The prince's bodyguard only reacted at this moment.
"There is an assassin! Protect His Highness!"
The four of them scrambled to stop Ning Weiyuan and simultaneously drew out the sabers at their waists.
But after a flash of black light, the four guards broke into two pieces.
The assassin did not stop, and passed over the beheaded person. The black light in his hand stabbed Ning Weiyuan, who was still in a state of shock, like a sharp sword.
At this moment, a burst of dazzling rainbow light burst out from the prince's chest!
The black shadow couldn't avoid it and was sprayed by this brilliant light. Not only did the sneak attack fail, but the person was knocked away.
The sudden change gave the guards a chance to make amends.
The prince was blocked behind by a crowd of people. Dozens of crossbows were fired in the direction of the shadow. The assassin had nowhere to hide and was shot off the palace wall. Underneath, a group of guards who heard the sound had already drawn out their weapons. Swords surrounded the palace walls.
This incident took less than ten seconds, but everyone inside and outside the palace witnessed this scene with their own eyes - His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was assassinated on the Lantern Festival!
"Trouble." Qian frowned, "That guy is the alchemist of the Privy Council."
"What?" Xia Fan glanced at Yuyi in surprise.
"The Bairen who was just promoted this year, I remember his surname is Zhang." Yu Linglong said puzzledly, "He is neither a core member nor a guard level. Who invited him to the Banquet of Ten Thousand Lanterns?"
"It's not important at all. What's important is... I'm afraid this matter will be blamed on the Privy Council." Bai Zhan sighed, "Master Gan, when the imperial guards come to the door later, I hope you can restrain yourself. mood."
"This matter clearly has nothing to do with us—and I don't think that guy had any motive to assassinate the prince!"
"But others won't think so." Master Yunshang glanced in the direction of the palace wall. At this moment, more and more armored guards appeared in the square. Although the noise around them remained high, there was no sign of the crowd moving. It means that the entrance and exit of the palace have been blocked, and all the banquet guests are trapped in this place. "The next step will definitely be investigation and interrogation, and maybe solitary confinement - I have to say that we have been tricked."
"What to do next?" Yu Linglong asked.
"Boy, you go first." Qian grabbed the table with both hands.
"Me?" Xia Fan pointed at himself.
"That's right. Although I don't know who planned this attack, it is obviously aimed at the Privy Council House. There is no need for you to get involved."
"The Prime Minister of Jinxia Privy Council House...won't they be interested in him?"
"Ha, as long as you don't tell me, who will know that you are from Jinxia." Qian smiled.
Fei Nian seemed to see Xia Fan's doubts, "When we invited you, we did not register your exact identity with the Ministry of Rites. In their eyes, you are just one of the many guests of the Privy Council Palace. By the way, the identity we provided It’s also a forgery. You should be a businessman from a well-known family from Xu State. This in itself is a kind of protection for guests. I didn’t expect it to come in handy during the Lantern Festival.”
"As long as you don't take the initiative to reveal your identity, they won't make things difficult for you." Qian lifted the table and threw it to the ground, smashing the dishes with vegetables into pieces. This move caused the panic-stricken crowd around them to explode, scrambling to flee in all directions. "Let's go, see you someday."
Xia Fan nodded, turned around and blended into the crowd.
From the corner of his vision, several groups of people were already approaching to surround him.
…
"You are Xia Buping, right?"
The door was pushed open, and a man in brocade robes walked into the room and placed a directory in front of him.
Xia Fan thought for a long time before realizing that the name referred to himself, "Yes, it's me."
It had been almost eleven or twelve hours since I was separated from the members of the Privy Council. All the guests at the banquet were arranged to live in a side hall next to the palace - there were many separate small rooms here, which were probably used by the palace servants. Therefore, when inviting everyone in, the Ministry of Rites specially sent several officials to coordinate the matter, for fear that there would be conflicts between these invited guests and the guards.
"Sorry, what happened last night shocked you." The other party said very politely, "We have verified that you are not suspected of anything, and with the guarantee of the Xu Guo Caravan, you only need to put your fingerprint on it, that is, You can leave here first.”
"How is the situation outside now? Has the assassin issue been resolved?" Xia Fan asked pretending to be concerned.
"It's not that easy." He sighed, "An assassin is small, but the organization behind the assassins, or their conspiracy, is the big deal. As a native of Xu, you should not inquire about this matter. In addition, Shangyuan City has learned from yesterday. The city has been closed since then. You can freely shop in the city, but please do not change your temporary address. Honglu Temple can contact you if anything happens."
When Xia Fan walked out of the palace compound from the side door, a carriage was already waiting by the street.
He calmly climbed into the carriage and let the driver take him slowly on the road.
About a quarter of an hour later, the car paused for a few seconds, and a familiar figure climbed into the car.
It was Xin Wu, the envoy of the Privy Council.
"Master Xia, are you okay?"
"It's nothing serious. You can send me back to Wanjing Tower first." Xia Fan showed some anxiety at this time. Prince Qi was stabbed while putting on the lanterns. This news must have spread throughout the city. He stayed away all night because of the martial law issue, fearing that Li and the others were speculating on his situation. Compared to the Privy Council who didn't want to have a direct conflict with the royal family, the people in the inn didn't even recognize who the prince was. If Li and Luo Qingqing couldn't help but take action, the situation would be irreversible.
"Master Xia, please rest assured. I have already sent someone to notify your companions. They should not be too worried."
"… hope so."
The carriage galloped all the way and entered the vestibule of Wanjing Tower a quarter of an hour later.
As soon as Xia Fan got off the carriage, he saw a figure running towards him and hugging him in public!
The skillful gesture and smell have revealed the identity of the visitor.
Xia Fan had to take out a hand to hold down Li's tilted bamboo hat to prevent her ears from being exposed carelessly.
Before he could speak, Li let go of him again, grabbing his cheeks with both hands and looking around, as if to confirm that he was not lacking in weight.
Luo Qingqing, Fang Xiandao and others also followed.
"I already told him that nothing serious will happen to him. Divination has already proven this."
"Master, aren't you saying that you can't take advantage of anything?"
"If you can't account for the unfathomable source, it still hasn't changed. If he doesn't exist, my alchemy will be impeccable."
"If someone wants to hit you because of these words later, Qianzhi will not help the young master to block it."
Xia Fan glanced at everyone, and there was a vague warmth surging in his heart. Qian Yan's words may be true. He is an alien in this world. Maybe no one will truly understand him in the end, but even so, this does not prevent them from caring about him.
"Let's go in and talk." Xia Fan nodded.