Chapter 12 Drawing the Sword
The dead silence, like an abyss, swallowed up all sounds, and even the slightest sound of a pin drop was nowhere to be found.
Xiao Jingren had just escaped from the brink of life and death, with beads of sweat on his forehead sparkling in the sunlight, just like the fear in his heart that had not yet faded. In a blink of an eye, he was completely swallowed up by endless humiliation and anger!
He was actually provoked by a fool in the eyes of the world!
Being threatened by a seemingly weak and spineless woman with his own poisonous hairpin!
This is undoubtedly a great humiliation!
"You bitch!"
Xiao Jingren was furious and swung his hand violently.
"Clang—"
As his anger grew, the cold sword at his waist also came out.
The light is cold and sharp!
The cold tip of the sword, without the slightest hesitation, pointed directly at Chen He's slender throat!
This time, it was real murderous intent!
The tip of the sword almost touches the skin!
At this moment——
"Third brother."
A gentle voice, yet one that held unquestionable authority.
Several people involuntarily looked in the direction of the sound, their eyes focused on that direction.
Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan, dressed in an elegant apricot brocade robe and holding a jade-like broken bone fan in his hand, had been standing quietly behind the few people without them noticing.
His expression was as calm as water, and his steps were leisurely, as if he was just strolling here casually.
He moved forward slowly, taking each step just right, neither hurried nor dragged out.
When he was only three steps away from Xiao Jingren, he raised his wrist slightly.
“Pah.”
The broken jade bone fan landed squarely and precisely on the sword of Xiao Jingren.
The force was not great, but it carried a tremendous force.
As the fan ribs lightly collided with the sword, an almost invisible compartment at the joint between the ribs trembled imperceptibly. A few extremely fine strands of powder with a faint purple sheen silently fell.
The powder was as fine as dust and disappeared as soon as it touched clothes.
Xiao Jingren's sword did not move at all.
Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan gently opened his eyelids, his tone gentle yet concealing a subtle chill. "I heard that Third Brother sincerely invited Miss Shen to chat here, so I came to congratulate her and take a look. Is Third Brother planning to commit a crime in the palace?"
Xiao Jingren's face was as hard as iron, and the veins on his fingers that were gripping the hilt of the sword were bulging from the force. However, facing the prince, he did not dare to show any disrespect.
"Your Highness," he managed to utter, his teeth clenched, "I was merely punishing a lowly palace maid who...had offended me and my younger brother and lacked the proper etiquette!"
After saying that, he didn't even mention Shen He's identity, but simply classified her as a palace maid. His meaning was self-evident.
Before he finished speaking, he shook his wrist viciously!
The tip of the sword was not retracted, but instead was lightly raised upwards!
"bite!"
The small and exquisite pearl earring on Chen He's left earlobe fell off with a sound!
It fell on the cold gold brick floor with a crisp sound.
This is a naked humiliation!
Chen He's eyes turned cold, but he didn't move. The coldness in his expression made Xiao Jingren almost not recognize this person.
"Wow!"
Xiao Jingchi, who had been standing there, seemed to be completely frightened by the sudden change and the crisp sound.
He suddenly shrank his neck, and his little face instantly lost its color, becoming extremely pale, and his eyes flushed in the blink of an eye.
"Ouch... so scary... sword... I'm so scared..."
He sobbed as softly as a mosquito, and looked like a frightened deer, stumbling and running behind the prince in panic.
His thin body clung tightly to the prince's gorgeous brocade robe, his whole body trembling with fear.
However, just as he turned to the prince's waist, seeking peace of mind and "protection" -
His little hands, which had just been fiddling with ginkgo leaves and were slightly stained with mud, accidentally touched the prince's collar with an agility and speed that was completely different from his silly appearance.
The inconspicuous black bamboo tube, about the thickness of a thumb, hanging around the prince's waist had disappeared without a trace!
He stuffed it into his wide sleeve pocket calmly and tightly.
The entire action happened in a flash, perfectly concealed by his "fearful" posture. It was as fast as a ghost and no one noticed.
He buried his face in the prince's robe and rubbed it hard, as if to gain a sense of security.
Then she raised her little face, with traces of tears still on it, but with a silly, dependent smile on her face.
"Brother Prince... Xiangxiang!"
He sniffed hard and spoke loudly, like a child who had truly found comfort.
The scent wasn't from the Crown Prince's incense, but from the bamboo tube he'd just taken! On it, a faint, yet strangely familiar, lingering scent of...purple marrow powder! It was the same scent as the powder that had just fallen from the Crown Prince's fan compartment!
