That First Killing Alliance was established by our master. He was still very young then, but when it came to fighting and taking on missions, he fought more desperately than anyone else. They used to admire and respect his fearlessness, his willingness to disregard life and death. They admired his bravery as a prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Now, thinking back, they realized he was probably just waiting to die every time. Thinking about those missions with near-certain death, he couldn't help but wish those people could just kill him, saving him from all the suffering.
Even if she had some resentment towards the organization's grueling training, Dongxue had no complaints about it after learning about these things. Compared to these orphans, their master, who was a prince but was resented by his own father and always felt that he was the one who killed his birth mother, was actually much happier.
Seeing Ouyang Yue's tears flowing like a broken kite string, Baili Zhi felt a headache coming on. He twitched his lips and said, "Princess Consort Chen, please stop crying. My eyes hurt."
Ouyang Yue raised her head, her face filled with grief and indignation: "Third brother, please don't take offense. I'm just too worried about the prince. I wanted to stop, but I couldn't control myself."
Bai Lizhi looked even more troubled and said somewhat irritably, "Tell me, what conditions will make you stop crying?" As a man, and as a man who was reasonably responsible, he really couldn't bear to see a woman cry, regardless of whether she was his woman or not.
Ouyang Yue gently dabbed around her eyes with a handkerchief, her eyes slightly lowered, seemingly wiping away tears but actually pondering: "Will my third brother always treat the prince like a brother?"
"Of course, we are siblings from the same mother."
Ouyang Yue nodded: "That's good. As long as Third Brother remembers this, you and the Prince are brothers born of the same mother. There is no brother in this world who loves you more than our Prince. The Prince respects and loves you very much. No matter how much he has done, he has never complained to his wife. This shows that the Prince does things for Third Brother willingly. As his wife, I naturally support him. I don't ask anything of Third Brother, I only hope that you remember what I said today. Even if the Prince does something wrong in the future, please remember that you are brothers, and the Prince will not do anything to harm you."
Baili Zhi looked thoughtfully at Ouyang Yue and couldn't help but laugh: "Xuanyuan Yue, you are truly a peculiar woman. I think you will have some more important requests."
Ouyang Yue laughed, "Third Brother, I think this is the most important thing. Royal family ties are so weak. It's truly rare to find someone like you and the Prince, who are connected by blood and, most importantly, deeply care for each other. If this kinship can continue forever, I think there will be even more true love in this aristocratic family. It may sound arrogant, but I once read a saying in an unofficial book: 'Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. What is taken from the people should be used for the people.' There are so many people in the world; enough for an emperor to spend his whole life building beautiful homes for them and ensuring they have enough to eat and wear. At that time, the country will be peaceful and prosperous, which is what everyone wants to see. What every dynasty lacks most is a truly wise and benevolent ruler. But without exception, these wise and benevolent rulers have a large number of supporters. In front of a wise and benevolent ruler, even those treacherous villains cannot get close. Once they do, they are killed long ago. Although I am a woman, I hope that in the future I will have the opportunity to witness such a prosperous era, even a thousand years."
Baili Zhi was stunned by Ouyang Yue's words and remained in a daze for a long time. The way he looked at Ouyang Yue had completely changed.
Previously, Baili Zhi disliked Ouyang Yue intensely. He thought she was incredibly beautiful and talented, but she was also more like a vixen who had bewitched Lao Qi, even daring to defy him. However, he could see that this woman was genuinely kind to Lao Qi. Having grown up in the palace, he had witnessed too many schemes and plots. Apart from his deceased mother and Lao Qi, he had never experienced such genuine love and care. But this woman's sincerity made him unable to let go of his prejudices. He could see that Lao Qi liked Ouyang Yue very much, and he even envied someone who cared for him so deeply.
But this was the first time he had ever seen a woman so learned, righteous, and cunning as a fox. She had unknowingly taken an enormous promise from him, yet he felt no resentment whatsoever; on the contrary, he was deeply impressed. After a long while, Baili Zhi let out a long sigh: "If you were a man, you would surely be a great hero!"
