The prince is more stable

Chapter 997 Sacrificing One's Life for One's Death
The assassination of an emperor was actually not that rare.

From Qin Shi Huang to Emperor Gaozu of Han, and then to Emperor Taizong of Tang, all of them encountered assassination attempts in their lives, and these are all historical records.

One of the assassins who attempted to kill Qin Shi Huang was Zhang Liang, a famous wise prime minister of the Western Han Dynasty.

When an emperor's personality is too strong, his methods too ruthless, and his ways of governing affect the interests of too many people, he will inevitably encounter those desperate, reckless individuals who, regardless of their own fate, will kill you first.

It's just like that famous movie line, "I don't care whether I live or die, as long as you die."

Zhao Xiaoqian is now facing the same situation.

Whether it was bad luck or good fortune, Zhao Xiaoqian actually had the same fate as Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Taizu of Han, and Emperor Taizong of Tang.

The situation was already very critical. More and more Imperial Guards were dying around him, and Chen Shou, as the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, was under increasing pressure.

Tonight will be a tough night. The lives of myself and my comrades are not important, but if I fail to protect the Emperor and he is injured or even killed, I, Chen Shou, will be a sinner for the Song Dynasty for all time.

The battle was so fierce that both sides fought like desperate criminals. The assassins' life-or-death fighting style deeply inspired the Imperial Guards, so the guards also started using the same ruthless and reckless tactics.

As a result, casualties on both sides rose sharply, and the two sides engaged in close combat, with life and death decided in just one or two moves.

As a result, the number of Chen Shou's comrades who died in battle increased, and at this time Chen Shou made a cruel but rational judgment on the situation.

Sacrifices must be made to ensure the safe retreat of the government or to wait for reinforcements to arrive.

The assassins pressed forward relentlessly, their attacks ruthless and fearless, their formation disciplined and methodical.

Seemingly sensing Zhao Xiaoqian and his group's intention to retreat, the assassins decisively surrounded them, cutting off their escape route in the dead of night on the streets of Bianjing.

Chen Shou grew increasingly anxious, killing enemies while observing the situation. After a while, he suddenly gritted his teeth.

"Ten men will stay behind to cover the rear, and the rest will protect the Emperor as he breaks through the encirclement and retreats to the Daxiangguo Temple. Brothers, who is willing to die for the Emperor?"

As soon as the words were spoken, all the surviving Imperial Guards roared in unison: "We are willing to die!"

"You protect the emperor as he retreats; I'll stay behind to cover the rear!"

Chen Shou's eyes reddened, and he laughed bitterly, shouting, "Good! Your parents, wives, and children will be supported by the government for life, and your blessings will extend to your descendants."

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes also reddened, and he shouted sternly, "Are you all crazy? What's the point of leaving ten men to cover the rear?"

In the critical moment, Chen Shou was too lazy to explain or ask for instructions, and he didn't care about the difference in rank. He grabbed Zhao Xiaoqian's arm and broke through from the intersection of East Street.

A flurry of sharp, chaotic sword flashes passed as several Imperial Guards soldiers fought their way through the encirclement, carving a bloody path before desperately fleeing towards the Great Xiangguo Temple under the cover of darkness.

The assassins had already seen through Chen Shou and his men's intentions and were greatly alarmed. They rushed forward recklessly, trying to close the gap. However, the ten Imperial Guards who stayed behind to cover the rear stood guard like a rock, blocking the assassins' path.

The ten men were covered in blood, their expressions revealing a mad and resolute look.

"You bastards, come on! Let's all die!" a soldier from the Imperial Guard said with a ferocious grin.

The main street of Bianjing Bridge was only three or four zhang wide. At this time, ten soldiers lined up in a row and blocked the street. The assassins tried several times but could not break through the defense.

Seeing Chen Shouhe and the few remaining guards escorting Zhao Xiaoqian further and further away, the assassins were terrified and their attack became increasingly ferocious. Like mad dogs, they disregarded their own lives and pounced fiercely on the ten soldiers at the rear.

After a series of unwilling screams, the last line of defense built by the soldiers at the rear with their lives was finally torn apart by the assassins. The soldiers fell into pools of blood, their faces still bearing the pain of dying and a trace of relief after completing their mission.

As Chen Shou, who was desperately dragging Zhao Xiaoqian toward the Daxiangguo Temple, heard the screams behind him, tears streamed down his face.

Without even turning around, one could tell that the comrades who brought up the rear had already perished.

Ten people sacrificed their lives to buy the government a brief moment of escape, and that brief moment was the government's only chance of survival!
Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes were bloodshot. He had heard the voices of the soldiers behind him and knew what this meant.

For his sake, so many comrades-in-arms sacrificed themselves. Zhao Xiaoqian felt as if his heart was bleeding, and he felt waves of pain.

Unable to break free from Chen Shou's grip on his arm, Zhao Xiaoqian involuntarily followed him, staggering towards the Daxiangguo Temple.

As Chen Shou ran, his voice trembled slightly.

"Your Majesty need not worry. We, the Imperial Guards, are meant to die for Your Majesty. Now, we only hope that Your Majesty will survive, that Your Majesty will survive, and that we will find the mastermind behind this and avenge our fallen brothers!"

