Marrying the Crown Prince

Zhou Zhou was shielded behind her, about to say something, when she witnessed a scene she would never forget—

Empress Chu drew the soft sword wrapped around her waist and thrust it forward.

She moved with lightning speed; with a flick of her wrist and a swing of her sword, a streak of crimson appeared on the assassin's neck.

Empress Chu was far more ruthless than the timid Zuo Jin. She was ruthless in her attacks and had no worries about the consequences. Almost every sword she struck was fatal. Of course, she herself was also injured.

As she watched them fall one by one, the smile on Empress Chu's face gradually widened, and she felt incredibly relieved—after pretending for so many years, she almost didn't recognize herself anymore.

This spirited and dashing appearance is the real me!

Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the intruders fell to the ground, their eyes wide open in death.

They couldn't understand how a woman from the inner palace who was clearly powerless could wield a long sword.

Empress Chu sheathed her sword, somewhat regretful—she hadn't practiced for many years, and her martial arts skills had deteriorated considerably.

She turned around with a sigh of regret.

At this moment, Zhou Zhou noticed that Empress Chu's face had been splattered with blood.

She hesitated for a moment, then handed over the handkerchief. "Mother, please wipe your face."

Empress Chu did not take it, but instead raised her chin.

Zhou Zhou followed her gaze and saw that Emperor Chenze had woken up at some point and had seen a great deal.

However, he showed no expression and instead exclaimed, "I thought I would never see you wield a sword again in this lifetime."

"Your Majesty's words make it sound as if you've ever seen me wield a sword," Empress Chu scoffed, not bothering to flatter this self-important man.

Emperor Chenze was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "Indeed, I have never seen you use it before. This is perfect for the capital city. Before today, probably no more than a handful of people knew that you knew martial arts."

"So, I'm a little curious, how did Your Majesty find out?" Empress Chu said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

At first, she thought Emperor Chenze was just bored, which was why he summoned her to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to keep him company.

Looking at it today, it seems that Emperor Chenze had anticipated the assassins, and that I was the one he invited to be his bodyguard.

However, since he entered this imperial city in his teens, he has always been perceived as honest, timid, and weak. How could he know that he knew martial arts?

It would be hard for a normal person to associate a woman who can't lift a finger with someone who can kill with a sword.

"Just a guess," Emperor Chenze replied.

Indeed, he had no evidence. His spies had investigated, but the Marquis of Beiping kept the matter a secret, so all that could be found were minor clues.

Now, so many years have passed, and those who knew the truth are either dead or living in luxury, making it even more difficult to find out anything.

But how could someone who grew up on the frontier be so timid?

How could a dull and clumsy person manage such a vast palace so well?

As for personality, Emperor Chenze felt that his temperament was probably not an act, after all, who can pretend for so many years?

Isn't it tiring to live like that?

Therefore, his wife was indeed straightforward and short-tempered.

Empress Chu sighed, "Your Majesty has a discerning eye; I have only shown my limited abilities before you."

"Hmph!" Emperor Chenze chuckled and said nothing more about the matter.

If he had known about this while he was in good health, he would probably have felt his blood boil and thought that the ruler and his subjects were not of one mind.

But now he doesn't want to dwell on so much, and he has a clearer understanding of the past.

If he had known this about Empress Chu right after marrying her, could he really have been completely without fear of her? And without fear of the Crown Prince?

Imagine how terrifying a crown prince with no weaknesses or flaws, and who also possesses military power, would be to a strong and healthy emperor!

Therefore, although he was resentful, he did not say anything more.

Well, I don't have many days left to live anyway, so why bother with so much?

Between husband and wife, let's just take things as they come.

Thinking of this, Emperor Chenze frowned as he looked at the corpses on the ground, somewhat displeased, "Hasn't the area outside been cleaned up yet?"

Knowing that Empress Chu was a killing machine, Zuo Jin was no longer so cautious and directly requested, "Your Majesty, this humble subject will go out and take a look."

"No need," Empress Chu called out to him. "You stay here and guard the place. I'll go and meet them."

Just a moment ago, I aroused her addiction.

Zuo Jin glanced at Emperor Chenze, and seeing that he didn't say anything, he bowed and replied, "Yes."

Empress Chu kicked the door open, and it collapsed with a thud.

Emperor Chenze, Zhou Zhou, and Zuo Jin: "..."

It's hard to imagine that something the assassins outside couldn't accomplish after so much effort was done by one of their own.

Empress Chu appeared before the crowd, brandishing her long sword.

With a swift swing of her longsword, a streak of silver light flashed through the air, slicing through the sky and cleaving her opponent's throat in the process.

Before long, Empress Chu returned to Emperor Chenze's side, and the Imperial Guards also came in, some carrying corpses and others repairing doors.

Emperor Chenze frowned this time. "You...did you leave any survivors?"

This……

Empress Chu touched her nose, not daring to answer.

She grew up on the frontier and learned from a young age that if you don't make a move, you should try to kill the target with one blow to reduce the chances of accidents.

and so……

Emperor Chenze asked, "Then how do you expect me to investigate?"

Empress Chu reacted quickly, saying, "Although I didn't leave any survivors,... I should have spared the others."

Soon, the battlefield was cleared and the door was repaired. Zuo Jin came in to report, "Your Majesty, there were a total of thirty assassins. Twenty-three are dead, and seven remain alive."

"Very good, have someone keep an eye on him, so he doesn't die for no reason."

"Looking at someone well" doesn't mean you really like them; it means you should examine them and ask questions, but you have to be careful not to go too far and ruin their life.

Of course, most importantly, we must prevent things like suicide by overdosing on pills from happening.

"Yes."

Zuo Jin bowed and withdrew.

Since Emperor Chenze rarely woke up, he naturally ate something and took his medicine, so Wei Yi lit all the candles in the bedroom.

He got up and was helped to a chair. Looking at the sumptuous food on the table, he sighed.

These foods look and taste delicious, but are difficult to digest, are not for him.

There were eight dishes on the table, but only the bowl of vegetable and lean meat porridge in front of him was his own. As for the others... they belonged to Empress Chu and Zhou Zhou.

"Try it all, then you can sleep after you've eaten," Emperor Chenze said.

Zhou Zhou and Empress Chu did not stand on ceremony and immediately picked up their bowls and chopsticks to eat heartily.

Seeing the two women enjoying their meal, Emperor Chenze became even more heartbroken.

After eating and drinking their fill, the three of them sat in a circle and talked.

Wei Yi brought over two cups of tea and a bowl of medicine.

This tea was given to Empress Chu and Zhou Zhou, and the medicine was given to Emperor Chenze.

Zhou Zhou did not take it, but instead asked for a glass of warm water.

That makes sense; after all, who drinks tea this late?