Qu Nian: I thought you were doing a good deed, but it turns out you saved the wrong person.
However, since Ren Yingying was alright, he reluctantly remembered Wu Zhenhai's favor.
"Jinse, don't sleep," Ren Yingying said frantically. "Hold on, we're going back to the palace. Even if you're just a breath away, Tangbao can bring you back to life."
Jinse looked exhausted and said with a wry smile, "Princess Consort, please stop shaking me, my head hurts. I know my own condition, I'm fine, I'm just too tired and need to rest."
Ren Yingying: "Really?"
"Um."
"Then you should go to sleep and don't worry about me. Come here, lean your head against me, I'll hold you."
Jinse rested her head on Ren Yingying's lap, lay down in the carriage, and closed her eyes.
Qu Nian: Suddenly I feel a bit superfluous.
However, just now, he really wanted to do everything in his power to protect Ren Yingying.
Unfortunately, Wu Zhenhai arrived a little too early, so he didn't get a chance to perform.
Pity.
Meanwhile, Wu Zhenhai rushed to the Prince's Mansion at breakneck speed and saw a carriage stopping at the gate in the distance.
A moment later, Mingzhu got off the carriage and told Yanran and Wu Yu to be careful.
Meanwhile, Cui Run was already waiting nearby, keeping his distance but looking at Mingzhu with a smile in his eyes.
Ruanruan is alright!
Wu Zhenhai breathed a long sigh of relief, then felt as if he had been pricked by needles from his eyes to his heart.
A pang of sadness gripped his heart. He reined in his horse and did not continue forward, only watching from afar, even though Mingzhu had already noticed him.
Cui Run followed Mingzhu's gaze and saw Wu Zhenhai. A hint of coldness appeared on his face, and he didn't even bow.
--What kind of man bullies the weak and fears the strong, humiliating a vulnerable woman!
After learning about Mingzhu's past, he was initially bothered, but he felt more pity for her.
"Let's go," Cui Run said to Mingzhu. "We'll have someone take the things in later."
"Good."
Mingzhu was unaware of Ren Yingying's accident, nor did she know why Wu Zhenhai had come to the Prince's Mansion.
However, she thought it was probably someone she was looking for, the Prince of Jin.
She didn't look at Wu Zhenhai again, lest she give him the wrong impression, and led the two children inside.
A perfect couple, plus two children, they looked like such a harmonious family.
Wu Zhenhai felt an even greater pang of bitterness in his heart.
He could have had that kind of happiness.
Unfortunately, he didn't cherish it.
He could have been Mingzhu's only savior, but at that time, he only thought of himself, ultimately disappointing her utterly.
Mingzhu, Mingzhu... She finally became the dazzling Mingzhu on the crown, but she could no longer look down on him, this Old Cabbage Stalk.
They were a perfect match. Standing together, even she herself would find it hard to say "no" against her Cui Run.
Ruanruan... If this is your happiness, I'm afraid I can only refrain from disturbing you, and it would be difficult for me to offer a word of blessing.
Wu Zhenhai's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, as if he had swallowed all the bitter emotions, and then he slowly spurred his horse forward.
Since he was already here, and after confirming that Ruanruan was alright, he went to tell the prince about what had happened that day.
However, before he could go inside, the Prince of Jin had already hurriedly led his men out.
Mingzhu and Cui Run also ran out.
They must have already learned of Ren Yingying's accident.
Wu Zhenhai dismounted, bowed to Prince of Jin, and said, "Your Highness, there is no need to worry. I rushed there as soon as I heard about the assassination attempt on the Crown Princess, and she is safe and sound."
Even though he was heartbroken, Wu Zhenhai was never hesitant to take credit for himself when it came to it.
The Prince of Jin breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly remembered Qu Nian and asked, "What happened? Were there any casualties? Where's the dog?"
Wu Zhenhai said, "The guards from the Prince's mansion haven't given chase yet. The coachman is fine, but the Princess Consort's maid was slightly injured. As for the dog... I didn't notice it; it should be alright."
It's good that you're alright.
Mingzhu suddenly looked up at Wu Zhenhai: "Where were you at the time, Lord Wu, and how did you manage to get there in time?"
Is it really such a coincidence?
Wu Zhenhai was hit by a bomb weighing ten thousand tons.
He understood the unspoken meaning in Mingzhu's words.
Mingzhu suspected that he had orchestrated the whole thing.
But is it really worth it for him?
He was so desperate for her that he didn't want to live anymore; what ambition could he possibly have?
The person he loved most hurt him the most.
"I was having tea nearby at the time," Wu Zhenhai said in a deep voice.
He didn't want to leave; he wanted to see her a few more times, even though he didn't see her. He could still hope that she would suddenly pass by.
But to my surprise, I heard bad news.
"Those assassins were spared," Wu Zhenhai continued. "So if Miss Huo has any doubts, she can wait for the results of the interrogation."
He bowed to Prince of Jin again. "Your Highness, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."
Yanran, who followed him out, slapped Wu Yu on the forehead. "Greet your father!"
Wu Yu: "... Father, Father, take care."
Wu Zhenhai: "..."
He's truly my own son.
Let him go, okay?
The Prince's Mansion is truly a jinx to him, no doubt about it.
Ren Yingying quickly returned with the injured Jinse.
After Tang Zhuyun checked on Jinse and confirmed that she was alright, Ren Yingying plopped down on the edge of the bed, panting heavily, and said, "My god, I thought I was going to die here today!"
Tang Zhuyun said, "It might be a remnant of the Zhou Family. The prince has already sent people to interrogate the assassin, and news should come back soon."
"Okay," Ren Yingying said, "Tangbao, I have something to tell you!"
Do you know how amazing Jinse?
Tang Zhuyun: "Hmm?"
"Never mind," Ren Yingying covered her mouth, "I don't think I should have told you this. I'll ask you about it later."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
That's really asking for a beating, you know?
The matter was quickly investigated and found to be the work of remnants of the Zhou Family, just as Tang Zhuyun had said.
However, these fools, mistaking Ren Yingying for Mingzhu, are hopelessly stupid.
Ren Yingying: "Oh my, really? So in other people's eyes, I'm just as beautiful as Mingzhu."
Qu Nian: "..."
This woman is beyond saving.
Jinse herself told Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying about her identity.
Ren Yingying rested her chin on her hand and said, "Your family should be very powerful! Why do you have to hide in the Central Plains under an assumed name?"
Jinse smiled wryly, "There's nothing special about it, otherwise I wouldn't be the only one left."
Ultimately, it's nothing more than a fate of being used by others.
If given a choice, who would choose to protect themselves through self-harm?
Others might have been forced to marry Qu Nian for various reasons, but she was different.
"I did it voluntarily," Jinse said. "I am very grateful to the Prince's Mansion for giving me shelter and allowing me to meet the Crown Princess and the other sisters."
"What does it have to do with him? This is our own destiny," Ren Yingying said. "Come on, let's not talk about him anymore, let's have a drink!"
She tilted her head back and downed the entire glass of wine in one gulp.
Qu Nian:...
Ren Yingying turned out to be a drunkard, but unfortunately, she had a low alcohol tolerance. After just a few sips, she was flushed and her face turned rosy, making one want to drag her back and hide her away.