Ouyang Yue laughed: "What are you saying, Third Brother? What's the point of being a hero? I'm a woman, I don't have such ambitions. I just want to live out the rest of my life peacefully with the Prince, that's enough for me."
Baili Zhi laughed heartily, a smile that held a deeper meaning that remained unreadable. After a moment, he stopped and said, "Don't worry, I guarantee that Seventh Prince will be fine."
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly: "I know that Third Prince is wise and capable, and knows everything perfectly well. But as a woman, I am a bit emotional and even came to the Prince's mansion to cause trouble. It is my great fortune that Third Prince does not mind. I dare not stay any longer to disturb Third Prince. I will take my leave now."
Baili Zhi smiled bitterly to himself. This woman was really pragmatic. She left as soon as she finished her business, not even wanting to stay. Sigh, he shouldn't be that scary, right? But Baili Zhi didn't try to stop her. He sent someone to personally escort Ouyang Yue back to the Chen Prince's Mansion. Sitting in the hall, Baili Zhi fell into deep thought. Finally, a slight smile appeared on his lips: "My path was predetermined from birth, and there's really no way to change it." He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his expression complex, carrying an unfathomable look and a hint of bitterness.
After leaving the Prince Zhi's residence, the guards of the Prince Chen's residence came to invite Ouyang Yue. They were worried when they heard that Baili Chen had run away, but soon they heard that Baili Chen had returned to the Prince Chen's residence. So they called for people to return to the Prince Chen's residence and went straight to the bedroom.
Upon entering the bedroom, she was greeted by a thick fog. Ouyang Yue waved her hand, preventing Chuncao and Dongxue from following her, and went into the inner room. The fog was even thicker behind the screen, indicating that someone was there. Ouyang Yue walked over slowly and found Baili Chen lying quietly in the bathtub, dressed in his clothes. Ouyang Yue reached out to undress Baili Chen, but Baili Chen's hands gripped hers tightly like vises. Ouyang Yue didn't cry out in pain, but then she saw Baili Chen open his eyes, which were somewhat red. He pulled Ouyang Yue slightly and then launched a passionate kiss at her.
Ouyang Yue didn't refuse, but kept trying to find a position that would prevent her from hurting her stomach. Although Baili Chen's condition wasn't good and he was somewhat crazy, he hadn't really lost his mind. He kissed Ouyang Yue deeply, even biting her lips until they bled, but he didn't continue to be more frenzied. At this moment, he couldn't control himself, and if something really happened between the two of them, it would be easy to hurt Ouyang Yue.
Ouyang Yue reached out and gently stroked Baili Chen's face, which was covered with beads of sweat or water, and said softly, "Husband, let me wash you."
Baili Chen looked at Ouyang Yue, seemingly asking a question, but she lowered her head and gently kissed him: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Baili Chen didn't speak, but nodded. Ouyang Yue took off his clothes one by one and began to carefully wipe him with a handkerchief. Baili Chen sat naked in the bathtub without saying a word. After a while, he suddenly turned his head and said, "Shall we bathe together?"
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "Okay." Then she quickly took off her clothes. Baili Chen carefully helped her into the bathtub, then leaned against the tub wall and hugged Ouyang Yue. The two were silent for a while, and neither of them broke the silence until they felt the water was cold. Baili Chen wiped Ouyang Yue's body and dressed them before leaving the tub.
Watching Baili Chen carefully button his collar, Ouyang Yue reached out and wrapped her arms around his strong waist: "Husband, no matter what, I will always stand by your side. I know about what happened to you, and it breaks my heart, but I also feel incredibly lucky. If you hadn't experienced what you went through as a child, you might have been like those other spoiled brats, unfaithful in relationships. You wouldn't understand how important true love is, and you wouldn't be so self-disciplined. I don't see it as a stain on your life; on the contrary, I think it's something you can be proud of. Because this man is mine, and I can say that there is no one in the world as outstanding as my husband. In my heart, you are the best."
"Yes, you are the best in my heart too." Baili Chen's eyes flickered as he hugged Ouyang Yue and said softly.
