Chapter Ninety-Seven: An Assassin
Han Wei looked at him in surprise, then broke into a radiant smile. Looking at her beautiful face, Lu Qingheng felt a mixture of joy and sorrow.
The happiest thing in the world is knowing that the person you like also likes you. The most painful thing in the world is two people who truly love each other but cannot be together forever.
Inside the room, a girl in purple stood, while a boy in a fox fur coat sat on a mat. The boy, with black hair and golden eyes, was like a jade-like figure. He held the girl's hand, his golden eyes gazing at her shy face, his own face also turning crimson.
A warm sensation emanated from their clasped hands. They felt each other's warmth, and their hearts pounded wildly, like a deer's tail.
Lu Qingheng knew he shouldn't delay a young girl's life, but he couldn't help it. Every time he saw her frown, it felt like a knife was cutting into his heart. He thought to himself, it's just a name, just a name. Even if it's his last selfish act as a dying man, he just wants to spend a few more days with her before he dies.
After a long while, Lu Qingheng released Han Wei's hand.
They both suddenly lowered their heads, their faces flushed, and remained silent. Han Wei's gaze wandered, finally landing on the seven-stringed zither on the table. She asked him softly:
"Can you play the piano?"
Lu Qingheng nodded.
Han Wei said, "Then could you play a tune for me?"
"good."
Lu Qingheng tried to get up, but Han Wei held him down, saying, "Don't move."
She went straight over, took the zither, and placed it in front of Lu Qingheng. Lu Qingheng looked at Han Wei, who was sitting beside him, a smile on his face, and began to pluck the strings with his slender fingers. His music flowed like a gentle stream, tender and poignant.
Han Wei listened from the side, and suddenly seemed to remember something. She stood up and danced to his piano music.
Elder Chen, dressed in a brown robe with graying temples, stepped outside and heard Lu Qingheng playing the zither. He walked calmly to the door and glanced inside.
Seeing the white-clad, black-haired boy with golden eyes playing the guqin, his fingers plucked the strings as he looked at the dancing girl, his gaze filled with tenderness. The girl was breathtakingly beautiful, and her dance was even more captivating. Occasionally, their eyes would meet, and it was as if only the two of them remained in the world, completely lost in each other's world.
After glancing at it a few times, Chief Secretary Chen silently withdrew.
From that day on, Han Wei and Lu Qingheng often spent time together, sometimes playing the piano and dancing, sometimes playing chess and painting, sometimes strolling leisurely, and sometimes appreciating flowers and the moon.
Everyone in the Prince of Yan's residence was wondering if His Highness would soon have a Princess Consort. As for Lu Qingheng's marriage, it wasn't that no one was concerned. The Emperor was quite willing to be a good uncle to this nephew who posed absolutely no threat to him.
The emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty had once sought out many beautiful and talented noblewomen for him, but Lu Qingheng politely declined them all. His reasons were impeccable: he was a man nearing the end of his life, so why should he harm other girls? The emperor also knew that this nephew was prone to vomiting blood, and forcing him to consummate the marriage might cost him his life, so he did not force him to marry.
Royal children are taught about matters of love and sex from their teens onwards; Lu Qingheng is an exception due to his physical condition. He has none of the traditional roles of maidservant, concubine, or secondary consort.
Chief Secretary Chen and the female officials who had been taking care of him kept a close eye on the young maids who served Lu Qingheng, fearing that they might seduce Lu Qingheng. They dealt with them as soon as they saw any signs of such behavior.
Your Highness's health is not good enough to withstand such strain!
Because of his frail health, Lu Qingheng was unable to attend to affairs, so the affairs of the Prince's residence and his fiefdom were mostly managed by Chief Secretary Chen. This Chief Secretary Chen was also a worrier, caring more about Lu Qingheng's affairs than about his own son and grandson.
Chen Changshi was more worried than anyone else about Han Wei, this woman of unknown origin, who might pose a threat to Lu Qingheng. Seeing Han Wei and Lu Qingheng growing increasingly close, the chief secretary became even more anxious. He had repeatedly told Lu Qingheng not to be seduced by Han Wei's beauty, that her origins were unknown, and that he should keep his distance from her.
Lu Qingheng would only smile and say each time, "Uncle Chen, you're overthinking it. I'm not long for this world. Even if someone wanted to harm me, they wouldn't need to resort to such a troublesome method as a honey trap. Besides, I'm just a leisurely prince. Even if I die, who would benefit from it?"
Chen Changshi was speechless, but he was still worried about him.
————
The night was still. Han Wei, accompanied by two maids, walked along a corridor, having just come from Lu Qingheng's place. Suddenly, a dark figure appeared from the shadows.
A flash of cold light, and a sword thrust towards Han Wei.
At this sudden appearance, the two maids following Han Wei screamed in fright. Han Wei, however, remained calm. When the long sword was still an inch away from her, Han Wei's figure flashed like a ghost, dodging the sword.
The assassin was dressed in black, completely covered except for his eyes. Han Wei dodged the sword, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. Then, he struck again, his swordsmanship ruthless, aiming straight for Han Wei's vitals.
Han Wei and the man in black started fighting in the garden. The two pale-faced maids ran away, shouting:
"Someone come here!"
"Assassin! Assassin!"
The man in black possessed extraordinary martial arts skills, but no matter how high his skills were, he was still just a mortal. Han Wei had only lost her memory; she hadn't lost her cultivation. Even if cultivators never practiced physical techniques, their bodies were still modified by magical power, making their skills far beyond those of ordinary people.
Bang!
The man in black was struck by Han Wei's palm and sent flying, crashing into the artificial hill.
He was seriously injured immediately.
"Who are you? Why do you want to kill me?" Han Wei asked coldly.
At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded, and the guards rushed over. Even Lu Qingheng, who had received the news, arrived with his men in a panic.
Upon seeing this, the man in black immediately turned to flee.
Seeing that he was trying to escape, Han Wei kicked the longsword that had fallen to the ground. The sword pierced through the man's shoulder, pinning him to the artificial hill.
The man in black screamed, and Han Wei had already leaped forward and ripped off his mask.
This is a young man, who looks to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old.
Han Wei felt that this person looked familiar. Wait, isn't this guy Lu Qingheng's head of the secret guards? I think his name is Bai Yu.
"Weiwei!"
Lu Qingheng rushed towards Han Wei. When Han Wei saw him arrive, she disregarded the assassin and immediately went to meet him.
"Weiwei, are you alright?" Lu Qingheng looked Han Wei up and down.
"I'm fine," Han Wei said.
Seeing that Han Wei was alright, Lu Qingheng turned his attention to the assassin.
"Bai Yu?" Lu Qingheng exclaimed in surprise after seeing the face clearly, and then his gaze turned sharply to Chen Changshi, who was walking in from the corridor with his men.
Chief Secretary Chen glanced at the situation before him and his heart skipped a beat. His Highness was intelligent and could not be fooled.
"Your idea?" Lu Qingheng's tone was icy, and for the first time in his life, he was angry with Chief Secretary Chen.
Bai Yu had already pulled the sword out of his body. Enduring the excruciating pain, he knelt down before Lu Qingheng: "Your Highness, this has nothing to do with Lord Chen. It was my idea alone."
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