Chapter 1, "Princess, so what?"...
Elopement with the Hitman
By Ji Chaoge
Published exclusively
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The autumn wind was biting, and the bare branches trembled in the cold, their breath turning into fine frost flowers in the blink of an eye.
The carriage swayed and rocked as it moved along.
The palace maid Qingdai carried a gilded hand warmer into the carriage to warm Princess Yuhe, Jiang Fushi.
Jiang Fushi leaned against the wall of the room, which was piled with brocade pillows, looking listless and as if she had not yet recovered from a serious illness.
Qingdai quickly brought her a dark blue cloak trimmed with snow fox fur and draped it over her shoulders, asking with concern, "Your Highness, are you alright?"
"It's another half-day's journey to the capital. Please rest a bit longer. I've already had the kitchen prepare some nourishing ginseng soup, which you can enjoy once we get back."
Meeting Qingdai's dark blue eyes, Jiang Fushi coughed a few times, covering her mouth, and said, "These past few days, I've been so grateful for your meticulous care."
Recalling the day Jiang Fushi accidentally fell into the water and almost drowned.
Qingdai's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and two lines of clear tears streamed down her face. She immediately knelt before Jiang Fushi and kowtowed in fear: "It is this servant who deserves to die. I failed to protect Your Highness. If anything were to happen to you, Qingdai would be guilty of a thousand deaths."
"It's not your fault, don't blame yourself."
Qingdai hastily wiped away her tears with her sleeve, but remained kneeling and refused to get up, her voice choked with sobs: "Your Highness is kind-hearted, but this servant has ultimately failed in her duty."
Seeing that Qingdai was determined to remain kneeling, Jiang Fushi sent her to check which post station they were heading to.
As soon as the others left, Jiang Fushi immediately put down the gilded hand warmer in her hand.
Actually, she had recovered a long time ago; she was just pretending to be in real pain.
Three days after the autumnal equinox each year, the maple forests of the royal gardens are ablaze with color, making it the best time to appreciate autumn.
However, half a month ago, on the last day of the Qiulan Gathering, Princess Yuyao took advantage of her unpreparedness and pushed her into the lake, causing her to choke on the cold water and suffer from high fever and convulsions. She was unable to return to the capital with the royal family who had participated in the gathering and could only stay in the Imperial Garden to recuperate until now.
Yu Yao acted very discreetly, and everyone thought she had accidentally slipped and fallen.
On the surface, she appears to be bedridden due to falling into the water.
But as soon as the imperial physician left, she immediately gave herself acupuncture and recovered in less than three days.
Before being taken back to the palace by the royal family, she was a well-known female physician in the martial arts world, with superb acupuncture skills and expertise in both medicine and poison.
The reason she pretended to be sickly was firstly to hide her true nature, since in the eyes of outsiders she was an unloved and frail princess.
Secondly, she wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to collect medicinal herbs that were not easy to obtain.
A medicinal powder made by mixing Xanthium sibiricum powder with Polygonum multiflorum juice, and adding Aconitum carmichaelii, toad venom, and Cnidium monnieri can cause itching all over the body, making people restless for seven days and seven nights. It is colorless and odorless, so people will not notice it and will only think it is a rash caused by dryness in autumn.
She had already planned how to let Yuyao come into contact with the 'seven-day itch' without her noticing.
Over the years, Yu Yao harbored resentment and jealousy, always feeling that she, the "country princess," had stolen away the little affection her father had left. With the Empress's backing, Yu Yao's harassment never ceased, while she, seeking peace, tolerated those minor, harmless actions time and again.
But this time, Yu Yao was so ruthless that she wanted to take her life.
If that's the case, then don't blame her for retaliating in kind.
The carriage traveled for half an hour on the bumpy official road before suddenly stopping.
Jiang Fushi lifted the corner of the carriage curtain, and before she could ask why the carriage had stopped, the guard commander Liu Zi came forward and said respectfully, "Your Highness, it is foggy ahead and we cannot tell which way to go. Please wait here for a moment, and I will take two guards to scout the way and confirm the direction before returning."
Returning to Beijing from the imperial gardens, one will pass through a narrow, misty valley, where fog lingers year-round, making it difficult to spot a person even ten steps away.
Jiang Fushi had heard a little about this, and returned to the carriage to wrap her cloak tighter around herself.
But after waiting for a long time without seeing Liu Zi return, a sense of unease began to creep into his heart.
