Chapter 430: Sour Plum

Chapter 430: Plum Juice

"You scoundrel!" Emperor Xingyuan slammed his hand on the table, enraged.

"Scoundrel?" Prince Xiu pulled Xin You closer, the short blade pressing through her padded robe and piercing her soft skin.

Pain made her instinctively frown.

Emperor Xingyuan's anger was instantly quelled.

Prince Xiu's emotions, however, flared up, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Emperor Xingyuan. "I'm a scoundrel because you forced me to be! I could endure being ignored for nearly twenty years, and I could tolerate being overshadowed by Chen Yi. When Chen Yi fell, your attention was solely on Xin You, and I still endured it. But I never expected that when it came time to choose an heir, you would appoint Chen You as Crown Prince and establish a new Empress at this moment! Do you know how much sympathy and ridicule I've endured since the news of the new Empress spread? How many hurtful words I've heard? You know, but you just don't care!"

The more Prince Xiu spoke, the more hatred he felt, gripping Xin You's hand even tighter.

"Yes, yes, I have neglected your feelings, but Xiao You is innocent—"

"She is not innocent!" Prince Xiu roared, his voice hoarse with fury. "How can she be innocent? Did you choose Chen You without her influence? She has done favors for Chen You, and to secure her a worry-free future, you would rather choose a child over me, your eldest son!"

Seeing Prince Xiu's madness, Emperor Xingyuan was terrified. "No matter what, put down the knife first. I can pretend nothing happened today. I swear by my imperial word, I will not deceive you."

"Ha ha ha." Prince Xiu laughed, full of sarcasm. "If I cared about my life, I wouldn't have come to the palace today. Don't you understand yet? I want Xin You to die with me, and I want you to watch your daughter with Empress Xin die before your eyes, to taste the helplessness you've inflicted on me!"

"I have a question," Xin You spoke again.

For Xin You, Prince Xiu had patience. "Ask."

"Was it His Highness the Prince who spread the news that Mr. Songling was the Empress's man?"

"Indeed," Prince Xiu's tone carried a hint of satisfaction. "The Jinlin Guard was circulating portraits looking for someone, and coincidentally, I recognized the youth in the portrait as the one who entered Qingsong Bookstore at night. At that time, Count Gu Chang was suddenly beaten to death, and officials were speculating about the cause of his death. Putting Count Gu Chang, Qingsong Bookstore, and the Jinlin Guard together, it wasn't hard to draw this conclusion, was it?"

"His Highness the Prince is truly perceptive and insightful," Xin You praised, then asked, "So, it was you who spread the news that Miss Kou controlled Mr. Songling?"

"Yes. Shouldn't you thank me for helping you make up your mind to step forward?"

"Your Highness and Chief Minister Zhang, Minister Sun, they really do help each other out."

"Don't lump me in with them." The Prince of Xiu seemed offended, gripping Xin You's hand tighter, "It's only because Empress Xin wants to implement new policies, offending so many people who wish to grind her bones to dust. I didn't have to do much; just spreading a few messages made them act hastily."

Emperor Xingyuan couldn't help but speak up, "You conspire with those greedy parasites and still deny it?"

"Why should I conspire with them? They can use Empress Chen's mother, Consort Shu, and her maternal uncle, Count Gu Chang, without caring about their fates. Why would I, a prince with a lowly birth and an indifferent father, join them and become a puppet? Besides, if the new policies succeed, the treasury will be full, the people will live in peace, and the Great Xia will last longer. Isn't that good for me as a prince? Moreover, the one who will work hard for the new policies is you, Ayou, and the one who will offend the gentry is also you, hahaha—"

The Prince of Xiu suddenly turned his head towards the door, pulling Xin You back two steps until her back was against the red-lacquered pillar.

He Qingxiao walked in.

His face was pale, and he moved cautiously, afraid of provoking the deranged Prince of Xiu.

Xin You looked at He Qingxiao, her expression slightly changing.

Outside the palace, she "saw" the Prince of Xiu die under the swords of the imperial guards, assuming he had clashed with someone and met his end.

But it was actually aimed at her.

Her eyes could never see herself in any scene, and there was no He Qingxiao in that vision. Was it his sudden decision to enter the palace that caused the discrepancy between the vision and reality?

He Qingxiao's appearance made Xin You's calm heart race.

The Prince of Xiu looked at He Qingxiao, raising an eyebrow, "Is Changle Marquis here to see Ayou?"

