assassination
In the eighth year of Jinghe, in March, the sky gradually darkened, and there were no clouds in the sky. The dark sky made people feel uneasy.
At this time, in Jinhua Temple, a woman in blue was leading a horse, leaning against a Bodhi tree, staring at the temple gate calmly.
Pilgrims came in and out. Lin Yan stayed here for half a day. The person he was waiting for did not come, and he could not help but doubt the letter that led him to Beijing.
As for the reason why Lin Yan appeared here, it all started with the letter he inexplicably received half a month ago.
Half a month ago, Lin Yan was invited to participate in a martial arts competition in Danzhou.
The prize for this conference is a dagger inlaid with luminous pearls. It is extremely exquisite. If you win it, you can give it to Aning as a birthday gift.
Aning was a little girl that Lin Yan picked up when he was traveling around the world at the age of thirteen.
At that time, Aning was kidnapped by human traffickers and was met by Lin Yan. After being rescued, Aning developed a high fever. After waking up, she remembered nothing except the character "Ning" in her name.
After searching for the little girl's parents for several days without success, Lin Yan thought of sending her to a local temple.
But after knowing that Lin Yan was going to send her away, Aning held on to Lin Yan's thigh and refused to let go.
She said in a serious tone that she could do the laundry and cook as long as she could stay.
Lin Yan couldn't help laughing as he watched the little girl carefully counting the benefits of keeping her on her fingers.
Lin Yan has saved many people over the years, and he has never kept anyone by his side. If he keeps someone by his side, it is very likely that he will leave behind a trouble.
Lin Yan hates trouble the most.
But when she met Aning's clear eyes and the little girl asked pitifully if she could stay, she nodded for some unknown reason.
After nodding, Lin Yan regretted it. The world of martial arts was dangerous, so how could he bring such a young girl with him?
But when he saw Aning's happy eyes, Lin Yan swallowed his regretful words. He thought that his master had so many spies in the world, and if he sent a letter to his master, he would be able to find the girl's parents.
At that time, Lin Yan had never thought that Aning would stay with him for so long.
He would never have thought that this little girl would become more and more involved with him in the future.
Aning followed her for seven years. During this period, Lin Yan took her to meet his master's best friend, Zhao Mengsheng, the owner of the Divine Doctor Valley, hoping to help Aning remember something. Unfortunately, Old Zhao was unable to do so.
However, what surprised Lin Yan was that Aning was actually a medical genius. He had learned medical skills from Zhao Mengsheng over the years and inherited Zhao's true teachings. This time, he had found a good apprentice for Zhao.
It was not until later that Aning accidentally met her biological mother, and then she remembered everything. Aning wanted to continue to follow Lin Yan, but she couldn't bear to leave her mother.
The world of martial arts was dangerous, and Lin Yan knew very well what kind of life the little girl was suitable for, so he sent her to her mother.
All in all, Lin Yan and Aning haven't seen each other for three years.
When Lin Yan was about to leave Danzhou, he received a letter saying: "On the seventh day of the third month, at Jinhua Temple, the bell rang and Ningning was in danger."
The handwriting of this letter is exactly the same as that of the letter I inexplicably received in Qingzhou three years ago.
Thinking of that rainy night three years ago, Lin Yan's eyes darkened.
After receiving the letter, Lin Yan did not check its authenticity, but rushed to the capital at full speed.
When they arrived in the capital, it was the seventh day of March. However, Lin Yan went to the Zhong Mansion first, and Wang Aning did not go to Jinhua Temple.
The gatekeeper was a perceptive boy. When he heard her mention the eldest lady's name and claim that she was her good friend, he did not dare to be perfunctory and said that the eldest lady and the second lady had set out for Jinhua Temple early in the morning.
Lin Yan was worried that Aning was in danger, so he rushed to the temple. In his anxiety, he didn't pay any attention to the second young lady mentioned by the servant.
At the same time, Aning, who was riding in a carriage to the temple, was splashed with water by her so-called sister Zhong Yuxi.
