Lying on the table watching the clash of blades below, Hua Chun said quite earnestly, “I think this spot is the safest — even if they bump into each other, they won’t hit me here.”

Look at this lack of ambition! Yuwen Jie felt a surge of irritation, reached out and pulled her over, setting her beside him. “You’d definitely get hit. Even hiding on a roof beam wouldn’t help you. Just stay put and behave.”

“…Okay.” Hua Chun nodded, then turned back to watch the fight.

This was clearly a premeditated trap — they were merely bait, waiting for this group of assassins to reveal themselves, then capturing them one by one like catching chicks.

Glancing out the window, the street below was equally lively, with many burly men in ordinary clothes carrying the injured thrown from upstairs onto ox carts, hauling them away cart by cart.

Truly terrifying.

But this group of assassins seemed to be getting desperate, preparing to make a last stand. He Chang’an had initially handled it easily, but as more guards were injured, the remaining assassins all rushed at him, and he began to struggle a bit.

“Sit still and don’t move.”

Hua Chun startled and looked up at the Emperor beside her, who had actually stood up too.

“Second Brother?”

She’d just started to ask if he was really going to join the brawl, when Yuwen Jie had already charged toward He Chang’an.

She hadn’t quite processed it yet, staring blankly at their backs.

Watching the Emperor personally join the fray for the first time — the feeling was like witnessing a mob boss personally wielding a spiked club to beat down enemy foot soldiers in the middle of an intense standoff.

The feeling this gave… was very subtle.

Though their moves lacked the flashy background-music choreography of TV dramas, Yuwen Jie’s strength was genuinely impressive — one punch sent an opponent slamming into the wall and bouncing back like a spring, coughing up blood. Someone came at his back with a blade, and as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he spun around and kicked the man down the stairs.

Though Yuwen Jie’s personality was truly terrible, Hua Chun couldn’t help but clasp her hands to her chest and shout, “Amazing!”

With his help, He Chang’an’s side eased up somewhat too — half the guards were injured, but with only about ten assassins left, they could barely manage.

If they hadn’t brought Hua Chun along today.

A man, having been kicked back several steps by Yuwen Jie, clutched his chest in pain, not daring to advance further. In that instant, he might have thought of his own performance bonus, remembered his elderly parents and young children at home, and wondered how he could easily earn merit while staying alive.

Thinking this, he turned his head and spotted Prime Minister Hua nearby, smiling like a simpleton as she watched the show.

So while Hua Chun sat there enjoying the live performance, someone unexpectedly grabbed and restrained her.

Her heart sank, and feeling the cold edge of a blade against her neck, Hua Chun said with grief and indignation, “You’re not fighting them, but you’re grabbing me instead? Why?”

“You look weaker,” the man behind her said honestly. “They’re too strong, I can only pick the soft target.”

Hua Chun: “…”

You kidnap me and still have the nerve to mock me? Gritting her teeth, she said nothing, closing her eyes in resignation.

“All of you, stop!” the man shouted toward the others.

He Chang’an and Yuwen Jie both froze and turned back, their faces darkening.

“Let him go.” He Chang’an frowned. “What kind of hero attacks someone defenseless?”

Hua Chun sighed. Though she was currently a hostage, she couldn’t help but want to complain — first, she actually had the strength to catch chickens; second, boss, these guys were assassins in the first place, what “hero” nonsense…

Sure enough, the man behind her said, “We’re not heroes or good men. If you don’t behave, Prime Minister Hua will lose his life today!”

Pausing slightly, Hua Chun raised an eyebrow.

Prime Minister Hua?

Taking a deep breath, He Chang’an asked, “What do you want?”

“Simple.” The man looked around. “Surrender yourselves.”

“You might as well just kill him,” the Emperor said without any hesitation, turning back to continue dealing with the remaining attackers.

He Chang’an sighed helplessly too, looking at Hua Chun. “Little brother, it’s not that your big brother and second brother won’t help — there’s nothing we can do.”

Trading the Emperor’s life for a subject’s life? What a joke.

Hua Chun was practically driven to tears with anger at this foolish assassin behind her — knowing full well this demand was impossible, why bring it up at all?

Watching the fighting continue, the man holding Hua Chun grew somewhat dazed, having never expected that kidnapping a prime minister would carry so little deterrent power. Now that they weren’t even paying attention to him, he had no idea what to do — just keep holding on? What was the point?

“Brother.” The person in his grasp spoke up, saying calmly, “Did you know? A blade to the neck actually doesn’t work — that’s why you can’t scare them.”

“What?” The man was startled.

“A cut to the neck can sometimes still be saved — after all, you might not hit the main artery precisely. The correct way to take a hostage should be to aim the blade at my heart.” Hua Chun spoke earnestly, then reached out and grabbed the man’s hand, guiding the dagger to point at her own chest. “That’s the right way, understand?”

What game was this? The man was confused, but thinking it over, it did make some sense — some people survived even after having their throats cut, but he’d never heard of anyone surviving a blade straight to the heart.

