Shocked! The salty concubine was spoiled by the cold prince

Chapter 157 Assassination on the Road

After leaving Fengxian County, they headed all the way to Jinzhou City. Along the way, they also visited several small counties and dealt with several corrupt officials.

However, not every county magistrate is corrupt, which makes Pei Xu feel somewhat relieved.

If the world is full of corrupt officials, then this dynasty will be truly hopeless.

Judging from the current situation, it is not optimistic. Officials and businessmen are colluding with each other, officials are protecting each other, and superiors are deceived and subordinates are concealed. All these things are placed in front of him, making his blood boil.

Especially the closer you get to Jinzhou City, the more refugees there are.

Pei Xu looked at the refugees on the roadside coldly, with no expression on his face. Even Gu Jiaorong could not guess what he was thinking.

"Can we get to the city tonight?"

Gu Jiaorong felt a sense of urgency and wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

Even though she didn't think she was a kind person, she couldn't bear to see so many people affected by the disaster.

Every day they delayed on the road was a day of suffering for the people.

"Fuan, get into the city as soon as possible."

Pei Xu did not answer, but just gave an order across the carriage.

"Pei Yunzhao has been in Jinzhou City for so many days, but the situation in Jinzhou City has not changed at all. I guess he has been busy thinking about how to deal with us these days."

Pei Xu took a deep breath, his eyes filled with coldness.

In his opinion, no matter how the court fights, the people should not suffer.

Since the people depend on them, they should be responsible to the people.

"How are the people sent out by the prince? Have they found any private soldiers raised by the third prince?"

In Gu Jiaorong's memory, the original book mentioned that Pei Yunzhao raised private soldiers. This was also the reason why she asked to read the travel notes. Otherwise, how could she, who had rarely even left the palace, know that Pei Yunzhao's private soldiers were raised in Jinzhou City.

Although she did not tell Pei Xu the location directly, she gave him a subtle hint. With a smart mind like Pei Xu, it was not difficult for him to guess it.

"We've found some clues. Although Pei Yunzhao doesn't have much brains, he's still very cautious about this matter."

Pei Xu thought of his subordinates' reports, but his expression did not soften.

"Once it's confirmed that he's raising troops, whether it's reported to the higher authorities or resolved privately, Pei Yunzhao will have to swallow his pride. But there's no guarantee that His Majesty won't protect him; after all, he's his son."

Although the old emperor did not like his sons coveting his position, he also loved his reputation. Unless his sons did something irreparable, he would never put them to death.

Gu Jiaorong also thought of this result. No matter what, Pei Yunzhao was the emperor's biological son. The emperor had only a few sons, so if one died, it would be one less.

"It doesn't matter how we deal with him. The most important thing right now is to eliminate this hidden danger first, otherwise it will be very disadvantageous to us in the future."

Gu Jiaorong did not think of killing Pei Yunzhao immediately, which was unlikely.

"You have to eat one bite at a time, and do things one by one. Don't rush into anything. We still have a long life ahead of us, and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future to slowly deal with Pei Yunzhao."

Her voice was soft, but the words she spoke were cold.

Pei Xu looked at the person in front of him and knew in his heart that this was the real Gu Jiaorong.

She pretended to be good, acted like a spoiled child, and acted silly, not because she didn't trust him or was unwilling to give herself to him. And at this moment, she exposed herself not because she fell in love with him, but because she knew that they were on the same front. At this moment, love and affection became trivial matters, and life and death became the big thing.

If Pei Xu fails to win this battle, all three members of his family will die at the hands of the emperor.

"I know. I will make good arrangements for this matter."

Pei Xu looked at her seriously and spoke solemnly.

He was also thinking in his heart, what is the current situation in Jinzhou City?

Even though the people under him had passed the message to him, his people had to sneak in secretly, rather than openly like Pei Yunzhao. Although there were many things he could do, there were also many inconveniences.

Gu Jiaorong also had the same worry. She knew very well that Jinzhou City was now Pei Yunzhao's place. If he had any ideas, they would probably be in dire straits.

"My Lord, do you have enough people with you?"

Gu Jiaorong didn't want to die. Everything she did was just to stay alive.

"Of course, even if an accident really happens, I will let them protect you and let you leave first."

Pei Xu understood her concerns and knew that she didn't want to die, so he spoke immediately.

Not only is Gu Jiaorong afraid of death, but now he is also greedy for life.