Just as he was about to instruct Qingdai to beat the drum to send a message, several whistling arrows suddenly pierced the air and stuck into the wooden walls of the carriage.
"Ah, Your Highness, be careful!"
With a cry of surprise from Qingdai, the carriage was shattered by a sharp sword aura.
Jiang Fushi was violently thrown into the air by the splintered wood and the shockwave. Her hair was disheveled as she fell to the ground, her head buzzing, and a surge of bloody energy spilled from her throat.
Her once neat palace dress was now torn in several places, revealing her forearms covered in tiny abrasions. The flying dust made her cough uncontrollably, and her body trembled slightly.
Swallowing the metallic taste in her throat, Jiang Fushi quickly opened her eyes and looked around, only to see that Qingdai and her guards were all lying motionless on the ground.
"Qingdai, Qingdai!"
She immediately took Qingdai's pulse and made a judgment in a short time.
He didn't die; his meridians were stunned by the sword energy.
She escaped unharmed because the train carriage shielded her.
Who is the person with such powerful sword energy?
Did they know the person in the carriage was a princess and come to assassinate her?
Mist swirled around them, and the sound of hurried footsteps rose from all sides, all stopping in the bamboo grove ahead.
A sharp, impassioned female voice pierced through the mist: "Don't run!"
"Hanren! You annihilated my entire Remnant Moon Sect. Today, having been cornered here by you, I am determined to tear you to pieces to appease the spirits of my 168 disciples in heaven!"
"You scoundrel, surrender now!"
"Today, this Misty Valley will be your burial ground!"
Jiang Fushi looked closely and saw a group of women dressed in moon-white outfits, holding long swords, surrounding the edge of the bamboo forest, with the tips of their swords pointing at the young man standing against the wind at the top of the bamboo.
He was enveloped in flowing mist, a silver mask covering his brow bone and chin, leaving only his eyes visible. His dark purple robe with subtle patterns billowed gently in the wind, and even the mist that passed over the mask seemed to be frozen into fine white frost by the chilling aura emanating from him.
Jiang Fushi frowned and stared intently. Judging from her words, the woman in white was a disciple of the Remnant Moon Sect, while the man called Hanren was their enemy who had wiped out their entire family.
That sword energy just now was probably the residual force from their fight, which accidentally reached this place.
At this moment, they were completely focused and did not notice that there were other people involved.
Zhan Xiao casually swung the Jade Folding Sword in his hand. The sword energy flowed around him with his movements, transforming into delicate frost and snow, which fell like shattered stars.
He slightly raised his eyelids, his gaze sweeping over the crowd that had surrounded him, his tone completely calm.
"I never kill women."
"Besides, you are no match for me at all."
His two casual words made the disciples of the Crescent Moon Sect tremble with rage. The leader shouted sternly, "You villain Han Ren, you have killed countless people and committed heinous crimes. Everyone has the right to kill you!"
"Even if it costs us our lives, we will make you pay for the souls of the Crescent Moon Sect!"
"Let's go!"
After shouting, the women in white leaped up with their swords and attacked Zhan Xiao, surrounding him in a circle. In an instant, the sword light was as white as snow and the cold light intertwined, completely blocking his escape route.
Jiang Fushi hid in the grass, trying her best to make her breathing as light as a whisper, to minimize her presence.
She didn't know martial arts, but she could tell that these women's moves were deadly and merciless.
The man, however, handled the situation with ease, his movements fluid and somewhat languid, just as he had said before: he did not kill women.
Perhaps annoyed by the endless entanglement, the purple-robed man's figure spun and flashed through the bamboo forest. His long sword suddenly unleashed three sword flowers, and the fierce sword energy mixed with snowflakes fell like a torrential rain, some even landing on Jiang Fushi's eyelashes.
The icy touch surprised her; it wasn't snowing yet, so how could it be...?
Could it be that this man's sword technique can draw upon the cold air of heaven and earth, condensing it into snow?
"puff!"
The women in white were all sent flying backward by the sword energy, crashing into bamboo and tree trunks, vomiting blood, and lying haphazardly on the withered leaves on the ground, unconscious.
The man in purple robes landed on the ground from a bamboo branch that was two zhang high. He held a long sword with the tip touching the ground. A drop of blood slid down the blade and silently disappeared into the ground.
