assassination

Zhong Yujing stared at Jinhong for a long moment before speaking firmly, "Jinhong, I advised you that day that since you couldn't fight your fate, you should bravely follow it and move forward. Today, we've been honest with each other, and I want to say the same thing. When we were young, we couldn't foresee the end, and we didn't know whether the road ahead would be smooth or bumpy. We bravely waded through this journey, and no matter what the outcome, we just had a clear conscience. Now that we know the outcome, and we're powerless to change it, let's just continue to move forward. Whether it's good or bad, auspicious or ominous, no one can know until the very last moment."

Just like the sixty-four hexagrams, there is no hexagram that is absolutely auspicious or inauspicious. Inauspiciousness hides inauspiciousness, and inauspiciousness hides in goodness. The alternation of yin and yang is normal, and so are all things. They have both positive and negative sides.

"As for Sun Shaoqing, you haven't asked him, so how do you know he's not interested in you?" Zhong Yujing said slowly, "Besides, Sun Shaoqing has never married, and I haven't heard that he has a crush on anyone. Things in this world are probably just like the saying that bystanders see more clearly than those involved. But when I see that Lord Sun, whenever he talks to you, there's always an unspoken hidden emotion lingering between his brows."

Zhong Yujing looked at Jinhong meaningfully. Jinhong thought about it carefully for a while and her cheeks flushed.

Zhong Yujing also held Jinhong back and said solemnly, "Don't be discouraged, and don't blame yourself. As long as you do your best in everything, even if fate cannot defy us, you and I can say that our consciences are clear. The world will not blame us, and the late emperor will not criticize you. You saw him in your dream, perhaps because he knew you were worried about this matter and was thinking about you and worried about you. It certainly didn't mean to blame you."

Zhong Yujing tightened his grip on Jinhong's hand, "Your Majesty, just remember, no matter what the outcome, I will be with you until the very end. We will advance and retreat together, and we will never give up until the very end."

Jinhong's hand trembled as she held Zhong Yujing tightly. At this moment, they were both brothers in arms.

The night deepened, the charcoal in the hearth nearly burning out. Zhong Yujing helped Jinhong put on her dragon robe and crown again in the palace. From beside the dragon throne, Jinhong called out in her usual deep voice, "Someone, help me back to my chambers."

No one heard Eunuch He's voice. Only a young eunuch came out from the inner side of the hall with a bowed head and a shrill voice: "Your servant Xiao Luzi will dress His Majesty and return to the palace."

Jinhong hummed wearily and started to descend the stairs. The young eunuch, quick-witted and quick-handed, turned and hurried to meet her. The fires in the hall were dim, and several had gone out. The dim light could not clearly illuminate people's faces. Zhong Yujing and Jinhong were on the steps, and the eunuch who called himself Xiao Luzi was at the bottom, his head bowed. Zhong Yujing felt that his figure was somewhat familiar, but he was not one of the eunuchs who often saw Jinhong. "Are you new here?"

The figure at the bottom of the stairs shrilled again, "To answer the Prime Minister, I used to work at the Washing Clothes Pavilion, but was transferred to Qianyuan Palace by Eunuch He a few days ago."

By this time, Jinhong had already reached the bottom of the steps and turned to walk back to the hall. Zhong Yujing followed her on one side, and the young eunuch followed closely behind her, bowing, on the other side. Zhong Yujing glanced at the young eunuch from the corner of her eye. Half of his face was hidden in the shadows, and the other half was pale, almost bloodless. It was a face Zhong Yujing had never seen before.

"Why don't I see Eunuch He?" Jinhong suddenly stopped and turned around to ask.

The young eunuch also paused, lowered his head and stood opposite Jinhong, and replied in a low voice: "Eunuch He asked me to bring a message to His Majesty."

Jinhong uttered a puzzled sound, only to see the young eunuch bending over and walking towards her. Just as he approached her, Zhong Yujing saw him suddenly pull out a dagger from his bosom. The sharp blade flashed before her eyes, and Zhong Yujing shouted, "Your Majesty, be careful!"

