Chapter 143: See If I Don't Prick You to Death

Xiang Xiang Junzheng retracted his hand but still glared with wide, furious eyes, cursing loudly:

"Wretch! Wretch! Truly a misfortune for the family to give birth to such a rebellious daughter who knows not the height of heaven or the depth of earth!"

Xiang Xiang Junzheng's anger would not subside; he clenched his fists as if he were about to tear the night sky apart.

"This Prince Yi is truly sinister, calculating even against an old man like me; truly he pushes people too far!"

Jun Jun Zijin stood aside, a smile of ambiguous meaning curling her lips; her gaze was deep as a pool, her expression indifferent, as if the turmoil before her had nothing to do with her, yet carrying a hint of meaning hard to fathom.

"Eldest Sister is determined to climb high; it suits Prince Yi's wish perfectly, but since the betrothal gifts have already been accepted, we cannot withdraw at this critical moment."

Hearing this, Xiang Xiang Junzheng calmed down, naturally understanding the gravity of the situation.

He weighed the pros and cons in his mind again and again; whether to withdraw or not, both were dilemmas.

If they withdrew the marriage with Prince Yi Wang Fu, Prince Yi would not let the Jun family go now; but if they did not withdraw, even if the Crown Prince let the Jun family go, the Emperor would not let them go in the future.

Now the Jun family is already trapped in a dilemma, and the future fate of the Jun family is also worrying.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng paced back and forth for a long while, then stopped before Jun Jun Zijin, his gaze complex, carrying a hint of expectation and helplessness, and asked:

"Second Daughter, in your opinion, what should be done about this matter?"

Jun Jun Zijin raised her eyes slightly, showing no emotion; she spoke slowly and calmly, her voice cold:

"Father, Eldest Sister threatened suicide; if we do not let her marry, I fear something truly bad will happen. If the Jun family forces the legitimate daughter to her death, where will our reputation be? She wants to enter Prince Yi Wang Fu, so let her go. Father, tomorrow enter the palace to explain everything to the Emperor and beg for forgiveness. I will also speak to the Emperor and Empress; I believe the Emperor will not blame us."

After a brief pause, she frowned slightly and continued speaking, her tone carrying a hint of meaning:

"However, our Jun family must strictly maintain distance from Prince Yi. As for Eldest Sister, we have done our utmost to stop her; since she insists on this, I fear the Jun Mansion can do nothing to help."

Xiang Xiang Junzheng pondered for a moment; the boat was already made of wood, so there was no choice but to do so. He sighed, his heart filled with a mixture of disappointment and anger toward his eldest daughter; in any case, his eldest daughter had chilled everyone's hearts.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng glanced at Jun Jun Yiyi, who was still lying on the ground, frowned, and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes.

Actually, Jun Jun Yiyi had already woken up; hearing that she was agreed to marry into Prince Yi Wang Fu, she felt relieved, so she pretended to faint and did not get up; after all, lying on the ground was better than standing there.

Jun Jun Yiyi's thoughts naturally could not escape Jun Jun Zijin's eyes; Jun Jun Zijin only heard her say lightly, her tone carrying a hint of mockery:

"Father, rest assured; I will wake Eldest Sister up right now."

Jun Jun Zijin curled a cunning smile at the corner of her mouth, and a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes. She took out silver needles and, without hesitation, stabbed down at Jun Jun Yiyi's fingertips, decisive and clean.

Jun Jun Yiyi feared people would know she was pretending to faint; a muffled groan rolled in her throat, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to hold back the sound. Her fingers trembled slightly, yet she kept her eyes tightly shut, refusing to wake up.

"Hmm?"

Jun Jun Zijin deliberately raised her voice: "Pretend, keep pretending; see if I don't stab you to death."

Jun Jun Zijin's movements were fast; the silver needles stabbed down again and again without stopping.

Jun Jun Yiyi could finally hold back no longer; she let out a loud cry, weeping and cursing, her eyes full of resentment:

"Jun Jun Zijin, you wretch; may you die a bad death!"

