"How dare you! How dare you trespass within the palace grounds!"
Xing Hui instantly stood in front of Shen Jintang, his eyes wide with anger, his shout filled with fury.
However, the guards ignored her and directly restrained her, roughly gagging her.
Xinghui struggled, her eyes filled with terror and resentment.
Shen Jintang narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the guards' uniforms—Xingwu Guard, these were the Crown Prince's men.
She already had a pretty good idea of what was going on, but she remained calm and looked up at the door.
The guards bowed respectfully, and then a man dressed in brocade robes walked in slowly; it was the Crown Prince.
"What does Your Highness mean by this?"
Shen Jintang slowly stood up, her voice clear and calm, as if everything was under her control.
She slightly raised her eyes, looking directly at the Crown Prince, without the slightest fear in her gaze.
The Crown Prince's face was ashen, his eyes filled with malice, as if he wished he could devour Shen Jintang alive.
He gritted his teeth, his voice low and sinister: "Take him down!"
Following the Crown Prince's order, the guards pounced on Shen Jintang like wolves and tigers.
However, just as the guards' hands were about to touch her, Shen Jintang turned around, her movements as fluid as flowing water.
She reached into the scabbard and drew her longsword, the blade flashing a cold light in the early morning glow.
With a clang, the sword was drawn, its blade flashing through the air like lightning, aimed directly at the guard's arm.
"ah--"
A piercing scream shattered the morning tranquility, and blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly staining the ground red.
The guard's arm was cleanly severed, the severed limb arcing through the air before crashing heavily to the ground with a dull thud.
The guard writhed on the ground in agony, clutching his severed limbs, blood splattering everywhere – a horrifying sight.
Shen Jintang stood steadily in place, his long sword hanging down, the tip of the sword lightly touching the ground, making a soft and crisp sound.
Blood slowly dripped down the blade, leaving mottled bloodstains on the ground, and a faint smell of blood filled the air.
Her expression was cold and stern, with no trace of panic in her eyes, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than a trivial matter.
She raised her head slightly, her gaze as sharp as a knife as she stared directly at the Crown Prince, her tone cold and calm: "Without rules, there can be no order. I am an official appointed by the court. If the Crown Prince wishes to arrest me, do you have an imperial decree?"
Although the voice was not loud, every word was like a cold glint, piercing straight to the heart.
"presumptuous!"
Crown Prince Gu Junze's face instantly turned ashen, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were filled with anger and shock.
As the crown prince, he was so dared to be contradicted by a woman, and the anger in his heart boiled like magma.
He gritted his teeth, his voice filled with suppressed rage: "Shen Jintang, how dare you defy me? Do you truly consider me nothing?"
Shen Jintang sneered, the sword trembled slightly, and a cold light flashed.
Her tone was cold and firm, each word like gold: "Without an imperial decree, leading troops to break into the palace is a heinous crime of treason. Those who commit treason will not be guilty even if they are executed on the spot."
She slowly raised her sword, the tip pointing directly at the Crown Prince, a hint of ruthlessness in her eyes: "This sword was bestowed by the late Emperor. I will execute first and report later. Your Highness, do not force me."
Gu Junze's gaze lingered on Shen Jintang for a moment before finally settling on the sword.
A complex look flashed in his eyes, and he said through gritted teeth, "Tuizhi is truly devoted to you, even entrusting you with this sword."
He knew in his heart that this sword was Gu Zhixing's talisman, but now it was in Shen Jintang's hands, which showed how important she was to him.
Shen Jintang smiled slightly, but the smile was so cold it sent chills down one's spine: "Your Highness, today's events are entirely your own fault and have nothing to do with anyone else."
Her voice was deep and powerful, each word striking Gu Junze's heart like a heavy hammer.
He was referring to the issue of displaced people and corruption in the Ministry of Revenue, which was also the reason why he was so disarmed.
Gu Junze's face grew increasingly grim. His eyes were sinister, and his hands clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Shen Jintang set up this trap for him, colluding with Shen Huaixu and Li Lang to secretly trip him up.
He learned that Li Lang would return to court this morning and expose the whole story of the refugee crisis and the Ministry of Revenue's embezzlement of silver.
He had already sent people to stop them, but before that, he wanted to kill Shen Jintang, the culprit.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to quell the hatred in his heart.
Gu Junze's gaze gradually turned cold. He turned his head slightly, as if to order someone to take Shen Jintang down directly.
He refused to believe that with so many elite troops, he couldn't defeat a weak woman.
Before he could make a move, Shen Jintang's next words cut him off: "Your Highness, please give the order. I am confident that I can take Your Highness's life within five steps. My life is worthless; I will exchange one life for another without suffering any loss."
Her voice was unwavering, and her eyes were as cold as ice, as if she had already disregarded life and death.
"you……"
Gu Junze had suffered repeated losses at Shen Jintang's hands, and his anger had reached its peak.
Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, they suddenly heard orderly footsteps outside, clearly the sound of well-trained guards.
Within the imperial palace, only the Embroidered Uniform Guards could openly carry swords and were well-trained.
"You're stalling for time."
Gu Junze's face grew increasingly gloomy, his gaze glaring at Shen Jintang like a knife, finally realizing her plan belatedly.
She didn't really want to fight to the death, but was stalling for time, waiting for the arrival of the Imperial Guards so that she could escape unscathed.
Shen Jintang smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
Seeing Shen Jintang's attitude, Gu Junze was furious.
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