The two lay in bed today, whispering to each other, holding each other tightly, whispering sweet nothings all night long...
The following day, all the major residences in the capital received invitations from the Crown Prince's residence. The invitations stated that the Crown Prince would be hosting a banquet five days later for the eldest prince, Jiang Qi, and the eldest princess, Jiang Xuan, and invited all the residences to attend. Although those who received the invitations understood the meaning behind the Crown Prince's invitations, Emperor Mingxian had already arranged a welcoming banquet, and as the heir apparent, it was only natural for the Crown Prince to show his friendliness towards Jiang Qi and Jiang Xuan. Anyone who received an invitation would have to disregard Baili Cheng's intention to cultivate a closer relationship between Jiang Qi and Jiang Xuan and would attend in full regalia. The Chen Prince's residence was no exception.
Inside the carriage, Ouyang Yue said calmly, "The Crown Prince is in such a hurry to hold a banquet; I'm afraid what happened before has really put a lot of pressure on him."
Baili Chen sneered, "There's still no news from Jiang Xuan."
Ouyang Yue paused for a moment and said, "Yes, logically speaking, after so much time, Jiang Xuan should have gone to the Ning residence to pay her respects by now. But I haven't heard any news from her. Are we mistaken? Is she not paying much attention to this, or has she used another method to send a message?"
"It seems we need to get to the bottom of things at today's banquet." Baili Chen said calmly, gently stroking Ouyang Yue's hand. "This is the Crown Prince's residence after all; you need to be careful." Upon entering the residence, male and female guests were to be separated, so Baili Chen was naturally a little uneasy.
"Don't worry," Ouyang Yue said, patting him on the shoulder.
The carriages of Prince Chen's residence naturally had more privileges than those of other residences. Upon arriving at the Crown Prince's residence, they did not dismount but instead removed the threshold and entered the residence. After traveling for some time, they were then escorted in by sedan chair. Baili Chen went directly to the Crown Prince's residence, while Ouyang Yue was led to the backyard by servants of the Crown Prince's residence. There, Consort Lin was in charge of entertaining her, and Jiang Xuan was also seated in the row.
As soon as Ouyang Yue entered, everyone in the room naturally bowed and greeted her respectfully. Ouyang Yue smiled and nodded, then took her seat of honor. Given the ranks of those present today, since the prince had no principal wife, the fourth prince and his wife had not yet arrived, and the fifth prince was long gone, the seventh prince's principal wife, Ouyang Yue, naturally sat in the upper right corner. The upper left corner was reserved for the fourth prince's principal wife. As the most important guest of honor, Princess Jiang Xuan was entertained by Consort Lin and sat in one of the two main seats.
As soon as Ouyang Yue entered, she noticed something amiss. Jiang Xuan's gaze towards her was strange today, filled with hatred and anger. It seemed Jiang Xuan had seen Ning Shi. Ning Shi and Ouyang Yue had never gotten along. When Ning Shi was first mentioned, Ouyang Yue had anticipated that Ning Shi wouldn't say anything nice. To avoid trouble, Ning Shi should have been ignored. However, Jiang Qi and Jiang Xuan might find a clue if they wanted to investigate. She couldn't very well reveal it, and in the end, the problem would fall back on her. Perhaps she could even get some more clues from Jiang Xuan. This was what she had thought of. But now, looking at Jiang Xuan, it seemed things weren't so simple.
After a while, the Fourth Prince's Consort Bai Ying arrived. Most of the important guests had already arrived, and the female guests were about to head to the male guests' area to officially begin the banquet. However, they had to walk the entire way.
Jiang Xuan deliberately used the excuse of convenience to let Lin Yingying leave with her entourage first, but Jiang Xuan directly stopped her, saying, "Princess Consort Chen, I have something to say to you."
Ouyang Yue naturally slowed her pace, and the two walked leisurely. After a moment of silence, Jiang Xuan suddenly sneered, "This princess has truly been played by Princess Chen! The jade pendant was clearly on you, yet I've gone through such a long and complicated process."
