Su Luoyan and Shen Qianxin's faces turned deathly pale as they stared at Shen Qianmo in disbelief, as if they were seeing a demon from hell.
“I know you told Shen Lingyun all this. But he probably won’t believe you, right? Even if he did, with the power of the Demon Palace, making you wish you were dead would be a piece of cake!” Shen Qianmo keenly sensed Su Luoyan and Shen Qianxin’s intentions and said with a smile.
"What exactly do you want to do?" Shen Qianxin looked at Shen Qianmo with icy eyes, her gaze also filled with fear and dread.
"Second sister, don't be so scared, I won't kill you!" Shen Qianmo deliberately raised her hand slightly and gently reached out to Shen Qianxin. Shen Qianxin trembled in fright, but Shen Qianmo's hand only gently brushed her hair.
"I don't want to do anything! Third Sister, just stay here quietly as Father instructed and don't go anywhere. As for Second Sister, just follow Father's instructions, marry whoever you're supposed to marry, and enjoy whatever wealth and status you're entitled to!" Shen Qianmo clapped her hands and said with a light smile.
Shen Qianxin and Su Luoyan looked at the woman before them. Her dark eyes held no emotion, as if an invisible black hole were drawing you in. She stood there languidly and casually, yet the aura she exuded was so unapproachable, noble and otherworldly.
“Little sister, actually, it’s only right that your eldest sister and second aunt bullied you like that! You didn’t do anything wrong, and my mother was just confused for a moment, which is why she wanted to harm you. I’m very happy that you can forgive and forget about it.” Shen Qianxin smiled and said to Shen Qianmo earnestly.
"It's good that Second Sister has figured it out! Qianmo is sleepy, so I'll be leaving now!" Shen Qianmo replied coldly, looking at Shen Qianxin's hypocritical face. She naturally had her reasons for not completely breaking ties with Shen Qianxin and accepting her feigned attempts to win her over.
"Well, then I won't keep you any longer," Shen Qianxin said with a smile.
Shen Qianmo ignored Shen Qianxin and left Su Luoyan's courtyard with Qianqian.
"Miss, that second young lady doesn't seem to be sincere at all. Why are you still giving her face?" Qianqian asked curiously as soon as they left the courtyard.
"If you push her too far and she tells that old fox Shen Lingyun everything, things won't go so smoothly," Shen Qianmo said with a faint smile.
"Miss is so clever!" Qianqian said sweetly.
"Alright! Qianqian, you can go back now. I have something to do with Shengge." Shen Qianmo said as she saw Qianqian to the courtyard gate.
In order not to arouse Shen Lingyun's suspicion, she and Qianqian have stayed quietly in the Prime Minister's residence for the past few days. Now that the people secretly monitoring them have withdrawn, she has to go out to take care of some things.
"Okay! Miss, come back soon!" After what happened last time, Qianqian understood that she should keep watch for her mistress at the Prime Minister's residence, and she didn't insist on going out with Shen Qianmo.
"Okay! I'll bring you some candied hawthorns!" Shen Qianmo patted Qianqian's head and said with a smile.
"Mmm! Miss loves Qianqian the most!" Qianqian nodded happily, her eyes shining with a greedy light.
"Silly girl!" Shen Qianmo felt a warmth in her heart as she looked at the innocent smile on Qianqian's face. Over the past five years, Qianqian had brought her a lot of joy. Without Qianqian's companionship, these five years would not have passed so easily. After all, learning martial arts and strategy is not an easy thing.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Savior?
In a secluded alley in the capital, a group of assassins dressed in black gathered, and in the center of the assassins' circle was a man dressed in black.
His all-black attire accentuated his noble and unparalleled aura. His sharp, eagle-like eyes surveyed the assassins around him with a hint of untamed arrogance. His thin lips were tightly pursed, and his slender chin was raised in a proud and aloof arc.
"Who sent you to kill me! Was it Shangguan Che?" The words that came out were also cold and chilling.
These assassins were highly skilled and well-trained; they managed to kill all of his dozen or so bodyguards, leaving him all alone.
It should be noted that the bodyguards he brought with him were all top-notch in martial arts, yet they were all wiped out in less than two incense sticks' time. The terrifying nature of these assassins is unimaginable.
