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“Your Highness, why are you out here? Go back quickly!” Zhao Long shouted anxiously. At this moment, he no longer cared about rank and shouted at Xiao Ming.
“I am not a weak scholar who can’t even tie a chicken!” Xiao Ming said coldly. If he didn’t have the courage to face the dangers on the battlefield, how could he defeat his cruel enemies?
Since someone wanted to play this game with him, he was determined to play it to the end.
He bit open the bullet pouch, poured bullets into his musket, and fired another shot at the black-clothed men rushing at him.
This kind of short-barrel musket had a short range but was easy to reload — just pour in the gunpowder and fire again.
Xiao Ming kept shooting at the black-clothed men outside while relying on the protection of the carriage.
Seeing Xiao Ming fighting personally, the guards around the carriage became braver. Their only belief now was that they must protect Xiao Ming from injury.
However, there were too many black-clothed men outside. Although his soldiers fought bravely, more and more of them fell, lying in pools of blood.
The protective circle shrank under pressure from the black-clothed men. Guards fell one by one. Seeing only about thirty soldiers left in the protective circle, Xiao Ming’s heart turned cold.
Could his path really end here in Chang’an? Who wanted to kill him?
Just when he was losing hope, suddenly the sound of heavy horse hooves came. Hearing it, the black-clothed men scattered in all directions.
Soon, many torches appeared in Xiao Ming’s sight. Over a thousand cavalry appeared on Zhuque Avenue.
When Xiao Ming saw the armor of these cavalrymen, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief — they were the Yulin Cavalry guarding the palace gates.
“Prince Qi!” the general leading the cavalry shouted when he saw Xiao Ming.
“General Du,” Xiao Ming replied.
In the firelight, Xiao Ming saw the visitor clearly. It was none other than Du Heng, Du Boyuan’s father, who was responsible for palace security.
“Your Highness, what happened here?” Du Heng looked around at the chaotic battlefield, shocked. There were more than two hundred bodies of black-clothed men on the ground, mixed with soldiers wearing silver chest armor — Xiao Ming’s personal guards.
“Someone tried to assassinate me!” Xiao Ming’s voice was like cold wind in winter. Looking at the soldiers who died protecting him, his heart was bleeding.
“Zhao Hu! Zhao Hu, wake up! Zhao Hu!” Zhao Long’s voice suddenly sounded very sad.
Xiao Ming was shocked and immediately walked over to Zhao Long. Zhao Long was holding Zhao Hu in his arms. Zhao Hu was covered in knife wounds.
He said to Du Heng, “General Du, let’s save him first.”
Du Heng reacted immediately and ordered his men to help. He shouted, “What are you waiting for? Quickly take them to the Imperial Hospital!”
Turning to Xiao Ming, he said, “The Emperor saw the fireworks and feared something happened to Your Highness. That’s why he sent me to rescue you. The Emperor is waiting for you in the palace. Please come with us.”
Xiao Ming nodded. Tonight, he would not return to the prince’s mansion. Since these black-clothed men could ambush him here, they might also be waiting near the mansion.
Du Heng mounted his horse. Xiao Ming quickly helped Zhao Hu onto the carriage and said to Zhao Long, “Stop crying. Zhao Hu is not dead yet. Quickly take him and the wounded soldiers to the Imperial Hospital.”
Only then did Zhao Long react and hurried to help the other injured soldiers.
Xiao Ming mounted his horse and followed Du Heng toward the palace.
In the Imperial Study, Xiao Wenxuan was pacing anxiously. When he saw the fireworks, he felt something was wrong.
Xiao Ming would never set off fireworks again.
Having survived the struggles among the princes, he immediately sensed danger and sent Du Heng to check.
While worrying, he heard footsteps outside and then saw Xiao Ming, covered in blood, enter.
“Ming’er, this… this…” Xiao Wenxuan was shocked. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” Xiao Ming said calmly. “Father, I was ambushed just five li outside the palace. My hundred personal guards all died in battle. I ask you to stand up for me!”
“Assassination!” Xiao Ming’s words came out one by one. Xiao Wenxuan could feel his son’s anger.
After his shock came great fury. “How dare someone attempt to kill my son right under my nose! This is lawlessness. Du Heng, take my tiger tally and command the Left and Right Guards to search the entire city of Chang’an. Find the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Prince Qi immediately!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Du Heng responded and left at once with the imperial guards.
Xiao Wenxuan’s chest heaved heavily. Looking at Xiao Ming, who had achieved great merit but was attacked before receiving any reward, his face darkened.
Chang’an was the Emperor’s seat. An open attempt to assassinate a prince was not only an insult to Xiao Ming but also to him.
“Ming’er, I will give you justice. Whoever did this, I will make sure they pay,” Xiao Wenxuan said firmly.
Xiao Ming said nothing. He could not blame Xiao Wenxuan, but he knew he must avenge this hatred.
“Thank you, Father. I have served Great Yu and the royal family faithfully. Yet someone tried to kill me. Father, did I do wrong?” Xiao Ming asked.
Xiao Wenxuan felt more guilty hearing this. “Ming’er, how could you have done wrong? Without you, how could the royal family be so stable? I know how much you care for Great Yu.”
“With Father’s words, I feel at ease,” Xiao Ming said lightly.
He said this on purpose to put the killer in a desperate position. Since they tried to kill him, he would not continue to endure.
Xiao Wenxuan sighed with relief. “Tonight, do not go back. Stay temporarily at Bishui Pavilion.”
Xiao Ming nodded and followed the young eunuch to Bishui Pavilion.
Watching Xiao Ming leave, Xiao Wenxuan said to Feng Deshui, “Go call Yang Zhen. What are they doing at Lijing Gate? Such a big event happened but no news was received.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Now that Shanhai pass is in Prince Qi’s hands, if something happens to Your Highness in Chang’an, the soldiers under Prince Qi might rebel. Then they might let the barbarians enter, and Great Yu will be doomed,” Feng Deshui said urgently.
Hearing this, Xiao Wenxuan broke out in cold sweat.
Now that Prince Yong’s power was greatly weakened, if Xiao Ming died, it would force Prince Qi’s soldiers to rebel. At that time, no one could stop the barbarians from entering.
“Who exactly wants to destroy Great Yu all at once?” Xiao Wenxuan’s eyes grew red. “I will crush them to dust.”
Feng Deshui nodded. “Yes, this person has a wicked heart and deserves death!”