As Zhou Changling passed by Li Lin, he snapped, "Aren't you coming along?"
Li Lincai felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and almost lost his composure, scrambling to his feet and following Zhou Changling.
Li Lin's disheveled appearance was naturally noticed by the eunuch beside Zhou Changling.
When Zhou Changling went to court, the little eunuch made his way to Luanxi Pavilion and told Li Mu everything.
After rewarding the young eunuch, Li Mu also took the opportunity to pass on the message, feeling uneasy and wondering if Zhou Jin would succeed this time.
...
Zhou Jin, who had received the news, was already prepared. He looked forward to it every day, but he couldn't find the right opportunity.
According to reports, Zhou Changling was going to take half of his secret guards with him when he left the palace this time, and he wasn't going to make a big fuss about it. If he had just gone out normally with his guards, it would have been troublesome. Fortunately, there's always a way out.
Zhou Jin finally saw the opportunity. After discussing with his secret guards and ensuring the plan was correct, he began to take action.
...
The palace at this time.
After Zhou Changling finished the morning court session, he spent most of his time disguising himself. He didn't have time to say goodbye to Bai Lingxi and had to hurry on his way. The main reason was that he was late, which made Zhao Xueqing's whereabouts even more unpredictable.
The day Zhou Changling left, Zhou Jin took action.
Zhou Jin arrived in the middle of the night.
Under the cover of night, dozens of figures moved like ghosts, attacking from all sides of the palace. The guards were familiar with the palace and knew Zhou Changling's plans.
Therefore, apart from the dozen or so injured, no one died here.
Zhou Jin took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the palace, picked up the sleeping Bai Lingxi and flew away. Fearing that she would wake up halfway, he even pressed her sleeping acupoint.
Li Lin, that old fellow, was drinking with Li Mu and had long been drunk by the scheming Li Mu, so he was completely unaware of what was happening.
He was holding Li Mu and pouring out his grievances: "Brother, I'm so bitter. I was doing this for the Emperor, but I almost lost my head because of a single sentence."
Li Mu sneered inwardly: Serves you right, who gave you the right to speak ill of Consort Rong?
However, he didn't show it on his face, even though that was what he was thinking. He comforted him by saying, "Alas, brother, you should be careful with your words. After all, the Seventh Prince has become the emperor, and the emperor's heart is unpredictable."
Some of the guards spotted Bai Lingxi and tried to give chase, but they were all stopped by the guards brought by Zhou Jin. With two against one, Zhou Changling's side was naturally defeated.
The guards, having failed to stop the Empress and complete their master's mission, knew they were doomed and became ruthless, unleashing deadly attacks at every turn.
Unfortunately, the people on the other side seemed to know their martial arts skills and moves, and were able to break through them one by one, and even counter them.
When the time was almost up, the assassins scattered and fled in completely different directions. Even though the guards chased after them, they couldn't find any trace of Bai Lingxi.
The guards returned to the palace, and the leader stepped forward. He was the deputy commander of Zhou Changling's guard battalion.
Royal regulations stipulated that the Grand Commander must always be by the Emperor's side to protect his safety, and he accepted the task of protecting the Empress.
The deputy commander of the Dark Guard has his own code name, Dark Moon, and he is also injured now.
Blood seeped from his arm, but he paid no heed. He gathered everyone together and asked, "Does anyone remember the moves the assassins used?"
"It seems to be the technique of the royal guards. Could it be that someone colluded with the late emperor's guards?"
"But the royal guards are only loyal to the emperors of each generation. Could it be that the late emperor has come back to life?"
The expressions on everyone's faces varied, and they were all filled with surprise and uncertainty. In the end, they were unable to reach a reasonable conclusion.
However, since this matter concerns the Empress, they still need to report it to the Emperor as soon as possible.
Therefore, they decided to send two people to Lingnan to inform Zhou Changling, while the rest would search for Bai Lingxi's whereabouts. It would be best if they could make amends, but even if they couldn't, they would do their best to make up for it.
The two people sent out were the best in light-footed skills, and none of them were injured in the fight.
However, man proposes, God disposes. Zhou Jin's plan was to send men to stake out the only route to Nanling and kill anyone who came to report the news.
The two guards died silently, but unfortunately, everyone was kept in the dark. By the time they realized what had happened, Zhou Changling was already on his way back to the capital, missing the best opportunity to catch up with Bai Lingxi.
After Zhou Jin intercepted Bai Lingxi, he didn't dare to stop and led his men at breakneck speed all the way to a small mountain village far from the capital.
The area is blessed with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and is sparsely populated, mostly inhabited by the elderly, women, and children. Most of the able-bodied men have gone to the capital to seek a living, so they can hide here without being discovered.
Zhou Jin had moved here half a month in advance and made all the necessary arrangements, so their presence wasn't considered abrupt. Moreover, they didn't live with the villagers; they lived halfway up the mountain, a place where they could attack or defend at will, so most people wouldn't dare to provoke them.
Upon arriving at their destination, Zhou Jin still held Bai Lingxi tightly in his arms, as if she were a treasure stolen by an evil dragon—no, a treasure that had been lost and found again, and he couldn't bear to put her down.
In winter, the mountains are covered in snow, and the thick snow layer blocks the way for people from the foot of the mountain, but this road is easy for Zhou Jin.
Zhou Jin possessed exceptional lightness skills; even carrying a person did not diminish his abilities in the slightest. Like a wild goose leaving its mark, Zhou Jin effortlessly carried Bai Lingxi across the foot of the mountain to their residence halfway up.
The house was built with the finest wood and bricks, and was airtight, but the workmanship was rather rough, and it was obvious at a glance that it was newly built.
When Zhou Jin put Bai Lingxi back on the bed, he was still a little reluctant. He really hadn't been intimate with Xi'er for a long time, but there was still a long way to go. He had finally brought her to his side, and there would always be opportunities.
Zhou Jin placed his large hand on Bai Lingxi's face, gently stroking it, his eyes filled with the joy of having her back after a long loss: "Xi'er, my Xi'er!"
Bai Lingxi seemed to sense something and frowned uncomfortably, which startled Zhou Jin, who quickly withdrew his hand. However, due to the large movement, he accidentally caught Bai Lingxi's collar.
Zhou Jin frantically tried to help her pull up her clothes, but in the next moment, as if she saw something, her eyes immediately changed.
On the woman's fair chest, clusters of red plum blossoms bloomed, a mark that stung Zhou Jin's eyes. This was...
Zhou Jin's eyes widened in disbelief, his chest filled with rage.
Rebellious son!
What a rebellious son!
Zhou Jin's eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, and he released all the imperial pressure he had accumulated over the years. Zhou Jin clenched his fists, and his immense anger and tyranny were about to burst forth.
Zhou Jin's temples bulged with veins, his inner strength leaked out, his clothes rustled, and his thunderous rage seemed to devour and destroy everything.
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