Ouyang Yue looked puzzled: "What is Princess Jiang Xuan talking about? This princess doesn't understand."
"The Ning family said that the jade pendant is in your hands," Jiang Xuan said without beating around the bush.
Ouyang Yue chuckled: "Ning Shi? Princess Jiang Xuan surely knows about my relationship with that Ning Shi, doesn't she? Ning Shi's current miserable state is somewhat related to me. How credible do you think her words are?"
Jiang Xuan sneered, "This princess doesn't believe in credibility or uncredibility. I've searched her entire room and found not a single clue. She's living worse than a lowly servant. There's no way she could hide anything in her room. That jade pendant is priceless. If she had that, she wouldn't be sick and waiting to die."
Ouyang Yue looked at Jiang Xuan with pity and said, "With Princess Jiang Xuan's intelligence, if the Empress of Daqian were to send you to find this jade pendant, I'm afraid you would never find it in this lifetime."
Hearing Ouyang Yue's mockery, Jiang Xuan's face instantly turned ashen. Her most trusted maid, Cheng Yu, was furious: "How dare you speak such words to the princess! You must kneel down and apologize!"
"Slap him!" Ouyang Yue sneered at Cheng Yu. Dong Xue rushed over, grabbed Cheng Yu, and slapped him five times, making Cheng Yu dizzy and causing him to fall to the ground.
Jiang Xuan's face darkened: "Xuanyuan Yue, Cheng Yu is my maid. What do you mean by hitting her in front of me? It's clearly an insult to my face! You're nothing more than the Princess Consort of Chen, a far cry from me. If you don't kowtow and apologize today, and reveal the true whereabouts of that jade pendant, I will definitely go to Emperor Mingxian to demand justice. Who do you take me for? You think everyone can bully me here in the Great Zhou Dynasty? It's outrageous!"
Ouyang Yue said calmly, "If the princess were to complain to the emperor about a disrespectful and arrogant maid, there would be nothing I could do. However, Princess Jiang Xuan is not foolish enough to try to punish me with such a lowly servant."
The idiom "speaking wildly" refers to Ouyang Yue's disrespect. Even if it were for the sake of friendship between the two countries, Emperor Mingxian would not allow such a lowly servant to offend Ouyang Yue. That would be tantamount to giving the people of Daqian a hard time. For no reason at all, Emperor Mingxian would not punish Ouyang Yue for this, unless he had gone mad.
Jiang Xuan was furious: "Xuanyuan Yue, you dare to play tricks on this princess? I'll show you what I'm capable of!" After saying that, Jiang Xuan stormed off in a huff. However, Cheng Yu covered her face with her hands, but before leaving, she glared at Ouyang Yue and Dong Xue with a vicious look in her eyes. Her teeth were clenched, and she really wanted to devour Ouyang Yue and Dong Xue alive. Cheng Yu followed Jiang Xuan around, and apart from the Emperor, Empress, and Jiang Qi, few people in the Da Gan Imperial Palace dared to offend her. Now, she had actually been beaten by a mere maid of the Chen Prince's wife. This made Cheng Yu, who had gradually developed an arrogant personality under Jiang Xuan's influence, extremely resentful.
Ouyang Yue didn't even glance at the idiom. She knew that this kind of maid couldn't cause much trouble. She flicked her sleeve and left as well.
However, she didn't see a pair of dark, eerie eyes watching what was happening from the shadows, and then she turned and left.
At the grand banquet at the Crown Prince's residence, the Crown Prince frequently raised his cup to Jiang Qi, Jiang Xuan, and the various princes of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The ladies and wives of the various princes below him smiled and echoed his toasts, making the banquet quite harmonious for a time.
"Bang, bang, bang!" Just then, two people rushed in from outside. They were two guards from the Crown Prince's residence. The guards ran around very loudly, their faces filled with suppressed terror. The Crown Prince was about to shout at them when the two guards knelt down with a thud, shouting, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! A woman's corpse has been found next to the artificial hill in the back garden!"
"What!" A corpse appeared at the Crown Prince's banquet—how ominous! The Crown Prince's face darkened. "Who did it?!"
