The mad princess forces love upon him, and the aloof imperial advisor trembles every night.

—————Qingyao Pavilion————

The third quarter of the hour of Zi (11:45 PM).

The falcon gently placed Chu Qingyao on the soft couch in Qingyao Pavilion and knelt on one knee: "Princess, I have overstepped my bounds."

Chu Qingyao's face was deathly pale, and her whole body was still trembling uncontrollably. The instant she fell from the Star-Picking Tower, she truly thought she was going to die. The wind howled in her ears, the ground hurtled closer, and the chilling aura of death was palpable.

It was a falcon. This silent, shadowy bodyguard appeared like a ghost as she fell to the third floor, using his body as a cushion to catch her.

She heard the dull thud of his ribs breaking, heard his suppressed groan, but his hand remained as steady as a rock, protecting her as she landed safely.

"You...you're injured." Chu Qingyao's voice trembled.

"It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious." The falcon lowered its head, its voice low and hoarse. "The princess was frightened; she has a broken leg. I'll go fetch the imperial physician right away—"

Before the words were even finished, a cold glint of light shot in from the window, aiming straight for the falcon's back! The falcon's pupils contracted sharply, and he jerked to the side. The dart grazed his shoulder blade, leaving a trail of blood before embedding itself deeply in the wall. A piece of red silk was tied to the end of the dart, its color as vivid as blood in the candlelight.

"Jinxue Pavilion... Soul-Chasing Dart!" the eagle hissed, pulling Chu Qingyao behind it protectively. "Princess, run!"

Outside the window, dozens of dark figures descended like bats. There was no sound, no breath, not even a footstep. They were like phantoms born from the night, wielding curved blades whose blades gleamed with an eerie blue light in the moonlight—coated with deadly poison.

"Kill." The leader of the men in black uttered only one word.

The slaughter began, and Eagle Falcon drew his sword to meet the attack, the blade flashing like lightning. He was the leader of the assassins meticulously trained by the Empress, his martial arts skills having reached a pinnacle. Even with broken ribs, he remained incomparably fierce and brave.

But there were too many enemies, each with superb martial arts skills, no less than his own. Moreover, they were well-trained and coordinated perfectly.

Two feigned an attack, while one launched a sneak attack; three formed a defensive formation, and five surrounded the falcon. The falcon quickly found itself in a fierce battle, the blood on its blade thickening, its breathing becoming increasingly labored.

"Princess... go!" he roared, another deep, bone-revealing wound appearing on his back.

Chu Qingyao collapsed onto the couch, staring blankly at the bloody massacre before her. She wanted to scream, but her throat felt like it was being choked, and she couldn't utter a sound. At that moment, a man in black broke through the eagle's defenses, his curved blade aimed straight for Chu Qingyao's heart!

The eagle's eyes widened in fury, and ignoring the blade slashing from behind, it leaped towards Chu Qingyao—

"Pfft!" The curved blade pierced his chest, the tip emerging from his back, bringing with it a spray of warm blood that splattered all over Chu Qingyao's face.

Time seemed to stand still. The eagle looked down at the blade piercing its chest, then looked up at Chu Qingyao. Those eyes, always cold as ice, now revealed a hint of... tenderness?

"Princess..." he opened his mouth, blood and foam gushing from the corner of his lips, "This...this subordinate...can no longer...protect..."

Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed to the ground.

Chu Qingyao stared blankly at him, at this silent bodyguard who had followed her since childhood, watching his blood meander across the ground, gradually seeping to the edge of her embroidered shoes. Warm and sticky.

"Ah... Ahhhhhh—!!!" She finally screamed, her voice as shrill as a ghost.

The leader of the men in black coldly drew his scimitar, wiped the blood off the eagle's corpse, and then looked at Chu Qingyao.

"Fifth Princess, someone has asked Jinxue Pavilion to deliver a message to you." His voice was mechanical and cold, "'Those who covet what they shouldn't... will pay the price.'"