Jinhong had been training in martial arts with the Emperor since she was young. Although her skills were not highly developed, ordinary people could not get close to her. When she was sent to a private school for further training and experience, the Emperor personally taught her many self-defense techniques. Now, hearing Zhong Yujing's reminder, she reacted extremely quickly. With a neat sidestep, the dagger grazed her skirt and slashed past, instantly slicing a long tear in the front of her dragon robe, revealing the rose-colored clothes underneath. The young eunuch stabbed in the air and suddenly turned around, glaring at Jinhong with his arms raised. Jinhong was still in shock, but Zhong Yujing had already blocked her way and said to the young eunuch in a stern voice, "I saw that you were not a good person just now. Who are you? How dare you break into the palace at night and assassinate the Great Qi Saint!"

The young eunuch smiled grimly, but his tone changed. It was no longer as sharp as before, but the tone of a grown man. "I didn't expect you to be so quick."

This voice was also so familiar. Looking at the young eunuch again, his voice was ferocious, but when he spoke, his facial muscles did not move. Only his mouth opened and closed. Zhong Yujing whispered to Jinhong behind him, "He's wearing a human skin mask."

Jinhong said angrily: "I will tear off your dog skin and see who you really are!" As she said that, she flashed out and stretched out her hand to grab the skin on the little eunuch's face.

Zhong Yujing saw that the situation was not good. She was afraid that the assassin was very skilled and Jinhong would not be able to withstand a few moves. Now no one knew where Eunuch He had gone. Since this guy had sneaked into the palace, he must be difficult to deal with. She didn't know if there were still his men lying in ambush outside the hall. But the situation was critical and she could not care less. Even if there was a glimmer of hope, she had to fight for it. Jinhong was still fighting with the assassin. Zhong Yujing shouted loudly in the hall: "There is an assassin! There is an assassin!"

As soon as Zhong Yujing finished speaking, the main door of the hall was suddenly opened, and all the side doors and windows were opened as if by a hurricane. Countless black-clothed warriors holding long blades rushed in from all directions, and quickly surrounded the two people fighting in the hall. A silver figure flew out from the crowd, like a long sword cutting through the sky, illuminating the dark hall, intercepting Jinhong's moves and fighting with the assassin.

Jinhong was exhausted and could not hold on for a moment longer. At this moment, she felt as if she had been saved and was finally able to catch her breath. She lay on the ground like a fish that had just returned to water, gasping for air and gasping for breath.

Zhong Yujing stepped forward and helped Jinhong up. Both of them were still in shock and couldn't recover for a while. One of the soldiers knelt beside them and said, "Your Majesty, we are late in coming to your rescue. Please forgive us!"

Zhong Yujing recognized at a glance that the soldier's uniform was from Shangguan Yichen's army. The soldier raised his head, and Zhong Yujing was shocked. It was Yi Shi!

When I looked up again, who else could it be but Shangguan Yichen fighting with the assassin!

Jin Hong's excited voice returned to its normal female form as she exclaimed, "Brother Wang is here! It's really Brother Wang!"

Fortunately, the soldiers around him did not become suspicious.

Zhong Yujing's heart surged like the ocean's waves, leaving her speechless. Her vision of Shangguan Yichen was blurry, tears welling in her eyes. Jinhong had called him a heavenly soldier and general, and the soldiers and civilians alike had called him the Invincible God of War. His presence in times of danger had always convinced Zhong Yujing, but nothing had shocked her as much as this night.

In the blink of an eye, Zhong Yujing had already made the worst plan in her mind. The assassin might have killed Eunuch He and all the palace guards. Since he was able to break into the palace and assassinate the king alone, he would not dare to do it without making full preparations. She didn't know martial arts, and Jinhong's skills could only delay time for a moment. They were isolated and helpless, and their fate seemed to have been predetermined... She had even made the plan to escort Jinhong out of this dangerous place alive, even if it meant sacrificing her own life... But here he was, wearing silver-gray armor, just like the way she looked when she first met him. He was wrapped in the biting wind of the cold night, the only light in the deep darkness, piercing through all fears, dispelling all chill, cutting through thorns and brambles, invincible, towering... In fact, since a long time ago, he had suddenly covered her heart with thick armor, so hard and safe that even if she didn't mention it, he could sense everything at any time, descending from the sky to protect the people and also to protect her.

"How could my brother arrive in time?" Zhong Yujing heard Jinhong's trembling voice beside him.

Yi Shi said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the general did not arrive in time, but has been leading his subordinates to guard outside the palace."

Upon hearing this, Jin Hong and Zhong Yu Jing were both stunned. They turned to look at Yi Shi. Jin Hong was both surprised and delighted, and asked in confusion, "Brother Wang, how did you know that an assassin would attack me tonight?"

