Imperial Husband Chapter 1

Sssst.

Li Jin stared blankly at Shen Ningyu, who had plunged a dagger into his heart.

Shen Ningyu glared at Li Jin with hatred, gritting her teeth as she said, "Li Jin, if it weren't for your mother meddling back then, using her own life to frame her, how could Brother Zhou's mother have been wrongly accused and driven out of the prince's residence? And this heir position rightfully belonged to Brother Zhou. Brother Zhou is only taking back what he is owed, so why are you still scheming against him? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs? Or did you do all this to force me and Brother Zhou apart? Li Jin, you are too shameless. I must have been completely blind to have ever had any favorable feelings for you."

Shen Ningyu's accusations, which turned right and wrong upside down, completely extinguished the slight fondness Li Jin still held for her, and his gaze gradually turned cold.

"Is this your reason for betraying me, even going so far as to poison me?"

Li Jin slowly closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, his face deathly pale.

Although he had relied on his remaining influence to evade several waves of assassins sent by Zhou Yanchen and the Third Prince Ying Ziqi, whom he had once wholeheartedly supported—unfortunately, Li Jin's body was like an arrow at the end of its flight. Coupled with being poisoned by Shen Ningyu, who had always pretended to be on his side, he had ended up in this wretched state.

[强弩之末 (qiáng nǔ zhī mò): lit. an arrow at the end of its flight; fig. a force that has been exhausted after reaching its peak]

Perhaps it was because Li Jin was inherently cold by nature, but his feelings for Shen Ningyu had always been only a faint liking, nothing more. And precisely because of this, he was able to maintain his rationality in facing Shen Ningyu.

"I did not betray you. From the beginning, I have been on Brother Zhou's side. Staying by your side all this time was merely enduring humiliation to accomplish my goal."

Shen Ningyu did not conceal her disgust for Li Jin, displaying it all on her face.

Li Jin laughed. "Shen Ningyu, you were the one who said it was love at first sight. You were the one who begged the Emperor for the marriage decree at all costs. You were the one who swore you would never betray me. Don't you find your words ridiculous?"

"I was merely pursuing my own happiness. I did nothing wrong," Shen Ningyu interrupted Li Jin. In her shame and anger, she pulled the dagger out of Li Jin's body and stabbed him repeatedly, turning him into a bloody mess.

"Ningyu, don't dirty your hands. Leave him to the Third Prince for disposal. Li Jin is already a useless cripple and won't live much longer." Zhou Yanchen emerged from the shadows, looking down at Li Jin with a contemptuous gaze.

"Brother Zhou, you're here?"

With a clatter.

The dagger in Shen Ningyu's hand immediately fell to the ground, and her face gradually turned pale. "I... I didn't..."

"Ningyu, thank you for everything you've done for me."

Zhou Yanchen put on a deeply affectionate expression, took Shen Ningyu's hand, and gently rubbed it.

Shen Ningyu said in disbelief, "Brother Zhou, you... you knew?"

"Mm." Zhou Yanchen nodded solemnly and pulled Shen Ningyu into an embrace, using actions to express himself. However, the corner of his eye never left Li Jin.

See? Not only is your heir position mine, but your fiancee is also mine. I am the final victor.

"He must have won, right?"

Li Jin ignored Zhou Yanchen's provocation and looked thoughtfully in a certain direction.

Hearing Li Jin's seemingly nonsensical words, Zhou Yanchen felt a trace of unease rise in his heart. "What do you mean by that?"

"Cough cough... What do you think?"

Li Jin opened his eyes and looked expressionlessly at Zhou Yanchen.

"Li Jin, speak quickly. What exactly have you done?" Zhou Yanchen's unease grew stronger because of Li Jin's indifferent attitude.

Li Jin curled his lips, showing no intention of answering.

"Fine, well done." Zhou Yanchen was enraged by Li Jin's attitude. He pushed Shen Ningyu away, drew the sword at his waist, and brutally chopped off Li Jin's left hand.

Li Jin immediately bit his lower lip but maintained the same cold demeanor.

Having already endured so many stabs from Shen Ningyu, Li Jin had long grown accustomed to the pain. How could he possibly beg Zhou Yanchen for mercy?

As he said this, Zhou Yanchen brutally chopped off Li Jin's right hand. "Let's see how long you can hold on."

Zhou Yanchen had been jealous and even bitterly resentful of Li Jin from the very beginning. They were both the Prince's sons, so why could Li Jin be born with everything, while he had to live as a commoner who suffered endless bullying?

Suddenly.

Shen Ningyu, her lips purple, grabbed Zhou Yanchen's arm. "Bro... Brother Zhou..."

"Ningyu, you... you've been poisoned... Uh... How did I..." Zhou Yanchen immediately recognized the poison from Shen Ningyu's lips. Just as he was about to ask in detail, he found his own body suddenly feeling very unwell. Soon after, he painfully spat out a mouthful of black blood.

"How does being poisoned feel?"

Li Jin's voice suddenly sounded, causing Zhou Yanchen to stiffen his back and open his eyes wide in disbelief. "It was you? You poisoned us?"

Knowing Li Jin had deep methods, Zhou Yanchen had always acted very cautiously, often using Shen Ningyu's hand to do things. How could he still have been poisoned?

"Yes... Cough cough... It's a pity... there isn't enough time..."

Li Jin looked once more in a certain direction.

Sorry, it seems I have broken our promise.

Thud.

At the very moment Li Jin could no longer endure and closed his eyes for the last time, a masked man, shrouded in a fierce and murderous aura, burst into the room. In a voice filled with terror and desperation, he screamed, "Li Jin!"