The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Chapter 78 Following me, I suffered injustice.

Jiang Jinshuang barely hesitated before taking a few steps to follow the dark figures towards the observatory!
The observatory is located on the hill behind the royal ancestral temple.

If you follow the winding mountain road upwards, you can even see the hazy empty mountains and pavilions in the night.

The observatory was built at the highest point of the back mountain.

At the highest point, there is a pavilion that provides shade and shelter from the rain. Tea tables and cushions are placed under the pavilion, and a beautiful and upright pine tree blocks half of the moonlight from the side of the pavilion.

The cold moonlight shone on the pine needles, like frost falling from a sharp sword.

It had a cool feel to it.

On the tea table beneath the pavilion, steaming hot tea carries a subtle fragrance.

Two cups of tea were brewed.

Zhao Yungui stood outside the pavilion, looking up at the starry sky under the night sky. Dressed in white, he was even more radiant than the moonlight.

Suddenly, the wind stirred.

A breeze swept past his clothes, causing his veil to flutter lightly.

Zhao Yungui remained motionless, standing still in place.

"The sword attendant is not here. Your Highness, could you please handle this?"

Tch, ordering her around again.

Jiang Jinshuang frowned slightly, but her eyes sharpened as she picked up a pine branch from beside her.

"Soon-"

It was the sound of the wind cutting through the air.

Jiang Jinshuang held up the pine branch and stood in front of Zhao Yungui.

The next second, three or five men in black appeared, wielding cold swords, their eyes fierce and murderous.

Jiang Jinshuang frowned slightly, seemingly unconcerned: "Should we leave them alive?"

Zhao Yungui gazed at the stars over the distant mountains.

"No need."

Jiang Jinshuang nodded upon hearing this.

The pine branch in his hand was like some kind of divine weapon, and he fought directly with the men in black, not losing ground at all!
After a few rounds, the men in black were stabbed in the throat by Jiang Jinshuang and died on the spot.

Neat.

Jiang Jinshuang wiped the bloodstains from her face, slowly broke off a pine branch, took the thin twig, and tied it up with her long hair.

Looking at the corpses on the ground, Jiang Jinshuang asked curiously, "Who did the Imperial Preceptor offend?"

Zhao Yungui finally turned around and looked at Jiang Jinshuang, whose skirt was stained with blood: "Throughout the court, there are countless people who want to see through the celestial phenomena and speak with their mouths."

Jiang Jinshuang nodded knowingly: "It seems that being the Imperial Advisor isn't so easy after all."

They had only exchanged a few words when Jiang Jinshuang heard urgent sounds coming from afar.

"Your Excellency, are you alright?"

The voice still carried the immaturity of a boy, and a chubby little boy, holding a sword in one hand, appeared before the two of them, panting heavily.

—He is Zhao Yungui's sword attendant.

The swordsman spotted Jiang Jinshuang at a glance, instantly drew his sword, and exclaimed with wide eyes, "Bad, bad woman!"

Jiang Jinshuang clearly recognized the belated sword attendant, and clicked her tongue: "Little Zhengze, how can you talk like that? If it weren't for me, your master would already be dead~"

The swordsman, known as "Zhengze," blushed and retorted defiantly, "You're talking nonsense! My master would never be harmed by a few mere assassins!"

Jiang Jinshuang particularly enjoyed teasing the chubby little swordsman, resting her chin on her hand and laughing: "Little Zhengze, didn't your master teach you to repay kindness? Besides, how can you keep calling a beautiful woman a 'bad woman'? It truly breaks my heart~"

Zhengze looked like a little adult, very serious.

He rarely wins an argument against Jiang Jinshuang.

Jiang Jinshuang's words made her cheeks flush red, so she could only look to Zhao Yungui for help.

Zhao Yungui sighed, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and handed it to Jiang Jinshuang: "Wipe your face."

Jiang Jinshuang took it and wiped the blood off her face.

Zhengze snorted and dutifully began to dispose of the corpse.

"This is the umpteenth batch in the past few days. Sir, perhaps we should return to the Imperial Observatory as soon as possible."

Hearing Zhengze say this, Jiang Jinshuang became interested.

She sat down at the tea table without any hesitation; the tea in the cup on the table was very clear.

It's tea brewed three times.

Taking a sip of tea, Jiang Jinshuang blinked and looked at Zhao Yungui: "What did the Grand Preceptor say recently that made these people keep trying to assassinate me?"

