The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

Jian Yue said in a low voice, "Don't panic. Remember what I told you to do. In a moment, no matter what happens, protect your maternal grandfather and hold onto your cousin so that they can leave safely."

Zhang Baicheng nodded: "I understand."

Jian Yue continued, "The Emperor is about to make a move at the General's Mansion, so no matter what happens tonight, do not let Grandfather enter the palace. If he tries to force his way in, knock him unconscious and take him out of the city."

Zhang Baicheng was taken aback and looked at Jian Yue in confusion. Jian Yue, however, was staring intently at the insects on the ground and said seriously, "This concerns the future of the General's Mansion. You must protect my grandfather and cousin. I'm entrusting this to you."

"I understand, Miss."

Jian Yue's eyes flashed with a cold light as she turned to look at He Li Hong standing on the bridge. She said coldly, "After using poison, you've switched to using Gu. What a ruthless heart you have."

Heli Hong frowned and said coldly, "If I were to use Gu, would you be standing here speaking now?"

Jian Yue smiled, casually dealt with a few insects around her, and leaped up towards Heli Hong. Heli Hong raised his bow and fired three arrows at Jian Yue, who narrowly dodged them. Suddenly, the curved knife in Jian Yue's hand flew out, heading straight for Heli Hong's brow. Heli Hong smiled wickedly and said, "A petty trick. You think it will still be useful after you've used it once?"

As she spoke, her longbow flew, instantly knocking the scimitar away. But at that moment, Jian Yue had already leaped forward, reaching the opposite side of her. She reached into her bosom and pulled out a dagger, aiming straight for Heli Hong's brow once again.

Upon seeing this, Helihong's eyes widened, and he turned his head to the side to dodge. However, the bow was no longer effective in close combat, so he could only use it as a defensive weapon to confront Jianyue.

Within three moves, the two were evenly matched, but after three moves, Jian Yue began to struggle. Seeing this, He Li Hong couldn't help but sneer: "This is the first time I've seen someone so eager to die. Don't blame me, blame yourself for being too complacent."

As she spoke, a murderous intent suddenly gathered in her eyes. With a flick of her right hand, a Gu worm came out of her sleeve. However, before the Gu worm could be delivered to Jian Yue, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her arm. She abruptly pulled her arm back, turned around, and slapped Jian Yue's shoulder, completely separating the two.

Jiang Yue was knocked back dozens of steps. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth while clutching her shoulder and laughed, "You were the one who underestimated me! Although I only have this rudimentary skill, I have far more cunning than you."

Heli Hong glared angrily at Jian Yue, who was holding a dead venomous snake in her hand. He roared, "You're asking for death!"

Jian Yue smiled, playing with the dead snake in her hand, and waved her hand at Heli Hong, saying, "I don't know if you're looking for death, but I do know that this thing in my hand is really dead. Do you want to verify it again?"

As she spoke, she disgustedly threw the dead snake on the ground, causing the poisonous insects around her to retreat significantly. Jian Yue immediately raised her eyebrows and said, "I didn't expect this thing to be their leader. I've learned something new."

Heli Hong could no longer control her killing intent. She beckoned and a man in black suddenly appeared beside her. She handed the bow to the man in black, who stepped back. Only then did she walk step by step toward Jian Yue, completely ignoring the black wound on her arm.

"I've always been the one plotting against others all these years, but I never thought I'd be the one plotting against you today. But it's okay, you're going to die anyway, so it won't have much of an impact on me. It's just a pity that I was thinking of killing you with my own hands."

As she spoke, her hands transformed into eagle-hooked claws, heading towards Jian Yue. A tremendous internal force instantly locked onto Jian Yue, forcing her to retreat repeatedly until she reached the very edge of the bridge. Jian Yue stared at He Li Hong, a triumphant smile blooming on her lips.

Just then, as Heli Hong was getting close to Jian Yue, Bai Jianan suddenly darted out from the side and directly clashed with Heli Hong's palm strike. Heli Hong was taken aback and hurriedly withdrew half of her power. However, even so, she was still hit by the rebound. She was immediately shaken by her own palm strike and coughed up blood, staggering back three or five steps.

Bai Jianan stared intently at Heli Hong, managing to utter a single word with difficulty.

"Walk."

These words were naturally directed at Jian Yue. Jian Yue stared blankly at Bai Jianan's back. His shoulders, which seemed weak but remained straight, were like a mountain, shielding her from all attacks. At this moment, Jian Yue felt like crying.

But now is not the time to cry, nor is it the time to gossip.

With tears in her eyes, she said, "Why did you save me? You've already made your choice, why make me so sad?"

Bai Jianan's body stiffened, then he closed his eyes tightly, a look of disappointment on his face, and said in a faint tone, "If you believe me, I am your Bai Jianan. If you don't believe me, I will make you believe. If you leave, I will definitely find you."

