News spread fast that Grand Tutor Du had passed away, flying away on a crane towards the west. Yao Jiamin, who had just laid down on the bed to sleep, changed into plain clothes in a hurry and rushed to the Du Family Estate. When she saw Hua Liuli accompanying Du Xiuying, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Jiamin..." Ying Wang was about to call out to her when he saw Yao Jiamin pass by him like a gust of wind, not even sparing him a glance.
Ying Wang quickly looked around to make sure no one noticed his embarrassing moment before pretending as though nothing had happened.
The dream of the divine maiden is shattered. The spilled water has been collected. When we meet again, we are already strangers!1This phrase metaphorically expresses a sense of irreversible change and distance between two individuals or parties. It suggests that a once close relationship or connection has been severed or lost, and the possibility of reuniting or reconciling is now unlikely.
What a tangled and heart-wrenching love story.
Ning Wang turned his head, pretending not to have seen Ying Wang being ignored by Jiamin Junzhu just now, and shrunk back into the corner.
Seeing Ning Wang's silly actions, the Crown Prince couldn't help but say, "Second Brother, if you retreat any further, you'll bump into the wall or step into the drain."
"Ah?" Ning Wang turned his head to take a glance and smiled, thanking the Crown Prince, "Thank you, Third Brother, for the reminder."
When a man has a betrothed, it's different. Even the Crown Prince knew how to be considerate. If it were in the past, let alone stepping into a drain, even if he fell into a hole, the Crown Prince would only have him pulled out without showing any expression, never bothering to remind him.
He wondered what his future Wangfei would be like. Would she be delicate and beautiful like Fushou Junzhu or radiant and stunning like Jiamin Junzhu?
As he pondered, he suddenly felt a twinge of bitterness. The Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince both had passionate and heart-wrenching love stories, while his emotional world was a blank sheet of paper. He didn't know which one of them was more pitiful.
Du Xiuying looked at Yao Jiamin, who was running towards her as she was wiping away the tears from her face with a handkerchief. She choked and asked, "Why did you come?"
"I was worried that you would cry alone in hiding. I came to let you scold me so that you'll feel better," Yao Jiamin took out a handkerchief and helped Du Xiuying wipe her face, "Why are you crying so much, disregarding your health? If Grand Tutor Du sees this from the heavens, how can he rest in peace?"
Hua Liuli stood up and took a cup of water from a maidservant, helping Du Xiuying drink a few sips and tidying up her disheveled hair. She adjusted the mourning cloth on Du Xiuying's head, "It will be dawn in three hours. Take a good rest. There may be more tasks for you to attend to tomorrow."
Du Xiuying nodded numbly and hoarsely said, "I know. Thank you, all of you."
"We are sisters. There's no need for thanks," Yao Jiamin said, "Grand Tutor Du didn't like extravagance, and your estate doesn't have many servants. I was afraid that you would be short-handed, so I brought some servants to help. Feel free to order them around without hesitation."
After the passing of Grand Tutor Du, the Du family was immersed in immense sorrow. If it weren't for the three imperial princes present among them, the estate would have been in chaos.
Fortunately, the Du family members quickly regained their spirits. They removed all the colorful decorations in the estate and hung up white paper lanterns outside the main gate.
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. Thank you to Ying Wang and Ning Wang," Du Daren, with red and swollen eyes, walked over to greet the imperial princes and expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for helping our humble estate handle the affairs of our late father. It's late at night, so please rest. If our father were still alive, he wouldn't want to trouble the three of you on his behalf."
The Crown Prince saw that all the affairs had been taken care of inside and outside the Du Family Estate, and he knew that if they stayed there any longer, it would only make the Du Family Estate restless. He nodded and said, "In that case, Gu will take leave. Gu will come tomorrow to offer incense to Grand Tutor Du."
"I am humbled," Du Daren quickly bowed and expressed his thanks.
Ning Wang, seeing the Crown Prince about to leave, also quickly stated that he would accompany the Crown Prince. Ying Wang, who knew that Grand Tutor Du had always supported the Crown Prince until his death, naturally took the opportunity to request permission to leave as well.
The Crown Prince looked at Hua Liuli, who was still comforting Du Xiuying, and said to Ning Wang, "Second Brother, please wait a moment."
