Chapter 279

Four people completed their wedding ceremony, and Jiang Mingyu's face beamed with joy. He smiled at Zhang Jiani: "Jiani, you have marched with me across the four corners of the realm and earned many merits. Today, we are like brother and sister; I have nothing else to give you, so I hereby elevate you to Lady of the State, your title equal to that of a prince—a small gift."

Zhang Jiani was first stunned, then bowed in thanks for this honor. She was a bold, sword-wielding general by nature, and such a lofty reward was rare indeed. Tuxikeluo, seeing his wife granted such generous favor, also wore a broad smile.

Amidst the chorus of congratulations from the ministers, the wedding lasted nearly half an hour before ending. Jiang Mingyu joyfully declared the banquet open, inviting all to share in the celebration. At that moment, a woman dressed as a palace maid slipped quietly from the corner of the hall, fixing her gaze on Jiang Mingyu. Seeing that Tuxikeluo and Zhang Jiani were not by his side, she decided to strike now.

The woman was the Veil Assassin. She had infiltrated the palace disguised as a maid, planning to kill Jiang Mingyu on his wedding day. Seeing his unguarded joy, she was certain this was the perfect moment to act.

The Veil Assassin darted forward; a slender dart slid from her sleeve and shot straight for Jiang Mingyu's heart. At the same time, she hissed coldly: "Die!"

The arrow came without warning; Jiang Mingyu had no time to react. He cursed inwardly, threw himself backward, and collapsed onto the dragon throne, barely avoiding the vital point. Yet the tassels of his imperial crown were severed—he barely saved his life, thanks solely to instincts honed by years of bloodshed on the battlefield.

Liu Yifei gasped in horror and rushed to Jiang Mingyu's side, anxiously asking: "Jiang Lang, are you alright?" Jiang Mingyu shook his head and immediately barked toward the door: "Tuxikeluo, seal the hall and capture the assassin!" He had just escaped death, still hadn't seen where the arrow came from, but knew it must be a killer sent by Fei Hou, aiming to kill him.

Tuxikeluo swiftly ordered the warriors to close and guard all doors, then personally led the search to ensure the killer did not escape. The Veil Assassin, sensing danger, prepared to flee through the eastern window. Just as she was about to leap out, a pair of powerful hands seized her waist and yanked her back.

"Did you think you could strike in the imperial palace and vanish without a trace?" It turned out Tuxikeluo had already laid a net—his men had guarded every exit in advance. The man who seized the assassin was one of his fiercest generals.

The Veil Assassin was firmly restrained; behind her veil, her eyes burned with despair—she never imagined she'd be captured so quickly, her lifelong dream of revenge shattered. She regretted her carelessness; had she known Jiang Mingyu's defenses were this tight, she would never have acted so rashly...

"Keep a close watch on her. I'll question her personally later," Tuxikeluo ordered his men, then strode quickly to Jiang Mingyu and Liu Yifei.

"Your Majesty, are you unharmed?" he said, face heavy with shame. "It is my fault—I was negligent and nearly let Your Majesty fall into peril. I deserve to die ten thousand deaths!"

Jiang Mingyu waved his hand, his expression already calm: "It's nothing. Thank you for capturing the assassin swiftly—I'm unharmed. But today's joy has been spoiled by this interference..." His tone carried an underlying chill; he was furious about the assassination attempt.

Liu Yifei gently patted Jiang Mingyu's hand and soothed: "As long as you're safe, that's all that matters. We'll interrogate this woman slowly and uncover who's behind this. But today is a day of double joy—let's not let this ruin it." Jiang Mingyu nodded, and together with Liu Yifei, they returned to celebrate with the ministers, setting the matter aside—for now.

When the ministers had all departed, only Jiang Mingyu and a few trusted old friends remained in the hall. Tuxikeluo watched Jiang Mingyu with concern and asked cautiously: "Your Majesty, you..."

