Encounter
Maple leaves covered the mountains and forests. Gu Youan stood in the pine and bamboo forest, holding an oil-paper umbrella. Her gaze was fixed on the birds in the forest. When the white doves returned to the forest, their mission would begin.
Jiannan, dressed in plain clothes, walked slowly over. He looked at Gu Youan's oil-paper umbrella with admiration in his eyes.
"Your skills are getting better and better; this umbrella looks just like an ordinary umbrella."
Gu Youan smiled slightly, "This mission is to assassinate Zhao Huai, the Minister of War." Gu Youan handed him a map of Zhao's residence, "This time we must act swiftly!"
Jiannan looked at the map with amusement. "I can handle this mission by myself. You can just stand aside and watch."
Gu Youan retrieved the map and held it in his hand. "Don't underestimate him. I believe this Minister of War must have extraordinary abilities."
Jiannan looked down at her. "Are you praising yourself, or are you praising Zhao Huai?"
Jiannan suddenly snatched the map from her hand. "Going back to the Gu family?"
Gu Youan shook her head. She didn't want to see Madam Wang's eyes, nor did she want to face Gu Changming.
Over the years, they carried out missions throughout Dayong, but rarely had time to actually return to the Emperor's Palace.
"This mission is dangerous, and I don't want to involve the Gu family." A sense of unease lingered in Gu You'an's mind. This mission was similar to previous ones, and Zhao Huai was just an ordinary court official. Why did she feel this way? Gu You'an clutched her chest, panting heavily, a sense of unease creeping into her heart. Was she overthinking things?
Jiannan quickly helped Gu Youan up, "The Gu worms are acting strangely?"
Gu Youan shook her head. "I feel this mission is dangerous."
Her expression shifted several times. Could it be due to the influence of entering the original storyline, causing the Gu worms to move more and more frequently?
Gu Youan sighed, "System, could you please block out my pain points? I don't want to experience chest pain while performing a mission."
"Host, as long as you ignore it, it won't hurt you."
Since entering the main storyline, the system's influence has become negligible. Gu Youan looked up at Jian Nan and said, "Be careful this time!"
Zhao Huai held a drinking game at home, while his sister Zhao Wan'er held a flower-viewing banquet in the backyard. Gu You'an and Jian Nan stood in front of Zhao Jia's door.
Gu Youan wore a light pink satin dress, her hair was styled in two buns, and a poisoned hairpin was inserted in her hair.
Jiannan touched the hairpin in her hair and smiled, "Don't use hairpins unless absolutely necessary."
This is an essential hairpin for female assassins. A poison bead is hidden at the tip of the hairpin, which is for her own use.
Many guards were hidden on the roof beams. Gu Youan and Jiannan exchanged a smile. This mission was more difficult than they had imagined. She looked around. If it was just an ordinary banquet, why were there so many guards? Could it be that someone important was making an appearance today?
After Gu Youan entered the Emperor's Ship, the Gu family claimed that Gu Youan was bedridden and that no outsiders had ever seen her true face.
She curled up slightly, covered her face and coughed, and he and Jiannan presented their visiting cards one after the other.
Gu Changming became famous in the Imperial Academy, and Gu Youan also became known to everyone. As they walked through the long corridor, Gu Youan caught a glimpse of an unexpected person, Xie Daoqing.
He wore a lake-blue satin robe, and just standing there, he was captivating.
She clutched her chest, the plot of the original book flashing through her mind: Xie Daoqing was standing at the bottom of the steps, and she was pushed down, pinning Xie Daoqing to the ground.
Her eyes revealed fear, and Gu Youan took a deep breath. Had she already stepped into the main storyline?
"System, what's going on? Why is he here?"
"Host, today is a banquet hosted by Zhao Huai, where all the talented men and beautiful women have gathered at the Zhao family."
Her hands trembled slightly. This was her first meeting with Xie Daoqing, and she didn't want to get entangled with him while assassinating Zhao Huai.
Xie Daoqing noticed a gaze fixed on him from afar, and Gu Youan immediately looked away.
"Miss Gu has arrived. We haven't greeted our guest yet." Zhao Wan'er stepped forward and took Gu You'an's arm. Gu You'an slowly backed away, and she saw desire in those eyes.
Zhao Wan'er is a shrewd and charming person. Today, she is cooperating with Zhao Huai to hold a banquet. The two siblings must have something on their minds.
"I heard that Miss Zhao is hosting a banquet today, so I am taking the liberty of visiting you. Please forgive me, Miss Zhao!" Gu Youan said with a smile in her eyes.
Zhao Huai abused torture, causing widespread resentment among the people. Someone wanted to buy his life, and the Emperor's Order accepted the job. This Zhao Wan'er didn't seem like the noble lady of Biancheng as rumored. How could someone who could help her brother gain a foothold in the court be an ordinary person?
Gu Youan stroked Zhao Wan'er's delicate hands, "I've heard that Sister Zhao is both beautiful and talented. I wonder if she is married?"
In the Dayong Dynasty, girls are betrothed at the age of ten. Most of the noble ladies in this household have their own fiancés, but Zhao Wan'er has not yet been betrothed. Could it be that she wants to enter the palace?
Gu Youan suppressed his thoughts and used despicable ideas to slander a girl.
Zhao Wan'er didn't think much of it, and with a very composed demeanor, she pulled Gu You'an into the crowd.