"It's...it's Princess Jiang Xuan's maid." Another guard said, his face pale, and then, as if realizing something, his face showed extreme fear.
"What! Chengyu is dead? How could this be? Chengyu was always so well-behaved and sensible, how could such a thing happen?" Jiang Xuan was shocked, her face showing sadness. Suddenly, her expression turned furious: "Princess Consort Chen, Chengyu only made one offensive remark before, how could you be so heartless as to kill her? She was my personal maid, personally trained and bestowed upon me by my mother! You dare to kill even someone close to me, doesn't that mean you dare to touch me?! How dare you! Do you want to kill me?!"
Several gasps rippled through the hall. Many people hadn't seen Jiang Xuan and Ouyang Yue speak while they were walking behind, and some didn't even know they had met on their way here. Hearing this, they were all shocked.
"No way, how could Princess Consort Chen do such a thing?"
"If this is true, isn't it incredibly audacious? Wouldn't Princess Chen be undermining the friendship between the two countries? What if Princess Jiang Xuan, feeling threatened in Da Zhou, were to return to Da Qian in a fit of anger?"
"That's right. Princess Jiang Xuan is the most beloved princess of the Great Gan Emperor. If she were to launch a coup in a fit of anger, wouldn't Princess Chen be a sinner for all time?"
"Princess Consort Chen seems quite intelligent; would she really do something like this?"
"What do you know? Princess Jiang Xuan is coming and going from Prince Chen's residence so frequently, and Princess Chen is pregnant. They're most vulnerable right now. She's probably panicking, so she's trying to warn Princess Jiang Xuan. But she's acting far too recklessly. Even if this idea is foolish, just randomly killing a large number of people would be a huge problem!"
Amidst the chaos, everyone's eyes were fixed on Ouyang Yue. If this situation weren't handled properly, it seemed no one could protect Ouyang Yue.
Jiang Xuan returned to the country in a fit of anger. If Da Gan were to launch a coup, the Great Zhou would be in the wrong, and the people's hearts would be unstable. If this caused great damage to both countries, Ouyang Yue would be guilty of a thousand deaths and would surely die!
...
☆、234、Step by Step Horror、The Death of Lin Yingying (Seeking Annual Meeting Tickets)
Jiang Xuan sneered: "Princess Consort Chen, what do you have to say?"
Ouyang Yue sat calmly, glancing lazily at Jiang Xuan and saying, "Oh, I want to see her alive or dead. Princess Jiang Xuan is too heartbroken to have thought of this. I, the princess consort, will speak for her."
...
Everyone was taken aback, only to find that Jiang Xuan's face darkened as she glared coldly at Ouyang Yue. Was Ouyang Yue's statement somewhat pointed? After a moment's thought, everyone began to understand. Jiang Xuan's angry demeanor suggested she was seeking revenge for the maid, but if she truly cared, shouldn't she be rushing over to investigate first? There was no time to question others' faults; the real cause of death should be determined before anything else. Jiang Xuan had only just left when she began accusing Ouyang Yue. It seemed like she had a guilty conscience. Moreover, whether she was alive or dead was only known to the guards of the Crown Prince's residence; they hadn't seen it themselves. What if they had been bribed by Jiang Xuan to cause trouble for Ouyang Yue?
How much of Jiang Xuan's revenge for her maid is genuine? We'll probably have to wait and see.
Jiang Xuan snorted coldly, but looked at Jiang Qi. Jiang Qi's expression was also not good. He looked at Baili Cheng and said, "Your Highness, let these servants bring up the idioms."
"Bring the person up." The Crown Prince waved his hand, and the two guards hesitated, but dared not say anything. Soon they brought in four more people carrying a person. However, the guards looked pale. When the person was placed in the hall, everyone was shocked. Several noble ladies were so frightened that they fainted on the spot. Gasps were heard all around, and the hall was in chaos.
Jiang Xuan stared wide-eyed at the dead idiom, almost collapsing from the fall. Luckily, a servant caught her; otherwise, she would have been seriously injured.
