The resolute action of the woman in yellow on the cliff startled everyone.
By the time the assassin rushed to the edge of the cliff, he could no longer reach anything; all he could see was boundless darkness.
It was so black it was terrifying, so black it instilled fear.
The assassin standing on the edge of the cliff recalled that magnificent pale yellow color, and at that moment he felt a lingering fear.
He stiffly raised his head and looked at his companion, his throat dry and hoarse:
"A sheer cliff, if you jump off, you'll be smashed to pieces, not even a piece of your flesh will be left intact. Is this young woman really that temperamental?"
The subordinate looked at the winding trail of blood on the ground, and it was a horrifying sight: "The people are all dead, what are we going to do now?"
The assassin leader gritted his teeth, exasperated: "What else can we do? Go back and report!"
"We can't possibly jump down with her, can we?"
The group remounted their horses and returned to He Jingyan that very night to report the news.
Upon hearing this, He Jingyan's eyes narrowed. He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:
"Is the person really dead?"
The assassin leader nodded: "Dead, completely dead. She was shot in the ankle, already bleeding heavily, and then she jumped off the cliff right in front of us."
"There were no vines on either side of the cliff, and no lake at the foot of the mountain. There was no chance of survival. Unless, like in the stories, we encountered a deity."
Upon hearing this, He Jingyan's jawline tightened slightly: "Even if you die, bring your body back."
Upon hearing this, the assassin leader sighed again: "The cliff is so high, he's probably smashed into pieces, stuck to the ground and impossible to shovel back up."
He Jingyan's hand, which was resting on the table, trembled slightly, and he accidentally knocked over a teacup, soaking his sleeve with tea.
Touching the cold liquid calmed He Jingyan down: "Even if she's turned into minced meat, we have to bring her back to prove she's dead."
As he spoke, he closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again before continuing to ask, "Where is that wretched boy, He Yunce?"
The assassin leader answered truthfully: "I didn't see him in the suburbs, but the soldiers guarding the city said that someone returned to the capital with the Marquis of Anding's token not long after, which was probably the Second Young Master."
"He probably fell for Song Xizhi at first sight and wanted to help her, but then got scared halfway through. So he abandoned Song Xizhi and returned to the capital. I don't know where he's hiding now."
Upon hearing this, He Jingyan's deep eyes held a hint of mockery.
"That idiot has probably gone to hide with the Huang family."
"If he had any backbone, I would have thought more highly of him. But a fool is a fool. If it weren't for the need for the Huang family to complete the grand plan, I would have dealt with him long ago."
As He Jingyan spoke, he finally gave his orders to his subordinates: "First, go to the bottom of the cliff and see if there are any corpses. If there are, try to piece them together and bring them back."
"Second, find He Yunce's whereabouts in the capital."
After the guards carried out their orders, He Jingyan slowly took out the tiger tally from his sleeve and held it tightly in his hand.
A slight smile appeared on his tired face, and then laughter couldn't help but escape from his throat.
Well, let Song Xizhi be dead.
The Empress Dowager originally ordered that her life be spared for three crucial reasons.
First, they wanted to hypnotize her so that she would develop an elixir of immortality.
Secondly, she should create a mystery and a strange scene.
Third, they wanted to use her as a last resort to coerce the crown prince into submission.
But now that she's dead, and I've obtained the military seal of the Marquis of Anding, even if the Crown Prince doesn't submit, I can't do anything to him.
Tomorrow is the last day of the five-day period. All that's needed is for the Empress Dowager to issue an edict to depose the Crown Prince, and everything will fall into place.
Thinking it over, He Jingyan clutched the tiger tally again and walked out of the teahouse, riding his horse straight towards the military camp.
…………
Since Song Xizhi died, various natural disasters such as plague, floods, and landslides have occurred in various parts of Daqian.
There are rumors circulating among the people that the Crown Prince raped and murdered the guardian deity of the Great Gan Dragon Vein, which angered Heaven and caused it to punish the Great Gan.
As a result, public resentment in the capital city boiled over even more fiercely.
Many of the people who followed Song Xizhi's coffin into the city stayed in the capital and refused to leave.
They knelt at the palace gates every day, saying that the Crown Prince had killed the guardian deity of the Great Gan dragon vein, humiliated the officials of Great Gan, brought Great Gan to the brink of destruction, and caused disasters in various places. They demanded an explanation from the royal family.
The court officials, hearing such rumors from the common people, were filled with anxiety and wrote to the emperor.
But the emperor had already been so angered by the crown prince that he vomited blood and fell into a coma. Everyone turned their hopeful gaze to the empress dowager, begging her to give the world an explanation.
The Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict stating that the Crown Prince had mentioned a five-day deadline before his escape.
Therefore, she chose to believe the Crown Prince and wait for the five-day deadline. However, if the Crown Prince did not appear at the Meridian Gate with evidence after the five-day deadline, then the royal family would give an explanation to the victim's family and the people of the world.
The five-day period had arrived, and before dawn, people began to arrive at the altar, where they waited patiently until noon.
The altar was a tall, square platform. Behind the platform hung a huge white brocade, and in the very center of the platform were various sacrificial items. In front of the platform, a long flight of steps led down to the ground.
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