Chapter 63

The hour of Xu had arrived. The sky above the city was dark but not yet fully black.

The people of Qingzhou had always been fond of visiting the night market. Although the night watchman had already sounded his clappers several times, the streets outside the market remained brightly lit, no different from how they appeared during the day.

A mansion in the outskirts of the city.

This estate was very large, but it seemed few people lived there, making it exceptionally spacious and quiet.

Tonight, a carriage had traveled through a secluded alley and quietly turned into the courtyard, causing the mansion to become even quieter.

It was so quiet that one could even hear the chirping of insects and the songs of birds, making the sound of rustling leaves seem distinct.

In truth, the person inside the carriage did not carry themselves with any ostentation.

Yet, no matter which inch of Great Qi’s territory this person set foot upon, the places they passed would invariably fall silent as death, and all would kneel.

Crown Prince Xiao Yu watched the servant girl bowing to him. His mood seemed quite good. He nodded and said, “Rise.”

This was one of the most significant differences between him and the Fourth Prince.

If it were Xiao Yi, even if his mood was exceptionally good, he would still maintain his status and simply tell the servants, “You may stand.”

But Xiao Yu, dignified as the Crown Prince of Great Qi, could gently grant a common servant the grace of rising, and it did not seem feigned. It was no wonder he was beloved by the common people.

Xiao Jin, citing her disabled legs and the difficulty of moving, had found a reasonable excuse not to greet him at the mansion’s gate.

So, at this moment, she was in a tower pavilion, observing everything.

As she observed, she thought: The male lead’s persona is indeed much better than Fourth Brother’s.

It was no wonder the female lead ultimately chose the Crown Prince, not the foolish, unworthy second male lead.

If the Crown Prince Xiao Yu eventually became Emperor, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. After all, if a male lead truly became Emperor, he would surely be a wise ruler.

Xiao Jin was merely an outsider. She had no inherent need to interfere in Qi’s internal politics, nor did she care who occupied that throne.

But now, people wanted to kill her. And more than one.

She would not allow those who wanted her dead to ascend to that seat.

Although she only needed to stay here for a year, Xiao Jin could clearly realize that even after she left, the order of this world would continue to function.

This meant the entire fate of Prince Yan’s Manor was tied to her. The decisions she made now would affect the future outcomes of many people.

If she were entirely alone, Xiao Jin could certainly act recklessly. But now she had met many people, and thus had developed some personal biases.

She didn’t want these people to die. She wanted those around her to live well.

Considering this, Xiao Jin was somewhat troubled.

If the Crown Prince wanted to kill her, the Fourth Prince wanted to kill her, and Eldest Princess Zhaoyang also wanted to kill her… what should she do then?

Chu Shao looked at Xiao Jin’s slightly furrowed brows.

Xiao Jin’s brows and eyes were very beautiful. When furrowed, they held a unique melancholic charm, like a mountain covered in autumn leaves.

Chu Shao couldn’t help but lower her voice and ask softly, “My Prince, do you want to kill the Crown Prince?”

Xiao Jin jolted back to her senses, clearly startled.

If she weren’t sitting in the wheelchair, she probably would have reached out and covered Chu Shao’s mouth directly.

After glancing around and confirming no one was nearby, Xiao Jin slowly said, “Princess Consort, those words should not be spoken lightly.”

After all, if others heard them, they would be enjoying a certain death sentence.

The corner of Chu Shao’s lips, where it had been bitten, was no longer bleeding. But seeing Xiao Jin’s frown deepen, the smile on her face grew stronger.

“This humble wife had no intention of saying such a thing. It’s just that when I saw your expression just now, My Prince, I felt your face perhaps hinted at such a thought, so I asked.”

“…”

Xiao Jin was utterly speechless.

After a long moment, hearing footsteps on the stairs, she said to Chu Shao in a low voice, “Do not mention this matter again. Be careful, walls have ears.”

Chu Shao was slightly taken aback, then said, “Very well, this humble wife will listen to you in all things.”

Xiao Jin figured the Crown Prince was about to come up.

Thus, she sat upright and assumed a solemn expression befitting a meeting with a superior leader.

Xiao Jin’s attitude was very proper, but she couldn’t prevent Chu Shao beside her from being utterly unserious. Chu Shao was still asking, “Since My Prince told this humble wife to beware of eavesdroppers, does that mean I am standing together with you now?”

For a moment, Xiao Jin didn’t answer.

Because this sentence had two meanings. One was standing together in a physical, positional sense. The other was a psychological, united front.

To demonstrate the unbreakable nature of their alliance, Xiao Jin nodded: “We stand together.”

