Chapter 216: Peaceful

Chapter 216: Peaceful

Xin You firmly held the girl's hand, her face showing the warm enthusiasm of a merchant towards a customer. "Miss, you left a pouch at Qingsong Bookstore yesterday. We've been waiting for you to pick it up."

The girl tried to pull her hand away but was gripped even tighter.

"Let's go inside the bookstore first," Xin You smiled. "I was worried you didn't know you left it here and wouldn't come back for it. It’s a relief to see you here."

King Qing casually glanced in their direction and, accompanied by his bodyguards, headed towards the carriage parked by the roadside.

Soon, the carriage moved, and the shadow guards who had been scattered around followed. Despite their ordinary appearance, it was clear they were following King Qing’s carriage.

The girl’s face turned pale, and fear flickered in her eyes.

"Miss, follow me." Once King Qing and his group were out of sight, Xin You dropped her smile and resumed her calm demeanor.

The girl, still suspicious and frightened, could tell from the strength in Xin You's hand that it wouldn't be easy to escape. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded slightly.

Xin You led the girl into the bookstore but didn’t take her to the guest room. Instead, they went directly to the eastern courtyard from the back.

The eastern courtyard was lush with greenery, blooming flowers, and birds flitting from branch to branch, painting a picture of a vibrant spring day. But the girl looked around nervously and remained tense, even after sitting down.

"I’m Kou Qingqing, the owner of Qingsong Bookstore. This is my residence," Xin You introduced herself. "What should I call you?"

The girl hesitated for a moment before answering, "My surname is Zhu."

"Miss Zhu," Xin You called her, her voice calm, but her words hit like a bolt of lightning. "Why did you attempt to assassinate King Qing?"

Just moments ago, the moment she saw Miss Zhu, Xin You had a vision of the girl attempting to assassinate King Qing.

The scene was bloody, but it wasn’t King Qing who suffered.

Miss Zhu hadn’t even fully drawn the dagger hidden in her sleeve before she was struck by the shadow guards' crossbow bolts and then died in a flurry of blades under King Qing's bodyguards.

From the beginning to the end, the scene unfolded so quickly it was almost pitiful.

Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot or an egg smashing against a rock, it was a futile effort.

This was why Xin You hadn’t hesitated and rushed over.

The enemy of an enemy, even if not a friend, might become a collaborator. Moreover, such a death would be too unworthy.

Miss Zhu, startled, tried to run out, but the voice behind her made her stop abruptly.

"If I intended harm to Miss Zhu, I wouldn't have saved you."

Miss Zhu slowly turned around, her pale face filled with confusion. "How… how did you know?"

"Miss Zhu, please sit," Xin You pushed the tea towards her.

Miss Zhu slowly sat down.

"Miss Zhu, are you from out of town?"

Miss Zhu’s eyes tightened. "Who exactly are you? Why do you know so much?"

Xin You smiled slightly. "Miss Zhu, don't be nervous. I guess you're from out of town because your accent is slightly different from the locals."

"You said that I attempted to assassinate King Qing—"

"I saw it from your expression," Xin You invoked the banner of her supposed fortune-telling skills, "I have some knowledge of physiognomy. The moment I saw your darkened forehead, a sign of mortal peril, and how your attention was entirely on King Qing, I made this guess."

Miss Zhu bit her lip for a long time before asking worriedly, "Is it that obvious?"

She thought she had hidden it well, never daring to look directly at King Qing, and only using her peripheral vision to gauge the best moment. But to anyone watching, her every move was a dead giveaway.

In truth, Xin You was bluffing. At that moment, her mind was consumed with sudden, vivid images, so she hadn't paid attention to those details.

"What grudge do you have against King Qing?"

Maybe it was Xin You's calm tone, treating the assassination like nothing, that helped Miss Zhu relax enough to ask, "Since you guessed that I intended harm to King Qing, why did you save me?"

At first, she had been annoyed by this girl who suddenly interfered, but after witnessing the vigilance of King Qing's bodyguards and the hidden guards, she realized, even if she were foolish, that the assassination would not harm King Qing in the slightest, and she would end up dead in the streets.

Thinking of this outcome, Miss Zhu clenched her teeth.

She refused to die like this!

But she really couldn't understand this Miss Kou.

King Qing had visited Qingsong Bookstore several times, and he seemed to have a good relationship with Miss Kou, certainly better than with someone like her. Moreover, what she was attempting was a crime that could wipe out her entire family.

Why would Miss Kou save her?

"Probably because—" Xin You, thinking of the gruesome scene, decided to be more honest, "I don't wish King Qing well either."

Miss Zhu's desperate gamble wasn't much different from her own situation. Xin You could sense that Miss Zhu's hatred for King Qing was genuine.

Xin You's words greatly surprised Miss Zhu.

"You also have a personal vendetta against King Qing?"

Xin You nodded, "Yes, a vendetta."

A vendetta, something far more serious than just a conflict.

Hearing this, Miss Zhu visibly relaxed, her guard lowering as she looked at Xin You with less suspicion.

After losing trust in everyone during her journey to the capital, Miss Zhu figured that someone who admitted to having a grudge against a prince might be worth trusting.

More importantly, having witnessed King Qing's protective forces firsthand, she despaired at the realization that taking revenge on her own was impossible.

Even if she trusted the wrong person, things couldn't get worse. Perhaps Miss Kou could really help her?

People in desperate situations often cling to any shred of hope.

Seeing Miss Zhu's wavering, Xin You added, "I often visit the Eldest Princess’s Residence and am familiar with the Jinlin Guard Commander. Perhaps I can help?"

To a noble lady in the capital, these words would sound laughable, but they swayed Miss Zhu.

"I am from Dingbei, from Taiping Town."

As soon as Miss Zhu spoke, Xin You's heart settled.

Given that an outsider had attempted to assassinate King Qing, and considering what Lord He had told her, Xin You suspected this was connected to the disaster in Dingbei.

"Most of the people in the town are surnamed Zhu. My father is a local gentry in Taiping Town, managing affairs big and small. When the earthquake struck, many houses in the town collapsed, but no relief came. My father went to the county to report the situation, only to find that the official handling the disaster relief had been killed. He escaped and tried to intercept King Qing's carriage on the street. King Qing promised to investigate thoroughly in front of everyone, but—"

Miss Zhu clenched her fists tightly, the tears in her eyes concealing her deep-seated hatred: "What we waited for wasn't relief, but the government soldiers arrived wielding their long swords. They died, all of them died."

The sobbing girl was thrown back into that hellish memory, a nightmare she could never escape.

She had come to the capital all alone, with only one goal—to kill that damn prince!

"After arriving in the capital, I watched King Qing’s residence closely and found that he often visited Qingsong Bookstore. I thought that posing as a book buyer would present the best opportunity when he visited the bookstore." Miss Zhu gave a bitter smile, "I was such a fool. I couldn’t bring myself to do anything."

She covered her face with her hands, and tears streamed down her face.

Xin You stayed quiet, letting Miss Zhu cry it out, then gave her shoulder a gentle pat.