Little Pink Starfish

A Male and a Female Assassin

Gu Xingnuo stood inside the study hall of the palace, so angry he wanted to beat his younger brother half to death. He had actually come to the imperial palace to set a fire—and even swapped a corpse for a living person?! Gu Xingnuo raised his hand, wanting to strike him, but just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Gu Xinglang sat on the bed with his head bowed, looking pitiful. No matter how clever he thought he was, he couldn’t outwit his older brother. Under Gu Xingnuo’s line of questioning, he confessed everything.

“The princess is immature—but you too?!” Gu Xingnuo asked, grabbing his brother’s ear.

Gu Xinglang winced in pain and mumbled, “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”

Gu Xingnuo stomped his foot in frustration. If this kept up, he wouldn’t have to worry about his brother and Yongsheng Temple anymore—His Majesty would personally take care of him!

Gu Xinglang glanced at Yu Ziyi, still cradled in his older brother’s arms, and whispered, “Don’t wake the Seventh Prince.”

“Must’ve owed you in a past life!” Gu Xingnuo shoved Yu Ziyi into Gu Xinglang’s arms and stormed out of the room.

“Where are you going?” Gu Xinglang asked hurriedly.

“To find your wife!” Gu Xingnuo snapped. “You’re just letting her and Xiao Wei wander around the palace like that? You want everyone to find out, is that it? You two even forgot someone behind?! I never knew you were this careless!”

Gu Xinglang guiltily hugged Yu Ziyi and stayed silent.

“Wait here with His Highness,” Gu Xingnuo ordered. “The Grand Preceptor hasn’t left. He’ll watch over you.”

Gu Xinglang wanted to say he didn’t need anyone watching over him, but before he could speak, his brother had already gone out the door.

“Yah,” Yu Ziyi kicked his chubby little leg.

“There, there,” Gu Xinglang gently patted his little brother-in-law on the back, his expression so gentle that any of his army buddies who saw it would probably die from shock.

Gu Xingnuo didn’t even stop to greet the Grand Preceptor Chengguan and hurried out of the study. On a gamble, he grabbed a passing eunuch and asked where the princess had gone.

The eunuch had actually seen Yu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wei and pointed toward the imperial library. “Her Highness went that way.”

Gu Xingnuo asked politely, “Where does that direction lead?”

He had the air of a noble gentleman, and the eunuch was flattered by his politeness. He quickly answered, “Keep walking that way and you’ll reach the imperial study after passing through the inner palace gates.”

Hearing it was the imperial study, Gu Xingnuo relaxed a little. If those two troublemakers had gone there, it was at least still in the outer court. If they had wandered into the inner palace, he, as a male court official, wouldn’t even be allowed to follow. “Thank you,” Gu Xingnuo said quickly and headed toward the imperial study at a brisk pace.

At the same time, Zhao Qiuming and the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple received the emperor’s summons to enter the palace.

“Let’s go,” Zhao Qiuming said quietly.

The Chief Justice waved at several imperial guards behind him.

“Move it!” the guards barked, pushing two prisoners with their hands bound behind their backs and black hoods covering their heads through the palace gates.

Inside and outside the gate, imperial soldiers all turned to look at the prisoners. They couldn’t see their faces, but based on their builds, it was clear—one male, one female.

After entering the palace, Zhao Qiuming looked back at the two prisoners.

The Chief Justice caught up and whispered nervously, “My lord, I feel very uneasy about this.”

“The assassins will be judged by the emperor,” Zhao Qiuming said coolly. “What are you panicking for?”

“We don’t know who that woman is,” the Chief Justice said. “I’m not at ease.”

“Are you suggesting I’d set you up?” Zhao Qiuming said coldly and walked ahead without another word.

The Chief Justice had no choice but to follow. That woman clearly didn’t know martial arts—how could she be an assassin? He didn’t know what Zhao Qiuming was planning, but he didn’t dare to ask.

As Gu Xingnuo headed for the imperial study, Zhao Qiuming’s group was also going the same way. The two parties met at a crossroad.

“Minister Zhao,” Gu Xingnuo greeted him with perfect decorum.

Zhao Qiuming returned the greeting. “So Young Lord Gu is in the palace as well.”

“Yes,” Gu Xingnuo said. He looked past Zhao Qiuming and asked, “Who are they?”

“They’re the assassins who caused a stir in the imperial palace last night,” Zhao Qiuming replied.

“A female assassin?” Gu Xingnuo asked.

Zhao Qiuming turned back to glance at the struggling prisoners. “Indeed. I was surprised too—one of them is a woman.”

Gu Xingnuo looked at the man being dragged by two guards. With the black hood, he couldn’t tell if it was Xiao Zhuang or the gang leader.

“You’ve come at the right time,” Zhao Qiuming said. “Join me in presenting them to His Majesty.”

Gu Xingnuo smiled and nodded. Then he looked at the Chief Justice and said, “Lord Chief Justice, this is a great achievement.”

The Chief Justice forced a smile. “Thank you.”

“Let’s not keep His Majesty waiting,” Zhao Qiuming said, sounding impatient.

Gu Xingnuo stared at the two assassins, a dark thought flashing through his mind. No matter who they were, was now the right moment to silence them?

Zhao Qiuming said they should go, but he didn’t move.

The Chief Justice saw the murderous glint in Gu Xingnuo’s eyes and wanted to cry out, but Zhao Qiuming yanked on his sleeve to stop him.

Gu Xingnuo’s gaze lingered on the guards’ waist blades, calculating his chances of grabbing one and finishing the job.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wei were hiding in the woods beside the road, craning their necks to look.

“We can’t see their faces with those hoods,” Xiao Wei said. “Princess, why is the young master over there?”

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at the two prisoners and cursed, “Damn—it’s Xiongxiong and his true love.”

Xiao Wei stumbled forward in shock. “Seriously?!”

“Can’t see their faces, but I can tell by their builds,” Yu Xiaoxiao said. “It’s definitely them. Hmph, didn’t I say so? Zhao Qiuming never does anything good. Big Brother should just punch that old bastard. Hey, why aren’t you saying anything?” Yu Xiaoxiao had said a lot, but Xiao Wei didn’t respond, so she turned to look at him. “Whoa.”

She was startled by Xiao Wei’s expression—it looked like he had just been struck by lightning.

Xiao Wei stood frozen, a single thought echoing in his head: Concubine Li’s affair has been exposed. We’re dead.

Yu Xiaoxiao shook his shoulder. “What’s wrong with you?” He was fine a moment ago. Did he get possessed or something?

Xiao Wei stared blankly at her. “Princess… we’re going to die, right?”

“Huh?” Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t share his sense of impending doom. They were alive and well. Why would they die?

Xiao Wei was on the verge of tears. They helped a concubine cheat. They even set fire to a temple and a library in the imperial palace—and not just any library, but the emperor’s favorite one. What would their fate be? Lingchi? Quartering by horses?