She also reminded Chu Shao of the vow between them: “Therefore, this Prince and the Princess Consort share life and death, our fates intertwined.”

…

The Crown Prince stepped up the stairs. The first thing he saw was this scene.

He watched the faint smile on Xiao Jin’s lips, his steps pausing, seemingly somewhat surprised.

In truth, the Crown Prince indeed should have been surprised. Because even Xiao Jin herself hadn’t noticed that when she said those words, she had actually been smiling.

The second thing the Crown Prince noticed was Chu Shao, dressed in a reddish-brown robe.

Although he had met Chu Shao twice before, and he was no stranger to beautiful women, his gaze still involuntarily paused for an instant.

Perhaps because the beauty mark beneath the corner of Chu Shao’s eye was too alluring, the Crown Prince felt her lips even seemed redder than usual.

Still, staring at the Princess Consort Yan was ultimately not very polite.

The Crown Prince shifted his gaze and instead exchanged pleasantries with Xiao Jin: “Having not seen you for a month, Third Brother’s complexion seems much improved. I imagine your cough has also gotten better.”

Xiao Jin nodded: “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

The Crown Prince smiled, then seemed to remember something and asked, “A few days ago, I sent some medicine. I wonder if Third Brother has used it?”

Xiao Jin answered formally, saying she had used it and her health was much improved.

In reality, she had long since passed the medicinal herbs sent by the Crown Prince to Su Tan.

After all, she didn’t dare use medicine sent by the male lead.

However, the Crown Prince didn’t seem to notice Xiao Jin’s somewhat cold attitude. He still smiled and chatted with her about many things.

Until they had chatted to the point of having nothing left to say, the Crown Prince suddenly said, “It occurs to me, I have not shared a drink with Third Brother for quite some time.”

“The last time we drank together was the night before you set out on the expedition against Yao. It was also March then, but it was snowing in the Capital City, not nearly as fine as the weather here in Qingzhou.”

Xiao Jin furrowed her brows slightly, thinking: You drinking with the original owner, what does that have to do with me?

Still, she couldn’t show it on the surface and echoed, “The region of Qingzhou is indeed excellent.”

She perfectly pretended not to understand the Crown Prince’s hint about inviting her for a drink.

Who would have thought that someone as deep and scheming as the Crown Prince would now speak so bluntly: “Third Brother, as we are free at the moment, accompany me for a cup of wine.”

The implication was that he had something to say to Xiao Jin.

And he used a declarative sentence, giving her no room to refuse at all.

Xiao Jin looked at the gentle smile on the Crown Prince’s face and felt it was just as fake as Chu Shao’s smile.

The only difference was that Chu Shao’s smile was a perfunctory indifference to all things, while the male lead’s was more like using a smile to conceal something.

Although Xiao Jin was very reluctant to admit it, in these aspects, the Crown Prince and Chu Shao did indeed seem quite compatible.

But thinking of this, she suddenly felt a bit annoyed. And she firmly believed that two outwardly courteous but inwardly ruthless people would not have a good outcome together.

Besides, the original novel was originally a female protagonist power fantasy. Chu Shao being magnificently independent was enough; what need was there for a background prop male lead?

Thinking of this, Xiao Jin, who had absolutely no desire to drink, was now stirred by a strange, peculiar sense of competitiveness.

Xiao Jin replied calmly: “Since His Highness the Crown Prince invites, how could there be any reason not to accompany you?”

The Crown Prince smiled slightly and was about to instruct the attendant behind him to set out the wine and dishes. Unexpectedly, Chu Shao asked softly, “Your Highness the Crown Prince, might I ask, is a cup of wine for this humble wife also prepared among tonight’s banquet?”

Both Xiao Jin and the Crown Prince were stunned.

Any clear-eyed person could see that the Crown Prince had only invited Xiao Jin, clearly wanting to speak with her alone. So Chu Shao’s question seemed rather tactless at this moment.

Chu Shao’s lips held a faint smile, as if she didn’t think her question was rude at all.

Because she, too, had a strange sense of competitiveness in her heart.

She didn’t want Xiao Jin and the Crown Prince to drink together.

The Crown Prince looked at Chu Shao. After a moment, he laughed heartily: “We are all family, naturally, a cup for the Imperial Sister-in-Law is prepared.”

“…”

Xiao Jin was silenced by the Crown Prince’s phrase “all family”.

However, Chu Shao didn’t find the words awkward at all. Instead, she smiled: “Then many thanks, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

The Crown Prince also smiled: “Imperial Sister-in-Law is too polite.”