Her mother had frequent nightmares recently, so Zhong Ningning thought about going to the temple to pray for her mother. However, as soon as she left, Zhong Yuxi followed in a carriage.
Zhong Yuxi came if she wanted to. There were obviously two carriages, but she insisted on squeezing into one with Zhong Ningning. Zhong Ningning couldn't refuse, so after getting on the carriage, Zhong Yuxi accidentally spilled tea all over Zhong Ningning.
"I'm sorry, sister, I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it." Zhong Yuxi took a handkerchief and wiped the wet parts of Zhong Ningning's body in a panic, looking like she was about to cry.
It's her own fault.
They were already halfway to the temple. They had originally planned to ask for a fortune for their mother and then go back. They didn't bring any spare clothes. Now they had to go back to change, but it would be too late for a round trip. Zhong Ningning had to give up her trip to the temple.
Zhong Yuxi then said: "Sister, please go back soon. Mother has been having nightmares recently and I am worried. I will pray for mother on your behalf. This is my apology to my younger sister."
Zhong Ningning didn't think the other party was so kind, he was just trying to cause trouble.
In this way, Zhong Ningning, who was riding in a carriage back home, passed by Lin Yan's horse.
Lin Yan came to the temple and waited for half a day but didn't see Aning. It was late at night, so she paid the incense money to the abbot of the temple and planned to spend the night there.
In the dormitory, Lin Yan was lying on the bed with his clothes on, about to extinguish the candle, when he suddenly heard a whistle.
The sound of swords and knives rang out, and screams followed one after another. Lin Yan quickly blew out the candle, picked up the sword beside him, and walked out.
Lin Yan climbed onto the roof and saw a group of people with their faces masked and dressed like bandits, killing anyone they saw. But judging by their orderly appearance, they were definitely not just bandits.
They looked more like well-trained assassins. Lin Yan looked at them thoughtfully.
They seemed to be looking for someone, searching house after house.
Seeing a young monk about to be stabbed by an assassin, Lin Yan stabbed the assassin with a sword and killed him in an instant.
"Where did this group of people come from?" Lin Yan asked the little monk.
"I don't know, I vaguely heard them mention something about a princess." The little monk trembled, and his voice was shaking.
"Find a safe place to hide." Lin Yan threw down this sentence and continued to deal with the assassins.
The princess of the current dynasty is here, and this group of people actually want to attack the princess. They are quite bold.
At this time, it was drizzling, and the rain was filled with the smell of blood. Sword lights were everywhere, and soon, Lin Yan eliminated most of the assassins around him.
During this period, Lin Yan met a man who should be the princess's guard.
After dealing with the nearby assassins, the guard held on for a breath and said, "Princess, save the princess, she is...she is going up the mountain", and then fainted.
Lin Yan checked his breath and after confirming that he was not dead, he immediately walked up the mountain.
There were many trees in the mountains, making movement inconvenient. Fortunately, the rain had stopped, and after some time, Lin Yan found the princess.
Princess Yong'an was dressed in luxurious clothes with her hair in disarray. She stood in the pavilion, holding a wooden stick she had picked up from somewhere and pointing it at the assassin who was trying to approach her.
Surprisingly, the assassins did not seem to intend to kill her. Just as one of the assassins was about to grab the princess's sleeve.
Princess Yong'an leaned back, missed the step behind her, and fell to the ground.
At the same time, Lin Yan's sword flew into the assassin's body. The other assassins suddenly turned their heads and saw her, and rushed towards her together.
In less than half an incense stick, all the assassins fell. Out of habit, Lin Yan planned to spare one of them so that he could question him, but he immediately committed suicide by biting poison.
She raised her eyebrows and said, "He's a death warrior."
The Song Dynasty issued a clear ban on the training of death squads many years ago. What do these people want to do? Rebellion?
But the next moment, Lin Yan's expression froze. The familiar totems on the necks of these assassins were extremely glaring.
Before she could think further, she heard a noise behind her. Lin Yan collected her thoughts and turned to look at the fallen princess.
