Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Princess Duanrong, Sima Rui, That Night, Child? Gan Qiongying was utterly confused, her face filled with bewilderment. The amount of information in those words was simply overwhelming. Princess Duanrong, Sima Rui, that night, child? The hairs on the back of Gan Qiongying’s neck stood on end. But Sima Rui did not continue. By now, he had finished putting on his boots and trousers. He stood up again, took a few tentative steps, and walked over to stand in front of Gan Qiongying. Gan Qiongying’s eyes were fixed on Sima Rui’s legs, her gaze somewhat vacant. She remembered clearly—she had shot Sima Rui in the leg. When she chased him into this tailor shop, he had been limping badly. Yet now, as he walked these few steps, there was no sign at all that his leg was injured. His steps were steady, like those of a perfectly healthy person! So that’s what those leg bandages were for! Sima Rui stopped opposite Gan Qiongying, looking down at her from his height. "I don’t care what you’re trying to do," he said, "but I advise you not to overestimate your own strength." Sima Rui continued, "Princess Hui'an’s entire household numbers dozens of people, yet the highest official position her son holds is merely Minister of Rites." "If you’re thinking of using the imperial clan, then you’re just clutching at straws in desperation. Those clan members are all shrewd as foxes, and besides, how many more years can a bunch of old relics live?" Although his meaning was somewhat veiled, it was also blunt—urging Gan Qiongying to give up resistance, not to struggle pointlessly. Hearing these words, Gan Qiongying felt like cursing inside. If she didn’t struggle, if she gave up resisting, then what about Gan Lin? That child who drank poisoned wine for her day after day—was she supposed to just watch him die in the palace, die at the hands of that old witch? Gan Qiongying hadn’t forgotten that this bastard standing before her was also one of those who bullied Gan Lin! Once Gan Qiongying figured everything out and found a clear path to freedom, that old witch and this little demon king—she’d make sure none of them got away! Even if she couldn’t kill them, Gan Qiongying had ways to disgust them to death. But at least for now, hearing Sima Rui speak like this, Gan Qiongying finally understood that Sima Rui had come today to warn her. Gan Qiongying was now completely certain—the Regent’s claim that "His Majesty has been poisoned" was false! Clearly, Gan Qiongying’s behavior at Princess Hui'an’s birthday banquet had greatly displeased Sima Rui. Daring to shoot him in the leg, Gan Qiongying had shocked and enraged Sima Rui. Yet he truly couldn’t do anything to her directly, so he resorted to this method to frighten her instead. Gan Qiongying’s whole body relaxed. Her feet even took an involuntary step backward as her body suddenly loosened, making it look as if she were afraid of Sima Rui. Sima Rui seemed finally satisfied with Gan Qiongying’s reaction. He reached out, pinched her chin, and forced her head up. Staring at her, he said, "Stop fixating on Wen Xueling. Jingxi Wang is not as easy to deal with as you imagine." With her jawbone gripped, Gan Qiongying found it difficult to speak clearly, but she stubbornly mumbled, "What, do you like Wen Xueling? Are you planning to collude with Jingxi Wang to rebel?" "What’s so great about Wen Xueling anyway? She’s clearly just bait from Jingxi Wang. Why is it that you, and even the hostage from Jinchuan, are all so eager to bite? Isn’t it just lusting after her beauty!" Gan Qiongying was naturally provoking Sima Rui, and she had to provoke him. She needed to draw all the hatred onto herself, making Sima Rui believe that she didn’t care much about Gan Lin’s life or death. Instead, she was simply disgusted by Wen Xueling, driven mad by her unrequited love for the son of Jinchuan, and wanted to make everyone’s lives miserable. Only this way could she ensure Gan Lin’s temporary safety. In the original story, the old witch Kou Ning’an repeatedly instilled ideas in Sima Rui, essentially implying that Sima Rui was the rightful heir and should be the Emperor. What man in this world doesn’t dream of becoming Emperor? Over the years, even Sima Rui himself began to believe that the throne should rightfully be his, that he should ascend to it legitimately. Not like now, where thousands of eyes were watching him, ready to label him a treacherous minister with ulterior motives the moment he dared to overstep his authority, leaving behind a tarnished reputation that would linger even after his death. Just as the privileges of the imperial relatives disgusted Sima Rui, rebellion and illegitimacy were his fatal weaknesses. As expected, Sima Rui was provoked once again. His hand, which had been gripping Gan Qiongying’s jaw, slid downward and clamped tightly around her neck. Gan Qiongying’s eyes rolled back almost instantly. She slapped Sima Rui’s arm fiercely with both hands, but he nearly lifted her off the ground by her throat. Just as Gan Qiongying’s vision began to blur, the shadow guard who had been following her noticed she was in mortal danger and immediately revealed himself. In an instant, four long swords were unsheathed, all thrusting toward Sima Rui. They didn’t care whether their opponent was a powerful minister or a noble. Shadow guards were like soulless blades, targeting anyone other than their master. Sima Rui swiftly dodged the shadow guard’s thrust, raising an eyebrow slightly, clearly surprised. He hadn’t expected Gan Qiongying to have such a trick up her sleeve. He released Gan Qiongying and quickly unfastened the jade belt from his waist, using it as a flexible weapon to engage the shadow guards in combat. Gan Qiongying clutched her neck, coughing violently as she collapsed to the ground, crawling toward the door while gasping for air. When deprived of oxygen, the brain cuts off all supply to the body, leaving the limbs uncontrollable, weak, and unable to stand. Tears streamed from Gan Qiongying’s eyes, but they were purely physiological, unrelated to fear. She crawled toward the door to quickly escape the combat