Chapter 545.1: A Tragic Assassination
Jing Wan turned her head and whispered something by Li Hong Yuan’s ear.
Li Hong Yuan put down the wine cup, “I’ll go with you.”
Jing Wan ‘carefully’ glanced at Le Cheng Emperor. On the surface, it was wanting to seek Le Cheng Emperor’s approval, but in reality, she also got somewhat led astray by a certain someone, just wanting to see Le Cheng Emperor ‘change face’.
However, Le Cheng Emperor decided to ignore to the end, so Jing Wan felt a bit regretful.
When the subjects faced the heavenly son, to avoid losing one’s manners before the ruler, they would even drink very little of water. Speaking of which, it was also quite miserable.
Jing Wan came out after ‘changing’, her hands still a little damp from the water.
Li Hong Yuan stood under the corridor with his hands behind his back, looking up at the clear moon in the night sky, quiet and tranquil. Together with the flowers and trees outside the corridor, it was like a beautiful picture scroll, beautiful beyond imagination, yet it also had the feeling of ‘only viewable at a distance and must not be disturbed’.
Just, when he turned around, he naturally revealed a shallow smile. That sense of distance instantly disappeared.
Li Hong Yuan extended his hand towards Jing Wan. Jing Wan had her hand placed into his palm, the fingers interlocking. Under the moonlight, their foreheads pressed together, the tip of the nose touching, the feeling too wonderful. “Ah Yuan, don’t want to go back anymore.”
“Then we’ll just not go back. How about directly leaving the palace and returning to the manor, or go to the lantern market to view lanterns. If lucky, perhaps can even run into the Luo family.” In any case, Li Hong Yuan was very clear, as long as it didn’t touch upon the throne, that good imperial father’s tolerance towards him was practically high to an extreme. To not nicely make use of it, he would all feel sorry for himself.
“Better not, although you have long had his face swept clean, it’s still best to slightly settle down a little.”
How to put it, a certain someone was that high-key, promoting his existence at anytime and anywhere, but in reality, it was ‘being conspicuous to try to hide something’, just not that many people knew. Secretly seizing the throne, playing this skillfully, from the past to present, how many were there like this? However, to have the luck to start over from the beginning, how many were there? Thinking of it like this, one seemingly was able to accept even more.
“What does it matter, not—–” Li Hong Yuan’s voice suddenly came to a halt, looking towards the imperial gardens where the banquet was arranged, slightly narrowing his eyes. His senses sure enough were right. However, to actually play such a hand…..
Li Hong Yuan coldly sneered.
“What’s wrong?” Jing Wan was confused, similarly looking towards that direction.
“An incident occurred, from the sounds of it, should be assassins appearing at the banquet.” Li Hong Yuan calmly said.
Jing Wan’s eyes slightly widened, suddenly tightly grasping Li Hong Yuan’s hand, “Something occurring right when we just happened to leave our seats, will this matter get framed onto us?” Things that were already calculated, that won’t just be a coincidence.
TN: All
“It’s fine.” Because uncertain how many assassins came, and Li Hong Yuan also just brought two bodyguards into the palace, in addition to Jing Wan’s current situation being special, with the slightest mishap all possibly causing problems, Li Hong Yuan simply didn’t plan on going over.
Jing Wan obviously made out his thoughts, “Ah Yuan, arriving late and not arriving are two separate matters.”
“I know, but all those people added together still can’t compare with a single finger of yours.”
“Being cherished as such by you, I’m very happy, but if we really do this, then afterwards, afraid it will be very troublesome for us. The assassins won’t be a squadron, no matter how many, it won’t be that much.” At important times, Jing Wan’s IQ was absolutely intact.
Li Hong Yuan furrowed his brows, “Then you must tightly follow by my side.”
“Don’t worry.”
Li Hong Yuan held Jing Wan’s hand, and behind them followed Gong mama, Hei Mei, and also two guards.
As they got closer, Jing Wan also heard the noise, the clamor increasingly distinct.
Two people suddenly charged out from the side, just happening to directly run into Jing Wan’s party. Those two people first blanked, probably not expecting to encounter this kind of situation, but shortly after, they revealed a vicious glint, bringing their arm horizontal before their chest. The dagger that somewhat glowed blue under the light, clearly having been smeared with poison, further carrying bloodstains, quickly flew towards Jing Wan and them.
Speaking of which, similar scenarios, Jing Wan had encountered more than once before, so on the surface, she didn’t panic either. Just, her hand that was holding Li Hong Yuan’s slightly squeezed tighter. Li Hong Yuan’s thumb lightly caressed the back of her hand in console.
Gong mama and Hei Mei didn’t move.
The two bodyguards went forward without the slightest fear.
As a qinwang, although when entering the palace, one can bring two bodyguards, they still can’t carry weapons.
Empty hands and fists against two assassins holding poison daggers, not even knowing what kind of poison was on that dagger…….
If it was slow-acting poison, then it was still okay, but if the kind to act upon drawing blood, then even a tiny cut might make one lose one’s life.
Li Hong Yuan’s two bodyguards both came from the shadow guards, so dealing with this kind of sly and crafty assassination method, compared to traditional martial arts, they were further adept in. Going back and forth, Jing Wan although didn’t understand that well, she still discovered that the two from their manor had the upper hand. However, due to the other party’s poison dagger, they were somewhat unable to go all out, else they might’ve already had the person taken down.
