“Bang!”
This crisp and loud slap not only slapped the face of the dignified and gentle Third Prince, but also seemed to slap everyone present on the head, causing their brains to short-circuit and become confused.
Standing there in a daze.
The surroundings were eerily quiet!
Everyone's eyes were still a little confused, and within that confusion was a bit bewildered... Why did they suddenly start to attack?!
Just a second ago, His Royal Highness the Third Prince and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Lin were still being affectionate with each other, maintaining the most basic surface... Even if they wanted the other to die, they would never show it easily.
This is their almost tacit subconscious as a powerful class. As long as they haven't completely torn their faces apart, at least everyone can still be friendly on the surface.
It was also because of this that the Prince of Lin, who was smiling at you just a second ago, suddenly gave the Third Prince a big nose, which caught everyone off guard and made everyone a little at a loss.
By the time he reacted, his face changed and he was horrified.
"Your Highness?!"
Several guards who were originally standing around the courtyard ran towards the eaves almost at the same time.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
A cold light flashed, and the guards drew their swords one after another, and the bright sword energy went straight to the eaves.
The kite, originally standing outside the eaves with a black umbrella, silently blocked everyone's way.
"Get out of here!"
A guard stopped for a moment, and seeing someone blocking his way, he swung the cold sword in his hand across the air, intending to chop down the seemingly beautiful and weak maid in front of him.
His methods were brutal and he showed no mercy at all.
Zhiyuan stood outside the eaves, looking at the guards coming towards him expressionlessly, holding a black umbrella lightly in his hand and spinning it. The raindrops falling from the sky formed a series of rain curtains on the umbrella, which were then thrown out by the rapid rotation of the umbrella.
The guard who had just approached suddenly realized that something was wrong and suddenly rushed forward with the cold sword in his hand.
The rain curtain that should have been easily split seemed to have a powerful force.
"bite!"
A crisp breaking sound was heard, and the sword in the guard's hand was broken in an instant.
He lowered his head in disbelief, looking at his arm that was trembling slightly due to gravity, a trace of horror in his eyes.
His sword couldn't even cut through the water?!
Before he had time to think about it, a sense of danger instantly hit his heart. He looked up suddenly, and suddenly a black spot appeared in his sight.
Caught off guard!
"Bang!"
The guard flew backwards and fell heavily in the rain, spitting blood. He covered his chest with a grim expression and stared in disbelief at the girl in black dress who was closing an umbrella under the eaves.
She opened the umbrella again and stood outside the eaves. Raindrops dripped around the black umbrella. The girl under the umbrella still had no emotion on her beautiful face. She raised her eyes and looked calmly at the remaining guards in front of her.
quiet!
silence!
The remaining guards' hearts trembled. They had never expected that this seemingly weak girl before them could have such unfathomable strength?!
They quickly put away the contempt in their eyes, looked at each other, and the next second, they coordinated tacitly and launched attacks from all sides.
The flash of swords and the energy of sabers instantly enveloped the figure of the black-clothed girl outside the eaves.
Under the umbrella, Zhiyuan didn't move, but when she raised her eyes, a hint of silent murderous intent emerged in her beautiful eyes that were as bright and clear as stars.
A cold wind blew, and the girl's black skirt fluttered.
The murderous intention is revealed!
…
Under the eaves.
Lin Jiangnian's blow to the nose was so loud and clear that it stunned the Third Prince. He lost his balance and took two steps back, almost falling.
The half of his face, which had been clear and fair before, became visibly red and swollen, and his handsome appearance was gone.
His eyes changed from astonishment to anger, and then to unforgivable rage, until he stared at Lin Jiangnian.
He, he actually dared to hit himself?
Dare to hit him in the face?!
Perhaps he was too shocked. When he came to his senses, the Third Prince could no longer contain the violence in his eyes. He stared at Lin Jiangnian coldly: "You dare to hit me?!"
Lin Jiangnian calmly looked at the Third Prince, whose face was ferocious due to shock and anger, and chuckled softly, "Why? Doesn't the Third Prince like this great gift from me?"
