 Princess Zhao Yang and Lady Shu Fei returned to the capital last night.
Coincidentally, today is also Princess Zhao Yang’s birthday.
Shu Fei sent someone to the Yan mansion to inform Xiao Jin to go and see her earlier.
Xiao Jin had just woken up from a nightmare and listened absent-mindedly to the original owner’s message from Shu Fei.
Before she could recover, she received a new task from the system.
“The host is about to unlock a new character. A friendly reminder to the host that you currently have the item ‘Ice Lotus Flower Silk Handkerchief’, which satisfies the conditions for completing Side Mission 1.”
“So, while visiting Princess Zhao Yang, you can look for clues to the side mission.”
After being reminded by the system, Xiao Jin remembered the handkerchief that Chu Shao wiped the bloodstains with on their wedding night, so she went to the bedroom to find it.
Looking at the silver-blue flower petals on the back of the handkerchief, Xiao Jin stared at it for a while and couldn’t understand why Yao country thought that this flower symbolized good fortune.
After all, just looking at the pattern, it would make people feel strange and ominous, and had nothing to do with auspicious signs.
Xiao Jin casually found a sachet and put the Ice Lotus Flower Silk Handkerchief inside, ready to wear it on her belt after she finished getting dressed.
Just as she was about to change her clothes, she remembered that the condition for triggering the side mission was “having a conversation with Princess Zhao Yang three times or more.”
Although the probability of triggering it was only 60%, she still had to try many times to get a clue.
Thinking this way, Xiao Jin found that a maid had already walked in with a tray and was kneeling in front of her, presenting clothes to her.
She looked at the clothes on the tray and listened to the maid’s words before she knew that she needed to change into a more appropriate outfit to meet Princess Zhao Yang.
Perhaps because Princess Zhao Yang’s identity was noble, today’s clothing was much more complex.
Xiao Jin casually picked up an outer garment and found that it was a new brocade with a new pattern just delivered to the mansion.
The black long robe with golden silk rolled edges also had a subtle flower pattern embroidered on the sleeves, which looked quite exquisite. To make this piece of clothing, the embroiderer must have put in a lot of effort.
It had to be said that this outfit was complex and flamboyant.
After dismissing the maid, Xiao Jin frowned and thought for a long time before she finally figured it out.
The original owner had difficulty moving her legs and feet and had trouble putting on clothes. It took her a long time to put on the clothes. She only had trouble fastening the belt on her hand.
She had been struggling to fasten it for a long time, and combined with just waking up from a nightmare, Xiao Jin’s inner impatience gradually grew.
Suppressing her restless emotions, she was about to comfort herself when a hand suddenly reached out to her waistband.
That hand was even more translucent than the jade on the edge of the belt, and the movements were extremely gentle.
However, when she took the belt, her fingertips accidentally brushed against the knuckles of the other person’s hand, making Xiao Jin feel stunned. She looked up and met a pair of smiling eyes.
It was Chu Shao who held the belt and said with a smile, “Let me help you tie it, Your Highness.”
Only then did Xiao Jin realize that she had been so absorbed in her struggle with the belt that she hadn’t noticed when Chu Shao had come in.
But with Chu Shao’s martial arts skills, if she wanted to sneak in unnoticed, it should be easy for her.
She didn’t know if it was because she had dreamt of Chu Shao last night, but even though she was no longer bound by the “cripped” sound, Xiao Jin still felt a little awkward.
After looking at Chu Shao for a while, she finally just pretended to nod indifferently, “Thank you, Princess.”
Chu Shao smiled and then leaned down, focusing on tying her waistband.
The whole process was actually very short, and it wasn’t the first time Chu Shao had tied Xiao Jin’s waistband.
But because of last night’s nightmare, Xiao Jin felt the sensation of Chu Shao tying her waistband and couldn’t help but think of the feeling of her hands gently gripping her neck.
Even the movements of Chu Shao holding the belt and wrapping it around her waist seemed extremely long and drawn out.
Not to mention the approaching breath, as well as the almost imperceptible touch of the fabric.
It was not only slow, but also torturous.
“That’s enough.”
Xiao Jin couldn’t help but reach out and discreetly remove Chu Shao’s fingers.
After Xiao Jin removed her hand, Chu Shao frowned slightly and looked at her in confusion, “Your Highness, there’s only one last step left.”
Xiao Jin didn’t explain further and just avoided Chu Shao’s gaze, saying, “Thank you for your help, Princess. I’ll do the last step myself.”
After hearing this, Chu Shao didn’t say anything and just stood up straight, quietly watching as Xiao Jin lowered her head and fastened the belt.
The matter should have ended there, but Chu Shao suddenly thought of something interesting as she watched Xiao Jin’s movements.
She stared at Xiao Jin’s movements, and a smile appeared on her lips, “Your Highness, did you not rest well last night?”
This startled Xiao Jin, but she still tried to remain calm and furrowed her brow, asking, “Why do you say that, Princess?”
Chu Shao laughed, “Because since just now, your heart seems to…be beating a little fast.”
“…”
Xiao Jin countered without expression, “It’s just an illusion.”
As soon as she finished speaking, before Xiao Jin had a chance to even try to feel her own heartbeat, Chu Shao smiled again and softly said, “Is it? It seems to be beating even faster now.”
Xiao Jin still maintained her poker face.
After all, she couldn’t possibly admit that her heart was actually beating faster because of a dream.
She could only clear her throat and change the topic seriously: “The queen mother asked me to meet the eldest princess, and the princess should also tidy up her appearance and accompany me to the palace early.”
Hearing the phrase “tidy up her appearance,” Chu Shao couldn’t help but frown, casually found a bronze mirror in the room, and carefully examined herself in it.
