"General Ye!"
Shen Jintang suddenly stepped between the two.
Her slender fingers blocked the old general's bulging veins, and she said in a firm voice, "General Ye, please calm down! No one wants to see this situation."
"Get out of the way!" The old general's roar made Shen Jintang's eardrums ache.
She saw the old man's cloudy tears mingling with the rain, forming a thin stream on his chin. "What do you know? My Ye family has only had one son for three generations... How can you expect me to stay calm?!"
How could she not know?
When her family was destroyed and she lost her life, her feelings were arguably even greater than theirs.
The sound of raindrops hitting the stone slabs was like a thousand tiny drums, splashing mud and water, leaving mottled stains on everyone's clothes. Those brown mud spots spread out, much like dried bloodstains.
The old general's hand was still tightly gripping Gu Zhixing's collar, his knuckles white, as if he wanted to pour all his last bit of anger into that grip.
Just then, Gu Zhixing's gaze suddenly pierced through the rain and fixed on the outside of the crowd—the Crown Prince.
The man stood by the stone bridge railing, holding an umbrella. The hem of his dark brocade robe was embroidered with dark gold cloud patterns, which gleamed coldly in the rain. A faint smile played on his lips, as if he were watching a meticulously choreographed drama.
"Tai...zi..."
These two words were squeezed out from between Gu Zhixing's teeth, carrying a bloody smell.
His muscles tensed instantly, and he abruptly broke free from General Ye's grasp, charging out like a wild beast out of control.
He stepped on the puddles on the bluestone slabs, splashing water that drew silvery arcs in the rain.
Shen Jintang noticed Gu Zhixing's actions and almost instantly understood what Gu Zhixing wanted to do.
"Gu Zhixing!"
Shen Jintang's exclamation was mostly swallowed up by the sound of the rain.
In the blink of an eye, she pounced on him and hugged his waist from behind. She could feel his muscles trembling violently, like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
"open!"
Gu Zhixing roared, veins bulging on his forehead, eyes bloodshot, rain dripping down his jawline, a mixture of tears and raindrops, “I’m going to kill him with my own hands!”
The Crown Prince feigned panic and took a half step back, tilting his oil-paper umbrella slightly in his hand: "Tuizhi, what are you doing? I understand your grief over the loss of your dear friend, but you can't just make baseless accusations!"
As he spoke, he slowly approached, using the edge of the umbrella for cover, and lowered his voice, saying, "So what if I killed him? Do you have any proof?"
The string in Gu Zhixing's mind snapped.
He suddenly swung his fist and slammed it hard into the prince's face!
With a muffled thud, the prince's golden crown flew off at an angle, rolling several times in the mud. His face, which always wore a fake smile, was turned to the side by the blow, and blood immediately seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Protect His Highness!"
The guards rushed forward, the clashing of sword sheaths echoing throughout the room.
The prince staggered and grabbed the railing, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, and suddenly chuckled softly.
That smile sent chills down your spine—it was clearly the smugness of someone who had succeeded.
"Gu Zhixing!"
Shen Jintang's voice almost tore through the rain.
She lunged forward and wrapped her entire weight around his waist, her arms aching from the tightness.
The scalding heat from Gu Zhixing's body seeped through his soaked clothes, like a red-hot iron.
"let go!"
Gu Zhixing squeezed out those two words through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse and barely audible.
The veins on his forehead throbbed, and his bloodshot eyes were fixed on the crown prince, as if he wanted to burn two holes in the man's body.
Shen Jintang pressed her face against his violently heaving back, her voice choked with sobs: "Listen to me... He's just waiting for you to do it! Without evidence, you'd be accused of assassinating the Crown Prince in public..."
"Evidence?" Gu Zhixing suddenly let out a shrill, bitter laugh. "He admitted it himself!"
He struggled frantically, his elbow slamming into Shen Jintang's ribs, causing her to feel dizzy from the pain.
The crown prince calmly straightened his sleeves, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Tuizhi, don't make baseless accusations."
But his expression clearly said: I just love seeing you like this... like a mad dog.
This attitude completely shattered Gu Zhixing's last shred of rationality.
He let out a roar that sounded inhuman, and abruptly threw Shen Jintang half a step back: "I'll make you pay with your life!!"
Shen Jintang staggered to her feet and saw a smug glint in the Crown Prince's eyes.
Without hesitation, she delivered a precise chop to the back of Gu Zhixing's neck.
The man's tall body stiffened instantly, and then he fell down like a puppet with its strings cut.
"master!"
When Chongyang rushed over, Shen Jintang had already caught Gu Zhixing in her arms.
His head slumped limply over her shoulder, his hot breath spraying against her neck, raindrops still clinging to his eyelashes, making him appear somewhat fragile.
"Tsk tsk, this impulsive nature really needs to be changed, otherwise he'll suffer a great loss."
The crown prince stood to one side, his tone somewhat sarcastic.
Shen Jintang looked up at the Crown Prince, her eyes so cold they could freeze: "Your Highness's teachings today will be etched in my heart."
She turned to Chongyang, who was standing there dumbfounded, and said in a voice that left no room for argument: "What are you standing there for? Help your young master up."
In the rain, the prince's smile gradually froze.
He watched as Shen Jintang helped Gu Zhixing up, and the three of them stumbled towards the carriage. Suddenly, he clenched the jade pendant tightly in his hand.
The force was so great it almost crushed the jade, and his eyes revealed murderous intent.
The rain fell like a waterfall, with large raindrops pounding on the bluestone slabs and splashing up countless droplets. The entire imperial city was shrouded in a hazy mist, and the lanterns on the eaves swayed in the wind, casting flickering shadows.
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