Chapter 208 The Beauty's Curtain Falls
That night, there was no wind or moon, and the entire Crown Prince's residence was shrouded in darkness.
Wei Ningyan and her servant Chunqing, both dressed in black cloaks, gradually blended into the night after leaving the room.
After successfully exiting through the second gate, I stood at the entrance for a while to make sure no one was following me before continuing on my way.
Having successfully exited through the side gate, the two breathed a sigh of relief as they looked at the street before them.
Without stopping, he walked towards a small alley not far away.
A carriage was parked in the shadows of the alley. The two quickly got into the carriage, and the driver immediately drove away.
"Miss, we're out. It went very smoothly."
Chunqing exclaimed in surprise from inside the car.
"Hmph, with the Crown Prince's secret guards here to provide backup, things can't possibly go wrong."
Wei Ningyan said with a cold smile.
“The Crown Prince is a man of his word,” Chunqing nodded.
"Yes, these princes nowadays are all much better than that madman, the First Prince."
As the two were talking, the carriage suddenly stopped.
Wei Ningyan asked warily, "Why are you not leaving?"
There was no reply from the driver outside the carriage, only a muffled groan and the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground.
Wei Ningyan had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, a soft laugh came from outside the car window:
"Where is my beloved concubine planning to go in the dead of night?"
Is she planning to elope with someone?
The familiar voice made Wei Ningyan's heart skip a beat, but she quickly calmed down, lifted the car curtain, and got out of the car with composure.
Outside the carriage, the eldest prince sat on his horse, looking down at the outside world, holding a bow in his hand, the bowstring still trembling slightly.
The coachman lay on the ground, his forehead pierced by an arrow.
The eldest prince watched as Wei Ningyan calmly alighted from the carriage, then nocked another arrow and drew his bow fully again, this time aiming it directly at her brow.
When Wei Ningyan realized that her scheme had been exposed and knew that she could not escape death, she simply closed her eyes.
Either way, you're going to die; it makes no difference whether you die sooner or later.
It's just a pity for Chunqing, having to follow me...
Wei Ningyan thought to herself.
But after closing his eyes, no arrows came flying at him.
Wei Ningyan opened her eyes again in confusion, looking coldly at the eldest prince in front of her.
The eldest prince suddenly smiled wickedly: "Oh right, I just remembered, this great battle is about to break out, and no one has come to raise the flag to boost morale yet."
Now that things are looking at it this way, you seem to be the more suitable one.
Wei Ningyan scoffed, "Using a woman as a sacrifice, how could you even think of that?"
The eldest prince, upon hearing this, did not get angry but instead laughed:
"Don't worry, you're not the only one. The Crown Prince's spies will be with you too."
Only then did Wei Ningyan realize that the entire line had been exposed.
I just don't know if Huaiqing's place has been discovered.
However, at this moment, she no longer had the chance to inform Huaiqing.
The next day at noon, the eldest prince mustered his troops at the drill ground and summoned his generals.
After the three drumbeats, all the generals arrived at the drill ground.
Looking at the stake in front of them, there were seven or eight people tied to it, and in the middle was a woman dressed in fine clothes.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the Crown Prince's wife.
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
Soon the eldest prince emerged and, looking at his subordinates, announced:
"Now that we are starting an uprising, we naturally need someone to sacrifice our flag."
These were all spies the Crown Prince planted around me, and they've all been uprooted.
One of his subordinates asked, "Is the Crown Prince's wife also one?"
The eldest prince smiled faintly and said, "Of course."
Suddenly, a burly man with a full beard, dark skin, and a ferocious expression laughed and spoke:
"I've heard that this second daughter of the Wei family is a famously beautiful young lady in the capital."
It would be a waste to kill them. Why not grant them to us, Your Highness, so that we brothers can have some fun too?
His words seemed to resonate with many people, and a few echoed his sentiments.
The eldest prince's face darkened, and he threw the knife in his hand in front of these people.
