How could it be him?

Cheng Yunmeng's vision went black.

In the past, no matter how the palace maids in this courtyard bullied her and her son, she had always endured whatever she could, and constantly urged Xingran not to clash with them either.

But she had never imagined that her endless forbearance would embolden the palace maids in this courtyard to such an extent!

Waves of dizziness washed over her, and she swayed on her feet, on the verge of fainting.

Yet she held on through sheer force of will.

"Xun Tao," Cheng Yunmeng cried miserably, "let Xingran go. Take me as your hostage!"

Xun Tao's lips curled into a smile.

She knew she would never escape the palace alive today, but she could still...

Wait until her beloved Xiangyang let his guard down, then drive her knife into his wound that had yet to fully heal!

"Your Highness," she replied coldly, unwilling to let Ji Xiangyang catch on beforehand, "how could your status possibly compare to the Seventh Prince's?!"

Even Ji Xiangyang understood that reasoning. If he took Consort Lan along, probably no one would stop fighting on her account.

The fighting in the courtyard halted when Jiang Xingran was taken hostage. Ji Xiangyang swept his gaze around with a wicked smile, then slowly approached Xun Tao.

All the effort he had spent coaxing and deceiving her had not been in vain. Even after the vicious words he had just spoken, this woman had still delivered a chance of survival right into his hands.

His lips curved slightly as he prepared to offer her one last morsel of sweetness. "Well done, little Tao. With this prince as our hostage, we'll be able to escape the imperial city safely."

Xun Tao smiled gently. "I only did what I should."

She lowered her eyes and composed herself, concealing the hatred surging within them.

Jiang Yingcheng stamped her feet in agitation.

System Bro, System Bro, what's going on?! she cried repeatedly in her mind. Didn't you say this man was about to collapse?

007, who had been offline for quite some time, finally returned and explained, His martial arts school has a secret technique that allows someone gravely injured to briefly return to peak condition, but it won't last long.

Jiang Yingcheng was close to tears. Then what do we do now? That palace maid has taken my seventh brother hostage!

Knowing the fault lay with him, 007 comforted her with rare patience. That state can only last another two minutes at most. Stall a little longer, and he'll collapse on his own.

Jiang Yingcheng glanced at Auntie Yunmeng, who had dissolved into tears, and Jiang Xingran, who was still forcing himself to remain calm across from her, then suddenly shouted, "My imperial father doesn't even want my seventh brother anymore!"

Ji Xiangyang stopped in his tracks and looked back at her, raising an eyebrow.

Frightened, Jiang Yingcheng shrank behind Eunuch Changshun. A moment later, she plucked up her courage and poked her head out again, declaring in her clear little voice, "Y-you won't get anything out of taking my seventh brother! My imperial father won't care about him!"

"But I'm my imperial father's favorite Eleventh Princess," Jiang Yingcheng continued, swallowing. "If you kill that Xun Tao for me, I'll go with you!"

Only then did Ji Xiangyang turn around and take a proper look at the little girl, as exquisite as carved jade.

The little one had fair, delicate skin, and her hair had been carefully arranged into two adorable buns. The fabric of her clothes was clearly far finer than anything worn by the mother and son in this courtyard.

Most importantly, he had seen the eunuch shielding her standing beside that damned emperor during his assassination attempt.

This little one...

Was probably telling the truth.

He glanced back at Xun Tao, whose tears kept falling, and smiled with a raised eyebrow. "What a vicious little thing you are. But little Tao is the woman I love most. How could I agree to kill her?"

Several shadow guards surrounded the little girl. She did not look easy to seize.

Even if she said she would go willingly, what fool would actually believe her?

But she clearly cared a great deal about the Seventh Prince. Perhaps, by threatening his life, he really could lure the little girl into his grasp.

He turned around with a smile and continued toward Xun Tao.

Jiang Xingran slowly shifted his gaze away from Jiang Yingcheng and onto the man approaching him.

Jiang Yingcheng's behavior today was certainly strange, but the most pressing concern was the fatal blow this assassin was about to bring down upon him and his mother.

Since this man had been discovered in the Fragrant Pavilion, neither he nor his mother could escape involvement, regardless of what happened next.

But if he could capture the man himself and atone through meritorious service, perhaps he could win them a slender chance of survival.

His hands clenched tightly into fists, his knuckles turning almost translucent white from the strain.

Xun Tao's actions were nothing to fear. Next, he only needed to wait for the moment the man let his guard down...

Snatch the knife and plunge it in.

Ji Xiangyang soon reached them. He raised his hand and was just about to touch Xun Tao's shoulder when a voice rang out behind him-

"Imperial Father, you're here?!"

It was the little girl's voice again.

Ji Xiangyang froze.

Emperor Mingze?

Why would he be here?

He instinctively looked back. The shadow guards behind him had drawn a little closer while his back was turned, but there was no sign of that figure in imperial yellow.

He instantly realized the little girl had tricked him. He glared at her, but before he could open his mouth, an icy, stabbing pain pierced his back over his heart.

A sharp weapon had plunged straight into his back.

He thought of the short knife in Xun Tao's hand.

At the same moment, with a whoosh, a long arrow tore through the air from the roof opposite him and buried itself squarely in his chest.

Ji Xiangyang spat out a great mouthful of blood. Bracing his sword against the ground to support himself, he looked back in disbelief.

Xun Tao's eyes were red and filled with hatred. Together with the Seventh Prince, she was gripping the short knife they had driven into his back over his heart.

The shadow guards who had fought him earlier surrounded him again. His secret technique happened to wear off at that very moment. Knowing he could no longer escape, he asked in a trembling voice, "Wh... why?"

Hadn't everything been fine just moments ago?

The shadow guards pinned Xun Tao to the ground as well. She did not struggle at all, only smiled at Ji Xiangyang with crazed delight.

How could she have failed to see that he had meant every word when he said, "Kill her if you want"?

How could she have failed to see that he had never intended to take her out of this palace with him?

But they had promised to stay together forever and ever.

Then she could only keep him here too.

Cheng Yunmeng's legs went weak. Just as she was about to collapse, Jiang Xingran and Jiang Yingcheng both ran toward her.

The collision sent Jiang Yingcheng stumbling, but after a brief wobble, Jiang Xingran steadied his mother firmly.

Tears filled Cheng Yunmeng's eyes, and for a long while she could not speak. Knowing what she wanted to ask, Jiang Xingran assured her he was unharmed before she could say anything.

Only then did she finally relax.

Jiang Xingran helped Cheng Yunmeng into the room and seated her. Only after coming back out did he look toward the place from which the surprise arrow had flown.

No one was there.

Jiang Xingran frowned.

The shadow guards Emperor Mingze had sent to protect Jiang Yingcheng had all rushed out earlier, so who had been hiding there and firing that arrow?

Could someone else be secretly watching him and his mother?

"Ahem." A conspicuously affected cough interrupted his thoughts.

Jiang Xingran looked up just in time to see a furtive figure emerge from around the corner.

How could it be him?