92 Assassination
◎ Risking his life to protect her, even as the sword cut through his palm◎
The ministers around were watching the two of them as if they were watching a good show, wondering how the emperor would deal with Young Master Shen this time.
Shu Yao took a deep breath and looked up casually.
The emperor was younger than she had imagined.
The man sitting on the throne was wearing a black robe with two lifelike golden dragons outlined with gold thread, circling around his waist. He wore a black python belt around his waist, and his sword-like eyebrows slanted into his temples. His deep eyes revealed the majesty and wisdom of an emperor. Just by sitting there, one could feel the imperial aura emanating from him. No officials dared to look up at him, and all the princes from all directions came to kneel and pay homage.
Shu Yao took a quick glance, then lowered her head, not daring to look again.
At this moment, the system's voice rang out in the hall where a pin drop could be heard: "Master, he is the hero of this novel, Jing Xuan."
Shu Yao was surprised, but only for a moment. She had just glanced at the person above and felt that he was not a cannon fodder. Sure enough, he was actually the male protagonist of this book.
It really has the flavor of the protagonist of a novel.
Jing Xuan looked at the two people who stood up. He twisted the drawing paper between his two fingers and asked casually, "Who drew this?" His tone softened a lot.
Chen Jing'an heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the emperor's brow relax. He was about to speak, but the person next to him walked out before him.
He subconsciously wanted to reach out and pull it, but the corner of the clothes just passed by his fingertips.
Shu Yao stood in the center and imitated the way the ministers had just saluted, and bowed to Jing Xuan politely: "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. This sketch was drawn by me." She didn't want to implicate Shen Jing'an. If the emperor was really angry, then he would punish her alone.
Jing Xuan looked at Shu Yao, who stood among the ministers with neither servility nor arrogance. His deep eyes narrowed slightly. After a long moment, he leaned back in his chair and his gaze returned to the piece of paper in his hand. "You are just a commoner, yet you were able to solve the flood and drought problems in Fanzhou. Tell me, what reward do you want?"
When these words were spoken, the ministers were shocked. The flood and drought in Fanzhou were very serious. The old gentlemen in the cabinet had been thinking about it for three days and three nights but could not come up with a solution. What on earth did this little girl draw on the paper that made the emperor so happy? They all looked at the drawing paper in Jingxuan's hand with their heads pointed.
Shu Yao was still in shock. What had he just said? A reward for her? She felt a little uneasy and forgot to thank him for a moment.
Chen Jingan stepped forward and stood with her: "I thank Your Majesty on behalf of Yao'er."
Shu Yao finally realized: "It is my honor to share your majesty's worries. I dare not ask for any more rewards."
Jing Xuan supported his head and looked at her: "Reward when it's due, punish when it's due. I wonder whose daughter the girl is." Shu Yao was wearing a veil, and the pair of eyes that were exposed looked very unfamiliar to him, as if he had never seen them before.
Chen Jingan: "Your Majesty, she is my new girl today. It's her first time seeing your Majesty's face, so she is very shy. I hope Your Majesty will not blame me."
Jing Xuan understood that most of the women Shen Jing'an liked came from prostitutes. Since that was the case, he had an idea: "I see that Master Shen cares about this girl very much. How about I give her to you as a concubine?"
After hearing this, Shu Yao was completely stunned. She opened her mouth but didn't know how to refute.
Say she's been married? The ministers around would probably laugh at Shen Jing'an, saying that he fell in love with a widow, but if she didn't tell him, she would have to marry him as a concubine, and she didn't want that.
Sensing the uneasiness of the people around him, Shen Jing'an suppressed the emotions that surged in his heart and said to Jing Xuan: "Your Majesty, I... already have someone I like. I promised her that I would never take a concubine before she comes home."
Jing Xuan looked at Chen Jing'an, who looked like a playboy and didn't seem like someone who would keep his virginity for a woman. He chuckled and said, "It seems this marriage won't be successful. How about this? I will give this girl a hundred taels of gold. How about that?"
Shu Yao couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth. She lowered her head to suppress the excitement in her heart: "Thank you, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, in fact, the method of controlling floods and droughts was thought up by the prince and I together."
She couldn't take advantage of it all by herself.
Jingxuan naturally saw through her thoughts. Since the flood and drought problems had been solved, it would be fine for him to give her more rewards.
"Prince Shen, there is a fine house to the north of Huaishan Mountain. I will give it to you."
Someone in the audience muttered maliciously, "It's convenient for having fun."
Only Shu Yao and Shen Jingan heard it. They both looked at him, two sharp gazes at him at the same time. The man shrank his neck and stopped talking.
"I thank your Majesty."
After the two men left, Shu Yao finally let go of her worries.
Chen Jing'an whispered to her, "Xiao Yao'er just rushed up and admitted that she was the one who drew that piece of paper. Are you afraid that His Majesty will punish me?"
Shu Yao opened the small box that the old eunuch had just handed her, and saw a piece of glittering gold lying inside. She felt very happy and said without raising her head, "Everyone has their own responsibility. If the emperor blames me, I will bear it alone."
Chen Jingan smiled and said, "Xiaoyao'er even dragged me along to enjoy the happiness."
Seeing her carefully put the box away, he laughed: "What a little money-grubber."
The moon is high in the sky, and a magpie is perched on a branch.
Suddenly, a young eunuch rushed in in a panic and knelt on the ground with a thud, not even noticing that the Fuchen had fallen. "Your Majesty, today, Nanny Gui was delivering the Liuguang brocade to the Xifu Palace and discovered that Noble Concubine Chen... Noble Concubine Chen is missing."
