noveltune Chapter 5530 A Hair's Breadth
Chapter 5530 A Hair's Breadth
Chapter 5530 A Close Call
Inside the dark hall, gunfire blazed, the sounds of gunfire rising and falling like popping beans, filling the air with acrid smoke. The assassins who rushed into the hall with Li Jingye were instantly struck by a hail of lead bullets. The soft thuds of the bullets piercing their bodies were enough to shake their very souls. A whole row of assassins screamed in agony as they collapsed to the ground like wheat, blood flowing freely.
Li Jingye reacted swiftly, rolling to the side of the door to escape. He took a deep breath, removed his mask, and leaped up. While directing his assassins, armed with crossbows, to blindly fire into the hall to suppress the muskets, he led his men around to the right for more than ten zhang, found a side hall, smashed a window, and rushed in. As he landed, he rolled down to avoid any possible attack.
Fortunately, this group of guards was small in number and could not make their defenses perfect, so he eventually found a weakness.
Dozens of assassins followed closely as he smashed the window, rushing into the side hall like a swarm of bees, and then orderly charging towards the main hall.
The preparations were thorough, and the blueprints of Wanchun Hall were already memorized. Even in the darkness, the location of each part of the hall was clear, and the situation remained calm and orderly despite the urgency.
Li Jingye was also an excellent commander, using frontal restraint and flank breakthroughs to storm into the palace.
However, the defenses of Wanchun Palace were unexpectedly strong.
Just as Li Jingye led his elite soldiers into the side hall and made their way towards the main hall, attempting to break through the main hall's defenses from the flank, a door in one of the rooms suddenly burst open in the darkness, and more than ten muskets opened fire, hitting Li Jingye and his men one after another.
Li Jingye was startled, but he didn't lose his composure despite the panic. He shouted, "They're out of bullets! Close combat!"
He charged forward with his sword, and seeing a shadowy figure in the darkness, he slashed down without thinking.
Although firearms are powerful, they cannot be fired in rapid succession. After firing their weapons, the soldiers dropped them, drew their swords, and engaged the charging assassins in close combat.
Li Jingye cleaved a soldier in two with a single stroke, when suddenly he felt a gust of wind beside his ear and instinctively ducked to avoid it. A horizontal sword slashed across his helmet, slicing off the red tassels and sending them tumbling down his face. Li Jingye broke out in a cold sweat in fright.
Then a loud shout rang in his ears: "Traitorous villain, hiding your true colors, are you ashamed to face anyone and feel guilty towards your ancestors? Surrender now, or don't blame me, Shi Jian, for not sparing your life!"
Li Jingye was initially bewildered. Who was this person who called himself Shi Jian?
He immediately realized that this was the son of Xue Guogong Ashina Zhong and Dingxiang County Princess, originally named Ashina Jian, but who changed his surname to Shi last year...
Most importantly, when Ashina Zhong heard that Zhishi Sili's son had become a captain of the "Shenji Battalion", he also sent his son Shi Jian to the academy and enrolled him in the "Shenji Battalion" to protect the crown prince together, just as their fathers had done for Emperor Taizong in the past.
In other words, the troops that suddenly appeared in Wanchun Palace, armed with firearms, were the "Shenji Battalion" that he feared most and which protected the Crown Prince!
There was no time to think about how the "Shenji Battalion" appeared in Wanchun Palace. He was able to hide two hundred assassins and a large amount of military equipment in Foguang Temple in Taiji Palace without anyone noticing. It would not be surprising if the Crown Prince or Fang Jun secretly hid the "Shenji Battalion" in Wanchun Palace.
The key point is that since the "Divine Machine Battalion" has appeared here, it means that he has absolutely no possibility of assassinating the Crown Prince!
The plan may not have been leaked; it's highly likely that the Crown Prince was already on guard, and he simply walked right into it without realizing it...
The Shenji Battalion's firearms were unparalleled in the world. How could a mere two hundred assassins successfully assassinate the Crown Prince, who was heavily guarded?
He sighed deeply, but there was no time for regret. He made a decisive decision: "Charge!"
Instead of engaging Shi Jian in a prolonged fight, he forced the opponent back with a single strike, then took advantage of the moment when the group of assassins rushed forward to retreat and turn to run away.
He was not afraid of death; otherwise, how could he have dared to assassinate the crown prince?
But he can't die here!
If his body is placed alongside the assassin who killed the crown prince, the entire Li family will suffer!
Regardless of the success or failure of the assassination attempt on the crown prince, he could not reveal his true face to the public.
However, before he could run a few steps, a group of men rushed out of the guardhouse outside the palace in the rainy night and opened fire on Li Jingye's back.
Bang bang bang!
Li Jingye felt as if he were being repeatedly struck by several iron hammers. Fortunately, his armor was thick and the distance was relatively far, so the armor was not broken and he was not injured. The dozen or so remaining assassins around him turned around and rushed towards the group. Li Jingye cut off his tail to save his life and fled without stopping.
One of the men shouted, "I am Zhishi Shaode! No one is allowed to pursue him! Enter the palace and protect the Crown Prince!"
"Here!"
In the rainy night, countless people responded with a roar, and the sound of gunfire rose and fell as they gradually closed the battle zone and stormed into Wanchun Palace.
……
Confined to Wanchun Palace for the past two days, Empress Su was terrified and fearful. She dared not sleep at night and could only rest by Li Xiang's bedside, fully clothed, reading a book and dozing off until dawn to relieve her tension.
