Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Sending Him a Message, Running into the Wolf’s Den
The little one in her arms stiffened.
Ji Qingwu said, "But don’t be afraid. I’ll be right here with you."
She whispered a few more words in his ear.
Within the entire Phoenix Palace, the most heavily guarded place was the Diligent Governance Hall, where the Emperor resided.
Even when Emperor Wu Su was absent, the hall contained state secrets of Beili and was always protected by a heavy contingent of guards.
These assassins had snuck into the palace secretly; they didn’t have the strength to launch a frontal assault.
All she had to do was get Yuan Heng to the Diligent Governance Hall up ahead, and the Imperial Guards there would be more than enough to eliminate these assassins.
The wind outside rustled the paper on the windows, making soft, scraping sounds.
Ji Qingwu took the bow and arrow set that was hanging on the study wall.
It was a bow made for a child of Yuan Heng’s age. She pulled hard on the bowstring, testing its strength.
Compared to the Xuanyuan Bow from Jiyin Hall, this was far too light.
The lighter it was, the less powerful it would be. It couldn’t deliver a fatal shot and could only serve as a deterrent. A bow was a long-range weapon; if it came to close-quarters combat, they would be in serious trouble.
Ji Qingwu looked back at the little one and asked, "Are you ready?"
Yuan Heng picked up his small sword from its rack. His expression showed not a trace of fear as he nodded. "I’m ready."
Ji Qingwu took a deep breath. Just as she reached the door, it was kicked open.
The moment she heard the sound, she swiftly drew her bow and nocked an arrow, but she wasn’t as fast as the figures entering. Like two shadows, they flashed before her eyes.
"Your subordinates greet Your Highness and Miss Ji." Two deep male voices reached her ears.
Ji Qingwu was on the verge of releasing the arrow.
Only then did she see their faces clearly. It was Sanchuan and Si Hai who had come in.
Seeing one of the Hidden Guards, a look of clear, pleasant surprise appeared in Ji Qingwu’s eyes.
"Sanchuan, it’s great that you’re here too."
Si Hai snorted indignantly.
Ji Qingwu had a feeling Si Hai would always be following her, but she hadn’t been sure if Sanchuan was still around. Her heart settled slightly.
"With both of you here, our chances are much better."
Sanchuan said, "Miss Ji, assassins have infiltrated the palace."
Ji Qingwu said, "They’re from Xijin, aren’t they?"
Sanchuan was surprised Miss Ji had so keenly sensed this; they had only identified the assassins as being from Xijin by the hidden weapons found on a murdered eunuch.
Sanchuan said, "They must have snuck in during the changing of the guard this morning."
Ji Qingwu’s eyes widened. "Does that mean there could be Xijin agents among the guards, too?"
’This is terrible. Running to the Diligent Governance Hall might mean running right into a wolf’s den. The original plan won’t work.’
Sanchuan said, "That’s a possibility, but their numbers should be small—fewer than ten."
Ji Qingwu felt it was a risk she couldn’t take.
"What’s your assessment of these assassins’ skill level?"
Sanchuan replied, "Judging by the wounds, they’re clearly hand-picked experts."
Si Hai added, "Compared to us, they’re still a notch below."
A glint appeared in Ji Qingwu’s eyes. "Could one of you take on five? Is there any hope?"
Si Hai turned his head and said nothing. Sanchuan replied sheepishly, "Miss Ji, for one of us to fight two would already be a stretch."
Ji Qingwu lowered her gaze. ’The situation is dire. Even if we fight to the death, our chances of winning are slim.’
These assassins were most likely Death Warriors, willing to do whatever it takes to complete their mission.
Ji Qingwu asked softly, "Do you know when His Majesty is returning to the palace?"
Hearing her question, Si Hai’s expression turned strange. He glanced up at her, then quickly looked away.
Sanchuan’s lips twitched, but he managed to answer calmly, "According to the original plan, the Master’s carriage will arrive at the palace gates at 7 p.m."
’7 p.m.? That’s too late.’
Ji Qingwu’s mind was in turmoil, so she failed to notice anything amiss in his answer.
She walked to the table and pressed her hand on its rosewood surface, pondering. "Do you have any trusted contacts in the palace?"
Sanchuan replied, "We are not in the same division as the Imperial Guard. We do not know them."
Unless something unexpected happened, Hidden Guards were meant to protect their master from the shadows for their entire lives. They were lifetime phantoms who had no interaction with the palace guards.
Ji Qingwu tapped her fingers on the table. "Find a way to get a message to Wei Ting."
Wei Ting had been demoted and was now guarding the city gates every day. He didn’t have the status to accompany the Emperor to the Emperor Temple.
But in the entire Imperial City, he was the only highly skilled martial artist she could trust.
However, the assassins outside had no intention of giving them a chance to call for reinforcements.
The sound of scattered footsteps came from outside. Sanchuan and Si Hai suddenly leaped up to the roof beams.
Ji Qingwu pulled Yuan Heng behind a bookshelf, her grip tightening on the bow. A white-feathered arrow was already nocked on the string.
The assassins didn’t rush in. Instead, the window paper was pierced from the outside, and several wisps of green smoke drifted in.
Ji Qingwu’s nose twitched.
She quickly fumbled in her sleeve for a small vial, took out a red pill, and gave it to Yuan Heng to swallow before tossing one into her own mouth.
Then she threw the vial up to the two men on the beams.
She whispered, "These are anti-poison pills. Hide yourselves well and don’t make a move."
The assassins outside waited for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before pushing the door open and entering.
Ji Qingwu’s wrist was already aching. In her mind, she reviewed the core principle of archery: become one with the bow.
The instant the door opened, she shot an arrow through a gap in the bookshelf.
It struck one of the assassins squarely in the left side of his chest.
Although it was a few inches from his heart, blood gushed from the wound, and he immediately lost the ability to move.
Ji Qingwu wiped her sweaty palms on her sash. ’At least that’s one down.’
The other five assassins all closed in on the direction the arrow had come from.
Ji Qingwu had already hidden Yuan Heng inside a book chest. To avoid revealing his position, she stepped out, bow in hand.
She knew in her heart that she could only have landed a shot like that when they had just entered, unsure of her position and at their most vulnerable.
Now that her location was exposed, she wouldn’t get another chance.
The men had already changed into the uniforms of palace guards and were all wearing masks.
The tallest of the five walked at the front.
Seeing Ji Qingwu reveal herself, he spoke first. "Hand over the Prince, and we can spare your life."
A faint smile played on Ji Qingwu’s lips. "If you back off now, I can spare your lives as well."
The leader laughed heartily. "You’re an arrogant woman. Hitting one of us shows you have some skill, but on your own, you can’t possibly kill the rest of us."
Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow, her tone light. "But isn’t one of you already down?"
"To use a local saying, if you won’t do this the easy way, we’ll do it the hard way. So don’t blame me for getting rough with a pretty woman."
Confident in his superior martial arts and unafraid of her bow, the leader saw her delicate frame as easy to overpower and reached out to grab her.
Ji Qingwu snapped, "I was talking to him! Who gave you permission to interrupt?"
She raised the white-feathered arrow in her right hand and pointed it at the man behind him and to his right.
"He is your real master."
Ji Qingwu stared directly into his silver-gray eyes, which had a hint of blue.
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