Chapter 285 Kill Her

Chapter 285: Kill That Girl

Princess Rongning raised a hand to adjust her hood, revealing more of her spirited face, and replied to the guard's inquiry, "My sachet accidentally fell down. We'll go downstairs to pick it up and come right back."

Hearing this, the guard stepped aside slightly without asking further, merely casting a casual glance at the young girl closely following the princess.

The girl also wore a hood.

This was not unusual. Though lanterns shone in countless colors and fireworks blazed brilliantly, neither the lanterns nor the fireworks gave off any warmth, and the season remained bitterly cold.

The girl was evidently sensitive to the chill, with her hood pulled low to shadow her brows and eyes, her white fingers clutching the hanging ties, the ends of which were adorned with fluffy pom-poms.

The guard recognized the girl in the dark cloak—the renowned County Princess Suiyun, Sixth Miss Qiu.

County Princess Suiyun and Princess Rongning had shared life-and-death trials in Western Jiang; it was no surprise they stayed inseparable tonight—the guard thought, and in a momentary lapse of attention, the two young ladies, holding hands, had already descended the stairs and merged into the sea of people.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the pair returned hand in hand.

"Your Highness found the sachet?" the guard asked with a smile.

"Yes, luckily no one had picked it up." Princess Rongning turned her head and smiled at the guard.

The young lady in the stone-blue cloak stood shoulder to shoulder with Princess Rongning, positioned slightly farther back.

She did not speak, only gave the guard a slight nod, her demeanor polite and distant, like any noble lady the guard was accustomed to seeing.

"We're going back up."

The guard stepped aside: "Your Highness, County Princess, watch your step."

The trailing silver-white cloak brushed past, gleaming like flowing moonlight that quickly receded, while the cloak the color of night stayed inconspicuous, just as it should be.

The guard lowered his eyes, not daring to stare too long at the noble ladies ascending the stairs.

Princess Rongning climbed steadily, each step sure, but her heart was far from as calm as her outward appearance.

Her heart was in her throat, as if she were not treading solid ground but standing atop a high tower.

Walking back to their original corner, they occasionally encountered people greeting them.

Princess Rongning merely nodded, responding coldly and distantly.

The noble ladies in this circle all knew that Princess Rongning's temperament had changed drastically after her return from Western Jiang, and they understood.

Having married the King of Xijiang and escaped with her life—no one knew how much torment she had endured; how could she still be the carefree and hearty person she once was?

Sixth Miss Qiu was also aloof tonight? That was even more normal. In the past, when they had occasional interactions, Sixth Miss Qiu was never particularly warm, and she had been ill for a long time.

Soon, the noble ladies' attention was again drawn to what was happening below.

Princess Rongning stood still, hands resting on the railing, slightly turning her head to look at the person beside her.

The young lady, her brows and eyes hidden by her hood, pressed her lips tightly together, her body tense.

"Relax."

Princess Rongning's voice, barely audible, reached her. The young lady hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Princess Rongning raised a hand and pointed: "Look at the moon tonight. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Mm."

Princess Rongning sighed inwardly. Her gaze quickly swept over a certain spot, and her grip on the railing tightened.

She was also nervous.

Very nervous.

A Heng, I wish you success.

The cold railing was dampened by the cold sweat from Princess Rongning's palms, known only to the moonlight spilling over it.

Consort Yu glanced casually in that direction and sneered silently.

Qiu Heng and Princess Rongning really had a close relationship.

She heard that girl was also close with the County Princess of Prince Kang's manor.

Strange, really—shouldn't a country girl be looked down upon and despised by these noble ladies?

It seems her parents, whom she could barely recall, raised her well.

Her heart felt heavy again, as if invisible cords were tightening around it, making her uneasy, driving her crazy.

Under the cover of night, the murderous look in Consort Yu's eyes was clear to see.

She had to get rid of this obnoxious girl—and not just to shut her up.

In a corner of the building where one could barely stand upright, a figure pressed against the wall like a patient gecko, waiting for a mosquito to come within reach.

Footsteps approached. Qiu Heng adjusted her breathing, minimizing her presence.

Time was almost up. She had to be at her best, to make sure one strike finished it.

On Imperial Street below Lehua Tower.

"Candied fruit! Big and sweet!"

"Rice balls! Hot rice balls!"

Vendors hawked their wares in singsong voices.

Nie Sanniang carefully arranged the fireworks, paying close attention to detail.

Chen San crossed his arms and stared up at the tower: "Sanniang, can you see what the Emperor and the Honored Consort look like?"

"It's too dark; how could I?"

Although Lehua Tower was lit with lanterns everywhere, it was far from as bright as the daylit Imperial Street below. Thus, from the Imperial Street, looking up at the tower, it all looked dim.

"Too bad. This is the closest us commoners will ever get to the imperial family," Chen San rubbed his hands together.

Nie Sanniang stopped what she was doing and said calmly, "The emperor celebrates with the people—being this close is already a blessing."

As she said this, fireworks shot into the sky like meteors, bursting with a bang into brilliant light.

Then came the second, the third...

Stars twinkled above, lanterns swayed below, and the fireworks blossoming in the sky linked the starlight and lamplight.

The night was a blaze of fiery trees and silver flowers.

On the high tower, a lantern swayed back and forth.

Nie Sanniang and Chen San exchanged a glance.

It was the signal arranged with Sixth Young Lady.

The fuse at the base of the fireworks rack was lit, and sparks quickly spread along the fuse. Amid the fireworks-filled sky and the crowd's uproar, it went completely unnoticed.

When the mechanism triggered, a giant firecracker shot out. But instead of soaring into the night sky like fireworks, it shot straight toward Lehua Tower.

And when the fuse was lit, Nie Sanniang and Chen San had already quietly slipped back into the crowd.

With a deafening boom, the firecracker, packed with an astonishing amount of gunpowder, exploded several *zhang* (about thirty feet) away from Lehua Tower.

Screams erupted one after another on Imperial Street.

"Good heavens! Someone's trying to kill the Emperor!"

Even though the powerful firecracker didn't reach Lehua Tower, the incident instantly plunged the upper floors into chaos.

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

The guards on the tower rushed to Emperor Jingping, shielding him as they rushed him down the stairs.

The high ministers, nobles, and their ladies who were privileged to be on the tower instinctively ran downstairs.

In the dead corner where the lamplight could not reach, the girl with the crossbow had emotionless eyes and rock-steady hands.

Her eyes saw neither the fireworks overhead nor the fleeing crowd—only one target.

When the stunning consort who had bewitched the emperor entered her sight and fell into the perfect position, the girl's hand on the crossbow moved.

The arrow shot like a meteor, tore through the air, and buried itself in Honored Consort Yu's neck.

The girl in a black bodysuit stowed the crossbow and, without wasting time to check if she'd hit a vital spot, immediately leaped from the tower, using handholds to slow her descent, and landed on the ground, and like the most agile fish, she darted into the surging, chaotic sea of people.

There was no need to check—the arrow was coated with a deadly poison, far quicker-acting than the cup of poisoned tea she had drunk.