Qi Yelin’s body stiffened. He seemed to hear the Eldest Princess’s voice, but when he turned his head, there was no one there. "Zhaoyan?"
No one responded.
He stumbled to his feet, calling out incessantly, but due to his weakened state, he collapsed to the floor. He tried to scramble back up, but he lacked the strength. "Zhaoyan, is it you? Zhaoyan..."
Gu Zhaoyan walked toward Qi Yelin step by step. Even though she knew he could not see her, she still offered a smile. "Qi Yelin, having you as my rival for this lifetime is enough!"
Perhaps she had never truly understood Qi Yelin, but she would have no chance to make it up to him now.
If only there were a next life...
Gu Zhaoyan’s form grew fainter, and the resentment that had been swirling in her chest slowly dissipated.
At the moment she fell into darkness, she heard Qi Yelin’s desperate cry: "Zhaoyan, don't go!"
"Eldest Princess?"
"Eldest Princess!"
Gu Zhaoyan shuddered and opened her eyes to meet Qi Yelin’s displeased gaze. "If the Eldest Princess has any objections to my proposal, you may speak them plainly."
"Q-Qi Yelin?" Gu Zhaoyan thought she was hallucinating.
"The Eldest Princess lured me onto this carriage—surely you didn't intend to just stare at me?" Qi Yelin’s thin lips curled into a sarcastic arc, his eyes unfathomably deep.
A carriage?
Gu Zhaoyan looked around, her expression changing drastically. Under Qi Yelin’s astonished gaze, she tackled him to the floor.
*Whoosh.*
The moment they hit the ground, a cold arrow pierced the spot where Qi Yelin had just been sitting.
"Protect the Eldest Princess! Protect His Highness Prince Shen!"
Outside the carriage, the sound of steel clashing erupted. Gu Zhaoyan propped herself up slightly, watching Qi Yelin intently.
He looked cold, his brow furrowed with anger, his entire being radiating an aura that forbade anyone from coming near.
He was the man she knew so well.
"Are you not going to get up, Eldest Princess?"
Gu Zhaoyan snapped back to reality, meeting Qi Yelin’s icy gaze, and unexpectedly noticed his earlobes were slightly flushed.
"I was scared!"
Qi Yelin: ?
To make him more convinced, Gu Zhaoyan snuggled closer into his arms and wrapped her hands around his slim waist. "They wanted to kill me. Qi Yelin, you have to protect me."
A crack appeared in Qi Yelin’s indifferent expression, though he did not push her away. "Weren't the assassins outside arranged by the Eldest Princess?"
"I have always been open and aboveboard. If I truly wanted you dead, I would just order someone to frame you for a crime. Why would I go to the trouble of luring you into a carriage just to stage an assassination?"
In their past life, after they escaped, she had bitten back at his accusations, claiming he had framed her. They had ended up in a massive argument; had it not been for their subordinates desperately holding them back, they would have fought to the death.
It was after that incident that she had developed such a deep loathing for him, leading to chaos every time they met.
"Then why did the Eldest Princess invite me onto the carriage?"
"To drink tea."
Gu Zhaoyan’s mind raced. "I recall you don't have many hobbies, but you are quite partial to tea. It just so happened that a friend gifted me some new tea a few days ago, so I wanted to invite His Highness Prince Shen to sample it."
Qi Yelin narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced.
Just then, a subordinate’s voice came from outside: "Eldest Princess, Your Highness Prince Shen, the assassins have all been dealt with."
"Any survivors?"
"They all had poison hidden in their mouths. The moment they were captured, they took it and killed themselves."
In her past life, Gu Zhaoyan had never managed to find the mastermind behind this assassination, but now...
"Turn around, back to the palace!"
"Yes!"
Gu Zhaoyan met Qi Yelin’s perplexed and frigid gaze. "Since I am the reason you were put in danger, I will naturally provide you with an explanation."
At the Mingjing Room, Gu Zhaoyan reached the entrance and saw the head eunuch, Eunuch Huang, reach out to block her. "Eldest Princess..."
*Slap!*
"You dog of a servant, you dare block my path?" Seeing Eunuch Huang cover his face in shock yet still refuse to budge, she kicked him hard. "Jintang, drag him away and give him fifty strokes."
Hearing "fifty strokes," Eunuch Huang finally realized the Eldest Princess was not joking. "This servant deserves death, but the Emperor issued an order that no one is to be disturbed."
"Drag him out."
Ignoring his explanation, Gu Zhaoyan pushed the palace doors open and stormed in.
As she entered the inner chamber, she saw her younger brother—clad in his dragon robes—stand up in astonishment. Beside him stood the Grand Tutor.
"Imperial Eldest Sister..."
*Slap! Slap!*
Before her brother could finish, Gu Zhaoyan struck him twice. "Gu Zhaoheng! You’ve grown bold, haven’t you? You actually sent people to assassinate me?"
"I-Imperial Eldest Sister, why are you hitting me? What assassination? I know nothing of this," Gu Zhaoheng said, clutching his face with a look of grievance. "After the morning court, I have been in the Mingjing Room the whole time..."
"Cut the crap."
Gu Zhaoyan let out a curse and threw the arrow that had pierced the carriage wall at him. "Others might not recognize the mark on this, but do you think I wouldn't? Gu Zhaoheng, isn't it because you're annoyed that I interfere in everything, restricting you here and there? Fine, from today on, I will not concern myself with your affairs at all."
"Imperial Eldest Sister, you were ambushed—are you all right?"
"Gu Zhaoheng, are you still pretending?" Gu Zhaoyan sneered and looked at the Grand Tutor, who kept his head low. "Grand Tutor Song, this must have been your idea, right?"
"Eldest Princess, you wrong this old subject," Grand Tutor Song said, a flash of panic appearing in his eyes. "As the Emperor's teacher, I have always been diligent..."
"Grand Tutor Song, those who are truly diligent do not go around hanging those four words on their lips." Gu Zhaoyan cut him off with a scoff. "Isn't it because I took a fancy to your grandson and wanted to take him as my Imperial Son-in-law? You were unwilling, yet you didn't want a public conflict with me, so you incited the Emperor to deal with me instead?"
"Eldest Princess, I did not, I..."
"I don't want to hear your excuses." Gu Zhaoyan raised her hand and pointed at the two of them. "From now on, all state affairs are in the Emperor's hands. Gu Zhaoheng, Father passed the throne to you; I look forward to you continuing the glory of our royal house and becoming an eternal, legendary Emperor!"
With that, she turned and left.
As she walked out the main gate, she saw Qi Yelin standing there. "The matter of the assassination concerns the Emperor and the Grand Tutor. If Your Highness Prince Shen wishes to pursue this to the end, I will not stand in your way."
Qi Yelin frowned; he had heard the conversation inside just now.
It was noon, and the sun was bright.
Gu Zhaoyan looked up at the sky. For so long, she had been crushed by the weight of state affairs, unable to breathe. The officials not only failed to understand her, they made snide remarks behind her back. Now, having declared in front of her brother that she would no longer interfere, her heavy heart felt suddenly light. "Your Highness Prince Shen, do you have any other questions? Speak freely."
"Is the Eldest Princess truly willing to let go of everything she has worked so hard to build?" Qi Yelin did not know what scheme she was concocting, and he knew it was always safer to be cautious.