Chapter 42 I'm Too Late (Sixth Life)
Under the tense, expectant, or indifferent gazes of the crowd, Fangru suddenly smiled.
The smile was faint, yet it carried a sense of profound sorrow and a resolute determination that showed no lingering attachment.
Without the slightest hesitation, she extended her pale but steady hand and accepted the third glass of wine.
She tilted her head back, her throat moved slightly, and she drank the contents of the cup in one gulp.
His movements were swift and decisive, even carrying an indescribable air of regal composure, as if he were drinking a wonderful nectar.
She gently placed the wine glass back on the tray, making a crisp clinking sound.
She is safe and sound.
A suppressed gasp and whispers rose from inside the tent.
The soldiers looked at her with even more complicated expressions; this woman's composure and courage had exceeded their expectations.
The Queen's face darkened; the breakdown and pleading she most wanted to see did not materialize.
As Gu Zhou lay paralyzed on the ground, he saw Fang Ru drink the third cup of wine and remain unharmed. The last trace of color drained from his face in an instant, which undoubtedly indicated that the last cup must have been poisoned!
The shadow of death, like a tangible iron clamp, gripped his throat tightly.
He was trembling uncontrollably, his teeth chattering. The extreme fear finally broke through his physical limits, and a warm, fishy smell uncontrollably soaked his trousers. The unpleasant odor quietly spread in the tent.
Just as the stench and despair intertwined, and Gu Zhou handed the last cup of poisoned wine to the soldier, Gu Zhou shrank back as if he had seen a man-eating demon, refusing to reach out and touch it—at that critical moment!
Outside the tent, a series of extremely rapid hoofbeats, like thunder, came from afar and approached, shattering the deathly silence of the camp at dusk!
Immediately afterwards, a sharp, high-pitched shout tore through the air:
"His Majesty has arrived!"
Everyone's expression changed drastically. The Empress suddenly stood up, her phoenix eyes containing a trace of resentment at not being able to witness Fangru's despair, but even more so, surprise and doubt at the Emperor's sudden arrival.
She glared fiercely at Gu Zhou, whose face was ashen, but in the end, she could only quickly tidy herself up and prepare to receive the emperor.
Gu Zhou felt like a drowning man grabbing onto a piece of driftwood; he was almost completely exhausted, and a surge of elation at surviving a disaster welled up in his heart.
The emperor has arrived! This deadly game can finally be over! His life has finally been saved! He breathed greedily, as if he had been suffocating for a long time.
The tent flap was suddenly flung open, and Emperor Zhou Ling, dressed in black casual clothes, barged in, looking travel-worn and exuding a fierce aura.
His gaze, like a quenched blade, swept across the entire area in an instant, finally locking onto Fangru.
The bloody gash on her neck, pressed by the blade, caught her eye. What surged in Zhou Ling's eyes was not just anxiety, but a furious rage that seemed to want to burn everything.
"Who dares to touch her!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an overwhelming pressure that could crush anything. The soldiers with knives were so frightened that they immediately sheathed their swords and retreated.
Zhou Ling stepped forward, completely ignoring the people kneeling on the ground, and walked straight to Fang Ru.
He reached out, as if to touch her pale face, but stopped abruptly in mid-air, his knuckles clenched white.
"I am late."
These words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a burning, unmistakable heartache.
Upon seeing this, the Empress hurriedly stepped forward: "Your Majesty! I am interrogating the murderer who killed General Yan! Gu Zhou has confessed to being a spy for the Baiyang Society, and Shen Shi, she..."
"Shut up!"
Zhou Ling suddenly turned his head, his gaze piercing the Empress like an icicle. "I had no idea that the Empress had the power to use torture in the military camp and murder the widows of loyal officials!" The chill in his voice made the Empress tremble. "Are you in such a hurry to silence someone? Or do you think that my decree is no longer reliable?"
"Your Majesty would not dare! But..."
