Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 225 Extra Chapter: Rong Junye (8)

The Luban Box changed shape in Yu Nishang's hands and finally opened!
The wooden box was opened, and inside was actually an imperial seal! Moreover, the seal was missing a corner. It is said that when Princess Ping'an was young, she played with the seal and broke a corner of it.

When Yu Nishang's fingertips touched the jade seal in the brocade box, cold sweat instantly broke out on the back of her neck. This jade seal was real! The Sixth Prince had stolen the jade seal! She forced herself to hold her breath and measured the length and width of the jade seal with her fingers, her palms sweating profusely.

Outside the carriage, the door creaked open, and the Sixth Prince's footsteps grew closer. He had emerged! She practically slammed the jade seal into the brocade box, her fingertips aching from the corner, but she paid no heed. The Lu Ban box twirled between her fingers; almost there, almost restored!
The moment the Luban box was put back, the carriage curtain was suddenly flung open, and the distinctive medicinal smell of the Sixth Prince, mixed with the heat, rushed out.

Yu Nishang leaned back on the soft cushion, the warm touch of the jade seal still lingering in her palm, but she pretended to have just woken up, tilting her head back and chuckling softly: "Your Highness has finally arrived, I was almost falling asleep waiting."

Yu Nishang caught a glimpse of the Sixth Prince's gaze sweeping over the brocade box out of the corner of her eye. She could hear her own heart pounding like a drum, and she was afraid that the Sixth Prince would hear her heartbeat.

"Why are you sweating so much? Your palms are all sweaty too." The Sixth Prince took her hand, took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, and looked at her with a mixture of concern and suspicion.

"I just had a nightmare, I dreamt about my parents." Yu Nishang lowered her eyes, concealing the coldness in them, and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, her voice trembling as she said, "Your Highness has gone to so much trouble."

She deliberately made her voice still choked with sobs, and her body trembled slightly, as if she were still immersed in the sadness of the dream, in order to cover up her nervousness just now.

Seeing this, the Sixth Prince frowned impatiently and waved his hand casually: "Oh, it's all in the past, why bother taking it to heart?"

Before he finished speaking, he wrapped his long arm around Yu Nishang and held her tightly in his embrace. He pressed his chin heavily against the top of her head, and his warm breath brushed against her ear: "Stop crying like this. When I ascend to the throne, I will make you empress. This vast country will be ours to control."

The person in his arms stiffened and forced a smile, but the hand hidden in his sleeve clenched into a fist, digging his nails into his palm to suppress his hatred.
-
The deeper you dig, the more shocking it becomes. Behind the ever-smiling Sixth Prince lies a multitude of unsavory secrets.

The information Qin Wu'er gathered at the Hongwu Pavilion was gradually compiled into Yu Nishang's hands. Everything was ready except for the final push!

The Khitan princess would visit the Sixth Prince's residence every few days, and that was the opportunity!

As long as there are common interests, they can become allies!

Each harboring their own secrets, the two quickly reached an understanding—the Khitan princess would help Yu Ni Chang fake her death and escape. Yu Ni Chang would help the Khitan princess suppress the sixth prince, thus giving the Khitan princess a pretext to get close to him.

After the faked death incident, the Khitan princess should have released Yu Ni Chang.

However, the fact that the Sixth Prince was making a big fuss about searching for the Imperial Seal could not be kept secret. The Khitan princess was not stupid, and naturally guessed the various reasons, so she imprisoned Yu Ni Chang.

In the narrow alley and courtyard, surrounded by high walls, the sky was barely the size of a palm. Qin Wu'er had already spread the rumors she had fabricated, and now Ni Chang could escape. As long as she wanted to leave, there were plenty of ways. She was just waiting, waiting for someone to break the deadlock; a sliver of hope still lingered in her heart.

When Rong Junye descended from the sky like a god, she smiled; she had made the right bet. When Rong Junye put his arm around Yu Nishang's waist, she naturally rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel the taut muscles beneath his clothes and see his unnatural expression.

Yu Nishang buried her head even deeper, unable to suppress the smile on her lips. She finally realized—he had feelings for her.
-
Qin Wu'er lived up to expectations, and the streets and alleys were filled with songs about "the Sixth Prince murdering the Crown Prince and the Second Prince." The Sixth Prince lost his composure and began to panic; he was about to take action.

What is coming will eventually come.

That day, during a routine inspection at the palace gate, Rong Junye inadvertently caught sight of Yu Nishang trying to enter the palace while mixed in with the guards. He was furious and glared at her, but could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything about it.

Fortunately, the palace guards weren't too careful. After Rong Junye gave them the reward money, they just went through the motions and let them pass.

In the main hall, General Rong could only wait outside with two guards; the rest of his entourage were arranged to wait in a side hall.

Rong Junye knew that this court assembly would cause a great stir, but he was still worried about leaving Yu Nishang in the side hall. So, he took Yu Nishang and another deputy general to the main hall.

Rong Junye took out a jade pendant from his pocket and whispered to Yu Nishang behind him, "This is ridiculous. Stay outside the palace and protect yourselves. Do not step into the main hall! This jade pendant can mobilize the palace guards and allow you to enter and exit the palace gates. If things get bad, run! Do you understand?"

Knowing she was in the wrong, Yu Nishang accepted the jade pendant and nodded quickly.

Immediately, Rong Junye's expression changed, and he sharply reprimanded the dark-skinned, round-headed man in a low voice, "Erhu, what's going on? Don't tell me you don't know! You were the one who handled everything regarding the accompanying personnel!"

"General, please calm down. I didn't want Miss Yu to come in the first place, but she begged me repeatedly, saying that today would be fraught with danger. Miss Yu has always been clever, and I thought that if she came, she would be a helper, which is better than us rough men. So... General, rest assured, no matter what happens later, I will do my best to ensure Miss Yu's safety!" Erhu said with a sincere expression.

Rong Junye glanced at Erhu's confident demeanor, unwilling to say more; he was exhausted! Although he knew Erhu was telling the truth, swords have no eyes, and who could guarantee anything? He could only be on his guard and deal with the situation with utmost care.

As expected, the situation in the court changed rapidly. In the nick of time, Yu Nishang did not run away. Instead, she handed the jade pendant in her arms to Erhu and told him how to mobilize General Rong's personal guard.

When Yu Nishang witnessed the Sixth Prince's tragic end, she felt no joy. She had seen him wield immense power and build towering mansions, but now she saw him abandoned by all, and all of that was but fleeting clouds.
-
The setting sun cast long shadows of Yu Nishang and Rong Junye. Birds flew home, and Yu Nishang was weary. Looking at Rong Junye, whose clothes were stained with blood and whose eyes were filled with exhaustion, she felt a pang of sadness, unable to speak: "General Rong, farewell. Take care!"

“Miss Yu, please wait… I…” Rong Junye didn’t know what to say, but he felt that he couldn’t let her leave like this.

Her throat tightened, and Yu Nishang mustered her courage to finally squeeze out a complete sentence: "General Rong, I love you, but love is never everything. If you don't include me in your future plans, I won't force you. Take care!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Nishang mounted her horse. The chestnut horse neighed and reared up, galloping away in a cloud of dust.

"When did her riding skills become so good?" Rong Junye stared at the receding figure, standing there dumbfounded, and murmured, "Right, what did she just say?"

Rong Wanyin appeared from around the corner, shoving anxiously, "Big brother! She said she loves you, hurry up and go after her!"

Rong Junye seemed to wake from a dream, leaped onto his horse, raised his long whip high, and galloped away, chasing after that crimson figure with all his might.