The sky was overcast, and the thick clouds looked like they could press down at any moment.
The old man, with his hands behind his back, was slowly walking down the city gate, supported by a woman in black beside him.
A thunderclap boomed, and the old man looked up at the sky, saying to the woman in black, "Yuan Ge, the heavens are about to change."
One quarter past the hour of Wei (1-3 PM). Xuan'an Gate.
"Who goes there? Halt!" The imperial guards on duty stopped a group of dozens of soldiers at the palace gate.
An elderly man in white slowly walked forward from behind the army.
"So it's Lord Dong!" The Imperial Guard recognized the man, bowed to him, and asked respectfully, "May I ask what brings you here, sir?"
Dong Maolin, a veteran of three reigns and former Grand Councilor, appeared at the palace gate with a troop of soldiers. Although this was somewhat strange, it was not enough to arouse the guards' vigilance.
Dong Maolin's expression was somewhat solemn. He silently pulled out a jade thumb ring from his pocket and said in a deep voice:
"I fear that some villains may take advantage of General Gu and Commander Song's absence from the palace to cause trouble. I have been entrusted by the Commander to enter the palace to protect them."
"This... please forgive us, sir. We did not receive any orders beforehand. Please wait a moment while we go and report to them."
“That’s natural.” Dong Maolin narrowed his eyes, about to say something more, when several more Imperial Guards came over, the leader of whom was the newly appointed Imperial Guard Commander Lu Fei.
"What's going on?" Lu Fei was always strict, and seeing the commotion at the palace gate, he was immediately filled with anger.
Upon closer inspection, he recognized Dong Maolin and noticed the dozens of soldiers following behind him. He frowned and asked, "Lord Dong, what are you doing?"
Dong Maolin smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "So it's Lord Lu!"
...
Entering through Xuan'an Gate, along the wide bluestone avenue, passing Wuqiong Hall and Yingluan Hall, then crossing the square in front of Taihe Hall, you will arrive at the Imperial Garden.
Dong Maolin stood under the long corridor of the Imperial Garden, staring intently at the plum tree in the garden that was three hundred years old. The red plum blossoms on the tree were like drops of blood from a heart.
The dozens of soldiers behind him had silently disappeared into various parts of the palace, leaving only one person guarding him.
“These plum blossoms are so beautiful. My son used to love plum blossoms the most.”
The soldier nodded and replied, "My lord, there is no need to worry. Your wish will soon be fulfilled!"
"Yes, I've waited so long for this day..."
I thought I would encounter some obstacles at the palace gate, but I entered very smoothly.
Lu Fei, that big-breasted but brainless guy, was promoted by Song Ting. When he saw the jade thumb ring, he acted as if he had seen Song Ting himself. His expression immediately became respectful. After hearing the whole story, he let him pass without saying a word.
Dong Maolin shifted his gaze from the plum tree and squinted at the closed door at the end of the corridor.
Now, he only needs to walk a few dozen meters more to storm into the imperial study, drag that useless little emperor down from his high position, and trample him underfoot.
The door to the imperial study was pushed open from the outside in, and unexpectedly, the young emperor was not there.
Dong Maolin's heart sank. He glanced around the room without making a sound, and finally his gaze fell on the chaise longue behind the screen—the fox fur blanket was slightly arched, and someone was lying on it.
He unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief and winked at his subordinate beside him.
The man immediately understood, and with a few quick steps, he silently stood in front of the chaise longue. He placed his right palm on his waist, and a long knife gleamed brightly!
"Ahem..." The person under the fox fur blanket suddenly stirred, coughed a few times, and asked, "Is this Eunuch Bao? Didn't I tell you not to bother me with anything? Ahem..."
His voice sounded a little hoarse, probably because he had caught a cold.
The long blade moved down a few more inches, and within a hair's breadth, it would pierce right through the person on the bed.
Dong Maolin smiled, but his words were utterly cruel: "Since Your Majesty is unwell, I will grant Your Majesty a long and peaceful sleep..."
He almost deliberately lowered his voice and forced out the last four words, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, mixed with a muffled laugh.
As he spoke, the long sword slashed down fiercely at the person on the bed!
However, the person on the couch moved even faster. The long sword only had time to stop the fox fur coat before the person rolled to the ground, pushed off with both legs, and lightly leaped up, standing with their back to the chaise lounge.
He seemed oblivious to the danger he was in, casually brushing the dust off his sleeves.
If the first strike fails, the initiative will be lost. But having come this far, there is no way to retreat. The subordinate knew this well and, without needing any further instructions from Dong Maolin, swung his sword to strike again!
However, it was as if the man had eyes in the back of his head. Just as the long knife was about to strike his back, he turned around and clamped the long knife tightly between his two fingers.
It was still a very light and easy movement, but no matter how hard the assassin tried, he couldn't pull the soft sword out of his fingers!
It was only at this moment that the two recognized who their assassination target was. Dong Maolin's cloudy eyes widened suddenly, and he asked in disbelief:
"You...Song Ting! How could it be you?!"
Dong Maolin couldn't believe what he was seeing, and he couldn't admit that his plan had completely failed the moment he saw Song Ting.
He instinctively took a few steps back, stumbled, and bumped into the door: "Didn't you leave?!"
"I thought the road was too far, so I didn't go."
With a "bang," the soft sword between Song Ting's fingers was broken in two, and the man's cold and fierce gaze swept across the face of the assassin who was protecting Dong Maolin.
Song Ting recognized the face; it was none other than the waiter from Qingfeng Residence.
His face no longer held its usual kind and honest expression, but instead became ruthless and cold.
He sidestepped a few steps, and in an instant, a gleaming dagger appeared in his hand. Gritting his teeth, he attacked Song Ting, trying to seize the initiative.
But Song Ting didn't spare him another glance. His sinister black eyes were fixed on Dong Maolin, who felt as if he were being stared at by the fiercest dog, and a chill ran down his spine.
Just as the dagger was close to his throat, Song Ting suddenly raised his leg and kicked the assassin in the chest!
This kick was delivered with full force, sending the assassin flying. The assassin crashed into a nearby display shelf with a thud, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Upon seeing this, Dong Maolin's face quickly turned ashen, and he clutched his chest, gasping for breath.
When did you first find out?
"Did Chu Huaixu tell you?"
Song Ting pulled a snow-white handkerchief from her bosom and carefully wiped the blood that had accidentally stained her hands, her voice cold:
"So what if it is?"
After Longyin Mountain, Huai Xu revealed his connection with the Red Lotus Sect. Later, he even went along with their scheme and continued to act as if he hated Song Ting and the young emperor.
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