Chapter 96 Bleeding and Weeping, Ah Yan, weren't you always the most skilled in martial arts...?
"good."
Seeing that Shen Lianzhou was embarrassed, Yuan Yan chuckled and released his arm.
Shen Lianzhou straightened up and bowed to Yang Lingyi, whom he had ignored.
"I have been impolite in serving you."
"It's nothing. Shen Shuqing was just worried about His Highness, and his anxiety is understandable." Yang Lingyi knew that Shen Lianzhou was also quite frightened this time, so she did not blame him for it.
"Your Highness, this matter is of great importance, and the fewer people who know about it, the better. In the coming days, we will need to work together to help Your Highness complete this plan."
"I understand."
Shen Lianzhou knew the matter was a secret. Since His Highness was willing to tell him, a mere junior official, such an important plan, he would certainly not betray His Highness's trust.
...
Before the incense stick burns, in a side courtyard.
Because the courtyard was located in a remote area, and the servants in the mansion were all busy with the assassination attempt on His Highness, Yang Lingyi did not have time to notify the side courtyard. Lu Lingyue was the last to learn of the news.
The servants of the Prince's mansion were all in a hurry, and a few cries could be heard from somewhere, creating a somber and unusual atmosphere.
Seeing this scene, Lu Lingyue keenly sensed something and immediately had a servant come over to inquire.
What happened in the front yard?
The servants were also somewhat flustered: "The master courtyard has sent word that His Highness has been assassinated..."
Upon hearing this clearly, Lu Lingyue's mind went blank for a moment.
The teacup in his hand involuntarily tipped over and fell to the ground with a crisp sound, shattering into pieces.
The scalding hot tea gushed out instantly, washing over Lu Lingyue's hand and splashing all over the ground.
"Your Highness is highly skilled in martial arts, how could you have been assassinated? Where is Your Highness injured, and what is your current condition...?"
Lu Lingyue's hand turned red instantly from the heat, her body froze completely, but the questions in her mouth seemed to flow out uncontrollably.
The servant said, "They say the wound is in the chest, and it's quite serious. The imperial physician has already gone there, and His Majesty has also sent a royal physician..."
The man said something else after that, but Lu Lingyue couldn't hear it anymore.
A sudden, piercing pain shot through his heart, as if the tea had not been spilled on the ground, but rather poured scalding hot onto his chest.
At this moment, Lu Lingyue had no thoughts in her mind; she only wanted to confirm that the servant was lying.
"Go to the main courtyard," he said to the servant.
Perhaps because of Yuan Yan's assassination attempt, there are now many more guards in front of the main courtyard.
When Lu Lingyue arrived at the main courtyard with her men, there were guards both inside and outside.
"Let me in."
Lu Lingyue clashed with the guards, saying, "I am His Highness's consort, and it is my duty to visit His Highness."
"Please forgive me, my lord." The guard, acting on Yang Lingyi's orders, remained neither servile nor arrogant.
"His Highness's injuries are too severe, and the Minister is taking care of him in the courtyard. He has instructed us not to let anyone in. We should wait outside a little longer."
Zhengqing, Zhengqing, again Zhengqing.
"Get out of the way." Lu Lingyue ignored her completely, feeling that Yang Lingyi had become even more glaring at this moment.
The burning fire in his heart grew hotter and hotter, as if someone had poured a bucket of strong liquor over his head, burning his internal organs with pain. He endured the discomfort and struggled against the guards.
"Please return, my lord. Please do not make things difficult for us." The guard remained unyielding.
Lu Lingyue's expression turned completely cold, and the aura of a noble man reappeared on his body at this moment.
“They are all His Highness’s men. What right does Yang Lingyi have to stop me from entering?” He stepped forward and stared intently at the guards.
"No matter what, I must see His Highness today. If you insist on stopping me, then kill me."
When Lu Lingyue spoke, her brows and eyes were cold and stern, like a flower blooming on an iceberg, exuding a lonely and desolate aura.
Before he finished speaking, he took a few steps forward, ignoring the longswords in the hands of the guards, and went straight ahead, clearly willing to risk injury to force his way in.
Young servant: "Master, Master..."
Are you out of your mind serving your master? Those are real swords and blades; if you accidentally get cut, you could really die...
