Chapter 41 - Assassination

assassination

However, they wouldn't eat venison continuously. Not to mention Emperor Kangxi, all the princes and guards were quite young, and eating too much would cause them to suffer from internal heat every day.

Today is the last day of the hunt, and we had barbecue outside for lunch.

Emperor Kangxi felt hot and bothered just looking at the roasting meat on the fire.

Eating dry and parched food day after day for several days would be unbearable for anyone.

"Make a stew." After giving the order, Kangxi strolled towards the bushes nearby.

The prince and his guards also got up and followed behind him.

In autumn, you can find food wherever there are plants, and there are also many berries in the bushes, both yellow and red.

When Emperor Kangxi saw a fruit he recognized, he instructed Liang Jiugong to pick it for him to have as a dessert.

Although we brought out a lot of fruit, the outside world had a unique wild charm.

After walking for a while, there were tall trees further in. Kangxi turned around and was about to lead his men back.

Suddenly, I heard a whooshing sound and instinctively turned my head to the left. I saw an iron needle driven into a small tree on the left, the needle gleaming with a faint blue light.

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!" Liang Jiugong shouted with practiced ease, then stood in front of Kangxi.

Several poisoned needles flew in, leaving a gash in the guards who hadn't yet surrounded them. The needles were aimed straight at the princes' faces, but fortunately, they were all skilled in martial arts, and with a flick of their scabbards, they knocked the needles away.

Knowing that the poison dart wouldn't work, dozens of people rushed out of the woods, all dressed in comfortable clothes.

Standing behind the crowd, Emperor Kangxi could tell where they came from just by looking at their clothes.

They must be barbarians from the north, they made no attempt to conceal themselves.

They must have been badly beaten by the eldest and seventh brothers, so they're trying to launch a desperate counterattack.

"Kill them on the spot."

Kangxi calmly spoke, took the bow and arrow from Liang Jiugong's back, raised his hand to draw the bow, and shot an arrow like a flash of light, swiftly piercing the body of an assassin, leaving a trail of blood on the ground. The fletching trembled, showing the great force used.

They weren't afraid of wrongly accusing anyone; they were either barbarians or remnants of the previous dynasty. Anyone dressed like this to assassinate someone must have made thorough preparations.

After a fierce battle, the guards examined them and found tattoos on all of them.

The design features a wolf, consistent with the group of barbarians who distributed the poison.

"Take it back." Emperor Kangxi examined it himself.

It was not a good place to stay any longer, so he turned to leave, but then he heard Yinreng exclaim, "Father!"

Kangxi was pushed aside, and pain shot through his arm as blood gushed out.

Before he even turned around, he smelled a strong stench of blood. Turning around, he saw a gash on Yinreng's neck, with blood gushing out like a waterfall cascading down a cliff.

The princes standing beside Yinreng pressed their hands against the wound, their sleeves stained red with blood.

Meanwhile, the assassin dressed as a guard, who appeared out of nowhere, had already been pinned to the side.

"Summon the imperial physician!" Kangxi squatted down, ignoring his own wounds, and placed his hand on the other man's neck.

Yinreng felt difficulty breathing and could only make a "heh heh" sound when he tried to catch his breath. The rapid loss of blood caused his limbs to tremble uncontrollably.

He groped for Kangxi's arm, veins bulging on his forehead, and finally uttered a few words, "The...Crown Princess..."

Although the Crown Princess was not his favorite, at the most critical moment, he still remembered that she had just given birth.

"Don't be afraid, it's alright, the imperial physician is coming soon," Kangxi said, pulling the imperial physician over.

Fortunately, the imperial physicians who accompanied him on the hunt were experienced in treating serious injuries. After checking the amount of bleeding, they were sweating nervously, but quickly put a piece of ginseng under Yinreng's tongue.

"The wound shouldn't be too big. Cover it with gauze to stop the bleeding, and I'll prepare to suture it." Although the imperial physician was confident, he still said in advance, "However, when suturing, the blood will gush out and obstruct the view. We must wipe it away. The Crown Prince will lose too much blood and faint temporarily. We need to ask the imperial physicians in the camp to prepare the medicine."

Kangxi waved his hand, and Liang Jiugong, understanding the meaning, rode back to the camp.

After Liang Jiugong and several guards returned, everyone else also learned of the dangerous incident that had occurred outside.

Chen Guanxue was telling Consort Tong that she would ask the kitchen to make a pot of chicken soup tonight when Runxi ran in.

"My lord, someone saw Eunuch Liang return on horseback, covered in blood, and most of the imperial physicians were also taken away."

This was not good news. Just as she was about to ask, Liang Jiugong requested an audience.

Liang Jiugong recounted what had happened, and then added, "His Majesty only suffered minor injuries, with a little blood on his arm. The imperial physician also said that the Crown Prince is fine, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be good if the Crown Princess found out."

"I will send someone back with a message right away. Eunuch Liang, you may go and keep watch over the Emperor." Consort Tong nodded knowingly.

The Crown Princess had just given birth and was still in her postpartum period. Her health was already poor, and if she were to be startled, something bad might happen.

Consort Tong handled such matters with even greater care. After bidding farewell to Chen Guanxue, she made arrangements in response to the urgency of the situation.

Chen Guanxue sat there, still not having reacted, unsure how to respond.

Emperor Kangxi was assassinated, and the Crown Prince was seriously injured.

She had no memory of it.

Why is this happening?

Why are the events different from what she knows? Is it because of her?

Chen Guanxue thought about it and realized it didn't seem to concern her.

