Chapter 3: Assassination Attempt

“To answer the Princess Consort, you are not permitted to eat anything until the Prince returns to the bridal chamber.”

A delicate female voice drifted in, yet it carried an unmistakable disdain that could not be ignored.

“Pfft!” July Half let out a soft sneer.

“So, if the Prince doesn't come today, I can't eat today; if he doesn't come tomorrow, I can't eat tomorrow?

If your noble Prince happens to fall ill for ten days or half a month due to a momentary lapse in attention, won't I, the dignified Princess Consort of Jing, be starved to death by a wicked servant like you?

Aren't you afraid that when the time comes, the Prince will punish you, or that the Prime Minister's Estate will turn you over to the officials and leave you with nowhere to bury your corpse?”

July Half’s voice was cold and her pace was slow, yet it sent a chill through the little maid in the room, making her feel as though she had suddenly plunged into an ice cellar, cold to the very core.

It was as if she had been stripped naked and thrown into a field of heavy snow.

Gritting her teeth, the maid glared fiercely at the frail little person sitting upright on the bed, then turned and pushed open the door.

“Wait.”

July Half spoke again.

The little maid didn't look back, but she did stop in her tracks; after all, no matter how unwelcome she was, the girl was still her master!

Though she was disliked by the Prince, she had heard that the Second Miss of the Prime Minister's Estate was very much in the Prime Minister's good graces. Someone of her lowly status truly could not afford to provoke her.

“I have been hungry for too long; I cannot eat anything too greasy. Go and stew some chicken soup for me. Make sure it is stewed until it is very soft and thoroughly cooked. Remember to add some ginger to dispel the coldness in my body.”

After July Half finished her cold command, she fell silent.

The little maid's mouth twitched, but she chose not to argue about whether the chicken soup was too greasy or not.

After waiting a moment and seeing no further instructions, she left the bridal chamber to go stew the chicken soup for July Half.

Hearing the sound of the door closing and the footsteps gradually fading away, July Half raised her hand, tore off the large red bridal veil covering her head, and threw it onto the bed.

She tiptoed to the door, pressing her ear against it to listen for a while. Once she was certain there was no one else in the courtyard, she immediately straightened up and scanned the room.

The room was not small, and the furnishings could be considered high-end.

It seemed that although Prince Jing did not like her, he had given sufficient face to the Prime Minister's Estate; at least in terms of outward appearance, things were passable.

Ignoring the sea of red, July Half walked toward the exquisite-looking rosewood wardrobe nearby.

Opening the wardrobe doors, it was exactly as she had expected: inside were the casual clothes a Princess Consort should possess. Of course, these had all been prepared for the Second Miss, Li Wanru, by the First Lady of the Prime Minister Li Jingzhi, Lady Liu.

The fabrics were very fine, all made of high-quality silk.

July Half frowned; wearing such clothes would be too conspicuous and would not be conducive to her escape.

Originally, July Half wanted to take advantage of the fact that no one was in the courtyard to escape first. She had no desire to be some "Princess Consort" in a Prince's manor.

Setting aside the fact that she was a fake—not the actual Second Miss whom the famous Prime Minister Li Jingzhi of the Xuanyuan Empire held in the palm of his hand—without the Prime Minister as her backing, judging by the attitude of the current Prince Jing, Xuanyuan Wuchen, who wouldn't even perform the formal bows with her, she estimated she wouldn't have a good life if she stayed in this Jing Prince Manor.

Furthermore, from the original host's memories, July Half knew that this Prince Jing, Xuanyuan Wuchen, had peculiar tastes regarding women. It was said that three women had already died in his bed, which was terrifying.

This was also why there was not a hint of joy in the Prime Minister's Estate when the Emperor bestowed the marriage, and why the original host had fought so hard to escape rather than agree to the substitute marriage.

After a bout of searching, July Half finally found a set of clothes and trousers that looked relatively inconspicuous.

Moving nimbly, she changed her clothes and tore off a section of the long sleeves and pant legs. July Half scanned the room once more.

When she saw the jewelry box on the dressing table beside the room, the corners of her mouth curled into a wide grin.

She tore a piece from the hem of the discarded red wedding gown, dumped all the gold hairpins, gold bracelets, and gold earrings from the jewelry box onto the cloth, quickly wrapped them up, tucked them into her bosom, and rushed toward the door.

As she passed through the middle of the room, she glanced at the rosewood Eight Immortals table, which was clearly exceptionally exquisite and expensive.

July Half pursed her lips, then turned back and, resigned to her fate, walked to the table. She carefully packed some pastries from the table into her handkerchief and stuffed a few more into her bosom.

She was truly hungry!

If she didn't leave now, that little maid would likely return. July Half's body flashed toward the door, though she nearly tripped.

This small body was simply too weak; July Half felt a sense of being "willing but unable" right now.

This tiny body simply couldn't keep up with the rhythm of her mind.

This feeling of being shackled was truly unpleasant, very unpleasant.

Just as July Half stabilized herself and was about to open the door to escape, the window beside the door was violently smashed open from the outside.

Instantly, a tall figure dressed in night-traveling attire standing in the middle of the room cast a shadow that enveloped the frail July Half.

July Half pressed one hand against her chest, her body shrinking back slightly against the door as she stared in terror at the masked man in black who had suddenly appeared.

The long sword in the man's hand emitted a cold, piercing light. Under the reflection of the moonlight, it appeared even more grim and frigid.

While one hand pressed against her chest to feign fear, July Half's other hand quietly and imperceptibly gripped the crack in the door, ready to burst out at any moment.

The man in black gave July Half a contemptuous glance and ignored her, scanning the room only to find that the person he was looking for was not there.

And just as the man in black turned his head to look at July Half again, July Half suddenly flung the door open and ran out.

A muffled "Ugh!" escaped July Half's mouth.

Damn it, how could she forget that there were steps outside the door, and they were so high—at least four or five steps.

Enduring the stinging pain in her ankle, July Half rolled on the ground, tumbling for over ten meters.

At that moment, the shouts of the Prince's guards had already echoed from outside the courtyard.

"Catch the assassin! The assassin ran this way! Quick!"

The sound was right at her ears. July Half raised her hands and messed up her beautifully styled bridal hair until it was a tangled mess like a bird's nest; the falling strands happened to obscure her face.

Just as the man in black leaped out of the door to give chase, the Prince's guards also happened to rush in.

A group of guards in armor blocked the entrance to the courtyard completely. Even the walls surrounding the courtyard were promptly guarded by sentries.

"Quick, quick, save the Princess Consort! The Princess Consort is still in the room! Waaaah~"

July Half pointed vaguely toward the room behind the man in black, her voice muffled and indistinct.

That tiny, trembling body, seemingly struck by terror, instantly triggered the male hormones of the Prince's guards.