The prince is more stable

Chapter 763: Diverting trouble to the east
The assassination was completely unexpected and caught everyone off guard.

Zhang Dun was dragged into a dark alley by the Imperial Guards. He covered his mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound.

His eyes flashed with a variety of emotions: fear, apprehension, deep thought, and anger.

Whoever instigated him, if he manages to escape alive tonight, the officialdom of the Song Dynasty will never be at peace.

The volley of arrows just now hit many of the Imperial Guards, but fortunately it didn't hit Zhang Dun. He was unharmed, but he was quite frightened.

Zhang Dun was a civil official with virtually no military experience in recent years. Faced with a situation that could only be resolved by force, he was completely at a loss and did not know how to handle it.

After a long while, Zhang Dun finally managed to calm down, and his intelligence finally kicked in.

“One of you go out and ask for help. There are many imperial guards patrolling the Imperial Street. A squad of guards passes by every incense stick's time. You two hurry up and run out of the alley. As long as we see the imperial guards patrolling the night, we will be saved.”

The guards protecting him hesitated for a moment, but decided to obey the order and sent one of them to run quickly out of the dark alley under the cover of night.

However, just as the man stepped out of the alley, an arrow suddenly shot from the roof of an empty restaurant not far away, knocking the messenger down.

Inside the dark alley, Zhang Dun and the Imperial Guards' expressions changed drastically.

"What arrogant thieves!" Zhang Dun gritted his teeth and roared angrily.

One of the imperial guards said in fear, "These thieves are unlikely to spare our lives tonight!"

Zhang Dun's face darkened, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "Who is it? Who wants to kill me?"

He had absolutely no answer in his mind. Zhang Dun had offended far too many people over the years, and almost all the Yuanyou Party members in the court were suspects.

Moreover, Zhang Dun offended many within his own party. After all, even a prime minister can be unfair at times, and many officials in the party openly or covertly expressed their dissatisfaction with him.

Of course, there's also the recent rampant rumor that he vehemently opposes Prince Duan's ascension to the throne, and if these words reach Prince Duan's ears...

Upon realizing this, Zhang Dun was startled, and his expression changed several times.

Prince Duan... surely he wouldn't be so bold? At this crucial moment of transition, how could he dare to so brazenly use assassins to eliminate dissidents?

But who can say for sure?
Prince Duan is still a teenager, an age when he is impulsive and doesn't consider the consequences. Moreover, he has many advisors and retainers in his palace. Often, all it takes to accomplish something is a single thought or an order.

Zhang Dun shook his head vigorously. Now was not the time to think about the murderer; what he needed to do now was survive.

Only by surviving can anything be possible; repay kindness with kindness and avenge wrongs.

"Lord Zhang, the thieves have blocked the alley entrance. If you go out, they will shoot you dead," a member of the Imperial Guard reported in a panic.

Zhang Dun, his face grim, said, "Gather all the flammable materials in the alley, set them on fire, and warn the Imperial Guards patrolling the streets!"

The imperial guards around him hurriedly collected discarded pieces of wood, oil paper, and dry grass from the alley, piled them together, and set them on fire.

Flames shot into the sky in an instant, illuminating the nearby night sky.

Just as Zhang Dun and the others breathed a sigh of relief, they heard a flurry of footsteps approaching.

Clearly, the bandits hadn't expected Zhang Dun to pull this stunt. The fire was about to attract the Imperial Guards, forcing them to rush into the alley and take action.

Zhang Dun's expression changed, and he roared, "You arrogant scoundrel!"

Although the imperial guards protecting him were terrified, they were bound by duty and dared not retreat. They had no choice but to draw their swords and fight the assassins.

Zhang Dun kept a close eye on the battle, his steps unconsciously slowing backward. At that moment, an arrow shot silently, and a dark shadow flashed in the firelight. Zhang Dun's scalp tingled, and he subconsciously shrank back.

The cold arrow grazed his scalp and embedded itself firmly in the earthen wall of the dark alley.

Zhang Dun was utterly devastated; this was truly aimed at taking his life. The speed and force of the arrows showed no mercy.

The thieves clearly didn't intend to kidnap or hold him hostage; they genuinely planned to kill him.

Zhang Dun looked terrified and retreated step by step, his eyes blazing with fury as the imperial guards protecting him were hacked down one by one by the bandits, who then approached him.

"I am the current Prime Minister, how dare you traitors!" Zhang Dun shouted sternly.

There were about a dozen assassins, dressed in black and masked, silently approaching step by step.

Zhang Dun retreated again and again until he had nowhere left to retreat. This dark alley was a dead end, and unless he climbed over the wall now, there was no way to escape.

Seeing the assassins' knives gleaming with a chilling light in the firelight, Zhang Dun was utterly terrified.

No one can easily see through life and death, and the prime minister is no exception.

Those who hold high positions of power and influence, above thousands of others, and surrounded by wealth and glory, become increasingly afraid of death the more they acquire.

As the assassins drew ever closer, their blades almost touching his neck, Zhang Dun finally gave up hope and closed his eyes in despair.

…………

Meanwhile, in a house just one street away from that dark alley...

A man in black stood before Zhao Xiaoqian, bowing respectfully and standing silently.

Zhao Xiaoqian squinted at the firelight in the dark alley not far away and couldn't help but chuckle: "He even knows to set fires as a warning; Master Zhang is quite something..."

The man in black stood silently behind him, and Zhao Xiaoqian clicked his tongue in boredom.

These assassins are all the same; they're alive, but act like they're dead. They have absolutely no emotional intelligence. Unless you ask them a question, they won't say a word, and you can forget about having a conversation with them.