The young male servant brought by Lu Lingyue was stunned and shrank back outside the courtyard, not daring to follow her forward.
The lead guard remained unmoved, continuing to hold his long sword and stand in front of them.
Lu Lingyue, however, seemed completely oblivious to the longsword, stubbornly pressing forward. The guard was caught off guard, and the sword immediately sliced through Lu Lingyue's sleeve and arm.
Fresh blood gushed out instantly.
The lead guard was startled and immediately released his grip. But it was too late; the longsword was already stained with blood.
The other guards were taken aback by Lu Lingyue's aura and instinctively moved aside.
Who's making a fuss outside?
The commotion outside alerted the people inside.
Yang Lingyi came out personally to inquire, and looking at the chaotic scene outside and the injured Lu Lingyue, she pursed her lips and looked stern.
"Reporting to Lord Zheng, we were guarding outside when the servant forced his way in and was wounded by a sword," the guard replied.
"Yang Lingyi".
Lu Lingyue looked up at him and addressed him by his name without any politeness, "How is Your Highness now? I want to go see Your Highness."
Yang Lingyi frowned as she looked at the spreading bloodstains.
He didn't pursue the way Lu Lingyue addressed him at that moment, but his tone was unpleasant.
“Lord Lu, His Highness is injured and unconscious. Your noise outside will only disturb him.”
Lu Lingyue ignored him completely, a dark fire flickering in her eyes. "No matter what you say, I will not go back until I see His Highness with my own eyes today."
While the two were locked in a stalemate, Shen Lianzhou came out of the house.
He glanced at Lu Lingyue, a hint of displeasure in his eyes, and whispered a few words to Yang Lingyi.
"Lu Shifu, since you insist on seeing, then come in."
It is unclear what Shen Lianzhou said, but Yang Lingyi changed her mind upon hearing it. She turned around and left a message, instructing the guards to let Lu Lingyue in.
It turned out that Yuan Yan had heard the commotion outside while inside the house. After learning that Lu Lingyue was willing to risk injury to force her way in, he wanted to see what she was up to. So he had Shen Lianzhou pass on the message and ordered someone to let Lu Lingyue in.
Footsteps echoed inside the house.
Yuan Yan lay on the couch, closed his eyes, and pretended to be unconscious.
Lu Lingyue walked to the bedside, but suddenly became hesitant to approach, and her steps slowed down.
A hand touched Yuan Yan's chest and carefully lifted the clothes on top.
When Lu Lingyue saw the wound on Yuan Yan's chest, her breath trembled slightly.
How could you be so badly injured...?
A drop of liquid suddenly fell onto Yuan Yan's neck.
“Ayan…”
"Weren't you always the most skilled in martial arts? Why are you lying here now?"
Lu Lingyue's voice was unsteady, and there seemed to be a sob in it.
Long, slender fingers, like falling feathers, gently brushed against Yuan Yan's eyes, nose, and mouth, bringing a slight tickle.
Lu Lingyue seemed to be tracing her facial features with her hand, silently shedding tears.
The cool liquid fell onto Yuan Yan's hand, wetting a small patch of the bedding.
With his eyes closed, Yuan Yan could almost picture Lu Lingyue looking like that.
"What's wrong with him? I've never seen him care about me much before, but now he's crying like this," Yuan Yan said to the system in his mind.
The system was speechless.
It's just a system! Yuan Yan and his companion are deeply in love and suffering, and yet they still insist on asking it? Is that reasonable?
"I don't know, but my system panel shows that Lu Lingyue's feelings for you are over 80," the system said dryly.
“That’s impossible, there must be something wrong with the data,” Yuan Yan said without hesitation.
During this period, she had been ignoring Lu Lingyue and mostly venting her frustrations on him. Even if Lu Lingyue regretted it, he could never have such deep feelings for her.
"Lu Shifu, now that you've seen him, there's no point in staying any longer. Don't bother His Highness anymore, go back and let the royal physician treat your injuries."
Yang Lingyi watched Lu Lingyue's actions with a cold eye, finding them irritating. Not wanting him to stay by Sister Yan's side any longer, she couldn't help but call him away.
“No, my hand is fine. Your Highness needs someone to take care of you right now. The male servants may not be attentive enough at times, so I am willing to stay and take care of Your Highness.”
