Forced love, an inescapable fate

"What a Jiang Ci! I underestimated him. He actually dared to act so ostentatiously. Have the identities of the two groups that appeared that night been ascertained?"

The guard knelt on the ground and trembled slightly when he heard his words, but he had to speak.

"Your Highness, not yet. Those people were very cautious, and almost all of our people were killed. The few who escaped were too seriously injured. We haven't received any useful information yet, but I have sent people to track them down. Only..."

Before the guard could finish his words, Jiang Xian had lost his patience and waved his hand. The man who had been standing next to him had already drawn his sword. Before the guard could react, his head had been chopped off, leaving only a pair of eyes staring in death.

The maid standing behind him and massaging his shoulders was already accustomed to all this, but she still couldn't help but feel a chill on her back, and her hands couldn't help but pause.

Jiang Xian turned around and asked coldly, "Don't you want these hands anymore? Or do you want to be beheaded like him?"

The maid hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Your Highness, please spare my life. I won't dare to do it again."

Looking at the maid crawling on the ground and trembling all over, Jiang Xian felt extremely irritated.

"Get out."

The maid kowtowed repeatedly and then hurriedly crawled out.

After the person left, Jiang Xian rubbed his forehead impatiently, unable to understand who would have saved Jiang Ci.

Now not only did he return safely, but he also paraded around the city with great fanfare. The rumors among the people were already very unfavorable to them. If the news reached the palace, even if their father did not like Jiang Ci, for the sake of the royal family's face, he would definitely investigate their assassination of Jiang Ci. Thinking of this, he was a little restless.

"What are the reactions of the other princes?"

The man who had just swung his sword to kill someone whispered back, "My lord, those people haven't made any moves yet, but the Third Prince went to the palace early in the morning, probably to see Concubine Li."

"Got it. Go, have someone keep a close eye on Jiang Ci. If he makes any other moves, report it immediately."

"Yes."

......

Inside the palace, Emperor Jing leaned on the couch with his eyes closed, listening to the news brought by the palace servants.

"Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince and his entourage have arrived at the palace gate. Most of the soldiers accompanying him are indeed injured, including Li Feng."

Emperor Jing slowly opened his eyes and was silent for a long time before he spoke:

"Never mind, let someone in."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The palace attendant brought Jiang Ci and Li Feng to the front of Chongming Palace and said, "Sixth Prince, His Majesty is inside. Please go in quickly. Captain Li Feng, please wait outside for a moment."

Jiang Ci nodded to Li Feng, turned and walked into the hall.

After entering, Jiang Ci saluted Emperor Jing neither humbly nor arrogantly, but the alienation in his eyes was clearly visible.

"Father, my son is back."

Emperor Jing looked at his youngest son who had been away from Beijing for many years with complicated eyes and did not speak for a long time.

Jiang Ci kept moving until his knees became numb, and then he heard the person above him speak.

"Are you complaining about your father sending you to Qi?"

"I don't dare."

The sound was the same as before, without any fluctuations.

"Really? Then do you blame your father for not sending anyone to greet you today?"

"I don't dare."

"You've had a hard time in Qi these past few years. Can you blame your father for being cruel?"

"I don't dare."

"Why didn't the girl from the Mu family come back with you?"

"General Feng and Princess Qingli haven't seen each other for many years. He wants to keep the princess for a while."

"Oh, I remember now. They seem to be engaged. That's good. I heard that you two have a good relationship."

"It's ok."

"I heard that you were being chased all the way. Do you know who it was?"

"I don't know."

"Were the people I sent killed by assassins?"

"Exactly."

"Now that you're back, just be your Sixth Prince peacefully."

"My son understands."

Jiang Ci was still kneeling on the ground, his body straight. The two of them asked and answered each other, without any joy of reunion between father and son after a long separation.

Emperor Jing naturally felt his alienation from him and finally became angry.

"Jiang Ci, are you blaming me?"

"I don't dare."

"You don't dare," Emperor Jing sneered. "You keep saying you don't dare, but your attitude says it all. You're blaming me for not caring about you for so many years, for not standing up for you, for neglecting you."

"I don't dare."

"you......"

Emperor Jing looked at the person kneeling on the ground with a gloomy expression. From the time he entered the door until now, Jiang Ci had not even looked up.

After a long time, Emperor Jing waved his hand weakly and said, "Let's go. We are still staying in Qinglian Palace. We have already sent people to clean up. Go back and have a good rest. As for those assassins, I will have people investigate and give you an explanation."

"My son, I obey."

Jiang Ci stood up, turned around and left the hall.

Emperor Jing looked at the back of his youngest son, who was completely different from the rumors, with mixed feelings, and then asked someone to bring Li Feng in.

After Li Feng finished recounting what happened, Emperor Jing frowned and asked him, "Are you saying that a group of men in black whom you didn't know helped you in the end?"

"Your Majesty, it was precisely at the final critical moment that a group of men in black suddenly appeared. It was their joining that allowed us to finally escape danger."

"Do you know any clues about them?"

"this......"

Li Feng paused for a moment, then continued, "No, by the time we completely eliminated the killer, those men in black had already disappeared. I sent people to track them down afterwards, but they found no clues."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing nodded.

"I know everything. I'm sorry for the hard work you've done. You should go back and recuperate for a while. Return to Border Town when you're well again. As for these assassins, I'll have someone investigate the truth."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave."

After Li Feng left, Emperor Jing summoned the eunuch.

"Go to the Taifu Mansion and summon Wen Muchuan to the palace. Tell him that I have something important to discuss with him."

Just as the eunuch was about to walk out of the palace, he stopped him again.

"Send something to the Sixth Prince."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wen Muchuan just smiled playfully when he received the oral order from Emperor Jing.

He naturally knew the purpose of Emperor Jing summoning him, but he was still a little surprised by Jiang Ci's performance today.

"Ajiu, you didn't leave any clues that night, did you?"

"My lord, no, but that night there was another group besides us. They lured away some of the assassins. Otherwise, even if we arrived, we might not have been able to save those soldiers."

"Really? That's exciting. We've all underestimated the Sixth Prince. He's quite a character. Even the people sent by Feng Zong haven't figured him out. Let's go and listen to what our Majesty has planned. After today, I'm afraid the lives of our princes won't be any better."