Upon hearing Lin Furen’s words, Lin Zhaoyue’s slender, pale hands unconsciously tightened, crumpling the fine Shu embroidery she held.
She dared not repeat her past mistakes!
The lessons from her previous life were more than enough.
To keep her mother from worrying, she forced a soft smile onto her delicate face:
“Mother, you know how quickly I lose interest in things. Alright, you’ve been taking care of me all night—go and rest now!”
After persuading Lin Furen to rest, Lin Zhaoyue thought for a moment and decided to get out of bed to write a letter to her eldest brother. Better safe than sorry—it would be wise to have him thoroughly investigate whether there were any disloyal individuals within the Lin Family Army.
Just as she was about to pick up the brush, she couldn’t help but yawn, her almond-shaped eyes glistening with moisture.
Her delicate nose twitched slightly as the familiar scent of Tranquilizing Incense drifted into the air.
After her miscarriage in her past life, she had relied on Tranquilizing Incense to sleep for a long time.
Her mother must have ordered it lit, fearing she wouldn’t rest peacefully.
Watching the thin wisps of smoke rise, Lin Zhaoyue got up and found a lid to cover the incense burner, ensuring the Tranquilizing Incense would stop burning before returning to her desk to resume writing.
After addressing the serious matters, she rambled on about many things, only stopping when she had filled five sheets of paper.
Looking at the densely written pages, Lin Zhaoyue’s smile carried a hint of melancholy.
It had been a full two years since her eldest brother left for the Border, and she hadn’t seen him since.
A gentle breeze stirred the gauze curtains, lifting a corner of her plain white Inner Garment. Unidentified birds chirped noisily from the trees in the courtyard.
The young girl rested her chin in her hand, gazing at the magnolia on the windowsill, lost in thought.
Only after the ink had completely dried did she fold the letters, place them in an envelope, and hand them to a servant to be sent to the post station.
After three days of recuperation, Lin Zhaoyue finally regained her energy and spirit.
With renewed vigor, her mind grew more active.
During dinner that evening, she pestered Duke Lin to find her a martial arts instructor. Duke Lin doted on his daughter and couldn’t bear the thought of his precious girl enduring the hardships of martial training.
She had him to protect her, and if he were ever gone, she still had her three older brothers.
Initially, Duke Lin refused, but he couldn’t withstand his daughter’s persistent pleading and eventually assigned one of his Shadow Guards to her.
The Shadow Guard was named Seventeen, a rigid and serious individual.
From the day Lin Zhaoyue met him, she never saw even a hint of extra expression on his face.
After seven days of basic training, Lin Zhaoyue finally began practicing with a sword.
On her first day wielding the sword, several large blisters formed on her tender palms.
Under the warm glow of candlelight, Qingzhu was lancing the blisters for her, the pain sharp and burning.
“Ouch, Qingzhu, be gentle—it hurts.”
Lin Zhaoyue whimpered pitifully, yet her hand remained perfectly still.
Qingzhu wept as she tended to the blisters:
“Miss, please stop practicing. Duke Lin has already given Seventeen to you—he will protect you. Why must you suffer like this? Besides, I will protect you too.”
Indeed, in her past life, Qingzhu had protected her until her dying breath.
Lin Zhaoyue reached out and patted Qingzhu’s head, a slight curve forming at the corner of her lips:
“But I want to protect Qingzhu too!”
And her mother, father, brothers, and sisters—in this life, she would protect them all.
Hearing Lin Zhaoyue’s words, Qingzhu paused briefly before crying even harder.
This girl… how could she cry so much?
Lin Zhaoyue sighed softly, took out a handkerchief, and wiped away her tears.
After applying the medicine, Lin Zhaoyue got into bed. Seeing Qingzhu about to light the Tranquilizing Incense, she stopped her:
“After practicing martial arts, I sleep very well. There’s no need to light the Tranquilizing Incense from now on.”
“Understood, Miss.”
Tonight, it was Chun He’s turn on duty. Just as Qingzhu reached the door of her room, a Fine Iron Crossbow shot through the air with a sharp whistling sound, embedding itself firmly into a wooden post.
