Upon hearing this, the little maid screamed. It was so piercingly shrilling that it almost ruptured eardrums. Her whole body turned cold and she became utterly still, evidently frozen in place.
The knife penetrated directly into the chest of the Imperial Concubine Shen, and her elegant dress was instantly soaked in blood. Her face turned deadly pale, but her bloody hand was still clutching tightly onto Ji Xinhe. Her eyes were wide open, and her lips curled into a smile that seemed to be both bitter and triumphant. With a great effort, she attempted to speak.
"So, the end is not good for clever women. Like me now, like you in the future." The voice of Imperial Concubine Shen was weak, yet had a determined undertone.
Ji Xinhe looked extremely grim. She had guessed many strategies that Shen might use, but she never expected such a move. For the first time, she felt a touch of panic. The Shen family was ready to sacrifice the life of the Imperial Concubine who was in a high position, and even had a chance to become the Empress, just to deal with her?
This is not going to happen!
Could the Shen family be so foolish as to let a woman who brings the greatest benefit to the family die just to eliminate her?
Unless...
The people behind this are not just from the Shen family.
Ji Xinhe’s face turned a few shades whiter, but it was too late to realize. Given the current situation, how should she respond?
In this split second, a figure suddenly dropped from the sky and landed in front of her. Before she had a chance to see who it was, she was picked up around the waist and quickly whisked away from the pavilion over the waters of the lake, disappearing from everyone’s view.
Only then did the maids and servants in the Princess’s mansion finally snap out of their shock. With the sound of a scream, the whole mansion was thrown into chaos. Servants and maids swarmed in, crowding around the Imperial Concubine Shen who lay in a pool of blood.
"Help! The Imperial Concubine has been attacked! Help!"
"Bring the imperial physician, hurry!"
The scene was suddenly thrown into chaos. When Princess Chaoyang arrived and saw the large bloodstains in the pavilion, as well as the Imperial Concubine Shen who had fallen in a pool of blood, her face turned white instantly: "What, what, what happened?!"
The other girls also started screaming. They were all pampered ladies who were accustomed to living sheltered lives. Probably the harshest thing they had ever experienced was kneeling in the ancestral hall as a punishment, or pricking their fingers while embroidering. Seeing such a bloody scene scared them and caused their beautiful faces to pale.
"What happened?!" Princess Chaoyang was clearly frightened and somewhat out of control. Firstly, the Imperial Concubine had been attacked in her mansion, and secondly, if this was the act of an assassin, wouldn’t she be the next target?
A little maid quickly knelt on the ground and wept, "I saw it, I saw it! It was Miss Li who stabbed the Imperial Concubine!"
Upon hearing the words "Miss Li", Princess Chaoyang’s eyes flickered slightly. She appeared to heave a sigh of relief: "What?"
"I saw it with my own eyes. They all saw it too. We heard a commotion, rushed in from the outside, and saw Miss Li stabbing the Imperial Concubine in the chest with a knife!"
Princess Chaoyang immediately inquired, "Where is she now?"
"I don’t know. The situation was too chaotic at that moment, and by the time I came to my senses, I saw a man in black whisking her away..." said the little maid, trembling.
Princess Chaoyang reprimanded in a stern voice, "Imbeciles! Why aren’t you chasing after her? She’s the one who murdered the Imperial Concubine!"
"Yes! We will send people to pursue her right away!" The little maid, whose legs were still weak, stumbled out.
As Princess Chaoyang looked at the Imperial Concubine Shen lying in the pool of blood, she no longer felt any fear. Instead, a sense of triumph arose in her heart, "It was Ji Xinhe. Ji Xinhe did it."
All of her attempts to bring her down had failed, but unexpectedly, Ji Xinhe had come forward herself.
Princess Chaoyang sneered inwardly, "Okay, this time I would like to see if you can escape the beheading conviction."
"Guards!" Princess Chaoyang shouted, "Go to the palace immediately and inform the Emperor. Say that Li Xinhe attempted to assassinate the Imperial Concubine and has now fled to avoid punishment!"
At that time, the imperial guard would be dispatched to capture her. Even if she had wings, there was no way she could escape!
Ji Xinhe, prepare for your death!
A ruthless light shone in Chaoyang’s eyes, filled with viciousness.
——
Xinhe was abruptly pulled away by someone, and she couldn’t react in time to figure out who it was. But as soon as she leaned against his chest and smelled the familiar scent, her panicked heart calmed down a bit.
"Marquis Mu Houchu?" Although Xinhe asked in an interrogative tone, she had already subconsciously tightened her grip around his waist.
He was wearing a large black cloak with a wide hat obscuring most of his face. She couldn’t clearly see his features, but she knew him so well that merely being near him enabled her to recognize him.
"Hmm." Mu Houchu answered in a low voice, squeezing her waist tighter. With a few light steps, he jumped out of the princess’s mansion.
Leaping onto a prepared horse, he placed Xinhe in front of him and galloped away.
Following them out were guards of the princess’s mansion, all chasing after them.
With Xinhe in his arms, Mu Houchu dashed on horseback until they reached a secluded and hidden place. Only then did Xinhe gather her courage to speak, "Marquis Mu Houchu, I suspect that the Shen family is not simple. Are you aware of this?"
Mu Houchu dismounted the horse. There was no change in his expression as he asked, "Are you injured?"
Panicked, Xinhe said, "I suspect there is someone behind the Shen family, and the situation could even be more complicated."
Mu Houchu’s face hardened a little, "I’m asking if you are injured."
Xinhe was stunned for a moment, then remembered the incident just now. She was too concerned about him and focused on finding clues for him, totally ignoring her own situation.
"I’m not injured," Xinhe muttered.
Only then did Mu Houchu breathe a sigh of relief and squeezed her hand, "That’s good. The assassination attempt on Shen will surely be blamed on you. I’ll find a place for you to hide for a couple of days. Wait for me to handle everything, okay?"
Xinhe frowned and said, "Marquis Mu Houchu! Are you not listening to what I’m saying? I said the Shen family..."
Mu Houchu’s expression darkened: "Is the Shen family more important or are you?"
This little woman was increasingly driving him to distraction. The incident was such a big deal, and Shen was obviously trying to frame her. Even if they weren’t really targeting her, she wouldn’t be able to escape from trouble. How could she still disregard her own safety at this critical moment?
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