Big gift?
Big Mom...
The Third Prince's handsome face twisted, unable to maintain even a hint of his previous gentleness. He gritted his teeth and angrily said, "You're looking for..."
“Bang!”
Before he could utter the word "die", Lin Jiangnian stepped forward and slapped the third prince on the other side of his face.
"Now, is the Third Prince satisfied?"
Lin Jiangnian withdrew his hand and spoke lightly.
Now it's symmetrical!
The third prince staggered back several steps after being slapped again, almost falling down.
"Your Highness?!"
At this moment, Situ Yan ran out of the room and quickly stepped forward to support His Highness, his eyes filled with shock and anger: "How dare you hit His Highness the Third Prince? Are you crazy? Do you know this is a capital crime?!"
Lin Jiangnian's eyes were calm: "What crime have I committed?"
Situ Yan angrily said, "The Third Prince is the son of His Majesty, and he holds a noble status. You hit His Majesty, which is equivalent to slapping His Majesty in the face. You are committing treason and deserve death!"
"oh?"
Listening to Situ Yan's angry accusations, Lin Jiangnian glanced at him calmly: "This prince deserves death for slapping him, so what crime did the Third Prince deserve when he assassinated this prince outside the capital?"
"Or, in your eyes, the life of the Crown Prince, who made great contributions to the unification of the Daning Dynasty and was officially crowned a king by His Majesty, is not as important as a mere slap from the Third Prince?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Situ Yan's expression changed suddenly.
This is totally unacceptable.
Is the life of a prince's son worth a slap from the third prince?
If he dared to nod, his stay in Beijing would probably be over.
"His Royal Highness..."
Situ Yan was about to speak when he suddenly realized something. His face changed again and he denied it flatly: "Your Highness must have misunderstood... My Third Prince is fine, why would he want to assassinate Your Highness?"
“Nonsense!”
"hehe!"
Lin Jiangnian didn't say anything, just sneered.
But this sneer seemed to be more effective than any words.
Situ Yan's face suddenly darkened. Although he had guessed that the Prince of Lin already knew that the person who assassinated him was the Third Prince, he still didn't expect him to say it so directly.
Today's actions are undoubtedly a complete break with the relationship.
...even worse than falling out!
Situ Yan looked back at the third prince beside him, and his heart sank suddenly.
This will probably be a situation where there is no end to it!
The third prince's face was red and swollen, his hair was messy, and his eyes were full of resentment. These two slaps not only hit his face, but also seemed to hit the fragile self-esteem in his heart.
This son of a vassal king, whom he had never taken seriously, openly humiliated him today.
The Third Prince was filled with hatred, his eyes were blazing with fire, and a low, hoarse sound came from his throat.
"Kill him now!"
The tone was filled with hatred, but it soon fell silent along with the silence outside the eaves.
The eyes of several people under the eaves fell on the yard almost at the same time.
At this moment, the courtyard has become quiet.
On the ground, several guards were lying in a mess, rainwater and blood mixed together, and broken swords were thrown randomly in the yard, making it a mess.
Under the eaves, the graceful figure of the girl under the black umbrella was still standing there quietly.
The cold wind blew her black hair and long skirt into a flutter. Her lonely and cold back formed a sharp contrast with the messy scene of guards all over the ground in the courtyard in front of her.
This scene is shocking!
The girl in the black dress under the black umbrella slowly turned around, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face. Her bright and clear eyes swept across the third prince and fell on Lin Jiangnian, staring at him quietly.
Without saying a word.
But it seemed to be saying: Look, I have taken care of them all!
Seeing this scene, Lin Jiangnian felt slightly touched and had an urge to kiss the little maid.
He walked up to her and looked her up and down nervously: "Are you hurt?"
Zhiyuan shook her head slightly.
After confirming that Zhiyuan was safe, Lin Jiangnian felt relieved and glanced at the courtyard again: "Did you kill them all?"
Zhiyuan still shook his head.
There was a hint of murderous intent hidden in his eyes.
She had been very restrained in her actions. If it weren't for Lin Jiangnian's instructions today, none of these people would have survived.
But even so, even if the injuries of these guards recovered, their martial arts skills would most likely be wasted.
She never shows mercy when she strikes.
"You're so amazing! You're worthy of being my most powerful and adorable little kite."
Lin Jiangnian smiled and praised.
Zhiyuan, still expressionless, glanced at him. She seemed a little dissatisfied with Lin Jiangnian's childish praise, but a flicker of indescribable joy flashed in her eyes.
Lin Jiangnian turned again and looked at the Third Prince who was staring at him angrily not far away. He said calmly, "The first 'gift' today is to repay His Highness the Third Prince for assassinating me outside the city."
"The second 'gift' is naturally a return gift to the Third Prince for murdering Zhou Huiguang and framing this prince..."
"Your Highness the Third Emperor is so malicious, he has repeatedly tried to kill me. I have only responded to your 'attentiveness' twice today. All in all, Your Highness has made a lot of money!"
These light words made the Third Prince's heart burn with anger.
Made a profit?
Where did he earn money?!
How could the Third Prince not realize that Lin Jiangnian was here for revenge today?
Revenge for the previous assassination and framing of him!
He chose the simplest and most brutal way of revenge!
madness!
Very stupid.
However, it was this act of revenge, which seemed to the Third Prince to be the most foolish and childish, that made him lose face and become extremely angry.
"Since this is our first meeting, I have nothing else to give His Royal Highness the Third Prince besides these two great gifts. So..."
Lin Jiangnian thought for a moment, a strange smile appearing on his face: "Then I wish His Royal Highness the Third Prince to live a few more days."
This is clearly a naked threat.
After saying that, Lin Jiangnian turned and looked at Zhiyuan beside him: "Let's go, it's time to go home."
Zhiyuan looked at him silently for a few seconds, then nodded silently without saying anything. She turned around with her umbrella and prepared to leave with Lin Jiangnian.
They had just taken two steps when a figure quietly blocked their way.
Zhiyuan subconsciously stepped in front of Lin Jiangnian, staring at the man in front of her with vigilance and coldness. She sensed a remarkable aura from him.
Lin Jiangnian looked normal as he glanced back and said, "Your Highness, Third Prince, do you want me to have dinner with you today?"
At this moment, the Third Prince's cold eyes were filled with anger. Just as he was about to speak, Situ Yan leaned over and whispered something in his ear. The Third Prince's eyes narrowed, staring intently at the two of them, as if he was hesitating and unwilling to give up.
After a while, he finally gritted his teeth and stared coldly at Lin Jiangnian: "Sooner or later, I will return your 'gift' tenfold to you today."
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Lin Jiangnian nodded and said with a smile, "I hope His Royal Highness the Third Prince won't make me wait too long!"
When they turned back, the figure blocking their way had vanished. They walked through the courtyard unhindered, holding their black umbrellas, and left through the main gate.
Silent and dilapidated.
Under the eaves, the Third Prince's cold gaze remained fixed on the doorway. It wasn't until a long moment later that he spoke in a low, hoarse voice, "Is this maid really that powerful?"
Situ Yan's expression was also grim. He stared at the door and whispered, "She is very skilled in martial arts. A conservative estimate would be that she is at least a master in the early stages of the third-grade Daoist realm, or even higher..."
Hearing this, a trace of fear flashed in the eyes of the Third Prince: "Third level of the Dao realm?!"
"Your Highness may be able to detain them today, but it will definitely come at a heavy price. If things escalate, it will not benefit Your Highness in any way... Furthermore, her martial arts skills are too high. If she attacks Your Highness, I cannot guarantee your safety..."
Situ Yan was terrified. This seemingly insignificant little maidservant beside Prince Lin had such terrifying martial arts skills!
He had just observed that the most elite guards in their mansion could not withstand a few moves from the maid in black dress.
Even the maid in black dress didn't show any strength at all. With just an umbrella, she defeated all the elite guards in their mansion.