Ning Wang nodded, "Please go ahead, Third Brother."
The Crown Prince walked over to Hua Liuli, "Liuli, I will return to the palace to report to Father Emperor. If you are worried about Young Lady Du, you can stay here and accompany her. I will leave the Golden Armor Guards here to protect you."
If it were any other time, Hua Liuli would have agreed immediately. However, when she thought of the two Golden Armor Guards lurking behind the back hall of the Wuyang Palace and the Eight Treasures Soft Armor worn by the Crown Prince, she couldn't help but worry, "Wait for me. I'll go talk to Sister Du for a few words and then leave with you."
"Alright," The Crown Prince glanced at Du Xiuying, who had already recovered considerably, and said to Hua Liuli, "I'll be waiting for you outside."
Hua Liuli nodded at the Crown Prince and walked back to Du Xiuying's side, "Sister Du, I have something to attend to. I'll come back tomorrow morning."
Du Xiuying hadn't forgotten about the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince and Hua Liuli. She grabbed Hua Liuli's hand and reminded her, "The envoys from the other countries haven't left yet. They may seem friendly on the surface, but they are plotting behind the scenes. The Crown Prince has a special status, so you must be extra careful when accompanying him."
"I understand. Sister Du, don't worry about me," Hua Liuli gently patted Du Xiuying's hand and said, "Take care of yourself as well, Sister Du."
Du Xiuying nodded and got up to see Hua Liuli off through the courtyard gate. When she saw Hua Liuli descending the steps and the Crown Prince naturally reaching out to hold her hand, the words "be careful on the steps" that were about to come out of her mouth had been swallowed back.
Of the three imperial princes, only Ying Wang had come on horseback. Ning Wang glanced at his comfortable carriage and kindly asked Ying Wang, "Eldest Brother, would you like to ride with Benwang?"
"No need," Ying Wang mounted his horse, glanced at Ning Wang's slightly bulging belly, and snorted before riding off.
"No need, then no need. Why show me that face?" Ning Wang wasn't angry either. He climbed onto the carriage slowly and said to his guards, "Let the Crown Prince's carriage go ahead."
He lifted the curtain and glanced outside through a crack, only to find that it was late at night and there was not a single person on the street, which made it quite eerie. He took a deep breath and quickly lowered the curtain.
After the carriage had traveled for a while, Ning Wang suddenly heard the sound of clashing weapons coming from the street.
"The Ministry of Justice is handling a case. All unrelated people should quickly leave!"
Ning Wang lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw several tiles falling from the sky had been shattered in front of his carriage.
The guards guarding the Crown Prince's carriage and Ning Wang's carriage drew their swords one after another.
Ning Wang gathered his courage and glanced upwards, only to see several masked figures swiftly moving on the rooftops, while a few officials from the Ministry of Justice were chasing after them on the rooftops.
This was the capital, under the Emperor's feet, yet there were thugs causing trouble in the capital?
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he vaguely saw two objects flying out of the Crown Prince's carriage in succession, causing two of the three masked men who were being chased after to fall down like dumplings.
One of them landed on the roof of Ning Wang's carriage and then fell off the roof.
Seeing this, Ning Wang silently closed the carriage curtain. It's good to enjoy the spectacle, but one's life is more precious.
The carriages used by the imperial princes were made of special materials. Arrows couldn't penetrate them, fire couldn't damage them. If a person gets hit on the carriage... it would be particularly painful.
The officials from the Ministry of Justice quickly tied up the fallen assassins, while the remaining ones continued to chase after the one who had escaped.
"Wow, Your Royal Highness, your aim is so accurate. You casually threw something and managed to hit two assassins," Hua Liuli poked her head out of the carriage and looked at the tightly bound assassins with admiration, "Truly worthy of being a prince skilled in both civil and martial arts."
Ning Wang, who was huddled inside the carriage, heard Fushou Junzhu's words and lifted the carriage curtain again. Seeing that the assassins had been captured, he relaxed and stuck his head out.
Were the things that flew out of the Crown Prince's carriage just now thrown by Third Brother?