At this moment, she was sitting on the ground, hugging her legs tightly with her hands, burying her head in her knees, shaking all over, obviously frightened.
Lin Yan walked to the princess, looked at her thin body, and sighed. She looked about the same age as Aning, and must be very scared after encountering all this. While thinking about it, he squatted down, patted her head, and comforted her: "All the assassins have been dealt with, don't be afraid."
After about a quarter of an hour, Princess Yong'an finally recovered a little.
Lin Yan helped her check if she was injured. Fortunately, she just sprained her ankle and was not seriously injured.
He picked her up and placed her on the seat in the pavilion.
Lin Yan looked at the princess' ankle, bandaged it simply, and whispered softly, "Don't worry, your people should be here soon."
Princess Yong'an sniffed and tears began to fall, unable to stop.
Lin Yan hated to see little girls crying. He was thinking about how to comfort her when he glanced at the dagger at his waist and suddenly had an idea.
He handed the dagger to the princess and said silently in his heart: "Don't blame Aning, don't blame Aning, I will find someone else after the birthday gift for my sister."
Because of the night pearl on it, the dagger emits some light, and its exquisiteness can be vaguely seen.
Princess Yong'an stopped crying, looked at the dagger curiously, and then stared at Lin Yan without blinking.
"I'm giving it to you," Lin Yan coughed lightly, "This dagger can cut iron like mud. Next time you encounter danger, use it to protect yourself."
After saying this, he placed the dagger in the princess's hand.
The princess really liked it. She touched the dagger carefully and suppressed the fear in her heart.
Lin Yan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw this. She looked up and saw a ball of fire coming towards them. She could faintly hear some anxious voices: "Your Highness the Princess, Your Highness the Princess."
Realizing that the princess's men had arrived, Lin Yan hid behind a big tree.
The princess hadn't reacted yet and looked up at Lin Yan. Lin Yan put his finger to his lips, silently telling her that he didn't want to be exposed.
Seeing that the maid she had run to for help was with the guards she had found, she hugged her and burst into tears.
"Your Highness, I'm glad you're okay. Are you injured? Those assassins..." the maid asked with concern.
Princess Yong'an shook her head and pointed to her feet.
Seeing this, the maid no longer thought about how the assassins died. She immediately became anxious, squatted down and carried her on her back, "Don't panic, Your Highness. I will go find a doctor right away."
Princess Yong'an lay on the maid's back, turned her head to look at the big tree where Lin Yan was hiding, and said thank you silently.
Lin Yan watched the princess thank him for the last time, chuckled, and turned to leave.
I can’t go back to the temple. There is no curfew in the capital, so I should be able to find an inn to stay in for the night.
The road they came from should be occupied by the princess's people at this moment. She didn't want to have too much involvement with the royal family, so she couldn't take that road. However, she found another way down the mountain. When she was about to leave, she heard some noise.
Lin Yan immediately hid behind a tree. With the help of moonlight, he saw a woman in white walking into the pavilion where the princess had just been. She looked around as if she was looking for something.
It was a dark night. The girl walked out of the pavilion and was tripped by the dead assassin on the ground. She fell down. When she got closer and saw the assassin clearly, she immediately screamed.
The girl was Zhong Yuxi, who had sent Zhong Ningning away during the day.
Zhong Yuxi quickly stood up and moved away from the assassin's body. He calmed down and took a closer look at the other dead assassins around him.
"What the hell? Why are all the assassins dead? Where is the princess?" Zhong Yuxi exclaimed.
"Doesn't the book say that Zhong Ningning blocked the knife for the princess in the pavilion? Where is she?"
After wandering around for a while, Zhong Yuxi found that there was no sign of the princess. He began to get impatient and had a bad thought in his mind: "The princess will not be rescued, right?"
At this time, several guards came with lanterns to check whether the assassins had left any clues.
Zhong Yuxi was so scared that she quickly ran back the way she came, and Lin Yan followed her.
As for why Zhong Yuxi appeared here, it all started half an hour ago.