But upon closer reflection, it might be related to the medicine found in Changchun Garden before, and it could also be considered to have some connection to me.

But is it possible to say that she implicated Emperor Kangxi? Weren't they all there for Emperor Kangxi?

The more she thought about this problem, the more confused she became, and in the end, she just sat there blankly.

Runxi saw her frown and gently called her name.

Chen Guanxue shook her head, "It's nothing. Go and ask Granny Cha to bring Fushou over."

Although he was right next door, the camp was in a bit of a mess right now, and we couldn't let anyone take advantage of the situation.

Emperor Kangxi and his entourage returned quickly, and the ministers and concubines were relieved to see Kangxi riding on horseback.

Seeing the princes covered in blood as they followed the carried crown prince into the camp, my heart, which had been at ease, tightened again.

Let's hope nothing really happens.

Regardless of their previous intentions, most people now pray that nothing bad will happen to Yinreng.

The assassination attempt on the crown prince, which nearly cost him his life, was not only a matter of national pride but also a matter of the very foundation of the nation.

The crown prince has not yet ascended the throne, and his previous infighting with his brothers has already caused quite a bit of trouble. If the crown prince falls, the remaining princes will probably all want to vie for the throne.

Emperor Kangxi was still in his prime, and his sons were fighting amongst themselves. His ministers dared not imagine what kind of ruthless methods he would use to suppress them.

Inside Yinreng's tent, Kangxi relaxed after all the imperial physicians said that the crown prince was not in immediate danger. He then instructed the physicians to take good care of him and took his sons out.

Kangxi stood in the tent, looking at the map hanging behind the table, and said in a deep voice, "Go and investigate who is so bold as to do this."

"Your subject obeys the decree." The princes dared not utter a sound and left to carry out the order.

Upon hearing the news of Kangxi's return, Chen Guanxue stood outside and only entered the tent after everyone else had left.

Kangxi did not turn around when he heard the voice, but instead eliminated the suspects in his mind one by one.

It's impossible for a group of barbarians to have assassins infiltrate the hunting grounds. There are patrols around the hunting grounds, and at times like this, there are guards almost every ten steps.

Then the only option left is an inside man.

It's hard to say whether the assassins were remnants of the previous dynasty or remnants of rebels.

But one goal is clear: all the spies placed in the palace must be eliminated.

Perhaps he was arrogant and shouldn't have let those people get away with it.

Today he and the crown prince are injured; tomorrow they may die.

He might also target someone he cherishes.

Kangxi turned around and saw Chen Guanxue standing there. He smiled and said casually, "What are you doing standing there? Come here."

Seeing the slight redness in the corner of his eyes, Chen Guanxue went over and took his arm. It had been re-bandaged, but bloodstains were still visible on his sleeve.

"Crown Prince..."

Before she could speak, Kangxi said, "It's nothing serious, just excessive blood loss. We'll see if she can get through the fever in the coming days."

Getting a fever from an infection can be very dangerous.

Chen Guanxue sighed, "If Your Majesty is worried, he can go and guard the Crown Prince."

How could I not care when the child I raised is still not out of danger?

Perhaps he felt that he shouldn't be so concerned about the Crown Prince now.

"With the Crown Princess not by his side, the Emperor is the Crown Prince's closest person. As long as the Emperor eats and sleeps on time, it is only right for him to stay by the Crown Prince's side until he recovers."

Chen Guanxue didn't want him to lose his other feelings because of her, nor did she want him to harbor resentment towards Fushou in the future should something happen to the Crown Prince.

He's very petty.

"I know." Kangxi tightened his grip and buried his face in her neck.

He was extreme; after realizing his own feelings, he was devoted to Chen Guanxue and also wanted to show extreme fatherly affection to Fushou.

Even though the crown prince was injured in front of him, he still couldn't bear to leave him.

Kangxi held her in his arms, silently pouring out his heart and shedding silent tears.

It wasn't until Chen Guanxue's legs were a little numb from standing that he patted him on the back.

In the days that followed, Kangxi practically lived in the Crown Prince's tent, personally feeding him medicine every day and ordering the imperial physicians to stay by his side at all times.

The investigation continued, and people were filled with anxiety. Even though the news that the Crown Prince was only slightly injured was still being investigated, people still managed to find out more.

The Crown Princess was still in her postpartum period when she went hunting at Changchun Garden. When Consort Tong sent someone to deliver a message, she sensed something was wrong. Upon hearing from her clansmen that the Crown Prince had been unconscious for several days, she almost fainted herself.

Changchun Garden was in complete chaos at this moment.

The Crown Princess was almost out of her postpartum period when she fainted from shock and even suffered severe bleeding due to a torn wound.

Imperial physicians were still stationed at Changchun Garden, and they all did their utmost to prevent the Crown Princess from dying.

However, the news that the Crown Princess's health had deteriorated and she could no longer conceive reached Emperor Kangxi's ears.

"well.".

The Crown Prince also woke up at this time, and upon hearing about the Crown Princess's condition, he sighed repeatedly.

Emperor Kangxi felt sorry for the couple and rewarded them with a lot of gifts, sending them to Changchun Garden.

Once the Crown Prince woke up, the other princes had finished their investigations. Before Kangxi had even returned, he began beheading and confiscating the property of a group of people who were implicated.

This time, there was no exile; anyone involved in assassination was executed along with their entire family.

The reason for not executing nine generations of relatives is that there are too many people involved; killing a bunch of chickens to scare the monkeys is enough.