Song Shiyue pressed Gu Yu Chen firmly into his seat before flipping out of the carriage.
It wasn’t yet curfew time. The main street was lit with lanterns, and quite a few people were still moving about.
But the street leading toward Gu Mansion was completely dark, terrifyingly silent.
Song Shiyue leaped onto the carriage roof, with Liu Wu abandoning his horse to follow her up.
Their master couldn’t reveal his martial skills, especially since his Inner Force hadn’t recovered yet. They needed to protect both their master and their mistress simultaneously.
Liu Si steered the carriage smoothly around the intersection. They had traveled less than a hundred meters when his hand gripping the horsewhip suddenly tightened.
On the carriage roof, Song Shiyue and Liu Wu simultaneously looked toward the rooftops lining the street.
Watching figures emerge from the roofs on both sides, Song Shiyue remarked, “As expected, it’s not safe to travel after dark.”
“Why?” Liu Wu asked foolishly, not catching her meaning immediately.
Song Shiyue chuckled lightly, “Easy to run into ghosts.”
Inside the carriage, Gu Yu Chen closed his eyes, sensing the number of “ghostly figures.”
He had full confidence in Liu Si and Liu Wu’s abilities, especially since they also had Song Shiyue – a true master.
“Liu Si, pick up speed.”
Following the order, Liu Si cracked his whip against the horse’s hindquarters. Twenty to thirty masked figures descended from the rooftops on both sides.
Their target was clear – not Gu Yu Chen inside the carriage, but Song Shiyue standing on the roof.
“Heh! So they’re coming for me.”
Song Shiyue looked arrogantly at the approaching assassins, showing no trace of nervousness.
Her appearance posed a threat to many people.
Only a few princes could have arranged an assassination this quickly.
The Crown Prince hated her the most, but Song Shiyue didn’t believe he was behind this.
After all, the dog that bites doesn’t bark.
The Crown Prince had suffered significant humiliation from her today. Sending assassins now would be unwise.
Someone else was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
In that flash of insight, Song Shiyue figured out many things.
Just as a sword tip thrust toward her face, Song Shiyue moved.
She twisted her body, avoiding the long sword, while her hands swiftly grabbed the assassin’s arms…
In the blink of an eye, several people lay fallen beside the carriage wheels, their condition unknown.
Liu Wu had initially been somewhat worried, but when he glimpsed how fierce his mistress was from the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but admire her.
As the carriage sped forward, dark figures continued to attack along the way, all easily dealt with by Song Shiyue.
Liu Wu had never realized combat could be this effortless.
After one more intersection, they would reach the street where Gu Mansion was located.
Once they entered the alleyway, the black-clad assassins finally stopped pursuing and quickly retreated.
Seeing people emerging from Gu Mansion’s main gate to greet them, Song Shiyue considered going back to capture some alive.
“Mistress, don’t pursue a defeated enemy.”
Hearing Gu Yu Chen’s words and looking at the pitch-black street opposite, Song Shiyue took his advice.
This was just the beginning – the main drama was yet to come. They could take their time!
Back at Ruifeng Courtyard, Song Shiyue asked what they had actually agreed upon at the You Fang.
“You said everything was settled, yet it attracted an assassination attempt.” And one targeting her specifically.
Gu Yu Chen had also realized that it was probably because he said the final decision would be up to his wife, which had angered someone.
“My sincere apologies, I didn’t think this through properly.”
He had thought they could play good cop/bad cop – one agreeing to their demands while the other opposed.
After all, their Marriage Certificate clearly stated that her dowry constituted his entire fortune. In other words, the one currently controlling the Gu family was the young mistress of Gu Mansion – she had to give final approval for everything.
His original intention was that since they disliked dealing with women, it might buy them some time.
He never expected someone would resort to such extreme measures.
“Do you think you can control him by getting rid of this wife?”
“Who do you think did it?”
“It couldn’t be the Crown Prince, nor Prince Rui or the Junior Prince.”
