Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

The night was as dark as ink, so thick it seemed impossible to dissolve, pressing heavily upon the towering red walls and deep courtyards of the Beian Prince's Mansion.

During the day, the place is bustling with activity, imposing and majestic, with gleaming armored guards patrolling back and forth, exuding an aura of inviolable solemnity.

However, once night falls, the mansion becomes like a lurking beast, falling into a silent state that is outwardly strong but inwardly weak. Apart from a few scattered groups of guards carrying dim lanterns and patrolling along the walls along fixed routes, the vast mansion seems to have been drained of its vitality, leaving only the whistling of the wind through the eaves and the distant sound of the night watchman's clapper.

No one could have predicted that the one who would claim their life tonight was already lurking outside the wall.

Chen Jingang had an independent Prince's Mansion, but its scale was far smaller than that of a Prince's Mansion. A Prince's Mansion belonged to the junior lineage of a Prince's Mansion and had its own set of officials, but it did not have the guards and soldiers established by the imperial court.

The entire household, from top to bottom, had to pay for their own food, clothing, and daily necessities, including the guards and secret agents.

This is also why Chen Jingang turned his attention to the canal transport fees.

The most secluded corner of the backyard is the northwest wall. Outside the wall are several old locust trees with crooked branches, while inside is a patch of unkempt flowers and shrubs.

This place is the furthest from the main courtyard and the most inconspicuous, making it the weakest link in the entire Prince's Palace's defense chain. The servants on duty here are notoriously lazy and negligent, often slacking off and taking naps, and very few people conduct serious patrols.

Several dark figures blended into the night, taking advantage of the twisted shadows of the old locust tree and the perfect cover of darkness, scaling the high wall and landing steadily in the dense shadows inside, like fallen leaves, without disturbing a speck of dust.

These river bandits sneaked in from the canal, targeting wealthy families, after their money, not their lives.

But this time, the man leading the group, named Wang Da, wasn't after money.

Wang Da's own daughter, a few years ago, was a pretty young girl who could sing fishermen's songs. She was washing clothes by the canal when Chen Jingang, who was riding a horse through the streets, took a liking to her.

Chen Jingang ordered his ruthless servants to abduct her on the street, stuff her into a carriage, and drive away.

The next day, when she was thrown back like a rag doll, she was delirious, covered in injuries, and could only utter idiotic laughs and screams. Not long after, she plunged into the icy canal and never resurfaced.

Wang Da sold his boat, which he relied on for survival, and the fishing nets passed down from his ancestors. Heartbroken, he joined the river bandits.

Wang Da had been waiting on the canal for years, hoping for a chance to sneak into the Prince's mansion.

Coincidentally, in the evening, someone delivered the defense map of the Prince's mansion.

The map was marked with extreme detail, showing the location of the main courtyard, the servants' quarters, the shift changes, and even the hidden corners and blind spots. It was this map that allowed them to reach the main inner courtyard in just half an incense stick's time.

Chen Jingang was restless and unable to sleep tonight.

The sight of Jiang Sese during the day, with her stunning beauty and clear, bright eyes, left a deep impression on him, disturbing his peace of mind and causing his greed and restlessness to surge repeatedly.

Chen Jingang dismissed all the concubines who served him, leaned against the soft couch alone, closed his eyes and reminisced, feeling full of resentment.

Just then, a very faint noise came from the window, like a night bird accidentally bumping into something.

Chen Jingang mistook it for a bird, frowned in annoyance, and paid it no mind.

The candlelight flickered inside the hall, casting chaotic light and shadow.

Chen Jingang suddenly opened his eyes and saw two masked men barging in. He immediately shouted angrily, "How dare you! Who dares to trespass—"

Before he could finish speaking, a cold blade was already pressed against his neck.

With a swift stroke, the knife fell, giving Chen Jingang no chance to speak.

Fresh blood suddenly splattered onto the brocade bed curtains.

A moment later, terrified screams and the sound of gongs suddenly rang out from the Prince's mansion's annex:

"There's an assassin!"

"Help! The Prince has been murdered!"

"Catch the assassin! Catch the assassin!"

……

The next morning, Fuyun kept glancing at the tightly closed door.

Last night, when the eldest son came back, he went straight into the study. The young mistress was so angry that she had the lights turned off. But for some reason, the eldest son came over again in the middle of the night.

Fuyun was really worried.

Fu Yun couldn't help but lower her voice and say, "The eldest young master seemed rather displeased yesterday, and the young mistress..."

Red Bean, however, had seen the world, so she confidently patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, I guarantee it, everything will be fine!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xie Jue's low voice came from inside the room: "Bring in some water."

Hongdou's eyes lit up, and she winked triumphantly at Fuyun: "See? I told you so."

Fu Yun breathed a long sigh of relief, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense all night, finally settled down. She quickly picked up the warm water and clean towel that she had prepared beforehand, and gently pushed open the door to bring them in.

A moment later, Fuyun came out, her face still flushed.

Hongdou leaned closer, winked, and whispered, "How's it inside?"

Fuyun's face turned even redder. Her lips moved, but she was too embarrassed to speak. She quickly shook her head, but her eyes were bright and clear, and everything was understood without words.

……

Inside the tent, Jiang Sese lay on Xie Jue's chest and began to earnestly tell him her thoughts.

"Actually, I was really scared yesterday. I said the hairpin was poisonous, but it wasn't poisonous at all. But I really wasn't sure he would let me go. I was so scared that I would never see you again."

Xie Jue didn't say anything, but tightened his arms, holding her even closer.

Jiang Sese felt his chin resting on the top of her head, and his breathing became slightly heavy, so she knew he was still scared.

But she continued, "And what did you do? You came back without asking a single question, gave me the cold shoulder, and left. You even slept in the study that night… Don't you think that's going too far?"

Xie Jue lowered his eyes and sighed helplessly, "Alright, alright, it was my fault. I was wrong yesterday. I shouldn't have just walked away, and I shouldn't have let you overthink things."

As Xie Jue spoke, he lowered his head to meet her accusing gaze, his voice low and gentle: "In that situation, you did very well."

Even if I didn't tell him afterwards, my intention was still for his sake.

Instead of showing her any consideration, he gave her a hard time, leaving her feeling sad all afternoon.

Xie Jue thought about it and realized that he had lost his mind in anger.

Sure enough, people do irrational things when they are controlled by their emotions. In that situation, he could have easily coaxed Jiang Sese to tell the truth, but he insisted on pressuring her.

Jiang Sese is the type of person who responds better to gentle persuasion than force.

Hearing Xie Jue say this, she hugged his neck a little shyly and said, "Actually, I also have my faults. I know you're so capable, you definitely won't act on emotion."

Xie Jue paused, then his light, airy voice came over: "Not necessarily."

Jiang Sese: ?