After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

"You actually like the Regent? The Prince doesn't like women, didn't you know?"

It turned out that two women were talking behind her.

"Are you stupid? They definitely don't want to get married so early, so they deliberately released this kind of news."

How could he possibly like men? In this world, unless he tacitly approves, who would dare gossip about him behind his back?

Another woman said confidently.

The conversation between the two went a step further, and Wei Zhaoning felt that there was a voice behind her that sounded very familiar.

Wei Zhaoning pursed her lips; she didn't want to hear the words "Regent" right now.

After Dongxu had chosen her, she was about to take her away.

"Oh, isn't this Lady Hou?" one of them called out to her.

Turning her head, she saw a face that resembled her own – it was Gu Xiaoran.

The woman standing next to her had a rather mean appearance; it was unclear whose daughter she was.

Wei Zhaoning nodded and smiled politely, not expecting that Gu Xiaoran had also arrived in Jiangnan ahead of schedule.

Gu Xiaoran nudged the woman next to her with her elbow and teased, "Jing Shu, come and greet the Lady of the Marquis. Don't you like the Prince? I heard that this Lady of the Marquis and the Prince are quite familiar with each other."

The woman's face instantly turned cold, and she looked at Wei Zhaoning with hostility.

With his already triangular eyes, this expression only made him appear even more mean-spirited.

Seeing her reaction, Gu Xiaoran covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Alright, it's just a greeting. Madam, this is Qin Jingshu, the daughter of a collateral branch of the Marquis of Dongyang. Speaking of which, she is related to another Madam of your family by blood."

You seem very busy? If you have something to do, you can go ahead now.

Wei Zhaoning didn't say a word and turned to leave.

Dongxu leaned closer and said, "Miss, no wonder that Miss Yun looked so familiar. She's a relative of Wei Jiaruo. Her eyes are so similar to Wei Jiaruo's."

"Stop talking, let's go back quickly."

After the two walked away, Qin Jingshu snorted coldly, "Looking so high and mighty, who are they trying to impress? I don't think I'm anything special, just good at makeup. If I took off my makeup, I wouldn't be as good-looking as me."

"And someone like that, who's already married, dares to hang around in front of the prince?"

Gu Xiaoran: "Not only that, I heard that the Prince even went to the Marquis's residence to support her."

"That's because they're so clever. I couldn't use such seductive tricks. Since you like the prince, you'd better be careful."

Upon hearing this, Qin Jingshu gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely at the direction Wei Zhaoning had gone. "You shameless slut!"

*

The seventh day of the eleventh lunar month is the Water Sound Festival.

The lake was filled with boats but not crowded, and the shimmering waves were full of festive cheer; even the wind carried a joyful atmosphere.

The girls on the boat gathered by the window, holding embroidered handkerchiefs in their hands, pointing and laughing at the distant pleasure boats.

Some people played music and sang on the boat, while others recited poems and composed verses.

Wei Zhaoning stared intently at a dilapidated boat and immediately recognized it as the boat the emperor was traveling incognito on his private visit.

Even the worst boat here isn't as dilapidated as that one. Since the emperor is traveling incognito, he should definitely be on that boat.

In addition, she had heard someone mention this matter in her previous life.

"Oh dear, I never imagined back then that that dilapidated ship could possibly be the Emperor's ship!"

Once she had locked onto her target, she dared not relax her guard.

"Miss, she's looking this way again." Dongxu frowned, her eyes pointing to a woman on a ship to the east.

Qin Jingshu has been suspiciously observing Wei Zhaoning these past few days, and has been discovered several times already.

Wei Zhaoning nodded. "As she pleases."

"Have all the arrangements been made?"

"It's all arranged, Miss."

Wei Zhaoning waited patiently; the lake was calm and there were no restless assassins.

But she couldn't let her guard down. There were still so many houses on the lake. If she acted now and alerted the assassins, she would endanger innocent people.

As darkness fell and the laughter on the lake gradually subsided, and the boats docked, Wei Zhaoning finally spoke.

"Young master, please wait!"

A man dressed in ordinary clothes stood not far away; he must be the emperor.

"What's up?"

The man did not turn around. Wei Zhaoning gestured to the guards who remained around him, signaling them to prepare for the assassin.

"My daughter does have something to say; may I board the ship to discuss it?"

The person on the other end nodded.

Wei Zhaoning walked with a heart-stopping gait, fearing that an assassin might suddenly appear and stop her at any moment.

And so it went until we got on the ship, and the surroundings were still very calm.

Wei Zhaoning found it strange, but she got straight to the point, hurriedly pulling out a prepared memorial from her sleeve, "Your Majesty, I have..."

Before he finished speaking, the man turned around, three sharp knives between his fingers, and suddenly stabbed at Wei Zhaoning.

Wei Zhaoning's pupils constricted. All her precautions had been taken, and they were actually waiting for her here?!

She swiftly dodged the flying knife by twisting her waist.

No, while waiting today, she clearly saw His Majesty's face!

The person in front of me is not His Majesty. When was he switched?

Wei Zhaoning pulled out a hidden arrow and shot it at the man.

The man easily dodged with an extremely bizarre movement. All the guards stepped forward, only to find a swarm of heads emerging from the water.

They were all assassins who had been lying in ambush beforehand.

"thump--"

The person in front of Wei Zhaoning suddenly tilted his head back and fell into the lake, the moonlight reflecting a dark red hue.

A solid wall of flesh shielded her from behind, and the underwater assassin leaped up. The man's sword was faster than the wind, and he dodged left and right around Wei Zhaoning.

A few dark red bloodstains splattered on Pei Yi's originally fair cheeks, which only added to his fierce look.

With each swing of the sword, the veins on his neck bulged more, and the blood-stained hem of his clothes drew a sharp arc in the air.

Wei Zhaoning held her breath, somewhat indignant. "Is it meaningful for Your Highness to stage this whole thing?"

Pei Yi's jawline tightened, and without saying a word, he pulled the memorial from Wei Zhaoning's sleeve.

Wei Zhaoning's face darkened; she knew the Regent had come for this! "Your Highness, don't you think it's going too far to want both?"

After saying that, she was about to snatch it.

"Your Highness! More people are coming from over there. This time, that person probably sent tens of thousands of them!" On another ship, Yun Ce said anxiously while dealing with the assassins.

Pei Yi tossed the memorial in his hand far into Yun Ce's hands, "Give it to His Majesty, I'll cover the rear here."

After saying that, without waiting for Wei Zhaoning's reaction, he picked her up, gently waded through the water a few times, and brought her back to the shore.

He was breathing rapidly. "Excuse me."

"Run towards the edge of the woods; my men will be there to meet you."

Wei Zhaoning was completely stunned, but seeing that the assassins were catching up, she had no choice but to run.

The people behind them were in hot pursuit. Wei Zhaoning didn't know how long she had been running when her legs went weak and she was almost out of strength. The wound on her arm was torn open again due to the large movements.

She ran to the other side and hid in the bushes.

Unable to find Wei Zhaoning, the assassins held knives to the necks of passersby and asked, "Have you seen a woman in red, about this tall?"

Passersby all shook their heads. At this moment, Qin Jingshu stepped forward and took the initiative to find the assassin.

"Are you gentlemen looking for Wei Zhaoning? She went that way."

She pointed in the direction where Wei Zhaoning was hiding and curled her lips into a smile.