"The Eighth Prince is indeed clever! But he's a dying man after all!" The masked man in black spoke coldly, as if anyone who approached him would freeze. His dark eyes were filled with nothing but icy coldness.
The man in black was none other than the current Eighth Prince, Shangguan Jin.
Shangguan Jin's eyes sharpened, and his brows furrowed deeply. The man in black's words were tantamount to confirming his suspicions: Shangguan Che had indeed sent someone to kill him.
Is Shangguan Che already so impatient? The Crown Prince isn't even dead yet, and he's already busy eliminating dissidents—isn't that a bit too early? But when did Shangguan Che acquire such capable subordinates?
Faced with these people, his secret guards were utterly helpless? Was Shangguan Jin really going to lose his life here?
"You want his life, but you haven't even asked me!" A clear and unparalleled neutral voice rang out, and a white shadow flew past. Shangguan Jin had already been taken away from the encirclement, and the men in black did not chase after him.
Shen Qianmo led Shangguan Jin to an open space on the outskirts of the city before stopping.
"Thank you for your help, brother! I am deeply grateful. May I ask your name?" Shangguan Jin looked at the man in front of him. Although his face was covered by a bronze mask and his appearance could not be seen, he could tell from his demeanor that he was no ordinary person.
"Ink Pond." A clear, neutral voice reached Shangguan Jin's ears.
"So you are the Palace Master of the Demon Palace! Shangguan Jin greets you!" Upon hearing Shen Qianmo's name, Shangguan Jin became even more respectful. It should be noted that although the Demon Palace was a martial arts force, its power was not to be underestimated.
"Eighth Prince, there's no need for such formalities." A sly glint appeared on Shen Qianmo's face beneath his mask. "I saved you because I have a favor to ask."
"What can I do for you, Palace Master? I will do my best to help!" Shangguan Jin's eyes gleamed as she looked at Shen Qianmo. This was a golden opportunity to befriend the Palace Master of the Demon Palace.
"Does the Eighth Prince covet the throne?" Shen Qianmo asked Shangguan Jin calmly.
“Not bad!” Shangguan Jin hesitated for a moment before saying to Shen Qianmo.
“I can help you.” Shen Qianmo’s smile deepened beneath her mask; she knew Shangguan Jin’s ambition all too well.
"Really?" Shangguan Jin looked up in surprise, her eyes filled with barely concealed excitement.
How could he not be excited? He held considerable military power and was no less capable than the Third Prince Shangguan Che. However, without the support of a powerful maternal clan, he could never defeat Shangguan Che. That was why he had always kept a low profile. But now that Shangguan Che had sent assassins to kill him, he could no longer sit idly by and wait for his doom.
Now that he has the support of the Demon Palace, it will be much easier for him to seize the throne.
"The Eighth Prince is surely well aware of the conflict between the Prime Minister's Mansion and the General's Mansion. If the Eighth Prince were to marry Shen Qianxin now, he could gain the support of the Prime Minister's Mansion. With the secret assistance of my Demon Palace, it would not be difficult to overthrow the Crown Prince and defeat the Third Prince," Shen Qianmo said calmly.
“Of course I know that. Shen Qianxin did indeed show interest in me at the Hundred Families Banquet. But she is, after all, just a concubine’s daughter. So I hesitated for half a month and haven’t gone to the Prime Minister’s residence to propose marriage yet.” Shangguan Jin said with a hint of calculation after hearing Shen Qianmo’s words, her eyes seemingly showing dissatisfaction with Shen Qianxin’s status.
"Both legitimate and illegitimate daughters are the Prime Minister's daughters, there's no difference! Just do as I say! After it's done, you must promise me that you'll wipe out the entire Prime Minister's mansion!" Shen Qianmo's tone revealed a hint of impatience as she coldly addressed Shangguan Jin.
"Destroyed the Prime Minister's residence?" Shangguan Jin asked, somewhat surprised.
"Does the Eighth Prince want to be controlled by the court officials like your father?" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow in displeasure, her words becoming increasingly impolite. She disliked people who asked too many questions.
I originally thought Shangguan Jin was cunning and intelligent, but I didn't expect him to be far less capable than I thought. No wonder he couldn't defeat Shangguan Che.
"Of course not! Alright, it's a deal!" Shangguan Jin said firmly, a ruthless glint in her eyes after hearing Shen Qianmo's words.