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Chapter 792: Plot to Assassinate the Emperor
At that moment, Xiao Changyu gripped his sword hilt, the blade scraping against the base of Xiao Changyan's sword, producing blinding sparks. He severed the hilt and slashed directly toward Xiao Changyan's sword-holding hand. Xiao Changyan attempted to twist his hand away but found his strength completely suppressed by Xiao Changyu.
Facing the imminent severing of his hand, he had no choice but to abandon his sword and flip backward to evade.
However, the instant Xiao Changyan released his sword, Xiao Changyu flicked his wrist, using his sword to send Xiao Changyan's weapon flying while simultaneously releasing his own. As he turned to face Xiao Changyan, the sword had already shifted from his dominant right hand to his left.
Even wielding the sword with his left hand didn't seem to affect his agility, as he thrust the blade directly at Xiao Changyan's heart.
Xiao Changyan froze, staring at the sword hilt pressed against his chest. Xiao Changyu had reversed his grip so swiftly that Xiao Changyan couldn't react in time.
His first thought was: He doesn't want to kill me now!
In that moment of paralysis, Xiao Changyu sealed Xiao Changyan's pressure points: "You've lost."
"Sixth Brother's skills are remarkable..." Xiao Changyan praised, though his eyes revealed utter dejection.
Xiao Changyu sheathed his sword. Having engaged Xiao Changyan for an extended period, he had deliberately avoided leaving wounds on his opponent's body. Consequently, he himself bore numerous sword injuries, including a pierced shoulder blade.
With the situation settled, Xiao Changyu stated: "My martial arts are inferior to the Crown Prince's."
After leaving these words, Xiao Changyu strode away.
Actually, Xiao Huayong hadn't intended for Xiao Changyu to personally capture Xiao Changyan, only to arrange a meeting. With the Emperor's grand plan scheduled for tomorrow, Xiao Changyan was particularly cautious at this time.
Aside from Xiao Changyu, probably no one could make Xiao Changyan attend a solitary meeting without alerting others.
But since Xiao Changyu insisted on taking action himself, Xiao Huayong ordered local authorities not to interfere.
These half-brothers had unresolved matters between them.
Xiao Changyu came and went without a trace, while Xiao Changyan was taken away by local authorities.
The entire episode lasted no more than half an hour. Jing Wang left his residence and returned, with no one knowing or noticing that Jing Wang had been replaced.
This success was entirely thanks to the great victory at Min River, where nearly all of Xiao Changyan's Shadow Guards perished in the waters and his trusted advisors were eliminated. Otherwise, neither the solitary meeting nor the return to the residence could have been accomplished.
The grandeur of Shen Yingruo and Xiao Changfeng's wedding was second only to that of the Eastern Palace, surpassing even the recent wedding of Lie Wang.
His Majesty publicly attributed this to the great merits of Shen Yueshan and his son, and no one dared question it.
After all, Shen Yueshan only had this one child left to marry, and she was wedding the foremost imperial clansman—the hereditary Xun Wang.
The wedding was exceptionally lively, with all attention focused on the Crown Princess who hadn't appeared publicly for some time. Since announcing her pregnancy, she had never received inner court ladies.
The men subtly observed her due to the Min River affairs and the northwest's prosperity, while the women, unaware of these matters, simply noticed that the previously aloof and distant Crown Princess—who always maintained an air of detachment—seemed to have become warmer and more approachable, likely because she was about to become a mother.
Naturally, someone originally peerlessly elegant now carried an additional grace and nobility.
But Shen Xihe paid no attention to others, her gaze almost constantly fixed on Xiao Huayong. Fortunately, the Crown Prince didn't need to socialize with others.Those who wished to step forward to offer flattery were stopped by Tianyuan, who dismissed them with a single statement that the Crown Prince was unwell.
Shen Yungan had arrived early, and many people gathered around him. Shen Yungan did not put on airs; having finally obtained a legitimate opportunity to drink to his heart's content, he naturally seized it, accepting every toast without refusal.
Shen Yueshan arrived together with the Youning Emperor, as the Emperor had summoned him—a deliberate gesture to honor Shen Yueshan.
After the elaborate wedding ceremony concluded, Shen Yingruo was escorted back to Xun Wang's residence.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xihe felt that the Youning Emperor might genuinely harbor some affection for Shen Yingruo.
The celebratory banquet at Hibiscus Garden was a trap, yet he had Shen Yingruo kept away from the impending conflict. Only Xiao Changfeng, the groom, remained there to entertain the guests and toast with everyone.
After several rounds of drinks, just as His Majesty, having shown ample courtesy, prepared to rise and depart, a Poison Needle shot toward him from the shadows. Fortunately, an Embroidered Uniform Envoy appeared in time, throwing himself in front of the Emperor. The Poison Needle struck the envoy, who immediately fell unconscious.
"Guards! There is an assassin! Protect His Majesty!" Liu Sanzhi was the first to shriek sharply at the top of his lungs.
His cry sent civil officials scrambling in panic, while military officials swiftly closed in around the Emperor.
Almost simultaneously, a group of guards armed with sabers rushed in. Their initial move was toward the Emperor, but no one expected these unfamiliar guards to draw their blades and strike at His Majesty upon approaching.
It turned out these guards were assassins in disguise. The Emperor’s arm was grazed by a blade, but thanks to his agility, he swiftly evaded and was once again escorted outside the circle of combat.
(End of Chapter)
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