After exchanging fake smiles, the three moved to the back courtyard.

Sitting at a stone table, servant girls brought out a few dishes of appetizers, followed by a pot of clear wine.

Set against the pale moon and willows, it held a certain artistic mood.

Yet, listening to the awkward small talk going back and forth between Chu Shao and the Crown Prince, Xiao Jin sat to the side, inexplicably feeling her presence was entirely superfluous.

This banquet seemed to involve her, but also seemed to have nothing much to do with her.

The Crown Prince drank some Tusu wine, his mood seeming very good. He casually chatted with Chu Shao about the matter of Qingzhou Tower: “I wonder if Imperial Sister-in-Law has climbed Qingzhou Tower with Third Brother? Now, that tower is quite famous even in the Capital City. Even the Imperial Father has heard of it.”

Chu Shao smiled: “This humble wife has climbed that tower. The scenery is indeed uniquely beautiful, though it doesn’t quite match the vividness described in that essay.”

What she said was very reasonable.

After all, the tower hadn’t even been finished yet when the essay appeared on paper.

It could be said that Commandery Governor Xu, in an effort to match that travelogue, basically built the tower according to Xiao Jin’s descriptions. Thus, the constructed pavilion naturally couldn’t surpass the words of the essay.

Xiao Jin sat to the side, but felt this conversation was truly uninteresting.

Because she had plagiarized the essay, and the “Eminent Scholar” who had ascended the tower and written it was also someone she had hired to play the part. Even the rumors spread throughout the city had been orchestrated by her using her hidden informants.

At this moment, Xiao Jin was looking down on everything from a god’s-eye view.

Dull. Truly dull.

Just as Xiao Jin was finding everything utterly tasteless, a shrill whistling sound suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard.

This sound was extremely eerie, cutting across the sky like a sobering draught, instantly jolting the three people sitting around the stone table awake.

None of the three present were drunk, so they could clearly see a hidden arrow.

An arrow aimed straight at Xiao Jin’s face.

The original owner’s martial arts were not weak; on the contrary, they were quite strong.

Thus, in Xiao Jin’s eyes, the speed of that arrow wasn’t actually very fast. If not for her disabled legs, she could have completely dodged it.

But now, she was sitting in a wheelchair.

So the instant the hidden arrow shot toward her face, Xiao Jin reached out and drew a short blade from her boot. The tip gleamed with cold light, illuminating her eyes and brows.

That short blade could cut through iron like mud, clearly sharp enough to sever the incoming arrow.

But someone was faster than her.

In Xiao Jin’s prediction, that arrow would have been cleaved by her own short blade.

But before the blade could even slash down, a reddish-brown figure appeared in front of her.

Ink-black hair flew, brushing past the blade tip shimmering with cold light. The edge was too sharp; she couldn’t retract her force in time, and cut off a few strands of Chu Shao’s silken hair.

Xiao Jin’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at Chu Shao, who had placed herself directly in front of her.

The reason she was shocked wasn’t because Chu Shao’s movement was faster than hers, but because…

Chu Shao’s face held a smile.

She turned around and looked at the Crown Prince, who had swiftly drawn his sword to help Xiao Jin but was still a step too slow. The joy in her heart was completely displayed on her face.

The Crown Prince’s look of stunned astonishment satisfied Chu Shao immensely.

This meant she had won.

Chu Shao smiled and loosened her hand. The feather arrow she had been tightly clutching fell from her palm.

Between her fingers, it was covered in fresh blood.

It dripped onto the stone slabs, spreading into a deep gash as dark and heavy as the night itself.

Under the gazes of Xiao Jin and the Crown Prince, Chu Shao very elegantly lifted her foot and ground the blood-stained arrow into pieces with the sole of her boot.

Seeing this scene, both were speechless.

A moment later, another shrill whistling sound rang out.

Hearing this sound, Chu Shao looked at Xiao Jin seated in the wheelchair. She reached out her hand and covered the other’s knuckles.

Though Xiao Jin’s fingers were icy cold, the blood in Chu Shao’s palm still held warmth.

Using her own blood to stain those pale hands should have excited Chu Shao. However, right now, she didn’t have much time to savor it carefully.

Chu Shao gazed into Xiao Jin’s not-so-calm eyes and laughed. Then she gently pried open Xiao Jin’s fingers.

Taking the short blade, she also offered an explanation: “The ones coming this time seem somewhat formidable, so this humble wife needs to focus a bit more.”

“But you don’t need to worry.”

Chu Shao’s voice was very gentle: “The more formidable the newcomers, the happier… this humble wife becomes.”