On the Cliff of Self - Sacrifice, the cold wind howled, biting painfully at the face.
The wind was fierce, and the snow roared.
A vague sense of unease welled up in Xiao Wang's heart.
A secret guard stepped forward and reported, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, just now, that young lady accidentally fell off the cliff."
Hearing this, Xiao Wang's breath caught in his throat.
He tightly grabbed the collar of the secret guard. "What did you say?"
The secret guard was frightened by Xiao Wang's fierce look. Nervously swallowing his saliva, he replied, "When we arrived, she was being held hostage by Lord Liang."
"Why didn't you save her!" Xiao Wang roared.
"She had a signal arrow in her hand, and Lord Liang said she was your beloved. Naturally, we didn't dare to ignore her life. But she didn't want to see Liang Jingzhuo go free, so she jumped off by herself..."
Seeing Xiao Wang's eyes growing colder and colder, the secret guard gradually lost his confidence, and his voice became softer and softer.
Just then, Liang Jingzhuo suddenly burst into laughter. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, your beloved is dead! Hahaha! She's dead!"
Finally, there was someone in this world who, like him, couldn't have a happy ending with their beloved.
Xiao Wang let go of the secret guard's collar and walked up to Liang Jingzhuo.
He said coldly, "Say that again."
"If it weren't for her stalling time for you, I would have taken your life long ago! She died for you! Hahaha!"
Xiao Wang's body trembled.
Ruan Jiu had actually died to buy time for him.
At this moment, Xiao Wang felt as if an invisible hand was tightly clutching his heart, threatening to tear it out of his chest.
"Search for her immediately! I want to see her alive or her body if she's dead!"
-
In the blink of an eye, half a year had quietly passed.
But for Xie Jingchu and the Shen family, each day had been like a year.
Liang Jingzhuo took all the blame for the private manufacture of weapons on himself.
He refused to reveal the mastermind behind it until his death.
After Xie Jingchu brought back the petition signed by ten thousand people, the Emperor immediately ordered the restoration of the glory of the Huo family, released Concubine Shu from the Cold Palace, and Xie Jingchu inherited the title of Marquis Chengen.
Unfortunately, only half of the petition remained, and the most crucial information was lost.
Although the unjust accusation against the Huo family was cleared, they failed to make Gu Kexing pay for his crimes.
What made Xie Jingchu most desperate was that Ruan Jiu's fate was unknown after the incident on the Cliff of Self - Sacrifice.
After getting this news, Xie Jingchu and Shen Yu immediately rushed to Shuozhou. They ransacked the whole of Shuozhou but couldn't find a single trace of Ruan Jiu.
Finally, even the Emperor thought that Ruan Jiu had long been buried in the snowstorm and issued an imperial edict to posthumously confer on her the title of County Mistress Yaohua.
However, the Shen family, risking a great crime, stubbornly refused to accept the edict.
Xie Jingchu's heart seemed to have fallen off the cliff with Ruan Jiu, shattering into a million pieces.
If it weren't for Concubine Shu personally finding him and reminding him that the great revenge was yet to be avenged, he really would have followed Ruan Jiu.
Since then, Xie Jingchu had been struggling in the abyss of despair every day. He seemed to have lost all his warmth.
This winter in the capital was a few degrees colder than usual.
The cold wind whistled, and the withered trees swayed.
A Jiu, wait for me.
Once I send those people to hell, I'll come to find you immediately.
-
In Zhongcui Palace
Concubine Shu's hair was neatly and exquisitely coiffed, adorned with pearls and jewels, adding an extra touch of nobility.
She sat in front of the bronze mirror, looking at herself.
It had been several months since she was released from the Cold Palace, but she still had nightmares every night.
Suddenly, she noticed a few gray hairs on her head and let out a startled cry.
Then she swept all the things on the table to the ground.
The maids were so frightened that they all knelt on the ground.
They shouted in unison, "Your Highness, please calm your anger!"
Fortunately, the head maid, Peony, stepped in to defuse the situation. She took out a pair of scissors, carefully cut off the gray hairs on Concubine Shu's head, and rearranged her hair.
Only then did the anger in Concubine Shu's eyes subside a great deal.
Just then, a maid outside the door rushed in to report.
"Your Highness, the young marquis has come to visit you!"
Hearing this, Concubine Shu immediately put away the anger in her eyes and moved to the soft couch.
As soon as Xie Jingchu entered the door, he glanced at the maids kneeling on the ground and the scattered things.
He knew that his aunt had just thrown another tantrum.
As soon as Concubine Shu saw Xie Jingchu, she said warmly, "Jing'er, come and sit down quickly."
Then she waved her hand at the maids.
At this moment, only the aunt and nephew were left in the bedroom.
"Jing'er, I called you here today because I have something important to tell you."
Seeing that Xie Jingchu didn't say a word, Concubine Shu continued, "In a few days, it will be the Crown Prince's birthday. Have you received the invitation?"
Xie Jingchu immediately understood what Concubine Shu meant. He said coldly, "I'll send someone to deliver the gift."
What he meant was that he wouldn't attend the birthday banquet.
Ruan Jiu's fate was unknown because of Xiao Wang. How could he congratulate Xiao Wang on his birthday?
Concubine Shu also knew that there was a rift between the two. She sighed deeply and advised, "Jing'er, if we want to bring down Gu Kexing and the Queen, we still have to rely on the Crown Prince."
Xie Jingchu sneered. "Rely on him?"
He couldn't even protect a single person. How could they rely on him?
Concubine Shu continued to persuade, "Although I've been released from the Cold Palace, after all, I haven't seen the Emperor for many years. The affection we once had is long gone.
Now the Queen is in charge of the six palaces, and her second prince is eyeing the position of the Crown Prince covetously.
For now, we should join hands with the Crown Prince to deal with the Gu siblings."
After saying that, a look of worry flashed in Concubine Shu's eyes.
If Xiao Qi really became the Crown Prince and ascended the throne in the future, her fate might not be good.
Xie Jingchu lowered his head and said nothing, playing with his fingers on his own.
He had no interest in these power struggles for the imperial throne.
"Jing'er!" Concubine Shu scolded coldly. She was running out of patience. "They took the position of the Queen from me back then. I must get it back!"
"If you want it, go and fight for it. No one will stop you."
"But I'm your only relative in this world. You should help me!"
Xie Jingchu sneered. "This is what you want, not what I want."
All he had ever wanted was to make Gu Kexing pay for his crimes.
"Don't you want to know where Ruan Jiu is?"
Hearing this, the coldness in Xie Jingchu's eyes finally showed a ripple.
"You know where Ruan Jiu is?! Tell me quickly!"
Since losing news of Ruan Jiu, he had been like a walking corpse for the past half - year.
If it weren't for the deep - seated hatred keeping him going, he might have lost the will to live long ago.
Now, hearing that Concubine Shu had news of Ruan Jiu, he was as overjoyed as a parched land receiving a long - awaited rain.
"If you want to know the news of Ruan Jiu, then do as I say."
Xie Jingchu didn't expect that the news he had been longing for for so long would be used by his own aunt as a bargaining chip to coerce him.
Once a person was driven by the desire for power, family ties meant nothing.
However, as long as Ruan Jiu was still alive, he was willing to do anything!
A sarcastic smile appeared on Xie Jingchu's lips. "Concubine Shu, what do you want me to do?"
"Attend the Crown Prince's birthday banquet and find an opportunity to make amends with the Crown Prince."
"Okay, I promise you."