Duke Jing's younger sister

Chapter 240 He is really not dead

The matter was of great importance, and even to Jiang Li, he could not reveal too much.

He has already persuaded Xiao Wenyuan to work for the Third Prince, and it is not too late for him to switch sides now.

Otherwise, when the army attacks the city and the palace, Xiao Wenyuan will definitely not have a good ending.

Before dawn tomorrow, using fireworks as a signal, Shen Beiqi will lead his troops to attack Jiangdu City.

By then, Luo Cheng would need to go to pick them up, and he would not be able to stay by Jiang Li's side to protect her.

So he planned to take advantage of the chaos when the siege signal sounded and let Xiao Wenyuan take her out of the palace.

There isn't much time left for him.

If the prince is still hesitant and unwilling to take action, then he will kill Emperor Hongyang.

He is now considered the prince's man, so there is no difference between him killing Emperor Hongyang and the prince doing it himself.

Only in this way can Shen Beiqi be considered to be serving the king with justification.

Otherwise, even if he supported the Third Prince to ascend the throne, he would be labeled a traitor by the world and would be criticized for the rest of his life, making it difficult for him to convince people of the world.

When it comes to attacking the city, it is inevitable that the prince will have feelings for Jiang Li.

After all, facing the battle-hardened Beilin Army, even the combined forces of the City Defense Army and the Imperial Guards were no match for it.

When it really comes to a life-and-death situation, Jiang Li will inevitably be pushed out as a scapegoat.

This is why the prince insisted on having her enter the palace.

Luo Yan left.

After the drug took effect, Jiang Li felt sleepy again and fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up again, it was already dark and a dim candle was burning in the room.

She called the young palace maid to ask, only to find out that it was already the Yin hour, the third watch of the night.

"Where is Luo Cheng?" Jiang Li asked.

"Lord Luo has important matters to discuss with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He asked me to tell you when you wake up, saying that it will be dawn."

When will dawn come?

Jiang Li nodded and said softly, "Back off."

She took out the bottle of fake death medicine that Luo Cheng gave her from under her pillow.

The grape-shaped porcelain vase has bumps and depressions, and the cold touch passes through the fingertips.

After entering the palace these few days, she finally figured out something.

If Shen Beiqi died, then what would the prince need the Shen family for?

Who can she be used to threaten?

I think he is probably not dead, so the prince wants to find someone who can restrain him.

Jiang Li was in a complicated mood, mixed with joy and sorrow.

If he really wasn't dead, then the rumors in the city about his death in battle were most likely spread by him on purpose.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have given her a few special instructions before leaving.

If she guessed correctly, he had already planned everything.

His death was also part of the plan.

Although she couldn't guess what his plan was, she knew what his goal was.

If that day really comes, she will definitely become a burden and hindrance to him.

She didn't want to become a hindrance to him, nor did she want to see him get into trouble and be attacked from all sides because of her.

So, she kept the medicine for now, maybe it could help him when the time came.

I don’t know how long I have slept, but now Jiang Li is not sleepy at all.

She struggled to sit up, but found that her whole body was in great pain, so she had to give up and lie down on the couch.

There were bursts of rapid drum beats coming from the distance, and the sound drifted in the wind, as if coming from the direction of the city gate.

In the quiet morning, the sound of the drums is particularly clear.

Jiang Li held his breath and listened for a moment, and seemed to hear the sound of fighting from the attacking army.

A wave of joy suddenly surged in my heart.

Is it... that he is back?

A burst of extremely quick footsteps sounded from the courtyard, and a moment later, the door was pushed open from the outside.

Luo Cheng helped her up from the couch, "How is it? Can you walk?"

Jiang Li gritted her teeth and nodded.

When she was beaten by Xiao Wenhao, the fear was greater than the pain, so she didn't feel much pain at the time.

Now that I have rested for two days, I just feel severe pain all over my body, and the slightest movement affects my entire body.

But at this moment, she could endure the pain.

Luo Cheng took off his black cloak, tied it on her, and put on the hood.

"You are injured, but we have to be quick, so..."

Luo Cheng bent over, picked her up, and strode out of the house.

At this critical moment of life and death, Jiang Li did not care about much else and let Luo Cheng hold her in his arms and shuttle through the secret passages in the palace, and finally brought her to the corner gate.

There was a carriage parked outside the door, and the person driving it was none other than Xiao Wenyuan.

Jiang Li felt something was wrong, so she pulled at Luo Cheng's shirt and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear,

"Can't you find a place to hide me temporarily?"

Luo Cheng shook his head. "This is the imperial palace. It would be easy for the prince to find you."

Jiang Li had no choice but to remain silent.

Luo Cheng carried her into the carriage, and couldn't help but reach out his hand and hold her slender fingertips tightly.

Jiang Li stopped entering the car, turned around and looked at him in confusion.

The dusk gradually faded, the mist in the gray sky became thinner and thinner, and the gray-blue sky slowly brightened.

The young man's dark pupils reflected the dark red morning glow, which contained thousands of words, surging like the tide, yet seemed to be blocked by an invisible dam.

In the end, I still can't say it.

It’s just because… I no longer have the identity or reason to speak it out.

He raised the corners of his lips slightly and smiled, "Jiang Li, you said that we will always be good friends, right?"

Jiang Li was stunned.

She nodded, "Yes, we will always be good friends."

Luo Cheng smiled with relief and slowly let go of her hand.

"Let's go." Xiao Wenyuan raised his chin slightly towards him and then waved the whip.

Luo Cheng stood on the long and narrow palace road, watching the carriage moving farther and farther in the direction of the rising morning glow.

……

The carriage turned a corner at a very fast speed. Jiang Li was caught off guard and was thrown heavily against the wall of the carriage. He felt waves of pain in his shoulder.

She rubbed her shoulders, sensing something was wrong.

She has been to this palace many times, and the roads leading out of the palace all lead directly to the gates, so why would they turn?

Jiang Li opened the window curtain and saw the carriage turning back in the direction it had just come from.

"Xiao Wenyuan——" Jiang Li lifted the car curtain and asked, "Why are you going back?"

Xiao Wenyuan did not answer her, but whipped her hard again.

The horse felt pain and sped up even faster.

The sound of horse hooves is short and urgent, which makes people feel an inexplicable sense of urgency.

"Xiao Wenyuan--" Jiang Li wanted to snatch the reins from his hand, but Xiao Wenyuan pushed her gently and pushed her back into the carriage.

"Are you crazy?" Xiao Wenyuan asked angrily.

Jiang Li endured the pain and gritted her teeth, "It's obviously you who's crazy! Even now, you still don't give up?"

“You must go back!”

Xiao Wenyuan's eyes darkened and he waved the whip again.

Shen Beiqi is now in a tense stage of the battle, and is about to win. She must not let Xiao Wenyuan succeed!

She seized the opportunity and jumped out of the carriage while Xiao Wenyuan was not paying attention.

Jiang Li was already injured, and when he fell heavily to the ground, he couldn't help but groan.

She felt her knees and arms were burning as if on fire. Blood quickly oozed out of the wounds, staining her apricot dress red.

"Uu——"

Xiao Wenyuan jumped off the carriage and strode towards her.

Jiang Li didn't care about anything else. He took out a fake death drug from his arms and poured a pill into his palm. When he was about to raise his hand to swallow it, a familiar voice sounded behind him.

"Ari——"

"Stop!"