"impossible!"
Shen Lingjun blurted out subconsciously, looking angry.
She knew Miss Yingying, who was a very gentle woman. Although she was a top courtesan, she had never participated in any political struggle in Linjiang City. How could she be related to the assassination of this bastard prince?
Why would she report the plot to murder Lin Jiangnian for no reason?
It must be this bastard prince who slandered Yingying!
Shen Lingjun was extremely angry. Not only did this bastard prince kill Miss Yingying, but now he was slandering her reputation. He was extremely vicious.
"Forget it, I can't make sense to you."
Seeing that the female assassin was still staring at her viciously, Lin Jiangnian shook her head and was too lazy to talk nonsense with her.
People's prejudices are like a mountain. The female assassin had no good impression of Prince Lin from the very beginning. In her eyes, Prince Lin was a bully who bullied men and women. Once this character was established, no matter how Lin Jiangnian explained, it would be of no avail.
So, not wanting to waste any more time talking to her, Lin Jiangnian stretched, stood up and walked out the door.
"Where are you going?"
Seeing Lin Jiangnian was about to leave, Shen Lingjun looked up.
"Why? You want to keep this prince?"
Shen Lingjun immediately said in irritation: "Get out...get out now!"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her. This female assassin had quite a bad temper. It was obvious that she had never been beaten in her life.
I hope she can maintain her current optimism in a few days.
Lin Jiangnian ignored her and walked straight to the door and pushed it open to go out.
As the door closed, Shen Lingjun in the room felt uneasy.
She stared at the door, hesitating for a long time, gritting her teeth. After Lin Jiangnian had left for a long time, she stood up again and walked to the door. As soon as she opened the door, she saw the familiar figure standing outside.
Lin Qingqing.
The two looked at each other. Lin Qingqing looked at her coldly with an expressionless face and unfriendly eyes.
Shen Lingjun felt a little nervous when she stared at him, and he held back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.
Without saying a word.
"Bang!"
Closed the door again.
Outside the door, Lin Qingqing remained expressionless.
"Keep an eye on her. Don't leave the room."
"yes!"
“…”
Inn lobby.
Silence.
Around the hall, several expert guards were hidden in the darkness.
The innkeeper and two waiters knelt in front of the hall, trembling.
"Please spare me, please spare me..."
"I really didn't know there was an assassin hiding in the inn."
"That assassin knocked me unconscious and disguised himself as me, keeping me in the dark. Please spare my life, my good man..."
The innkeeper was trembling all over, his face full of fear and panic.
He had already seen that the guest who had booked the inn tonight was of no ordinary status. The young man in brocade clothes was surrounded by many guards and maids, and he was either rich or noble.
The shopkeeper naturally served with utmost respect and care, fearing that he would displease this important person by failing to entertain him properly.
However, an accident still happened!
This distinguished figure was assassinated in his inn, and the assassin was related to his daughter.
The assassin disguised himself as his daughter and assassinated this distinguished guest. The shopkeeper, upon hearing the news, was so horrified that he collapsed to his knees.
It’s over, it’s over!
The black-armored guards around him made him tremble all over, especially the big knife that was emitting a cold light, which made him feel the murderous aura of death.
Just as the atmosphere was growing dull, Lin Jiangnian came down from the upper floor. The guards around him made way for him, and Lin Jiangnian saw the shopkeeper and two waiters kneeling in the hall.
"Sir, spare my life..."
"The little girl doesn't know the assassin and is innocent..."
When the shopkeeper saw Lin Jiangnian, he immediately started to explain excitedly.
Lin Jiangnian took a quick glance and interrupted him with a wave of his hand: "Go down."
The shopkeeper was stunned, his expression unresponsive for a moment. This young master...didn't blame them?
But soon, the shopkeeper came to his senses.
"Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir!"
The shopkeeper kowtowed several times to Lin Jiangnian, then prepared to leave tremblingly.
"Wait." Lin Jiangnian spoke again.
The shopkeeper stumbled and spoke tremblingly, "Sir, do you have any other instructions?"
"Prepare a pot of tea!"
The shopkeeper was startled and immediately said humbly, "Okay, okay, I'll prepare it right away!"
After surviving the disaster, the shopkeeper hurried to prepare tea.
Lin Jiangnian came to the hall and sat down by the window, looking out the window.
It was almost dawn, and the sky was gradually brightening. After all this tonight, he had barely slept. Lin Jiangnian was no longer sleepy, so he asked the shopkeeper for a pot of tea and sat by the window, dazed.
