Chapter 26: Jiang Qingqing Kills

Early the next morning.

Jiang Qingqing woke up Jiang Yu and got up to continue their journey.

The two of them drove along a country road for about an hour when Jiang Yu suddenly became alert as a group of riders approached from behind.

He flicked the reins.

“Princess, hold on tight. Someone’s coming.”

Jiang Qingqing lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked behind them. More than a dozen fast horses were galloping toward them at full speed.

A carriage could never outrun horses.

In just a moment, the Prime Minister’s guards had already caught up and surrounded them.

Leading the group was none other than Liu Xubai.

“Qingqing, come here.”

Liu Xubai’s face was even paler than yesterday’s. He dismounted first and walked toward the carriage.

Inside, Jiang Qingqing whispered to Jiang Yu, “What are our chances of winning?”

Jiang Yu glanced at the Prime Minister’s men and replied in a low voice, “Sixty percent.”

After resting for a night, Jiang Yu’s body hadn’t fully recovered, but dealing with just a dozen of the Prime Minister’s guards was still manageable.

Moreover, compared to yesterday, Liu Xubai seemed significantly weaker today.

The only unknown was whether more reinforcements were coming.

Jiang Qingqing frowned.

They couldn’t fight head-on.

“In a moment, I’ll get off the carriage. You wait for the right time to pull me onto the horse. Forget about the carriage.”

Jiang Qingqing clutched a Swiss army knife hidden in her sleeve, took a deep breath, and tried to steady her racing heartbeat.

Her gaze firmed as if she had made a crucial decision.

She lifted the curtain and stepped onto the carriage frame.

Looking down at Liu Xubai from above, she spoke first: “I want to go to Yingzhou.”

Liu Xubai naturally wouldn’t refuse her request. He extended his hand toward her. “Alright, I’ll take you there.”

Jiang Qingqing shook her head.

“No, I’m going with Jiang Yu.”

Her words darkened Liu Xubai’s expression. He signaled his guards, who immediately drew their swords and tightened their encirclement.

Yesterday’s scene repeated itself.

But the difference was that today, Jiang Qingqing got off the carriage voluntarily.

She walked up to Liu Xubai and spoke softly, “You are already married. There is no possibility between us. I told you that a long time ago.”

Liu Xubai’s eyes filled with pain. He reached out, trying to pull Jiang Qingqing into an embrace.

He had thought she would dodge, as she always did. But this time, she didn’t.

Her action made Liu Xubai mistakenly believe she was willing to forgive him.

Hurriedly, he tried to explain, “It’s not like that. Marrying was just a way to appease the Empress Dowager. It’s only temporary…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Qingqing had already driven the knife in her sleeve straight into his chest.

Blood gushed from the wound, covering Jiang Qingqing’s hand.

“Hyah!”

Jiang Yu had already loosened the horse’s tether. Seeing the perfect moment, he swiftly galloped forward and pulled Jiang Qingqing onto the horse’s back.

Before the Prime Minister’s men could react, they had already broken through their encirclement.

It all happened too fast.

The guards were still in shock.

“Young Master!”

Liu Xubai clutched his chest and collapsed, his blood staining the ground. He stared in disbelief at the direction Jiang Qingqing had fled.

He never imagined that one day, he and Jiang Qingqing would cross swords against each other.

“Young Master, hold on! I’ll get a doctor!”

The Prime Minister’s guards quickly split into two groups—one stayed behind to guard Liu Xubai, while the other rushed to the nearest town to find a doctor and medicine.

How ruthless this princess was!

Just yesterday, their young master had been punished by the Prime Minister for the matter concerning the third young lady. His body was already wounded.

Yet today, disregarding his condition, he came to pick her up, only to have her stab him in the chest without hesitation.

Someone was about to return to the Prime Minister’s residence to deliver the news, but Liu Xubai stopped them.

“What are you doing? Did I tell you to return?”

The guard hesitated. “But… Young Master, your wounds should be treated by the imperial physicians for the best care.”

Liu Xubai forcibly swallowed the blood rising in his throat and spoke coldly, “If a single word of this leaks out today, bring me your head.”

The guards didn’t understand his reasoning but dared not disobey.

“Yes, Young Master!”

The autumn wind was strong today, making people shiver.

Some guards hesitated about whether they should move Liu Xubai into the abandoned carriage for shelter.

But before they could act, Liu Xubai lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss.

“Young Master!”

The nearest guard rushed to catch him.

Panicked, he shouted, “What do we do? Should we wait here for the doctor?”

A guard with some medical knowledge crouched down and checked Liu Xubai’s pulse. His face turned pale.

“This is bad! We can’t wait. We must return to the Prime Minister’s residence immediately. I’ll go ahead and inform the lady to summon an imperial physician. The rest of you, use the carriage to bring Young Master back.”

“Remember, be careful on the way. Don’t jostle him too much.”

Liu Xubai’s heart was positioned slightly more to the left than normal.

A stab in that location could be fatal!

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Prime Minister’s Residence

The Prime Minister’s wife was trimming flowers in the courtyard when she heard the report from a guard. The scissors in her hands slipped and fell to the ground.

“What did you say? What happened to my son?”

The kneeling guard, sword in hand, recounted the situation in full detail.

“Madam, please act quickly. The Young Master might not hold on much longer.”

The Prime Minister’s wife’s legs went weak from the shock.

It was only thanks to her attendant that she managed to stay standing.

“Go, inform the Empress Dowager immediately. Make sure to summon all the imperial physicians from the palace!”

Her voice trembled as she forced herself to remain rational.

“Bring out all the best medicines from the storage. Yes! Take the hundred-year-old ginseng, slice it into pieces, and let the Young Master hold it in his mouth.”

“Hot water… boil hot water now!”

After giving all the necessary orders, she collapsed onto the ground, trembling.

She turned to her attendant, seeking reassurance.

“My son will be alright, won’t he?”

The elderly attendant’s eyes turned red at the sight of the Prime Minister’s wife in such distress.

Back then, she had suffered countless hardships to protect her son.

With a soft voice, the attendant comforted her, “The Young Master is blessed. He will be fine.”

Not long after.

Liu Xubai, covered in blood, was carried into the Prime Minister’s residence.

The palace physicians had already been waiting inside. But upon seeing Liu Xubai’s condition, even the most skilled of them didn’t dare to guarantee his survival.

“Madam, we will do our best.”

Hearing this, the Prime Minister’s wife felt as if the sky had collapsed.

The guards had already told her everything.

At this moment, she had only one thought—

If Liu Xubai truly didn’t survive, then she would ensure that Jiang Qingqing would be buried with him in a ghost marriage and accompany him to the afterlife.

She picked up a brush.

Wrote a letter.

And ordered a servant to deliver it to the Empress Dowager’s palace.

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On the Country Road

Jiang Qingqing sat behind Jiang Yu on the horse, staring at her blood-stained hands, her expression dazed.

She had killed someone…

She had stabbed Liu Xubai…

“Jiang Yu, do you think he’ll die?”

Probably not. She had avoided his heart. But still…

Jiang Qingqing shuddered with fear.