Chapter 178 Chaos
Jiang Qingning took in He Ning's subtle look, but his expression remained calm. He only nodded slightly and said, "Thank you."
Qin Xiu just nodded slightly to Jiang Qingning, and everything was said without words when their eyes met.
The four of them got together and were led by palace servants through a series of vermilion palace gates into the brightly lit Qionghua Palace where melodious music filled the air.
The Qionghua Palace was already crowded with dignitaries, and hundreds of palace lanterns illuminated the palace as brightly as day.
The sounds of stringed instruments and wind instruments were melodious and pleasant, and palace maids and eunuchs in uniform palace costumes were moving around like animals.
The throne is high above, still empty.
The left and right sides of the steps were filled with seats according to rank. Princes of the royal family, noble ministers and their families had all taken their seats. On the surface, the scene seemed peaceful, but in fact, undercurrents were surging.
The arrival of Jiang Qingning and his group once again attracted a lot of attention.
Jiang Qingning sat down calmly at his seat, while He Ning and Qin Xiu sat slightly further back in the row of ministers opposite him.
Jiang Qingning's gaze seemed to sweep across the entire hall unintentionally, and fell very obscurely on the shadow of the eaves of the roof in the southeast corner of the hall.
She withdrew her gaze, picked up the fragrant tea poured by the palace maid in front of her, and took a sip. Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes, covering the dark tide surging in her eyes.
Time passes quietly.
From outside the palace came the eunuch's shrill, long announcement: "Your Majesty has arrived! The Imperial Concubine has arrived!"
Hundreds of people in the hall stood up at the same time, bowed their heads, and moved in unison, in complete silence.
Footsteps approached from afar. Lu Bing slowly stepped into the Qionghua Palace. Concubine Qin was dressed in a bright red palace dress, her hair adorned with pearls and jade, radiating her beauty.
"My dear ministers, please stand up. The banquet will continue." Lu Bing raised his hand and sat down with Concubine Qin.
The dancers came out in response and danced gracefully to the music. After a few songs, the leading dancer in a pink dance dress suddenly tapped the ground with her toes, and her whole body rushed towards Lu Bin on the high step like an arrow.
Her wide sleeves fluttered, and a cold light shot out from her sleeves, piercing Lu Bin's heart, with a determination to perish together with him.
“Protect the emperor!!!”
Almost at the same time, the commander of the imperial guards in charge of guarding the palace had bloodshot eyes and shouted anxiously.
The lively atmosphere in the hall was broken, and exclamations, the sound of cups and plates falling to the ground and shattering, and the screams of women exploded instantly.
The smile on Lu Bin's face froze and was instantly replaced by great fear. After all, he was the emperor. His body subconsciously leaned back and staggered, trying to dodge.
The cold light almost passed by the front of his dragon robe, and with a "swish", it cut through the bright yellow brocade.
"Your Majesty!" Concubine Qin was horrified and wanted to rush forward but was pushed away by a palace servant.
“Whoosh!”
A sound of breaking air was heard.
A black arrow shot with incredible precision towards Lu Bin's neck, which was exposed when he leaned back.
Lu Bin's pupils suddenly shrank, and a huge shadow of death instantly enveloped him. He could even see the cold light on the arrow. His mind went blank, and his body was as stiff as a puppet. He even forgot the most instinctive dodge.
"His Majesty!"
At the critical moment, a burly figure rushed out from behind Lu Bin, and the commander of the imperial guards used his body to rush towards the poisonous arrow without hesitation.
“Puff!”
There was a dull thud as a sharp blade entered the flesh, and warm blood splattered all over Lu Bin's face and body.
Blood gushed out from the chest and mouth of the guard commander like a fountain, instantly dyeing the bright yellow gold-woven carpet red. His eyes were wide open, staring at the direction from which the arrow came. His body fell to the ground with a bang, twitched twice, and then he was silent.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Everyone was stunned by the successive assassinations. The strong smell of blood instantly spread and was nauseating.
Lu Bin stood there in a daze, his face and body covered in hot, sticky blood. His bright yellow dragon robe was torn, and he looked in a disgraceful state.
His whole body was shaking uncontrollably, his eyes were dazed, and filled with great fear and confusion after surviving a disaster.
Just a moment ago, he was only a step away from death.
"There's an assassin! Shoot arrows outside the palace! Capture the assassin!"
The commander of the Imperial Guards finally recovered from his shock and said in a hoarse, cracking voice, "Seal off the hall! No one is allowed to move! Protect His Majesty! Quick!"
The hall instantly became a pot of boiling porridge.
The scene was in chaos.
Jiang Qingning tilted his head slightly, his gaze calmly passing through the chaotic fleeing crowd and falling on Lu Bin, who was surrounded by heavy protective circles and looked miserable.
The fear on his face was so clear, the imperial majesty was gone, and only a panicked mortal shrouded in the shadow of death remained.
The corners of Jiang Qingning's lips curled up very slightly with interest.
The seeds of panic have been planted, and the next step can be to take it a step further.
The chaos lasted for half an hour.
The inside and outside of the Qionghua Palace were turned upside down. Apart from the dancer who was killed on the spot, the poison arrow, and the traces found on the eaves in the southeast corner, there was no trace of other assassins.
The archer who shot the arrow seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth.
Lu Bin was surrounded by frightened eunuchs and imperial physicians, and was temporarily moved to the warm room behind the Qionghua Palace to calm down, change clothes, and receive treatment.
The hall was in a mess. The bloodstains were quickly washed away, but the fishy smell lingered in the air for a long time.
The palace banquet naturally could not continue, but no one dared to leave the palace without the order of His Majesty. Everyone had to stay where they were in shock, or go to the side hall to rest for a while under the guidance of palace servants.
Jiang Qingning used the excuse of changing clothes and was led out of the main hall area of Qionghua Palace by a young eunuch.
The palace lanterns hanging on both sides of the palace road swayed in the night wind, casting flickering light and shadows. The noise faded away, leaving only the faint shouts of the guards searching and patrolling in the distance.
After passing through a moon gate and stepping into a relatively secluded corridor, the young eunuch leading the way walked quickly in front with his head lowered.
Just as I turned a corner and left the lights and noise of the main hall completely behind, an oppressive atmosphere quietly and silently wrapped around me.
Jiang Qingning paused slightly.
The young eunuch leading the way was unaware and continued walking forward.
A tall figure, as if condensed directly from the shadow of the corridor column, suddenly blocked Jiang Qingning's way.
The dark uniform made the man look broad-shouldered and long-legged. His face was half-bright and half-dark in the dim light of the corridor. Only his eyes, sharp as an eagle, were fixed on Jiang Qingning with an all-knowing amusement.
It was the deposed crown prince, Lu Cheng.
Zi Su's heart tightened and she subconsciously stood in front of Jiang Qingning, but was stopped by Jiang Qingning.
Lu Cheng's eyes slowly swept over Jiang Qingning's purple palace dress, which was still elegant and not at all messy, and finally fell back on her calm face.
He opened his thin lips slightly, and a low voice rang out in the silent corridor:
"Miss Jiang, you have a really good method."
Jiang Qingning raised her eyes and met his.
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