Tian family servants were somewhat panicked. Although Ying Wang was the grandson of the Tian family, he was a prince, a ruler. It was unheard of for a ruler to kneel before his subjects.
They quickly helped Ying Wang up and urged him to sit and rest in the side room.
Ying Wang didn't want to trouble them and sat in the side room, lost in thought.
"Your Highness, something has happened," Ying Wang's personal attendant hurriedly entered the room. Seeing the sorrowful expression on Ying Wang's face, he hesitated for a moment before approaching and said, "Fushou Junzhu and Jiamin Junzhu have gone missing. They can't be found in the warm room."
"What did you say?" Ying Wang exclaimed in shock, "Who would dare to kidnap someone in the Tian family estate?"
"Fearing that the matter would escalate, the Tian family didn't dare to make it public. The other guests are still unaware," the attendant said, "However, we have already sent people to report the incident to the palace."
"Immediately dispatch people to thoroughly investigate and guard the city gates tightly," Ying Wang could no longer focus on his grief. Princess Shunan and her Fuma1Male Consort of a Princess. had been married for so many years; Jiamin Junzhu was their only daughter. If something happened to Jiamin Junzhu, Princess Shunan would surely hold a grudge against the Tian family.
He didn't know whether it was his misfortune or the Tian family's, but nothing that had happened recently had been in his favor.
Which one of his brothers was scheming against him?
When Hua Liuli opened her eyes, she saw the eaves covered in cobwebs. Realizing that something unexpected had happened, she closed her eyes again, pretending to still be unconscious.
Unfortunately, the person beside her didn't seem to have the same understanding. She sat up and started cursing her.
Hua Liuli: "..."
What did this have to do with her? She wasn't involved in this matter at all.
Sensing that Jiamin Junzhu was about to kick her while she had the chance, Hua Liuli quickly rolled over and tremblingly sat up from the ground, "Wh-where is this?"
"Awake?" A woman spoke, her expressionless gaze fixed on Hua Liuli and Jiamin Junzhu. She turned her head and shouted outside, "Boss, she's awake."
"Who are you people? What do you want?!" Jiamin Junzhu looked at the man walking in from outside; suppressing her fear and covering her chest, she asked "Who sent you?"
"Why are you covering yourself?" The man in black sat on the ground and said, "I'm a professional assassin. I only care about taking lives. Don't squawk like a mother hen. I have a strong sense of morality. When you were unconscious, I specifically had a female assassin watch over you. I didn't even enter the room, so don't act like I'm going to molest you."
The outside sky was somewhat dim, indicating it was either dusk or just dawn. Above the room was a statue that had lost its original color, resembling an abandoned local temple.
In the capital city, where every inch of land was precious, it was impossible to have such a dilapidated temple. This place should be a relatively remote area on the outskirts of the capital.
She didn't know how much effort these people had put in to bring them out of the Tian family, but one thing Hua Liuli could be certain of was that there were insiders within the Tian family working with these people.
Was it because the public security in the capital city was so poor, or was it just her bad luck that she had been encountering such unfortunate things?
"Which one of you is the Junzhu?"
"She is!" Hua Liuli and Jiamin Junzhu both pointed at each other.
Wu San looked at the two young ladies in the room, one with a fiery temper who yelled and shouted at him, while the other trembled and constantly coughed, clearly in poor health.
The Hua family was a family of military officers, so their daughter should also be quite assertive.
"Are you Hua Yingting's daughter?" Wu San looked at Jiamin Junzhu.
"I'm not, she is," Jiamin Junzhu didn't even hesitate and betrayed Hua Liuli.
"You..." Hua Liuli looked at Jiamin Junzhu in disbelief, tears welling up in her eyes. On the verge of crying, she said, "Since you said I am, then I am."
After saying that, she turned to the two assassins and said, "You're looking for me. This Junzhu is innocent. Let her go."
Wu San frowned. The more he looked, the less she resembled the person in the portrait.
Could it be that both of these young ladies were lying? He retrieved the portrait from his pocket and carefully examined it, but he couldn't discern who was truly Hua Yingting's daughter.
They both had two eyebrows and two eyes. How was he supposed to choose?
"Boss, take them both away," the female assassin sneered, "Ladies, beautiful ladies, beautiful young ladies from the noble families never speak the truth. It doesn't matter who the real one is as long as we bring them all to the Young Master. Our Young Master will be able to identify her."
"How did noble young ladies offend you?!" Jiamin Junzhu retorted unhappily.
"Sorry, I have a grudge against the wealthy," the female assassin took out a dagger and pointed it at Jiamin Junzhu, "Say another word, and I'll cut out your tongue."
Jiamin Junzhu looked at the sharp blade against her neck and swallowed, "Actually, sometimes I also have a grudge against the wealthy."
Hua Liuli turned her head to look at her. How come Jiamin Junzhu, who usually speaks straightforwardly, is not being straightforward today?
"What are you looking at?!" the female assassin glared at Hua Liuli, "You noble girls, you're even afraid of a knife?"
"I-I was looking at how beautiful you are," Hua Liuli said shyly, "Sister Assassin, where did you buy your rouge? Why does it look so lovely when you apply it?"
"Rouge? I don't have time to put on rouge like you," the female assassin put away her dagger, her face still cold and merciless.
"Even without the rouge, you're still so beautiful..." Hua Liuli muttered softly, seemingly afraid of displeasing the female assassin.
