She Is Such A Jerk, And Yet She’s The One Crying! - Chapter 53

Having not held a sword for many years, she felt quite out of practice. Lin Dongruan tried her best to avoid the fray, but her clothes were still splattered with numerous bloodstains.

A pair of figures fighting nearby collapsed together; it was unclear whose throat had been slit, but the blood sprayed like a torrential rain. Lin Dongruan could not dodge in time; her garments were instantly stained red, and her face was splattered with a vivid, eerie beauty.

The long palace path had become a blinding road of blood.

Whenever someone rushed forward, Lin Dongruan met them with her blade. Though her movements were somewhat hurried and labored, she persisted and walked a great distance.

The further out she went, the more corpses appeared, some even piled together to block the path, leaving not even a place to set one’s foot.

Lin Dongruan did not know how many times she had raised her sword, nor how many people she had killed. She was entirely immersed in this scene of slaughter, feeling as though she had become numb; she no longer felt the pain of her wounds.

Just a little further, and I will be out.

She thought.

Lin Dongruan had never held such a persistent obsession. She had thought that once she paved the way for Qiang Ning, she could peacefully give up her life.

But…

Why…

Did she still insist on going out to see Qiang Ning one last time?

Lin Dongruan did not know what she was holding onto, but she was determined to get out.

Finally, after bypassing a ground full of corpses, she was about to see the cloud’s part and the sun shine through. But as she turned a corner, the road ahead was filled with even more Imperial Guards, clad in heavy armor and wielding sharp weapons.

Lin Dongruan’s heart sank instantly, knowing it would be difficult to leave today.

Coming out of the palace covered in blood, she practically had the words “spy” written on her face. How could these Imperial Guards possibly let her leave?

The commander of the Imperial Guards turned the reins of his fiery steed, seemingly about to move toward her.

“General Chen, what are you doing? Look closely, this is the Imperial Preceptor!”

“How could the Imperial Preceptor be a spy? Have you gone mad?”

Several commanders began to argue, but the one surnamed Chen insisted on killing her: “If the Preceptor has a clear conscience, she wouldn’t be in this state—covered in blood and holding a sword. You all saw the assassin who broke in just now. My colleagues are truly blinded; as I see it, it’s better to kill by mistake than to let her go—”

As soon as he finished speaking, his chest was pierced by a crossbow bolt.

The dense sound of galloping hooves rang out. The leader rode a white horse, her purple robes fluttering in the wind. When she stopped, the gold tassels in her hair swayed incessantly.

Qiang Ning lowered the sleeve crossbow, took out the Tiger Tally of the Eight Great Camps, and shouted: “Vile traitors in the palace have taken advantage of the chaos to harm the royal family. This Princess acts under the Emperor’s decree to purge the court. Why do you not yet stand aside?”

The Tiger Tally of the Eight Great Camps could not command the Imperial Guards, but once the guards saw this tally, they knew the situation outside the palace. All the elite troops in the world belonged to the Eight Great Camps; the small Imperial Guard was composed merely of sons of noble families, whose flowery skills were no match for them. To confront the Eight Great Camps would be like an egg striking a stone.

Furthermore… many commanders within the Imperial Guards originated from the Eight Great Camps and shared deep-rooted bonds with them.

Their blades could only be turned toward foreign enemies; they could not take up arms against their own brothers.

Starting with one general, the sound of longswords hitting the ground gradually grew louder. The soldiers instinctively moved aside to make a path for the Eldest Princess’s people to pass.

Standing at the front of that long path was the Eldest Princess in her purple robes, and deep within was the Imperial Preceptor, her dress stained with blood.

Lin Dongruan followed suit and lowered the sword in her hand, looking toward Qiang Ning on her horse.

She seemed to have achieved her wish of seeing Qiang Ning, and the breath she had been holding finally dissipated. Blood immediately overflowed from the corners of her lips, and she bent over, clutching her chest in unbearable pain.

Qiang Ning was so terrified her soul nearly left her body. She galloped toward her like a streak of lightning, dismounting instantly to support her.

“It is no matter, A-Ning. Go first to settle the chaos.” Lin Dongruan brushed off her support and forced herself to stand upright despite the pain. “Go, go quickly. Every moment delayed is a life lost.”

Qiang Ning leaned in and whispered, “Sister, is the Emperor dead?”

Lin Dongruan nodded weakly.

“Then what is the rush? There is nothing to worry about.” Qiang Ning decisively helped her up, prioritizing taking her to treat her wounds. “The palace and the city are all our people. Sister, you needn’t worry; no further accidents will occur.”

Lin Dongruan was still uneasy, but Qiang Ning refused to yield this time and insisted on sending her to the Imperial Academy of Medicine first.

