"Has he left yet?"
Zhang Jian suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling Zhou Shengsheng.
After patting her chest to calm herself, she said good-naturedly, "Guard Zhang, you truly have a knack for appearing and disappearing like a ghost."
Zhang Jian replied modestly, "You flatter me, miss."
Zhou Shengsheng: "..." That wasn’t a compliment.
"The person has already set off. You may inform His Highness now," she steered the conversation back on track.
Zhang Jian nodded, and in the blink of an eye, his figure vanished from Zhou Shengsheng’s sight.
Watching his phantom-like agility, Zhou Shengsheng couldn’t help but gaze enviously.
[Ah-Pang, if we can’t exchange for firearms, surely there are martial arts manuals, right?]
Ah-Pang gave her an impressed look: [Shengsheng, you’re so clever. There are indeed some!]
Zhou Shengsheng’s expression sharpened: [Are there manuals like the Sunflower Acupoint Technique or the Mountain-Toppling Palm? Something that can be mastered quickly?]
Ah-Pang searched around: [There’s the Sunflower Manual, but palm techniques like Mountain-Toppling are far too difficult for you.]
[That’s fine too! Quick, exchange the Sunflower Manual for me! With this, I’ll be unstoppable in this world after reincarnation!] Zhou Shengsheng urged eagerly.
Sunflower Manual—acquired!
In the imperial palace of the Zhen Kingdom, aside from the current Crown Prince, there resided another royal descendant—the third son of the reigning emperor, the elder brother of Song Weiqing: Prince Shen.
A few days prior, he had suddenly lost his memory for unknown reasons, forgetting everything. Out of pity, the emperor permitted him to stay in his former residence within the palace until his memories returned.
At first, Zhou Shengsheng had taken quite a liking to this amnesiac prince. Once her role in the plot concluded, she could return to the timeline before the original host entered the palace, free as a bird!
She had already planned it out—she would choose to live as a carefree farmer in the Zhen Kingdom. And as the heroine of a rural romance, stumbling upon an amnesiac prince was practically a romantic trope!
Had it not been for that bug earlier, she might have even shared an epic love story with this Prince Shen.
However, after Song Weiqing revealed certain things to her, she completely abandoned that notion.
In fact, it left her feeling slightly disgusted.
Standing at the gates of Ninghe Palace, Zhou Shengsheng was stopped by the guards.
"Hey, what’s your business here?"
Before they could finish speaking, a strange scent wafted into their noses. Before they could react, the two guards collapsed unconscious.
Zhou Shengsheng pushed the door open and stepped inside.
As expected, aside from the two guards at the entrance, the courtyard was empty.
After all, when committing misdeeds, one wouldn’t want an entire courtyard of spectators eavesdropping.
Before she even reached the door, Zhou Shengsheng clearly heard the sound of cards slapping and a woman’s coquettish moans. Sympathizing with Song Weiqing for a few seconds, she covered one eye with her hand and pushed the door open with the other.
As she entered, she loudly announced, "Guards! Arrest the assassin! There’s an assassin!"
The two figures entangled on the bed were startled. The woman beneath let out a piercing scream, while the man turned leisurely, his bare torso covered in red marks, showing no trace of embarrassment as he glanced back.
When Zhou Shengsheng got a clear look at his face, she froze for a moment.
This man… was annoyingly handsome?
His dark hair cascaded down his back, his sun-kissed, muscular chest boasting eight well-defined abs. His expression still carried traces of unfulfilled desire as he lazily licked his lips.
Spotting Zhou Shengsheng, he raised a brow lazily. "If you wanted to climb into my bed, you didn’t need such a clumsy excuse."
Zhou Shengsheng thought, You really do love talking nonsense with your eyes closed, don’t you?
Before she could retort, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
Only then did Song Weicen realize something was amiss—but it was already too late.
A man with jade-like features, clad in black and gold brocade, strode in unhurriedly.
"Crown Brother, what brings you here with such a grand entourage in the dead of night?" Song Weicen stepped forward, addressing Song Weiqing.
Even in the presence of the Crown Prince, Song Weicen remained as nonchalant as ever, not bothering to conceal his disheveled state.
Song Weiqing smiled faintly. "My maid reported seeing the guards of Ninghe Palace unconscious, so I feared an assassin had infiltrated. Worried for Third Brother’s safety, I rushed here immediately."
"Though… it seems my timing is rather unfortunate." His gaze drifted meaningfully toward the bed.
Zhou Shengsheng helpfully added in her mind: What a massive bed, huh?
The woman on the bed was promptly dragged down.
Zhang Wei, hastily covering herself with a robe, knelt tearfully before Song Weiqing. "Your Highness… this concubine…"
"Enough," Song Weiqing replied coldly, not even sparing her a glance. "I’ve treated you well all this time, Consort."
Song Weicen feigned surprise. "So this wanton woman is the Crown Prince’s consort? My memory fails me—I don’t recall."
Ah, the convenience of amnesia.
Song Weiqing smiled indifferently. "Indeed. Since Third Brother remembers nothing, I can only hope you never regain those memories."
The two men exchanged smiles, the true meaning behind their expressions known only to themselves.
"Such a scandal would only distress our aging father. Best to keep it quiet, don’t you think, Crown Brother?" Song Weicen drawled.
"Naturally." Song Weiqing’s voice turned icy. "Take the consort away. Not a word of this leaves this room!"
Soon, Zhang Wei, sobbing as if on the verge of collapse, was escorted out.
Meanwhile, Hong Xing, who had just returned from a discreet trip to the privy, collapsed in terror at the sight.
Zhou Shengsheng, trailing behind Song Weiqing, cast her a dispassionate glance.
"Your Highness, this maid seems to be the consort’s attendant."
Song Weiqing waved a hand dismissively. "Zhang Jian, deal with her."
"As you command."
"No! Please! Your Highness! I’ve done nothing wrong! Spare me! I beg you!" Hong Xing wailed, tears streaming down her face.
But Song Weiqing ignored her entirely.
Finding her cries grating, Zhang Jian grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head against the ground, knocking her unconscious.
Under normal circumstances, Zhou Shengsheng wouldn’t interfere. But this Hong Xing had blood on her hands—too many innocent lives lost.
Even if she hadn’t spoken up, the maid’s fate would have been sealed. Aiding a consort in adultery was a capital offense.
As they neared the palace gates, Zhou Shengsheng wondered if Jiang Zhiyu had been crying alone under the covers during her absence. That lazy bird better not have forgotten about her.
The thought of Jiang Zhiyu’s delighted smile upon her return lifted her spirits.
But just as the group stepped out of Ninghe Palace, a voice called out to Song Weiqing.
"Third Brother, is there something else?"
Song Weicen grinned. "Nothing major. I just found that maid of yours quite clever and spirited. Mind handing her over to me?"
Zhou Shengsheng immediately tensed up, raising her head to look at Song Weiqing.
[Though compared to compatibility, his compliments really pleased me! But this man is a total creep! Song Weiqing, you mustn’t!]
Catching the pleading look in Zhou Shengsheng’s eyes, Song Weiqing pressed his lips together, then broke into a smile. "Alright."
