The prince is more stable

Chapter 996 Plot to Assassinate
Zhao Xiaoqian could hardly believe that an assassination plot could be executed with such precision.

Everything was too random, which is why the assassination plot was so seamless. Even Zhao Xiaoqian, who had experienced life and death and was extremely suspicious, was deceived and did not notice anything.

Seeing the stray dog ​​lying on the ground convulsing and foaming at the mouth, Zhao Xiaoqian's expression changed drastically. He now knew what had happened and why the barbecue vendor was so furious.

"Chen Shou, let's go first!" Zhao Xiaoqian ordered coldly.

There are priorities. At this point, there's no time to worry about taking down the barbecue vendor. The priority is to leave this dangerous place immediately and save our own lives.

The fact that the other party dared to poison the barbecue shows that they are a tightly organized group with a meticulous and rigorous plan for the assassination, and that they have more than one plan.

If Zhao Xiaoqian hadn't fallen for the trap and hadn't been poisoned, they would have definitely activated their backup plan.

As Zhao Xiaoqian's bodyguard for many years, Chen Shou naturally understood the importance of prioritizing tasks.

The stray dog ​​collapsed, confirming that the vendor had poisoned it. Neither Zhao Xiaoqian nor Chen Shou ordered the vendor to be arrested. Instead, they retreated silently. The dozens of Imperial Guards scattered around also noticed something was wrong and gathered around Zhao Xiaoqian. A group of people escorted him hurriedly toward the carriage.

I had only taken a few steps when I suddenly heard a mechanical noise behind me, followed by a whooshing sound.

Chen Shou had been on guard behind him, and upon hearing the sound, he immediately drew his sword and attacked with lightning speed.

It was a barrage of crossbow bolts, aimed directly at Zhao Xiaoqian's back.

As Chen Shou drew his sword, the Imperial Guards around him also drew their swords, wielding them in a dense, impenetrable formation. They stood in front of Zhao Xiaoqian's back, and from time to time, one could hear someone groaning in pain as they were struck by crossbow bolts.

Even Chen Shou was hit in the arm by a crossbow bolt. The bolt was not pulled out in time, and his arm was covered in blood, but he seemed oblivious, still staring intently at everything around the barbecue stall.

The poisoning attempt failed, the crossbow bolt missed, and Zhao Xiaoqian remained unharmed. The barbecue vendor grew increasingly anxious and immediately whistled.

Suddenly, the other diners at the stall stood up. At that moment, they tore off their disguises and pulled out knives from under the table, from the stove, and from their waists.

Zhao Xiaoqian turned around, his gaze cold as he watched everything unfold, his heart filled with growing shock.

Unexpectedly, the assassination was planned so meticulously that even the diners were assassins in disguise. Zhao Xiaoqian had even thought further ahead.

Besides the barbecue vendor and the customers, the other party probably had more backup plans in mind, all for the purpose of taking his life.

Who is the enemy? What is their background?
Assassinating the current emperor requires not only immense courage but also the cooperation of countless resources and even an inside agent to ensure a successful assassination. Otherwise, failure would mean the extermination of one's entire family, with no chance of redemption.

Few enemies possess such courage, and Zhao Xiaoqian's first suspect was not the enemy, but the enemy state.

Was it Li Qianshun, the ruler of Western Xia, or Yelü Yanxi of Liao?

Both have a very high chance of success, after all, the Song Dynasty is now becoming increasingly powerful, and the Western Xia is even on the verge of destruction. Facing the increasingly powerful Song Dynasty, both rulers of Liao and Xia are under considerable pressure.

The most convenient and effective way to change the status quo is to get rid of Zhao Xiaoqian, plunging the Song Dynasty into internal strife and a struggle for succession, so that the Liao and Xia kingdoms can catch their breath.

However, we cannot rule out the possibility that this assassination plot was carried out by someone within the Song Dynasty. After all, since Zhao Xiaoqian ascended the throne, he has forcefully implemented new policies, which have affected the interests of many officials, powerful families, and landlords, resulting in the deaths of many people.

He offended the interest groups of the Song Dynasty, and these people, in their desperation, might do something hysterical.

His mind was a little confused, but Zhao Xiaoqian still walked quickly toward the carriage.

Behind him, Chen Shou and dozens of Imperial Guards formed a defensive line, blocking the assassins' attack.

"Chen Shou, send someone to summon the Imperial Guards patrolling the city and the Kaifeng Prefecture!" Zhao Xiaoqian shouted. "Make some more noise, set fires along the roadside, and lure the patrolling soldiers here!"

One of the soldiers turned and ran, while Chen Shou and the others continued to fend off the assassins' attacks.

The assassins disguised as vendors and diners were only part of the group. As the final act was revealed, countless assassins gathered like raindrops in the dark alleys around the barbecue stall, on the windowsills of the restaurant across the street, and on the rooftops.

There were roughly a hundred people, and they were subtly surrounding Zhao Xiaoqian and his group.

These assassins must have known very well who their targets were and what the consequences would be if the assassination failed. So when they started fighting, the assassins were all fearless, using a life-or-death fighting style to fight Chen Shou and the others.

Faced with such a fearless attack, Chen Shou and the other Imperial Guards were indeed somewhat flustered. The enemy had a large number of soldiers and fought with such reckless tactics that Chen Shou and his men were temporarily at a disadvantage.

Zhao Xiaoqian's sharp eyes swept across the scene, his mind tense as he calculated the situation.

