Chapter 212 The Guiding Force of Fate

At this moment, in front of the Six Doors' main courtyard.

“We haven’t heard from Lord Yan for three days,” Shen Wen said. “Normally, no matter what, Bai Yu would send a message by carrier pigeon within three days, but this time there’s been no news at all.”

A letter was sent by carrier pigeon every two days, a tacit understanding between Yan Zhao and Li Jin that had lasted for many years.

He paused for a moment, his expression solemn: "I will enter the palace to meet the Emperor tomorrow."

After saying that, he turned around and took a step, but hesitated for a moment and stopped: "You all keep a close eye on Pei Yide. If things don't look right, tie him up immediately."

Shen Wen was taken aback.

Li Jin added, "If the Crown Prince remains inactive, you should make your move on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. This time, you cannot wait for Chen Wen to make the first move, just like he did."

Seeing Shen Wen bow and reply "Yes," Li Jin stood there pondering for a long time before lifting his robe and stepping into the main hall.

For the next two days, there was no news of a strict imperial edict from the palace.

Li Jin suddenly found himself with an unusually large amount of work to do, and by the time he finished, the Mid-Autumn Festival was just around the corner.

It was only then that he suddenly realized he hadn't seen Jin Shu for several days.

“Mr. Jin has been acting mysteriously these past few days, constantly going to Qu Lou.” Shen Wen scratched his head. “You two went to Qu Lou together before, for the Ying Ge case.”

As the sun sets, it blazes like flames against the clouds.

Li Jin sat behind her desk, her hand pausing slightly as she asked, "What is she doing there?"

Now, Shen Wen was a little embarrassed: "Going to Qu Lou... then all I can do is listen to a little tune and chat with the young lady." He raised his hand and coughed lightly, trying to make excuses for Jin Shu, "Your Highness has been busy these past two days, arranging things for Pei Yide and secretly searching for Lord Yan. Mr. Jin knows you are busy and is only going because he is afraid of disturbing you."

"What does this have to do with Qulou?" Li Jin lowered his head, looking at the official document in front of him. For some reason, the originally simple annotations suddenly became somewhat incomprehensible.

“It’s a very big deal.” Shen Wen forced a smile. “Mr. Jin is a man after all… Qu Lou, you know…”

...He simply couldn't stand reading this official document anymore.

Li Jin let out a long breath, put the booklet aside, and closed it: "Where's Zhou Zheng?"

A sudden silence fell between them.

Shen Wen's facial expressions were incredibly varied, causing Li Jin to raise her eyebrows higher and higher.

He pursed his lips, stood up, and walked directly out from behind the desk.

Li Jin thought he would head straight for Qu Lou, but he stopped at the entrance of the sect leader's courtyard.

In a split second, he changed direction.

Just after 9 PM, Zhou Zheng escorted Jin Shu to the courtyard gate and bowed to say goodbye.

"Thank you for your help these past two days, Lord Zhou," Jin Shu said gratefully.

“It’s alright.” Zhou’s face remained solemn as always. “Sir, you don’t know martial arts and you run slowly. It’s only right that I, Zhou, give you a ride.”

Jin Shu laughed, "Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, so I won't be stuck in the middle." She paused, "Good luck, Lord Zhou!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou's cheeks flushed red, and he stammered, "Miss Xiao and I... I haven't... Oh dear..."

Seeing Jin Shu's smile grow wider and wider, Zhou Zheng felt as if his feet were on fire, unable to stand. He waved his hand, covered his face, and turned to leave.

Watching him leave, Jin Shu glanced at the Prince Jing's Mansion across the street.

On an autumn night, the streets of Chang'an were empty and peaceful after the curfew.

Several large red lanterns hanging in front of the grand gate of the Prince's Mansion swayed gently in the night breeze.

Jin Shu looked up at the sky. The Milky Way was dazzling and the moon shone brightly. She took a deep breath, turned around, and pushed open the gate to the courtyard.