Chu Qingyao trembled violently, her teeth chattering: "Who...who is it?...Is it Chu Xuanjing?...Or Chu Qingyue?...?"

"The Pavilion Master has given further orders." The man in black took a step closer, raising his curved blade until the tip pressed against Chu Qingyao's chin.

"All the guards of Qingyao Pavilion have been wiped out. Princess, you... please come with me."

Chu Qingyao struggled violently, her eyes flashing with a deathly madness: "I won't go! I won't go! If I leave, Father and Mother will definitely investigate thoroughly and destroy your Jinxue Pavilion sooner or later!"

"Destroy the Ashes Snow Pavilion?" The man in black sneered, his laughter filled with mockery. "You think you can?"

He raised his hand and tapped it three times. The palace doors creaked open, and a graceful figure stepped in. The candlelight stretched the woman's shadow long, casting it into the pool of blood, overlapping with the corpse of the eagle.

The woman was dressed in the exact same palace attire as Chu Qingyao, down to the gold and kingfisher feather hairpin in her hair and the pearl earrings hanging from her ears.

What's even more horrifying is her face—it looks exactly like Chu Qingyao's.

She even perfectly replicated the bloodstains on Chu Qingyao's neck. The woman stopped in front of Chu Qingyao, leaned slightly forward, and smiled in a way that perfectly matched Chu Qingyao's usual arrogant demeanor, but her eyes were as cold as an abyss.

"Princess," she began, mimicking even her voice perfectly, "go on your journey in peace. I will take care of your father and mother, and I will enjoy all this wealth and luxury for you..."

She paused, her smile deepening, but laced with venom: "Just like how you dealt with your former consort, Shen Yue."

Upon hearing Shen Yue's name, Chu Qingyao's pupils constricted sharply: "You...you...you've been plotting this for a long time...You know Shen Yue? What are you planning?!"

"Take the princess to meet an old friend." The man in black sheathed his scimitar. "It wouldn't be good if we missed the auspicious time."

As soon as he finished speaking, he delivered a swift chop to Chu Qingyao's neck. Chu Qingyao let out a muffled groan and collapsed limply. The last thing she saw was the woman's cold, smiling face, and the corpses of the guards lying scattered on the ground.

The man in black wrapped Chu Qingyao in black silk, then hoisted her onto his shoulder. Before leaving, he turned to the woman and said, "Mei Shiliu, remember what the master told you. If you go too far... you know the consequences."

The woman—Mei Shiliu—chuckled softly, her laughter languid and alluring: "Get lost. I know what I'm doing."

She raised her hand to smooth her temple, a gesture exactly like Chu Qingyao's usual habit. "Aren't you all just jealous that His Highness favors me the most? Who told you to be such unromantic, rough men?"

The man in black sneered, "His Highness's favorite? See that purple-robed, silver-haired man on the top of the Star-Picking Pavilion? Go and cut him down, and see how His Highness... 'favors' you."

Mei Shiliu raised her foot and gave a feint kick: "Chi Yi, are you looking for death? Get lost—someone's coming."

The man in black said no more. Carrying Chu Qingyao, he and the other shadowy figures leaped out of the window and disappeared into the deep night, like a drop of water into the sea, leaving no trace.

Almost simultaneously, the palace doors were violently flung open. "Yao'er—!"

The Empress, accompanied by a large number of guards, rushed in. Her phoenix crown was slightly askew, and her magnificent robes were stained with dust. When she saw the scene inside the palace, her well-maintained face instantly drained of color, turning ashen white.

Corpses littered the ground, and blood flowed like a river.

Her daughter, whom she had pampered for sixteen years, lay paralyzed in a pool of blood, her palace attire tattered, her face covered in blood, staring blankly at the palace ceiling.

"My Yao'er...!" The Empress staggered forward, almost falling, but was firmly supported by the nanny beside her.