Yi Shi raised the corner of his lips, his dark red face sternly saying, "The general had long anticipated that this assassin would not give up. After the Qingqi War and the Qing Kingdom's defeat, the general has been ordering his subordinates to guard the palace day and night to protect Your Majesty's safety at all times, and also instructed them not to disturb the emperor."

Jin Hong and Zhong Yu Jing looked at each other in silence, both surprised and puzzled. Looking at Yi Shi again, they heard him smile and say, "Your Majesty, you don't know. This assassin has been scheming. He's been playing coy with the Qing Kingdom this time, first testing the waters, then sending their Dingyuan Marquis to visit as bait, and then stirring up many doubts about the Yao King's murder case, all in order to offend our Great Qi. All these tricks were orchestrated by him alone, behind the scenes, for Emperor Qingfeng, to stir up trouble between the two countries."

After hearing what Yi Shi said, Zhong Yujing understood. No wonder she always felt that this person was very familiar. Her figure and voice seemed to have been seen somewhere before. Now they all matched.

But then Yi Shi continued, "After the defeat of the Qing Kingdom, the general sent people to keep a close eye on this man and monitor his movements. The general recovered soldiers from the Qing Kingdom army, and some of them were very familiar with the movements of the Qing Kingdom court. With the help of internal and external forces, they learned some time ago that a group of old ministers of the Qing Kingdom assisted the five-year-old son of Emperor Feng to ascend the throne and then the national teacher disappeared. The general knew that this man's next target would be our Daqi, and he would come to Qi soon. As for what he intended to do, it is still unknown, but since he always points the spearhead at Daqi, it is believed that the first thing he will do will be detrimental to Your Majesty. Therefore, to protect Your Majesty, the general led his subordinates to wait here day and night. Finally, he appeared tonight and was able to capture him in one fell swoop. It's just that I didn't protect you in time, so I hope Your Majesty will punish me!"

Jin Hong suddenly understood and nodded in surprise. After a while, she said, "Deputy General Yi, your words are very sincere. You and the general have done meritorious service in protecting the emperor. I deserve a generous reward, so how could I blame you?"

After pondering for a moment, he suddenly asked, "According to what Lieutenant General Yi said, who exactly is this person? Why does he repeatedly speak ill of me?"

Yi Shi looked up and asked, "Your Majesty, have you ever heard of a man named Wenren Rang?"

Zhong Yujing's expression froze, and Jinhong suddenly realized something. They both turned their gaze once again toward the fight between Shangguan Yichen and the assassin. Wen Renrang was a skilled warrior, but clearly no match for Shangguan Yichen. The other soldiers shared this sentiment, so they stood around him, swords drawn, not interrupting Shangguan Yichen's attack. They all believed their general was more than capable of subduing Wen Renrang single-handedly, but they remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on the two, ready to respond at any moment to protect their leader.

At this moment, all the fires in the hall had been extinguished, and the hall was pitch black. Despite such a loud commotion, none of the guards, Eunuch He, or the young eunuchs had arrived yet, which was enough to show that they were all in great danger.

Shangguan Yichen's silver-grey armor gleamed brightly in the dark night. He moved with incredible speed, his movements agile and decisive, like a gust of wind and lightning, making it impossible to catch him. Wen Renrang was like Jinhong, who had just been intercepted by Shangguan Yichen. He was exhausted and just trying hard to hold on. But Shangguan Yichen said to him as he fought, "You are no match for me. Surrender. Today, you can't escape even if you have wings."

Wenren Ran did not respond, but just continued to fight hard.

Shangguan Yichen said contemptuously: "You have been in the martial arts world before, but how can you be considered a hero if you always hide your face? After all, I have seen your true face. What's the point of wearing this human skin mask?"

Wen Renrang laughed, "You little brat, your skills are somewhat similar to your father's!"

Shangguan Yichen held his sword still, and only reacted and blocked it when the opponent chopped down, and said fiercely: "What nonsense are you talking about!" He touched Wenren Rang's face and pulled at his temples. A piece of almost transparent flesh-colored human skin fell to the ground. Wenren Rang was already exhausted, and in panic he wanted to cover his face, but Shangguan Yichen's other hand quickly came up, and Shangguan Yichen's silver sword hit Wenren Rang's neck squarely, subduing him.

Shangguan Yichen sneered, looked at Wenren Rang with contempt and said, "You're not fast enough."