Under such circumstances, Situ Yan absolutely did not dare to take any risks. If anything happened to His Royal Highness the Third Prince, he would become a criminal!
The Third Prince was obviously aware of this, his cold eyes filled with gloom: "Could it be that I was beaten in vain today?!"
He was extremely angry.
I got beaten for nothing today, but I couldn't get revenge!
How could the vengeful Third Prince accept this?
"Today's revenge will certainly be avenged someday. But, Your Highness, important matters must be attended to!"
Situ Yan whispered, "This is the most critical moment. Your Highness must not make any mistakes... When Your Highness succeeds to the throne, the whole world will be in Your Highness's hands. Why would you worry about not being able to deal with a prince's son?"
The third prince was still staring outside the courtyard, gritting his teeth, his gloomy and cold eyes filled with hatred!
Continuously!
…
Leave the mansion and walk through the alleys.
Lin Jiangnian and Zhiyuan walked out of the alley holding umbrellas.
A drizzle of rain fell on the street, and a gray haze fell not far away. Meanwhile, a few streets away, in the direction of the Zhou family, there was a commotion.
People were walking on the street, talking from time to time.
"Have you heard? Something happened to the Zhou family!"
"What's going on? Isn't today the day of the Zhou family's son's funeral? What else could have happened?"
"It's really lively! I heard that Prince Lin went over to mess things up!"
"Ah? This Prince Lin has become so rampant?"
"I'm not being arrogant. I heard that Prince Lin was wrongly accused, and the real murderer who poisoned the young master of the Zhou family has been caught!"
"ah???"
“…”
On the street, Lin Jiangnian slowed down his pace slightly, allowing Zhiyuan, who was always holding an umbrella and walking half a step behind him, to walk parallel to him.
"Zhou Yao acted quite quickly. The hatred for killing his son is irreconcilable. The Gao family is probably in trouble now..."
Zhiyuan didn't say anything.
"I don't know if Gao Wenyang will betray the Third Prince."
Lin Jiang laughed young and said, "If he confesses, the Third Prince will probably not admit it. Gao Wenyang is just a chess piece he uses and a discarded piece. But even so, it's enough to make him suffer!"
Zhiyuan still didn't say anything and just listened quietly.
"you say……"
Lin Jiangnian suddenly turned his head to look at Zhiyuan beside him: "Were those two slaps I gave him just now strong enough?"
Zhiyuan raised her eyes and glanced at him.
"It's better to restrain yourself. I'm afraid I'll slap him to death!"
Lin Jiangnian sighed. Ever since Linjiang City, the Third Prince had been causing trouble for him. Today, he finally met him, so Lin Jiangnian naturally didn't treat him politely.
The third prince?
The one I’m hitting is you, the Third Prince!
Others might pretend, but Lin Jiangnian is too lazy to do so!
Since we are already enemies who will fight to the death, do we still have to pretend?
Lin Jiangnian had a narrow escape from death in the assassination outside the city, so being slapped twice today was already considered a bargain for him.
In the eyes of others, the Third Prince, with his prominent status, immense power in the capital, and even a strong possibility of encroaching on the throne, was an extremely formidable existence. But in Lin Jiangnian's eyes, he would not be pampered.
In terms of status, there wasn't much difference between them now, one was a prince and the other was a crown prince. Since everyone had the same status, it naturally depended on their own abilities!
When it comes to beating the third prince, Lin Jiangnian will naturally not show mercy.
But beating him was enough to vent his anger, but that was all he could do. After all, the Third Prince was of high status and could not be killed at the moment.
At least, for now, we can't kill in public!
Lin Jiangnian's actions today undoubtedly completely broke with the Third Prince. If the two of them met again, there would probably be no room for mercy.
Zhiyuan suddenly stopped, looked back at him, and was silent for a moment: "What are you going to do?"
"Two options."
Lin Jiangnian thought for a moment and said, "He must be dying to kill me right now, and his goal is the throne in the palace. If he succeeds, it will be disastrous for our Lin Wang Mansion..."
The Lin family is not only facing the crisis of power reduction by the imperial court and the people, but also an enemy who has been lurking in the north - King Xu!