Why couldn't he remember that the Crown Prince had such good skills? During martial arts classes in the past, the Crown Prince complained about sweating in the hot summer and the wind being too strong in the cold winter. Even his swordsmanship was learned from General Hua when he was a child. Could he casually throw something and hit an assassin?
Could it be that the Crown Prince pretended to dislike such activities but secretly practiced martial arts in his courtyard?
Hmm, he hadn't expected the Crown Prince to have such deep thoughts.
The officials from the Ministry of Justice were still curious about who had assisted them in capturing the assassins who infiltrated their dungeon prison. They didn't expect it to be the Crown Prince. They quickly stepped forward and saluted, saying, "We greet Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"No need for the formalities," The Crown Prince, dressed in white, calmly stepped down from the carriage. He looked at the bruised and battered assassins and asked, "Who are these people?"
"Your Royal Highness, these assassins sneaked into the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice with the intention of assassinating the prisoner Xie Yao. When we discovered them, they panicked and tried to escape. Fortunately, with Your Royal Highness's help, we were able to capture them so quickly," the Ministry of Justice official replied, "There is still one assassin who managed to escape. Pei Daren is already leading the pursuit."
"Pei Jihuai is capable, so Gu can rest assured," The Crown Prince nodded, "Which direction did the assassin escape?"
"Your Royal Highness, it seemed... in the direction of the guest residences where the envoys are staying."
"Oh?" The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow and turned to Hua Liuli, who had walked out of the carriage with him, "Liuli, the people from the Ministry of Justice said that there is another assassin who escaped in the direction of the guest residences. Shall we go take a look?"
"Yes, let's go and see."
The Crown Prince and Hua Liuli turned their heads to look at Ning Wang, who had just spoken.
Ning Wang chuckled as he got out of the carriage, "What Benwang meant to say is that these audacious assassins dared to break into the Ministry of Justice at night. We must ensure that they are all brought to justice, otherwise, what face does the Ministry of Justice have."
The officials from the Ministry of Justice: "..."
If they couldn't capture the person, wouldn't they lose face?
As the assassin fled, Pei Jihuai pursued closely, passing through several guest residences. Suddenly, the assassin swung a grappling hook from his sleeve and used it to flip into a courtyard.
Pei Jihuai's expression remained unchanged as he said, "Surround this courtyard."
After returning from the Hundred Nations Banquet, the envoys from the Kingdom of Jinpo couldn't sleep. They failed to rescue the Second Prince, and now they even had to hand over the Eldest Prince to Great Jin. How could they face their Emperor when they returned?
They huddled together and discussed for a long time, but couldn't come up with a better plan. They had no choice but to return to their rooms and prepare to sleep.
Little did they know that shortly after they went to sleep, and before they could even dream, the servants urgently knocked on their doors, informing them that their guest residence was surrounded.
They were startled and quickly got out of bed. They quickly opened the door and stepped into the courtyard. They saw a young official standing expressionlessly in the courtyard, his sword already unsheathed, gleaming coldly in the dark night.
The envoys from Jinpo took two steps back in fright. Even in times of war, enemy nation's envoys were not to be harmed, let alone when they were not at war. Did Great Jin have to handle things in such a decisive manner?
Silence filled the courtyard; no one dared to speak.
Pei Jihuai's gaze swept across the envoys, sheathing his sword and bowing, "Apologies for the disturbance, esteemed envoys. It was not my intention, but just now, an assassin infiltrated this guest residence. It is my duty to conduct a search here. I kindly request your cooperation."
An assassin?
The envoys from Jinpo felt a sudden unease, exchanging glances. Did they... have something to do with this? Why would an assassin run into their guest residence? There were many other residences, theirs was neither the closest nor the farthest. Why did the assassin come here?
One of the leading envoys from Jinpo cautiously asked, "May I ask, Daren, what crime has this assassin committed?"
"A nighttime infiltration into the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice," Pei Jihuai raised his hand, and the officials from the Ministry of Justice began their search.
"What?!" The envoys from Jinpo seemed to hear the sound of their hearts shattering in fear.
A nighttime infiltration into the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice, and the assassin ended up here. This... Wasn't this a trap set up against them? If news of this spread, even a three-year-old child would think that they had sent the assassin.
But... they truly had nothing to do with this!
The envoys from the Kingdom of Jinpo felt wronged, but they dared not speak up, knowing that it would be futile.
