The atmosphere at the banquet was a little tense, and no one went around toasting like they had just done.
After a while, Wen Qingci gently put down the teacup, turned around and said to the eunuch behind him: "It's a cold night with heavy dew. Lord Yu drank a little too much. Please send him back to the mansion first."
His tone was exceptionally calm and he was still smiling as he spoke.
The two young eunuchs had no doubts and quickly helped the man over and went out of the imperial garden.
—Yu Guanlin once reminded Wen Qingci that as an imperial physician he must stay away from politics.
The old doctor always practiced this principle and had nothing to do with the mess at the table.
Yu Guanlin, who was not anyone's target, left here easily.
Wen Qingci let out a long sigh, and his eyes involuntarily looked past the banquet and the crowd, looking for Xie Bufeng.
The next second, a muffled sound suddenly came from not far away.
—A copper Boshan incense burner as tall as a person was knocked over by someone. The huge incense burner fell to the ground with a loud bang. In an instant, the incense ashes flew everywhere and smoke lingered.
There were bursts of strange noises at the table.
After three or five seconds, the incense burner and copper lamp all fell to the ground.
All that was left were the river lanterns swaying along with the ripples in the stream, with some dim light.
Everything in the Imperial Garden was hidden behind the smoke.
Darkness brings chaos.
The dull thud of the long case falling to the ground mixed with various screams.
The court officials and dignitaries, who were all dressed in fancy clothes, threw aside their decorum and either shouted for help or ran out of the imperial garden. The banquet instantly became a mess.
Among them, Yi Guanxuan, who was wearing a red official uniform, became the assassin's primary target because he was too conspicuous.
His body was shaking like a sieve and his upper and lower teeth were chattering.
He used all four limbs to avoid the assassination here, while searching for a safe area.
In panic, Yi Guanxuan raised his head and happened to see the bright yellow figure not far away.
Xie Zhaolin, who was well prepared, was walking away slowly surrounded by his guards, without showing any sign of panic.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty—" Seeing him, Yi Guanxuan shouted loudly as if he had found a life-saving straw, and then ran quickly towards the emperor.
The next second, Xie Zhaolin finally looked at him with a smile.
The emperor's expression was no different from usual, and hope instantly ignited in Yi Guanxuan's heart.
He could not help but quicken his pace and headed straight towards the emperor.
However, before he reached here, Xie Zhaolin suddenly turned around and left as if he didn't see him.
From beginning to end, the emperor never even glanced at the royal nobles or even his own flesh and blood relatives at the table.
As if these people didn't exist...
Yi Guanxuan's legs and feet went weak and he sat down on the ground with a thud.
After the scream, Wen Qingci immediately stood up and clenched the silver needle hidden in his sleeve.
Through the thick smoke, Wen Qingci saw a silver light suddenly appear not far away, and several figures rushed towards him at a rapid speed.
The muscle memory of this body is far more powerful than he imagined.
The moment he realized the danger, Wen Qingci threw the silver needle in his hand forward fiercely.
The long needle pierced through the smoke and went straight into the visitor's forehead.
Followed by a crisp sound, the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground came from the other side of the smoke.
—One of Wen Qingci’s silver needles successfully pierced the person, and the other two were blocked by the sword.
Those people didn't seem to expect that Wen Qingci was well prepared.
They were stunned for a moment before they reacted and continued to move forward.
However, at this time Wen Qingci had already found the right time and went to where the smoke was thickest.
In the chaos, Wen Qingci saw that the people who wanted to kill him seemed to be wearing the soft armor of the imperial guards.
The royal family of the previous dynasty had few descendants and many emperors who were not interested in state affairs.
Therefore, the power of the aristocratic families is extremely strong.
Against this background, the previous dynasty left behind many policies that favored the nobility but also caused endless troubles.
For example, the post of imperial guard could only be held by sons of nobles, and many of the commanders of the imperial guards in Taishu Palace were also nominated by nobles.
How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed
This was also one of the reasons why Xie Zhaolin was extremely uneasy after he ascended the throne and was eager to eradicate the aristocratic forces.
If the emperor conducted a thorough investigation, within a few days, these people would be transferred from their original positions or even sent to jail for various reasons.
From this perspective, today is indeed a good time to rebel.
The nobles had been prepared for a long time, but it was only today... the conversation in the carriage that finally made them make up their minds.