Jiamin Junzhu turned her head to look at Hua Liuli. This shameless flatterer, she can say anything to save her own life.
Their eyes locked in the air, and they both averted their gazes.
After a while, the female assassin brought in two bowls of noodles, "Eat!"
Jiamin Junzhu noticed that there was an extra egg and a few more pieces of meat in Hua Liuli's bowl.
Are female assassins nowadays so shallow? Just because this shameless flatterer praised her beauty, she receives preferential treatment?
"Thank you, sister," Hua Liuli received the bowl and smiled timidly at the assassin.
"Who's your sister? Shut up," the female assassin retorted and turned away. After a while, she tossed a handful of wild fruits in front of Hua Liuli, not giving any to Jiamin Junzhu.
Jiamin Junzhu: "..."
She finally figured it out. This female assassin is indeed that shallow. It seemed that Hua Liuli's flattery didn't just work on men; even women can't escape it.
However, given the situation, Hua Liuli remained much calmer than Jiamin Junzhu had anticipated. She didn't burst into tears or make a scene. Instead, she finished eating the bowl of mediocre-tasting noodles.
Although she had some knowledge of martial arts, she had no idea how skilled these two assassins were, nor did she know how many people were on guard outside. Moreover, she had Hua Liuli as a liability by her side, so she didn't dare to act rashly.
After they finished their meal, the female assassin tied up their hands and feet. With a cold expression, she warned, "Don't even think about escaping. Our people surround this place. If you lose an arm or a leg by accident, don't blame us."
Hua Liuli and Jiamin Junzhu sat obediently without struggling.
Seemingly satisfied with their reactions, the female assassin's expression softened slightly, "If you need to use the restroom, you can call for me."
After the female assassin left, the dilapidated temple fell silent.
"You deliberately misled them, making them think I'm the one they are after," Jiamin Junzhu cursed, "Your heart is truly wicked."
"What do you know?" Hua Liuli rolled her eyes, "I'm trying to save you, don't you understand? They only want to find Fushou Junzhu. It seems they want me alive. Assassins don't show mercy. It's inconvenient for them to take two people out of the capital. Can you guess how these people will treat the person they don't need?"
Jiamin Junzhu fell silent.
"Only dead people tell no tales," Hua Liuli retorted, "Do you want to die?"
Jiamin Junzhu stopped arguing altogether.
Both of them lay on the cold ground. After a while, Jiamin Junzhu spoke in a low voice, "When they take us to leave the capital, find a way to escape. I'll cover for you."
Hua Liuli opened her eyes in the darkness, "What about you?"
"I'm not as weak and useless as you. I have been practicing military strategy and martial arts since I was five..." Jiamin Junzhu paused, "I'm doing this for the sake of the Great General's wife; I'll save your worthless life for her sake."
"Oh, so you admire my mother," Hua Liuli suddenly realized, "No wonder you always think I'm holding back the Hua family. You're just jealous."
"I'm not!" Jiamin Junzhu scoffed, "I just feel sorry for the Great General's wife. She is a heroine among women, and having a daughter like you, who is deceitful and scheming, is the only regret in her life."
"No matter what you say, I am still the daughter of the Hua family. My father, my mother, and my older brothers, they all dote on me. They say I'm the best daughter in the world. Your jealousy is pointless."
"You..."
The door was pushed open by the female assassin, who had a cold expression, "If you keep talking, I'll cut off both your tongues."
Both of them fell silent.
The female assassin closed the door again, but they could hear no footsteps outside. They didn't know where these assassins were hiding.
Jiamin Junzhu's heart sank gradually. These assassins, who didn't make any sound, were trained killers from a young age, highly skilled in martial arts. She was no match for them.
Was she really going to die at the hands of assassins?
If she had to die, why did she have to die alongside this girl she despised so much?
In the dimly lit room, Jiamin Junzhu found it impossible to sleep. Meanwhile, Hua Liuli slept soundly on the ground. Seeing her carefree state, Jiamin Junzhu felt the urge to kick her, but her hands and feet were bound by ropes.
Before dawn, they were dragged into a dilapidated carriage. The carriage exuded a strong musty odor, a reminder of its previous occupants.
"Boss, all the gates and roads are heavily guarded. We might not be able to escape."
"Why don't we disfigure their faces? After all, the young master only wants them alive; he never said we couldn't harm them."
The carriage jolted violently, causing Jiamin Junzhu to nearly vomit. She feared she would be tortured to death on the way. Reluctantly, she sat next to Hua Liuli and said, "Hey, if you feel uncomfortable, you can lean on me temporarily. I don't want to be stuck with a corpse halfway."
Hua Liuli's face was pale, but her eyes sparkled astonishingly, "Do you know what my childhood dream was?"
"What nonsense are you talking about now?" Jiamin Junzhu thought Hua Liuli was seriously ill. Discussing dreams at a time like this... Why couldn't she just faint and dream?
"My dream was to become a famous beauty, even in sickness," Hua Liuli sighed, "But it seems that dream will have to be put on hold for now. It's truly suffocating."
The assassins were already preparing to disfigure their faces, yet she still aspired to be a famous beauty?
It would be better to commit suicide now and have a better chance at it in reincarnation.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Jiamin Junzhu: Oh my goodness, this person is an idiot.
Hua Liuli: Having dreams is great!