The small courtyard where I live alone is so quiet that you can hear the sound of falling leaves.

She lit a lamp, sat at the stone table in the courtyard, and recalled the most basic stitching methods taught by Manager Xiao of Qulou. While threading the needle, she held the purse in her hand.

She genuinely regretted it.

If I had known it would be so complicated, I would have just embroidered a simple pattern. I was too naive and was so sure of embroidering a word.

Those who reap what they sow will not live.

An inexperienced embroiderer pricks her finger after just a few stitches. She smacked her lips, rubbed her fingertips, and then continued embroidering stitch by stitch under the stars.

For as long as she embroidered, Li Jin watched from the eaves.

She sat alone under the eaves, her silhouette visible even through the assassin's figure, in Li Jin's eyes.

He stood in the center of the rooftop, a slight smile playing on his lips, and with a flick of his wrist, caught the legendary sword that Shadow had tossed to him.

The autumn wind rises, whistling and blowing, scattering the dry, fallen leaves, making a rustling sound as they fall to the ground.

Jin Shu was completely focused, all her attention was on the purse in her hand.

Li Jin's murderous aura was immediately revealed. He drew his sword, and a cold glint flashed across the blade like a shooting star, dazzling the sky.

She sat there, stitch by stitch, piercing from the front and stretching from the back.

He leaped up, his steps light and agile, the sword in his wrist, twirling and twisting.

She moved at varying speeds, her heartfelt emotions hidden within the long embroidery thread.

His swordplay was fluid and graceful, like a dragon in flight, the sword's light reflecting the moonlight and painting rainbow after rainbow.

Her thread held unspoken emotions.

His sword light weaves the most powerful shield.

She wanted to leave him a memory, to embroider a keepsake.

He wanted to fight for her, to conquer an empire, and to establish a new world.

It seems as if there are unseen threads pulling us together.

She raised her hand, and he brought his sword down.

Finally, when the needle pricked her hand, she hissed as she clicked her tongue, bringing everything to an abrupt end and back to calm.

Jin Shu glanced at the crookedly embroidered characters, sighed, got up and surveyed the quiet surroundings before returning to her room and falling asleep peacefully.

Li Jin sat on the roof, the sword hanging from the ceiling, embedded in the assassin's chest. He expressionlessly wiped the blood from his hands and glanced at the bright moon in the sky.

They did take action as expected.

After several months of calm, the Crown Prince finally concluded that even with Song Zhen as guarantor, it would be better for Jin Shu to die.

He waved his hand, and the shadowy figure beside him silently carried away the assassins' corpses, while Li Jin remained seated until late at night.

He's unreliable.

Firstly, there was a concern that there might be more assassins.

Secondly, the thought of the purse embroidered by Jin Shuxiu made me unhappy.

He remembered that when he returned from Shengzhou, this woman sat opposite him, repeatedly saying that she wanted to send a return gift to Zhu Dongli of the Ministry of Justice.

A hand-embroidered purse as a return gift for Zhu Dongli's books? Are you kidding me?

How could he possibly allow such a gift to be sent out?

Li Jin sat alone on the eaves for a long time, until all the lights in the houses went out and the entire capital city fell into a deep sleep.

He pushed open the door and walked quietly to Jin Shu's bedside, looking at the woman who was still sleeping soundly without any guard.

Looking at the purse and handkerchief she had placed beside her pillow, he grew angrier and angrier. His face blended with the darkness of the night, making it impossible to tell which was darker.

Li Jin stood with his arms crossed for a long time before finally reaching out his hand quietly.

If these two things are gone, she will have nothing to give as a gift, which is good.

He held his breath and leaned forward, but froze just as his hands were about to touch the purse and handkerchief.

He stood there, frozen in the moonlight.

Li Jin saw clearly that the purse had a crookedly embroidered character "锦" (Jin).