Chapter 11
"It's so beautiful."
Gu Zhizhu praised him with pleasure. She turned around, looked directly at Shen Xu, and said softly, "Master, do you think Young Master Chen will see it?"
Sheng Jiang glanced cautiously at Shen Xu and saw that the string of prayer beads had been moved from his right hand to his left hand, and his head was hanging even lower.
For Prince Chen to survive to adulthood in such an awkward position, his heart must be as cunning as a lotus seedpod.
In the dead of night, first came thunder, then rain, and now fireworks have suddenly started going off—it's no different than running up to his ear and saying, "There's a trap here."
The Supervisor's arrangements are all complete!
Sheng Jiang's heart trembled, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He tiptoed out hastily, and soon returned, kneeling at Shen Xu's feet.
"Master Supervisor."
"The fireworks came from the direction of the main courtyard of the manor."
"Your subordinate deserves to die."
Sheng Jiang swallowed hard; his mouth was so dry that every word was incredibly difficult to utter.
To avoid alerting the enemy, they were extra cautious after entering the village.
Even though the village was so densely populated that not even a fly could freely enter or leave, it didn't disturb the villagers. Even the sudden arrival of the head of the household didn't disrupt any of their plans.
After all, she was just a little girl. What did it matter that she was the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion? She would just be another corpse in the future.
But this little girl was the one who first revealed the identity of the supervisor.
And then it ruined the whole thing!!
Sheng Jiang lowered his head deeply, and he could even see the muddy embroidered shoes under Gu Zhizhuo's skirt.
"Please punish me, Master."
His voice trembled, filled with fear.
Such a huge blunder is enough to kill him into hundreds of pieces.
Shen Xu clapped his hands lightly and praised, "Not bad."
The girl before me had skin as white as snow, long eyebrows that reached her temples, and a frank and composed demeanor that was something one would never see in a young lady confined to her chambers.
"very nice."
These words were spoken to Gu Zhizhuo; only at this moment did she truly catch his eye.
Shen Xu smiled faintly: "This far exceeds my expectations."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and said, "Of course, of course."
Her entire back was taut, and she didn't let her guard down for a second.
She had witnessed Shen Xu's unpredictable temper; one moment he would be laughing and joking, and the next moment the ground would be littered with dead and wounded, and the cries of mourners echoed everywhere.
He cannot be judged by ordinary standards.
Shen Xu slowly turned the prayer beads and asked with a smile, "How did you know, young lady?"
Gu Zhizhuo made a hand gesture with his left hand and said, seemingly seriously but also unconvinced, "I can calculate it. Do you believe me?"
Shen Xu sneered; he didn't believe such nonsense at all.
He leaned back against the soft cushion, his bright red open sleeves covering his snow-white fox fur: "You're one I should see."
Gu Zhizhu raised a brow with his phoenix eyes and began to speak: "You, the Grand Eunuch, were born into wealth and honor, with kind fathers and virtuous mothers, and a happy family. You should have lived a life of glory and honor. Who would have thought that war would break out suddenly, and the drums of war would never cease? You were young and arrogant, thinking yourself exceptionally clever and capable of saving the world, so you risked driving a tiger to devour a wolf, only to have the vicious tiger turn on you..."
Shen Xu paused in his hand as he twirled the prayer beads, his smile vanishing in an instant, replaced by a gloomy expression that inspired fear.
In the small hall, Sheng Jiang didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
Only Gu Zhizhuo seemed oblivious and continued, "...The people you saved sacrificed you for gold and silver."
"And so, the family was destroyed and people died."
"Having a physical disability..."
Before she could finish speaking, Shen Xu suddenly leaped up, rapidly approaching Gu Zhizhuo and grabbing her slender, fair neck.
The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and the intense killing intent enveloped Gu Zhizhuo like countless sharp thorns.
Gu Zhizhuo was separated from him only by a kang table. She pushed off the ground with her left foot, causing the round stool to fall backward. Her veil fell down, revealing her beautiful and flawless face.
Black and white chess pieces fell down with a clatter.
Her cold fingertips touched the soft skin of Gu Zhizhuo's neck. She raised her hand, pulled out the hairpin from his hair, and slashed it forcefully in front of her. The sharp tip of the hairpin tore open his bright red sleeve.
The stool fell to the ground.
Gu Zhizhuo brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, coughed a few times, and then looked up at Shen Xu with a smile.
The two locked eyes.
Gu Zhizhuo had bright red finger marks on her neck.
Shen Xu's red-based, gold-embroidered, open sleeves were tattered and hung down in large patches.
"Master Supervisor!"
Sheng Jiang drew his dagger and pounced forward.
Shen Xu gave him a cold, sidelong glance: "Get lost!"
Sheng Jiang stopped in his tracks, panting: What's gotten into this girl?!
Gu Zhizhuo casually put the hairpin back in her hair. The pearls swayed gently, and the pinkish glow fell on her cheeks, making her look stunning and unparalleled.
Shen Xu laughed in anger; he despised people who didn't know their place.
However, he admires those who can fight with all their might and seize the opportunity to live.
Just like him in the past...
Shen Xu tore off the tattered sleeve, tossed it aside, then lifted his robe and sat back down on the kang (heated brick bed).
His long, black hair cascaded down his shoulders, and the cinnabar mole at the corner of his eye shone brightly in the candlelight.
He reclined on the pillow, slowly wiping his fingers with a plain white handkerchief, looking at Gu Zhizhuo with a half-smile: "Miss Gu, where's the injury on your face?"