Jun Jun Zijin shrugged, looked at Xiang Xiang Junzheng, and wore an expression of grievance:

"Father, the index finger connects to the heart; since Eldest Sister fainted, where else should I prick her but her fingers? But I worked so hard to wake Eldest Sister up; instead of thanking me, why does she scold me? Who can't act?"

Hearing this, Xiang Xiang Junzheng's anger toward Jun Jun Yiyi grew even stronger; he looked at Jun Jun Yiyi coldly. Where was the half of the former knowledge, propriety, kindness, and gentleness this daughter had? He dared not think of the rumors circulating in the mansion; it was too terrible.

Thinking of this, Xiang Xiang Junzheng suddenly shivered; he did not want to stay here any longer, so he said to Jun Jun Zijin:

"Hmph, she does not know good from bad; from now on, do not concern yourself with her."

Having finished speaking, he turned and left.

A piercing pain shot through Jun Jun Yiyi's finger; her eyes were full of tears, yet she still stared fiercely at Jun Jun Zijin.

Seeing the triumphant smile on Jun Jun Zijin's face, she was so angry she wanted to bite her to death.

Her heart was filled with resentment and unwillingness, yet she was helpless; she could only watch Jun Jun Zijin leave with her head held high.

When Jun Zijin returned to her courtyard, the sky was pitch black; the night curtain, like a thick piece of silk, covered the entire mansion.

Subconsciously, she glanced toward the direction of the Second House, and a hint of coldness, hard to detect, flashed in her eyes.

Afterwards, carrying melon seeds, she walked toward the laboratory in the Purple Bamboo Forest.

The plum blossoms in the Purple Bamboo Forest exuded a fragrant scent; bamboo leaves rustled in the night wind. The laboratory door creaked open; Jun Jun Zijin strode inside, her figure appearing exceptionally tall and slender under the dim light.

The night was already deep; she stood before the hidden compartment, carefully checking the iced vaccines.

Her fingers gently glided over the glass bottles, as if caressing a child's tender skin.

She glanced imperceptibly out the window, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly:

"You are a treasure; you absolutely must not have anything happen to you. I am going to the military camp tomorrow; you stay here obediently, okay?"

Jun Jun Zijin's tone was somewhat playful, yet it revealed her cherishing and care for the vaccines. Her voice was not loud, just enough to carry a distance of twenty paces.

After finishing the inspection, she carefully returned the vaccines to their original place and stayed in the laboratory for a while longer.

When leaving, she confirmed three times that the door was locked; after turning back to glance at the main gate as if still uneasy, she disappeared into the night.

Early the next morning, the weather was extremely fine; the long-awaited sun hung high in the sky, casting down warm sunlight.

Flying Eagle and Flying Swallow appeared simultaneously, excitement flashing in their eyes.

Flying Eagle spoke first, his voice carrying a hint of pride:

"Master, your prediction was correct; the vaccines were stolen."

Afterwards, Flying Swallow added:

"Last night, Jun Jun Zhihao met that mysterious person and handed him a bottle. Your subordinate has been tracking that mysterious person; he disappeared again near the empty mansion in Chengnan."

Jun Jun Zijin frowned slightly:

"Flying Eagle, send a secret letter to Crown Prince."

Quan Quan Aoyu would probably not be able to depart for the capital these days; if negotiations truly failed because of the vaccine matter... it would also be an opportunity for Emperor Tianqi; take advantage of his illness to kill him; no need to find a reason anymore.

After sealing the secret letter, Jun Jun Zijin curled a mischievous smile at the corner of her mouth:

"Let's go; we are going to the military camp; we must leave that person a bit more time, right?"

Her tone was relaxed, yet it revealed calculations that were unfathomable.

Upon hearing they were going to the military camp, Fei Ying's tone was full of concern:

"Do you really intend to go to the military camp?"

Fei Yan's heart tightened; Fei Ying was truly bold, daring to question the master. If he angered the master, he would have a hard time.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin did not lose her temper; she knew what Fei Ying was worried about. She smiled slightly, her tone carrying a hint of teasing:

"That person will likely have no time for me. Besides, aren't there you all?"