In this critical moment, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't utter any grand words, only coldly saying, "Don't worry, I will. I will repay the lives of my comrades tenfold, a hundredfold!"

Turning the corner, heading north from east, the crowd ran onto Yujie Street, where there were even more people than at Zhouqiao. They could vaguely see a troop of armored imperial guards patrolling the city, driving away the people blocking their way, and hurrying towards Dongdajie Street, where Zhao Xiaoqian had been assassinated.

The imperial guards patrolling the city didn't know what had happened, but they knew that someone had set fire to the east side of Zhouqiao Street, and that people in the night market were all rushing towards the east side of the street. The guards immediately realized that something must have happened in the east side of the street, so they hurriedly ran over.

Zhao Xiaoqian and Chen Shou breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the Imperial Guards running towards them.

Finally escaped!
This dangerous, near-fatal assassination attempt should come to an end.

Chen Shou, still holding Zhao Xiaoqian's arm, went to meet the Imperial Guards patrolling the city. Before the guards could speak, Chen Shou took out his waist token and handed it over, saying sternly, "I am Chen Shou, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards."

"There were thieves causing trouble on East Street just now, attempting to assassinate an important figure. You all must go there immediately, capture those thieves, and try to keep them alive!"

A captain of the Imperial Guard took Chen Shou's waist token and examined it carefully. He was shocked to find that it was not a forgery. He hurriedly saluted Chen Shou, but did not dare to look at Zhao Xiaoqian, whom Chen Shou was holding.

The Imperial Guards were elite guards responsible for protecting the palace and closely guarding important members of the royal family; they were also known as the "Masters of the Imperial Palace."

Chen Shou's waist tag already indicated his identity: Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards. This not only represented his power over the Imperial Guards, but also indicated that he was highly trusted by the Emperor. Otherwise, ordinary military officers would not be able to sit in this position.

Tonight, this powerful military officer said that the other party intended to assassinate an important figure. So who is this important figure? Do we even need to guess?

The head of the Imperial Guard bowed his head in salute, and although he was shocked, he dared not look up at the face of the young man next to Chen Shou.

After the salute, the captain gave a sharp shout, and the armored imperial guards immediately rushed towards the East Street.

The Imperial Guards, rushing toward the assassin, rang warning gongs all the way. At this moment, the whole city was shocked, and the machinery of the state finally began to slowly start.

Zhao Xiaoqian slumped to the ground, ignoring the onlookers' stares and looking dejected.

Looking up again, Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at the four or five Imperial Guards soldiers remaining beside Chen Shou, and his heart ached. The killing intent in his eyes suddenly materialized.

He came out with more than 30 Imperial Guards, but after the assassination, only four or five remained. These were his most loyal comrades.

The conditions for joining the Imperial Guard were extremely strict. The first choice was the sons and nephews of noble families in the court. These people and their families' fates were directly linked to the emperor. They shared the same fate, and their fates were intertwined. That is why they would sacrifice themselves for the emperor without hesitation in any critical situation.

Secondly, there were the former guards of the Chu Prince's mansion who had followed Zhao Xiaoqian through countless battles over the years without complaint, including Chen Shou. They were his most loyal group, and their loyalty was beyond question. They would hand over their heads to Zhao Xiaoqian without hesitation if he gave them a word.

Zhao Xiaoqian narrowly escaped death in tonight's assassination attempt, but he lost so many loyal soldiers and comrades. The pain of this loss was like being pierced by a thousand arrows, even more painful than being stabbed.

At this moment, Chen Shou still stood firmly beside Zhao Xiaoqian. He was wounded in many places, and blood kept dripping to the ground. However, he still gripped the knife tightly in his hand, and his eyes warily scanned the crowd of onlookers, always ready to fight to the death.

The sound of gongs from the imperial guards patrolling the city pierced the tranquility of Bianjing city in the dead of night.

As the melodious sound of gongs echoed over Bianjing, the imperial guards patrolling the city from all directions began to converge towards Zhouqiao Bridge. On their way to East Street, the guards blocked the road and drove the onlookers home.

Soon the streets were deserted, with only the clanging of armor plates from the hurried running of the Imperial Guards echoing in the silent night, gradually making the atmosphere of the entire city solemn and heavy.

After resting for a while, Zhao Xiaoqian, who had been slumped on the ground, finally recovered. When he looked up again, his expression was filled with murderous intent.

“Chen Shou…”

"The end will be here."

"The times have changed. Let's go back to East Street. I need to know the origins of these assassins!" Zhao Xiaoqian said coldly.

Chen Shou was startled and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty has just escaped danger; it is really not advisable to do so now..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Xiaoqian waved his hand and said, "No need for nonsense, let's go."

After standing up, Zhao Xiaoqian thought for a while and said, "Reveal my identity and send men to mobilize troops from the palace to surround Zhouqiao and Dongdajie. Don't let any of these assassins escape."

"Summon Zhen Qing from the Imperial City Guard and Liu Dan from Bingjingwu. I don't care about their lives, I just want a result!"

Tonight, Zhao Xiaoqian once again faced life and death. He was filled with anger and grief. The fact that he had almost died at the hands of an assassin, even though he had become emperor, still enraged him.

(End of this chapter)