"Hmm." Yu Nanqing smiled upon hearing this, his voice soft and pleasant: "Please, my lady, act as if you are pleasantly surprised later."
Su Wanyan didn't visit the temples in the city often.
Ordinary people usually come to the temple to worship in the morning, while women mostly come in the evening to hang lanterns and pray for blessings.
Yu Nanqing first picked out a hanging lamp and handed it to Su Wanyan: "Would you like to try it, Yan'er?"
The lamp is to be hung on the prayer wall, and before hanging the lamp, a prayer must be written and hidden between the lamp wick.
"Okay, you write the blessing?"
"Welcome to serve."
The young monks in the temple prepared a brush and ink for Yu Nanqing. Su Wanyan curiously leaned over and watched as Yu Nanqing's brush tip fell: "Holding your hand, we grow old together."
Eight simple characters, written in a flowing, elegant style on the paper.
Su Wanyan pouted: "Is it that simple?"
Simple?
Yu Nanqing couldn't help but smile; this was his life's wish.
He asked curiously, "If it were Yan'er, what would she write?"
Su Wanyan thought for a moment and said, "I hope all my wishes come true."
Yu Nanqing smiled and asked, "What is Yan'er's wish?"
"There are plenty."
"for example?"
"First, to live a life of plenty, free from illness and disaster; second, to achieve financial freedom, able to buy whatever one wants; and finally, to further improve one's medical skills, truly bringing the dead back to life and healing the wounded. Besides these, there are many, many more things."
“…” Yu Nanqing pursed her lips: “Without me?”
Su Wanyan looked up and suddenly rested her head on his arm: "Later I realized that having you is like having everything. You will grant all my wishes, so I don't need to make any more wishes."
Yu Nanqing's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but smile.
He lowered his eyes, slowly rolled up the wishing paper, stuffed it into the lamp wick, and then lit the hanging lamp.
Su Wanyan carried the lantern to the wall of lanterns and gently hung it up.
"Bang—"
Suddenly, a loud explosion occurred.
A firework burst open in the night sky, its colorful light reflecting on Su Wanyan's face.
Su Wanyan's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, followed by visible joy.
As the first explosion rang out, more fireworks burst into the sky, like giant flowers blooming in the air, some fiery red, some deep and mysterious blue, and some dreamlike and hazy purple.
Each burst of fireworks converged into countless starlight, flashing a few times before slowly drifting down, like a dazzling shooting star streaking across the sky.
Su Wanyan looked up at the sky, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
Yu Nanqing's gaze fell on Su Wanyan, and the surprise and fascination in his eyes were breathtakingly beautiful against the backdrop of the fireworks.
They couldn't hear any of the exclamations or screams around them.
Su Wanyan looked at Yu Nanqing with a dazzling smile on her face. A gentle breeze blew, her black hair danced, bringing a slight coolness but not dispelling the lingering warmth between them.
However, just as she was enjoying herself, a sudden "whoosh" sound rang out, and a hidden weapon pierced the night sky, heading straight for Su Wanyan's face.
Yu Nanqing's eyes darkened instantly, and before Su Wanyan could react, she had already fallen into his large embrace.
Yu Nanqing suddenly gathered his inner strength between his sleeves, and the hidden weapon was deflected with a "ding" sound, sparking a burst of sparks.
"Assassins! Protect the Emperor!" Tanaka drew his sword first, and at his command, his companion Xiaobu flew out in a single step.
At this moment, Luo Xue and Ming Yu suddenly appeared out of nowhere and protected Su Wanyan and Yu Nanqing behind them.
In a short while, a group of assassins dressed in black appeared around the entire temple.
Without any commotion or orders, they covered their faces, revealing only their fierce eyes, and brandished sharp blades, their figures flashing like lightning as they stabbed towards Su Wanyan and Yu Nanqing.
However, before the assassin could even reach them, Mingyu drew his longsword and with a clang, instantly blocked the attack.
Su Wanyan gripped Yu Nanqing's arm tightly, her eyes wide open. She hadn't expected to encounter an assassin at this time.
One second she was still immersed in the surprise Yu Nanqing had given her, and the next second she became the target of an assassin. This Mid-Autumn Festival was really exciting.
Who sent them?
Are they the officials in Fucheng who are dissatisfied with Yu Nanqing?
No, Yu Nanqing made such a big fuss a few days ago that it was enough to intimidate all forces. They won't be in such a hurry to succeed. They should take some time to calm down.
Before she knew it, Yu Nanqing had already protected her and retreated to a safe place.
"Ah—help!"
"Run! There's an assassin!"
The people in the temple fled in all directions. In their panic, some pushed down the lamp wall, and flames instantly ignited.
Screams and cries for help mingled together; in the chaos, one could easily be knocked down.
Just then, an assassin appeared above the two men, and amidst the flashing blades, a large sword was about to strike them down.
But then, Luo Xue flashed, and her soft sword instantly came out of her waist. Her speed was as fast as lightning. In just a few swings, layers of blood mist dyed the surrounding area red.
Like a rain of blood.
Yu Nanqing led Su Wanyan to hide behind a big tree.
Looking at the fallen corpse, Su Wanyan couldn't help but cover her nose. Beside the assassin's body, Luo Xue even had a satisfied smile on her lips.
Although the assassins appeared to have been scattered by Tanaka and Mingyu, each of them was actually looking for an opportunity to get close to Yu Nanqing and Su Wanyan.
"Is the target me?" Su Wanyan asked curiously.
"Whether it's me or Yan'er, we're the same." They were originally one, and the death of either of them would benefit the person behind the scenes.
Su Wanyan frowned as she watched the fire grow larger and larger: "Why haven't the city defenses arrived yet?"
"Quick! There's an assassin! Protect the emperor!"
"You! Immediately lead a team to put out the fire!"
"yes!"
As soon as Su Wanyan finished speaking, the city's patrols surged into the temple, with the leader at the head directing them.
Seeing this, the assassins knew that the assassination attempt was unlikely to succeed. The moment the city defenses rushed in, they had already retreated. They were well-trained and showed no hesitation whatsoever.
"Chase!" At the leader's command, the patrolmen immediately gave chase, carrying long-haired soldiers.
However, the assassin's skills were clearly not on the same level as the city's patrols. While Su Wanyan was still watching the direction the assassin was retreating, the city's defense leader had already knelt down to beg for forgiveness.
"This humble servant has arrived late to rescue Your Majesty, please forgive me."
It would be a lie to say that Yu Nanqing was unmoved by the ruined celebration; beneath her calm eyes lay a storm that no one else could perceive.
In that very short time, the prefect also hurriedly appeared at the temple. He rushed forward, knelt down, and bowed respectfully, saying, "This humble official has failed in his duty. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."
The appearance of an assassin during such a grand festival as the Mid-Autumn Festival indicates that the prefect has indeed failed in his duty.
During each celebration, the number of patrols in the city doubles compared to usual. The constables and soldiers of the prefectural government are on standby at all times, and the city's garrison guards will keep a close watch on the city gates and watch out for people entering and leaving the city.
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