"Won't something bad happen? Be careful, don't actually kill Zhang Dun," Zhao Xiaoqian said with some worry. The man in black finally spoke up: "No, the young master gave instructions that we would never accidentally kill him."

When will the imperial guards on night patrol arrive?

“We will arrive within five breaths, and Zhang Dun will be saved.” The man in black said, “We left a few Imperial Guards in the alley without killing them. We deliberately engaged them in combat to buy time for the Imperial Guards patrolling the streets to arrive.”

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded.

The assassination attempt on Zhang Dun tonight was planned and orchestrated by Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhang Dun certainly couldn't die. Although he didn't get along with the old man, at least for now they were all on the same side, since both he and Zhang Dun were opponents of Zhao Ji.

What Zhao Xiaoqian wanted to do was to stir up trouble in Bianjing while Zhao Xu was critically ill, the more troublesome the better.

Once the waters become muddy, all sides will surface, each taking the stage to fight tooth and nail for the throne.

Zhao Xiaoqian was merely a disgraced prince who held the position of second-in-command in the Privy Council. In everyone's eyes, he was harmless, except for Zhao Ji, who already knew his true nature.

However, after tonight, Zhao Ji will likely be embroiled in trouble.

At least in the major case of assassinating Zhang Dun, it would be very difficult for Zhao Ji to clear his name.

By diverting trouble and taking advantage of the chaos, Zhao Xiaoqian's personally orchestrated tactics were enough to give Emperor Huizong a hard time.

The rumors about Zhang Dun and the Crown Prince were also spread on Zhao Xiaoqian's orders, in order to lay the groundwork and cause for tonight's assassination attempt on Zhang Dun.

After tonight, Bianjing will be engulfed in turmoil, and Zhao Ji will inevitably be caught in the eye of the storm.

When Heaven bestows a great responsibility upon a person, they first take the blame, then suffer a beating, and finally, despite being condemned by everyone, they shamelessly ascend the throne...

Hurried footsteps echoed outside the dilapidated courtyard. A man in black entered and bowed, reporting, "Your Highness, the Imperial Guards on patrol have arrived. Our men have withdrawn, and Zhang Dun has been rescued."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled maliciously and asked, "Did Zhang Dun wet his pants?"

"Uh, I didn't know."

Zhao Xiaoqian then asked, "Did he cry?"

"Uh, it seems like she didn't cry. She seemed quite calm when she was rescued by the Imperial Guards."

Zhao Xiaoqian was somewhat disappointed and muttered, "This old guy is really holding back. If we threw a firecracker at his house right now, I don't believe he wouldn't pee..."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked up at the night sky and sighed, "Let's all go our separate ways. Tomorrow's court will surely be very lively."

…………

The next day, it was indeed lively.

The news of the prime minister's assassination in the dead of night had spread before dawn and quickly became known throughout the city.

While Zhao Xiaoqian was still catching up on sleep early in the morning, a palace servant delivered an imperial edict summoning him to an audience.

Zhao Xiaoqian put on his official robes and went out to Yanfu Palace.

Inside the Funing Palace, a thunderous storm had swept through, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was suffocating.

Zhao Xu's face was ashen, and he kept clutching his chest. He glared angrily at Li Nangong, the newly appointed prefect of Kaifeng, and several patrolling officers kneeling silently in the hall.

Zhao Xiaoqian approached cautiously, and Zhao Xu glanced at him, his livid expression softening slightly.

"Last night at midnight, right in my capital, a major assassination attempt on the Prime Minister occurred. Kaifeng Prefecture, what have you done? This vast capital was entrusted to you, yet such a heinous crime has occurred under your jurisdiction. What is your punishment?"

Li Nangong shuddered. He had only been the prefect of Kaifeng for a few months, and he hadn't even sorted out all the complicated matters yet. Now, such a deadly case had occurred. To be honest, he really couldn't handle it.

Li Nangong's resume is quite impressive. He was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), served as a county magistrate for several terms, as the prefect of Yan'an, and as a transport commissioner. He entered the Zhilong Pavilion and the Baowen Pavilion as a scholar-official. Later, he curried favor with Zhang Dun and obtained the official position of prefect of Kaifeng.

Last night was Zhang Dun's nightmare, but it was also Li Nangong's nightmare. His superior and backer almost lost their lives in Bianjing, and Li Nangong was so frightened that he almost flew out of his skin.

Li Nan Gong was summoned to the palace by Zhao Xu early in the morning and scolded for almost an hour. The spittle on Li Nan Gong's face was still wet.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian enter the hall, Zhao Xu finally stopped scolding him and turned to look at Zhao Xiaoqian.

"Zi'an, have you heard about what happened last night?"

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "I heard about it this morning. There were actually thieves who dared to assassinate Minister Zhang in Bianjing. To be honest, I was stunned for a long time after hearing this news. I simply couldn't believe it."

Zhao Xu said with a gloomy face, "It's true. These thieves are really audacious. The Kaifeng Prefecture and these imperial guards patrolling the city are all good-for-nothings!"

As he spoke, Zhao Xu glared fiercely at Li Nangong again.

Zhao Xiaoqian asked with concern, "I wonder if Minister Zhang is well?"

Zhao Xu sighed and said, "I was frightened last night and am still resting at home today. I'm afraid I won't be able to handle any official duties for the next few days..."

"It's good that nothing happened. Fortunately, Lord Zhang is a lucky man and has divine protection." Zhao Xiaoqian breathed a sigh of relief and showed a relieved expression, his acting skills were top-notch.

Zhao Xu sneered, "This matter has shocked the court. Today, countless officials have submitted memorials demanding that I issue an edict to thoroughly investigate and bring these assassins to justice!"

"Zi'an, if Kaifeng Prefecture can't handle it, we can only hand it over to the Imperial City Guard."

(End of this chapter)