“More than thirty assassins are closing in on us. They’ll surround us any moment now. We must find a way to get Prince Jing out of here!”
The moment Qu Jinshu opened her eyes, she heard an anxious voice beside her.
She turned her head hesitantly and looked around.
The forest was dense with trees and thick leaves. Much of it was shrouded in darkness, with only the faint moonlight providing illumination.
She stared intently at the person who spoke. He was a man in his forties with a rather upright and dignified appearance.
Wasn’t this Lin Zhong, the Commander of the Imperial Guards in the capital? Why could she still see him after her death?
Wait…
A sharp pain shot through her head. Qu Jinshu glanced at her surroundings again.
Assassins. Prince Jing. Lin Zhong…
Then she looked down at herself. She was wearing the silver armor that her elder brother, Qu Zhao, loved most. Her hands and feet were also perfectly intact.
A bold suspicion began to form in her mind.
Could it be that she had returned to when she was eighteen?
At this point, He Xiujun had not yet asked for her hand in marriage, and she had not become a prisoner of war, tortured until she was left crippled.
This must be the night of the autumn hunt, the very beginning of everything that had gone wrong.
Her elder brother, Qu Zhao, had already risen to the third rank as Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household Department through his so called military achievements. Among his peers, his prospects were exceedingly promising.
With the autumn hunt approaching, their father wanted him to claim first place and win the Emperor’s favor, making it easier for him to secure further promotions in the future.
However, Qu Zhao’s martial arts and strategic abilities were mediocre. Without someone’s help, winning first place would be virtually impossible.
Thus, their father had forced her to participate in the autumn hunt under the identity of a concubine born daughter. That night, she was supposed to change into Qu Zhao’s clothes and hunt in his place.
In her previous life, her mother had threatened her with her own life, forcing her to work for the Qu family. She had agreed.
Not only had she helped Qu Zhao claim first place, but she had also acted in his name alongside He Xiujun to protect Prince Jing when assassins ambushed him.
As a result, Qu Zhao received another promotion, while He Xiujun was rewarded by the Emperor with a golden token granting him immunity from the death penalty.
Of course, this was also why the Empress Dowager had taken an interest in the Qu family.
However, the Qu family only cared about reaping the benefits. They blamed her for everything that had gone wrong with Qu Ya’s marriage.
It was also that same night that Qu Ya, eager to show off, had insisted on entering the forest and ended up injuring her leg in a fall.
In her previous life, Qu Ya had committed suicide not only because she couldn’t accept marrying Prince Jing, but also because a physician had told her that she would be left with a limp.
As the favored daughter, she simply couldn’t bear the thought of becoming a cripple!
Yet, no matter how many reasons there were, all the Qu family saw was that Qu Ya didn’t want to marry Prince Jing. They then placed all the blame on Qu Jinshu.
“What are we going to do? The assassins will find us any moment now. Prince Jing’s fever still hasn’t gone down, and our situation is extremely dangerous.”
“General He, Lord Qu, both of you have fought on the battlefield. You’re highly skilled in martial arts and exceptionally strategic. What do you think we should do?”
Lin Zhong looked at them pleadingly.
As a senior officer of the Imperial Guards, if anything happened to Prince Jing, he wouldn’t just lose his official position. He might even lose his head.
At this point, his only hope lay in the two men he had happened to encounter, Qu Zhao and He Xiujun.
“General He, what’s wrong?”
Lin Zhong suddenly noticed that He Xiujun was clutching his head, his expression filled with pain.
“No! That cannot happen!” He suddenly roared.
His eyes were bloodshot, and his handsome face was filled with shock and uncertainty.
He ignored Lin Zhong and abruptly turned to look at Qu Jinshu.
The aura surrounding him was steady, restrained, and even cold.
That was not how a man like He Xiujun, who was not yet twenty, should have carried himself!
Meanwhile, her gaze was cool and composed. There was no longer even a trace of the young girl’s affection for him.
And this was not how eighteen year old Qu Jinshu should have been either!
At that moment, they silently understood one another.
They had both returned!
He Xiujun quickly withdrew his gaze, as though Qu Jinshu were nothing more than a stranger.
He leaped onto the only horse there and rode away without the slightest hesitation, whipping its reins.
“That’s my horse! It was supposed to escort Prince Jing to safety!”
Lin Zhong was practically beside himself with anger.
Had General He gone mad?
How could he take the last remaining horse and ride away? His sudden departure would undoubtedly draw the assassins straight to them.
Was he not afraid of getting Prince Jing killed? Hadn’t he come here to save him?
Qu Jinshu glanced in the direction He Xiujun had ridden.
If she wasn’t mistaken, that was where Qu Ya had gotten into trouble.
So much for his beloved. The moment he returned, he rushed off without a second thought, caring only about saving her.
“Lord Qu, what should we do now? How can General He disregard Prince Jing’s life like this?”
Lin Zhong was on the verge of breaking down as he anxiously questioned Qu Jinshu.
But when he turned around, he saw Qu Jinshu raising her bow and aiming at He Xiujun’s retreating figure.
The bowstring was drawn taut. Her expression was icy, and there was a faint trace of murderous intent in her eyes.
Lin Zhong nearly lost his soul at the sight. “Lord Qu, please think carefully! Be careful! Although General He has abandoned his post, still…”
Before he could finish speaking, the arrow in Qu Jinshu’s hand had already been released, striking He Xiujun directly in the leg.
He cried out in pain and nearly fell off his horse along with it.
Yet even so, he continued whipping the horse forward. He seemed determined to reach Qu Ya and save her.
“General He deserted his post in the middle of battle. He deserved that arrow, don’t you think, Lord Lin?” Qu Jinshu suddenly asked in a cool, indifferent tone.
Lin Zhong silently closed his mouth. She was indeed right. “Help Prince Jing onto the horse. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible.”
Qu Jinshu sensed that more and more footsteps were approaching. She turned to Lin Zhong and spoke.
Lin Zhong had noticed them too. He gritted his teeth so hard that they nearly cracked.
“It must be Xiao He… No, it must be He Xiujun who led the assassins here! He’s trying to get us killed! Once I get out of here, I’ll make sure to report this to the Emperor!”