He lowered his head and continued to hide behind the prince, quickly stroking the bamboo tube in his sleeve with his fingertips through his sleeve.
At the bottom of the bamboo tube, in an extremely hidden corner, a tiny, distorted variant of the character "Xue" was etched using a special technique!
A hint of cold understanding and calculation flashed across Xiao Jingchi's eyes.
In the side hall, the atmosphere became stagnant again.
The prince's eyes lightly swept across the pearl earring that had fallen to the ground, and then fell meaningfully on Shen He's face, which was calm but had a sharp edge.
Chen He lowered her eyes slightly, hiding the emotions surging in her eyes and her scrutiny of the timing of the prince's sudden appearance.
Xiao Jingren suppressed his anger and felt unwilling, but he did not dare to do it again in front of the prince.
***
Inside the side hall, the air was so heavy that it was almost frozen, as if even the slightest breeze could squeeze out water droplets.
Xiao Jingren's fingers, which were tightly gripping the hilt of the sword, turned unnaturally pale due to excessive force, and each joint of his finger bones revealed his inner excitement.
His chest rose and fell like a bellows, and every breath was accompanied by a tremor deep in his chest, which was a clear proof of the anger surging in his body.
The broken jade fan of Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan was lightly pressing on his sword, achieving a great effect with just a little effort.
Chen He lowered his eyes, hiding the cold light and scrutiny in them.
Xiao Jingchi was still hiding behind the prince, his little face buried, and only his slightly trembling shoulders showed his "fear".
In this tense, almost frozen atmosphere, the shadows of swords and crossbows, though hidden and unfired, were enough to make one's heart flutter—
“Dengdengdeng…”
A series of quick and clear footsteps broke the silence, coming from far away and striking everyone's heartstrings.
A young palace maid in a light green palace dress rushed into the hall, panting and swaying lightly in her hands. The moment her eyes met Shen He, they suddenly brightened, like a drowning person grabbing a piece of driftwood.
"Ms. Shen...Miss Shen!"
She called out anxiously, her tone full of joy and relief at having found someone to rely on.
"Finally found you!"
After saying this, the little palace maid quickly stepped forward, knelt down and saluted, her expression unable to conceal her anxiety.
"The Empress Dowager and the Empress are waiting in the warm room for you to come and express your gratitude! I have been ordered to invite them and have been looking for them for several rounds."
The little palace maid secretly glanced at Xiao Jingren who was holding a sword beside her and the calm prince, and did not dare to finish her words.
Chen He raised his eyes, his expression returning to his usual gentle and decent self.
She bowed gently to the Crown Prince and Xiao Jingren, her demeanor revealing a calm and composed manner.
"Your Highness, Third Prince, since the Empress Dowager and the Empress have summoned you, I dare not hesitate for a moment."
Her voice was clear and calm, like the unruffled water on a tranquil lake, revealing not a bit of the fear and panic she had just felt while teetering on the brink of life and death.
"I will now take my leave. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
After saying this, she turned around gracefully and cast a gentle gaze behind the prince.
"Sixth Prince."
Her voice now had a touch of gentleness, like a spring breeze blowing through the heart, bringing with it a touch of comfort that was elusive.
"We should go."
As if he had heard an order, Xiao Jingchi, who was originally "trembling", immediately raised his head.
He looked at Chen He with tears in his eyes, then looked at the prince timidly.
Then, he carefully moved out from behind the prince and ran to Shen He's side.
He stretched out his little hand, which was still a little dirty, and tightly grasped the corner of Shen He's sleeve.
The feeling of dependence is beyond words.
Shen He didn't look at him, nor did she shake off his hand.
She nodded to the Crown Prince and Xiao Jingren again, then turned around, took Xiao Jingchi's hand, and took the little palace maid away calmly.
It seemed as if the thrilling confrontation just now was just an insignificant episode.
A gentle breeze blew by, and only Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan and Third Prince Xiao Jingren were left.
And the lonely pearl earring that rolled to the ground.
The tension in the air did not seem to relax with Chen He's departure.
On the contrary, because there were only two of them left, the situation became even more turbulent.
"Oh."
Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan was the first to break the silence.
He retracted the jade folded fan, snapped it shut, and tapped it lightly on his palm.
The corners of his lips curled up into a half-smile, and his eyes were filled with undisguised sarcasm.
"Third brother."
He walked up to Xiao Jingren and glanced at his still ashen face.
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