Chapter 1406 – Wei Ci Encounters Assassination (6)
Changsheng: “…”
I really don’t want to admit that the woman who looks like a human trafficker is my mother.
“Mother, the God-slaying…”
As Changsheng stepped forward to pay her respects, she suddenly caught sight of the long knife at the woman’s waist, and a flicker of astonishment crossed her eyes.
Two God-slaying knives?
Could it be that this foreign woman didn’t steal my mother’s treasured knife, but misunderstood instead?
That makes sense; the palace guards are tightly secured, and my mother is strong. It would be nearly impossible to break through such barriers to steal the God-slaying knife.
“What’s wrong?”
The woman asked her with a smile.
Changsheng recounted the earlier incident in detail, feeling slightly embarrassed as she said, “I acted rashly, almost causing a miscarriage of justice.”
“Recognizing your mistakes is a huge step forward. Just have someone withdraw the order. If you encounter them, send some silver coins as compensation.”
Changsheng softly acknowledged this, and the four of them climbed into the carriage, with Wei Ci voluntarily placing a hood on the woman’s head for concealment.
Fushou sat on the woman’s lap, seemingly accustomed to such intimacy, grinning as he asked, “Your Majesty, where are we going?”
“It’s the Flower Festival and also a day of celebration. We’re going out to enjoy the spring and socialize with the people,” the woman replied with a smile. “Does Fushou not like going?”
Fushou pouted, “Of course not, it’s just…”
His gaze wandered as he looked at Changsheng with a pitiful expression, as if asking if he could say more.
Changsheng said, “Today seems to be the memorial day for Fushou’s ‘birth mother.’ He is very filial and might find it difficult to enjoy himself.”
The woman’s expression stiffened for a moment.
“I see, Fushou is very filial, isn’t he?” She patted the little tuft of Fushou’s hair, causing him to break into a shy smile.
To him, praise from the Empress was as precious as praise from his father; a single compliment could keep him happy for a long time.
Outside, the crowds bustled about, and Wei Ci and the others dressed plainly, while the woman and Changsheng wore hoods to conceal their identities, so no one noticed who they were. Fushou insisted on walking himself, holding one hand of the woman and one of Wei Ci, happily trotting a few steps before suddenly jumping.
“Flying—”
Changsheng trailed a step behind the three, watching Fushou “swing,” couldn’t help but curl her lip, “Childish.”
Fushou did not hear her, continuing to play around, and the two adults happily went along with it.
The woman turned her head towards her daughter and smiled, “Changsheng, do you want to try?”
Changsheng glanced at her mother, the grand tutor, and her own height, coldly refusing this unreasonable suggestion.
Although she was still young, her height was rapidly increasing, not much different from that of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy.
With this height, how could she possibly emulate Fushou, who was short and chubby, in “swinging”?
The four of them enjoyed springtime outings like an ordinary family, tiring themselves out and sitting on the ground to taste the prepared food.
Fushou could eat independently, but he wasn’t very skilled, often smearing food remnants on the corners of his mouth; the woman tirelessly helped wipe it away.
Watching the two, Changsheng felt a bit complicated until a piece of cloth with a fragrance wafted her way.
“Grand Tutor!”
Changsheng called out slightly awkwardly.
Wei Ci couldn’t help but smile broadly, selecting some of Changsheng’s favorite dishes for her.
“Grand Tutor, I’m not a young boy anymore.”
Although she said this, her actions were honest, and she ate with gusto.
The Grand Tutor’s cooking could easily overshadow that of the royal chefs!
“In my eyes, Your Highness, you’re still a long way from adulthood.”
As soon as he said this, Fushou noticed what was happening over here, shouting and opening his mouth, “Fushou wants some, ah—”
“Not giving! These are prepared for me by the Grand Tutor, so what are you trying to snatch?” Changsheng quickly finished a plate.
Seeing this, Fushou immediately wilted.
Boo hoo hoo (╥╯^╰╥)
Princess sister can’t argue back.
As the family of four was eating, Changsheng’s peripheral vision caught a flash of red, her gaze sharpening.
“Is that foreign person here too?”
The woman asked in surprise, “Foreign person? Which one?”
Changsheng pointed, and sure enough, they saw a curvaceous woman in strange attire leaning against a tree, arms crossed.
As they noticed Jiang Pengji, she was also watching them.
“That knife she holds indeed resembles the God-slaying knife; no wonder you recognized her incorrectly.”
The woman noticed Jiang Pengji’s face, and aside from a hint of admiration, showed no other reaction.
Fushou paused for a moment and suddenly said, “This big sister just helped Fushou earlier—”
If it weren’t for her lifting him over the wall to buy offerings, Fushou would have never made it out of the palace walls with his tiny stature.
Among the four, only Wei Ci’s response seemed a bit odd, his expression stiff for a moment, but this fleeting oddness was hard to catch with the naked eye. If not for Jiang Pengji’s keen observation, it might have gone unnoticed. She smiled and said, “I searched for you for quite a while, turns out you were here—hiding in Zixiao’s mental realm disguised as his form. You were clearly taking advantage of the fact he can’t use his psychic energy to counterattack, weren’t you?”
Before “Wei Ci” could say anything, Jiang Pengji drew her blade and leapt down from the tree, the blade slicing directly toward “Wei Ci.”
The woman and Changsheng beside them changed color in shock, seeming ready to stop her.
Jiang Pengji’s expression cooled slightly, shouting at them, “Get lost! Don’t ruin my good work!”
As soon as her words fell, the previously bustling area fell silent in an instant, the surrounding tourists vanishing like smoke, leaving only Jiang Pengji and “Wei Ci.” Her blade charged forth without any hindrance, aiming at “Wei Ci’s” vital spot, clearly intent on taking a life.
“Wei Ci” paled at this, barely sidestepping to avoid the edge of the God-slaying knife.
“This is Wei Ci—are you going to kill him too?”
Jiang Pengji spat with disdain, “An 18-line counterfeit thinks he can compare to my Zixiao. Just standing there, I can already smell the strong scent of cheap imitation on you. If not you, who should I strike? Do you really think just because you are wearing Zixiao’s face you can impersonate the real deal?”
“Wei Ci’s” expression twisted slightly.
When he noticed Jiang Pengji’s flamboyant red hair, his expression darkened several shades, comparable to a face suffering from constipation.
“I ask—can you not make such an unsightly expression while wearing Zixiao’s face?”
Saying this, Jiang Pengji’s attacks came like a storm.
This was Wei Ci’s mental realm; both she and the counterfeit before her counted as intruders, and their actions were somewhat restricted.
Under these circumstances, they could only fight it out.
The counterfeit gritted his teeth, “So you’re a Jiang family brat; you haven’t died out yet!”
Jiang Pengji paused briefly, “What do you mean?”
The counterfeit refused to answer, and Jiang Pengji pursued relentlessly.
As they fought, the counterfeit began to realize something was wrong, growing increasingly gloomy.
“You feel it, don’t you?” Jiang Pengji sneered, “Zixiao is an ordinary person, yet his mental realm is exceptionally strong, nearly rivaling your peak state. Why did you choose him out of all people? Isn’t that seeking your own death?”
The counterfeit stubbornly retorted, “That’s impossible!”
Jiang Pengji replied, “What’s impossible? Zixiao’s rebirth means his experiences can’t simply be explained by luck; someone must be scheming behind the scenes. If it wasn’t you who lured Zixiao, then it must be someone else—”