Their child hasn't been born yet, and he hasn't lived a good life with the child and Gu Jiaorong yet. How can he bear to leave like this?

Pei Xu's eyes darkened when he thought of this, and he had to prepare more ways to deal with it.

"Rong'er, when we get to Jinzhou City, you must follow me closely. No matter who takes you away, you cannot leave with him unless I give the nod."

Pei Yunzhao was very clear about the importance of Gu Jiaorong to Pei Xu. If he wanted to take action, he would definitely touch Gu Jiaorong first.

As long as he took Gu Jiaorong hostage, he would have the confidence to negotiate with Pei Xu.

Although Gu Jiaorong didn't understand, she still nodded.

"Of course. I'm unfamiliar with Jinzhou City. Where else can I go except to follow the prince?"

Gu Jiaorong's eyes moved rapidly, and her mind kept thinking about the plot of the original book.

In the book, Pei Xu came to Jinzhou City alone, and the heroine did not follow him, but stayed in the capital to deal with the situation.

After all, they didn't have much affection for each other at that time, it was more of a cooperative relationship.

Now she and Pei Xu have come to Jinzhou, and Chunzhi is staying in the palace. No one knows what trouble she will cause.

The carriage ultimately failed to reach the city before dark. This was Gu Jiaorong's first time staying in the wild. Previously, Pei Xu would always time his trip and stay overnight in the city. However, the closer they got to Jinzhou City, the worse the people's situation became. That's why they hurried on their journey, leaving the post station and unable to enter the city before dark.

"Fuan, the road is difficult to walk on at night, so brothers, please be careful."

Pei Xu lifted the curtain of the carriage and spoke in a calm voice.

He felt a little uneasy in his heart. Everything had been too smooth along the way, which was not like Pei Yunzhao's style.

"Yes, master."

Fuan naturally understood what he meant and responded immediately.

Gu Jiaorong supported her chin and looked at Pei Xu, pondering what he had just said.

The carriage moved forward slowly and everything was still so peaceful.

But she knew that night was the nutrient that gave birth to all darkness, and tonight was destined to be extraordinary.

She had experienced an assassination attempt back when she was in the palace. Although she had not experienced it yet, she guessed what was going to happen and was not panicked.

"Your Highness, I'm a little tired. Let Fu'an find an open place and we can rest first."

Gu Jiaorong spoke with a smile, and what she said was just to secretly cooperate with Pei Xu.

Only in an open space can the killer be discovered early, and it is also more convenient to take action.

Although Gu Jiaorong didn't say it explicitly, Pei Xu already knew that she had guessed it.

They didn't really want to stay in the wild tonight, but wanted to capture a few killers alive and interrogate them about Pei Yunzhao.

Since Pei Yunzhao has such an idea, he must bear the consequences of taking action.

Maybe I was just sleepy and someone sent me a pillow.

Just as Pei Xu thought, the killer did sneak up on them when the weather was dark and stormy.

Unfortunately, Pei Xu chose a relatively open place and arranged guards to be on duty, so it was difficult for them to get close.

The killers looked at each other and decided to attack together.

As the saying goes, two fists cannot beat four hands. There are so many of them, and Pei Xu only brought some guards. Even if he has great martial arts skills, he may not be able to defeat them.

Unlike what they thought, Pei Xu did not take action, but stood aside holding Gu Jiaorong and watching the fun.

Although Gu Jiaorong had experienced suicide, it was the first time she had seen such a fierce fighting scene.

This is obviously much more cruel than what is shown in TV dramas. Every move they make is fatal and leaves no chance of survival.

In comparison, Pei Xu's protection methods are much gentler.

And all this was just because Pei Xu wanted to keep him alive.

The killers were specially trained. After they found that they could not defeat Pei Xu's guards, they wanted to find a breakthrough and kill Gu Jiaorong first.

After all, Gu Jiaorong was the only weak person present.

If they could kill Gu Jiaorong, their mission would not be considered a complete failure.

Gu Jiaorong saw someone rushing towards her and closed her eyes in fear.

"What are you afraid of? Can I let him hurt you right under my nose?"

Pei Xu laughed softly, dodged the killer with light movements, and then took her to the carriage.

The killer who approached Gu Jiaorong started fighting with the guards again.

Although these assassins were skilled in martial arts, they were not as skilled as Pei Xu's guards. If they hadn't been trying to save any of them, they would have been decimated long ago.

