After crossing, I surrounded the capital from the countryside

"Yes, I know Brother Seven." Zhou Shilian nodded.

No one knew what the two discussed that day, but not long after that day, Zhou Shilian entered the palace again.

Zhou Shilian was dressed in gorgeous palace clothes, with her hair tied up high, and she walked lightly into the magnificent imperial palace.

There was a faint smile on her face, but her eyes were filled with complex emotions.

In the imperial study, Zhou Shijie sat in the upper seat, his eyes sharp as torches, examining everything below.

Zhou Shilian stepped forward slowly and performed a standard court etiquette, her voice gentle and clear: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty live long and long."

Zhou Shijie nodded slightly, with a hint of surprise in his eyes, as if he was puzzled by Zhou Shilian's sudden visit.

"Why do you have the mood to come here today, my sister? Is there anything important you want to discuss?"

Zhou Shilian bit her lip lightly, as if she was having a final psychological struggle.

Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "Your Majesty, I have been thinking carefully these days and feel that my previous thinking was too narrow. When it comes to national affairs, the overall situation should be the most important, and personal feelings should be put second."

Zhou Shijie raised his eyebrows when he heard this, and was obviously surprised by what Zhou Shilian said. "Oh? What do you mean, my sister?"

Zhou Shilian raised her head and looked at Zhou Shijie with a firm gaze: "For the sake of peace and tranquility of the Great Zhou, I am willing to go to the Northern Barbarians to make peace. This will not only win a precious period of peace for the Great Zhou, but also resolve the hatred between the two countries. It is truly a win-win strategy."

Zhou Shijie was stunned. He never expected that Zhou Shilian had figured it out.

He knew very well what marriage meant to a woman of the royal family, and he was even more aware of the hardships and dangers of the northern barbarian land. He had originally thought that if Zhou Shilian was unwilling, he would force her to go when the time came.

Unexpectedly, she agreed.

He stared at Zhou Shilian, trying to find a hint of wavering or hesitation in her eyes, but he only saw determination and resoluteness.

"Royal sister, do you know that the road to marriage is difficult and dangerous, and not something that ordinary women can endure?" There was a hint of crocodile concern in Zhou Shijie's voice.

Zhou Shilian smiled slightly, with a resolute light in her eyes: "I understand. But as a member of the royal family, I should help the Great Zhou to solve problems. Besides, this is the only contribution I can make to the Great Zhou."

Zhou Shijie was silent for a moment. Although he had doubts in his heart, he finally nodded slowly: "Okay, since my sister is determined, I will help her. You go back and prepare, I will arrange everything properly."

Zhou Shilian bowed again and left the hall.

Her back seemed lonely and determined, as if she had already embarked on the road of marriage and there was no turning back.

Zhou Shijie looked at his sister's back as she left, his eyes full of thought, but thinking that she was just a woman and he could kill her with just one finger, he felt relieved as there was nothing to worry about.

I guess I just accepted my fate...

……

The night was as dark as ink, deep and silent. The glazed tiles of the imperial palace glowed coldly in the moonlight.

Zhou Shijie stood alone in front of the window of the imperial study, staring in the direction of Prince An's Mansion in the distance, with a sinister look in his eyes.

Because of the affairs of the rebel army during this period, I almost forgot about my good brother.

Prince An Zhou Shiyuan, as the only one in the royal family of the Great Zhou who can compete with him, the orthodox blood flowing in his body is like a sword hanging over his head, constantly reminding him of the fragility of his throne.

I failed to get rid of him in the previous few times, which not only caused me to lose a lot of people, but also gave him the opportunity to attack me!

The issue of Kyoto's background, which he had managed to suppress these past few days, was unexpectedly brought up again, and someone even produced concrete evidence. All of this made him worried all day long!

What's worse, he already knew that many court officials and noble families had begun to secretly defect to Prince An, wanting to support him to ascend to the throne!

Simply, simply don't take him seriously! !

However, when he asked for help from the Northern Barbarians, he was rejected outright. They said that he was a useless waste and that even the throne under his butt could not be taken away by others. How could he expect them to help him? It was impossible.

When Zhou Shijie received the news, he felt as if his head was about to explode with pain. His eyes went dark and he fainted amid the eunuchs' screams.

After waking up again, Zhou Shiyuan felt that the Northern Barbarians were useless. They threw away a great opportunity for him and were unwilling to even help with this little favor. No wonder they had been suppressed by the Great Zhou for so many years.

Little did he know that the reply from the northern barbarian that he saw was already a fake that had been swapped out by the Shadow Pavilion.

"I must get rid of him, otherwise I will never have peace." Zhou Shijie muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously clenched the window frame, his knuckles turned white from the force.

This operation must be foolproof, no one can detect it, or at least no one can find any evidence against them!

"Go and make arrangements. Make sure Prince An disappears without a trace. Remember, it must be done cleanly and without leaving any trace."

Eunuch Li's face changed slightly when he heard this, but he immediately returned to normal and bowed to accept the order. He knew that no one could change the emperor's decision, so he could only do his best to complete this task.

At the same time, in Prince An’s Mansion, Zhou Shiyuan was sitting in the study with a frown on his face, playing with an exquisite jade pendant in his hand.

This jade pendant was the only relic his mother left him before she died. Whenever he encountered difficulties or confusion, he would take it out and look at it, as if he could draw strength from it.

However, today, he felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.

"Is the emperor going to attack me again?" Zhou Shiyuan thought to himself, but then shook his head, trying to dispel this uneasy feeling, and then secretly began to increase the guards around him.

As night fell and dark clouds gathered, a sudden storm swept across the capital.

Thunder roared like the beating of war drums, lightning streaked across the sky, tearing the dark night sky into hideous gaps. The rain poured down like a river bursting its banks, ruthlessly washing the earth and every corner of Prince An's mansion.

A group of assassins dressed in black and wearing ghostly masks sneaked into Prince An's Mansion silently in the heavy rain.

Under the cover of the heavy rain, their figures shuttled under the eaves of the palace like ghosts, avoiding the patrolling guards and approaching Zhou Shiyuan's bedroom step by step.

The rain slid down their cloaks and dripped onto the bluestone slabs, making crisp sounds, but these sounds were almost completely drowned out by the stormy night.

The assassins moved lightly and their goal was clear - to get rid of Prince An Zhou Shiyuan and eliminate the emperor's worries.

They have been preparing for this moment for a long time, from intelligence gathering to action planning, every link has been carefully arranged.