Jiang Fushi dared not breathe, secretly hoping that he would leave soon so that she could also take the opportunity to escape.
However, things did not go as planned.
The purple figure didn't move an inch, but instead glanced at the place where she was hiding, seemingly out of nowhere.
Jiang Fushi's heart suddenly tightened, and she quickly shrank back, her fingertips unconsciously gripping the small blue-and-white porcelain vase in her sleeve.
This is a mind-altering powder she made herself. Those poisoned will immediately fall into a coma. When they wake up, they will be dizzy and have no memory of what happened during the coma. It is her last resort for self-defense.
Distracted for a moment, when she looked up again, the man was gone. A chill ran down Jiang Fushi's spine. Just as she was about to peek out, a cold male voice rang out above her.
"Are you looking for me?"
Jiang Fushi suddenly looked up and met a pair of eyes as cold as a pool hidden beneath a mask.
He had appeared behind him without him noticing. The frost and snow clinging to the hem of his black robe had not yet melted, and the lingering chill of the sword energy made the surrounding air feel colder.
"ah!"
Jiang Fushi was so frightened that she turned and ran, stumbling and rushing into the depths of the thick fog. But she had only taken two steps when, in an instant, the cold tip of a sword was pressed against her neck.
A tall, straight man stood in the mist, a silver mask obscuring most of his face, revealing only his sharply defined jawline and a pair of unfathomable eyes. The sword reflected the sunlight, and also reflected her panicked expression.
"Who are you?" he said coldly, the tip of his sword getting an inch closer, pointing directly at her throat. If it went any closer, blood would surely be drawn.
Jiang Fushi froze, cold sweat instantly beading on her back. She clenched her fists to calm herself and looked up to meet his gaze: "I am Princess Yuhe, Jiang Fushi. If you harm me in the slightest, the Imperial Guards will arrive in an instant. Even if you escape to the ends of the earth, you will not escape our pursuit!"
Zhan Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing her up.
The woman before me had disheveled hair, and her fair face was framed by two startled cat-like eyes, the corners of which were slightly upturned in a charming way. Her nose was delicate, and although her lips had lost their color, they were still full and soft. A few strands of black hair clung to her forehead and cheeks, where beads of sweat glistened, making her look even more pitiful.
However, his eyes remained unmoved, and he only asked indifferently.
"Princess, so what?"
A note from the author:
[Starry-eyed] My next novel, a story of forced possession: "The Young Man I've Taken a Chance of is a Heroine"—please add it to your favorites!
Qin Qixiao, who always disguised herself as a man while traveling the martial arts world, once rescued a seriously injured man in a mountain stream. This man had an extraordinary bearing and spoke with noble manners. Before parting, he asked her, "If you had the opportunity, would you be willing to enter the palace and serve by the emperor's side?"
Of course not.
She wanted to be a chivalrous hero, to travel across mountains and rivers, rather than be a caged sparrow.
Pu Wang fell into misfortune and was taken in by a young swordsman who was passing by.
The young swordsman possessed superb martial arts skills, clear and bright features, and a delicate profile and clear voice, which often made him wonder if he had developed fantasies about men.
However, since they had only met by chance and the other party had already made his intentions clear, he would not force him to do anything against his will.
Years have passed since then.
Pu Wang ruled the Central Plains, leaving the Empress's palace vacant. Ministers repeatedly offered advice, but all their remonstrances were rejected.
To travel incognito.
The righteous young hero who apprehended the thief in the bustling city was as swift and agile as ever, his features unchanged. This instantly shook Pu Wang to his core, and all the delusions suppressed by reason flared up like wildfire.
Soon after, a rumor spread throughout the neighborhood.
The reason why the current emperor leaves the six palaces empty and does not take in any concubines is because of his homosexual tendencies. The handsome young man who is always by the emperor's side often rides in the same carriage with him, whispering sweet nothings to each other and showing deep affection.
Qin Qixiao pressed against Pu Wang's approaching chest, turned to escape, but was surrounded by the Imperial Guards in front of the Emperor.
"You lied to me! You said you were just an ordinary merchant!"
He traced the corner of her trembling lips with his fingertips, his voice low and dangerous: "If we're talking about deceiving the emperor, what crime should you, a woman, commit?"
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Forced marriage/Cross-dressing/Hypocritical literature
Crazy Emperor × Heroine
Male lead is pure in body and mind, both partners are virgins, 1v1, HE (Happy Ending)
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