"No, not at all!" Zhou Ling interrupted sharply, each word striking the Empress until her face turned ashen. "From this day forward, you are to return to Fengyi Palace and reflect on your actions behind closed doors. Without my decree, you are not to step outside the palace gates! The Phoenix Seal will temporarily be held by the Consort! If I find you again interfering in matters you shouldn't..."
He sneered, and the threat in his unfinished words sent chills down everyone's spines.
After dealing with the Empress, when Zhou Ling turned to Fang Ru again, his tone softened unconsciously, but it carried an even stronger possessiveness.
"Fangru," he took a step closer, his tall figure almost engulfing her, with only an inch of distance between them. The scent of ambergris mixed with his sharp masculine aura enveloped her forcefully. "Don't be afraid. With me here, no one can hurt you in the slightest. Come back with me, and I will avenge Yan De. I will not let any of those who humiliated you get away with it."
He reached out and, this time, firmly grasped her cold wrist with an almost domineering force. His fingertips caressed the delicate skin of her wrist, sending a shiver down her spine.
This touch transcends the boundaries between ruler and subject, carrying an aggressive quality of firmly imprisoning the prey in the palm of one's hand.
Fangru raised her eyes and met the undisguised burning passion and determination in his deep eyes.
She suddenly smiled, a faint smile, yet one tinged with a profound and knowing sadness.
"Yan De's grudge?"
She repeated softly, her voice hoarse, yet it felt like a feather brushing against the tip of Zhou Ling's heart, making his heart tighten.
Before he could discern the resolute intent in that smile, Fangru was moved!
Using the force of his grip on her wrist, she leaned forward and, with lightning speed, grabbed the cup of poisoned wine from the table with her other hand!
"you!"
Zhou Ling's pupils dilated violently; it was too late to stop him!
Fangru tilted her head back and drank the liquid in her glass in one gulp right in front of him!
The movements were swift, ruthless, and precise, carrying a sacrificial, destructive pleasure.
The glass cup shattered into pieces.
Zhou Ling abruptly pulled her limp body into his arms, his arms encircling her like iron bands, and roared hoarsely, "Summon the imperial physician! Quickly!"
Fangru lay in his arms, her breath weak, her bloodied lips close to his ear, whispering a blood-stained curse: "Zhou Ling... is this... the ending you wanted? I... won't let you... have your way..."
Warm blood stained his dragon robe, the last glimmer of light in her eyes went out, and she sank into complete darkness with a hint of mockery.
Zhou Ling held her gradually cooling body tightly, his arms like iron hoops, refusing to let go.
The body in his arms, which had once aroused his intense possessiveness, was slowly losing its warmth, and the eyes that had just burned with mockery and hatred had completely dimmed.
A surge of unfulfilled rage, mixed with indescribable pain, tore his chest apart.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his imperial majesty shattered completely in the face of her resolute death.
...
Her consciousness was once again pulled from the chaos, and after the familiar dizziness subsided, Fangru suddenly opened her eyes.
Before her eyes was still the dazzling gate of the Prefectural Government's mansion, the same gate of the Xuanji Banquet, and the noisy crowd and rich fragrance instantly enveloped her.
She took a deep breath, her fingertips digging deep into her palms, using the distinct pain to confirm that she had once again returned to the starting point of her destiny.
This time, her goal was crystal clear: she had to ensure that Zhou Ling died this night, at the hands of the Baiyang Society!
Similar to her previous life, she swiftly retaliated against the wine Zhao Mingde splashed on her and precisely thwarted Lin Yueyao's sarcastic provocation.
However, unlike last time, she did not choose to impersonate that crucial imperial letter.
Now that she knows from the blood and tears of her fifth life that Gu Zhou was indeed a spy planted by the Baiyang Society, and that he had no true feelings for her and even directly caused Yan De's death, she will never offer this despicable man any help in this life.
His life or death is no longer her concern.
With her extraordinary dance skills, she once again won the dance battle championship without any suspense.
When Zhou Ling's deep gaze fell on her again, summoning her to the Glazed Flower Hall, Fangru's heart was as calm as ice.