"I'm easily frightened, and I'm all better now."
Gu Zhizhuo casually replied that it would be easy for Shen Xu to take her life; he wouldn't need to have any leverage over her.
She simply sat down on the ground, not caring whether the dust would soil her clothes. Of course, there wasn't a speck of dust on the ground.
"The water is boiling." Gu Zhizhuo pointed to the red clay stove.
After boiling three times, the water was no longer usable; it was unclear how long it had been boiling. Sheng Jiang quickly poured out the water from the small silver kettle, refilled it, and placed it on the red clay stove.
"Young Master Shen," she said with a smile, changing her form of address, "this world is too vast. How long would it take you to turn the world upside down with one hand and control the rain with the other?"
"Five years? Ten years? Twenty years, or... the rest of my life?"
"This has taken way too long."
Shen Xu flicked his sleeve and sneered, "You want to cooperate with me?"
He looked her up and down with disdain, as if to say: Are you worthy?
Gu Zhizhuo replied, "I own the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."
Shen Xu coldly retorted, "How much longer can the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion survive?"
"A Duke's mansion that can't even protect itself, ha, what use is it to me? Do you want to take advantage of this opportunity to get my protection and delay your death for a few more days?"
Hmm, what he said makes a lot of sense! ...Gu Zhizhuo sighed silently. The Zhenguo Duke's Mansion in the previous life really didn't last much longer.
It can only be said that Shen Xu was fully aware of the emperor's intentions.
Staring into his mocking eyes, Gu Zhizhuo quietly added another chip: "What if it's Gongzi Chen?"
Shen Xu didn't expect her to say that, and her fingers twirled the prayer beads.
From the moment she appeared until now, every step she's taken has surprised him.
Gu Zhizhuo placed his hands on his knees, his eyes radiating confidence, and spoke eloquently:
"The fact that Young Master Chen died here is just another minor achievement for you, Chief Supervisor."
"But for you, his survival, his return to the capital, and his ascent to the Golden Phoenix Palace would certainly not be a bad thing."
"Your opportunity lies in 'chaos.' When the court is in chaos, the world is in chaos, and only when the world is in chaos can you have a chance. If the world is peaceful and the emperor is in harmony, with the emperor and his subjects united, then in the end, you, the Grand Eunuch, will only be a pawn in the emperor's hands, something that can be used or discarded at will." Gu Zhizhuo picked up a chess piece that had fallen to the ground, flicked it lightly with his fingertip, and the piece flew into the air before rolling back to Shen Xu's feet.
She really dared to say that! Sheng Jiang didn't even dare to listen to these words; it was as if he had drunk a bowl of ice water in the dead of winter, chilling him to the bone.
Shen Xu slowly turned the prayer beads, his face showing contemplation, or rather, weighing the options.
Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile, "Why don't you think about it?"
The current Shen Xu is not the flawless figure who will rise to the top of power in a few years. His foundation is not yet stable, and he has concerns... or rather, he harbors ambitions.
Ambition leads to desire.
Unless a person is completely without desires, there will always be something that can move them.
It all boils down to two words: "interests".
Gu Zhizhuo further suggested, "Why don't you meet with Young Master Chen first, Chief Eunuch? What do you think?"
Shen Xu lifted his eyelids and sneered, "Knowing there's a trap here, why would Gongzi Chen walk right into it?"
Gu Zhizhuo said with certainty, "He will come." She said those three words with absolute certainty.
After saying that, she pretended to make a hand gesture and said, "I figured it out."
She gave herself a thumbs up: "I am known as the Fortune Teller!"
Shen Xu's lips twitched. He dusted off his sleeves and said cryptically, "If he dares to come, what harm is there in me seeing him?"
Gu Zhizhuo met his gaze: "It's a deal."
Shen Xu remained noncommittal, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth conveying a sense of leisurely detachment, as if watching a play.
He enjoys seeing people struggle to survive.
I'm also happy to see someone struggle desperately before taking their own life.
He didn't believe Xie Yingchen would come.
But if Xie Yingchen really dares to come...
Sheng Jiang silently lit an incense stick on the table and then went to pour tea.
Smelling the aroma of tea, Gu Zhizhuo casually said, "I want some too," and sat back down at the kang table.
She picked up the scattered black and white chess pieces and quickly rearranged the board using both hands, just like before.
After setting up the chessboard, Gu Zhizhuo picked up the black piece and gestured for Shen Xu to join in.
Shen Xu: "..."
After a few breaths, he reached out and picked up a white piece, placing it on the chessboard.
The surroundings were extremely quiet, with only the sound of the two players taking turns placing their pieces.
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
Black is cautiously advancing in a desperate situation, while White, who has a great advantage, continues to press forward, giving it no chance to breathe.
If you want to live, you can only cower in a corner and eke out a living.
Finally, Gu Zhizhuo held the black piece, but hesitated to move it.
Shen Xu said with great interest, "If you were to ask me for help now, I might just let you off the hook."
The fragrance has not yet faded.
Gu Zhizhuo pointed to the incense stick, which was less than an inch long and still had white smoke swirling around it.
She shook her finger: "No rush."
Snap!
The black piece falls.
To live is more than just to eke out a living.
Alternatively, you can choose to fight your way out!
Shen Xu raised the corner of his eye and glanced at her. His peach blossom eyes were captivating, as if a single glance could make someone fall in love.
Gu Zhizhuo took a sip of tea, rested his cheek on his hand, and smiled innocently.
"It's your turn."
A note from the author:
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