Lu Lingyue didn't want to leave Yuan Yan, so she subconsciously hid the back of her hand behind her back and asked Yang Lingyi for permission.
“Your Highness has me, the Chief Minister, and at the very least, other servants by your side. How dare you interfere?” Shen Lianzhou spoke up from the side, her expression mocking.
"Lu Lingyue, I've wanted to say this to you for a long time. When His Highness was awake, I didn't see you cherish him much. Now that His Highness is in trouble, you're here shedding tears. Who are you trying to fool with your hypocrisy?" he sneered.
“That is between His Highness and me, and has nothing to do with you. In any case, His Highness’s life or death is unknown, and we don’t know if the assassins will come again. As His Highness’s consort, how can I sit idly by at this time?”
Lu Lingyue felt a dull ache in her heart after being touched on a sore spot, but she continued to argue her case.
"Alright," Yang Lingyi interrupted their argument.
"His Highness is still unconscious. If you want to make noise, don't do it in front of his bed. It won't affect him."
Shen Lianzhou paused: "...I dare not serve you."
Upon hearing this, Lu Lingyue's heart clenched slightly, and she fell silent.
"Lu Shifu, you may go back now. His Highness is under my care now, and there is no need for anyone else. If needed later, I will have someone summon you." Yang Lingyi finally made the decision.
He sent Lu Lingyue and Shen Lianzhou away and sat down in front of Yuan Yan's bed.
"Sister Yan, I've told them all to leave. You can get up now." He looked at the thin layer of sweat that Yuan Yan had developed from being covered up, smiled slightly, and took a lightly scented handkerchief to wipe it away for her.
Yuan Yan sat up and leaned against Yang Lingyi's arm so he could wipe his sweat.
"Yi'er, I need to be 'in a coma' for a while. Try to keep the servants out of the room as little as possible these days to avoid any leaks. Just tell everyone that I have not yet woken up."
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will manage the household well and minimize the movement of servants. No matter who inquires, I will tell them that Your Highness has not yet awakened." Yang Lingyi understood Yuan Yan's thoughts and accepted this important task.
Yuan Yan ordered his men to spread the news that he had been assassinated and seriously wounded, adding fuel to the fire in the capital.
Dark clouds gathered and thunder rumbled.
The rain poured down.
Yuan Hao learned of Yuan Yan's condition from the imperial physician and was furious.
"I had no idea that the capital had descended into such chaos. An assassin dared to attempt to kill the Prince of Qin in broad daylight."
"Investigate this matter. The Prince of Qin was assassinated right after achieving great merit. I want to see who in this vast capital city could not tolerate the Prince of Qin."
Yuan Hao's face was cold as he swept his gaze over the Dali Temple Minister and the Prefect of the Capital, his voice laced with anger.
Chen Fang and the others kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. We will do it immediately."
The news of Yuan Yan's assassination spread like wildfire, and soon all the ministers in the court knew about it.
Officials close to Yuan Yan, such as Du Heng and Liang Yijiong, learned that the King of Qin had not yet woken up and were very worried. The other ministers also had their own thoughts.
Some privately believe that Yuan Yan's growing power must have made someone restless, and that this assassination attempt was inextricably linked to the other princesses.
Some people believe that the King of Qin has been too prominent lately, which may lead to him blocking people's way and causing trouble.
Needless to say, Yuan Jing's faction outwardly condemned the assassin's actions, but privately they were mostly relieved.
Feng Qing, however, was cautious. Upon hearing the news, he did not believe it but instead summoned his confidant to confirm it.
"Well, have you found out? Is the King of Qin truly still seriously injured and unconscious?"
The trusted aide reported, "Your Majesty, rest assured. Many people witnessed the King of Qin being stabbed in the chest by an assassin yesterday. The King of Qin was heartbroken and personally stayed by his bedside to take care of him."
"Lu Cai also learned from the physician of the Prince of Qin's residence that the Prince's injury is extremely dangerous, and it is still unknown whether he will wake up. If he does not wake up later, it will be time to prepare for his funeral."
"I never expected Yuan Yan to be short-lived, just like her father. It's good that she's gone now, saving me the trouble of taking action."
Upon hearing this, Feng Qing's furrowed brows slowly relaxed, revealing a slight smile.
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