roccoschili Chapter 233 My husband has stopped making a fuss, danger is imminent.
Chapter 233 My husband has stopped making a fuss, danger is imminent.
After the arrows were fired, the people on the mountain came down. They were all dressed in red, and some of them did not run down, but flew down.
This was clearly no ordinary assassin, but a master of martial arts.
Shen Li had only seen light-body skills on a few people, but she didn't expect there to be dozens of them this time.
"The Red Lotus Sect!" Zhou Zhen exclaimed in surprise, "How could it be them?"
The ministers, including the emperor, also became tense. The Red Lotus Sect was a large organization with many followers in the countryside. Its goal was to overthrow the court, install its own holy son as the ruler of the world, and bring blessings to all people.
The Red Lotus Sect had always been a major threat to the imperial court. Several emperors of the Great Zhao Dynasty had tried to completely eradicate it, and hundreds of large and small campaigns had been launched, but none of them had dealt a devastating blow to it.
The main factor is that the Red Lotus Sect is deeply rooted among the people. These people have many ways to obtain information and can always quickly evade encirclement and suppression. Even after being encircled and suppressed on a small scale, they can quickly establish new sects.
The imperial army was vulnerable to being killed if they were not careful, which caused headaches for local officials and the emperor. This was not the first time such an assassination attempt had occurred.
But this time, several hundred people were mobilized, making it quite a large-scale operation.
Upon seeing these people, Emperor Cheng and his ministers frowned. Fortunately, with tens of thousands of soldiers and household guards from various prefectures, the chances of victory were still high.
Gu Chang'an held Shen Li's hand tightly, pulled her behind him, and used his body to completely shield her small frame.
Shen Li originally wanted to protect him, but now she even has to stand on tiptoe to see the battle situation outside from his shoulder. Judging from their physical differences, she doesn't seem like the one who would protect someone.
Of course, she always held the short flute hanging from her waist, ready to strike at any moment.
The dozens of Red Lotus Sect members who flew down all headed towards the same destination: the location of the Emperor.
"Fire arrows! Protect the Emperor!" the Imperial Guard commander ordered.
But these people who flew high into the air seemed unafraid of the arrows, deflecting them with their swords in mid-air, and finally landing on the heads of the soldiers, leaping over their heads as they flew over.
Emperor Cheng was quite surprised. Why did the Red Lotus Sect send out so many experts this time? This was really dangerous.
The breach around Emperor Cheng was thus torn open. Fortunately, there were many experts in the palace, and these experts did not dare to remain in the air as targets for long. They all fell into the encirclement and became embroiled in fierce battle.
In addition, other members of the Red Lotus Cult were also focusing their attacks on the soldiers surrounding the emperor, creating an opportunity for the intruding assassins.
"Father...Father, why don't we retreat inside the tent?" Li Heng said, his voice even trembling slightly.
“What the Crown Prince says is inappropriate,” said Prince Yi. “The main tents are all constructed of wood and tarpaulin. What if the thieves set them on fire?”
Emperor Cheng also said, "My son is absolutely right. I am right here, and I want to see who can hurt me."
Prince Yi took the guard's sword, drew it, and stood in front of Emperor Cheng: "Your subject swears to protect Father Emperor with his life."
The Crown Prince followed suit, but he wasn't as domineering as the Prince of Yi, and it was too late for him.
Emperor Cheng looked at Prince Yi with eyes full of satisfaction and affection, but ignored the Crown Prince.
Shen Li saw this and felt that the difference in ability was obvious. The Crown Prince was a good-for-nothing. If he didn't have the legitimate title, he would definitely be a nobody and would even be ignored by others.
On the other hand, Prince Yi, although he benefited from the favor of his mother, Consort Zheng, also lived up to his own potential; otherwise, he would not have been so highly regarded by Emperor Cheng.
For a prince born out of wedlock to become a leading contender for the throne, he must be incredibly strong.
"Ah Li, the situation may not be good. Just stand behind me and don't move." Gu Chang'an also took out a knife and instructed Shen Li behind him.
He had a keen eye and had already discerned that several assassins were quite powerful and likely capable of breaking through the encirclement.
“I’m the most mobile one here.” Shen Li looked at the group of civil officials and said, “Husband, please put the knife down.”
She was worried that Gu Chang'an would hurt her.
"Don't be reckless." Gu Chang'an remained unmoved, his gaze fixed only on the assassins.
"Father, tell me, who's being stubborn?" Shen Li looked at Shen Zizai, who had also been pulled behind Gu Chang'an.
Looking at Gu Chang'an's resolute back, Shen Zizai felt a deep sense of approval, but still spoke objectively: "Him."
Just kidding. Let alone an ordinary assassin, even if it were a giant elephant from Annam compared to your own daughter, it's hard to say who would have the upper hand.
"Husband, let's switch to a musket." Shen Li coaxed Gu Chang'an and took the knife into her own hands.
"We are not allowed to bring weapons when meeting the Emperor. Remove them." Although Gu Chang'an no longer had his knife, he remained highly vigilant.
Shen Li slapped her forehead. The assassin arrived at the exact time the ministers were meeting with the emperor. She didn't believe there wasn't a traitor among them.
Gu Chang'an's judgment was correct. A tall, masked man suddenly leaped into the air from the crowd, his long sword striking down more than a dozen imperial guards in succession. Using the heads of those men as leverage, he moved towards the emperor.
His still-dripping sword gleamed with a cold light, appearing crimson in the twilight. Shen Li saw a chilling killing intent in the dark eyes behind the mask.
His murderous aura was so intense that even Emperor Cheng seemed to be intimidated, and only Prince Yi raised his sword to fight back.
How could the King of Chess possibly be his match? After the King of Chess comes the Emperor.
Shen Li pulled Gu Chang'an behind her and flicked her flute at the sword.
"when!"
The clang of metal rang out, and the red-clad man's longsword was blocked, forcing him to take a half-step back. It was this half-step that allowed the imperial guards to surround him again.
Shen Li stared blankly at the flute she hadn't yet brought closer. The effect was about what she had imagined, but she hadn't even made a move yet.
Everyone could see clearly that at that moment, an arrow forced the man to retreat and block it; if he didn't stop, he would fall down with the King of Chess.
Following the direction of the arrow, the crowd saw a woman riding a horse in the setting sun. Her purple skirt fluttered in the wind, her hair adorned with a red hairpin, and her face radiant with beauty. She held a bow in one hand and reined in her horse with the other, truly displaying a heroic and dashing figure.
"Mother?" Shen Li asked hesitantly.
She knew from a young age that her mother was personally taught martial arts by her maternal grandfather. Later, the maids and soldiers trained by her mother were all highly skilled in martial arts, but Shen Lizhen had never seen her mother make a move.
I never expected my mother to be such a skilled fighter. Her movements and accuracy are even better than Lin Wan'er's. No wonder she once thought about becoming a female general.
"Be careful, Madam." Shen Zizai swallowed hard. He felt that the reason he hadn't been riddled with bullets all these years was because his wife had truly treated him well.
The emperor was surrounded by guards, so even though Xiao Bailing was anxious, she couldn't get in. She was also worried about accidentally injuring herself with her bow and arrow, so she had no choice but to dismount and deal with the assassins on the outside.
Gu Chang'an glanced in that direction and then looked at Shen Li in front of him, wanting to pull her behind him, but when he tried to pull her, he found that his Ah Li did not budge.
"Don't be silly, my husband, it's dangerous." Shen Li gently patted his hand.