Untouchable Lovers-Chapter 229 - 209 Princess and Prince Consort
Chapter 229: Chapter 209: Princess and Prince Consort
Chapter 229 -209: Princess and Prince Consort
He Ji demanded loudly, then his tone sharply shifted as he called out the person’s name, “Jiang Chanzi?”
—Taizong conspired with Ruan Dianfu, Wang Daolong, and Li Dao’er on his side, plotting with Shou Jizhi, Jiang Chanzi, and eleven others to depose the Emperor.
Upon hearing this name, Chu Yu sharply held her breath.
She was beside the second palace gate, while He Ji was waiting for her not far behind the palace wall, separated only by a wall, but even calculating the straight-line distance, it was merely about three or four yards. The guards originally stationed at this gate were slacking off and chatting with the soldiers brought by He Ji.
According to historical records, Liu Yu’s subordinates colluded with Liu Ziyue’s close officials, Shou Jizhi and Jiang Chanzi; one was an officer holding an imperial position known as Cloth Master, and the other was an imperial guard known as Armor Master. Just moments before, Chu Yu had informed Liu Ziyue that Cloth Master Shou Jizhi was in the palace, yet Jiang Chanzi happened to be off duty that day.
This was also the reason for Chu Yu’s doubts, suspecting whether this was the same ritual mentioned in historical accounts. However, now hearing He Ji calling out that person’s name, she immediately had no doubts.
He Ji called out to Jiang Chanzi, exchanged a few casual words, then let him and the imperial guards follow him into the palace. Hearing the footsteps, Chu Yu knew that Jiang Chanzi was approaching her direction and subconsciously stepped back, retreating into the shadow of a large tree behind her.
After retreating, Chu Yu then remembered that there was no need to feel guilty. Even if Jiang Chanzi was here to kill Liu Ziyue, he would most likely not harm her before his mission was completed, to avoid spoiling the plan by acting prematurely.
But by then, she had already retreated and it was inconvenient to step out again. Chu Yu stood behind the tree, watching as Jiang Chanzi led seven or eight people towards the Imperial Palace. Their steps were heavy with a hint of uniformity, and even the moonlight, alongside the sporadic cold snowflakes that fell on them, added an even grimmer tone to the scene.
Watching them, Chu Yu suddenly felt regret and even wanted to rush back immediately to warn Liu Ziyue to be cautious. However, glimpsing the look in Moxiang’s eyes just before she died, she forced herself to harden her heart and disregard it.
Only after Jiang Chanzi and the others had walked far did Chu Yu quietly breathe a sigh of relief, trying to act as if nothing had happened when she stepped out. At that moment, she heard footsteps behind the palace wall approaching and stopping, followed by a deliberately lowered voice, “Prince Consort, regarding that Jiang Chanzi just now… I saw something hard hidden in his embrace, possibly scheming something sinister.”
He Ji snorted coldly, lowering his voice, “How could I not know? Those few people behind Jiang Chanzi are not his colleagues either, likely plotting a rebellion. Since he wants to rebel, let him be. Why should I stop him?”
Although the voices of the two people were very low, Chu Yu heard everything clearly from behind the wall.
Chu Yu abruptly bit her lips to keep from crying out in shock.
He Ji continued, “His Majesty summoned that lady today, probably wanting to reconcile with her. Once she gains power, what good days would there be for me? If Jiang Chanzi succeeds, it would be perfect for me. If not, it wouldn’t be blamed on me.” This person in front of him was a trusted confidant of the He Family, so He Ji didn’t fear speaking openly to him.
In a nutshell, he planned to be like the reed that bends with the wind. Knowing that Jiang Chanzi had a knife and brought people with unclear identities into the palace, he acted as if he saw nothing.
No sooner had He Ji finished speaking than he heard a soft, muffled sound of wood breaking from behind the wall. Alarmed, he hurriedly rounded the palace wall, only to see the woman he deeply detested standing quietly under the tree by the palace gate, with a broken dry branch under her feet.
Seeing He Ji, Chu Yu felt her heart sink. Just now, having sensed the malice in He Ji’s tone, she wanted to find a place to hide, but she accidentally stepped on a dry branch on the ground as she took a step.