The carriage was now completely surrounded by assassins, making escape by carriage unlikely. The only option was to hold out and wait for the imperial guards to arrive and provide support.

However, the other side also has a disadvantage: their time is limited.

They had less time than the national football team; they had to complete the assassination before the imperial guards arrived, otherwise, once Zhao Xiaoqian's reinforcements arrived, their chances of survival would be gone. Zhao Xiaoqian frowned, then suddenly reached into his lower back and pulled out a short-barreled flintlock pistol.

He had to be grateful for his good habit of always carrying his short-barreled flintlock pistol with him, no matter the time or place. After all, the world was too dangerous, and no matter how high one's status was, one could still encounter danger.

As it turns out, good habits increase the chances of survival, as they do now.

Unfortunately, Chen Shou and the other guards neglected this good habit. They probably thought that since Zhao Xiaoqian was already the emperor, even the most ruthless enemy would not dare to assassinate him. As a result, Chen Shou and the other guards only carried swords and knives and were not equipped with firearms.

Zhao Xiaoqian, who was tightly protected in the center by the Imperial Guards, calmly loaded his gun and bullets, then raised his gun, aimed at an assassin outside the circle whose fighting style was particularly fierce, and pulled the trigger hard against his chest.

With a loud bang, the assassin fell to the ground.

Chen Shou's eyes were bloodshot as he fought fiercely, but a look of guilt and self-reproach flashed in his eyes.

If all the Imperial Guards had been equipped with firearms tonight, the situation wouldn't be so out of control.

This was Chen Shou's dereliction of duty, and there's no explanation for it.

"Fight and retreat towards the Xiangguo Temple on the Imperial Street. There are crowds gathering there, and the Imperial Guards are stationed there. Let's go!" Zhao Xiaoqian decisively ordered.

At this time, only about twenty Imperial Guards remained under Chen Shou's command, and all of them were wounded.

The assassins' meticulous and ruthless operation caught the Imperial Guards off guard, and with the enemy outnumbering them, wave after wave of attacks resulted in the deaths of nearly half of the Imperial Guards.

Such a commotion naturally attracted the attention of the nearby people. However, the people were just watching the spectacle, and they couldn't understand what was going on. They didn't know right from wrong, but they watched the fight from a distance with a sense of mockery and excitement.

Upon hearing Zhao Xiaoqian's words, Chen Shou immediately ordered a move towards the Imperial Street. The group still protected Zhao Xiaoqian in the center, and Zhao Xiaoqian continued loading ammunition and guns calmly as they walked.

He raised his hand and pulled the trigger; another loud bang, and an assassin fell to the ground.

A large fire had suddenly broken out by the roadside, which was pointed out by the Imperial Guards.

A raging fire shot into the sky, illuminating half of the night sky over Bianjing City. Zhao Xiaoqian watched the fire, his lips pressed tightly together, his expression still solemn.

Judging from the current casualties, it seems we won't be able to wait for reinforcements.

Zhao Xiaoqian had faced several assassination attempts over the years, but this was the most dangerous and the closest he had ever come to death.

In the past, he could detect assassination attempts beforehand and barely manage to deal with them. But tonight's assassination attempt, which involved poisoning someone at a roadside barbecue stall without their knowledge, had already given him a fright.

The subsequent desperate attack by hundreds of assassins was the most dangerous and terrifying assassination attempt he had ever faced.

At this moment, the assassins charged forward one after another, fearlessly and recklessly, launching wave after wave of attacks on Chen Shou and his men as if committing suicide. Their fighting style was completely suicidal and as if they wanted to live as long as heaven and earth.

While brandishing his knife, Chen Shou grabbed Zhao Xiaoqian's arm with his other hand and fought his way back.

Screams echoed around him as his comrades fell one after another. Chen Shou's eyes blazed with fury, but he was helpless against the surging tide of assassins.

"Your Majesty, things are beyond saving. We will stay behind to cover your retreat. Your Majesty, run alone to the Great Xiangguo Temple and go through the alley. I will buy you some time!" Chen Shou said in a low voice.

Zhao Xiaoqian frowned. He had never seen Chen Shou so flustered and disoriented. Clearly, the situation was extremely dire, meaning they were getting closer and closer to death.

In the blink of an eye, several more Imperial Guards protecting him fell, leaving only a dozen or so struggling to hold on, while the assassins continued to swarm in like a tide.

“Chen Shou, we’ve survived so many life-threatening situations. There’s no reason for me to abandon you and run away alone today. Whether we live or die, we’ll go together. I won’t run away,” Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly.

"This humble general's death is of no consequence, for Your Majesty's fate rests upon the well-being of all people..."

Before Chen Shou could finish speaking, Zhao Xiaoqian patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Save your energy for talking, focus on killing the enemy. I said, whether we live or die, we'll go together."

Zhao Xiaoqian said this with a smile, but Chen Shou could hear the unwavering determination in his tone.

Chen Shou slashed out with his knife, and an assassin screamed and fell to the ground.

Like a wounded, trapped beast, Chen Shou stared fiercely at the assassin, a ruthless look on his face.

The harsh reality told him that with only a dozen or so comrades under his command, he probably couldn't hold off the assassins for long, and the imperial guards patrolling the city didn't know when they would arrive. At this point, he couldn't count on them at all.

The current situation requires someone to sacrifice themselves to ensure the safety of the government.

(End of this chapter)