Gu Yu Chen’s exclusion of the Crown Prince likely aligned with his own thoughts, but by ruling out Prince Rui and the Junior Prince, that left only…
“Do you suspect Prince Chu?”
“And Wu Huangzi (Fifth Prince) and the Second Prince.”
“But the Second Prince didn’t come, did he?”
“Not coming doesn’t mean he’s above suspicion. No one in the royal family is simple.”
The Second Prince, Prince Jing, had been frail since falling into water as a child. After being enfeoffed and establishing his own residence, he became a leisurely prince.
Yet, this man enjoyed a good reputation among the common people and at court.
Gu Yu Chen suspected him because the emperor’s recent serious illness had exposed the ambitions of several princes.
He didn’t believe Prince Jing was as genuine as he appeared.
“You seem to trust Prince Rui and the Junior Prince quite a bit.”
“It’s not entirely about trust, but also because they have no need for it.”
Gu Yu Chen didn’t fully trust anyone, but relatively speaking, given his relationship with Prince Rui and the Junior Prince, they had no reason to scheme behind his back.
The Crown Prince had clashed with them today, so if an assassination attempt occurred, he would be the first suspect.
The Crown Prince had acted impatiently today, but he wasn’t foolish enough to commit such a stupid act.
The one he suspected most was Prince Chu—his doll-like face might seem pleasant, but his heart was dark.
“And then there’s Wu Huangzi (Fifth Prince), who’s eager to prove himself before the emperor and take on the task of repairing the Xiao River embankments.At the time, he had perfunctorily agreed, but ultimately, he placed the authority in Song Shiyue’s hands.
“Kill you, and control of the Gu family would return to me. Then, when they come asking, I’d have no excuse to refuse.”
Admittedly, this was a very simple, crude, and quick method.
But it was still too impulsive and immature.
Song Shiyue said, “So, Wu Huangzi (Fifth Prince) is the most suspicious.”
Gu Yu Chen nodded. Prince Chu was much more cunning than Wu Huangzi (Fifth Prince); such methods didn’t match his usual conduct.
Song Shiyue stretched lazily, “Alright then! Today’s debut in Jing City had its twists and turns, but nothing too major—consider it an appetizer!”
“This is just the beginning.”
This marked Song Shiyue’s first formal appearance in Jing City, forcing the Crown Prince to acknowledge their marriage.
It also attracted an assassination attempt. With such a lively start, the days ahead promised to be even more exciting.
Before falling asleep, Song Shiyue realized she had forgotten something, but before she could recall what it was, she drifted off.
In the depths of sleep, she only felt that dealing with people was exhausting.
The freedom of deep mountains and wild fields was far preferable.
In the imperial palace, it was said that adult princes who were unmarried, as well as minors who had reached the age of five, all resided in this courtyard.
Emperor Jingren had over ten sons. Excluding the four who had left the palace to establish their own residences, nine remained crowded here.
Wu Huangzi (Fifth Prince) paced anxiously in his room.
The decision he made earlier was too hasty. What if it failed and someone found out?
He now realized he had been too impulsive.
“Your Highness, there’s news.”
A trusted follower’s voice came from outside the window. Wu Huangzi (Fifth Prince) immediately opened the window to let him in.
“Did it succeed?”
“Your Highness, no.”
The man paused, then cautiously reported, “The Gu family’s new bride possesses exceptional martial skills. We lost seven men, and the rest are injured to varying degrees.”
Wu Huangzi (Fifth Prince) staggered back in shock, collapsing into a chair.
“W-were our identities discovered?”
“No, they weren’t.”
“Are you sure?”
“Confirmed! The Gu family’s carriage entered Three-Lane Alley, and our men withdrew immediately, taking all the deceased with them. No clues were left behind.”
Who would have thought that woman could be so ruthless.
Wu Huangzi slumped over, covering his face with his hands. At least it wouldn’t be traced back to him.
Even though he was certain he wouldn’t be discovered, Wu Huangzi found it difficult to sleep tonight.