Chapter 260 Sending a Message to Him, Running into the Wolf's Den

The little one in my arms froze.

Ji Qingwu said, "But don't be afraid, I will stay with you."

She whispered a few more words in his ear.

The most heavily guarded place in the entire Phoenix Palace is the Hall of Diligent Governance, where the emperor resides.

Even though Emperor Wusu was not present, the palace contained confidential information about the affairs of the Northern Li Kingdom and was heavily guarded on a regular basis.

These assassins sneaked into the palace; they didn't have the strength to attack openly.

All she had to do was run with Yuan Heng into the Qin Zheng Hall at the front, and the imperial guards would be enough to wipe out these assassins.

The wind outside rustled the window paper, making a soft, rustling sound.

Ji Qingwu picked up the bow and arrow hanging on the wall of the study.

This bow and arrow was prepared for a child of Yuan Heng's age. She pulled the bowstring hard to test its strength.

It is much lighter than the Xuanyuan Bow in the Hall of Heroes.

The lighter the arrow, the weaker its power; it cannot kill with a single blow and can only intimidate the enemy. Arrows are long-range weapons; close-quarters combat would be disastrous.

Ji Qingwu turned to look at the little guy and asked, "Are you ready?"

Yuan Heng picked up his small sword from the shelf, his expression showing no fear, and nodded, saying, "Ready."

Ji Qingwu took a deep breath and had just reached the door when it was kicked open.

Upon hearing the noise, she quickly drew her bow and arrow, but she was still no match for the people who came in. They appeared before her like two shadows.

"Your Highness, I greet you. Miss Ji." Two deep male voices reached her ears.

Ji Qingwu was just about to draw his bow and shoot.

She then recognized the two men; it was Sanchuan and Sihai who had entered.

When Ji Qingwu saw one of the guards, his eyes showed obvious surprise and delight.

"Sanchuan, it's so good to see you here too."

Sihai snorted defiantly.

Ji Qingwu had a feeling that Sihai would always follow her, but she wasn't sure if Sanchuan was still around, which calmed her down a little.

"With both of you here, the chances of winning are much greater."

San Chuan said, "Miss Ji, assassins have infiltrated the palace."

Ji Qingwu said, "They're from Xijin, aren't they?"

Unexpectedly, Miss Ji was so perceptive in noticing this. San Chuan and the others still recognized the murdered eunuch as a member of the Xijin clan based on the hidden weapon on his body.

San Chuan said, "They must have been people who sneaked in during the shift change this morning."

Ji Qingwu's eyes widened as he asked, "So, it's possible that there are Xijin's people among the guards?"

This is terrible. Running towards the Hall of Diligent Governance might just lead to a wolf's den. The previous plan won't work.

San Chuan said, "That's possible, but their numbers should be small, probably less than ten."

Ji Qingwu felt that it was still not advisable to take the risk.

"What do you think of these assassins' skill level?"

San Chuan said, "Judging from the wounds, one can tell that he is a carefully selected expert."

Sihaidao: "Compared to us, they're still a little lacking."

Ji Qingwu's eyes gleamed as he asked, "Is there any hope for one against five?"

Sihai turned his head away and remained silent, while Sanchuan said awkwardly, "Miss Ji, it's still a stretch for us to fight two against one."

Ji Qingwu lowered her eyes. This situation was very difficult to handle. Even if they fought to the death, their chances of winning were slim.

These assassins were mostly death squad members, willing to pay any price to complete their assassination missions.

Ji Qingwu asked softly, "Do you know when His Majesty will return to the palace?"

Upon hearing her question, Sihai's expression turned strange. He glanced up at her, then quickly looked away.

San Chuan hesitated for a moment, then replied calmly, "According to the original plan, the master's carriage will arrive at the palace gate at 5 PM."

By the time of You (5-7 PM), it would be too late.

Ji Qingwu was flustered and didn't notice anything amiss.

She walked to the table, placed her hand on the rosewood surface, and pondered, "Do you have anyone trustworthy in the palace?"

San Chuan said, "I am not from the same camp as the Imperial Guards, and we do not know each other on ordinary days."

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the secret guards are meant to remain hidden and protect their master for life, living as shadows. They are completely unaware of the imperial guards.

Ji Qingwu tapped his finger on the table and said, "Think of a way to send a message to Wei Ting."

Wei Ting was demoted and now guards the city gates every day; he is not qualified to go to the Imperial Temple with the Emperor.

But looking across the entire capital, the only person she could trust who was also highly skilled in martial arts was him.

But the assassins outside the door had no intention of giving them a chance to call for reinforcements.

There were scattered footsteps outside the door, and Sanchuan and Sihai suddenly darted to the roof beam.

Ji Qingwu pulled Yuan Heng behind the bookshelf, his bow drawn taut, the white-tailed arrow already on the string.

The assassin did not rush in; the window paper was punctured from the outside, letting in a few wisps of green smoke.

Ji Qingwu's nose twitched.

He quickly rummaged through his sleeve to find a small bottle, took out a red pill, gave it to Yuan Heng first, and then threw one into his own mouth.

Then he threw the small bottle to the two people on the roof beam.

He said softly, "Hide the poison-avoiding pills well and don't make any rash moves."

The assassin outside waited for about half a cup of tea before pushing the door open and entering.

Ji Qingwu's wrists were aching, and she mentally reviewed the essential principles of archery, emphasizing the importance of a unified approach.

Almost the instant the door opened, she shot an arrow through the gap in the bookshelf.

It struck one of the assassins squarely in the left chest.

Although it was still a few inches away from his heart, he immediately bled profusely and lost the ability to move.

Ji Qingwu wiped the sweat from his palms on his belt, having at least dealt with one of them.

The other five assassins surrounded the direction from which the arrow had been fired.

Ji Qingwu had already hidden Yuan Heng in the book box. In order not to reveal his location, she went out with her bow.

She knew in her heart that she could only hit them when they first entered the room, when they were unsure of their location and their defenses were at their weakest.

Once the location is discovered, there will be no more opportunities.

These men had long since changed into the style of palace guards and were all wearing masks.

The tallest of the five walked in front.

Upon seeing Ji Qingwu appear, he offered, "Hand over the prince, and we may spare your life."

Ji Qingwu smiled faintly and said, "If you stop now, I might spare your lives."

The leader laughed loudly, "You woman are too arrogant. You managed to hit one of them, so I'll say you have some skill, but you can't possibly kill us."

Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow and said casually, "Hasn't one already fallen?"

"To paraphrase a saying you people like to use here, if you won't listen to a polite toast, you'll have to drink a penalty shot. Don't blame me for being impolite to beautiful women."

The leader, confident in his martial arts skills, was not afraid of her arrows. Seeing her weak and vulnerable appearance, he reached out to grab her.

Ji Qingwu said sternly, "I'm talking to him, why are you interrupting!"

She raised the white-feathered arrow in her right hand and pointed it at the man behind her to the right.

"He is your master."

Ji Qingwu stared directly into his silver-gray, blue eyes.