Now, this idiom's death was truly horrific. His entire body was covered in countless cuts, the wounds almost uncountable. There were several stab wounds, but that didn't seem to be the worst. His arms and legs were covered in countless dense knife wounds, and his whole body was covered in blood, completely red. The idiom's face was extremely ferocious, his eyes wide open and unable to close. Those eyes held the look of terror he had before death, a look that sent chills down the spine of anyone who saw it, a feeling of frost running through their heart.
One of the guards clasped his hands in a fist salute. Although his face was somewhat pale, he still addressed the Crown Prince, saying, "Your Highness, after a brief examination, I have determined that this person did not have any fatal wounds. Her death was entirely due to excessive bleeding from too many knife wounds." These guards of the Crown Prince's residence were not ordinary people who could enter; they generally possessed certain skills, such as this examination of injuries. The Crown Prince and the others could naturally trust them.
"My God, this...this is absolutely cruel!"
"Yes, it's terrifying. How could anyone be so ruthless as to harm someone like this?"
"Kill him if you want, this is just a way to torture people. I feel uneasy just looking at how he died."
"This kind of person is despicable and should be severely punished!"
"Yes, and we absolutely cannot let her escape, especially since she did something like this at the Crown Prince's banquet!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, but most eyes were fixed on Ouyang Yue. She was the one in the hall most likely to harbor murderous intent. Leaving aside whether Jiang Xuan's recent excessive contact with Baili Chen had displeased Ouyang Yue, the idiom Jiang Xuan had mentioned had conflicted with her, which could have been the most likely motive for Ouyang Yue's murderous intent.
Jiang Xuan sneered, slammed her hand on the table, stood up, pointed at Ouyang Yue, and angrily said, "Princess Consort Chen, what explanation do you have? The person has been brought here, so you admit it."
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly: "Admit what? Murder? How ridiculous."
Jiang Xuan's face was cold: "Cheng Yu has been by my side for many years. She has never had any problems with dealing with people and rarely makes enemies. But because of the carelessness of Princess Chen, she was hit by someone. Look, there is still a handprint on her face. Does Princess Chen still say that Cheng Yu's death has nothing to do with you?!"
"Wow, it really exists!"
"My God, is Princess Chen really that bold and ruthless!"
"It's horrific, absolutely horrific. To bleed to death alive, how cruel! How could there be such vicious people in the world? It's chilling."
"I never knew that Princess Consort Chen was this kind of person. Now I've really opened my eyes."
"It's outrageous that they would do such a thing, even coming all the way here to offend my eyes."
The discussion in the hall gradually grew louder, with everyone pointing fingers at Ouyang Yue, seemingly trying to force the blame onto her.
Ouyang Yue's face was indifferent, and she sneered as she said, "How ridiculous! Does Princess Jiang Xuan really think that you can convict me based on just your word? Has Princess Jiang Xuan lost her mind? Have you forgotten that this is the Great Zhou Dynasty, not a place for your 'big battle'?"
Jiang Xuan's face stiffened, and the others were also stunned for a moment, immediately speechless.
Seeing this, Lin Yingying sneered, "Princess Consort Chen, no matter where we are, today we are all here to attend a banquet at the Crown Prince's residence. The main guests are the First Prince and Princess Jiang Xuan. They are honored guests. Moreover, you have done such a thing in the Crown Prince's residence, showing no respect for the Crown Prince. This Crown Prince's residence is not Prince Chen's residence, not a place for you to act recklessly and disregard human life!"
Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over Lin Yingying: "Consort Lin, you should be careful with your words. When did I say that I was the one who did this?"
Lin Yingying sighed, "Princess Consort Chen, it's understandable that you don't dare to admit it now that things have come to this, but how could Princess Jiang Xuan's words be false?"
Ouyang Yue glanced at the Crown Prince with a mocking expression, then at Lin Yingying, and scanned the hall for a while before suddenly chuckling. She patted her stomach with one hand and remained silent, which gave Jiang Xuan an opening: "What, so you're admitting that you're the one who killed the idioms!"