Qingzhu glanced around, catching only a glimpse of a dark figure disappearing into the night.
She withdrew her gaze, expressionlessly approached the post, pulled out the crossbow, entered her room, and closed the door.
After lighting a candle, she picked up the small note tied to the crossbow. On it was only a single neatly written word:
Kill.
After reading it, she held the note over the candle flame, her expression indifferent, with no trace of the timid maidservant she usually appeared to be.
She briskly lifted the bed board, took out a set of night clothes, and changed into them.
A gentle evening breeze whispered, accompanied by a faint creaking sound. When one looked into the room again, there was no one inside…
…
Eastern Palace.
The door to the study was pushed open, and Shen Yanzhou walked in, carrying his sword.
Xiao Yan set down the memorial in his hand, his dark, ice-like eyes sweeping toward him:
“Has the fish taken the bait?”
Shen Yanzhou nodded, then rubbed his nose, his voice low:
“But the person is dead—poisoned themselves.”
Xiao Yan narrowed his long, slender eyes slightly, his pale fingers gently rotating the jade ring on his hand, his tone turning colder:
“Go and receive your punishment.”
“Yes.”
Shen Yanzhou cupped his hands in acknowledgment. It was his own carelessness—the net had been set, yet the target had died!
Every one of these remnants of the former dynasty was a Death Warrior.
He stepped forward and handed over a Fine Iron Crossbow:
“This is the crossbow that person used. Crossbows of this level are not available on the market except for military use, unless she obtained it from the Black Market.”
Black Market?
Xiao Yan frowned slightly, recalling something, and said:
“Tomorrow, go there…”
…
The next day, when Lin Zhaoyue woke up and did not see Qingzhu, she asked Chun He, who said she had caught a chill.
When Lin Zhaoyue went to see Qingzhu, she was lying on the couch, running a high fever, her face pale and covered in cold sweat, as if she had just been pulled out of a spring.
Lin Zhaoyue quickly sent someone to fetch the residence’s physician:
“This high fever is caused by the chill. I will prescribe some medicine for Miss Qingzhu, and she should recover after a few days of rest.”
Hearing the physician’s words, a flicker of doubt crossed Lin Zhaoyue’s eyes.
Qingzhu looked seriously ill—could she really recover after just a few doses of medicine and some rest?
However, Physician Qian was an old-timer at the Lin Residence, and his words had always been reliable.
Lin Zhaoyue did not dwell on it for long. Since Qingzhu was fine, she felt relieved.
Today, there were more important matters to attend to!
After visiting Qingzhu, Lin Zhaoyue returned to her room, took some banknotes, changed into a different outfit, and headed to the Black Market with Seventeen.
The carriage rocked and swayed. Behind the Lin Residence’s carriage, an inconspicuous carriage followed closely.
Inside that ordinary carriage, Shen Yanzhou, dressed as a noble young master, looked at the person opposite him and said with a smile:
“Why haven’t I seen that little shadow following you these past few days? Could it be that she was truly frightened out of her wits last time?”
The “little shadow” Shen Yanzhou referred to was naturally Lin Zhaoyue, for wherever the Crown Prince went, Lin Zhaoyue would inevitably appear.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan lifted his eyelids and gave him a cool glance:
“Too much free time?”
Shen Yanzhou:…
With a temperament like this, if not for his handsome appearance and status as the Crown Prince, he would surely end up a widower.
Shen Yanzhou knew Xiao Yan wasn’t truly angry at the moment and continued:
“Honestly, I’ve been feeling a bit unaccustomed these days without seeing Miss Shen the Second! Do you think she’s playing the game of ‘pretending to retreat to lure someone in’?”
Pretending to retreat to lure someone in?
“Sir, ahead is the Lin Residence carriage.”
Feng Xin’s voice came from outside. Before Xiao Yan could say anything, Shen Yanzhou’s teasing voice rang out in the carriage:
“Miss Shen the Second couldn’t hold back anymore?”