"The Crown Prince has arrived!"
"Ning Wang has arrived!"
Jinpo's envoys became even more afraid. It was just catching an assassin, why did it alarm the Crown Prince and Ning Wang of the Great Jin Kingdom?
Pei Jihuai was also somewhat surprised. It was already late at night. It would be understandable if Ning Wang liked to join in the excitement, but why did the Crown Prince also come? And upon closer inspection, he found that Fushou Junzhu was accompanying them.
It would have been enough for the Crown Prince to come alone, why did he bring his betrothed as well? How did the solemn scene of a crime investigation suddenly turn into a lively spectacle?
"Daren, this matter has nothing to do with us, please investigate thoroughly," one of the Jinpo's envoys shouted in despair, defending their innocence.
Which despicable individual framed them like this?
Was it because they had bullied the countries of Qingshi, Manao, Hongfei, and Luyou... or was it Daimao?
Oh no, they had bullied too many nations in the past, and for a moment, they didn't know which country's envoys were the most suspicious.
Seeing the Great Jin's Crown Prince walking in with his entourage, Jinpo's envoys deeply regretted their previous actions for the first time. If only they had bullied a few less countries back then.
At least they would know who to suspect, right?
"Oh, aren't these the esteemed gentlemen from the Jinpo Kingdom," Ning Wang said with a smiling face, "What a coincidence, you're all still awake at this late hour?"
Jinpo's envoys had a look of despair on their faces. No, it was not a coincidence at all.
Whoever wants this kind of coincidence can take it away.
"Greetings to the esteemed Crown Prince and Ning Wang," one of the Jinpo's envoys glanced at Hua Liuli by the Crown Prince's side, "Greetings to the beautiful Junzhu."
"Whether you greet or not is not important," the Crown Prince said indifferently, "What's important is that the assassin must be captured."
The Jinpo envoys: "..."
Whether they could capture the assassin or not had nothing to do with them!
Krish728
Author's Note:
Jinpo: Let me see who framed me, Fatty Tiger? Damn it! Too many suspicious individuals, what should I do?!
News spread fast that Grand Tutor Du had passed away, flying away on a crane towards the west. Yao Jiamin, who had just laid down on the bed to sleep, changed into plain clothes in a hurry and rushed to the Du Family Estate. When she saw Hua Liuli accompanying Du Xiuying, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Jiamin..." Ying Wang was about to call out to her when he saw Yao Jiamin pass by him like a gust of wind, not even sparing him a glance.
Ying Wang quickly looked around to make sure no one noticed his embarrassing moment before pretending as though nothing had happened.
The dream of the divine maiden is shattered. The spilled water has been collected. When we meet again, we are already strangers!1This phrase metaphorically expresses a sense of irreversible change and distance between two individuals or parties. It suggests that a once close relationship or connection has been severed or lost, and the possibility of reuniting or reconciling is now unlikely.
What a tangled and heart-wrenching love story.
Ning Wang turned his head, pretending not to have seen Ying Wang being ignored by Jiamin Junzhu just now, and shrunk back into the corner.
Seeing Ning Wang's silly actions, the Crown Prince couldn't help but say, "Second Brother, if you retreat any further, you'll bump into the wall or step into the drain."
"Ah?" Ning Wang turned his head to take a glance and smiled, thanking the Crown Prince, "Thank you, Third Brother, for the reminder."
When a man has a betrothed, it's different. Even the Crown Prince knew how to be considerate. If it were in the past, let alone stepping into a drain, even if he fell into a hole, the Crown Prince would only have him pulled out without showing any expression, never bothering to remind him.
He wondered what his future Wangfei would be like. Would she be delicate and beautiful like Fushou Junzhu or radiant and stunning like Jiamin Junzhu?
As he pondered, he suddenly felt a twinge of bitterness. The Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince both had passionate and heart-wrenching love stories, while his emotional world was a blank sheet of paper. He didn't know which one of them was more pitiful.
Du Xiuying looked at Yao Jiamin, who was running towards her as she was wiping away the tears from her face with a handkerchief. She choked and asked, "Why did you come?"
