Before they even reached the middle of the alley, the King of Chu's secret guards jumped out and surrounded Qi Chengjun and his men. In the blink of an eye, they had already killed two guards.
Qi Chengjun's pupils dilated.
Even though he thought he was well prepared, Qi Chengjun didn't expect his opponent to be so strong!
From the very beginning of the battle, Qi Chengjun's side was at a disadvantage, and they were being suppressed throughout.
The guards wanted to find a way to break through Qi Chengjun's defenses, but the secret guards would not let them have their way. With swift strokes, their long blades were stained with blood.
Qi Chengjun stared at the fallen guards, his eyes bloodshot: "You just want my life, right? Come and take it! Why make things difficult for these guards?"
"Lord Qi!"
"Enough with the nonsense! Even if we die here today, we will find a way to get Lord Qi back safely!"
If someone seeking assassination had overheard such a conversation, they would surely have scoffed. However, these guards were like emotionless killing machines, their eyes completely unwavering, and they didn't even change the way they held their knives.
Qi Chenglang was highly skilled in martial arts, and although Qi Chengjun was a scholar, he was not a weak scholar who knew no martial arts at all. He seized the opportunity to finish off the enemy's guard with a ruthless strike.
As the guard fell, Qi Chengjun no longer hesitated and growled, "Cover your mouth and lie down!"
He had spent more than half a year with these guards, and they had already developed a tacit understanding. So as soon as he finished speaking, the guards closed their eyes, covered their mouths, and lay down, slowing their breathing.
Qi Chengjun took out some medicinal powder from his sleeve, scattered it in the wind, and quickly lay down.
The guards were only stunned for a moment before they realized what was happening and quickly held their breath, but it was too late.
The potent medicinal properties penetrated their nasal cavities through the thin veil, and in an instant, these guards felt dizzy, lightheaded, and weak in their limbs.
The commander of the secret guards knew this was no ordinary medicine, so he ruthlessly cut his arm with a knife, using the pain to keep himself conscious.
But this can only buy them a little time.
He glanced down at Qi Chengjun and said in a hoarse voice, "What happened today is just the beginning, Qi Chengjun. You may be able to dodge the first day of the month, but you can't dodge the fifteenth!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he threw a bullet, and with a puff of smoke, the King of Chu's guards vanished instantly.
The somber silence in the alley was instantly shattered by the heavy breathing of Qi Chengjun and the others.
Only then did Qi Chengjun lower his guard, slowly leaning back against the wall. After a while, he said, "Let's go!"
The guards were all seriously injured. They helped each other to their feet and dragged their wounds back to Qi Chengjun's residence.
Qi Chengjun knew that such assassinations would happen again if they happened once, so when he went out of the mansion, he would not only bring his guards, but also the emperor's secret guards.
Not only that, Qi Chengjun also secretly contacted Tianjianglou and asked them to help investigate the origins of these secret guards. He also truthfully reported his encounter with the assassins to the Emperor.
By the time Qi Chenglang's letter arrived in Huizhou, Qi Chengjun had already survived more than ten assassination attempts.
When the letter was brought in, the physician was bandaging Qi Chengjun.
The assassinations by the King of Chu's secret guards are becoming increasingly frenzied. Even with the protection of the Emperor's secret guards, Qi Chengjun was still injured on these two occasions.
Qi Chenglang's letter finally brought a smile to Qi Chengjun's face, who had been feeling gloomy for a long time.
He unfolded the letter and saw that Qi Chengjun first described the current situation in the northern desert: General Lu, together with Prefect Ke, had removed most of the King of Chu's men, and the remaining few were not a threat.
Most importantly, Qi Chengjun saw the implication in Qi Chenglang's letter that the young prince had already arranged for the former young marshal and deputy general of the Huo family army to join the Northern Desert Army under new identities.
With the addition of these people, the Northern Desert Army is just around the corner and will soon regain its former glory!
Qi Chengjun laughed heartily: "No wonder the King of Chu has been trying to assassinate me like a madman all this time. It turns out he has completely lost power in the northern desert!"
The main base of Chu's power is in the Jiangnan region. With the Jiangnan navy and his private army, it can be said that if Chu also controls the Mobei army, they can march towards the capital from both the south and the north at the same time. It would be very difficult for the capital to defend itself!
But things are different now. The King of Chu has not only completely lost control of the northern deserts, but the Jiangnan region is no longer his sole domain.
The King of Chu is now so eager to silence him, simply because he wants to regain control of Huizhou.
The collapse of the Mobei Li Ji Trading Company certainly emptied the King of Chu's coffers considerably.
Qi Chengjun was laughing happily, but he accidentally aggravated his wound and gasped.
The head guard leaned forward to take a look, couldn't help but laugh, and then said, "But Lord Qi, the situation in the Northern Desert is so bad, yet the King of Chu not only didn't lie low, but instead launched a vicious attack on you. Is he perhaps...?"
The word "rebellion" suddenly appeared in Qi Chengjun's mind.
This speculation is absurd, but it's highly likely!
The head guard whispered, "The people in Jiangzhou have learned that Chief Secretary Ling, an advisor to the King of Chu, was assassinated on his way to the King's residence. His body has already been buried."
Qi Chengjun knew that the head guard would never say such a thing without reason: "You mean, there's something fishy about the death of Chief Secretary Ling?"
“Yes!” the head guard whispered. “The message from the King of Chu is that Chief Secretary Ling’s death is related to you, sir. Furthermore, the King of Chu’s advisors have comforted Chief Secretary Ling’s family, saying that the King of Chu is already trying to avenge Chief Secretary Ling.”
Qi Chengjun was utterly shocked by the King of Chu's move!
The death of Chief Secretary Ling was definitely caused by the King of Chu, but he not only pinned the blame on himself, but also justified sending someone to assassinate him.
Qi Chengjun scratched his chin, feeling that after experiencing a series of failures, the King of Chu seemed to have suddenly grown a brain.
But that's not the most important thing right now.
Qi Chengjun suppressed his thoughts and continued reading the letter. In the letter, Qi Chenglang mentioned his ideal: "Brother, before, in the capital, I was muddle-headed and only needed to stand guard every day. But after talking with General Lu, I realized that there is another way for people to live."
“Brother, I want to join the army to resist the Northern Di people and guard the borders of our Great Sang Dynasty. But I can’t let go of the young prince. Especially today, Chief Secretary Xie and others have expressed their intention to stay by the young prince’s side from now on.”
"Brother, is what I'm thinking a betrayal of His Highness?"
After reading the letter, Qi Chengjun raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.
Qi Chenglang was right. He had family arrangements in the capital, but he had never thought about such far-reaching matters...
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