Then, in a detached voice, he said:
"What belongs to this prince shall not be coveted by others, whether he lives or dies."
Everyone was startled when they saw the knife that suddenly appeared before them.
He understood what the eldest prince meant and hurriedly apologized.
Wei Ningyan had been tied up here since last night. She was in a daze. The midday sun was scorching her body, but she could only feel a chill creeping up her head.
It was already noon, and the eldest prince ordered a massacre to be performed to appease the flag.
Wei Ningyan struggled to lift her head and look at the eldest prince, her voice hoarse, but still loud and clear:
"You think you've won by killing me?"
The eldest prince looked at her mockingly and said:
"Do you have any last words? I can listen, but I can't guarantee I'll pass them on to you."
Looking at the Crown Prince's face, Wei Ningyan wished she could devour his flesh raw.
She struggled to lift her head, trying to maintain her last shred of dignity, and smiled as she said:
"My last words are that you will die because of my scheme."
The eldest prince grinned upon hearing this:
Your plan...
Hahaha……
Is that layout of yours that always fails?
I'll wait and see.
As she spoke, she waved her hand, and the executioner behind Wei Ningyan raised his knife high and swung it down.
In her final moments before death, Xiao Ling's face suddenly flashed into Wei Ningyan's mind.
That was the moon she had never experienced in her entire life!
It was as if I could hear again the sound of Xiao Ling's innocent voice from our first meeting in the Imperial Garden when we were children:
"Whose young lady are you? Why are you climbing up the artificial hill? It's dangerous, come down quickly!"
"I...I can't go down..."
"Give me your hand, I'll help you..."
"Thank you for saving me today. The adults say that a life-saving grace should be repaid with one's body."
"I was just helping out, no need."
"Then think about it. If you want it, come find me. My name is Wei Ningyan!"
Have you never seriously considered this?
But I waited patiently for over a decade...
The only response she received was the splatter of blood high in the air, and her beautiful face, covered in dust, rolling on the ground.
A gust of wind blew by, ruffling the hair on her head.
Even when a woman's face is stained with ash, it remains beautiful.
But his wide-open eyes were filled with resentment...
...
In the First Prince's residence, Huaiqing trembled upon hearing that Wei Ningyan had been killed by the First Prince at the training ground as a sacrifice to the flag.
He staggered back a few steps and fell to the ground.
When the people serving him saw this, they went forward to help him up, but they couldn't manage it after a few tries.
"Young master is deeply favored by His Highness and will certainly not suffer the same fate as Lady Wei. There is no need to be so afraid?"
Huaiqing gradually came to her senses after hearing this.
There are other people around me, I can't let them know, I need to stay calm, stay calm...
He quickly calmed down, stood up, and walked shakily to his bed where he lay down.
He needs time to carefully consider his options.
Shen Pingting was arranging for the servants to pack their things and for people to accompany the eldest prince on his expedition.
Upon hearing this news, he stopped in his tracks and remained stunned for a long time.
She knew very well that the eldest prince's rebellion had no chance of success, and that following him would inevitably lead to her death.
It seems she needs to carefully plan her future.
The inner quarters of the First Prince's residence were very quiet at night; whether he slept well or not was another matter.
But absolute silence, utter silence.
The next morning, Shen Pingting heard from a servant that Huaiqing was sick.
He then took some things to visit Huaiqing.
When Shen Pingting arrived, Huaiqing's high fever had gradually subsided.
Huaiqing lay on the couch, looking very pale and weak.
Although he was a man, in Shen Pingting's eyes, he was no different from a woman.
They are all sisters.
Shen Pingting carefully questioned the people around him and learned that he was frightened by the murder of Wei Ningyan yesterday.
After thinking for a moment, he finally spoke up to offer his advice:
"Do not be afraid. His Highness and Lady Wei have a long-standing feud. This is their business and has nothing to do with us."
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