"I was worried that you would cry alone in hiding. I came to let you scold me so that you'll feel better," Yao Jiamin took out a handkerchief and helped Du Xiuying wipe her face, "Why are you crying so much, disregarding your health? If Grand Tutor Du sees this from the heavens, how can he rest in peace?"
Hua Liuli stood up and took a cup of water from a maidservant, helping Du Xiuying drink a few sips and tidying up her disheveled hair. She adjusted the mourning cloth on Du Xiuying's head, "It will be dawn in three hours. Take a good rest. There may be more tasks for you to attend to tomorrow."
Du Xiuying nodded numbly and hoarsely said, "I know. Thank you, all of you."
"We are sisters. There's no need for thanks," Yao Jiamin said, "Grand Tutor Du didn't like extravagance, and your estate doesn't have many servants. I was afraid that you would be short-handed, so I brought some servants to help. Feel free to order them around without hesitation."
After the passing of Grand Tutor Du, the Du family was immersed in immense sorrow. If it weren't for the three imperial princes present among them, the estate would have been in chaos.
Fortunately, the Du family members quickly regained their spirits. They removed all the colorful decorations in the estate and hung up white paper lanterns outside the main gate.
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. Thank you to Ying Wang and Ning Wang," Du Daren, with red and swollen eyes, walked over to greet the imperial princes and expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for helping our humble estate handle the affairs of our late father. It's late at night, so please rest. If our father were still alive, he wouldn't want to trouble the three of you on his behalf."
The Crown Prince saw that all the affairs had been taken care of inside and outside the Du Family Estate, and he knew that if they stayed there any longer, it would only make the Du Family Estate restless. He nodded and said, "In that case, Gu will take leave. Gu will come tomorrow to offer incense to Grand Tutor Du."
"I am humbled," Du Daren quickly bowed and expressed his thanks.
Ning Wang, seeing the Crown Prince about to leave, also quickly stated that he would accompany the Crown Prince. Ying Wang, who knew that Grand Tutor Du had always supported the Crown Prince until his death, naturally took the opportunity to request permission to leave as well.
The Crown Prince looked at Hua Liuli, who was still comforting Du Xiuying, and said to Ning Wang, "Second Brother, please wait a moment."
Ning Wang nodded, "Please go ahead, Third Brother."
The Crown Prince walked over to Hua Liuli, "Liuli, I will return to the palace to report to Father Emperor. If you are worried about Young Lady Du, you can stay here and accompany her. I will leave the Golden Armor Guards here to protect you."
If it were any other time, Hua Liuli would have agreed immediately. However, when she thought of the two Golden Armor Guards lurking behind the back hall of the Wuyang Palace and the Eight Treasures Soft Armor worn by the Crown Prince, she couldn't help but worry, "Wait for me. I'll go talk to Sister Du for a few words and then leave with you."
"Alright," The Crown Prince glanced at Du Xiuying, who had already recovered considerably, and said to Hua Liuli, "I'll be waiting for you outside."
Hua Liuli nodded at the Crown Prince and walked back to Du Xiuying's side, "Sister Du, I have something to attend to. I'll come back tomorrow morning."
Du Xiuying hadn't forgotten about the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince and Hua Liuli. She grabbed Hua Liuli's hand and reminded her, "The envoys from the other countries haven't left yet. They may seem friendly on the surface, but they are plotting behind the scenes. The Crown Prince has a special status, so you must be extra careful when accompanying him."
"I understand. Sister Du, don't worry about me," Hua Liuli gently patted Du Xiuying's hand and said, "Take care of yourself as well, Sister Du."
Du Xiuying nodded and got up to see Hua Liuli off through the courtyard gate. When she saw Hua Liuli descending the steps and the Crown Prince naturally reaching out to hold her hand, the words "be careful on the steps" that were about to come out of her mouth had been swallowed back.
Of the three imperial princes, only Ying Wang had come on horseback. Ning Wang glanced at his comfortable carriage and kindly asked Ying Wang, "Eldest Brother, would you like to ride with Benwang?"
"No need," Ying Wang mounted his horse, glanced at Ning Wang's slightly bulging belly, and snorted before riding off.
"No need, then no need. Why show me that face?" Ning Wang wasn't angry either. He climbed onto the carriage slowly and said to his guards, "Let the Crown Prince's carriage go ahead."
