This villain has become a ghost

"Wei Yanzhi was busy discussing the assassination of you and Nangong Qianshang. Besides, the assassins and the crossbows prepared in the attic in advance all indicate that this matter was premeditated and could not have been a spur-of-the-moment idea." Yue Liuyun pondered.

"A summer is coming, an autumn is coming, who can stand in the way?"

"And who leaked their whereabouts?"

Nangong Mingzhu rubbed his temples, trying his best to suppress the splitting headache, and said, "Xia Ruzhi's whereabouts are erratic. The only person who could have leaked the secret... is someone in the palace, and... must be someone close to Qiu Shuangwan."

Palace maids, eunuchs, concubines...

Qiu Shuangwan is quite cautious and would not reveal his whereabouts to others on his own initiative. It can only be that there is someone around him who is deliberately monitoring him.

In the palace, it seems that everyone is afraid of Emperor Nangong Mingzhu, but in fact, ambitious people will always find ways to bribe people in the palace. Palace maids, eunuchs, guards, imperial doctors... may all be spies of various princes and ministers.

As for who betrayed Qiu Shuangwan...

Yue Liuyun said, "...Now that I think about it, there seems to be someone who has put so much thought and effort into the Autumn Banquet..."

"...But now that things are turbulent in Dongdu again, he seems to be a little too low-key."

-

As night falls, the box is located on the top floor of the attic, surrounded by exquisite wooden railings carved with intricate patterns and traditional totems. The windows are half open, and the soft moonlight and street lights interweave and shine into the box.

The young man was agile and was about to jump out of the box window and escape.

However, at this moment, Nangong Wanqing broke in with a knife and instantly appeared in front of the man in black, blocking his way.

Nangong Wanqing wore an exquisite and beautiful mask, revealing her beautiful jaw and charming lips. After seeing the young man, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

The atmosphere in the box suddenly became tense. The two men confronted each other for a moment. Suddenly, the young man took the initiative to attack, and a lightning-fast punch went straight to Nangong Wanqing's face. She dodged and tried to escape.

Nangong Wanqing sneered, calmly and gently tilted her body to easily avoid the attack, and at the same time, she swung her knife back and slashed at the young man's chest.

The young man sighed and finally drew his sword, the knife and the sword clashing in the air.

The two men fought back and forth with fierce moves, and the furniture and objects in the box were broken into pieces in their fight.

The young man's sword was like a violent storm, while Nangong Wanqing handled it with ease as if she was strolling in the garden. The sound of the sword breaking through the wind forced the young man to retreat again and again.

After an unknown amount of time, Nangong Wanqing finally found his weakness and stabbed him in the shoulder. The young man groaned in pain and slammed heavily against the wall.

Nangong Wanqing put the knife against his neck and stared at him with a hint of amusement.

This pretty boy is quite good-looking, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, red lips and white teeth.

The air was filled with the smell of blood. The knife wound was very deep and blood was gushing out.

The young man looked pale, but smiled faintly and said, "Your Highness, Princess, how are you?"

Nangong Wanqing: “…”

Damn, I knew TV dramas were deceptive. Even if I wear a mask, people will still recognize me.

Nangong Wanqing's knife drew a clear bloody mark on the young man's fair neck. She narrowed her eyes and said, "I remember you. Aren't you Zhang Jing's personal bodyguard? What's your name..."

"Mu Huai." The young man reminded.

"Oh," Nangong Wanqing said with a half-smile, "Since he's a personal bodyguard, he must be very loyal. I won't waste time asking any questions."

"... Have a pleasant journey."

Mu Huai: “…”

Mu Huai quickly stopped him: "Your Highness, if you want to ask something, I will tell you everything I know."

Before Nangong Wanqing could chop off his neck with a knife, just like the scene that should be in every TV drama, a voice sounded and said the classic line that couldn't be more classic.

“… Spare his life!”

Zhang Jing hurriedly walked in from the hacked-open door of the box, followed by several guards with a frown on his face.

Nangong Wanqing clenched the knife in her hand.

Zhang Jing said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, I have worked with you before. Release my guards. The conditions are up to you."

Nangong Wanqing still didn't put down the knife, and said with a fake smile: "Master Zhang, he is just a guard, why are you so nervous?"

Zhang Jing said expressionlessly, "Your Highness, this is none of your business. As long as you release this guard of mine, not only will you escape unscathed today, but I will also keep your escape from the prison a secret."

Nangong Wanqing was even more surprised.

She had dealt with him many times before. He was a cruel and ruthless man who would do anything to achieve his goals. The one who died was just a guard, so he shouldn't care.

Could it be...

She glanced at the handsome young guard, and an absurd idea came to her mind. She curled her lips and said in surprise:

"Master Zhang, you're already quite old, you wouldn't indulge in such extravagance, would you?"

Wow, he is indeed worthy of being a personal bodyguard.

It turns out that the word "close to the body" is the key point.

Zhang Jing: “…”

Mu Huai: “…”

Other guards: "..."

Zhang Jing was so angry that her face turned red and her neck thickened. She cursed angrily, "How dare you, a dignified princess, have such shameless thoughts!"

Mu Huai's face turned into a colorful black.

Nangong Wanqing said with a forced smile, "Don't worry, I will never tell anyone about this."

"It's just... you have so many people with you. What if I let him go and you regret it and kill me? What will I do then..."

"...I remember that you never seemed to be honest."

Zhang Jing sneered and said, "Your Highness, you are joking. I remember that you never seem to be honest."

Then there's no point in talking about this.

The two sides confronted each other for a long time.

Mu Huai suddenly squeezed out a few tears, his voice tinged with sobs: "Sir, you must save me. I don't want to die yet. Please release Her Royal Highness. I believe that Her Royal Highness will keep her promise..."

Zhang Jing's eyes flashed with anxiety. Upon hearing this, his brows furrowed even deeper. He sighed and said to the guards behind him, "You all go down first."

The guards looked at each other in confusion. If they left, Nangong Wanqing might kill Zhang Jing alone, and then kill Mu Huai.

But it was difficult to disobey the order, so they had no choice but to do as they were told.

"Yes!"

Nangong Wanqing's eyes grew deeper.

Wow, you are really my sweetheart, your words always work.

Zhang Jing looked directly at Nangong Wanqing and said, "Your Highness, can you release him now?"

Nangong Wanqing smiled slightly and said, "My lord, you are so straightforward. Your little guard...

"...Give it back to you."

After saying that, she put away the knife at an extremely fast speed and pushed Mu Huai to Zhang Jing with a palm.

Then, he turned around and jumped out of the window, and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared.