Not far behind the grand hall lay the imperial garden, and beyond it, the residences of the imperial concubines. Prince Ping had initially planned to flee straight to the inner palace to rendezvous with his allies, but along the way, he realized that even the inner palace had been seized by the emperor’s shadow guards.
Those shadow guards were no pushovers—facing them now would mean certain death.
With a sudden shift in direction, Prince Ping gritted his teeth and took refuge in the imperial garden instead.
At this moment, Prince Ping finally understood that he had fallen into the emperor’s trap—a meticulously crafted one, designed just for him!
Everything they had done was to create an illusion, a deception to make him misjudge the timing and believe the moment for rebellion had arrived.
The key to it all was Sima Qing’s willingness to sacrifice himself as bait!
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Prince Ping clenched his fists in fury, cursing himself for being outmaneuvered—once again, he had lost to Sima Qing!
The imperial garden was dotted with artificial rock formations. Having met Consort Xue here many times before, Prince Ping was intimately familiar with the layout. He knew exactly which rock formation offered the best concealment.
Dodging and weaving, he finally slipped into the safest crevice of the rocks.
Forcing himself to stay calm, he mentally mapped out the palace’s layout.
If he could hold out until his men arrived, that would be ideal… but Xiao Chi’s elite soldiers were battle-hardened veterans. If they clashed with his own forces, it was hard to say who would come out on top.
Placing his life in the hands of others was the height of folly.
So Prince Ping resolved to save himself.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the corpse of a eunuch near the rocks. A thought struck him, and he instinctively held his breath, reaching out—
But then, a shadow suddenly fell over him.
His hand froze mid-motion. Eyes widening in alarm, he looked up—only to see his own foolish daughter standing there!
Prince Ping was stunned.
With Xue’er, he had once known the joys of fatherhood.
He was only human—how could he not feel affection for his own flesh and blood?
Moreover, his Xue’er had been exceptionally bright from childhood. By the age of one, she could run and jump, calling him "Father" with perfect clarity. Later, under his deliberate guidance, she memorized poetry and could debate profound philosophies with sharp wit…
She was the only relic left behind by that woman.
But then, Xue’er had changed.
Overnight, his brilliant daughter had turned into a vacant-eyed simpleton, recoiling from his touch.
It was her choice—she had abandoned him as a father first.
Memories flashed through his mind, and seeing Xue’er now, in this dire situation, Prince Ping felt an uncharacteristic sting in his eyes.
"Xue’er, it’s Father," he said softly, reaching out toward her.
But Xue’er simply stood there, silent. When Prince Ping stretched his hand further, she tilted her body slightly away.
Prince Ping took it as rejection. After a brief silence, he wasn’t surprised. His gaze shifted back to the eunuch’s corpse at her feet, and he moved to drag it toward himself.
But as he leaned forward, a flash of silver streaked toward him. Prince Ping’s breath hitched—he dodged with lightning reflexes, but the cramped space within the rocks left him no room. He slammed hard against the stone, his arm pierced by the dagger!
"You—" Prince Ping couldn’t fathom it. Even his own daughter was pointing a blade at him?
Xue’er burst into tears.
"Give me back my mother… give her back!" she sobbed, raising the dagger for another strike.
Prince Ping was momentarily stunned but swiftly blocked her second attempt.
How much strength could a child have? Prince Ping easily seized Xue’er by the collar, dragging her out of the rocks and lifting her off the ground.
"So that’s it…" he murmured, his laughter bordering on madness. "So my dear daughter saw everything that night…"
When Jiu Yue arrived, she saw Prince Ping choking Xue’er while laughing hysterically.
Her eyes turned icy, fury blazing through her. "Qi Xiuyuan! Have you no humanity? That’s your own daughter!"
"My own daughter?" Prince Ping sneered, the wound on his hand bleeding profusely from the strain. "Does she even see me as her father? She’s just like her ungrateful mother—both of them exist to drag me down!"
"They deserve to die!"
Jiu Yue saw red. Without another word, she lunged at him.
Si Shui, who had been chasing close behind, finally caught up and froze at the sight of Prince Ping. After a stunned pause, he realized the female assassin had been telling the truth—she really was here to kill Prince Ping!
With a hostage in play, Jiu Yue couldn’t fight at full strength.
Xue’er was only four years old, tiny and fragile, now gasping for air under Prince Ping’s grip.
Si Shui understood the urgency. Exchanging a glance with Jiu Yue, he nodded subtly and veered to the opposite side.
Jiu Yue steadied herself. Then, staring at Prince Ping, she suddenly smirked. "Qi Xiuyuan, everyone around you has abandoned you. Have you ever wondered why?"
