"I was wrong!"
Gu Junze shouted, his voice filled with an unprecedented panic and urgency, like a cornered beast finally revealing its survival instinct.
"Tuizhi, I know I was wrong. If you forgive me, I will forgive Shen Jintang, okay?"
Blood gushed from his shoulder, staining his robes and reflecting his disheveled and terrified state.
Gu Zhixing paused slightly, his long sword still held high, the blood dripping from its tip splashing onto the floor in tiny sprays.
Although his eyes remained cold, his tense body revealed a hint of hesitation.
Seeing this, Gu Junze was secretly delighted, knowing that he had finally found a glimmer of hope.
He quickly said, "As long as you stop, I will pretend that what happened today never happened."
His voice trembled slightly, yet he tried to maintain a semblance of dignity, attempting to exchange his last shred of self-respect for a chance at survival, and said, "I will no longer make things difficult for Shen Jintang. I will immediately withdraw all the people I sent out and guarantee that I will not harm her in the slightest."
Gu Zhixing is like a raging beast. Once he goes berserk, he doesn't care who's who and only wants to achieve his goals.
He also understood that Gu Zhixing had only one purpose for this trip: to get Shen Jintang.
As long as Shen Jintang is safe, he has a glimmer of hope.
Gu Junze is different from Gu Zhixing. He is the Crown Prince, the heir apparent, and the future emperor. He carries too many responsibilities and expectations on his shoulders.
If he were to become disabled, all his grand ambitions in life would be in vain.
He still has too many things he cares about, and he can't act recklessly like a madman like Gu Zhixing.
At this moment, he finally put aside all his pride and face and chose to back down.
For him, dignity and face were no longer important in the face of life and death.
He just wanted to save his life and preserve his future possibilities.
“Gu Zhixing, listen to me,” Gu Junze’s voice trembled slightly, but carried a hint of pleading, “I promise, I will never make things difficult for Shen Jintang again. I will immediately order the recall of everyone so that she can stay safe in the capital.”
A hint of urgency and helplessness flashed in his eyes as he explained, "You should know that if I die, my guards will not let Shen Jintang go."
Gu Zhixing's breathing grew heavy, his gaze shifting between Gu Junze and the pool of blood, as if a storm was raging within him.
He certainly understood what Gu Junze meant.
He has cultivated his own power base since childhood, while Gu Junze, as the crown prince, has just as many people as him.
He was able to successfully infiltrate the Eastern Palace this time because he had a large number of men, and because Gu Junze was unprepared, as his men were all outside and could not be recalled immediately.
Gu Zhixing gripped the knife tightly, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
He also understood that Gu Junze's concession at this moment was only to save his life and to buy himself a chance to survive.
However, he was even more aware that when it comes to doing something, you either don't do it at all, or you do it thoroughly.
The scales of hesitation swayed slightly between killing and not killing.
On one hand, they could vent their anger with a swift strike, but this would also leave Shen Jintang in countless dangers; on the other hand, they could stop fighting and reach an agreement to ensure Shen Jintang's safety first.
"Wow!"
Just as Gu Zhixing was caught in a dilemma, a child's cry, both innocent and piercing, suddenly broke the tense stalemate.
The two people inside looked out at the same time and saw a woman dressed in a plain dress, holding a child of about three years old tightly in her arms, stumbling in.
Her face was filled with fear and panic, but her eyes revealed a hint of determination.
"Zhi Niang, why did you bring Qi'er here? Go back right now!"
A hint of panic flashed in Gu Junze's eyes, and his voice carried a trace of urgency and reproach.
His gaze softened and became complicated in an instant; the child's cries touched the softest part of his heart.
"Your Highness!"
The woman called Zhi Niang had tears in her eyes. She trembled as she put down the child in her arms and ran to stand in front of Gu Junze, using her body to form a solid barrier for him.
"Father, Mother!"
The child was so frightened by this sudden turn of events that he burst into tears. His innocent cries echoed in the empty hall, sounding particularly jarring.
In an instant, the hall was in complete chaos.
Gu Zhixing's gaze slowly swept over the family of three, a complex emotion welling up in his heart.
He certainly recognized the woman and the child.
Zhi Niang is the Crown Princess, and she and Gu Junze are a loving couple. Qi'er is their child, who has just turned three. Tears are hanging on his round face, and his crying is heartbreaking.
"If the young master wants to kill, he might as well kill our whole family of three. What's the point of leaving us, an orphan and a widow, to be bullied in the world?"
Zhi Niang stood in front of Gu Junze, raised her head, and stared intently at Gu Zhixing. Her eyes were filled with determination, but upon closer listening, her voice trembled slightly.
Gu Zhixing paused, the child's cries echoing in his ears, piercing his heart with pain.
The longsword, gleaming with cold light, now seemed as heavy as a thousand pounds, making it difficult for him to lift.
"Tuizhi, I keep my word."
Seeing that Gu Zhixing's expression had softened, Gu Junze, clutching the wound on his shoulder, slowly sat up and continued to negotiate with a hint of weakness in his voice: "As long as you put down the knife now, I will pretend that nothing happened and will never make things difficult for Chen Jintang again from now on."
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