Chapter Seventy-Seven: Letting It All Go

Jiang Yuyan’s sudden outburst left Zhu Yu utterly bewildered.

“Wait, what’s happening here? You make a mistake, and now you’re the one with grievances? How wronged could you possibly be?” Zhu Yu looked at Jiang Yuyan’s tear-streaked face—her cheeks stained like a flower in rain—and, stunned, found himself unable to continue the punishment.

“No… No, I admit my fault. I accept the punishment willingly,” Jiang Yuyan choked out, confessing her error. Yet as soon as she spoke, the tears rolled down her cheeks even more fiercely.

Watching her, Zhu Yu felt a splitting headache. He’d thought he had Jiang Yuyan firmly under his control, but seeing her like this, he wasn’t so sure anymore—who was really controlling whom?

Jiang Yuyan’s commotion brought Zhu Yu back to his senses. Punishment was necessary, but the matter at hand was more urgent. Earlier, in a fit of rage, he’d intended to punish her severely. Now, reflecting on it, he broke out in a cold sweat at his own impulsiveness.

If he truly injured Jiang Yuyan to the point she couldn’t get out of bed, at such a critical moment, he’d lose a Grandmaster’s aid.

Realizing this, Zhu Yu knew that for the next few days, there was little he could do about Jiang Yuyan. He’d have to wait until matters were settled to hold her accountable.

“Enough crying. Why did you try to kill Prince Duan? What were you thinking? Tell me,” Zhu Yu said, tossing his handkerchief to her in exasperation.

He didn’t notice the brief flash of mirth in Jiang Yuyan’s tear-filled eyes as she took the handkerchief.

“On my way back to the palace today, a drunken man harassed me. In my anger, I killed him. Only afterward did I realize he was the heir to Prince Duan. Furthermore, I spent the whole day discussing plans with the senior members of Blackstone. Prince Yu already has his scheme ready, focusing on the Buddhist sect, but there’s been no progress with Prince Duan—no entry point. I thought, since his heir died by my hand, Prince Duan’s fate would likely be death as well. It would be better to strike now, while he’s unguarded, and kill him directly,” Jiang Yuyan explained, recounting her rationale for the attempted assassination.

“If all I wanted was Prince Duan’s life, would I need you and Hua Wuque and the entire Blackstone organization? What I want is intelligence—to know if any ministers in court are colluding with them. But with your killing, there’s nothing left to investigate,” Zhu Yu retorted.

Only now did Jiang Yuyan realize the gravity of her mistake. She’d thought Zhu Yu was merely angry at her for acting without orders, not understanding the full consequences of her actions.

This time, genuine remorse crept into her heart, but she still had something to say.

“Your Majesty, I truly know I was wrong. However you punish me, I’ll accept it. But there’s something I wish to say, though I’m unsure if I should.”

“Speak.”

“Your Majesty, perhaps your plan is too idealistic. I discussed with Blackstone’s senior members all day, and we couldn’t even figure out how to approach Prince Duan, let alone uncover evidence of his collusion with court ministers. We’ve devised a strategy against Prince Yu, but even if it succeeds, we can only prosecute him—not obtain hard evidence of conspiracy,” Jiang Yuyan replied.

Zhu Yu fell silent, realizing she wasn’t shirking responsibility—her words were objective truth. Had he really been overthinking all this?

After a long pause, he changed his plan.

“Leave the palace. Go now,” Zhu Yu said abruptly, startling Jiang Yuyan.

“What? Your Majesty, what did you say?”

“I said, leave the palace.”

This time, Jiang Yuyan heard clearly, but she misunderstood entirely. Her face turned deathly pale and, in an instant, she knelt at Zhu Yu’s feet, clinging to his leg as she pleaded desperately.

“Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me—don’t banish me. There’s nowhere else in the world for me but at your side. I swear, from now on, I’ll obey you. Even if it costs my life, I’ll obtain evidence of Prince Duan and Prince Yu’s collusion with court ministers. Please, give me time—don’t drive me away…”

Her voice was sorrowful. The earlier sense of grievance and secret joy from Zhu Yu’s concern had vanished. All she felt now was terror; she never expected Zhu Yu would want to banish her, a punishment more severe than execution.

Jiang Yuyan’s sudden change of demeanor shocked Zhu Yu. Thankfully, they were in the palace—otherwise, onlookers might think he’d committed some heinous crime.

He realized she genuinely feared being sent away and, seeing her pale face, dared not tease her further. He quickly explained,

“Get up, quickly. What are you doing? It’s a misunderstanding. I’m sending you out of the palace on an errand, not banishing you. There’s no need for this.”

Seeing Zhu Yu’s sincere expression, Jiang Yuyan slowly rose and asked, “It’s so late, Your Majesty—what do you want me to do outside the palace?”

“You’re right—evidence is hard to find. Since what I most desire is unattainable, why bother with the formalities? I want to skip straight to the final step.”

“Your Majesty, you mean…?” Jiang Yuyan tried to echo him, but Zhu Yu’s shift in thinking was so abrupt she couldn’t guess his intention.

“Go find Hua Wuque now. Quickly rally all Blackstone members in the capital. Storm Prince Yu’s residence!”

“Storm it?”

“Yes. Enter openly and forcefully. If you can capture him, do so and extract the information under severe interrogation. If you can’t, then kill him outright. Since we can’t get evidence, I won’t bother with the process.”

“It doesn’t have to be a frontal assault. I can sneak into the residence.”

“You think all royal residences are so easily infiltrated? We already know Prince Yu is connected to the Star Sect and the Buddhist sect—you must be fully prepared.”

Zhu Yu cast an annoyed glance at Jiang Yuyan but then reconsidered, realizing her suggestion had merit.

“Very well. Gather the men and have them wait outside. First, try to sneak in. If discovered, then storm the residence. You and Hua Wuque must wear masks—if exposed, blame it on Blackstone. This must be resolved tonight. Prince Duan and his heir are dead—even if no one notices tonight, tomorrow everyone in the capital will, and all noble households will tighten their defenses. If it’s not settled tonight, we’ll have to go through the tedious formalities.”

“Understood,” Jiang Yuyan replied, knowing the matter was urgent. With a brief acknowledgment, she hurried out of the palace to prepare.