Jiang Mingyu waved his hand, smiling wryly: "Don't be so formal with me. Call me Brother. I'm still not used to 'Your Majesty.' Don't worry—I suffered no real harm. That arrow only knocked off a tassel from my crown."

Tuxikeluo finally exhaled in relief: "Good thing we caught the assassin—now we can eliminate the threat forever. You'll be safer from now on."

Jiang Mingyu smiled bitterly: "Who knows if this is even the last strike? Spears are easy to dodge; hidden arrows are hard to guard against."

At that moment, Zhuge Yu spoke: "Master, we should strike while the iron is hot—interrogate the woman immediately. Find out if she has accomplices, so we can prepare in advance. I know you fear this scandal spreading and destabilizing the court, but rumors travel fast—word may already be out. At a critical moment, resolving this swiftly is the safest course."

Li Goudan chimed in: "Exactly! Master Zhuge is right. Waiting won't help. Let's finish her off while we've got the upper hand!"

Seeing all agreed, Jiang Mingyu weighed his options carefully, then nodded: "Very well. Tonight, we'll settle this—take her to the dungeon for interrogation." He still hoped to avoid public scandal, so he did not summon the disguised maid assassin.

In the dungeon outside the hall, dim lanterns flickered. The Veil Assassin, bound tightly to a pillar, had her mouth gagged. Jiang Mingyu said sternly: "Enough. Let's reveal your true face."

On the way to the dungeon, Zhang Jiani had told Jiang Mingyu the woman wore a disguise mask. Though Jiang Mingyu had only seen such devices in TV dramas, he never imagined he'd witness one in this world.

Without a word, Tuxikeluo stepped forward and slapped the woman's face. A sharp "rip" echoed as the skin peeled away, revealing her true, smooth features beneath.

Jiang Mingyu stared, dumbfounded. After a long silence, he stammered: "How... how could it be you?!"

Tuxikeluo, seeing Jiang Mingyu's reaction, asked urgently: "Brother, do you know her?!"

Liu Yifei's face paled. A dark premonition stirred in her heart—could this woman have some hidden past with Jiang Mingyu?

At that moment, the woman spat venomously: "You didn't mistake me. Jiang Mingyu—have you already forgotten me, you faithless man?"

Jiang Mingyu forced down the storm in his chest and asked coldly: "A Rui—how could it be you? I thought we parted ways years ago. I never expected you to reappear... and try to kill me. What happened between us? Why are you here today?"

Bound tightly, A Rui's eyes blazed with hatred. She spoke slowly, each word a dagger: "Jiang Mingyu, do you still remember when we were seventeen? You swore to marry me, promised we'd grow old together. Then you vanished—left for the capital and never came back for me!"

"I waited... waited until I heard you'd defeated Fei Hou and become emperor. I thought: a man who's risen to such heights would never remember a country girl like me. You must have taken a noble empress. My heart turned to ash—I accepted Fei Hou's contract, hoping to give you a taste of betrayal, to make you feel the pain I felt!"

A Rui's voice cracked, tears streaming down her face: "But you—unharmed. And I—I'm captured. Jiang Mingyu, do you have any idea how much I've sacrificed for this day?"

Jiang Mingyu listened, his heart a storm of guilt and sorrow. He finally remembered the pure, youthful bond he'd shared with A Rui—and his own selfish abandonment. He spoke, heavy with regret: "A Rui, I truly wronged you. Forgive my youthful carelessness and selfishness. But hatred solves nothing—it only drives us both to ruin. We'll both regret it."

Liu Yifei watched Jiang Mingyu's face—filled with self-reproach and pain—and her heart ached. So this was the root of today's disaster: a past love. She bit her lip, stepped silently aside, tears welling in her eyes.

A Rui let out a bitter laugh: "Jiang Mingyu, it's too late now—there's no path left for us. I only ask you: stop hurting more women. Let me end your false, cruel life!" With that, she suddenly struggled upright, pulled a hidden dagger from her robe, and lunged at Jiang Mingyu...