Chapter 96
Shanglin Garden.
After two days of intense competition, the polo tournament finally arrived on the third day. Although the match was still half an hour away, the participants and their families and friends had already arrived early to prepare.
Some familiar people gathered in groups of three or five, chatting in low voices; some were whispering to their horses, as if saying to their old partners, "Cooperate more closely later and help me win the championship." Some were sitting in the shade of the trees, enjoying the cool air and waiting leisurely.
The competition venue was crowded and bustling.
Liu Hong was wandering around when he unexpectedly met Zhao Fan. They exchanged greetings politely without being conspicuous at all.
The two men spoke in very low voices, and the attendants around them lagged behind, so only they could hear each other.
"Are you all ready?"
Zhao Fan nodded. "Everything is ready. Your Highness, just wait and see. I will not let you down."
"Those Hun spies..."
But as soon as he started talking, Zhao Fan immediately understood: "They have all been taken to Shanglin Garden. They will be knocked unconscious as planned. We will just wait for the incident to happen and then dump them at the scene."
Liu Hong glanced sideways and asked, "When we captured them, they didn't make any noise, did they?"
"No. The Second Prince has given me specific instructions and sufficient information. If I mess things up again, wouldn't it be incompetent? This group of people set up their base in a remote suburban area to avoid attracting the attention of the court. It's sparsely populated, which makes it easier for us to act.
"However, the Xiongnu are exceptionally skilled and cannot be taken lightly. Even if we rely on our superior numbers to catch them off guard and manage to capture them, there's no guarantee of a surprise. Especially if a real fight breaks out, I'm afraid we won't be able to suppress it."
"Therefore, I specifically asked my men to buy the most powerful drugs, so that they would all pass out after the effects of the drugs took effect, and then I could capture them without anyone noticing.
"They've been locked up in a dark room for the past few days since they were captured. The drugs haven't worn off yet, ensuring they don't die or have the strength to resist. The guards have been standing outside with their faces covered. I'm afraid they still don't know what happened to them."
If they were to face each other in a serious confrontation, the Huns would not be so easy to deal with. But since they had the information advantage, they probably couldn't figure out how and why they were exposed.
Liu Hong was quite satisfied with the result. He squinted his eyes and praised, "The Second Prince is cautious and prudent. He is worthy of being chosen by His Highness."
"Your Excellency, I am truly honored to be able to serve you."
Liu Hong was pleased with his attitude. He nodded slightly, exchanged a glance, and rode off, each going his own way. Zhao Fan disappeared into the crowd and quietly slipped away to do what he was supposed to do.
Liu Hong looked around and, as expected, didn't see Liu Ju, but he spotted Yan Sui and Chao Nan. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his breathing slowed down. He instantly tightened the reins, but after a moment, he calmed down and walked over, letting the pony loose: "Captain Yan, hasn't the Crown Prince arrived yet?"
"Your Highness forgot that His Highness the Crown Prince has a habit of jogging in the morning. Calculating the time, he should be back in two quarters of an hour. Your Highness, don't worry, he won't be late for the race."
Liu Hong wasn't worried about the start of the competition. He would naturally remember Liu Ju's habit.
Living in the palace was inconvenient, but whenever he stayed in Bowang Garden or Shanglin Garden, Liu Ju would get up early every morning and ride a few laps on horseback for exercise. He would do the same two days before the race.
But as the crown prince, he had to bring guards with him wherever he went. Cang Hai had been in Mount Li and rarely returned to the capital, so let's put that aside. But Yan Sui and Chao Nan accompanied Liu Ju on a daily basis, and Liu Ju would always bring at least one of them, and now both were there.
He swallowed, his expression slightly changed: "Seeing the two captains, I thought the prince brother would not run away today."
"His Highness said that today's competition started earlier because it was the finals. Although there were not many participants, the number of spectators was even greater than the previous two days. His Highness was concerned that the original guards at Shanglin Garden were insufficient, so he ordered two of his subordinates to assist in patrol and guard duties.
"Let us come early to prepare, so we don't have to go jogging with him. After all, Young Master Huo and Young Master Wei are here, so we can just let them accompany us. Besides, there are two personal guards following us, and we are in Shanglin Garden, so nothing will go wrong."
Is something wrong?
Liu Hong's eyes flickered, but he didn't comment. But a huge weight had finally been lifted from his heart. Regardless of who was following Liu Ju, as long as he continued his morning run as usual, his plan would work without any urgent interruptions or adjustments.
"Then I won't disturb the two guards."
Liu Hong felt a little relieved. After getting the information he wanted, he turned and left, but he didn't go far. He stood next to the stands. This was the best position he had chosen.