Wen Qingci gritted his teeth, trying to identify the direction and find Xie Bufeng in the smoke.
Since he entered the book, he had made preparations for both scenarios.
Now, although Wen Qingci has made up his mind to find a way to leave this place of trouble, if he fails, he will still have to stay here and continue to face Xie Bufeng.
What's more, if I hadn't messed up the plot after traveling into the book, what happened today would never have happened.
Xie Bufeng would never encounter such a dangerous situation.
No matter from which angle he looked at it, he couldn't abandon the boy at this time.
Before Wen Qingci found Xie Bufeng, he first saw—
At the end of the long stream, Concubine Lan, who was surrounded by the guards who came to protect the emperor, was left with difficulty with the help of the palace maid Ming Liu.
Before we knew it, Lan Fei was getting older and had reached the middle to late stages of her pregnancy.
Today, I am wearing a complicated palace dress, which makes it increasingly inconvenient for me to move.
In her hurry, Concubine Lan did not notice that there was an incense burner placed horizontally under her feet.
The long copper pole happened to be blocking her way.
"Be careful!" Wen Qingci reminded subconsciously, his heart hanging in his throat.
However, as soon as his voice was uttered, it was swallowed up by the strange noises around him and did not reach the other party's ears.
Lan Fei lost her balance instantly and fell heavily.
Ming Liu exclaimed, then bent down and tried to pull Lan Fei up.
At this time, if a pregnant woman is pulled or dragged hard, it may be more dangerous than falling down.
Without caring about anything else, Wen Qingci immediately went in the direction where she was.
"Don't be impatient!" Wen Qingci pressed his hand heavily on Ming Liu's arm, interrupting his movements.
He carefully helped Concubine Lan up and asked her, "Are you feeling unwell, Madam?"
Lan Fei was still in shock: "No...no..."
"Help the queen, watch your step, and walk quickly," Wen Qingci turned around and quickly told Ming Liu, "It's very smoky here, try to cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief."
After saying this, Wen Qingci was about to leave.
"Okay!" Ming Liu nodded hurriedly and held Lan Fei tightly.
"Wait—" At this time, Concubine Lan, who had recovered from her shock, subconsciously called out to him, "Doctor Wen, please come with me!"
The guards around Concubine Lan are all people she trusts.
Theoretically speaking, leaving here with Lan Fei now should be the safest and most secure option.
But Wen Qingci rejected her invitation.
"No need, you go first." After saying that, he immediately turned around and walked in the opposite direction on tiptoe.
Wen Qingci remembered that Xie Bufeng sat at the end of the long banquet.
The smoke above the stream was the lightest, so he simply went downstream, looking for the boy's trace.
In crisis, human potential is fully stimulated.
By the time Wen Qingci realized it, his toes had already stepped on the river lanterns.
The moon-white figure went straight down to the stream without stopping for a moment.
The assassin and the guards who protected the emperor wore the same soft armor.
It was difficult to distinguish between friend and foe, and the imperial garden was in chaos.
Wen Qingci saw from the corner of his eye that the Second Prince had left the Imperial Garden under the escort of the guards.
Even the Third Prince was grabbed by the wrist by Wan Zhaorong and was led out with the eunuch without knowing when.
Only Xie Bufeng, who was also a prince, seemed to be abandoned by everyone as if he did not exist...
Not just today.
Hasn’t it been like this every day and every night for the past sixteen years
Thinking of this, Wen Qingci couldn't help but feel a little more angry.
If it was for his own sake that he decided to look for Xie Bufeng in the beginning.
Now, another idea emerged from his heart like a spring bud, and it grew and spread rapidly.
Found Xie Bufeng.
At least let the boy know that he has not been abandoned and forgotten by everyone.
The evening breeze blew away the clouds.
Wen Qingci finally saw that familiar figure.
Based on the principle of uprooting the grass, Xie Bufeng, a prince, was also one of their assassination targets.
Unlike other princes who were surrounded by people, Xie Bufeng did not have any guards around him.
The assassins surrounded Xie Bufeng like sharks smelling blood.
The young man took a long sword from somewhere and was holding it tightly in his hand.
The tip of the sword was still dripping with blood, and Xie Bufeng's hands began to tremble for some reason.
He looked a little embarrassed, but the murderous intent in his amber eyes was not diminished at all.
Xie Bufeng is like a wolf cub.
