ebookland Chapter 132 Assassination
Chapter 132 Assassination
Chu Jingru nodded, his pity for Ge Yuniang growing even stronger.
He looked at Ge Yuniang and said softly, "Don't worry, I will never let anyone hurt you again."
Upon hearing this, Ge Yuniang's eyes welled up with tears again, and she whispered, "Thank you, Your Highness..."
Chu Jingru turned to the guards and ordered, "Take the two old women to the secret room and interrogate them thoroughly. Make sure to find out who is behind this. At the same time, pass down the order that the entire Prince's mansion must be on high alert and no one is allowed to enter or leave at will."
The guards were ordered to retreat.
Princess Changning then summoned two female guards and instructed them, "Take Ge Yuniang to the west courtyard and take good care of her. There must be no mistakes. At the same time, prevent her from having any contact with the outside world. Everything will be arranged after the Prince gives his instructions."
Upon receiving the order, the female guard led Ge Yuniang towards the west courtyard.
Chu Jingru watched Ge Yuniang's retreating figure, his thoughts racing.
At that moment, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence.
"Report!" A guard rushed inside. "Lieutenant Liu requests an audience!"
"Let him in," Chu Jingru commanded in a deep voice.
Liu Shan rushed into the hall, knelt on one knee, and presented the secret letter.
After reading the letter, Chu Jingru trembled all over: "They actually intend to assassinate the emperor and usurp the throne during the autumn hunt... Ning'er, quickly take the tiger tally and mobilize the garrison in Cangzhou. I will personally go to the capital to explain things to my elder brother!"
Princess Changning pressed down on the tiger tally, her eyes deep and unfathomable: "Father, the enemy is lurking in the shadows. Deploying troops now will surely leak the news. Liu Shan, you hold the tiger tally and stabilize the personal guard and garrison battalions; Xu Bo, you accompany Father in disguise to the capital and ensure Father's safety. I will personally stay behind at the palace to control the situation."
Chu Jingru gazed at his daughter's composed figure as she arranged the troops, and for a moment he seemed to see his late wife's heroic figure commanding the three armies. He finally sighed and slowly removed the jade thumb ring that represented royal power: "Ning'er... Cangzhou is entrusted to you."
A sudden gust of wind arose, and dark clouds obscured the moon.
A storm sweeping across the government and the public is about to tear apart the facade of calm.
……
Prince Kang, Chu Jingru, and Xu Bo disguised themselves and secretly headed to the capital.
Despite their long and arduous journey, they had no idea that their whereabouts had already been exposed.
Xu Bo unfolded the map and examined it closely in the dim light of the setting sun: "Your Highness, the Wild Fox Ridge is just ahead. Once we pass this pass, we will be in the capital region."
Upon hearing this, Chu Jingru raised an eyebrow and smiled, "This place name is quite interesting. I wonder if there are any beauties who can transform into foxes?"
Before he finished speaking, more than ten arrows whistled through the air from afar.
Xu Bo spread his arms to protect King Kang behind him, and drew his sword to deflect two stray arrows that had not missed their mark.
"Your Highness, there are assassins!" Xu Bo shouted in a low voice, quickly looked around, and seeing that the rain of arrows had temporarily stopped, he hurriedly pulled Prince Kang to hide behind some rocks.
After another volley of arrows, dozens of men in black appeared like ghosts, wielding sharp blades, and charged toward Xu Bo.
Xu Bo's eyes were cold as he swung his sword to meet the enemy. The sword light was like a rainbow, instantly repelling several people.
Although King Kang did not know martial arts, he drew his sword and slowly retreated.
After taking a few steps back, King Kang suddenly felt his foot trip and almost fell.
Once he regained his footing, he looked up and discovered that the group of men in black were only attacking Uncle Xu, completely ignoring him.
With a sudden thought, King Kang hurriedly retreated. He knew that he would only be a burden to Uncle Xu if he stayed here. As long as he escaped the danger, Uncle Xu could come and go as he pleased, and even dozens of men in black would not be able to stop him.