The usually calm and steady young emperor became unusually flustered after hearing the young eunuch's words, and a look of panic and fear flashed across his face.
He strode out, his steps hurried, his black robe rustling, the hem of his robe slicing through the air like a knife. "Quick, prepare the horses, and have the guards seal the city gates."
Good, she ran away again. This time, after catching her, I must tie her hands and feet with chains so that she can't go anywhere and belongs to him alone.
But the iron chain is too hard and will rub her delicate skin, so let's put a layer of fox fur on it.
This time, he no longer believed her sweet words. He wanted to keep her by his side for the rest of her life.
However, before he even stepped out of the gate, he saw several crossbows flying towards him. He dodged to the side, and the arrows just happened to pierce the eunuchs behind him. For a moment, the hall was in chaos, and someone shouted: "Protect the emperor, protect the emperor!"
The ministers fled in panic, each of them cherishing their lives very much, and hid in hidden places.
Seeing that the situation was not right, Chen Jing'an pulled Shu Yao up and hid behind a pillar.
In an instant, dozens of masked men in black tights broke through the window and climbed in from outside. Each of them held two short knives in their hands and slashed towards Jingxuan.
Jingxuan picked up the long sword on the ground and fought with them.
The Royal Guards arrived in a hurry, and Jing Xuan took the opportunity to leave. He didn't want to get entangled with these people too much. Now he just wanted to find her quickly.
Seeing that he was about to leave, one of the men in black wrapped the iron whip on his waist around his legs, and then stabbed the dagger in his hand straight into his heart.
Shu Yao was so scared that she closed her eyes tightly.
Jingxuan is the male protagonist, he shouldn’t die so soon.
There was a loud "clang" as Chen Jing'an used a stone on the ground to knock the dagger off course. The man in black's attention was drawn to him, and Jing Xuan took the opportunity to kick him hard. After breaking free from his restraints, he ran outside anxiously. Naturally, the man in black would not let him go.
But dozens of people could not defeat hundreds of royal guards.
Jingxuan rode on the horse on the shore and galloped all the way to the city gate, with a look of madness on his face.
Shu Yao hid under the protection of Shen Jingan. The sound of swords clashing kept ringing in her ears, and her scalp felt numb.
Suddenly, a man in black rushed out from nowhere with a sharp blade pointed at her throat. The speed was so fast that people had no time to react. Shen Jing'an stood in front of her and protected her safely in his arms.
Shu Yao widened her eyes as she watched the dagger getting closer and closer.
"Puff."
The sound of swords entering and cutting into flesh and blood.
Another tall man in black blocked the sharp blade with his bare hands. The tip of the blade cut his palm and blood was dripping, but he didn't even frown. Instead, he turned his head and stared at Shu Yao for a long time. Shu Yao met his eyes and her heart skipped a beat. Why were his eyes also light blue?
She became increasingly uneasy.
There were more and more Royal Guards, and the men in black were falling into a disadvantage. They looked at each other, quickly escaped through the window, and disappeared into the vast night.
The ministers on the boat were terrified and crawled to the shore.
Chen Jingan didn't expect something like this to happen on the boat today. He looked at Shu Yao apologetically and said, "Xiao Yao'er, did I scare you today?"
Shu Yao was absent-minded, still thinking about the pair of blue eyes just now.
Light blue eyes, similar to Twelve's.
Seeing that she didn't answer him, Shen Jing'an waved his hand in front of her eyes: "Xiao Yao'er, are you scared silly?"
"Ah." Shu Yao looked at him, "No, thank you so much for risking your life to protect me just now... I'm going back first."
"I send you."
It was late at night and there were only a few pedestrians on the street. The two walked all the way to the inn in the moonlight. When Shu Yao entered the door, Chen Jing'an suddenly called her.
She looked back.
His figure was drowned in the moonlight, his entire body enveloped in a soft glow. His expression was complicated: "Xiao Yao'er, thank you today for letting me get a house for free. Are you interested in becoming its mistress?"
Chen Jing'an put away his usual carefree attitude and waited for her answer seriously.
Shu Yao pondered the meaning of his words. This must be a joke. She joked, "I can't afford to be the mistress of this house. If the prince is willing to give the house to me, then I will definitely take it without hesitation."
Chen Jing'an smiled in relief: "Xiao Yao'er, it's getting late, go to bed early."
"This dress you are wearing suits you very well. I give it to you."
Shu Yao then remembered that she was still wearing expensive clothes: "I'll wash them and return them to the prince."
Chen Jingan shook his head, "No need." Then he resumed his usual playful smile, "Why? Xiaoyao'er, are you rejecting me?"
"This prince orders you to accept this dress."
Shu Yao: ...Just accept it.
She walked into the inn, and only when her back disappeared around the corner of the stairs did Shen Jing'an turn around and walk back. The moonlight shone on him, stretching his shadow very long.
…
The next day, Shu Yao didn't go anywhere. She put the gold under her pillow and stayed in the room all day. When she was bored, she opened the window and looked at the examination hall opposite. She didn't know how Ji Shijing did in the exam.
But from time to time, she would still think of the man in black last night.
Is he really the Twelve? Why did this group of people want to assassinate the current emperor?
The more she thought about it, the more her head hurt. If only she had read the novel, she would know how the plot would develop and wouldn't have to guess all this time.
On the third day, the gate of the examination hall was not opened until dusk, and the candidates inside walked out one by one with heavy faces.
Shu Yao wrapped the gold tightly and carried it with her. She took the fresh bouquet of flowers she had just bought in the morning and hurried downstairs to the entrance of the examination hall to prepare to welcome Ji Shijing.
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