For the first time in his life, he tasted the bloody beauty of hunting.
Even though he was covered in wounds, it did not diminish his desire for killing.
kill.
Kill them.
The fallen candlestick had somehow ignited a small patch of lawn, illuminating the corner.
The long sword slashed across Xie Bufeng's back, leaving a long bloody mark on the light honey-colored muscle.
The young man suddenly lowered his eyes and smiled, then continued to defend as he did before, completely ignoring the swords coming towards him, and stabbed the person opposite him with sword after sword, as if he was possessed.
It would not matter if we injure our own 1,000 but the enemy 800.
Xie Bufeng was covered in bruises, and his black prince's formal dress was completely soaked with blood.
But the smile on his face did not fade at all.
There was a hint of fear in the eyes of the assassins in guard uniforms opposite.
They looked at each other and put their swords back in unison: "Let's go!"
The swords in their hands were poisoned. Not only was there no antidote, but the poison took effect extremely quickly.
Xie Bufeng has been hit by so many swords, his death is only a matter of time, there is no need to continue to fight with him here.
All this happened in an instant.
The end of the long stream gradually became quiet.
Xie Bufeng raised the sword with difficulty, and imitated the others, cutting into his wound, trying to cut off the poisoned flesh.
But the next second, the sword lost its strength and fell from his hand.
The poison in the sword comes from snake venom.
Not long after being stabbed, the toxin begins to erode the victim's nerves.
At this time, not only did Xie Bufeng's hands and feet become numb, but the scenery in front of his eyes also became blurred little by little.
"Ahem..."
The young man coughed out a mouthful of blood.
Xie Bufeng knelt on one knee on the ground, supporting his body with his elbow with difficulty.
He was about to die, but he actually laughed.
As expected, I will be alone until I die.
But dying in the imperial palace, on the day of the emperor's Fengshan ceremony, seemed like a good idea to bring bad luck to everyone.
Xie Bufeng's arms were no longer able to support him, and he finally fell heavily to the grass.
The boy looked up at the sky in confusion.
There is no moon tonight, only the starry sky stretching across the sky.
His vision gradually blurred, and in the blink of an eye, the galaxy turned into spots of light.
Xie Bufeng's eyelids gradually became heavy... and his head fell weakly on the grass.
The flames kept jumping and were about to burn the corners of his clothes.
Xie Bufeng buried that inexplicable expectation deep in his heart.
He knew he should close his eyes.
The boy's heart was filled with dead silence, not even despair.
it's over.
Let’s all end it…
Xie Bufeng couldn't help but laugh at himself and slowly closed his eyes.
"Your Highness!"
"Thank you, wake up—"
The stars pouring down from the sky were still no match for the faint light on him.
The imperial physician, dressed in moon-white, waded over the water, with lotus flowers blooming at every step.
The flames on the ground burned in his eyes, lighting up his dark pupils and a dot of cinnabar between his eyebrows.
At this moment, he is indeed a god descended to earth.
"Don't sleep yet. Apart from feeling drowsy, do you feel anything else now?" As he spoke, Wen Qingci came over, half-knelt on the ground, and gently helped Xie Bufeng up.
"... You're poisoned." He said at last, frowning.
During the fight just now, Xie Bufeng had already heard the origin and power of the poison from those people's minds.
"Ahem... go now," Xie Bufeng didn't know that he was actually laughing at this moment, "This poison... ahem, it takes effect very quickly, and there is no antidote... ahem, why don't you give me a sword... help me finish it, so that I won't be embarrassed in the end."
Although he was about to die, Xie Bufeng felt that he had never been as happy and satisfied in his life as he was at this moment.
Fortunately, Wen Qingci did not abandon me.
Even if it was just because the other party only had him as an "experimental subject"... Xie Bufeng was happy to accept this kind of tenderness.
“… Thank you.” After a moment of silence, Xie Bufeng finally allowed himself to say these two words.
"What nonsense are you talking about, Your Highness?" The poison corroded the boy's nerves. In a trance, Wen Qingci's voice seemed vague and distant as if in the sky. "Don't forget who I am. How could there be a poison in this world that I can't cure?" But he was still gentle.
Xie Bufeng smiled. He was about to refute, but suddenly he remembered -
Medicine man.
Wen Qingci is a medicine man!
His blood is the most effective antidote in the world.
(End of this chapter)