Xiao Zheng frowned: "Isn't it all because of His Highness!"

Jiang Jinshuang paused for a moment, then pointed to herself: "Me?"

“Zhengze.” Zhao Yungui, who was standing to the side, put down his teacup and interrupted calmly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhengze wrinkled his nose unhappily, and after dealing with the corpse, he bowed and withdrew.

Jiang Jinshuang's curiosity was piqued: "Why is it because of me?" Zhao Yungui's gaze seemed to fall on the half-broken pine branch that Jiang Jinshuang had tossed aside.

She just broke off a piece of pine branch while trying to tie her hair up.

He lowered his head slightly and took another sip of tea: "Where is Your Highness's sword?"

How did it become him asking her?

Jiang Jinshuang knew that Zhao Yungui didn't want to answer, so she didn't press him further. She just frowned and reluctantly replied, "He was given away."

"Hmm?" Zhao Yungui's tone rose slightly, his deep, slightly hoarse voice carrying a hint of doubt.

“After Uncle Ruiyang died, I haven’t used my sword much,” Jiang Jinshuang said calmly. “It has been with me and suffered a lot.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yungui stopped asking questions.

The night was desolate, and Jiang Jinshuang looked at the low-hanging stars, as if she could reach them with her bare hands.

"Your Excellency, can celestial phenomena truly predict the future?"

Zhao Yungui replied calmly, "Okay."

Yes, that's a very positive answer.

Jiang Jinshuang clicked her tongue and said, "Even that phenomenon can't be changed?"

Zhao Yungui: "I have never seen it before."

Jiang Jinshuang became interested: "I heard that the Imperial Preceptor can use tea leaves for divination?"

"All things in the world can be used to generate divination."

"Then, Your Excellency, please divine for me what the future holds for Wan Jin?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yungui's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Throughout the entire Wan Jin Kingdom, no one dared to ask him this question so bluntly.

The karmic consequences are too great, and no one is willing to take responsibility for the outcome.

Jiang Jinshuang was the first.

Zhao Yungui pursed his lips slightly: "To discern the secrets of heaven is to incur divine punishment."

Jiang Jinshuang frowned: "I'm not afraid of these things."

Zhao Yungui sighed again, "The divination indicates that one's fate is tied to the fate of ten thousand people. Can Your Highness bear the karmic consequences?"

Jiang Jinshuang raised her eyes, a hint of a smile in them: "Zhao Yungui, you actually wish someone would ask you this question, don't you?"

Throughout history, the imperial astronomers and national advisors have been arrogant and presumptuous, relying on the mandate of heaven. Zhao Yungui was no exception.

And which imperial advisor wouldn't want to divine the fate of a nation?

Jiang Jinshuang merely gave Zhao Yun a pretext to cast a divination.

In other words, Jiang Jinshuang was willing to bear the karmic consequences of the divination on behalf of Zhao Yungui.

Even though his thoughts had been read, Zhao Yungui showed no sign of embarrassment.

His tone was slightly cold: "If Your Highness is unwilling, I will not consult this divination at all."

This is giving her a chance to change her mind.

Unfortunately, Jiang Jinshuang rarely goes back on her word.

“I’ll take it,” she said with a smile.

Zhao Yun lowered his head and took three new tea leaves from the tea spoon beside him.

The tea leaves held in her hand fell to the ground.

"How is it?" Jiang Jinshuang asked.

Zhao Yungui's brows furrowed, and his tone turned cold: "A dead end."

Jiang Jinshuang raised an eyebrow slightly: "The literal meaning?"

"Yes, a dead end."

Jiang Jinshuang sighed and chuckled softly.

She looked at the three tea leaves, but couldn't see anything special about them.

She reached out and turned one of the tea leaves over.

Zhao Yungui suddenly grabbed Jiang Jinshuang's wrist, his tone cold and heavy: "What are you doing?"

Jiang Jinshuang smiled and said, "The Imperial Advisor just said it was a dead end, but I'm breaking it."

Zhao Yungui's tone was solemn: "Does Your Highness know what the consequences will be for those who attempt to tamper with the laws of Heaven?"

Jiang Jinshuang looked at him with a smile.

Zhao Yungui grabbed her wrist with one hand, while her other hand was free.

She reached out and pulled down the veil covering Zhao Yungui's eyes.

Suddenly, a pair of cool, aloof eyes appeared before her.

(End of this chapter)