zone, avoiding becoming collateral damage. She even took the opportunity to count the number of shadow guards who had descended. Good, only four—not too many exposed. Thankfully, not all seventeen had come down. Sima Rui had been meticulously trained by the old witch since childhood, excelling in both literary and martial arts, with the talent of an Emperor. It was just a pity that a bastard remained a bastard! Gan Qiongying still had some confidence in her shadow guards. After all, their ability to appear and disappear like ghosts was already beyond ordinary people’s capabilities. As she reached the door, Gan Qiongying glanced back and saw Sima Rui skillfully holding his own against several opponents, not at a disadvantage. Soon, the sounds of fighting were heard from outside, and a group of people rushed in through the door—all of them Sima Rui’s guards. The tide of battle was instantly reversed. Gan Qiongying, leaning against the doorframe, stood up and edged along the wall, tucking herself into a corner, trying not to attract anyone's attention. Anxiously, she moved to the window and pushed it open. She shouted toward the street below, "Chen Wa, save me!" At the same moment, a long blade was pressed against Gan Qiongying's neck. She immediately froze by the window, not daring to move a muscle. The sharp edge of the blade raised goosebumps all over her neck. Slowly turning her head, she saw the Regent holding the blade, looking at her as if she were already dead. "You didn't really think I had no way to deal with you, did you?" Sima Rui said leisurely. By this time, Chen Wa had already rushed upstairs with his men. However, Sima Rui had more people. This tailor's shop was clearly one of Sima Rui's hideouts. The room was filled with dark-clad guards, all of them clearly skilled. Chen Wa was blocked outside the room. When he rushed in and saw the blade pressed against Gan Qiongying's neck, he immediately dared not force his way in. He shouted anxiously, "Princess!" Sima Rui watched Gan Qiongying's anxious eyes with interest, then followed her gaze to the four shadow guards pinned down by several long blades. They were already forced to their knees, and one of them had a bloody gash on his neck. Each of them wore masks and hung their heads, showing no emotion on their faces or bodies, as if their lives were not about to be lost. Gan Qiongying's heart ached as if it were bleeding. She only had so few people! She looked at Sima Rui, finally retracting all her sharpness. Closing her eyes and then opening them again, she shed pitiful tears, her tone full of pleading, "Prince Rui, please let them go. I know I was wrong... I won't act recklessly again." Gan Qiongying deliberately added "Your Highness" after "Prince Rui." These two words were not something one could casually say to any prince—only a prince born of the imperial family deserved such a title. Hearing this, Sima Rui narrowed his eyes slightly and then actually laughed. Of course, he did not suspect that Gan Qiongying knew his secret. He simply thought she was flattering him to the best of her ability. But Sima Rui had to admit that he was easily pleased by Gan Qiongying. Meanwhile, Gan Qiongying was cursing inwardly, Go to hell! Once I'm out of this room, I'll find a way to ruin you! Sima Rui was very satisfied with Gan Qiongying's reaction, but he was never a soft-hearted person. He had thought Princess Duanrong was someone he could control, but as he tried to manipulate her, he had been pricked. Now, he had to remove that thorn. Thus, Sima Rui looked at the four shadow guards and asked Gan Qiongying, "Were they the ones who gave you the courage to act recklessly? They do have some skill... It must have taken a lot of time and effort to train them, right?" Gan Qiongying thought, What do you know? It was Liang Jingru who gave me the courage! But facing Sima Rui, Gan Qiongying wept bitterly, shaking her head frantically, as if possessed by the spirit of a tragic heroine. Her lips trembled slightly, "Don't do this! Please don't do this!" Pretending she couldn't stand, she crouched down and quietly shuffled her feet on the ground. With her skirt covering her movements, it looked as if she were kneeling and crawling. A person with eyes on the top of their head, filled with arrogance, would never feel any sense of caution toward someone kneeling, rolling on the ground, and weeping uncontrollably—someone they saw as utterly defenseless. Thus, Gan Qiongying smoothly moved to Sima Rui’s feet and clung to his leg. "Spare them, please…" Sima Rui, of course, had no intention of sparing anyone. Looking down at Gan Qiongying, he handed his knife back to a guard and placed his broad palm on her head, patting her like a dog. "Today, I’ll teach you a lesson," he said. "When your wings are not yet fully grown, don’t dream of soaring to the heavens. Even if they were, I could shoot you down with a single arrow." In her heart, Gan Qiongying had already cursed his ancestors to the depths. But on her face, she maintained a pitiful expression, shaking her head repeatedly, wiping tears from her cheeks, and sobbing uncontrollably. The scene was utterly humiliating, unbearable to watch. Chen Wa’s eyes reddened—when had the Princess ever suffered such disgrace! What could be endured, and what could not? He was ready to charge in and fight to the death. At that moment, the Regent gave the order: "Cut off their heads and let Princess Duanrong take them back." As if in despair, Gan Qiongying slumped to the ground, covering her head as if she couldn’t bear to watch. But in truth, she seized the moment to pull the hairpin from her hair. The longest and sharpest one. Then, lunging at the unsuspecting Regent, she realized there was no time to stand and press it against his neck. But a man’s vital spots aren’t limited to just the neck. Gan Qiongying pressed the hairpin directly against the Regent’s second most vital spot and, her tone suddenly turning fierce, snarled, "Release them all!" "Today, I’ll teach Prince Rui a lesson too—a cornered dog will leap over a wall, and a desperate rabbit will bite. Release them now, or you’ll spend the rest of your life as a eunuch!"