Unlike the Lin family, Prince Xu has always had a close relationship with the imperial court. Compared to the unruly Lin Hengzhong, Prince Xu is more like a knife placed by the imperial court on the north side of the dynasty.
This sword, in turn, had a close relationship with many officials in the capital, including the Third Prince.
If the Third Prince were to ascend the throne, he would surely regard the Lin family as a thorn in his side. If he joined forces with Prince Xu to fight against the Lin family, then the Lin family would have only two options.
Either surrender or rebel. If he surrendered, the Third Prince would never let Lin Jiangnian and the Lin family go.
But once you rebel, there's no turning back. If you succeed, you'll likely be cursed for eternity, and if you fail, you'll be doomed.
Therefore, neither result is acceptable to Lin Jiangnian.
"So, either we have to find a way to ruin his good fortune and make his dream, which he has been preparing for many years in the capital, come to nothing, or else..."
Lin Jiangnian sneered.
"Just kill him cleanly and quickly!"
Zhiyuan still looked up at him quietly, with no other emotions on her cold face, and nodded lightly.
"good."
It seemed like a response, but also like a promise.
…
When the two returned to Jiang's residence, the drizzle that had been falling for half a day finally stopped. The sky was still gray and the air was filled with cold mist.
Not long after arriving at Jiang's house, Xiao Zhu came to greet him.
"Your Highness, Sister Zhiyuan, are you back?"
Xiao Zhu spoke attentively, then seemed to think of something and turned to look at Zhi Yuan: "By the way, Sister Zhi Yuan, Aunt Xiang said that when you come back, she wants you to go see her."
After hearing this, Zhiyuan nodded and planned to go find her aunt.
"I'll go with you."
Lin Jiangnian was about to follow, but was stopped by Xiaozhu, who shook her head and said, "Aunt Xiang forbids your Highness to go."
Lin Jiangnian was stunned for a moment, and even Zhiyuan was a little surprised.
"Did Auntie really say that?"
"Um."
Xiao Zhu nodded seriously: "My aunt specifically told me not to see you, and she also said that seeing Your Highness makes her angry... Your Highness, have you offended Aunt Xiang?"
Lin Jiangnian: “…”
How could he not guess that his aunt was still holding a grudge against him from last night!
You clearly said you wouldn't be angry anymore, but you're still angry with me.
Looking at the face of a woman, it’s no wonder that my aunt hasn’t gotten married in all these years.
With this kind of personality, there's no way she can get married!
Seeing this, Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly and looked at Zhiyuan: "Then you can go and see my aunt first, and say hello to her for me."
Zhiyuan said nothing, nodded, and turned to leave.
After Lin Jiangnian had some affectionate time with Xiao Zhu, he remembered some important matters.
"Oh, I have to go out for a while, so I might be back late. Tell Zhiyuan and my aunt that they don't have to wait for me!"
"oh."
Xiao Zhu nodded obediently: "Then your highness, please be careful when you go out."
Lin Jiangnian touched Xiaozhu's head, turned around and left Jiang Mansion, got on a carriage outside the mansion, and went to Zhao Mansion along the way.
"Hey, His Royal Highness?!"
After the previous two visits, the servants outside the Zhao Mansion had memorized Lin Jiangnian's face and hurried forward to greet him respectfully. Upon learning that Lin Jiangnian was looking for his young lady, they respectfully welcomed him into the mansion without announcing anything.
My young lady had already instructed last time that if the Prince of Lin came to see her, there was no need to inform him, just invite him in directly, and the servants in the mansion would naturally do so.
Lin Jiangnian entered the Zhao residence, and the maid who led the way was still the same one who had received him twice before. The maid blushed as she led Lin Jiangnian outside the courtyard, "Your Highness, please go ahead. My young lady is at home!"
Lin Jiangnian thanked him and stepped into the courtyard. The maid stood at the door, staring at Prince Lin's back infatuatedly. She watched him walk into her young lady's room, then stood there staring at him for a long time.