He lifted the curtain and glanced outside through a crack, only to find that it was late at night and there was not a single person on the street, which made it quite eerie. He took a deep breath and quickly lowered the curtain.
After the carriage had traveled for a while, Ning Wang suddenly heard the sound of clashing weapons coming from the street.
"The Ministry of Justice is handling a case. All unrelated people should quickly leave!"
Ning Wang lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw several tiles falling from the sky had been shattered in front of his carriage.
The guards guarding the Crown Prince's carriage and Ning Wang's carriage drew their swords one after another.
Ning Wang gathered his courage and glanced upwards, only to see several masked figures swiftly moving on the rooftops, while a few officials from the Ministry of Justice were chasing after them on the rooftops.
This was the capital, under the Emperor's feet, yet there were thugs causing trouble in the capital?
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he vaguely saw two objects flying out of the Crown Prince's carriage in succession, causing two of the three masked men who were being chased after to fall down like dumplings.
One of them landed on the roof of Ning Wang's carriage and then fell off the roof.
Seeing this, Ning Wang silently closed the carriage curtain. It's good to enjoy the spectacle, but one's life is more precious.
The carriages used by the imperial princes were made of special materials. Arrows couldn't penetrate them, fire couldn't damage them. If a person gets hit on the carriage... it would be particularly painful.
The officials from the Ministry of Justice quickly tied up the fallen assassins, while the remaining ones continued to chase after the one who had escaped.
"Wow, Your Royal Highness, your aim is so accurate. You casually threw something and managed to hit two assassins," Hua Liuli poked her head out of the carriage and looked at the tightly bound assassins with admiration, "Truly worthy of being a prince skilled in both civil and martial arts."
Ning Wang, who was huddled inside the carriage, heard Fushou Junzhu's words and lifted the carriage curtain again. Seeing that the assassins had been captured, he relaxed and stuck his head out.
Were the things that flew out of the Crown Prince's carriage just now thrown by Third Brother?
Why couldn't he remember that the Crown Prince had such good skills? During martial arts classes in the past, the Crown Prince complained about sweating in the hot summer and the wind being too strong in the cold winter. Even his swordsmanship was learned from General Hua when he was a child. Could he casually throw something and hit an assassin?
Could it be that the Crown Prince pretended to dislike such activities but secretly practiced martial arts in his courtyard?
Hmm, he hadn't expected the Crown Prince to have such deep thoughts.
The officials from the Ministry of Justice were still curious about who had assisted them in capturing the assassins who infiltrated their dungeon prison. They didn't expect it to be the Crown Prince. They quickly stepped forward and saluted, saying, "We greet Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"No need for the formalities," The Crown Prince, dressed in white, calmly stepped down from the carriage. He looked at the bruised and battered assassins and asked, "Who are these people?"
"Your Royal Highness, these assassins sneaked into the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice with the intention of assassinating the prisoner Xie Yao. When we discovered them, they panicked and tried to escape. Fortunately, with Your Royal Highness's help, we were able to capture them so quickly," the Ministry of Justice official replied, "There is still one assassin who managed to escape. Pei Daren is already leading the pursuit."
"Pei Jihuai is capable, so Gu can rest assured," The Crown Prince nodded, "Which direction did the assassin escape?"
"Your Royal Highness, it seemed... in the direction of the guest residences where the envoys are staying."
"Oh?" The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow and turned to Hua Liuli, who had walked out of the carriage with him, "Liuli, the people from the Ministry of Justice said that there is another assassin who escaped in the direction of the guest residences. Shall we go take a look?"
"Yes, let's go and see."
The Crown Prince and Hua Liuli turned their heads to look at Ning Wang, who had just spoken.
Ning Wang chuckled as he got out of the carriage, "What Benwang meant to say is that these audacious assassins dared to break into the Ministry of Justice at night. We must ensure that they are all brought to justice, otherwise, what face does the Ministry of Justice have."
The officials from the Ministry of Justice: "..."
If they couldn't capture the person, wouldn't they lose face?
As the assassin fled, Pei Jihuai pursued closely, passing through several guest residences. Suddenly, the assassin swung a grappling hook from his sleeve and used it to flip into a courtyard.