"I have come to report something to Your Majesty."

"Stop pretending." Prince Xiu sneered, "If you were afraid I would see through your feelings for Xin You, you shouldn't have come. Now that you're here—"

Prince Xiu paused, his expression mocking: "Father, shall I test how sincere your prospective son-in-law is towards Xin You?"

Without waiting for Emperor Xingyuan's response, Prince Xiu's eyes gleamed with undisguised malice: "Changle Marquis, if you cut off your right arm, I will release Xin You."

"Is that true?" He Qingxiao asked.

"You'll only know if it's true after you try. After all, Xin You is in my hands," Prince Xiu said with a cold smile.

He Qingxiao fixed his gaze on Xin You for a moment.

"Fine." He extended his hand to a guard.

The guard, holding a long sword, was momentarily at a loss.

"Give it to me."

The guard loosened his grip, and the sword fell into He Qingxiao's hand.

He glanced down at the sharp blade, then looked up to meet Xin You's eyes.

Xin You blinked softly, biting her lip hard.

"Can't do it?"

Meeting Prince Xiu's cold gaze, He Qingxiao replied calmly, "I hope His Highness the Prince keeps his word."

As the words fell, he twisted his left wrist and swung the long saber at the outstretched right arm.

At that moment, the hall was deathly silent, with all eyes on He Qingxiao, including those of Prince Xiu.

Just as He Qingxiao raised his saber, two words suddenly echoed in Prince Xiu's ear: "Plum."

Prince Xiu involuntarily faltered for a moment.

But this brief lapse was more than enough for both Xin You and He Qingxiao.

Xin You kicked backward with her foot, using the force to lunge forward to the left.

Prince Xiu had been restraining her arm with his left hand and holding a dagger in his right. If she lunged to the right front, Prince Xiu would have been forced to turn sideways, still gripping her with his left hand. By choosing the left front, the movement of Prince Xiu’s body would be minimized in that split second.

Without hesitation, the long saber sliced past the outstretched right arm, slipping from his grasp and flying straight like an arrow toward Prince Xiu.

All this seemed to take a long time to describe, but it happened in a flash.

Prince Xiu staggered backward, looking down at the blade embedded in his chest.

The knife pierced through his chest, leaving only the hilt exposed.

The dagger clattered against the golden bricks, the metallic sound jolting everyone awake.

Emperor Xingyuan rose and shouted, "Seize Prince Xiu!"

The imperial guards surrounded him, momentarily unsure whether to strike or bind the bleeding prince.

Emperor Xingyuan, now fully composed, quickly descended the steps and ordered the guards to step back.

Prince Xiu leaned against the vermilion pillar, managing to stay upright. His gaze swept past Emperor Xingyuan and landed on Xin You.

Xin You had already risen to her feet, turning to look at Prince Xiu.

He Qingxiao stood beside her, shoulder to shoulder.

"Aiyou—" Prince Xiu called out, but as soon as he spoke, blood gushed from his mouth.

Earlier, when Xin You and He Qingxiao exchanged glances, she had subtly blinked her left eye, indicating the direction she would dodge, with the number of blinks representing the count in her mind.

Their unspoken understanding had allowed her to escape successfully, but seeing Prince Xiu in such a state now, Xin You felt a deep sense of unease.

This unease was not solely because of Prince Xiu.

In the vortex of imperial power, who could guarantee they wouldn't become another Prince Xiu?

She walked over step by step, stopping not far from him.

"Aiyou." Prince Xiu called again, his voice gentle as he asked the blurred figure of the girl, "What about the plum?"

Xin You replied, "On the way back from Guangcheng, His Highness the Prince gave me plums to eat, and I've always remembered their taste."

At that moment, she had taken the plum offered by the courteous young man, its tangy sweetness refreshing and quenching her thirst.

For a moment, she couldn't help but wonder if her wariness and distance were misplaced, and if Prince Xiu truly regarded her as a younger sister?

Prince Xiu's lips curved into a smile, though the girl's face before him grew even more indistinct. He kept his eyes on her, his voice faltering, "Aiyou, is it true that you can read faces?"

After a brief silence, Xin You nodded, "Yes."

"Before entering the palace, when you said to come another day, did you see that my time was near?"

Xin You watched as the blood trickled from the corner of Prince Xiu's mouth, forming a line, making her throat dry, "Yes."

"Aiyou, thank you," Prince Xiu smiled, his body slowly sliding down the pillar.