So he placed the blade against the prime minister’s chest and continued trying to figure out what to do.

He Chang’an and Yuwen Jie both kept an eye on this situation, and once they’d finished driving off the remaining assassins, they finally had time to turn and look this way.

Assassins fleeing down the stairs would be caught by the guards waiting outside, so they didn’t need to worry about that. The only concern now was this useless prime minister.

“There’s no escape for you,” Yuwen Jie said to the man. “Let him go.”

The man retreated repeatedly, his expression panicked, turning to look at the scene downstairs.

Taking advantage of this moment, Hua Chun pulled her right hand free, gripping a sharp hairpin, and thrust it back sharply!

“Ahh!” A scream echoed through the whole restaurant. The man, struck in a painful spot, tightened his grip on her without hesitation and stabbed viciously at her chest with the blade!

“Are you insane?!” Yuwen Jie’s eyes went wide, his face showing anxious concern for the first time.

He’d never seen such a foolish hostage — being held captive and yet still recklessly acting on her own, wasn’t that just asking to be killed? What on earth was going on in her head?

He Chang’an acted almost instantly, wanting to rush over to save her, but the distance was too great. Even after grabbing the man’s wrist, the blade still sank into Hua Jinghua’s chest.

Taking a sharp breath, he flung the man away and stared wide-eyed at Hua Jinghua.

The scene seemed to slow down suddenly. A flash of pain crossed those elegant, delicate features, then he looked at him, his gaze filled with a heart-wrenching tenderness.

Yuwen Jie frowned.

He heard the sharp clatter of the dagger hitting the floor, and saw Hua Jinghua’s body slowly turning. For a moment, he suddenly felt that what He Chang’an had said wasn’t wrong — Hua Jinghua truly was easy on the eyes, his gaze clear and tender, resembling a jade rabbit.

Suddenly, he wasn’t so annoyed by him anymore.

But now, it seemed… too late?

Clutching the blade lodged in her chest, Hua Chun slowly, gradually, quite theatrically, collapsed onto the nearby bench.

“Jinghua!” He Chang’an rushed over in anguish, supporting her shoulders.

Sworn brothers just made, and now facing eternal separation already? Why was heaven so cruel!

“I’m… fine.” Hua Chun looked at him weakly, then at the Emperor. “I’m relieved you two are unharmed.”

Yuwen Jie pursed his lips, walked over in a few steps to look at her, hesitated for a long while, then sighed.

“You are a good Prime Minister. I am not a good Emperor.”

“Your Majesty, don’t say that… you’re doing well.”

Yuwen Jie shook his head, closing his eyes. “I know my own temper. I’ve wronged you many times, I know that too.”

He simply couldn’t bring himself to admit it.

“This official is deeply gratified,” Hua Chun continued to smile weakly. “Your Majesty is a wise ruler, and even without this official, you will surely bring an era of prosperity to Great Liang.”

He Chang’an sighed. “Even now, still thinking of the Emperor?”

“There’s nothing else worth thinking of anyway.” Hua Chun closed her eyes, reaching a hand toward the Emperor, saying faintly, “Your Majesty is the heaven of all officials, and the heaven of the common people too…”

The last word trailed off, long and drawn out, her voice fading, and the hand suspended in midair suddenly dropped.

Yuwen Jie startled, quickly reaching to grab her hand, calling out in a low voice, “Prime Minister Hua!”

He Chang’an felt a wave of grief, feeling like he might cry.

But before he could work himself into a state of sorrow, right after the Emperor’s cry of “Prime Minister” faded, the person in his arms suddenly opened her eyes and sat up, cupping her hands in a bow.

“This official is here!”

He Chang’an: “…”

All the grief on Yuwen Jie’s face froze in place, staring at the person before him whose chest had a blade sticking out of it yet who had come back to life. He narrowed his eyes.

Faking death?

“No more joking with you two.” Hua Chun laughed and pulled out the dagger herself, then reached into her robe and fished out the bronze mirror.

The back of the hard bronze mirror had been pierced by the dagger — this thing wasn’t the metal or stone one might expect, but some strange mixture of scraps, no wonder it had been so cheap.

“I’m not that foolish — if I hadn’t known this thing was in my robe, I wouldn’t have dared take the risk.” Hua Chun smiled at the two men before her. “Impressive, aren’t I?”

He Chang’an was stunned for a long moment, covering his eyes with his hand. Beside him, Yuwen Jie withdrew every trace of expression from his face, and without another word, reached over and hoisted her up.

“Hey, hey?” Hua Chun was startled. “Second Brother, what are you doing?”

Striding toward the window ledge, Yuwen Jie showed no hesitation at all in preparing to throw her out! Joking around at the Emperor’s expense — she really had no regard for her life.

More importantly, he’d actually fallen for it!

This was unbearable!

“Waah!” The instant she was about to be thrown, every hair on Hua Chun’s body stood on end, and she immediately clung to the Emperor like an octopus, legs wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. “Second Brother, spare me!”

Her delicate, tender skin brushed against his neck, and Yuwen Jie’s face darkened even further.