He is now a very popular guy. He stood there for just a moment and three or two young men surrounded him. Liu Hong was not angry. He smiled and talked to them, but he was estimating the time in his heart.
A quarter of an hour later, Yan Sui and Chao Nan looked as usual.
After two quarters of an hour, the two began to subconsciously look to the left, which was the direction Liu Ju should have returned.
Three quarters of an hour passed, and there was still no sign of anyone. Although the competition had not started yet, Yan Sui and Chao Nan's expressions were obviously solemn and a little anxious.
Out of the corner of his eye, Liu Hong saw Yan Sui walking towards Chao Nan, seemingly giving him some instructions. He couldn't hear them, but he could guess. Perhaps he wanted to leave one person to watch over the place while the other went to look for Liu Ju.
Liu Hong's palms were sweating and he was getting more and more nervous.
It should be almost done, by now, but there was no sound at all. Liu Hong was a little unsure. But he was certain that at this critical moment, Yan Sui and Chao Nan could not be allowed to rush over, so as to avoid complications.
Just when they were thinking about how to stop Yan Sui and Chao Nan without making any noise, there was a loud noise suddenly, like a thunder from the sky. Everyone present was startled and stood there in a daze. After they reacted, they had different guesses.
"What happened?"
"What's that noise? It's such a nice day, and there's thunder? A bolt from the blue on a summer's day?"
"No, it looks like a landslide, rocks rolling down."
"It hasn't rained in the past few days, so where did the landslide and rocks come from?"
…
"That's... the direction His Highness usually rides his horse."
Yan Sui and Chao Nan looked in the direction of the voice at the same time, and their faces changed.
Liu Hong was already prepared and reacted immediately, signaling the Shanglin Garden garrison commander to step out. "Leave the order. From this moment on, Shanglin Garden is under martial law. No one is allowed to enter or leave. All those present are under guard. Do not touch them, but do not allow them to move rashly either."
The garrison commander agreed. Liu Hong turned to Yan Sui and Chao Nan and said, "Bring a group of men with me. Let's find out what's going on."
Except for the crown prince, the guards of the Eastern Palace only obeyed the emperor. But now both of them were not here. Only Liu Hong had the highest status at the scene, and the arrangement was reasonable. Yan Sui and Chao Nan looked at each other, nodded in unison, jumped on their horses, and galloped away.
After galloping on horseback, they soon saw a crater on the hillside ahead that had been blown out by something. Rocks were scattered around, and several people were lying on the ground with their clothes stained with blood. Judging from their clothes, two of them seemed to be guards of the Eastern Palace, and the others were Huo Guangwei Buyi and... Liu Ju.
There were also a few other people standing, with obvious bloodstains on their heads and bodies. Their bodies were staggering, as if they had also suffered serious injuries. However, because they were at a distance, no one could see clearly that they looked like they had just woken up, with confusion in their eyes.
These people were a little dazed and didn't know where they were. When they heard the sound of horse hooves, they subconsciously looked at the people coming and keenly realized that something was wrong.
The leader had no time to comprehend the situation. He only guessed that the other party was the Han army guards and that they had been exposed. So he shouted, "Go!"
Chao Nan whipped his horse and chased after them. Yan Sui moved, and Liu Hong spoke at the right moment: "There are only a few of them, so they are not a big threat. Shanglinyuan is under martial law and they can't leave. There is no need to worry about them escaping. Having Chao Nan in pursuit is enough. Captain Yan, the Crown Prince is the most important."
Yan Sui also knew this. Compared to catching the murderer, Liu Ju's safety was the top priority.
The two men ran over, dismounted, and ran towards Liu Ju at the same time.
"Brother Prince!"
Liu Hong rushed over directly. Liu Ju was lying on the ground, covered in blood, his face was even more stained with dirt and blood, which showed the severity of his injuries. It was shocking.
Yan Sui was startled, his steps trembled slightly, and his body tilted and he almost fell.
At this moment, Huo Guangwei, who was checking on them, shouted, "They are all... no longer angry."
Yan Sui's face changed again. He hurriedly checked Liu Ju's breath with his trembling hands and felt his pulse. He was horrified but also felt relieved. "He's still breathing, but very weak."
Liu Hong's expression flickered, and he made a quick decision: "The rest of you will stay behind to clean up the mess. Captain Yan, you need to bring the Crown Prince back as soon as possible. As long as we get there in time, we can be saved."
Yes, if you arrive in time, you can be saved.