Prince Ping seemed to snap at her words. No longer thinking of escape, he tightened his hold on Xue’er and advanced toward Jiu Yue.
"They don’t matter, A’Yue," he muttered, as if possessed. "Just tell me why—why must you betray me too?"
Jiu Yue studied him with eerie calm, then smiled. "Do you want to know when I regained my memories?"
Prince Ping stiffened—as if he didn’t even dare ask.
He seemed to lose himself in the moment.
But then—a sharp whistle cut through the air.
Si Shui’s whip lashed out like a viper, coiling around Prince Ping’s legs and yanking hard!
Prince Ping staggered, his grip on Xue’er instinctively loosening as he toppled forward.
Just before Xue’er could hit the ground, Si Shui dove, snatching her by the back of her robe.
In the same heartbeat, Jiu Yue sprang into action—charging at Prince Ping with lethal precision.
In the blink of an eye, Si Shui had Xue’er safely in his arms, while Prince Ping, writhing in pain, rolled onto his back—only to see Jiu Yue leaping through the air, her blade raised high.
He had no time to react.
The sword came down with brutal force.
A scream tore from his throat as agony exploded through his legs—rendering escape impossible.
With Prince Ping crippled beneath her boot, Jiu Yue pressed down on his chest, meeting his pleading gaze.
"A’Yue… why… why would you do this to me…?"
His pain only fueled her exhilaration.
Jiu Yue smiled. Slowly, she drew the dagger again, presenting it to him with deliberate care.
"Look. Isn’t it beautiful?" Her tone was light, as if she were commenting on a flower.
Prince Ping’s eyes lost focus.
This was… his dagger.
"Let me tell you a secret," Jiu Yue whispered, crouching low. "Thanks to you—I died a long time ago."
A wet thunk followed her words—the sound of steel parting flesh.
She drove the dagger down without mercy, the force so great it pierced straight through his chest and embedded itself into the earth beneath.
Blood splattered across her face.
And then, unbidden, a single tear slid down her cheek.
Blood and tears mingled together, streaming down the side of her face and crashing heavily into Prince Ping's vision.
In a daze, Prince Ping seemed to see another Jiu Yue through the one before him...
He knew he couldn’t escape death.
But why... did it have to be by Jiu Yue’s blade?
Prince Ping forced a feeble smile, blood gushing from his wounds, until finally, he breathed his last.
The moment Prince Ping died, Jiu Yue felt an inexplicable lightness wash over her. The intense emotions from moments ago vanished as if someone had flipped an off switch. In the blink of an eye, she was eerily calm...
Jiu Yue found it strange. As she wiped away the inexplicable tears, a faint but growing "beep—beep—" echoed in her mind—
"Connection failed... Connection successful! Connection successful! Host! I’ve finally made it through!" The mechanical voice was music to her ears!
Jiu Yue nearly burst into tears, gripping her dagger while mentally chatting with the system. "You’re finally here! Any later, and I’d have settled down permanently in this world!"
The system was equally thrilled... but only for a second.
The moment it synced with Jiu Yue, it immediately sensed the peculiarity of their surroundings. After a quick scan, its focus landed on the wide-eyed corpse at Jiu Yue’s feet.
Unaware of the system’s sudden silence, Jiu Yue meticulously wiped her blade on her sleeve, still reassuring it.
"Don’t worry, though. I’ve been doing fine here—aside from my eyes aching from all the green I’ve been seeing... Oh, right! Now that you’re here, you’re staying, right? Just in case, you’d better tell me the mission ASAP."
With her dagger now spotless, Jiu Yue exhaled confidently and asked, "So, who are we killing?"
"The palace is in chaos right now. Anyone’s fair game." She sniffed, standing up slowly, her tone casual as if ordering from a menu. "The emperor or the empress dowager? Wait, the dowager’s been dead for years—scratch that. How about the regent prince instead?"
The system: "..."
Its silence was deafening.
Time ticked by, yet Jiu Yue received no response. Her eyelid twitched as she nearly lost her composure. "System? Are you there?! Don’t tell me you got booted out again?! Hello—anyone there? Hey—"
"Stop yelling..." the mechanical voice replied coldly.
Jiu Yue sighed in relief—only for the system’s next words to hit her like a death sentence: "The mission is a political marriage. Your betrothed is Prince Ping, Qi Xiuyuan... yes, the corpse at your feet."
Jiu Yue, who had been about to deliver a professional finishing blow: "..."
Her dagger slipped from her hand, clattering to the ground as a question mark slowly formed above her head.
"...Huh?"
"...Yep."
"So...?"
"Yep."
"......"
Maybe she really should start planning to settle down here permanently???
