Inside the carriage, Li Fuyin rested her chin on her hand, enjoying Rong Qi's expression with undisguised delight. A wave of sheer satisfaction washed over her!
Had she not worried about accidentally harming the innocent commoners nearby, Li Fuyin would have gladly replaced those fireworks with gunpowder, blowing Rong Qi to smithereens the moment he opened the coffin.
It was a pity, however, that this fellow possessed a remarkably stubborn vitality; killing him was certainly no easy task.
"The coffin is empty! The Eldest Princess is not dead!"
Someone in the crowd shouted at the top of their lungs, instantly triggering widespread panic.
In the darkness, several shadowy figures took advantage of the chaos to slip into the crowd, aiming their hidden weapons directly at the imperial procession...
Meanwhile, Zhao Yunchi scrambled back to his feet and lunged toward the coffin. Upon seeing with his own eyes that it was empty, he let out a loud laugh, his tension completely evaporating as he dropped heavily onto the coffin lid.
While Zhao Yunchi was overjoyed, Rong Qi beside him wore a face as dark as thunder, his fists clenching so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
Since Li Fuyin was not in the coffin, it could only mean one thing.
That cunning, scheming, treacherous woman was indeed still alive!
Yet if she was not dead, where on earth was she hiding?
Rong Qi gripped his long whip tighter, his grim, sinister gaze suddenly shifting to lock onto Lin Xun!
Clearly, he had already guessed that this matter was inextricably linked to Lin Xun. If he wanted to find Li Fuyin, interrogating Lin Xun was his only option.
However, Lin Xun's martial prowess was unfathomable. Knowing he was no match for him at the moment, Rong Qi naturally would not expect to force any answers out of him...
Suddenly, Rong Qi felt a strange gaze fixed upon him. Instinctively, he snapped his head around, only to catch sight of a refined and ethereal face inside a nearby carriage.
Bai Xiyue had not expected Rong Qi to suddenly look her way. Her heart tightened, yet she did not back down. Instead, she met his gaze head-on, even curving her lips into a supremely confident smile.
Though she did not know why Rong Qi was looking at her, Bai Xiyue had immense confidence in her own appearance. Moreover, she believed that whenever she made a move, no man could possibly remain indifferent to her.
Yet Rong Qi's gaze lingered on Bai Xiyue's face for merely a split second before he looked away, sweeping his eyes over the surroundings.
It seemed he was searching for someone.
Before Bai Xiyue could dwell on it, a wave of red-robed figures suddenly surged forward, charging straight at the imperial procession and clashing with the Imperial Guards.
"Guard the carriage! Assassins!"
Following a frantic shout, the crowd fell into a panic, and the chaos escalated even further.
*Whoosh—*
Hidden arrows flew in from all directions, targeting Emperor Qingyuan's imperial procession. The assassins' objective could not have been clearer: they wanted Emperor Qingyuan's life.
As long as Li Yuanzhao died, whether Li Fuyin lived or died ceased to matter. There were plenty of people eager to seize the realm of the Sheng State!
Inside the imperial carriage, Li Mexiao dodged the hidden arrows with great difficulty. He truly had never expected so many twists and turns to happen today, nor had he ever imagined that one day, he would actually be used as a pawn!
Riding the tiger, he had no choice now but to act as Emperor Qingyuan. If he exposed his identity in the gathering gloom, the assassins—unable to clearly make out his face—would still attack him, but the palace guards might no longer fight to the death to protect him.
Li Mexiao sensed that everything about today's events was deeply bizarre.
If Emperor Qingyuan hadn't suddenly appeared in the Imperial Garden to unearth a jar of wine, he wouldn't have passed out, and he wouldn't have ended up inside this imperial carriage, running into these assassins. Could it be that Li Fuyin wasn't actually dead after all, and that this entire scheme had been plotted by her and Lin Xun? Was all of this meant to take his life?
Yet upon second thought, Li Mexiao dismissed the notion as impossible.
Others might not know, but he was crystal clear on the matter: Li Fuyin was dead, thoroughly and completely dead. Even with all his extraordinary abilities, Lin Xun could never bring her back.
Besides, he had never revealed any ambitions up to this point, nor had he ever made a move against Li Yuanzhao. Lin Xun had no reason to kill him at a time like this...
Who on earth, then, wanted Emperor Qingyuan dead?
Before Li Mexiao could ponder further, a flaming oil arrow struck, instantly igniting the curtains of the imperial carriage and rapidly turning them into a raging inferno.
