The weather did not improve the next day; the sky was gloomy, as if shrouded in a gray veil.
When Shen Jintang woke up, she thought it was the middle of the night. She rubbed her eyes, glanced at the time, and then realized that it was already morning.
"woke up?"
A deep, chuckled voice sounded in my ear.
Shen Jintang turned her head and saw Gu Zhixing sitting by the window, holding a book in his hand, his gaze seemingly falling on her with a hint of doting.
The bedding that was originally casually spread on the floor had been neatly arranged, making the room exceptionally clean, and a faint scent of ink and books lingered in the air.
As Shen Jintang recalled what happened last night, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she secretly regretted: How could I have fallen asleep while listening to this?
She frowned slightly, feigning composure as she asked, "Why did you wake up so early today?"
Normally, Gu Zhixing would sleep until the sun was high in the sky before getting up.
Is this unusual for you today?
Could it be that he didn't sleep all night?
Gu Zhixing smiled slightly, waved the book in his hand, and said with a hint of teasing, "Didn't I promise you that you would study and prepare for the next exam in the spring?"
He spoke in a serious tone, but his eyes were fixed on Shen Jintang.
Shen Jintang smiled faintly: "Your Highness is indeed the most trustworthy person."
Her voice was soft, as if she were coaxing a child.
"That's right!" Gu Zhixing proudly raised his chin, his eyes filled with a hint of mockery. He leaned closer to Shen Jintang and said rather ambiguously, "After all, this is the first principle you taught your students, Little Master. If the students haven't learned it, how can you teach me the next one?"
The Master...taught...
Upon hearing those two words, Shen Jintang's cheeks instantly burned, and she quickly looked away.
Gu Zhixing also sensed the awkward atmosphere and coughed softly to cover up his embarrassment: "Ahem..."
"But I really don't understand, what's so great about memorizing these books? I don't usually speak in classical Chinese."
Gu Zhixing used the opportunity of changing the subject to reveal his true feelings.
If it weren't for the imperial examinations, he really wouldn't know what the point of studying all this was.
Shen Jintang's face also turned slightly red. She lowered her head and said softly, "Although Your Highness doesn't usually use these classical Chinese phrases when speaking, they can determine where Your Highness will speak in the future."
She looked up, her gaze meeting Gu Zhixing's, her eyes filled with seriousness.
Gu Zhixing's heart skipped a beat under his gaze. He coughed softly and said, "Classes are about to start at the academy. I'm going to school now."
After saying that, he hurriedly got up, his back view carrying a hint of fleeing in panic.
As Shen Jintang watched his retreating figure, a complex emotion welled up in her heart, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
"Star Returns".
Seeing that Gu Zhixing had left, Shen Jintang called out softly.
Xinghui immediately pushed open the door and entered, tiptoeing to Shen Jintang's side to help her with her makeup and dressing.
"Master, the people arranged yesterday have all been evacuated as planned."
Xinghui skillfully tied Shen Jintang's hair into a bun while reporting in a low voice.
Shen Jintang closed his eyes, frowned slightly, and fell into deep thought.
Given Gu Zhixing's personality, he will surely send someone to investigate yesterday's assassination attempt.
Since the Ministry of Revenue wanted to take this opportunity to muddy the waters, she wouldn't mind making the situation even more murky.
On the other side, after Gu Zhixing left, Chongyang rushed over to report on what happened yesterday.
"Master, I failed in my duty and the assassin was not caught."
Chongyang knelt on the ground, filled with remorse, his head bowed, not daring to look at Gu Zhixing.
He failed to protect his master yesterday, and according to the rules, he should have been taken back to the Shadow Sect to be punished long ago.
Fortunately, his master did not blame him, but even so, he was unable to catch the murderer and atone for his sins.
"Get up."
Gu Zhixing narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze deep and cold.
The group of people he fought yesterday were agile and ruthless, far superior to ordinary bodyguards.
They seemed like meticulously trained assassins.
"It seems like someone deliberately cultivated him," he muttered to himself, a hint of coldness in his voice.
Training assassins is no easy task; it requires a great deal of money, energy, and time, and even more importantly, a powerful force as a backer.
If we can narrow down the range of people in the capital, the investigation might be much easier.
"My lord, I have found out that Miss Shen was assassinated immediately after leaving the Ministry of Revenue. This matter must be related to the Ministry of Revenue."
Chongyang's voice interrupted his thoughts, her tone carrying a certain certainty.
Ministry of Revenue?
Gu Zhixing frowned slightly, the "bad debt" that Shen Jintang had mentioned that day flashing through his mind.
Could it be that she went to the Ministry of Revenue to investigate a case?
Did she discover some secret that made her a target, even to the point of trying to silence her?
The more Gu Zhixing thought about it, the more reasonable his guess seemed.
His gaze grew colder, and he said in a deep voice, "Investigate..."
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
Gu Zhixing was interrupted by a clear call before he could finish speaking.
He turned around and saw a veiled woman slowly stepping down from the carriage. Behind her, her attendants carried a large amount of goods, making it a rather grand affair.
Gu Zhixing frowned slightly, trying hard to search his memory, but he couldn't remember who the woman was.
Shen Youyi stepped forward quickly, a fawning smile on her face, and held the clothes wrapped in brocade in both hands. She said respectfully, "Your Highness, these are newly made clothes from the workshop. I specially made several sets according to the measurements Your Highness gave me last time. I brought them here for Your Highness to take a look."
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