"Your Highness, Prince Lin, you look so handsome..."
After muttering to herself for a while, the little maid finally remembered something... Had she forgotten something?
I was so busy watching the Crown Prince leave that I accidentally forgot...
What exactly is going on?
The little maid stood there racking her brains.
“…”
Lin Jiangnian followed the familiar path through the courtyard and came to the door of the room. After knocking on the door and receiving no response, he skillfully pushed the door open and walked in.
As expected, the room was still empty, and there was no sign of the young lady from the Zhao family.
Where are the people?
Didn’t the maid just say she was in the room?
"Miss Zhao?" Lin Jiangnian called out, but there was no response. He glanced around, his eyes landing on the stairs not far behind the screen.
Upstairs?
Remembering that Miss Zhao was the one who came down from upstairs yesterday, Lin Jiangnian went to the stairs and called out twice, but there was still no response.
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Jiangnian walked upstairs.
In the past, Lin Jiangnian would naturally not trespass into a woman's boudoir, but during their first two meetings, this young lady from the Zhao family gave Lin Jiangnian a mysterious feeling of wanting to refuse but also to welcome, as well as a subtle seduction in her words and actions, which made Lin Jiangnian a little impolite.
The second floor was exquisitely decorated, elegant and fresh, not much different from the ground floor. The only difference was that behind a screen carved with blue and white porcelain stood a woman's bed, with a few pieces of women's clothing vaguely displayed, seemingly where Miss Zhao rested.
Lin Jiangnian looked around, but there was still no one there.
However, after looking around, Lin Jiangnian quickly saw movement in a room in the backyard of the building from the attic on the second floor.
Where?
Lin Jiangnian returned the same way and came to the backyard.
The backyard was still empty and quiet. The yard wasn't big, but it was beautifully decorated, like a world belonging to the young lady of the Zhao family.
When Lin Jiangnian approached the room, he heard a few faint sounds coming from inside the room, very light, as if someone was humming some light and cheerful tune.
Why is she hiding in the room so mysteriously in broad daylight?
Lin Jiangnian walked closer and tried to push the door.
It's not locked, it opens with a light push.
A hot mist blew towards me, accompanied by a fragrance mixed with the aroma of flower petals and other spices.
Lin Jiangnian subconsciously raised his eyes and was stunned!
In the center of the room, there is a huge pool.
Like a swimming pool!
Like a bath?
The room was filled with steam, making it extremely warm. Mist was curling up, and in the hazy air, one could see the crystal clear water surface, dotted with a few petals.
A graceful snow-white figure was soaking in the pool, leaning against the edge facing the door, with her eyes closed. An expression of comfort and enjoyment appeared on her delicate face, her cherry-red lips tightly closed, as if she was humming a tune softly.
Her snow-white skin, slightly flushed by the hot water in the pool, was extremely delicate. Her delicate neck, sexy collarbone, plump and round breasts, slender waist, and the pair of long, beautiful legs that Lin Jiangnian had long coveted, were all exposed to his sight without the cover of her dress.
All in sight.
white!
Amazingly white.
Even through the hazy steam, you can see everything clearly.
Through the hazy light, it seems to be more artistic!
Even though Lin Jiangnian had experienced many storms before, he just stood there in a daze, staring blankly at the scene in front of him.
As the door of the bathtub was pushed open, the cold wind from outside swept in. Zhao Xi, who was bathing quietly in the pool, seemed to feel it. Her beautiful and delicate brows slightly frowned, and she slowly opened her eyes.
The next second, their eyes met!
Zhao Xi was still in shock, having not expected Lin Jiangnian to be here. He subconsciously asked, "Why are you here..."
The sound stopped abruptly.
Zhao Xi, who had just spoken, quickly realized something and lowered his head.
The expression on his face suddenly froze.
The atmosphere suddenly froze at this moment.
The fair and delicate face was almost instantly covered with blushing panic.
Pink and stunning, just like a young girl who is just beginning to fall in love.
Shockingly stunning!
…
I updated it in advance today, a 7,000-word chapter