He could no longer stay inside the carriage!
Making a swift and decisive choice, Li Mexiao pulled out a silver mask and put it on. With agile movements, he burst out from the imperial carriage. Though he carried no weapon whatsoever, he easily evaded several hidden arrows and sprinted toward Lin Xun's position.
Among everyone present, only Lin Xun possessed the highest martial prowess. If these assassins had nothing to do with Lin Xun, then the Grand Preceptor would inevitably intervene—or at least prevent him from dying at the hands of these assassins while wearing the identity of Emperor Qingyuan...
Seeing a figure burst out from the imperial carriage, the assassins realized their opportunity had arrived. They immediately struck, unleashing countless hidden arrows at Li Mexiao, while several others lunged straight at him, forcing him onto the defensive and making him retreat step by step.
"I beg the Grand Preceptor to come and protect the sovereign at once!"
Struggling to fend them off, Li Mexiao saw that he was reaching his limit and had no choice but to swallow his pride and appeal to Lin Xun for help.
However, before Lin Xun could make a move, Rong Qi blocked his path, asking with a dark expression, "Where is she hiding? If you don't tell me, this prince won't let you leave!"
Clearly knowing that Lin Xun wanted to go rescue someone, Rong Qi was deliberately obstructing him. Given his current condition, he might not win in a head-on fight, but delaying Lin Xun while the latter tried to save someone was effortless.
After all, if Emperor Qingyuan truly died, it wouldn't be a bad thing for him...
Seeing Lin Xun held up, Li Mexiao could only retreat while cursing inwardly. Though there were still some Imperial Guards behind him, they wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. The assassins had struck too suddenly and too fiercely, leaving him almost nowhere to hide and no path of retreat!
"Your Highness, I've come to help you!"
Suddenly, a crisp voice rang out from behind. Li Mexiao felt a jolt in his heart, finding the voice akin to celestial music that instantly ignited hope in his previously despairing mind, revitalizing not just his body but his spirit as well.
With a flying kick, he sent an assassin before him hurtling away, then turned to see Bai Xiyue wielding a long sword with high-spirited grace, her enchanting form as poised as an immortal.
His eyes filled with undisguised amazement, and once Li Mexiao's gaze landed on Bai Xiyue, he refused to look away ever again.
Similarly, the commoners who had not yet fled far noticed Bai Xiyue's figure. After all, she was a woman clad entirely in white, executing a series of dazzling sword-flourishes that made her stand out brilliantly amidst a sea of black-robed assassins.
No one had expected that at such a critical juncture, a woman skilled in martial arts would step forward to protect the ruler at close quarters!
With Bai Xiyue aiding him, Li Mexiao quickly steadied his mind and began to parry with composure. Even though the assassins remained fierce and aggressive, he no longer felt it was quite so troublesome, even finding the leisure to thank Bai Xiyue amidst the chaos.
Others might not know Li Mexiao's true identity, but Bai Xiyue did. Therefore, her intervention was not to protect the sovereign, but to help him.
Aside from gratitude, Li Mexiao naturally felt a growing admiration for Bai Xiyue, having already decided in his heart that only a woman like her was capable of assisting him and worthy of being his consort!
As for that Song Yunqing... she was merely a timid, utterly useless coward, likely trembling with fear in some hidden corner right now. She couldn't even help him when he was in danger, so how could she ever be worthy of being his prince's consort?
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, a figure stumbled frantically toward him.
"Your Highness, watch out!"
Li Fuyin cried out and threw herself recklessly into his arms.
Li Mexiao had never anticipated that Song Yunqing would appear at this moment. The instant she crashed into his chest, his entire body stiffened. Terrified that others might misunderstand, the disgust in his heart could no longer be suppressed, and almost instinctively, he thrust his hands out and shoved her away hard.
Yet the very second Li Fuyin was pushed aside, a hidden arrow suddenly shot straight toward him—
Bai Xiyue was jostled by Li Fuyin's stumbling, falling body, instantly throwing her footwork off balance. Even though she caught sight of the hidden arrow out of the corner of her eye, she was too late to stop it. She could only hurriedly safeguard her own breath as she shouted urgently to Li Mexiao, "Your Highness, watch out for the hidden arrow!"
Yet no sooner had her voice fallen than a tearing sound pierced the air—
The hidden arrow embedded itself deeply into the right side of Li Mexiao's chest. He staggered back two steps in panic, his eyes wide with utter disbelief...