A Single Slash, and the Eldest Miss Became Disabled

In the blink of an eye, it was already the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month. Daliang's skies were gloomy and overcast, without a glimmer of light.

Though it was broad daylight, it looked as though dusk had already fallen.

A few scattered snowflakes drifted down from the sky, vanishing without a trace soon after touching the ground.

Gradually, the fine snow like shattered jade and scattered pearls turned into goose-feather snow, fluttering thickly over Great Liang City.

Near the Imperial Palace in the southwest of Daliang stood one imposing courtyard after another, lined up in neat succession.

This was what the people of Daliang called Nobles Street.

Many high-ranking officials, nobles, and Imperial Family members had purchased residences here and settled down.

The Huo Residence was among them.

As heavy snow fell, the pavilions and towers within the Huo Residence had already been covered in a thin layer of white.

Huo Xianshui, daughter of the Huo family, was seized by the mood and brought several maidservants into her family's courtyard to admire the snow.

The servants held umbrellas behind her and warmed a pot of wine.

Huo Xianshui, dressed in a purple padded skirt, picked up a jade-like porcelain cup and took a delicate sip.

Warmth immediately spread through her body, making the icy world around her feel especially pleasant and enjoyable.

Huo Xianshui looked delicate as water, with lively almond-shaped eyes. Yet, influenced by her Lineage, she was already a Meridian Opening Rank 8 martial artist.

Though her talent could not compare to Chen Xuerong, who was likewise in Daliang, it was already exceptional compared to the children of other high officials.

Not long after she arrived in Daliang, quite a few young talents had come bearing calling cards.

Anyone could tell with a little thought that they coveted her family's power and influence. She had no desire to associate with them and politely declined every one of them.

"Eldest Miss, the people in the palace have sent back their reply regarding the Fifth Prince."

"Oh? Read it aloud."

Huo Xianshui had already heard that the Empress intended to arrange a marriage between her and the Fifth Prince.

At present, the Huo Family were subjects under the Zhao Clan of Great Wei and received Wish Stone stipends from the Zhao Clan. Since this involved the Imperial Family, she could no longer refuse casually. She had to understand the situation first.

"Fifth Prince Zhao Hongming is currently thirteen years old and lives in the East Fifth Residence. After Shu Consort passed away, he was nominally placed under the Empress's care, but in reality, he has always lived alone."

"At the Imperial Academy, he has shown no outstanding performance. The scholars also have a poor impression of the Fifth Prince."

"Furthermore, Your Majesty and the Empress appear not to have summoned him for a long time. He is an unfavored prince."

The maidservant standing to one side carefully read out the contents of the letter.

After hearing the information on Fifth Prince Zhao Hongming, Huo Xianshui's beautiful brows drew tightly together.

Though she was not a member of the Imperial Family and did not understand much about the petty scheming and intrigue within the Imperial Palace, she still possessed some basic judgment.

She knew that, as a prince of Great Wei who could not cultivate Martial Arts, the key was whether he had the ability to organize and coordinate various resources. Whether he was favored or not was not the deciding factor.

"What about his character?"

"I heard that the Fifth Prince is good at enduring humiliation and is somewhat withdrawn. Since he lost his mother at a young age, he is rather meek and resigned to adversity. He rarely speaks with others and does not make friends."

"A few months ago, he suddenly announced that he wished to cultivate the Martial Dao. Now, every afternoon, he no longer attends the Imperial Academy and stays in his own room, though no one knows what he does there."

Huo Xianshui fell into deep thought.

Judging from this information, the Fifth Prince had not only lost favor, but also seemed to show signs of giving up on himself.

She would never take a liking to someone like that.

Then why would the Empress push such a prince onto her?

Huo Xianshui could not help but overthink it.

Without question, the Zhao Clan wished to show goodwill toward the Huo Family. Otherwise, they would not have introduced a prince to her.

But by sending a prince she was certain to dislike, were they waiting for her to refuse?

The maidservant beside her said, "Miss, do you think Her Majesty has arranged such a prince because she has some other hidden intention?"

"Have you noticed something?"