Suddenly, the tears in Jian Yue's eyes turned into a smile. She took two steps forward, closing the distance between herself and Bai Jianan, her voice choked with emotion: "Bai Jianan, in this one life, you are my good companion, but now, we will have to be strangers for a while."

As she spoke, she suddenly stepped back, leaving Bai Jianan behind, and said with a cold laugh, "What kind of act are you putting on now? Is this the only word you can say to me? Bai Jianan, I never thought that hearing a single word from you would be so difficult."

Her tone was tinged with desolation and disappointment, and Bai Jianan could only purse his lips tightly, close his eyes, and hide the helplessness in them.

Yueyue, I'm sorry, it's not that I don't want to say it, but that I can't bring myself to say it.

The Gu worms continued to wreak havoc inside his body, and it was all in vain for him to control himself from collapsing. However, the thought of Jian Yue escaping sustained him, keeping him standing firm and determined not to return.

However, when he blocked Helihong's path and looked up to confront her, he noticed a smile suddenly appear in Helihong's eyes. He immediately sensed something was wrong and turned around to look at Jian Yue. He then saw a disheveled man standing behind her, coldly smiling at Jian Yue and brandishing a dagger, viciously attacking her. He was terrified: "Be careful!"

Jian Yue turned around abruptly and was suddenly confronted by Qiu Lingfeng's ferocious face. In her hand, she was gripping a black dagger, the tip of which had already slashed Jian Yue's wrist.

Jian Yue dodged immediately, knocking the dagger out of her hand. Qiu Lingfeng was not satisfied. Her eyes were full of hatred for Jian Yue. She frantically stretched out her hands and grabbed Jian Yue's arms tightly, starting to tear at them.

"Shangguan Jianyue, you made me lose everything. I want you dead, I want you to suffer a terrible death. Hahahaha."

Jian Yue struggled fiercely, but in the midst of the tearing, her eyes flickered, and she subtly moved the two of them to the edge of the bridge. Because of Qiu Lingfeng's madness, she was pinned against the side of the bridge railing.

Jian Yue struggled and pushed Qiu Lingfeng away. Just as she was about to get up, she suddenly found countless black insects under her feet. She immediately lifted her foot to dodge, but lost her balance and fell towards the bridge.

Upon seeing this, Bai Jianan rushed over with bloodshot eyes and grabbed Jian Yue, but he had no strength left in his body and watched as Jian Yue's hand slowly slipped from his grasp.

He hurriedly shouted, "Got it! Hold on tight! You can do it, Yueyue!"

Jian Yue smiled, looking at Bai Jianan's white face filled with worry and his feeble struggle. She suddenly smiled and said gently, "Bai Jianan, remember me, you must remember me, otherwise, I will never forgive you."

As she spoke, she suddenly burst into laughter and shouted, "Bai Jianan, I cannot bear your affection. Since that is the case, today, at this very moment, I will repay your deep kindness. From now on, we will owe each other nothing. I only wish that in the next life, we will never meet again."

As she spoke, Jian Yue's hand slipped from Bai Jianan's grasp and fell straight into the water. Just before she hit the water, a poppy-like smile bloomed on her lips, which was etched into Bai Jianan's heart.

She said, "Wait for me."

"No~~"

Heli Hong stood not far away, watching the two part little by little, a victorious smile on her lips. But when she saw Bai Jianan suddenly go crazy and try to jump off the bridge after losing Jian Yue, she rushed forward, grabbed him, and pulled him off the bridge, saying, "Someone, go and find him! I want to see him alive or dead!"

Bai Jianan's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to break free from Heli Hong's grasp, desperately screaming, "Let me go!"

Heli Hong coldly replied, "The Hongmeng Bridge has a swift current; even a heavy dowry chest can be swept away in an instant, let alone a person. If you go, you'll only be risking your life."

Upon hearing this, Bai Jianan suddenly burst into laughter, staring intently at the spot where Jian Yue had fallen into the water, and said, "So what if we get involved? She and I are already one. If she dies, I die. If you drag me down, you're just dragging back a corpse."

Heli Hong was immediately enraged. He pulled Bai Jianan up abruptly, put his arms around his shoulders, and rested his head on his neck, saying, "If that's the case, then you might as well die for love. I, Heli Hong, may not be able to do anything else, but I can still help you make the Princess's family be buried with you."

As she spoke, her red lips suddenly curved into an extremely cold smile, suppressing the sorrow she felt upon seeing the hatred on Bai Jianan's face, and said, "Since I cannot make you fall in love with me, then if hatred can make you live and marry me, I will not care."

As she spoke, there was no joy of victory in her eyes, only the torment of the pain of the future. Especially when she released Bai Jianan and took off the mask from his face, seeing the expression on his face, her heart sank into an ice cave.

Bai Jianan's face was expressionless, as if the person in front of him did not exist at all. His eyes were blank, staring intently at the men in black going up and down the bridge, watching closely to see if they had carried back the familiar figure.

However, an hour passed, and the current under the bridge remained swift. The men in black returned one by one in a sorry state, but none of them brought back any treasures.