Li Xi and a dozen guards escorted the emperor to a safe place, while assassins kept surging in from all directions to block his path.
The concubines and ministers who accompanied the emperor to the sacrificial ceremony screamed in fright, and the guards escorted them toward the palace.
The number of assassins was increasing rapidly, and the Imperial Guards were on the verge of being overwhelmed.
At this moment, Qin Xiaolin and Elder Sun, along with a group of chivalrous heroes, swept in from afar like a black storm.
The thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed, raising clouds of dust.
Their arrival was like divine intervention, instantly turning the tide of the battle.
The emperor breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the visitors. The arrival of the people from Yinxian Manor put his mind at ease.
Seeing that the situation was about to be reversed, the assassins, guided by the sound of the flute, all rushed towards the emperor.
Li Xi had been resisting the voice in her mind, but when the flute music came, she instantly gave up resisting.
His eyes became empty and deep, as if drawn by an invisible force.
Their bodies moved involuntarily toward the emperor, following the rhythm of the flute music.
The guards were fighting the assassins, leaving only Li Xi by the emperor's side, completely unaware of Li Xi's strange behavior.
Emperor Wenyuan was completely focused on the evolving battle situation and did not notice Li Xi's unusual behavior at all.
The silver needle in her hand trembled slightly despite her best efforts to suppress it.
As the flute music suddenly intensified, the invisible melody seemed to awaken the dormant parasites within her.
They roamed rampantly, bringing excruciating pain and endless irritation, binding her tightly in an abyss of endless suffering.
Li Xi's tightly pursed lips bled from the excessive force, and finally, her reason was overwhelmed. The silver needle in her hand sliced through the air like lightning and pierced the emperor's heart meridian with unerring accuracy.
The emperor's eyes were filled with disbelief, and before he could utter a word, he collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, Li Xi's body seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, involuntarily rushing in a certain direction and disappearing from Qin Xiaolin's sight.
Upon seeing this, Qin Xiaolin's heart tightened, and he was about to give chase when he was suddenly surrounded by assassins.
The guards were shocked to see the emperor fall to the ground, but they could only continue fighting the assassin.
Just as the fatal sword was about to pierce the emperor's chest, Prince Jing suddenly appeared in front of the emperor like a divine soldier descending from the heavens, his figure so fast that it was almost invisible.
Without the slightest hesitation, Prince Jing swiftly picked up the scattered weapons on the ground and blocked the assassin's fierce attack with astonishing speed and strength.
A flicker of surprise crossed the assassin's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
Soon, the assassins were routed, and the remaining ones left quickly as if summoned.
The emperor was quickly moved back to the palace, while the Imperial Guards stayed behind to clean up the scene.
Seeing that there was nothing for them to do, the chivalrous men left on their own.
Qin Xiaolin had already chased after the direction where Li Xi had disappeared, but he couldn't find her anywhere.
At this moment, Li Xi was unconscious, and the carriage carrying her left the altar, its destination unknown.
Qin Xiaolin still hadn't caught up with Li Xi by nightfall. Completely helpless, he could only go to the Li residence to seek help.
"What did you say? Xiaoxi is missing?" Hongying stood there stunned when she heard the news.
Hongying and Wanyue's faces turned pale instantly, and their hands clenched into fists involuntarily.
"Come on, take me to see her. You wait here, old man. If she goes back and asks someone to notify us."
After saying this, the two mounted their horses and hurried toward the altar.
The leader of the Red Lotus Cult took Li Xi back to his private residence in Kyoto.
This house is hidden among many other residences, its unremarkable appearance easily overlooked. Unless one is paying close attention, one would hardly notice that anyone lives here.
"Master, what should we do with this person?" the Grand Protector asked, looking at Li Xi lying there.
"Please invite the divine doctor over." Things were proceeding as he had planned, and this woman would be of even greater use in the future.
Then, the cult leader added, "Go outside and find an old woman to take care of her."
Seeing that everything was arranged, he changed his clothes and left.
The emperor, who was sent back to the palace, was already being waited for by the imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy outside the palace gates.
Upon seeing the imperial carriage return, he hurriedly stepped forward to treat the patient.
Inside the palace, candlelight flickered, and the air was filled with the fragrance of medicine, creating a tense yet orderly atmosphere.
Although all the concubines, princes and princesses were frightened today, the emperor had not yet woken up after the assassination attempt, so everyone was waiting outside the palace.
Meng Zhong was assisting the imperial physician in examining the emperor.
Finally, in the middle of the night, the emperor's eyelids twitched slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes.
Upon seeing this, everyone was overjoyed and gathered around.
However, the emperor looked extremely weak at this time, and even speaking seemed very difficult.
He said with great difficulty in an extremely weak voice, "Prince Jing is acting as regent on my behalf... Find, find Li Xi..."
However, before he could finish speaking, the emperor closed his eyes again and fell into a coma.
Upon hearing that His Majesty wanted to find Xiao Xi, Meng Zhong's heart leaped into his throat.
News of the assassination attempt on the emperor and others who participated in the sacrificial ceremony at the altar today has already spread throughout the palace.
As a general, Li Xi had been guarding the emperor all day, but she disappeared after the emperor fell into a coma.
Meng Zhong was eager to know where she had gone, but given the current situation, he could not leave the palace.
After finishing his business at the trade fair today, King Liang heard that the Emperor was injured and rushed back to the palace.
I never expected that my father would appoint my fifth brother as regent!
In an instant, King Liang felt his blood rush to his head, and his face turned extremely gloomy, as if water could drip from it.
The others had different expressions, but in the end, it was the Empress who told everyone to go back, while she stayed behind to guard the Emperor.
After receiving the imperial edict, the commander of the Imperial Guards immediately arranged for people to leave the palace to find General Li.
The news of the emperor's injury and unconsciousness at the altar was spread throughout the capital by those with ulterior motives, but people only dared to discuss it in private.
However, the prophecy on the falling stone spread like wildfire among the people, even reaching other places.
More and more people are beginning to believe this prophecy, and some have even started hoarding food.
The Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager received news of the Emperor's injury the following day, and the two hurriedly returned to the palace from the Western Hills Villa to take charge of the situation.
Now the only option is to let Prince Jing oversee the country, since he has been by the emperor's side for some time.
As the shadow of prophecy gradually enveloped the land, the unease in the hearts of the people spread like sandstorms whipped up by a gale.
The outbreak of banditry was like adding fuel to the fire, making the already turbulent situation even worse.
Among these bandits were impoverished people who had no means of livelihood and were driven to desperation, as well as ambitious individuals who took advantage of the chaos to seize power and establish their own independent regimes.
They looted and burned villages, plunging the entire country into chaos and panic.
At this time, the Red Lotus Sect gradually came into the public eye.
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