Not long after, Lin Qingqing came down from upstairs, walked up to Lin Jiangnian, and was silent for a moment.
"Your Highness, have you let them go?"
"how?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her.
Lin Qingqing was silent, her tone slightly cold: "The assassin came here to kill Your Highness, disguised as the shopkeeper's daughter, and is closely related to the shopkeeper."
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly: "That female assassin has nothing to do with the innkeeper."
Lin Qingqing remained silent, hesitant to speak.
"Just say whatever you want to say."
Lin Qingqing lowered her head and said softly, "Forgive me for speaking frankly, Your Highness shouldn't be so soft-hearted."
Lin Jiangnian looked at her: "According to your opinion, what should we do?"
"It is better to kill someone by mistake than to let him go!"
Lin Qingqing spoke coldly, her tone filled with murderous intent.
Lin Jiangnian stared at her blankly, and after a while he sighed deeply: "I think I know why this prince has such a bad reputation outside."
Lin Qingqing's eyes were filled with doubt.
"Don't try to imitate Zhiyuan!"
Lin Jiangnian shook his head. Lin Qingqing's style of doing things was exactly the same as Zhiyuan's.
Cruel and ruthless, decisive and would rather kill someone by mistake than let him go!
With such unreasonable and overbearing behavior, with maids and guards like them staying by the side of Prince Lin to work for him, why should he worry about his bad reputation?
Lin Qingqing's eyes were still puzzled.
"My reputation is already bad enough. This innkeeper is not the murderer. If you kill him and this matter gets out, I will probably be charged with the crime of killing innocent people in the eyes of the world."
Lin Jiangnian said helplessly.
Lin Qingqing was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "Your Highness, please rest assured. I will do this quietly and will not leave any evidence behind!"
Lin Jiangnian: “…”
"Is that what I mean?"
"What does your Highness mean?"
Lin Qingqing was still confused.
"I……"
Lin Jiangnian looked at Lin Qingqing, who looked puzzled, and fell silent.
"Never mind, it's not important. Just don't worry about it. Just listen to me."
Lin Jiangnian shook his head lightly and did not continue to explain to her: "Investigate the people in this inn. If it has nothing to do with them, spare their lives!"
"yes."
Lin Qingqing lowered her head. Although she did not understand His Highness's behavior, she still obeyed the order.
After a pause, he asked, "Then, what should we do with the female assassin in Your Highness's room?"
Lin Qingqing seemed to have thought of something and asked tentatively, "Your Highness, do you want to keep her?"
She recalled the unspeakable things that happened between His Highness and the female assassin in the room, and the disheveled appearance of the female assassin... Lin Qingqing felt uneasy.
Your Highness, could it be that you have taken a fancy to her?
This won’t work!
Your Highness may play with her as you please, but that female assassin cannot be kept here any longer!
"Her?"
Lin Jiangnian looked indifferent: "Keep it for now!"
"Check her background, and by the way..."
"Let her have a good taste of life's suffering!"
“…”
Dawn breaks.
The sun slowly fell on the town, and a figure in armor wearily broke into the town and came to the inn.
As soon as he entered the inn, he knelt down on one knee.
"Your Highness!"
The person kneeling down was Lin Kong.
At this time, Lin Kong was in a miserable state, with blood stains on his black armor and messy hair. It seemed that he had experienced a difficult battle.
"How is it?"
Inside the inn, Lin Jiangnian asked.
"Last night, I was ordered by His Highness to search a village more than ten miles outside the town. As expected, there were many people with strange whereabouts hiding in the village."
"I immediately ordered my subordinates to sneak into the village, but accidentally alerted the enemy and disturbed them."
"I led my men to encircle and suppress those people, and eventually captured almost all of them..."
"My subordinates are incompetent..."
Lin Kong gritted his teeth, his expression extremely unwilling: "Your Highness ordered me to capture Li Qianlin, but Li Qianlin seemed to have anticipated it. By the time I entered the village, he had already escaped..."
"Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
On this trip to the capital, Lin Jiangnian was protected not only by his personal guards but also by the Crown Prince's personal troops. Last night, he had thought he could seize the opportunity to capture Li Qianlin and the others, but he ultimately escaped!
Lin Jiangnian looked calm, as if he had expected this outcome. After listening to Lin Kong's report, he shook his head gently: "It's okay, let him be."
Lin Jiangnian’s ultimate goal is not Li Qianlin.
It cannot be said that this raid was completely fruitless.