Therefore, when the gunshots rang out last night, Empress Su suddenly stood up from her chair, completely ignoring Wang Dezhi's instructions and disregarding any "dangerous moment." She immediately pulled the dazed Li Xiang from the bed and hid inside the wall compartment.
Although the mezzanine was very well sealed, it couldn't block out the sounds outside at midnight. Gunshots, screams, and sounds of fighting could be faintly heard. Li Xiang trembled in his mother's arms, while Empress Su tried her best to suppress her fear, stroking Li Xiang's hair and gently comforting him: "Your Highness, don't be afraid. Everything is within the Grand Commandant's prediction."
Li Xiang said in a trembling voice, "Does the thief want to kill me? Why? I haven't done anything wrong!"
Empress Su paused, pursed her lips, and said, "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. You are blocking other people's way."
Although Li Xiang was confused, he knew his situation. In the darkness, he nestled against his mother and whispered, "Is that Father?"
Empress Su remained silent for a moment, then hugged Li Xiang tighter in her arms and said softly, "Your Highness, don't be afraid, your mother is here."
At that moment, all the resentment he felt towards His Majesty transformed into hatred.
It's one thing to disregard marital affection, but husband and wife are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately. In the end, it's nothing more than being heartless and fickle.
But don't they even care about the bond between father and son?
Even tigers don't eat their cubs, yet for the sake of so-called imperial supremacy, they didn't hesitate to depose the crown prince and now imprison him to be killed?
The young couple she had shared a bed with for so many years were actually such beasts, worse than animals!
The shouts of battle and the sounds of gunfire outside grew louder and closer. The mother and son huddled together, filled with extreme fear and panic, yet they tried their best to remain calm.
After an unknown amount of time, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly sounded outside the mezzanine. In the darkness, both mother and son felt each other's bodies suddenly tense up and even tremble slightly.
"This humble general, Shi Jian, greets Your Highness and the Empress."
The mother and son's eyes lit up instantly.
Unable to contain himself, the Crown Prince excitedly asked, "Is it Lieutenant Shi?"
"Your Highness, it is indeed this humble general."
Empress Su suppressed her excitement: "When did Commander Shi arrive at Wanchun Palace? Have the rest of the 'Divine Machine Battalion' soldiers arrived yet?"
"Your Majesty, this humble general, under the orders of the Grand Commandant, led one hundred soldiers of the 'Divine Machine Battalion' and arrived last night at dusk. The rest of the soldiers are still in the Eastern Palace."
Empress Su calmed down completely: "Your father was loyal to Emperor Taizong, and today you have protected His Highness the Crown Prince. Two generations of loyal ministers should be a model for the world!"
It is said that "those who are not of our race will surely have different hearts," but the two generations of Turkic royals, Ashina Zhong and Shi Jian, swore to be loyal to the Tang emperor and crown prince to the death. Ironically, it was the Tang people themselves who rebelled and attempted to assassinate the crown prince.
Outside the mezzanine, Shi Jian said respectfully, "This is the glory of my father and me!"
"You all swear to protect the Crown Prince with your lives, and the Crown Prince will never forget this loyalty!"
Empress Su expressed her opinion, acknowledging the achievements of the "Divine Machine Battalion," and then asked, "May my son and I go out now?"
Shi Jian said, "Although the thieves in Wanchun Palace have been killed and scattered, they have not been completely eliminated. Just in case, I would like to ask the Empress and the Crown Prince to stay in the interlayer for a while. However, please rest assured, the thieves' plot has been exposed and they have fled in panic. Their destruction is only a moment away."
"Very well, thank you all for your hard work!"
"It is my duty, and I will not hesitate to die for it!"
Empress Su embraced Li Xiang as they sat in the corner. Li Xiang took a deep breath and relaxed.
Empress Su pursed her lips, her gaze unwavering in the darkness, her heart still pounding.
Regardless of the origins of this group of assassins, they are likely all connected to His Majesty. Even if His Majesty did not personally plan it, he must have indulged them to some extent.
Now that the assassination attempt has failed, I wonder if Your Majesty will give up?
……
Wude Hall.
Inside the imperial study, Li Chengqian, draped in a cloak, stood by the window, gazing at the pitch-black night and the pattering rain, seemingly merging into that solitude and seclusion. Faintly, the sound of gunfire could be heard.
Behind him, on the table, a single lamp flickered dimly.
Wang De tiptoed in like a cat and stood silently behind His Majesty.
"Your Majesty, they have already started."
Li Chengqian stood silently by the window. He wasn't deaf, so of course he could hear the gunshots.
He is waiting for the results.
Without receiving any instructions, Wang De stood with his head bowed, remaining silent.
After a while, the shouts of battle seemed to intensify, and Li Chengqian suddenly asked, "How many people did Li Jingye bring to hide in the palace?"
Wang Degong said respectfully, "Including his personal guards, there are no fewer than two hundred men, all of whom are willing to die for their cause."
Li Chengqian did not ask Li Jingye how he managed to command two hundred assassins, clearly indicating that he already knew the origins of these assassins.
"Does the Imperial Guards in Wanchun Palace number one hundred?"
"No."
"Two hundred well-trained and fearless assassins launched a surprise attack on Wanchun Palace, which was guarded by less than a hundred men. Why have they still failed to capture it?"
Wang De bowed and bent over, like an old cat: "This servant does not know."
Li Chengqian sighed, turned to look at Wang De, seemingly surprised but more disappointed: "Li Jingye's treacherous act of assassinating the Crown Prince should have been swift and discreet, allowing him to retreat after his mission was accomplished. Why would he have carried a musket?"