"I don't have the prince's martial arts skills, and now my body is so heavy that I can't even hide. Naturally, I'm afraid."

Gu Jiaorong curled her eyes and replied with a smile.

"But I also know that the prince will definitely protect me."

Regardless of whether Pei Xu did it for the sake of the child or out of friendship for her, now was not the time for her to get hurt.

After hearing what Gu Jiaorong said, Pei Xu felt much more relieved.

"Of course, I will protect you."

Pei Xu held Gu Jiaorong's hand, but his eyes turned fierce when he looked at the assassin.

"Since they want to die, there's no need to keep them alive. Just kill them all. Once we get into the city, we'll know what we need to know."

Pei Xu had lost all his patience with these killers. These people actually wanted to harm Gu Jiaorong. They deserved no good death.

After hearing what their master said, the guards no longer held back.

The killer was quickly killed, blood was all over the ground, and the smell of blood was rushing towards the carriage.

Gu Jiaorong couldn't help but frown. She was still not used to the taste.

Pei Xu knew that she was sensitive to smells now, and the smell of blood was not pleasant, so they quickly left the place.

The carriage quietly headed towards Jinzhou City under the moonlight.

Pei Yunzhao didn't know yet that all the assassins he sent out had been killed.

He rode his horse at full speed to Jinzhou City in order to arrange everything. He also knew that Pei Xu was poisoned. Even if he had been cured, his health was not as good as before. Now was the best time to kill him.

Pei Xu didn't care what Pei Yunzhao's plan was, whether to kill him or to settle the corruption issue first. Since he had provoked him, he had to bear his anger.

After entering the city, Pei Xu first settled Gu Jiaorong down, and after she fell asleep, he went out to see Fu'an.

"Master, is Auntie okay? Is she frightened?"

Fu'an was a little worried about Gu Jiaorong, after all, she was pregnant with their unborn baby.

"She's fine. Don't think she's so fragile. It's just that she's pregnant now, so I can't put too much thought into it. And if those people really run into her, it won't be good for her or the baby."

Whenever Pei Xu thought about how the killer had the guts to kill Gu Jiaorong, his anger continued to rise.

Naturally, he also put this account on Pei Yunzhao.

"Pei Yunzhao clearly wants me to come here and never return. You must stay alert these days and never let your guard down. If necessary, protect Rong'er and the child first. They absolutely cannot afford to make any mistakes."

Gu Jiaorong is his life. If anything happens to Gu Jiaorong, he will definitely kill Pei Yunzhao with his own hands.

"Yes, this slave knows."

Fu'an has been with Pei Xu since he was a child, so he naturally knows what he cares about a person's appearance.

"Your Highness, our people have already found the place where the Third Prince keeps his troops. It's deep in the mountains. He obviously doesn't want anyone to know about it. A large portion of the embezzled money should also have been used to maintain the troops."

Fu'an reported truthfully. He knew Pei Yunzhao was a greedy person, otherwise he would not have won them over in the first place.

"Continue investigating. It would be best if we could quietly control them and make Pei Yunzhao walk into our trap without him even realizing it."

Pei Xu nodded. This trip to Jinzhou would either result in his death or Pei Yunzhao's death. There would be no third outcome.

Now that people have set their sights on them, Pei Xu will certainly not tolerate it any longer.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I have already made all the arrangements."

As Pei Xu's right-hand man, Fu'an naturally knew what to do next and would never wait for his master to make arrangements.

"I feel at ease with you arranging these things, but you should also pay attention to safety."

Pei Xu nodded. He brought Gu Jiaorong out this time because he was worried about her staying alone in the capital. If something happened to Gu Jiaorong and him in Jinzhou, he would be even more upset.

"It's obviously not easy to control a place where troops are kept. Make them smart. Pei Yunzhao may not be very smart, but he must have someone behind him directing him. Whoever that person is, you must not be discovered by him. Also, you have to be careful about the palace. Chunzhi is an ambitious person. Now that we've left the palace, it's a good time for her to control it. Although the people in the palace are all ours and loyal enough, there's no guarantee that some of them will forget their loyalty when they see profit."

Pei Xu's worries are not unreasonable. After all, people are selfish and greedy. In the face of interests, everything is empty.

Fuan nodded, his expression very solemn.

"I know, Your Majesty, don't worry."