However, as soon as he turned out of the rocks, two men in black put a sack over his head.
It's going to happen!
As Chu Jingru struggled, he hurriedly cried out for help: "Uncle Xu, save me!"
Upon hearing the sound, Xu Bo's sword flashed, instantly forcing back the attacking men in black and leaping towards Prince Kang.
He brandished his longsword, its cold light flashing, and slew the two men in black before swiftly tearing the sack off the head of the Prince of Kang.
With their backs against the rocks, Xu Bo whispered, "Your Highness, these assassins clearly planned this all along."
Chu Jingru's breathing quickened, "Break...break through!"
Xu Bo nodded, fighting the men in black while escorting Prince Kang back.
His swordsmanship was superb; each strike carried a sharp whistling sound as it cut through the air. Despite the large number of men in black, they found it difficult to get close.
Chu Jingru's expression was solemn, his mind filled with doubt: "Who exactly are these assassins? Why are they targeting me?"
His voice trembled slightly, clearly shocked by the sudden attack.
"Your Highness, let's leave here first!" Xu Bo shouted, brandishing his long sword with incredible speed, protecting Prince Kang behind him.
His sword flashed like a rainbow, and the men in black retreated one after another, but they still refused to give up.
Just as the two were locked in a fierce battle, a deafening shout came from afar, accompanied by footsteps and the clanging of metal.
Immediately afterwards, a group of bandits dressed in coarse cloth and carrying broadswords and spears rushed into the battlefield, sweeping in like a storm.
The leader was Chen An, the former militia instructor of Jinhua County.
He was tall and had a stern face. Although he was dressed in rags, he had an imposing presence that was in no way inferior to that of a martial arts master.
He wielded a long-handled broadsword, its blade flashing like lightning. Each swing created a sharp gust of wind, forcing the man in black to retreat step by step.
Although his martial arts skills were not top-notch, his strength lay in his ruthless moves and powerful strikes, each aimed directly at vital points without any mercy.
Following closely behind was a burly man as strong as a bull.
This man's muscles were bulging and knotted, making him look like a moving mountain of flesh.
He held a large bronze cauldron in his hand, and with each slam, the ground trembled slightly.
This man, named Lü Ding, could not cultivate internal energy, but with his external martial arts skills, he forged himself into a top-tier second-rate master in the martial arts world.
Each swing of the large cauldron in his hand was accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, smashing the black-clad man until his bones broke and his tendons snapped, leaving him utterly defenseless.
Xu Bo did not recognize Chen An, but seeing these people come to his aid, he felt reassured. He then intensified his swordplay and formed a triangular formation with Chen An and Lü Ding to break through the encirclement.
Although there were many men in black, they were unable to withstand the combined attack of the three, and their formation gradually crumbled.
The three attacked with increasing ferocity and their teamwork became more and more seamless, quickly driving back the men in black.
Chen An approached Chu Jingru, cupped his hands slightly, and said in a cold tone, "Your Highness, I have not failed in my mission. This criminal Chen An led my fellow refugees to risk their lives to rescue you."
Chu Jingru didn't know why Chen An called himself a criminal, but that didn't stop him from feeling respect for him.
Although he was a prince, he had never seen such a fierce and brave leader and deputy leader of the refugees.
Just as he was about to speak up to recruit him, Chen An preemptively said, "Your Highness, Chen An is a criminal and is wanted by the government... Today's matter was merely a coincidence, and I was just helping out."
Upon hearing this, Chu Jingru was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Chen An, you are quite frank. Since that's the case, I won't force you. However, since you saved my life today, I will withdraw your warrant and pardon your status as a criminal. What do you think?"
A complex look flashed in Chen An's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "I appreciate Your Highness's kindness. It's just a pity that I killed a treacherous minister favored by the current Empress Dowager. His crimes are too grave for Your Highness to forgive. Furthermore, I have decided to live and die with these brothers and will no longer concern myself with the grudges of the martial world. Please forgive me, Your Highness."