Half an hour ago, Zhong Yuxi chose the right time to go down the mountain, knowing that there was another way to reach the place where the princess was assassinated.
There were no assassins on this road and it was very safe. Zhong Yuxi chose the right time to go up the mountain, and now he found that the princess had been rescued.
Zhong Yuxi was getting angrier and angrier as she thought about it. Her face was twisted with anger. "I've read this plot countless times. It's all etched in my mind. I sent Zhong Ningning away and almost had a car accident on the way. I've been waiting until now, and the princess was rescued half an hour earlier than in the book."
"Is it the butterfly effect? I caused Zhong Ningning to not come, so the princess was rescued early?" Zhong Yuxi thought of this possibility.
Zhong Yuxi stopped where he was and reviewed the situation. In the end, he could only conclude that he was unlucky and had bad luck.
Zhong Yuxi looked at the luck value flashing above his head, which had dropped by three percent. Finally, he accepted his fate, went down the mountain, got on the carriage, and asked the driver to set off back to the Zhong Mansion.
This was the first time Lin Yan had encountered such a scene. He stood there and watched the carriage drive away.
She had excellent hearing and could hear the woman's words clearly even though she was standing far away, "In the book, plot, Zhong Ningning."
This woman actually knew that the princess would be assassinated and she could calculate the time so accurately. Could it be that she could predict the future? What is her relationship with Aning?
Countless doubts surged into his mind, and he felt a slight pain in his wrist. Lin Yan was helpless because the injury left three years ago had not yet healed.
Thinking of the totem on the assassin's body, Lin Yan's eyes darkened. He didn't expect to gain such a reward from this trip to Beijing.
A cold wind blew past, scattering Lin Yan's thoughts. A light rain began to fall from the sky again. Lin Yan didn't think about it any more. He said, "I'll send someone to investigate tonight's incident tomorrow."
There is a strong smell of blood on my body, so it is more important to find an inn to rest first.
Inside Jinhua Temple
After being brought back to Jinhua Temple, he saw a man standing in the distance. He was wearing a dark brocade robe and standing with his hands behind his back.
The man heard the noise and saw Princess Yong'an with messy hair. He walked over and said, "I was tripped by the assassin. I'm too late. Yong'an is frightened."
This is the imperial uncle of Princess Yong'an Songxi, the current regent Song Yizhou.
Song Yizhou's voice was calm, his dark eyes were like deep pools, with a hint of majesty, but seeing a familiar relative, Song Xi felt much more at ease and saluted him obediently.
Song Xi has been unable to speak since she was a child. She shook her head to indicate that she was fine.
Song Yizhou didn't expect to ask her anything, so he ordered someone to send her back to the palace and prepared to ask the guards around her about the details of the assassination.
His eyes swept over the dagger held tightly in Song Xi's hand, and Song Yizhou asked, "Who saved you with this dagger...?"
Song Xi's expression instantly became nervous, as the sister seemed to not want to expose herself.
The guard who had been exhausted from fighting with the assassin woke up at this moment and reported to Song Yizhou: "It was a woman with extremely high martial arts skills, she must be a person from the martial arts world."
Song Yizhou's heart trembled slightly when he saw the woman with extremely high martial arts skills. He clenched his hands in his sleeves and walked to the dead assassin. Staring at the ice fragments still remaining on his neck, he asked: "Does she have a plum-red scabbard?"
The guard was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't expect the prince to know, and he immediately answered: "Yes."
"This dagger was given to me by her," Song Yizhou looked at Song Xi and asked.
Song Xi was unable to stop the guard from reporting, and knowing that he could not hide it, he gestured to indicate that the sister did not want to expose herself.
Song Yizhou stared at the dagger on An Ning's waist in a daze, with a look of nostalgia in his eyes. She still liked to give daggers to others.
It's been three years, and I don't know if the injury has healed.
Song Xi blinked. Why did she feel that there was a hint of tenderness in the look of the emperor's uncle when he looked at the dagger?
Then he immediately shook his head and said, "Impossible, impossible."
If Lin Yan were here, he would definitely recognize who he is.
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