The night was as dark as ink, and the sound of the clapper had just passed at midnight.
A dark shadow swept across the tall walls of the Rong Prince's Mansion like a ghost.
Lu Jingze was dressed in night clothes, and although his shoulder injury had not yet healed, his movements were still as agile as a cat.
"Patrol interval of fifteen breaths..."
He silently counted the time it took for the guards to pass by, then his figure flashed and disappeared into the shadows behind the artificial hill.
The night clothes were soaked with dew, clinging to the body, icy cold.
Under the cover of night, Lu Jingze evaded the patrolling guards and headed straight for Prince Rong's study.
In the distance, the study was brightly lit, and two flickering candle shadows were reflected on the window paper, like will-o'-the-wisps.
Lu Jingze held his breath and slowly approached, pressing himself against the pillars of the corridor.
"Who goes there!" came the guard's stern shout from not far away.
Lu Jingze curled up in a blind spot behind a pillar, his right hand already resting on the soft sword at his waist.
Under the moonlight, the guards' blades gleamed coldly as they approached step by step.
"Meow~" A black cat darted out from the flower bushes.
"Damn it! It's Consort Dong's cat!" The guard spat and turned to leave.
Once the footsteps faded into the distance, Lu Jingze nimbly climbed onto the roof.
Lu Jingze braced himself on the slippery roof tiles with one hand. A sharp pain shot through his still-healing shoulder wound. He gritted his teeth and swallowed the cry of pain back into his throat.
Through the gap in the window paper, he saw that Prince Rong, Lu Mingyuan, was facing away from the window, and the person standing in front of him was Xiao Cheng.
Lu Jingze's pupils suddenly contracted.
This remnant of the previous dynasty, who had narrowly escaped the case of the Imperial Advisor, now brazenly appeared at the Rong Prince's residence!
"...The Imperial Advisor has already taken care of everything; His Majesty can't trace it back to us for the time being."
Xiao Cheng's voice carried a hint of smugness, and the bronze token hanging at his waist swayed slightly with his movements—it was the mark of the "Qinglin Society," a remnant of the previous dynasty.
Prince Rong toyed with the jade thumb ring in his hand, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on his sinister face: "And what about Prince Jing?"
"The poison on the dagger should have taken effect by now," Xiao Cheng said in a low voice. "Although he appears to be fine on the surface, the 'Blood Silkworm Induction' will slowly erode his meridians..."
Lu Jingze unconsciously pressed his shoulder.
"In just over a month, the residual poison from the 'Seven-Day Soul-Severing Powder' will suffice..." Xiao Cheng made a throat-slitting gesture, "...and by then, even a celestial being would find it difficult to save him."
Prince Rong suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh tinged with madness: "Good! With Lu Jingze dead, Lu Nancheng has lost an arm!"
He slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. "Then we'll join forces with the Cui, Wang, and Xie families to force him to abolish the new policies! This court..." He spread his arms wide, "will be entirely in our hands!"
Xiao Cheng bowed obsequiously: "Then what did His Highness promise..."
"Rest assured." Prince Rong pointed to the sheepskin map. "After this is accomplished, the three prefectures of Longxi will all belong to your former Dayong troops."
Lu Jingze outside the window clenched his fists tightly.
These traitors dare to illegally divide up our territory!
"Thank you, Your Highness, but..." Xiao Cheng hesitated for a moment, "but Lu Jingze has many talented people around him, and there's no guarantee that someone won't actually see through our use of poison. What should we do then?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Rong waved his hand, "Don't worry, the antidote for 'Blood Silkworm's Elixir' is only available to me."
A glimmer of hope flashed in Lu Jingze's eyes outside the window—the antidote was indeed in Prince Rong's hands!
The two talked for a while longer before Xiao Cheng left.
Lu Jingze continued to wait outside.
Xiao Cheng is no ordinary person. If it were before, he would not have been afraid. However, since his poison injury has not yet healed, he should not take any risks.
"Your Highness, are we really going to poison Prince Jing?" The guard captain's voice trembled slightly.
Prince Rong sneered: "That treacherous scoundrel Dayong harbors the heart of a wolf; he merely desires to use my power to restore his kingdom."
He stroked the bronze wine vessel on the table. "Once this is done, the first people I will eliminate are them!"
Lu Jingze's eyes sharpened.
That old fox really did have ulterior motives!
"Then, His Highness Prince Jing..."
"My nephew Jingze..." Prince Rong suddenly revealed a strange smile, "Spare his life for now. After his elder brother passes away, I will pin all the blame on Dayong. At that time, Jingze will still be needed to solve these troubles for me."
Lu Jingze, perched in the tree, felt a chill run through his body.
They wanted to both kill the emperor and his relatives, and also use him to eliminate dissidents!
What a brilliant tactic of using someone else to do the dirty work!
Just then, an owl suddenly took flight from the tree.
Prince Rong, alert, shouted sharply, "Who?!"
Lu Jingze leaped up, his toes barely touching the wall, and in a few bounds, he flipped over the wall of the Rong Prince's Mansion.
However, the moment he landed, a heart-wrenching pain suddenly shot through the wound on his shoulder, and the thin red lines that had been sealed by the gold needles began to spread outwards.
Lu Jingze groaned, knelt on one knee, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He gritted his teeth, stood up, and stumbled toward the Prince Jing's residence.
Not far behind, Zhou Yun'an stood on a corner tower not far from the Rong Prince's Mansion, coldly watching the staggering figure, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Your Highness Prince Jing, our game has only just begun."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com