After the betrayal of the Jianghu forces and the defeat in the Kyoto battle, Su Jin once again accepted the Prince's proposal. Although she remained cautious of the Prince's ambitions, she knew that to overthrow the powerful ministers and achieve her revenge, she needed a strong ally. The Prince seemed to be the only one with enough resources and strategies to help her.
They met in a secluded mountain villa. The Prince's expression was calm, as if he had already anticipated the failure of the Jianghu forces. He calmly analyzed the internal situation of the imperial court to Su Jin.
"This is a critical moment. The conflicts between the ministers have reached an irreconcilable point. We can take this opportunity to shatter their forces in one blow," the Prince's eyes gleamed, his voice low and firm. "But we need to work together perfectly. Every step must be precise."
Su Jin knew that the Prince's plan was a complex game of power, a gamble. And she had to become the most important piece on his chessboard. She asked calmly, "What do you need me to do?"
The Prince handed her a secret letter, detailing the movements and weaknesses of a high-ranking minister. This minister was the next target in the Prince's revenge plan and the most powerful member of the current ministerial group. The Prince's plan was to weaken the core of the imperial court through an assassination carried out by Su Jin.
Su Jin accepted the letter and nodded slightly, indicating she was ready. She knew this action would be the most crucial step on her path of revenge. Her goal was not only to kill her enemies but also to pave the way for the Prince's conspiracy while seizing more control for herself.
Su Jin was no stranger to assassination. After years of training, she had become a master of stealth and killing. However, this target was different from the others. Not only was he heavily guarded, but he also had numerous trusted subordinates, leaving almost no flaws to exploit. Su Jin knew that to succeed, she had to meticulously plan every detail.
Through the Prince's connections, Su Jin obtained the target's itinerary—this high-ranking minister was scheduled to meet with a few trusted officials at a private banquet. Su Jin decided to infiltrate the banquet disguised as a maid, using the opportunity to get close to the minister and assassinate him.
She spent several days preparing, forging an identity, securing an invitation to the banquet, and commissioning a tailor in Kyoto to create a suitable maid's outfit. Every step she took was carefully calculated, with no wasted effort.
On the night of the banquet, Su Jin entered the residence smoothly as planned. Her calmness and confidence aroused no suspicion from the numerous guards. As the banquet drew to a close and the guests began to leave, Su Jin quietly slipped into the minister's study. She knew this was her only chance.
The study was dimly lit, and the minister was at his desk, sorting through a stack of documents. Su Jin moved as quietly as a cat, gripping a dagger in her hand, and gradually approached the target. However, just as she was about to strike, the minister suddenly turned, as if he had anticipated her arrival.
"You finally came," the minister's voice carried a hint of sarcasm, and his face showed no fear.
Su Jin's heart sank. She realized she had walked into a trap. The door to the study was suddenly pushed open, and several guards entered, surrounding her. The minister sneered, "Did you really think I would be unprepared? You've underestimated us."
Su Jin was taken to the dungeon of the residence, her hands and feet shackled with iron chains. She had never imagined facing failure in such a manner. For her, the path of revenge had never allowed retreat, but now she had to admit that this failure had plunged her into an unprecedented crisis.
In the darkness of the cell, she reflected on each step of her actions, a growing unease settling in her heart. She thought of the Prince, the ally who had never shown his true emotions. Did he already know the assassination would fail? Was this all just a test, or perhaps a deeper conspiracy?
As she was lost in thought, the dungeon door quietly opened. A masked figure swiftly approached Su Jin, whispering, "The Prince sent me to rescue you." Before the words had fully settled, the figure skillfully unlocked her chains.
Although Su Jin harbored suspicions about the Prince's motives, she had no choice but to follow the masked figure out of the dungeon. They cautiously navigated through the layers of guards and successfully escaped the residence.
Once free, Su Jin's heart was in turmoil. She realized that her fate had once again been pushed in an unknown direction. She didn't rush to meet the Prince but instead chose to hide for a while, re-evaluating her plans and the Prince's true intentions.
A few days later, Su Jin finally decided to see the Prince. She knew that the failure of the assassination and her subsequent escape would inevitably lead to more mysteries, but she had to face these issues. She needed to know what role the Prince was really playing in this power struggle.
When the Prince saw Su Jin, his expression was calm, as if he already knew everything she had experienced. Without any unnecessary pleasantries, he got straight to the point: "Failure is one of the prices of revenge. The important thing is that you're still alive."
Su Jin looked at him coldly. "You knew there would be an ambush. Why did you send me to my death?"
The Prince smiled faintly, a subtle, inscrutable gleam in his eyes. "I didn't send you to die. The purpose of that operation was to draw out the minister's trusted followers and disrupt his plans. You did well. Even though the assassination wasn't successful, he is now in a state of extreme panic. Our next move will be much easier."
Though Su Jin still had doubts, she had to admit that the Prince's strategies were indeed deep and mysterious. She said nothing more, merely nodding to indicate her willingness to continue the cooperation.
Seeing this, the Prince continued, "The internal conflicts within the court are beginning to disintegrate. The next step is to provoke even greater discord and let them destroy each other. And you are still the most important piece in this game."
Su Jin understood that there was no turning back. This path of revenge had already pushed her deeper into the abyss of power. Whatever the outcome, she had no choice but to continue forward.
In the months that followed, Su Jin worked closely with the Prince, gradually dismantling the core of the imperial court's power. Her acts of revenge became more frequent, and each assassination and raid was executed with precision. The court's forces were slowly collapsing, and Su Jin's reputation in the Jianghu reached its peak, making her a pivotal figure in the struggle between the court and the Jianghu.
However, fate's gears quietly turned. During an unexpected operation, Su Jin encountered a familiar figure while pursuing a high-ranking minister. That person was none other than her long-lost brother, Ye Lingyun.
Su Jin froze, as if time had stopped at that moment. She had never imagined that she would reunite with her family on this lonely path of revenge. Ye Lingyun was equally surprised but quickly regained his composure. His eyes held a mix of emotions, both the warmth of familial love and the estrangement brought by years of separation.
"Qingxi, you're still alive?" Ye Lingyun's voice trembled slightly, tears glistening in his eyes.
Su Jin was silent for a moment, then nodded. She didn't know how to face this reunion, especially under such complex circumstances. She was no longer the carefree noble lady of the past, and Ye Lingyun was no longer the brother she remembered.
"I thought you were…" Ye Lingyun's unfinished sentence was interrupted by Su Jin's calm voice, "I thought you were dead too."
The siblings stood under the night sky, their eyes locked, as if time had flowed back to a quiet night many years ago. However, this reunion was far more complicated. Both understood that there was now an insurmountable chasm between them.