The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 345 Preparing to Act

That night.

Outside, a cold wind swirled with snowflakes, rustling the cypress branches along the palace walls. Inside Yongfu Palace, however, the air was filled with the warmth of incense, and the underground heating was burning brightly.

Jing Anle took off her cloak and casually handed it to Afang beside her. After a long day of travel, the pearl hairpin in her hair swayed slightly, but there was no sign of fatigue between her brows; instead, her eyes were filled with an undisguised joy.

Yongping was to be sent back to the southern border in a few days, which was exactly what she expected.

But then, thinking of Consort Lin, Jing Anle couldn't help but wonder—such a perceptive and intelligent woman, yet she has been keeping a low profile in the palace these past few years, probably because she has no intention of vying for the emperor's favor and has deliberately hidden her brilliance.

"Princess, you've had a long day, you should rest." Afang took the cloak and, seeing the astonishing gleam in her eyes, couldn't help but gently advise her. The damage from the fall off the cliff and unconsciousness last time hadn't been fully recovered, and she really couldn't withstand such mental exhaustion.

Jing Anle nodded gently, letting Afang remove the hairpins and ornaments from her hair. Only when the cool fingertips touched her temples did she slowly close her eyes, but her mind was churning with thoughts.

Seeing her like this, Mu Ping knew that she was thinking about something, so she asked, "Is the princess pondering her next plan?"

Jing Anle raised her phoenix eyes slightly, her eyelashes trembling. The bloody remnants of her wedding night in her past life flooded her mind, and her temples throbbed with pain.

She suppressed the bitterness in her throat and asked calmly, "Does Mu Ping have any ideas?" She knew that Mu Ping would never speak up easily unless she had something in mind.

Mu Ping stood tall and straight like a pine tree, her gaze fixed on Jing Anle, her words resounding and forceful, “Now that the Crown Prince’s marriage is settled, the wedding banquet for Princess Rou and Qi Zhi will be held the day after tomorrow. Why not have Can’er take the opportunity to poison Princess Rou? At that time, the Jing and Qi kingdoms will surely be at war, and Qi will be too busy to help Prince Qing.”

Hearing this, Afang felt a surge of excitement and couldn't help but lean forward and whisper, "In my opinion, it would be better to just drug Prince Qing and end it all at once."

It's unclear when it started, but this usually cautious girl has begun to dare to chime in on their schemes, and every word she utters hits the nail on the head.

"I have thought about it too." Jing Anle's voice was very low, as if the sounds of fighting in her previous life were still echoing in her ears. She raised her hand and rubbed her throbbing temples.

Afang thought her words had upset her, and panicked immediately. "Princess, did I hurt you?"

“It’s alright.” Jing Anle’s voice was clear and cold, like jade striking each other. She slowly lowered her hand, her eyes deep. “If we kill Jing Rou directly, Jing Kingdom will definitely seek justice from Qi Kingdom. When two countries go to war, it is the common people who suffer in the end. Besides, Qi Kingdom has always been tyrannical. If we also lose Prince Qing, they might as well use the power of the whole country to flatten Jing Kingdom and end it all.”

In her past life, the blood feud involved not only her family's hatred but also the lives of countless soldiers and civilians. In this life, she must not repeat the same mistakes.

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling of the heating coils.

"It was my oversight; I was too hasty in my thinking," Mu Ping said after a long silence, her voice tinged with self-reproach.

"Then... what should we do?" Afang looked at Jing Anle anxiously.

Jing Anle suddenly curved his lips into a smile, a sly glint in his eyes, "There's one more person."

Afang looked puzzled, but Muping was startled and blurted out, "Murong Peifeng!"

That day, when Murong Peifeng was assassinated by Prince Qing's men, Jing Anle specifically asked her to save him, all for the sake of this move today.

“But he lost an arm…” Mu Ping hesitated, her tone tinged with doubt.

“He is not alone.” Jing Anle tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his voice filled with certainty. “He is not only the heir of the Pingchang Marquis’s mansion, but also has people from the Qi Kingdom behind him.”

In her past life, she was shocked to learn that Murong Peifeng was originally a prince of the Qi Kingdom who had been living abroad.

On the day of the bloodbath in the palace, how could there not have been Prince Qi's trusted confidants secretly protecting her? It's just that the person was extremely well hidden, and even she had never been able to find any trace of him.

"So the princess means to wait for the people behind Murong Peifeng to make a move?" Afang suddenly realized.

"But if something happens to Princess Rou, wouldn't it lead to war between the two countries?" She was still puzzled.

Mu Ping reacted quickly, lowering her voice even further, "Murong Peifeng wouldn't be so foolish as to make a move at the princess's wedding residence, which would be tantamount to inviting trouble. But once he leaves the territory of Jing Kingdom... then it will be a completely different story."

Jing Anle nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly what she had in mind. Murong Peifeng had his arm crippled, was being hunted down by Prince Qing, and was betrayed by Jing Rou. With these three resentments weighing on his heart, how could he let it go?

“Besides, besides Murong Peifeng, there are also Consort Li’s people.” Jing Anle picked up the hot tea on the table, the rising steam blurring her features. “She won’t just let the pain of childbirth go. We’ll just wait and see what the show will be like the day after tomorrow.”

Everything went exactly as Jing Anle had predicted.

Inside a secret room in the Pingchang Marquis's residence.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the man's pale face. He had been sitting there for days, and before him was the auspicious time for Jing Rou and Qi Zhi's wedding.

His fingertips traced the thin, gossamer-like human skin mask on the table, a cold smile playing on his lips, while his eyes churned with boundless hatred.

Both being princes of the Qi Kingdom, why is it that Qi Zhi was born into a life of luxury and privilege, while he was forced to wander in a foreign land?

He slowly touched the jade pendant at his waist; it felt warm to the touch, yet it caused him excruciating pain.

This was a gift from Jing Rou herself. He once thought that this woman was his hope and the love of his life. But he never expected that the person he cherished would eventually fall into the arms of his most hated enemy, and even join forces to kill him.

Since that's the case, then don't blame him for being ruthless.

The wedding banquet the day after tomorrow... he wanted to see if that perfect couple could still smile.