The carriage had barely left the villa when Lin Yun leaned against the side of the carriage, her fingers unconsciously stroking the token, preparing to take a nap…
Suddenly, a hail of arrows pierced the air and struck the carriage wall with a dull thud.
The horses neighed in fright, and the coachman quickly tightened the reins. Lin Yun lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw more than twenty masked men in black clothes leaping out of the woods ahead of the official road, wielding gleaming weapons, and fighting with the guards.
"Protect Her Highness!" the lead guard shouted sharply.
"Whoosh—" An arrow pierced the air and landed on the carriage door frame, only inches away from Lin Yun's face.
She gasped and instinctively shrank back.
"There are too many of them!" a guard shouted from outside. "Send the signal!"
Immediately afterwards, a sharp whistling sound pierced the sky, and Lin Yun saw through the gap in the carriage curtain that a red firework exploded in the blue sky, forming a peculiar pattern.
A chaotic sound of horses' hooves and the clanging of metal came from outside.
"So last night was just a test..." Lin Yun suddenly understood, her fingers gripping the hilt of the dagger tightly. "They deliberately sent someone to see how many guards were in the villa..."
This realization sent chills down her spine.
Who was it that would go to such lengths to kill her?
The sounds of fighting outside grew closer. Lin Yun heard the crisp clash of swords, the muffled groans of someone being injured, and the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground.
She bit her lower lip, forcing herself to remain calm, and curled up motionless at the innermost part of the carriage.
"Bang!" Another loud crash, and the carriage shook violently. This time, a steel knife slashed down on the carriage floor, the tip piercing through the wooden planks, only a finger's width away from Lin Yun's ankle.
Lin Yun's breathing quickened, and cold sweat soaked the back of her clothes. In this life-or-death moment, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: that flintlock pistol!
Two months ago, she presented the Emperor with the improved flintlock musket design.
It was a design she drew based on her memories of her past life, far more advanced than the firearms of this era. She wondered if the Emperor had already ordered them to be made. If only she had such a weapon in her hands right now...
"Ah!" A scream interrupted her thoughts.
Lin Yun saw a masked assassin being subdued and pinned to the ground by two bodyguards.
The guards moved swiftly and decisively, each move deadly yet leaving room for maneuver. The Emperor had instructed them to spare the lives of any bandits they encountered.
The battle seemed to have reached a fever pitch. Lin Yun saw the guard commander wielding a longsword, its blade flashing like a rainbow, as he repelled the attacks of three assassins. On the other side, two bodyguards stood back to back, their short swords flashing silver as they repelled approaching enemies one by one.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar—reinforcements had arrived! A dozen or so guards dressed in night clothes were coming!
The situation immediately reversed.
The newly arrived guards, like a sharp dagger, shattered the assassins' formation. One masked man tried to escape but was struck in the thigh by a throwing knife hurled by a guard, collapsing to the ground with a groan.
"Don't let a single one escape!" the guard commander shouted. "Take them all!"
The ensuing battle was almost entirely one-sided. With reinforcements, the guards were like tigers with wings, and in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, they had subdued all twenty-odd assassins.
Some attempted suicide by poisoning, but their jaws were dislocated by swift-thinking guards; others tried to fight to the death, but their arms and legs were broken.
When the last assassin was pinned to the ground, Lin Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did she realize that her palms had been dug into by fingernails, leaving deep crescent-shaped marks, and her clothes on the back were completely soaked with cold sweat.
"Your Majesty has been frightened." The guard captain walked to the carriage, knelt on one knee, and said, "The assassins have all been captured. Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."
Lin Yun took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm, asking, "Are there any casualties?"
"Your Majesty, three of our men sustained minor injuries, but no one was killed." The commander's voice carried pride. "These bandits, though numerous, are of mediocre martial arts skills and are nothing to fear."
Lin Yun nodded, but she knew in her heart that if it weren't for the elite guards arranged by the Emperor, she would probably be in grave danger today.
"Find out their origins," she commanded in a low voice, "especially..." She paused, lowering her voice, "see if there are any signs of their property."
A knowing glint flashed in the commander's eyes, and he nodded solemnly: "Your subordinate understands."
"Return to the palace," she said softly but firmly, "I must see the Emperor immediately."
The carriage set off again, this time with more than ten guards accompanying it.
Lin Yun leaned against the carriage, listening to the sound of the wheels rolling over the official road, feeling both fear and warmth in her heart.
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Inside the Qianqing Palace, the fragrance of ambergris rose from the bronze incense burner. Emperor Yongzheng sat on the dragon throne, his fingers unconsciously stroking the dragon patterns on the armrests.
As the court officials presented their reports in turn, he could only hear the pounding of his own heart.
"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present." The voice of Ortai, the Vice Minister of Works, pulled him back to the court. "The Yellow River flood season is approaching. Although the breach from last year has been repaired, this year's abundant rainfall raises concerns about flooding. I request the Ministry of Revenue to allocate 300,000 taels of silver to reinforce the dikes and dredge the river channels."
Yongzheng nodded slightly, but his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the outside of the hall. Yun'er should have returned to the palace by now, right?
"Your Majesty?" Ortai called out cautiously when he saw that the emperor remained silent for a long time.
"Granted." Yongzheng snapped out of his thoughts. "However, I will appoint Li Wei as the supervising officer to ensure the project is completed without compromise and that the funds are not embezzled by those corrupt officials."
Li Wei immediately stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail in your trust."
The Minister of War stepped forward immediately: "Your Majesty, an urgent report has arrived from the Tibetan border. The Dzungar tribe has been frequently raiding our border villages recently, with dozens of incidents already reported. They harbor wolfish ambitions and we must be on guard."
Emperor Yongzheng frowned, his fingers tapping lightly on the dragon throne. The situation in Tibet had always been complex, and the Dzungar Khanate was particularly unpredictable.
Just as he was pondering a solution, the Fourteenth Prince, Yunzhi, suddenly stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, your humble brother is willing to lead troops to Tibet to quell the Dzungar rebellion!" The Fourteenth Prince, Yunti, spoke in a loud voice, his eyes filled with longing.
The court was immediately thrown into an uproar.
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