Chapter 287 Kill her
Princess Rongning raised her hand and adjusted her hood, revealing more of her heroic face. She then asked the guards, "The sachet accidentally fell down. We'll go downstairs to pick it up and come back."
Upon hearing Princess Rongning's words, the guard slightly stepped aside, not asking any further questions, but merely glancing casually at the girl following closely behind Princess Rongning.
The girl was also wearing a hood.
This is not surprising. Even with thousands of lanterns and dazzling fireworks, both the lights and the fireworks are cold and cannot add much warmth to the Lantern Festival, which is still quite cold at this time of year.
The girl was clearly afraid of the cold; her hood hung low, obscuring her eyebrows and eyes, and her pale fingers gripped the dangling strap, the end of which was a fluffy snowball.
The guards also recognized the girl in the dark cloak; she was the famous Princess Qiu Liu of Suiyun County.
Princess Suiyun and Princess Rongning had shared life and death in Xijiang, no wonder they were inseparable today—the guard thought to himself, but in the blink of an eye, the two girls holding hands had already gone downstairs and entered the crowd.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two returned hand in hand.
"Your Highness has found the sachet?" the guard asked with a smile.
"Found it. Luckily, it wasn't picked up by anyone." Princess Rongning turned her head and smiled at the imperial guards.
The girl, wearing a dark blue cloak, stood side by side with Princess Rongning at a slightly further distance.
She didn't speak, but nodded slightly to the guard, her attitude polite and distant, just like any noble lady the guard would ever encounter.
"We're going up."
The imperial guard stepped aside: "Your Highness, Princess, please carefully check the stairs."
A trailing silver cloak swept past, gleaming like flowing moonlight, quickly fading into the distance. Yet, the cloak, as dark as night, remained unremarkable.
The guard lowered his eyes slightly, not daring to stare at the two noble ladies who were climbing the steps.
Princess Rongning climbed higher step by step, her steps steady, but her heart was far less stable than it appeared.
Her heart was in her throat, as if she were standing not on solid ground, but in a high-rise building.
I walked back to the corner where I had been, and people greeted me from time to time.
Princess Rongning simply nodded, responding coldly.
The noble ladies in this circle all knew that Princess Rongning's personality had changed drastically after returning from Xijiang, and they expressed their understanding of this.
After marrying King Xijiang and escaping death, she must have endured countless hardships and tribulations. How could she possibly still be the carefree and cheerful person she once was?
Is Qiu Liu also being cold tonight? That's even more normal. In the past, when they occasionally had contact, Qiu Liu was not the kind of person who was enthusiastic, especially since she had been sick for a long time.
Soon, the attention of the ladies was drawn to the area downstairs.
Princess Rongning stopped, holding onto the railing with both hands, and turned her head slightly to look at the person beside her.
The girl, whose eyebrows and eyes were hidden by her hood, pursed her lips tightly, and her body was also tense.
"Relax."
Princess Rongning's barely audible voice carried over, and the girl remained silent for a moment before nodding.
Princess Rongning pointed and said, "Look at the moon tonight, isn't it beautiful?"
"Um."
Princess Rongning sighed inwardly, her eyes quickly scanning a certain spot, and she tightened her grip on the railing.
She was actually nervous too.
I'm very nervous.
Ah Heng, I wish you success.
The cold railings were damp with the sweat from Princess Rongning's palms, a fact known only to the moonlight that streamed onto them.
Consort Yu glanced casually in that direction and gave a silent, cold laugh.
Qiu Heng and Princess Rong Ning have a really good relationship.
I heard that he also has a very good relationship with the county princess of the Kang Prince's Mansion.
It's strange, isn't it? Shouldn't a country girl be looked down upon and despised by these noble ladies?
It seems that her parents, whose faces she can no longer recall, have raised this girl very well.
Her heart sank again, as if invisible ropes were binding her, making her uncomfortable and driving her crazy.
Under the cover of night, the murderous intent in Consort Yu's eyes was openly revealed.
She wanted to get rid of this unpleasant wild girl as soon as possible, and not just to silence her.
In a spot in the building where it was almost impossible for a person to stand properly, a figure stood against the wall, like a patient gecko, waiting for mosquitoes to enter its hunting range.
Approaching footsteps, Qiu Heng gently adjusted her breathing to minimize her presence.
The appointed time was approaching, and she needed to be in top form to make sure she hit the target on the first try.
Lehua Building downstairs, on Imperial Street.
"Candied hawthorn berries, big and sweet candied hawthorn berries—"
"Sweet rice balls, warm sweet rice balls—"
The vendors called out their wares in drawn-out tones.
Nie Sanniang carefully arranged the fireworks and firecrackers.
Chen San crossed his arms and gazed at the tall building: "Third Sister, can you clearly see what His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine look like?"
"It's so dark, how can you see anything?"
Although Lehua Tower was decorated with lanterns everywhere, it was far less bright than the Imperial Street, which was as bright as day. Therefore, people on the Imperial Street looked up at the tower and felt that it was dark.
"What a pity, this is probably the closest we ordinary folks have ever been to the imperial court." Chen San rubbed his hands together.
Nie San Niang paused, then calmly said, "The emperor and the people share joy; to be this close is already a blessing."
As they spoke, fireworks shot into the sky like shooting stars, bursting into dazzling light with a bang.
Then came the second, the third...
The stars twinkled in the sky, and the lights on earth swayed, as fireworks bloomed in the air, connecting the starlight and the lights.
A dazzling display of lights illuminates the night sky.
On the high-rise building, a lantern swayed.
Nie San Niang and Chen San exchanged a glance.
It was a signal that he had made an appointment with the Sixth Sister.
The fuse at the bottom of the fireworks display was lit, and sparks spread rapidly along the fuse, going unnoticed amidst the fireworks and the bustling crowd.
As the mechanism was activated, the giant firecracker was launched, but instead of shooting into the night sky like fireworks, it shot straight towards Lehua Tower.
As the fuse was lit, Nie San Niang and Chen San quietly retreated into the crowd.
With a loud bang, a firecracker with an astonishing amount of gunpowder exploded several feet away from Lehua Building.
Screams erupted all over the Imperial Street.
Good heavens! Someone is trying to assassinate the emperor!
Although the incredibly powerful firecrackers didn't reach the edge of Lehua Tower, the unexpected event immediately threw the upper floors into chaos.
"Protect the Emperor! Quickly, protect the Emperor!"
The guards stationed upstairs rushed towards Emperor Jingping and escorted him downstairs.
Those high-ranking officials, nobles, and their female relatives who were qualified to ascend the building instinctively ran downstairs.
In the dark corner where the light couldn't reach, the girl holding the crossbow had an unwavering gaze, and her hand was so steady that it didn't shake at all.
Her eyes saw no fireworks in the sky, no running crowds; she had only one goal.
When the stunningly beautiful concubine who had captivated the emperor came into view and into the optimal position, the hand holding the crossbow moved steadily.
The arrow flew like a meteor, piercing the sky and plunging straight into Consort Yu's neck.
The girl in the dark bodysuit put away her crossbow, wasted no time checking if she had hit a vital spot, and immediately jumped down from the building. She landed on the ground with a few quick steps and darted into the chaotic sea of people like the most agile fish.
No need to confirm, the arrow was coated with a deadly poison, far more effective than the poisoned tea she had drunk.
(End of this chapter)
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