Chu Yu inwardly cursed her luck and did not wait for He Ji to react, but turned around and ran without hesitation.
At this point, saying anything else was superfluous; if she had stayed there, she would have been waiting for He Ji to kill her to silence her. Chu Yu was not sure how good He Ji’s martial arts were, but it would be very easy for a strong man to kill a weak woman like her.
Seeing Chu Yu turn and run, He Ji hesitated for a moment, then realizing the grave consequences—should Chu Yu now run back to inform Liu Ziyue and Liu Ziyue escaped the menace of Jiang Chanzi—his own misfortune would ensue.
For a moment, He Ji didn’t know whether to chase after Chu Yu or to simply lead his troops to storm the Imperial Palace. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided not to call out for men and chased after Chu Yu instead.
Subconsciously, he still did not want to cause too much of a stir, and he especially did not want to kill the Emperor with his own hands.
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Chu Yu did not shout for help, as she was still unsure whether Liu Ziyue was dead. If too many people were alerted, she feared that even if she escaped He Ji’s pursuit, she would not escape the blades of the insurgents.
Being able to leave quietly on her own was the best case scenario.
Chu Yu, after all, was a woman and naturally at a physical disadvantage. She had only run a short distance when she heard He Ji’s footsteps getting closer behind her. In the loneliest and most deserted part of the palace, under the night sky, a man and a woman named husband and wife—one chasing, one fleeing—the serene moonlight and cold snowflakes fell upon them, watching over the twisted end of this marriage, a struggle between life and death.
Only the snow and the moon silently watched over them.
Chu Yu gritted her teeth, suddenly turned around, lifted her wrist, and triggered the mechanism.
He Ji was only five or six steps away from Chu Yu, about to catch up, when he suddenly heard two sharp “swoosh” sounds in the air, as if something had grazed by his foot and shot into the ground, and at the same time a severe pain came from his leg.
Chu Yu had fired two hidden sleeve arrows; one arrow went astray, grazing by He Ji’s shoe and hitting the ground, while the other also went off course but fortunately not by much, striking He Ji’s thigh.
One arrow failed, but one succeeded. Chu Yu was neither disappointed nor pleased; she simply turned her body again and fled without a word.
As the Prince Consort and from an aristocratic family, He Ji had rarely gotten the chance to be injured like this. Although Chu Yu’s arrow had not killed him, it made him squat on the ground in pain, unable to move, only able to watch as Chu Yu ran farther away.
Shortly after, He Ji’s confidants arrived with several people and helped He Ji up. After quickly stopping the bleeding, He Ji clenched his teeth and said, “Chase her!”
The place where Chu Yu fled was near Yongxun Palace, which had been the residence of Liu Ziyue’s mother, Empress Dowager Wang. However, after the Empress Dowager’s death, Liu Ziyue, fearing her ghost, had ordered that no one should go near the place.
Breathless, she burst into Yongxun Palace, soon hearing footsteps of pursuers from behind—this time, the sound of six or seven people. But with only eight sleeve arrows left, and her poor aiming skills, there was no guarantee her shots would hit the mark.
Chu Yu ducked and hid, but the opposition, being more numerous and military in their background, conducted a thorough search, finally trapping her in the escape route, right in the Empress Dowager’s former bedroom.
Chu Yu leaned against the wall, watching the dark silhouette at the door. With no light inside, she could not see the person’s face or expression clearly, she only slowly sat down on the bed where the Empress Dowager had died, her hands pressing on the bed’s edge.
The man, having caught up to Chu Yu, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he finally had an explanation for He Ji, but to his surprise, he saw Chu Yu’s body suddenly flip over, accompanied by the sound of an iron chain, and the bed surface suddenly sank, opening into a large square hole, into which Chu Yu’s falling body disappeared.
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In Huailin Garden, wizards had already performed a ceremony, summoning a ghost and instructing Liu Ziyue to shoot into the void with a peach wood bow. After numerous shots, the wizards declared the ghost killed.
Overjoyed, Liu Ziyue finally set aside his worries and ordered music to be played.
At that moment, among the crowd by the bamboo forest, eyes filled with murderous intent glowered ominously.
Tian Rujing stood not far from Liu Ziyue, his gaze tranquil like the clear shine of the moon, waiting for what was meant to happen.
