Xuan Ling wore a purple dragon robe with a collar and sleeves trimmed with gold and embroidered with nine dragons, one of which was embroidered on the inside of the lapel.

Wearing a yellow crown, every step he takes is majestic and powerful, as if he can swallow mountains and rivers.

Sheng Jingheng was in the second row, kneeling on the ground with the others.

"Greetings to the Emperor, long live His Majesty."

"Stand up."

The Minister of Rites picked up the topic on the yellow case and read:

"Today, the Emperor has bestowed upon us two examination topics: 'Training Generals' for an fu poem, and 'A Wise Lord and Virtuous Ministers' for a poem. Please answer them, tribute students."

The emperor personally supervising the examination in a solemn and majestic palace was a huge challenge to the candidates' psychology.

Moreover, the emperor was not allowed to give seats in front of the candidates, and the candidates had to kneel on their knees to answer the questions.

As soon as he finished speaking, the tribute students picked up their wolf-hair brushes and began to write with great enthusiasm.

A stick of sandalwood top scholar incense was burning in the gilded incense burner beside the yellow table, and the incense was rolled up when it burned out.

He took a sip of tea and looked outside the palace door. The atmosphere was very calm. Did the spy and Qi Yanyan appear at this moment, or after the palace examination?

When the incense in the incense burner is burned out, the papers are collected and each candidate must write an answer of more than 2,000 words.

Next, the tribute students were led away.

Inside the palace, the Grand Secretaries of the Hanlin Academy and the ministers of the ministries and agencies served as readers to review the papers.

The examiners graded the papers and the emperor ultimately decided the rankings.

Xuan Ling personally read the papers that were graded as excellent.

There seemed to be the sound of a flute in my ears.

At the same time, some sounds appeared outside the temple.

"What's going on outside?"

Eunuch Fu said, "In reply to the emperor, because it rained yesterday, there is water in the back hall of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. I think they are repairing the drainage."

Xuan Ling looked out at the four palaces outside the hall and felt something was wrong.

"Who's playing the flute?"

Eunuch Fu asked doubtfully, "I didn't hear anything."

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared from somewhere.

The sword energy is compelling.

Eunuch Fu hurriedly shouted, "Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!"

Several ministers hurriedly stood in front of Xuan Ling. Although they were civil servants, they were extremely loyal.

Xuan Ling smiled coldly, "You are finally here!"

Eight assassins flew in from outside the palace, and the palace maid's clothes were shattered into pieces, revealing a nightgown underneath.

Xuan Ling said, "My dear ministers, please step aside."

Lord Liu, the Minister of the Honglu Temple, said, "Your Majesty, we swear to protect you until our death."

Qi Yan's eyes were vicious, and he stabbed Xuan Ling without saying a word.

Xuan Ling soared into the air and said, "You guys step back and don't cause any more trouble."

Several ministers were civil officials. After receiving the order, they hurriedly ran out of the hall.

Qi Yan broke through the wind and slashed at Xuan Ling.

The two men leaped up flexibly and charged at each other like two tigers.

Attack with fists and feet alternately.

"Qi Yan, wake up!"

The secret guards hiding on the beams of the hall rushed down to stop Qi Yan.

The Imperial Guards rushed in to protect the emperor.

The eight assassins were extremely skilled in martial arts, preventing them from getting close to Qi Yan and assisting Qi Yan in assassinating Xuan Ling.

Qi Yan seemed to be possessed by a demon, his killing power doubled, and every blow from his sword pierced Xuan Ling's vital points.

A sword pierced Xuan Ling's chest, and the dragon robe flipped up, revealing a soft golden armor underneath.

"Qi Yan! Wake up!"

Seven or eight secret guards protected Xuan Ling and fought with Qi Yan.

Qi Yan was under siege and stabbed all over his body, but he was still invincible in fighting, not like a human.

Xuan Ling shouted, "Spare his life!"

For this reason, the secret guards and the imperial guards only provided protection and surrounded Qi Yan to capture him alive.

Xuan Ling thought of the flute sound, and then looked at Qi Yan's symptoms.

He immediately shouted, "Hurry up and send the imperial guards to search for the person playing the flute and kill him without mercy!"

The imperial guards searched the entire palace for the hidden flute player.

The atmosphere is solemn.

In the rear hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Sheng Xiyan was so anxious that she couldn't sit still, not knowing what was happening in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

She was about to go out, but was stopped by the guards.

"Empress Chen, the Emperor has ordered that you cannot leave the Yangxin Palace until the assassin is eliminated."

He pulled Sheng Xiyan's hand and said:

"Mother, let's listen to Father and not go out. What if we are caught by bad guys and threatened by Father?

Father loves us so much, it will be very difficult."

Sheng Xiyan almost stopped talking, baby, do you know that both of your fathers are in danger now?

In her mind, one moment she saw Xuan Ling's arm being stabbed, and the next moment she saw Qi Yan's chest being stabbed and bleeding.

My heart was pounding and my palms were sweaty.

They will be fine, definitely not.

Sheng Xiyan touched her chest, she had never been so nervous before.

Within the time it took to stick an incense stick of time, a thousand imperial guards conducted a carpet search of the palace and soon found the man playing the flute in the dense forest of the Western Garden.

The man was about to jump into the lake, but was shot by seven or eight arrows and then caught and killed.

The sound of the flute disappeared, and at the same time, Qi Yan's movements in the Hall of Supreme Harmony gradually slowed down.

His eyes gradually returned to normal, and just as he was about to put away his sword, he said, "Your Majesty..."

Fell heavily to the ground.

"Qi Yan!"

All seven assassins were killed by the Yulin Guards and the Secret Guards. One was captured and was about to be questioned, but he bumped into a guard's sword and committed suicide.

Eunuch Fu ran over from the corner and touched Xuan Ling's chest.

"Your Majesty, are you alright? The imperial physician is outside. I'll call him in."

Xuan Ling glanced at the rag on his chest and touched it.

"I'm fine.

Ask Judge Wu to show it to Qi Yan quickly."

Judge Wu came in with a medicine box on his back and took Qi Yan's pulse.

"Your Majesty, Qi Yan has been poisoned by a soul-stealing poison, and developing an antidote is somewhat difficult."

Xuan Ling took a closer look at Qi Yan.

"Place him in the Imperial Hospital and have his wounds treated. You must work quickly to develop an antidote."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The governor of the Nine Gates and the prefect of the capital came in from outside the palace.

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