His strike was clearly aimed at the Emperor.
His eyes bulged with fury, while muttering under his breath.
"Dog Emperor! Bring your life here!"
In that split second, no one had time to react before the man was already close to the Emperor.
He raised his knife and brought it down towards the Emperor’s head.
With such a strike, even if he survived, he would be crippled!
The Emperor was so shocked that he sobered up from his drink!
He kept backing up, but accidentally stepped on the stairs.
His body tilted, and he was about to roll down the steps of white jade.
But someone from behind pushed him, while rushing towards the knife sword.
Dong Yuzhong’s cry of "Protect the Emperor" hadn’t even come out when the sound of the knife striking flesh was heard.
A squelch, followed by a muffled groan.
The assailant thought he had succeeded, and was just about to sneer, when he saw the one struck was not the Emperor.
Lin Xingzhi looked down, seeing the blade had pierced directly into his left chest.
The pain barely registered before the assassin shouted and immediately pulled out the knife, intending to strike again.
But he tightly gripped the man’s arm, ignoring his own life.
Dragging him down the steps as they rolled together.
The two were locked in a struggle, and Lin Xingzhi’s blood flowed all the way.
Jiang Huanqing, who was still guarding by the Emperor’s side, glared angrily upon seeing this!
"Are you all blind? Protect the Emperor!"
All of a sudden, more than twenty people surrounded the Emperor from all sides.
Everyone drew their swords and watched the surroundings vigilantly; if anyone dared to move, they would be chopped into pieces!
"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"
Dong Yuzhong’s sharp voice alarmed even more people to run over.
In the side hall, the concubines who had prepared to leave were thrown into a panic upon hearing Dong Yuzhong.
"Assassination? Is the Emperor in danger?"
Princess Consort Ying shouted first, lifting her skirt to rush outside.
Mu Changzai discreetly pulled her back, then quietly said.
"Your Highness, think of our Fourth Prince!"
With one sentence, Princess Consort Ying froze in her tracks, terrified.
Princess Consort Yi snorted coldly, seeing the trembling incompetents around her.
"All you do is cry, stay put for the palace!"
Having said that, she quickly headed outside.
A true daughter of a general’s family, the only one capable of taking charge at a critical moment.
The Second Prince, hearing the news, was instinctively looking back at Lin Wanyi.
But Lin Wanyi was already nowhere to be seen.
She had stood near the door, intending to leave first.
Yet, upon hearing "Protect the Emperor," she had already rushed outside.
Thus, no one noticed her, thinking she, too, was frantically looking for a place to hide.
In front of Qian’an Hall!
The Emperor’s resting place!
The Imperial Guards here were carefully selected, and they had been screened for three generations before being allowed to serve.
How could a fearless assassin suddenly appear to kill the Emperor!
Lin Wanyi sprinted up, witnessing the chaotic scene.
She did not notice that the man fighting with the assassin was her own brother, her mind fixated solely on finding the Emperor’s figure.
Only when she saw that the person clad in bright yellow was well-protected did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Unexpectedly, in the next second, the situation changed.
Lin Xingzhi’s eyes were filled with determination, holding on with sheer willpower.
He clutched tightly to the man.
The assassin, seeing more and more people around the Emperor, knew the assassination was impossible.
He turned and tried to escape the scene.
But how could Lin Xingzhi let him go easily!
"Assassinating the Emperor warrants execution!"
His mouth was full of the taste of blood, and the pain in his body made him feel his life slipping away bit by bit.
Yet he knew he could not let go.
Letting go would mean endless future troubles.
As he wrestled with the assassin, the original chief of the Imperial Guard, Shi Ben, quickly sprinted over.
He kicked the assassin’s jaw, flipped his knife, and sent him flying four or five meters away.
Blood spilled everywhere as he looked at the chief with a complex expression.
Then he bit his tongue and committed suicide on the spot.
Shi Ben tried to stop him, but was a step too late.
The man had already stopped breathing.
A chill ran down his spine.
Under his watch, such a mistake occurred; wasn’t this the same as inviting the punishment of nine familial exterminations!
He turned to the Emperor, frustrated and terrified. Google seaʀᴄh NoveIꜰire.net
"Your servant is incompetent, the assassin Cui Shixiu has committed suicide!"
The Emperor’s anger reached its peak.
Just recently, he had returned from offering sacrifices at Taishan, with the entire Da Wei firmly under control.
And yet, upon returning to the palace for less than an hour, an assassin sought his life!
Even shouting "Dog Emperor"! How could he tolerate this!
"Shi Ben, it seems you don’t want your head! Allowing assassins into the Imperial Palace! Utterly absurd!"
Shi Ben was so terrified he fell to his knees.
Sweat covered his forehead.
Despite the cold winter wind, it felt like a fiery blaze was burning his back.
"Spare me, Your Majesty!"
Before he finished speaking, Lin Xingzhi, who was originally standing, collapsed.
Blood gushing from his chest wound.
The green stone slab quickly soaked up a large area.
And his face turned pale, breathing weakly.
The sight scared many.
Lin Wanyi was the first to recognize his face, realizing that the one who saved the Emperor was Lin Xingzhi.
She bolted down frantically, fearing her brother would die if she was late!
The Emperor, not far behind her, was also livid, chasing down the steps.
"Brother, brother..."
Lin Wanyi reached to cover the gushing wound, attempting to stop it but finding it futile.
Her eyes full of worry and guilt.
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry!"
It was all her fault!
Had she not reminded her brother with a word, he wouldn’t have risked his life at the imperial court!
Future prospects were important, but they couldn’t compare to her brother’s life!
"Where’s the Imperial Physician!"
She blocked while anxiously shouting.
The Emperor, also anxious, saw Lin Wanyi and had to calm down to handle everything.
He slightly calmed himself and immediately ordered.
"Quickly fetch the Imperial Physician! Clear out the side hall to bring Lin Guard over!"
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, Lin Xingzhi, with blood-soaked hands, grabbed the Emperor’s clothes.
Exhausting his last breath, he spoke to the Emperor with both pleading and hope.
"Your Majesty, I only have... a sister, if you could..."
He spoke intermittently, and the Emperor was too preoccupied to care about anything else.
Covering Lin Wanyi’s hand with his own, pressing down on the wound, his eyes filled with resolve.
"Rest assured, I understand."
Then he turned to Dong Yuzhong and spoke.