Miss Lin Baozhu of the Lin family, Miss Zheng Ruoer of the Zheng family, and Gu Youan glanced at the crowd. Among them was her cousin, Wang Yu'an.
Wang Yu'an discovered her at night, and a hint of surprise flashed across her face as she looked at him.
Gu Youan was in a dilemma. Zhao Huai had been killed in the mansion today, and the young girls in the backyard were likely to be implicated. She didn't care about the others, as most of those who came here today had some shady dealings with Zhao Huai. But if her cousin was implicated by her today, she would have a hard time explaining to the Wang and Gu families.
Gu Changming is the hope of the Gu family in this generation. Her presence here also represents the Gu family's stance. She touched her forehead, trying to remain calm. What should she do?
Wang Yu'an stepped forward and took Gu You'an's hand, "Cousin!"
Gu Youan glanced at her, and the two knew what the other was going to do the moment their eyes met.
Only Madam Wang and Gu Sheng knew about Gu Youan's activities at the Emperor's Mansion.
Wang Yu'an was surprised to see Gu You'an there. She took Gu You'an's hand and exchanged a few pleasantries, but Gu You'an didn't want to talk to her much.
The drinking game in the front hall was already halfway through, but there was still no sound. She pressed Wang Yu'an's hand, a hint of guilt flashing in her eyes.
"Cousin, I'm not feeling well and want to walk around a bit!"
Wang Yu'an took out a hand warmer and handed it to Gu You'an, saying, "It's cold today, you shouldn't have come."
Her gaze swept over Gu Youan's eyes, and she realized with a start that she had said the wrong thing. Everyone who came here was plotting for their own family.
Zhao Huai is a favorite of His Majesty and a rising star in the court.
In the blink of an eye, Gu Youan had already made her escape. She put on a human skin mask, changed into a maid's clothes, and quietly sneaked into the front hall.
Amidst the clinking of glasses and the presence of all sorts of uncultured people, Gu Youan removed a hairpin from her hair, twirled a bead, and poured powder little by little into a wine glass. She swirled the glass and slowly walked up to Zhao Huai, "Master!"
Zhao Huai gently raised his eyes, pulled Gu Youan into his arms, and splashed the wine behind him. Gu Youan suddenly fell into his arms, gently pushing him away, "Master!"
A knife suddenly appeared behind him, and Gu Youan was shocked. "We've been exposed!"
Zhao Huai climbed onto her and led her to the secret room. He threw Gu Youan onto a pile of straw and grabbed her by the neck. "Who sent you?"
Gu Youan reached out and touched her hair bun, but Zhao Huai ripped off her hairpin, causing her hair bun to come undone.
Zhao Huai examined the hairpin closely. "Trying to commit suicide?"
"Coming here, death is the easiest thing to do."
Gu Youan kicked Zhao Huai, then rolled over and got up.
Zhao Huai was not to be outdone. He punched her in the face, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. Gu Youan turned her head away, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
The waist token fell to the ground, and Zhao Huai picked up the gold token. The two characters "Xuanji" glittered.
A mocking smile appeared on his face. "You think you can kill me? Are all the assassins on the Emperor's Ship stupid these days?"
Gu Youan reached out to snatch it, but Zhao Huai kicked her to the ground, and blood dripped down her face.
She took her hair out, revealing a gold thread hidden inside. She secretly smashed the bracelet on her wrist, exposing the gold threads inside, and then crushed each of the gold threads and applied them to the gold thread.
She flipped over and straddled Zhao Huai's neck, tightly strangling him with gold thread.
A moment later, Zhao Huai gave up struggling, and Gu Youan fell to the ground. She got up, picked up the hairpin on the ground, and tied her hair back up. People outside heard the commotion and came in to check. Gu Youan hid on the roof beam.
Zhao Huai was killed, plunging the Zhao family into panic. Gu Youan took the opportunity to escape from the secret room. She changed into a pink dress, but her injuries could not be hidden, and blood dripped down her arms.
Zhao Huai died, Jian Nan disappeared, and the guards of the Zhao family sealed off the Zhao family's residence, waiting for the Dali Temple to come and investigate.
In her panic, she saw Xie Daoqing standing at the bottom of the steps, and there was a pond in the courtyard. Remembering the ending in the original book, she had an idea.
With a dislocated arm, a shoulder injury, and blood at the corner of his mouth, he knew he'd need half a month to recover from falling down such a high step. With a heavy heart, he plunged down.
Chaos reigned all around. The women in the backyard dared not come to the front hall, and no one noticed the person rolling down the steps.
After falling down the steps, Gu Youan clung to Xie Daoqing and tumbled into the pond.
"Someone has fallen into the water?" someone exclaimed, plunging the already tense Zhao family into even greater chaos.
The pool was shallow, and Xie Daoqing's leg hit a rock, leaving a large red stain on the water.
A pink dress floated on the water's surface as Gu Youan fainted.
Even the usually composed Zhao Wan'er panicked, and she gasped as she looked at the pink dress.
Zhao Huai was murdered in his own home, and Miss Gu and Young Master Xie both fell into the pond. How should she handle the aftermath?
She could only suppress her grief over the loss of her brother and send someone to inform the Xie and Gu families to come, for women in their boudoirs value their reputation most.
Wang Yu'an watched all this in panic. Gu You'an was Madam Wang's lifeblood. If something happened to Gu You'an, she, as the older sister, would be held responsible.
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