"Perhaps he's dead; your knife struck him right in the heart." Jing Lan's smile vanished, and she answered all of Jing Lan's questions.
An Xin took another bite of the pastry, but her other hand, hidden under the table, trembled uncontrollably.
Perhaps he's dead...
"You're not sure either?" An Xin picked up another pastry and took a bite, as if she were starving. Only she knew that she was eating to suppress the lump in her throat.
"Yes, the Right Prime Minister's residence is under tight security, presumably to prevent the collapse of the right wing," Jing Lan said calmly.
An Xin ate the last piece of cake, then got up and walked out of the pavilion.
Jing Lan lowered her long eyelashes slightly and asked, "Where to?"
An Xin said without turning her head, "Check if Yan Zhen is dead."
Jing Lan said calmly, "You can't go. The Right Prime Minister's Office has already issued an arrest warrant for you. Zhou Xiruo has reported the assassination to the court, and the Emperor himself issued the decree."
An Xin suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring ahead, seemingly lost in thought.
Despite the July weather, she felt a chill seeping into her body. She shrank back, draped a thin silk robe over herself, and exuded a delicate, lotus-like fragrance. An Xin stood motionless in place.
"If I had done it, he would be fine. How could I bear to kill him?" After a long silence, An Xin's voice drifted out softly, tinged with an inexplicable sorrow...
---Aside---
It's a bit fragmented, but every plot point is essential. The plot points released are condensed. With the Chinese New Year approaching, the plot progression has been sped up, aiming to conclude the story before or after the New Year.
Chapter 102 Qualification
Zhou Xiruo stared down at An Xin from her high position. The sunlight fell on the woman in front of her, making her look even more elegant and refined. She disliked her from the first time she saw her, until the dislike turned into resentment, and until the resentment turned into murderous intent.
Now that the imperial decree has been issued and the entire city is under arrest, how dare she show her face!?
"Guards, seize her!" Zhou Xiruo's face darkened, and she suddenly shouted coldly.
Several dark figures immediately appeared and surrounded An Xin.
An Xin stared intently at Zhou Xiruo and said calmly, "Is he still alive?"
Zhou Xiruo felt the burning anger in her lungs threatening to drive her to the brink of madness. How dare she ask her that?! How could she possibly tell her?!
"An Xin, you really don't know what's good for you! All of you, why aren't you arresting this murderer!"
The dark figures moved and grabbed at An Xin, but An Xin remained motionless, seemingly forgetting to resist.
"Stop!" A low shout came from behind. A hand grabbed An Xin's shoulder and pulled her back forcefully, causing the dark figures to miss their target.
An Xin suddenly snapped back to reality, and when she saw the person in front of her clearly, her eyes finally showed emotion. "Minghe, how is he?"
Zhou Xiruo's face darkened as she shouted angrily, "Minghe, do you even know who the real murderer is?! She killed Yan Zhen, and you actually saved her? Are you trying to betray Yan Zhen?!"
Minghe stared at An Xin's anxious eyes for a long time before asking, "Did you assassinate the lord?"
An Xin froze. She had completely forgotten what happened that night, so how could she remember who did it?
"I...I won't kill him..."
"Minghe, Mother saw it with her own eyes, how could she falsely accuse her?! At that time, Yan Zhen only had her by her side, who else was there besides her?!" Zhou Xiruo gritted her teeth, "Since Mother said that you will obey my orders from now on, do you want to disobey Mother's orders?!"
Minghe's eyes were deep and she said in a low voice, "If it were her, I would have killed her with one strike even without you telling me."
An Xin steadied herself and looked up at Minghe. "Tell me, is he still alive?" All she wanted to know now was whether he was alright; nothing else mattered.
"Instead of asking about the person you're so determined to assassinate, you should be asking about your parents and siblings!" Minghe said coldly. The official had really misjudged her! After she tried to assassinate the official, she went to the Left Prime Minister's residence. Anyone could see that she was a member of the Left faction. She deliberately approached the official, probably to find an opportunity to carry out the murder. How vicious!
An Xin trembled. She had "assassinated" Yan Zhen, but her parents and siblings were all under Yan Zhen's protection. Had something happened to them?
An Xin suddenly stared at Ming He and said in a deep voice, "Where are they?"
“If you go to the death row, maybe you can see them again.” Minghe flicked her sleeve, her face as cold as ice, but An Xin’s face suddenly turned pale. She grabbed Minghe, “What did you say? How could they be in the death row?”
Minghe sneered, "Why? Miss An, why don't you ask yourself? You assassinated the magistrate and still expect the Right Prime Minister's Mansion to help you? Your plan is far too shrewd!"
An Xin's fingers tightened suddenly. She couldn't panic, she couldn't lose her composure. She had to get to the death row first. She couldn't think too much. She had to rescue her parents!
She turned and ran, but Zhou Xiruo's face darkened, and she shouted coldly, "Catch her now! She's a murderer wanted throughout the city, don't let her get away!"
Minghe took a step forward and said in a low voice, "Let her go!"
"Minghe!" Zhou Xiruo's face darkened, her eyes flashing with murderous intent. How dare he openly defy her orders!
"Miss Zhou, if the master wakes up and finds out that you have driven her to a dead end, do you think he will forgive you?"
Zhou Xiruo suddenly choked, the resentment in her eyes growing stronger. "Do you think Yan Zhen would still have feelings for a woman who tried to assassinate him? Minghe, you really don't understand who the masters and servants are in this mansion anymore!"
Minghe sneered and said, "The master of the oil tank is only the Lord. Miss Zhou is an outsider and has no right to interfere."
Zhou Xiruo's eyes narrowed suddenly, a surge of rage rising within her. It seemed that Minghe could not be allowed to live...
****
An Xin did not go directly to the death row, but went straight to the palace. However, she was already wanted by the authorities, and her public appearance naturally met with numerous obstacles. An Xin did not have time to think and rushed straight through.
The iron spear pierced her side, and the icy blade slid across her arm. The excruciating pain didn't even make her wince. She wanted to see Huang Yixuan. She had seriously underestimated Huang Yixuan's "goodwill" towards her!
Despite their arduous battles, they seemed to be getting further and further away from the palace gates, with more and more people pouring out.
An Xin's eyes were slightly blurred. How could things have turned out like this... Could it be that dying in another dimension with the stigma of assassinating her lover was her destiny?