In the hazy light and shadow of the flower hall, she once again extended that bold invitation to Zhou Ling to go to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
Furthermore, in a manner that seemed to be for the sake of "fun" and "secrecy," she insisted that he not bring any overt guards on this trip.
A hint of inquiry flashed in Zhou Ling's deep eyes, but perhaps it was her overly calm expression at the moment, or perhaps it was the coldness that was so different from other women that aroused his greater interest, and he agreed again.
Upon arriving at the elegant superior room of Zuixianlou, Fangru, following "old custom," calmly excused herself and went downstairs under the pretext of serving drinks.
Her steps appeared steady, but she was actually on edge.
Once out of Zhou Ling's sight, she quickly slipped into a corridor leading to the side courtyard.
After confirming that no one was following her, she lifted her skirt and swiftly and silently slipped into the flowerbed in the backyard, which appeared particularly deep and lush in the night.
Instead of wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly, she relied on the confidential information she had gleaned from the Imperial Study in her fourth life to know that three people were hiding in the dark crevice in the northwest corner of the artificial rockery in the backyard of Zuixianlou, and her observations of Huang Jiang's style of doing things when she was imprisoned in her fifth life to know that he preferred locations that were high up, had a wide view, and were easy to escape from.
Fangru's sharp gaze swept across the shadows, finally settling on a barely noticeable recess above the artificial hill. There, almost blending into the darkness, was Huang Jiang, the leader of the Baiyang Society's operation, and also the leader who had imprisoned her and Zhou Ling for two days in her previous life.
Almost at the same moment her gaze fell upon him, Huang Jiang, who was in the shadows, also sensed her approach. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and his hand was already on the short blade at his waist.
"Master Huang, wait!" Fangru spoke first, her voice low but urgent, "I am Shen Fangru, Gu Zhou's fiancée, an undercover agent under Liu Sui, the leader of the Green Wood Altar! I'm one of our own!"
Huang Jiang did not immediately lower his guard. Instead, he crouched slightly like a cheetah and sneered, "Hmph, Miss Shen? Gu Zhou never mentioned you as one of our own. What are you doing here in the middle of the night? Are you perhaps bait sent by the government?"
Fangru's mind raced; she knew that ordinary explanations would hardly convince this suspicious leader.
Instead of backing down, she stepped forward to meet his scrutinizing gaze, her tone carrying just the right amount of grievance and indignation: "Master Huang, have you forgotten how the spy behind the grain shop in the West Market was taken down seven days ago? If I hadn't risked everything to pass on the message through Gu Zhou, reminding you that the people of the Capital Magistrate were already watching that place, the losses would have been far greater than what we have now. Gu Zhou was cautious and didn't fully inform you, Master Huang, for fear of implicating me. But today's situation is critical, and I have no choice but to show myself!"
As she spoke, she carefully observed Huang Jiang's reaction. Seeing that his eyes flickered slightly but his doubts remained, she immediately offered a more substantial bargaining chip: "If we weren't one of our own, how would I know that the old injury on the incense master's left arm was inflicted while saving Chief Liu, and that it aches terribly whenever it rains? How would I know that the incense master used the alias 'Huang San' when he infiltrated the capital's military camp five years ago, and that the secret code was 'East Wind Thaws'?"
These details were precisely what she had memorized during her fourth life when she overheard a spy reporting to Zhou Ling from behind a screen in the Imperial Study.
Huang Jiang's expression finally changed. These secrets, especially the matter of rescuing Chief Liu, were something that outsiders could never possibly know.
He loosened his grip on the hilt of the sword slightly, but his eyes remained sharp: "Even so, the orders from above are to capture the emperor alive. What is your purpose in showing yourself now?"
Fangru knew the crucial moment had arrived, and her tone became extremely solemn: "That's why I've come! Master Huang, you must listen to me! Capturing him alive is too risky. Zhou Ling is exceptionally skilled and cunning. If something goes wrong during the transport, or if his secret guards arrive in time, we will all be doomed! We must take advantage of his unpreparedness and kill him on the spot to eliminate future troubles! By luring him here, I have cut off his overt support. This is a golden opportunity!"
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