After staring at herself for a long time, she still felt that she was dressed neatly and appropriately, and there was nothing to tidy up.
Fortunately, Xiao Jin had already achieved her goal.
Because Chu Shao was determined to find out where she was lacking, she threw her doubts to the back of her mind.
After all, she quickly got into character, and playing the role of the Prince Yan was also somewhat interesting. She didn’t want to make any big mistakes.
She looked for a long time, until Xiao Jin was a little uneasy, Chu Shao put down the bronze mirror and suddenly realized: “I see…this concubine will go back to her room to tidy up her appearance.”
Of course, Xiao Jin couldn’t know what Chu Shao had really understood.
She just watched as Chu Shao left the room and then sighed with relief.
After taking a deep breath, however, Xiao Jin frowned again.
Wait, why did I just breathe a sigh of relief?
…
Even as she prepared to go to the palace, Xiao Jin still hadn’t figured out why she was so scared.
But as she sat in her wheelchair, recalling the dream from last night and the suffocating feeling of the Gu worm stuck in her throat, she suddenly realized something else.
Regardless of who it is, they would certainly be aware of a large pill like that stuck in their throat.
If this incence pill had been attached to the assassin’s throat from the beginning, he would definitely have noticed it.
So, it can basically rule out the possibility of someone behind the scenes forcibly feeding him the gu worm.
This indicates that the assassin willingly took the poison.
Combined with the words the assassin said at the Yanyu building, “working for distinguished people” and “knowing that their life is short,” it is evident that from the beginning, the assassin knew that completing her mission meant she would likely lose her life.
While there are many “distinguished people” in Qi country who have the power of life and death, the definition of “the most distinguished person” is still up for debate.
Perhaps what the assassin meant by “the most distinguished person” is not a broad definition of distinguished, but rather a subjective definition based on the assassin’s own beliefs.
In this case, there could be many people behind the scenes. The emperor, empress, crown prince, fourth prince, and even the two princesses…etc. all have the potential to be the mastermind behind her assassination.
However, the problem is that the other party doesn’t actually want her dead.
Xiao Jin furrowed her brow and fell into thought: if they don’t want her dead, then what does it mean to poison the dagger aimed at Chu Shao?
Just then, Old Zhang, the steward’s voice interrupted Xiao Jin’s thoughts: “It was snowy last night and the old slave saw that the prince stayed in the study, so I closed all the doors and windows. I hope you slept well last night?”
“…,” Xiao Jin’s face was full of black lines, “I slept well, very well.”
She finally realized why she had a suffocating feeling in her dream.
Closing all the doors and windows in the dead of winter and smoking incense in her room, weren’t they trying to make jerky?
It’s strange not to have a nightmare in such a stuffy environment.
Old Zhang noticed Xiao Jin’s unhappy expression, but he thought it had nothing to do with him, so he smiled as usual, “As long as the prince sleeps well, the old slave is relieved.”
As the two talked, Chu Shao had already finished preparing herself and walked in with a smile from outside the door.
Xiao Jin looked up and, from her straightforward perspective, couldn’t see any difference at first glance.
Upon closer inspection, she noticed that she wasn’t dressed quite like she was in morning today, and she had changed out of her all-white outfit.
She wore a blue outfit with silver sleeves and still had the ice-shaped flower hairpin on her forehead, giving off a sense of aloofness.
However, no matter what she wore, it couldn’t change the fact that Chu Shao was seriously ill.
Time was running out, and Xiao Jin saw that Chu Shao had finished preparing, so she shifted her gaze and prepared to set out.
Unexpectedly, a maid rushed in anxiously and knelt down to pay her respects, “Your Highness… A eunuch has come outside, saying that he is here to deliver a message from Princess Zhao Yang.”
“Deliver a message from Princess Zhao Yang?” Xiao Jin was a little surprised, but she didn’t show it on her face and asked, “I am about to set off to pay my respects to Aunt Zhao Yang, why send someone to deliver a message?”
The maid didn’t know much about the situation, and whispered, “The servant doesn’t know… But that eunuch looks familiar, and he is indeed someone from Princess Zhao Yang’s side.”
At this critical moment, although Xiao Jin couldn’t understand what Princess Zhao Yang was thinking, she couldn’t just leave her messenger hanging. So she nodded and said, “Let him in.”
Soon, the eunuch came in with a smile. He held a feather duster and wore a narrow-sleeved purple shirt with a round collar, looking like a highly-ranked eunuch.
The eunuch first paid his respects to Xiao Jin, then smiled and said, “Your Highness Yan, I am here on the orders of Princess Zhao Yang to deliver a message.”
Xiao Jin nodded, indicating for him to continue.
Unexpectedly, after she nodded, everyone in the mansion knelt down to listen to the order.
At this moment, Xiao Jin realized the immense power of Princess Zhao Yang. A single message from her made everyone tremble in fear, even more so than an imperial edict. Only she could escape such a situation while sitting in a wheelchair. Otherwise, with the status of Princess Zhao Yang, she would have to kneel down obediently.
However, after waiting for a while, Xiao Jin realized that the eunuch who was supposed to deliver the message was still standing there, smiling and staring at a certain place, without any intention of speaking.
She followed the eunuch’s gaze and saw Chu Shao standing straight with a smile on her face.
“…”
Xiao Jin had only one thought in her mind: This guy is even tougher than her.
Author’s note: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or watered me with nutrient solution between 23:47:41 and 23:54:09 on February 16-18, 2022~
Translator’s note: After all, she’s a lunatic, insane, mentally ill, crazy and etc.. Hahahaha ~~~~
TO BE CONTINUE…
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