No one knew better than Shen Jintang why Gu Junze had come.
Because she was the one who sent the message out.
Her actions were precisely to lure the Crown Prince to this place.
This place is rife with bandits and corrupt officials, a complete mess.
If the Crown Prince dies here, it's unlikely anyone will be able to say for sure who did it.
This was her true purpose.
When Gu Junze received the news and came here, he may have had some doubts, but as she was forced to retreat step by step, Gu Junze believed that everything was under his control, and at this point, he completely let down his guard.
Even the guards were placed outside.
This undoubtedly gave Shen Jintang an excellent opportunity for revenge.
Shen Jintang gripped the short knife in her hand and approached the Crown Prince step by step.
"Whoosh—"
The dagger was drawn with a very low sound.
She had considered seeking revenge by revealing the truth, but the Ministry of Revenue embezzlement case made her see the emperor's true colors.
The emperor's protection of the crown prince reached the point of being unable to distinguish right from wrong. Even though the crown prince was inextricably linked to the Ministry of Revenue's silver embezzlement case, the emperor still turned a blind eye and pretended not to see it.
Shen Jintang knew that even if she investigated the Youzhou case thoroughly, the emperor might not depose the crown prince, let alone make him pay with his life.
Perhaps the emperor was not unaware of the Xie family's loyalty, but because the Xie family's achievements threatened his authority, he turned a blind eye and allowed the crown prince to frame the Xie family.
Thinking of this, Shen Jintang couldn't help but sneer inwardly. There was no point in thinking about it anymore!
Blood debts must be repaid with blood!
A flash of cold light appeared, and the short knife in Shen Jintang's hand shot out like a venomous snake, aiming straight for Gu Junze's back.
"Pfft!"
The dull thud of the blade piercing flesh was particularly jarring in the silent room.
Shen Jintang's pupils suddenly contracted.
Unbeknownst to them, Gu Zhixing had appeared between the two. The poisoned dagger was now deeply embedded in his shoulder, blood seeping out and staining his clothes red.
"you……"
Shen Jintang's hand was still frozen in mid-air, her fingertips stained with Gu Zhixing's blood.
Her voice lingered in her throat, but she couldn't utter it.
Looking at the man's pale face, her mind went blank, and countless thoughts surged like a tide.
Why?
Why would he take the knife for Gu Junze?
Was it because of the bond of brotherhood, or... did he anticipate that she would make a move?
Countless questions churned in her mind, leaving her completely disoriented.
He already knew her identity and that she had a grudge against the Crown Prince, so why didn't he stop her when she entered the capital?
Why wait until now?
Shen Jintang's fingertips began to tremble, and her heart trembled along with them.
Assassinating the crown prince is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. Now that her attempt has failed, what awaits her is...
She glanced out the window out of the corner of her eye; the assassins Xinghui had arranged should still be lurking in the shadows.
If we break through now...
A slight thought crossed her mind, but it quickly faded away.
There is virtually no chance of winning.
Shen Jintang's throat tightened, as if something was blocking it, making it difficult for her to even breathe.
What are you doing?
When Gu Junze turned around, he only saw Gu Zhixing holding Shen Jintang tightly in his arms.
Their clothes were tangled together, blending into a dark mass in the dim candlelight.
The crown prince's fingertips paused slightly inside his sleeve. Even as the crown prince, he couldn't understand what Gu Zhixing was trying to do.
Shen Jintang looked up and met Gu Zhixing's pale face.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his lips were tinged with gray—the poisoned dagger was buried deep in his shoulder.
Fresh blood gushed out from the scalpel groove, making her fingertips sticky and wet.
Although the clothes prepared for him were red, they were now soaked in blood and turned dark.
Seeing Gu Zhixing's increasingly pale face, Shen Jintang suddenly realized—this poisoned knife was taking his life.
She instinctively tried to draw the dagger, but Gu Zhixing held her down firmly.
"Don't move."
Gu Zhixing's lips moved silently, and the veins on his hand pressing on her lower back bulged, the force so great that it seemed as if he wanted to embed her into his body.
Shen Jintang could discern what he wanted to say from his slightly trembling lips, but her heart was in turmoil.
Don't move?
How can she not move now?
If we don't move, aren't we just sitting and waiting to die?
Her skill was enough to stab the crown prince in an instant. The blade was coated with a deadly poison, and without an antidote, the crown prince would surely die if he was stabbed.
Once the Crown Prince is dead, her revenge will be complete. Her life or death, whether she can escape, and whether she can cover up the news will no longer matter.
The Ministry of Revenue's silver case, the mystery—none of it mattered to her.
Anyway, she came to Kyoto to kill Gu Junze!
"Let go!"
She forced a low growl through her teeth, then suddenly exerted force, trying to draw her knife.
Her gaze gradually hardened; she was determined to kill Gu Junze, and anyone who stood in her way would be killed!
With a muffled thud as the blade scraped through flesh and bone, Gu Zhixing groaned, but instead pulled her even tighter, as if trying to embed her into his own body.
"Retreat?"
Gu Junze frowned, looking at their entangled figures, somewhat confused about what they were doing.
So he lifted his foot and slowly walked towards them.
The prince's brocade boots trod across the blue brick floor, one step, two steps, each step making Shen Jintang's heart race.
Shen Jintang caught a glimpse of the Crown Prince out of the corner of her eye, and slightly changed the direction of her knife.
Gu Zhixing also noticed that Gu Junze was walking this way, and he also noticed the change in Shen Jintang's expression.
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