"Eldest Miss, as far as I know, when those men of low status outside encounter an outstanding woman, even knowing she does not like them, they still repeatedly throw their hot faces against her cold backside without dignity or limits, pestering her endlessly."

"The Fifth Prince has had neither power nor influence since childhood. If he gets a chance to establish ties with our Huo Family, might he also cling to you like this and hold you back, Eldest Miss?"

Huo Xianshui said, "That possibility cannot be ruled out. Qin'er, I heard that the eldest miss of the Chen Residence often comes into contact with the Fifth Prince. What does she think of him?"

Another maidservant said, "This servant specially went to inquire at the Chen Residence. Miss Chen speaks very highly of the Fifth Prince. She said he is mature beyond his years and skilled at managing his subordinates. Not only that, she said his appearance is outstanding and that he is particularly proper in his dealings with others."

"How could the evaluations differ so greatly?"

There was too little intelligence in her hands. Since she had yet to discern the Empress's exact intentions, she could only agree for now.

Later, she could ask her father. Perhaps he would be able to see through the Empress's intentions.

"Xiao Tao, did the Empress summon me into the palace tomorrow?"

"Yes, Eldest Miss."

"Remember to prepare a generous gift for me to bring. Prepare one for the Empress and one for the Fifth Prince as well."

"Eldest Miss, this is...?"

"If the Fifth Prince is at least pleasing to the eye, I would not mind spending some time with him and giving him a little charity." Huo Xianshui smiled contemptuously. "As for what happens afterward, we can speak of it afterward."

It would depend on how he chose.

If he failed to recognize what was good for him, she could cast him aside like a worn-out shoe.

"Let's go. The snow has become dull to look at. We should return."

"Yes, Eldest Miss."

Huo Xianshui rose to her feet, intending to return indoors.

Suddenly, every hair on her body stood on end, and she jerked her head up.

"Who is it?!"

At that moment, a fierce Blade Qi erupted abruptly from the shadows, as though it had appeared out of thin air, shooting directly toward her.

The angle was incredibly tricky, and it was unimaginably fast.

Huo Xianshui's gaze flickered as she caught the trajectory of that slash.

With one hand, she grabbed one of the maidservants beside her and used her as a shield.

"Ah!"

With a scream, the maidservant before her was cleaved in two at the waist.

Taking advantage of that brief obstruction, Huo Xianshui sprang into the air.

Yet before she had leapt very far, the next slash followed close behind, cutting into her calves and severing both lower legs.

"Ah!!!"

Blood sprayed in every direction.

Huo Xianshui crashed violently onto the ground, pressing a human-shaped pit into the snow. The white snow was completely dyed red.

Panic-stricken, she cried loudly for help.

But before she could finish shouting,

the shadow before her vanished from the small courtyard, leaving Huo Xianshui with the fortunate feeling of having survived a calamity.

The snow over Daliang continued to fall, showing no signs of stopping.

On such a stormy day, most people would not choose to go out.

Otherwise, if they caught a chill, then given the medical conditions available to ordinary Great Wei citizens, their lives could very well be in danger.

Even martial artists with stronger bodies and abundant Qi and Blood were less likely than ordinary people to fall ill.

Yet in the depths of winter, when the heavens were cold and the earth frozen, they would rather stay indoors all day, practice martial arts, or stroll their birds than go out to play in the cold wind.

At this moment, a figure continuously darted through the empty streets and alleys, leaving no trace upon the snow.

Slowly, the figure stopped in a secluded alley.

His entire body was tightly wrapped in black clothing.

The figure was none other than Fifth Prince Zhao Hongming. Seeing no one around, he took off the black outer garment and burned it.

His thoughts on the Empress's overt stratagem were simple.

Since there was a problem, he only needed to resolve the root of it.

The Eldest Miss Huo's legs had been severed, and she had become disabled.

Presumably, the Empress would not try to arrange a match between them again anytime soon, only to make a fool of herself.

As for all the Jian'an Emperor's schemes, what did they have to do with him?

He was merely an obscure, unfavored prince. It was not yet his turn to interfere in court affairs.

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