Those two people’s attire was truly too distinct. Merely just a glance, one was able to make out their identity, a dancer and a eunuch that delivered dishes from the imperial kitchen. Clearly both the type that appeared weak and vulnerable, yet at this very moment, they were nevertheless exceptionally vicious. The two bodyguards of Jin Qinwang Manor although didn’t draw blood, their clothes nevertheless got cut up in quite a few places.
In a blink of an eye, they’ve already fought several rounds.
Very soon, Yu Zhong Qing brought several imperial guards over in pursuit. Seeing the present scene, he just joined in without a second word. They have blades at hand, and also occupied the absolute advantage in numbers, so having the assassins taken down was just a matter of time.
Just as Jing Wan was intently watching, Li Hong Yuan suddenly let go of her hand, grabbing her waist and pulling back.
A shining blade sliced towards Jing Wan and them. Turns out, among the imperial guards, there were also assassins. Right when the two sides were clashing like fire and water, one of them suddenly turned towards Jing Wan and them.
However, the assassin perhaps thought that they’d divided their attention, but Li Hong Yuan never once relaxed his guard. At times like this, he only trusted himself, even sparing some attention for his back.
Li Hong Yuan hurriedly backed away with Jing Wan, but there was two of them after all, so their movements were hindered. As the other party’s sharp blade moved in closer, he suddenly turned his body along with Jing Wan, and the assassin’s blade sliced through the air. Shortly after, Li Hong Yuan’s leg kicked the other party’s wrist, the blade clearly changing directions, but it didn’t drop. Stealing a glance, turns out, the assassin directly had the blade handle tied to the hand.
However, Li Hong Yuan’s kick was also more than enough to give the other party a fracture. With such intense pain, how can they still continue using the blade?
To the extent that Li Hong Yuan all didn’t make another move.
The assassin just thought that he’d gotten looked down on. Grabbing the opportunity, his other hand reached into his clothes. However, before he could take out the dagger in his clothes, his eyes suddenly widened, penetrating with disbelief. Shortly after, his eyes met with a pair of cold and emotionless eyes. And the owner of that pair of eyes was actually a middle-aged woman. The assassin carried grievances, the body going limp and collapsing onto the ground.
Things although happened very quickly, Jing Wan still made out what happened. Clearly, it was that assassin just paying attention to them, just seeing that her husband didn’t make another move, but never thought that Gong mama would suddenly come out from the back side. This fast of a speed, it was Jing Wan first time seeing on Gong mama.
Gong mama’s left hand held the hairpin, while her right hand reached into the assassin’s clothes, and at the same time when the hairpin pierced into the other party’s neck, that dagger got shifted by Gong mama, directly stabbing into his body.
Gong mama pulled back, not pulling out the hairpin.
This kind of scene, it wasn’t the first time seeing, but for Jing Wan, it was still a little shocking. However, Jing Wan’s gaze never once averted, watching the person on the ground gradually stop breathing, a pool of fresh blood quickly forming underneath, and the blood from the neck also spilled out nonstop along the hairpin. It was obvious, these two places both injured the main artery for it to cause this kind of outcome.
Just, wasn’t the hairpin’s destructive power a little too strong? Jing Wan suddenly thought of a possibility, what if this hairpin’s shape was the tri-edge thorn? Jing Wan had her gaze shifted towards the place where the hairpin and the assassin’s neck connected. Because her eyesight was pretty good, even if the lighting wasn’t strong, she was still able to clearly make out, and just as expected!
“Great Commander!”
A startled cry had Jing Wan’s gaze drawn over. Yu Zhong Qing’s body fell forward, his back firmly taking a strike of the blade. However, his reaction was also quick enough, swiftly turning around and blocking the second strike.
Yu Zhong Qing’s eyes turned cold. Even if the other party was once a ‘brother’ under him, this while, he still didn’t show any mercy.
Jing Wan’s hand also clenched tightly along with. It was obvious to see that among the imperial guards, there wasn’t just one person with problems. Just, under the circumstances earlier, everyone all thought that there was just one. The second one suddenly causing trouble, even making a move behind the back, it made one unable to guard against. Perhaps it was knowing that going for Li Hong Yuan and Jing Wan wasn’t likely to succeed, so just chose Yu Zhong Qing.
The ‘dancer’ and ‘little eunuch’ from earlier were already spent, getting quickly taken down. A few imperial guards went back to go help Yu Zhong Qing, and perhaps because of anger, that person directly got hacked to death.
And once everything all ended, each and every one just blankly stood in place. However, the good brothers that once wrapped arms around each other’s shoulder when free, idly chatting together, this while, subconsciously guarded against each other instead, even unknowingly feeling at a loss for what to do. It was obvious, because of the matter just now, they became somewhat startled, treating everyone as an enemy.
“You all are meticulously selected imperial guards, having his Majesty’s deep trust, defending the imperial palace’s safety. But look at you all right now, what are you all like? Previously because of the chaos and confusion, thus let others seize the opportunity, but now, could it be that you still can’t distinguish whether or not the person by your side is your own brother?” Yu Zhong Qing wasn’t speaking in a harsh manner, his tone still calm. And because of this steadiness, it made the remaining imperial guards all return to their sense, very quickly recovering.
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