As if she had made up her mind, Mingwei completely let go of the swing, then resolutely turned around and quickly walked out of the courtyard.
But as soon as she stepped outside, she was dumbfounded.
This place is located in the northwest corner of the Imperial Garden, which is somewhat secluded and quite a distance from the Bibo Pavilion where the flower-viewing banquet is held. It should have been extremely tranquil, but now a dozen or so men dressed in black and highly skilled in martial arts have suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
The reason Mingwei could tell they were highly skilled in martial arts was that not only were two blue-clad eunuchs lying on the ground, but they had also subdued the Imperial Guards not far away, and for a time no one else came to their aid.
Fortunately, Mingwei was hidden by a tall Taihu rock and some bushes where she came out, so she was not discovered for a while.
Mingwei dared not go back, afraid of making a sound. As long as she could hold out for a while, the palace guards would surely notice something was wrong, and then she could take advantage of the chaos to escape... While she was secretly planning, a bright yellow hem of clothing caught her eye.
Her heart stopped abruptly, and she held her breath. With all her might, she tiptoed, risking being discovered by the men in black, and glanced to her left.
Lying on the ground was none other than Rong Duo, who had lost consciousness!
Mingwei felt a sudden dizziness, but she quickly calmed herself down. After the initial panic subsided, a surge of hatred welled up in her heart and filled her chest.
The sharp voice of the imperial eunuch delivering the decree echoed in her ears.
This might be the only chance!
For a moment, she forgot about the presence of the man in black and made no attempt to conceal her whereabouts, recklessly wandering out. This exposed her to the man in black's line of sight, unintentionally obscuring Rong Duo completely.
She had pulled out the longest gold hairpin from her hair for self-defense when she spotted the man in black, and now she was tightly gripping the sharp hairpin in her hand.
With just this one move, she could take Rong Duo's life!
Mingwei's hands trembled uncontrollably. She bit her lower lip until it bled, her expression a mixture of sorrow and resolve. Perhaps this was her only chance to avenge herself, her parents, her brother, and her sister-in-law from her previous life!
Unaware that the man in black was gradually approaching her, she gripped the gold hairpin in her hand tighter and tighter, but her arm suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. She gritted her teeth, about to raise her hand to stab him.
"Seventh Miss!" A hurried young voice rang out, causing Mingwei to abruptly lower her hand, which she hadn't yet raised, and freezing the men in black in place. "Grandfather!"
It was Rong Zhen who appeared out of nowhere from behind!
Also arriving at the same time were Rong Duo's personal eunuch and imperial physicians, who hurriedly helped him onto the imperial carriage. A large group of others, including Prince Cheng and Prince Kang, also rushed to the scene and surrounded Rong Duo. But Ming Wei knew nothing of this.
He shielded Mingwei behind him like a protector, his sharp gaze fixed on the newcomer.
"Capture them alive!" Rong Zhen gave the order, and the Imperial Guards, forming a pincer movement, surrounded the dozen or so men in black.
Mingwei felt as if her mind had stopped working; she was oblivious to everything happening around her, simply standing there blankly. She didn't even see that Rong Duo's eyes were open before he was carried away in the imperial carriage.
Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were now empty. She turned her head blankly, her gaze unfocused, even though she was facing Rong Zhen. Rong Zhen felt a pang of heartache.
Mingwei is a sheltered young lady from a prestigious family, and she has never seen such a grand spectacle before!
Just a few days ago, she was disturbed by the rude soldiers of Shuntian Prefecture at Wangyue Lake, and today she encountered assassins!
Even the bravest person would be scared!
"Seventh Miss, Seventh Miss?" Rong Zhen's gentle voice unconsciously revealed a hint of pity. "Don't be afraid, it's all over now!"
No one can hurt you!
Rong Zhen tried his best to comfort her, but Ming Wei remained dazed, as if her consciousness had been detached, turning her into a delicate porcelain doll.
"...Your Highness the Crown Prince?" After a short while, Mingwei finally snapped out of her shock at being interrupted while trying to kill Rong Duo. Her eyes widened as if trying to identify the person who had entered. Before she could finish speaking, tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string. Her body swayed slightly, on the verge of collapse.
Rong Zhen quickly helped her up.
At this point, emotions are no longer relevant; it's merely a physiological reaction driven by bodily instincts.
Rong Zhen thought that Ming Wei would be fine once she cried, but he didn't expect that Ming Wei would just silently shed tears, which made him panic.
"It's me, Seventh Miss!" Rong Zhen's voice became even gentler, almost like she was coaxing a child: "It's all alright now! Don't be afraid!"
A flash of pain crossed Mingwei's eyes, and she slowly came to her senses.
Before Rong Zhen could offer further advice, a figure in moon-white robes rushed towards them. Su Xuan, disregarding Rong Zhen's presence and without even bowing, simply shook Mingwei, asking, "Mingwei, Mingwei, what's wrong!"
"Seventh Miss was too frightened." Rong Zhen let go of her hand, hurriedly explained a few words, and seeing that Su Xuan was still following the young lady from the Chengping Marquis's mansion at a distance, he gave her a few more instructions and left.
However, his gaze remained fixed on Mingwei.
Rong Zhen only emerged from his hiding place after the crowd surrounding Mingwei had gradually disappeared.
Those people failed to outmaneuver him last time, so this time they want to take advantage of the flower-viewing banquet to make a scene in the palace! A sinister glint suddenly flashed in Rong Zhen's gentle and calm eyes. He clenched his fist and made up his mind.
He will absolutely not let their plot succeed!
Just as Rong Zhen was about to turn and leave, he noticed a flickering light in the bushes where Ming Wei had just passed.
Rong Zhen walked over and parted the grass, finding a delicate gold hairpin. The South Sea pearl in her hair was slightly worn, and the hairpin felt heavy in her hand. Rong Zhen tightened her grip, feeling as if the warmth of her palm still lingered on the hairpin.
She probably dropped it in her panic, and she probably still doesn't know she's lost her hairpin.
Thinking this, Rong Zhen carefully put the gold hairpin into her sleeve and quickly left.
I'll return it to her next time we meet! For those of you reading this, you can search for "" to find our site immediately.
Chapter 100
This is a protected chapter. If any readers accidentally purchased it, don't worry, it will be replaced around 8 AM tomorrow. The word count will increase after the replacement.
This article was exclusively published on Jinjiang Literature City; all other versions are pirated. The author works hard to update daily, so please support the official version. Thank you!
The visitor was none other than Ming Qian, the second daughter of the Marquis of Chengping's household.