Pei Jihuai's expression remained unchanged as he said, "Surround this courtyard."
After returning from the Hundred Nations Banquet, the envoys from the Kingdom of Jinpo couldn't sleep. They failed to rescue the Second Prince, and now they even had to hand over the Eldest Prince to Great Jin. How could they face their Emperor when they returned?
They huddled together and discussed for a long time, but couldn't come up with a better plan. They had no choice but to return to their rooms and prepare to sleep.
Little did they know that shortly after they went to sleep, and before they could even dream, the servants urgently knocked on their doors, informing them that their guest residence was surrounded.
They were startled and quickly got out of bed. They quickly opened the door and stepped into the courtyard. They saw a young official standing expressionlessly in the courtyard, his sword already unsheathed, gleaming coldly in the dark night.
The envoys from Jinpo took two steps back in fright. Even in times of war, enemy nation's envoys were not to be harmed, let alone when they were not at war. Did Great Jin have to handle things in such a decisive manner?
Silence filled the courtyard; no one dared to speak.
Pei Jihuai's gaze swept across the envoys, sheathing his sword and bowing, "Apologies for the disturbance, esteemed envoys. It was not my intention, but just now, an assassin infiltrated this guest residence. It is my duty to conduct a search here. I kindly request your cooperation."
An assassin?
The envoys from Jinpo felt a sudden unease, exchanging glances. Did they... have something to do with this? Why would an assassin run into their guest residence? There were many other residences, theirs was neither the closest nor the farthest. Why did the assassin come here?
One of the leading envoys from Jinpo cautiously asked, "May I ask, Daren, what crime has this assassin committed?"
"A nighttime infiltration into the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice," Pei Jihuai raised his hand, and the officials from the Ministry of Justice began their search.
"What?!" The envoys from Jinpo seemed to hear the sound of their hearts shattering in fear.
A nighttime infiltration into the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice, and the assassin ended up here. This... Wasn't this a trap set up against them? If news of this spread, even a three-year-old child would think that they had sent the assassin.
But... they truly had nothing to do with this!
The envoys from the Kingdom of Jinpo felt wronged, but they dared not speak up, knowing that it would be futile.
"The Crown Prince has arrived!"
"Ning Wang has arrived!"
Jinpo's envoys became even more afraid. It was just catching an assassin, why did it alarm the Crown Prince and Ning Wang of the Great Jin Kingdom?
Pei Jihuai was also somewhat surprised. It was already late at night. It would be understandable if Ning Wang liked to join in the excitement, but why did the Crown Prince also come? And upon closer inspection, he found that Fushou Junzhu was accompanying them.
It would have been enough for the Crown Prince to come alone, why did he bring his betrothed as well? How did the solemn scene of a crime investigation suddenly turn into a lively spectacle?
"Daren, this matter has nothing to do with us, please investigate thoroughly," one of the Jinpo's envoys shouted in despair, defending their innocence.
Which despicable individual framed them like this?
Was it because they had bullied the countries of Qingshi, Manao, Hongfei, and Luyou... or was it Daimao?
Oh no, they had bullied too many nations in the past, and for a moment, they didn't know which country's envoys were the most suspicious.
Seeing the Great Jin's Crown Prince walking in with his entourage, Jinpo's envoys deeply regretted their previous actions for the first time. If only they had bullied a few less countries back then.
At least they would know who to suspect, right?
"Oh, aren't these the esteemed gentlemen from the Jinpo Kingdom," Ning Wang said with a smiling face, "What a coincidence, you're all still awake at this late hour?"
Jinpo's envoys had a look of despair on their faces. No, it was not a coincidence at all.
Whoever wants this kind of coincidence can take it away.
"Greetings to the esteemed Crown Prince and Ning Wang," one of the Jinpo's envoys glanced at Hua Liuli by the Crown Prince's side, "Greetings to the beautiful Junzhu."
"Whether you greet or not is not important," the Crown Prince said indifferently, "What's important is that the assassin must be captured."
The Jinpo envoys: "..."
Whether they could capture the assassin or not had nothing to do with them!
Krish728
Author's Note:
Jinpo: Let me see who framed me, Fatty Tiger? Damn it! Too many suspicious individuals, what should I do?!