Yan Sui took a deep breath and immediately reached out to pick up Liu Ju, moving swiftly but carefully to avoid further injury. The two mounted their horses and, without returning to the arena, headed straight for Bowang Garden.
Three maids from Fenghe Yusui and Shenggu came out one after another. When they saw Liu Ju's situation, the blood drained from their faces instantly.
Yan Sui walked quickly into the hall and placed Liu Ju on the bed.
Liu Hong rushed to the bedside and gave another order: "Captain Yan, Bowang Garden and Shanglin Garden are not ordinary places. We have no idea how those thieves got in, whether there are any accomplices among the spectators today, or whether there will be other incidents.
"There are too many people, and the captain of the garrison may not be able to take care of everything. I need your assistance. Leave a few of them outside the palace to protect the Crown Prince. You will command the others. Make sure to find out who attacked the Crown Prince and identify all the hidden dangers. Don't let any of them go."
"yes."
Yan Sui took the order and left.
Liu Hong looked at the three maids again and said, "Fenghe, please go and boil some water. Once it's boiled, we need to clean the Crown Prince's face first. Only by washing away the dirt and blood stains on his head and face can we know the extent of his injuries."
"I know this kind of menial work is trivial and doesn't require you, but since the Crown Prince has had such a big accident, I don't trust ordinary maids. I'm also worried that they won't be as meticulous as you and could be taken advantage of. Please keep a close eye on them.
"From now on, anything that requires contact with the Crown Prince must be done by you personally. You cannot delegate it to anyone else."
Feng He looked solemn: "Yes."
"Yu Sui, Sheng Gu, you are both skilled in martial arts and good at horseback riding. Two of you should go together and act separately. One of you should go to the Imperial Medical Bureau and summon all the doctors who specialize in the art of death. If there are any who are not on duty, have Li Ke from the Imperial Medical Bureau summon them! The other one should go to Weiyang Palace and report to the emperor. Go quickly!"
The arrangement was perfectly organized. While all those close to Liu Ju were transferred, no one could find fault with it. Everyone who heard it praised it, saying it was a well-organized and thoughtful arrangement.
After Feng He and the other two left, Liu Hong's expression changed immediately. He no longer looked like a good younger brother who was worried about his brother.
He stood beside Liu Ju's bed, his eyes gleaming with ferocity. "You're so lucky! The gunpowder bomb killed Huo Guang and Wei Buyi, but it couldn't kill you. But it doesn't matter. I calculated this long ago."
"You are the crown prince, and many people are willing to protect you with their lives. Others may die, but you may not. However, the power of gunpowder bullets is fierce, even if you don't die, you will be seriously injured. As long as you are seriously injured, it will be my chance."
Liu Ju was now unconscious and unable to move, like a lamb to be slaughtered. If he moved even a little, he would be dead.
As for what happens next?
Ha. With such severe injuries, wouldn't it be normal for him to not be able to survive and wait for the doctor to arrive?
He was so close to Liu Ju, and was loved by Liu Che. Who would doubt him for saving the emperor? At most, Liu Che would go crazy and take his anger out on the imperial doctors and guards, massacring them.
But what does that have to do with him?
"Don't blame me. Blame the other part of the system that disintegrated in you. I must get it back."
Liu Hong's eyes flashed with coldness, and he picked up the pillow beside him and covered Liu Ju with it. However, just as the pillow was close to Liu Ju's mouth and nose, Liu Ju suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes as bright as torches.
Liu Hong: …!!!
The next moment, Liu Ju threw away the pillow, sat up swiftly from the bed, put one foot on the edge of the bed and looked at him with a smile: "You should have heard the saying that villains die because they talk too much."
His movements were swift and his words were full of energy, and he didn't look seriously injured at all.
Liu Hong's whole body froze, he knew that he had fallen into a trap. He subconsciously stepped back, his mind racing with thoughts as he wondered if there was any way to remedy the situation.
Before he could react, Liu Ju said, "Oh, that's not the right word to use here."
After all, he was pretending, and even if Liu Hong "talked less", he would not have succeeded.
Liu Ju rolled his eyes. "But as a villain, it's always better to talk less. The more you talk, the more you're exposed, right?"
"You...you already knew...you already suspected me?"
Liu Ju nodded and shook his head, shaking his index finger: "I'm not the only one who knows, nor am I the only one who doubts."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a noise in the house. Following the sound, he saw a man coming out from behind the screen at the side. He had a cold brow and a gloomy face. The air pressure in his body was so low that it seemed as if he could freeze a person to death.
If it’s not Liu Che, then who else could it be!
Boom.
It was as if all the blood in Liu Hong's body was drained away in an instant. His face turned pale, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