Under Lin Jiangnian's coercion, the female assassin in the room betrayed her teammates and revealed the whereabouts of her accomplices hiding outside the town. Lin Jiangnian immediately sent Lin Kong to capture them, catching them off guard.
I gained a lot from Lin Kong’s report.
Many experts were hiding in that small village, and they had nowhere to escape after tonight's surprise attack. According to Lin Kong, those people's martial arts were disorganized and chaotic, and it seemed that Li Qianlin had recruited these martial arts masters from nowhere.
Lin Jiangnian nodded thoughtfully, "Alright, I'll leave it to you guys to handle next."
He slowly stood up and stretched: "I am sleepy, I am going to take a rest."
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I will definitely handle this matter properly."
Lin Qingqing spoke softly, watching Lin Jiangnian go upstairs and back to his room. Then she looked away. As His Highness's personal bodyguard, responsible for protecting His Highness's safety, she knew what to do without His Highness saying anything.
"How many are left alive?"
Lin Qingqing turned her head and looked at Lin Kong.
Lin Kong lowered his head: "We captured more than a dozen people alive!"
"check!"
Lin Qingqing had a blank expression on her face. "Stop all costs and find out who is behind them!"
"yes!"
“…”
Dozens of kilometers away from the town, several disheveled figures appeared on a path, panting.
“Almost, I almost died!”
Li Qianlin fell to the ground, gasping for breath, his face looking extremely ugly.
Only after he got rid of the pursuers and escaped from danger did he breathe a sigh of relief.
That woman surnamed Shen was unreliable and had betrayed them! The fact that Lin Jiangnian's men were able to find them must have something to do with that woman.
What are you talking about?
What does it mean to be chivalrous and never betray your teammates?
Pooh!
None of these gangsters can be trusted.
"She almost killed me!"
Li Qianlin gritted his teeth.
The plan failed and the losses were heavy. He couldn't be happy at all.
"What should we do now?" a questioning voice came from the side.
If the assassination plan that has been planned for a long time fails, wouldn’t it be a complete failure?
"Don't worry, it's still early!"
Li Qianlin took a deep breath, slowly calmed down, and his eyes gradually became gloomy.
"Does Lin Jiangnian really think that this is all I have?"
There was a gleam of light in Li Qianlin's eyes.
Everything he is doing now is just a cover!
The so-called recruitment of martial arts masters to plot the assassination of Lin Jiangnian was only part of the plan.
His real killer move has not yet been used!
"Did Lin Jiangnian really think that I came to Jiangcheng without any backup plan?"
"Now that we've been discovered, that's even better!"
Li Qianlin said sinisterly, "This failure will surely make that bastard prince arrogant and let down his guard... Then, it will be his death!"
Someone on the side couldn't help but ask: "Brother Li, do you have any other ideas?"
Li Qianlin sneered: "Just wait and see."
"Besides you and me, there are many people who don't want him to enter the capital alive!"
"This journey to the capital is where he will be buried!"
“…”
The assassination at the inn was just an episode for Lin Jiangnian.
An insignificant episode!
Li Qianlin's long-planned assassination failed completely as Lin Jiangnian discovered it in advance before he could carry it out.
As for not being able to catch Li Qianlin, that doesn’t matter.
It would be more useful to keep him.
As for the remaining prisoners who were captured alive, no useful information was obtained. They were just insignificant people, so Lin Jiangnian no longer cared about them and left them to Lin Qingqing and Lin Kong to deal with.
After resting in the inn for two days, we set out on our journey again.
Next stop, Xunyang County.
"You can go now!"
After packing up, Lin Jiangnian glanced at the female assassin not far away.
For the past two days, the female assassin had been locked in her room, restricted in her movements. When she heard Lin Jiangnian was about to let her go, her eyes turned red and she gnashed her teeth, "You son of a bitch, do you think I'll believe you?"
Thinking back to when that bastard prince had played tricks on her before, how could she still believe what he said?
However, before she could fiercely condemn Lin Jiangnian for trying to play with her again, she saw that Lin Jiangnian ignored her completely, turned around and left the room, leaving her alone in a daze.
Dull eyes!
Go, go?
Really, really let her go?
…
Outside the town, after everything was packed up, Lin Jiangnian was about to get on the carriage and set off, but he saw a familiar figure appear not far away.
The female assassin Shen Lingjun had followed him out of the town at some point and was standing not far away, looking at him with complicated eyes.
"Anything else?"
Lin Jiangnian seemed to have expected this and smiled.
Shen Lingjun was silent for a while, then gritted his teeth and said, "Give me the antidote!"
“…”