Chapter 402 Assassination

Jiang Yu was unaware that someone had plotted to kill her. Upon returning to her office from the palace, she began arranging for people to review the case files. The people she recommended to the emperor were her own people, led by her cousin Lu Shaocheng. The people the emperor added were from the Cheng'en Marquis's family.

Looking at the names of several people from the Chengen Marquis's lineage, Jiang Yu was at a loss for words. The Emperor was truly fickle. He was incredibly wary of the Empress and the Chengen Marquis's household back then, but when the Second Prince died under mysterious circumstances, he simply had someone conduct a cursory investigation and brushed it off. Now he's starting to heavily rely on the Chengen Marquis again, which proves that the Chengen Marquis has no ambition, and that he trusts the Chengen Marquis completely.

But wouldn't the Marquis of Chengen and the Empress harbor some resentment? If it were her, she certainly would. It's just a matter of when their pent-up grievances will finally erupt.

Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Jiang Yu picked up a pen and wrote a letter, handing it to Xia He, "to be delivered personally to the Minister of Rites."

The investigation of the case files needs to be conducted in secrecy. Yesterday's visit to the imperial storehouse could be covered up with an excuse, but if a large group of people entered the storehouse, it would definitely arouse the suspicion of Pu Tonghe and the Prime Minister. They might already be suspicious, so we need to speed things up. We need to find the evidence before Pu Tonghe and the Prime Minister react. All of this requires the cooperation of the Minister of Rites.

Hopefully, the Minister of Rites is not one of the Prime Minister's men.

Xia He took the letter and left. Jiang Yu then issued a series of instructions, aiming to begin reviewing the case files by tomorrow. The day was filled with activity; having arranged everything, it was well past her shift's end time. She stood up to stretch her slightly stiff body, then deftly tidied the documents on her desk and packed them into her bag.

Seeing that Xia He had finished getting ready, Jiang Yu stepped outside. Only after she stepped outside did she realize it was already dark. She got into her sedan chair and instructed the bearers to hurry, and the group left the government office. Because night had fallen, there weren't many pedestrians on the street. Even those few who were walking hurried along.

Jiang Yu sat in the sedan chair, thinking about what she needed to do the next day. Suddenly, a sharp sound came from outside, startling her, but she quickly calmed down.

"Watch out!" a guard outside the sedan chair shouted, followed by the crisp sound of clashing weapons. Jiang Yu lifted the sedan chair curtain and saw more than a dozen figures in black rushing out from under the eaves on both sides, their short blades gleaming coldly in the moonlight, heading straight for her sedan chair.

She remained seated, but her hand slipped into the wide sleeve of her robe and grasped the handle of a slingshot. Outside, the guards blocked the sedan chair as the men in black rushed forward. A battle instantly erupted between the two groups, swords flashing and clashing in the empty street.

The men in black were clearly suicide squad members, charging forward fearlessly with ruthless attacks. There were more than a dozen of them, while the guards numbered only six. Outnumbered, two guards were quickly wounded in the shoulder and began to lose ground.

Seeing this, Jiang Yu lifted the carriage curtain and got out, watching the fight between the two sides with a blank expression, as calm as if she were not the one being assassinated.

Seeing her emerge, the men in black intensified their attack, and most of the guards were already injured. The guard commander looked anxiously at Jiang Yu standing there. They were unaware that Jiang Yu was observing the situation and her position, and the leading commander wanted to persuade her to go inside.

Then she said, "Get out of the way."

The guards were taken aback, unsure of her meaning. Lost in thought, the six guards sustained new injuries.

"Get out of the way!" Jiang Yu shouted, her hand already raised high. Upon seeing this, the commander of the guards immediately led the other guards to clear the way. The men in black, unaware of what Jiang Yu held, and knowing there might be great danger, still charged towards her.

Just then, Jiang Yu quickly pulled the fuse and hurled it fiercely towards the densely packed group of men in black. With a deafening roar, flames exploded, and the shockwave knocked people off their feet. Three or four assassins were instantly blasted to the ground, not even having time to scream.

Jiang Yu wasn't faring much better. Because of the close proximity, the blast wave slammed into her back as she retreated, causing her to stagger back two steps and fall to the ground. Her forehead hit a pillar on the street, and blood instantly flowed out.

Her ears were filled with a sharp buzzing sound, like countless cicadas screaming wildly on her eardrums. She shook her head and pushed herself up with her hands. The guards then surrounded her, assuming a protective stance.

A flicker of horror crossed the eyes of the men in black, clearly not expecting the unfamiliar object in Jiang Yu's hand to possess such power. Their exchanged glances held only resolve; failure to complete the mission meant certain death for their families. They roared and charged again, their blades gleaming colder than the moonlight.

Seeing Jiang Yu pull out another explosive device, their movements faltered again. But only for a moment, and they charged forward once more. Because of the close proximity, Jiang Yu feared the exploding handguns might injure his own men, so he gestured for his guards to engage. Knowing that their Duke possessed a powerful weapon, the guards felt emboldened and attacked fiercely.

"The city patrol has arrived! Lay down your weapons!"

Upon hearing the sound, both fighters paused, turning to look at its source. A squad of over twenty city guards rushed towards them.

Seeing this, the leader of the men in black knew the situation was hopeless. He let out a short whistle, and the remaining men in black, without hesitation, simultaneously slashed their necks with their blades, their movements too fast for anyone to stop them. The dull thuds of blades piercing flesh rang out one after another, and in an instant, seven or eight men in black fell to the ground.

Blood gushed from the wounds on their necks, soon staining the ground beneath them. The city patrol guards and the secret guards from the Duke of Chu's mansion who rushed over were stunned, not expecting the men in black to commit suicide so decisively.

Jiang Yu stood there motionless, his face grim, leaving the guards and patrolmen unsure of what to do. Then Jiang Yu's voice rang out, "Search them."

"Yes." Although the six guards were injured, none of their injuries were fatal. They endured the pain and squatted down to search the men in black, hoping to find out their identities from them.

Upon seeing this, the leader of the city patrol bowed to Jiang Yu and led his men to search him.

"Lord Duke, look at the wound on your face." Xia He took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from Jiang Yu's wound.

Jiang Yu noticed the wounds on her face and said, "Don't worry about me, take care of your own wounds."

Xia He nodded with a worried expression. At this moment, a white figure ran over, approached Jiang Yu, took out a handkerchief, and gently pressed it onto the wound on her forehead.

Who else could this be but Prince Rui?

"I'm fine." Jiang Yu gently pushed him away, indicating that there were outsiders present.

But Prince Rui stubbornly kept his hand pressed against the wound, his face filled with heartache and anger. Jiang Yu patted his arm helplessly, indicating that there were outsiders present, and their relationship should not be known to outsiders.

Prince Rui was aware of their relationship, and if the Emperor and Empress Dowager found out, it would surely cause a huge uproar. Jiang Yu's work was at a crucial stage. If their relationship issues delayed her plans, it would be a great loss.