“The injuries are not heavy; it is just that my clothes are soaked in blood,” Lin Dongruan explained, her gaze carrying a hint of urgency.

Qiang Ning truly had no choice but to go and take control of the situation first: “Sister, you must wait for me. Song Luo, you stay here. Anything regarding Sister, no matter how small, must be reported to me immediately.”

With that, Qiang Ning finally departed.

After resting for a moment, Lin Dongruan rose to change her clothes.

It was inconvenient for Song Luo to follow her constantly, so he could only stay behind and wait.

At a time like this, with the situation looking favorable, it was impossible for the Imperial Preceptor to do anything out of line. He understood the circumstances, so he did not follow her closely.

Lin Dongruan’s clothes were entirely bloody. She carefully took out a wrapped lock of black hair, her face full of worry—if she told her directly, A-Ning would certainly not allow her to leave the capital, and thus she would be unable to fulfill her promise to the Emperor. A-Ning feared separation greatly; at such a critical moment, she would be even more afraid of her leaving. Combined with A-Ning’s resentment toward her royal brother, she would surely keep her confined in the capital and never agree.

Calculating the days, a round trip would take at least half a month at the fastest.

The current situation was chaotic, which was exactly the right time to leave. If she did not seize this opportunity, it would likely be even harder to leave in the future.

After serious consideration, Lin Dongruan decided to go. To soothe Qiang Ning, she wrote down the entire explanation and wrapped the note around a butterfly hairpin, placing it inside a silk pouch.

“Palace Commandery Song, I must trouble you to deliver this to Her Highness.” Lin Dongruan personally handed the item to Song Luo.

Song Luo immediately accepted the order and prepared to report to the Princess.

“Wait.” Seeing the man about to leave her sight, Lin Dongruan regretted it. She walked over and sighed, “I should go see A-Ning in person.”

Otherwise, if she left like this, A-Ning would surely be angry.

Lin Dongruan ultimately could not bear to see Qiang Ning sad. Even if it would delay her for a while, she insisted on finding her. Upon meeting, she saw A-Ning riding toward her.

“Sister, did I not tell you to rest well? Why have you come again?” Qiang Ning asked.

“I… was worried about you.” After much deliberation, Lin Dongruan beckoned her, wanting her to follow to a secluded place.

Qiang Ning did not understand the intent, but she followed obediently nonetheless.

“A-Ning, do not look at the contents of this pouch until you have stabilized the situation.” Lin Dongruan placed it into her palm personally, cautioning her, “Even if things look good now, do not let your guard down. There will inevitably be trapped beasts still fighting and those who wish to go down in a blaze of glory; when they retaliate, they do not care for their lives.”

Qiang Ning held the pouch and smiled faintly: “Sister, can I take this to mean you are worried about me?”

Lin Dongruan nodded, not denying it.

Qiang Ning was overjoyed. At the same time, her fingers quietly pinched the pouch, guessing that inside was a beautiful golden hairpin Lin Dongruan had given her.

She had guessed it, but she still pretended not to know and asked: “Sister, what kind of gift is inside?”

Lin Dongruan urged: “Look at it later. You cannot open it now.”

“Fine, fine, fine.” Qiang Ning agreed verbally while already “knowing” the truth in her heart. She looked at Lin Dongruan with satisfaction, “Once everything is settled, Sister, you will have had your wish, and you must stay and accompany me properly.”

Lin Dongruan said, “Alright.”

Qiang Ning turned to leave contentedly, yet she turned back lingeringly: “Then, I shall go back to work?”

“A-Ning.” Lin Dongruan caught her hand and pulled her back. “Come closer.”

Qiang Ning leaned in, only to be startled as the woman before her pulled her into an embrace.

Lin Dongruan caressed her face, making her lower her head, and proactively offered a soft, warm kiss: “Do not be afraid. Wait for me.”

Qiang Ning was nearly dazed by the surprise of this initiative. Her mind went blank for a moment, and she nodded vacantly to whatever Lin Dongruan said.

“Is it enough? Are you at peace now?” Lin Dongruan asked her.

Qiang Ning only heard the first part—”Is it enough?”—and immediately gripped her wrist tightly, saying repeatedly that it wasn’t enough.

Lin Dongruan sighed helplessly and had to lead her to a more hidden spot.

When the two reappeared together, Qiang Ning’s ears were so red they were hard to look at. When Lin Dongruan asked her again, she finally nodded and said it was enough.

Lin Dongruan let her go: “Go then.”

Qiang Ning was so blinded by joy that she couldn’t think deeply about why Lin Dongruan was being so uncharacteristically proactive with her kisses, nor could she imagine why she had come to find her so abruptly. Such things could have been done with much more time after things were settled; why was there such a rush?

If… if Qiang Ning could have remained calm for even a moment, she would have seen the suspicious points.

But she could not be calm.