They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 28 Don't rush, let me think about it
The echoes of the clanging of metal still seemed to linger in my ears, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and chaos.

Chen Guangrui looked at the two assassins on the ground, who had been taken down by Chen An and the other man. One of them was foaming at the mouth, and the other was bleeding from the corner of his mouth and unable to move.

The passerby who had saved him with the iron ruler swiftly bent down to check the injuries of the other gray-clad assassin he had immobilized.

"Thank you for your help, brother. My name is Chen Guangrui." Chen Guangrui composed himself and bowed in thanks.

The middle-aged man holding the iron ruler stood up. He had an ordinary appearance and wore a common plain-colored robe, except for a standard-issue sword at his waist.

The man examined them carefully and thoroughly, searching them for a long time before concluding, "They must have come for me."

His brows furrowed, his sharp gaze sweeping over the two assassins on the ground, and he said in a deep voice, "An assassination attempt in the street, how could there be such vicious criminals! I am Li Jing."

Li Jing?

The name, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, instantly stirred up ripples. Which Li Jing? The one who led the Jianghuai troops in the early years of the Wude era, conquering the south and north, quelling separatist forces such as Fu Gongshi, and now holding the position of Minister of War?
During this period of the Tang Dynasty, who else could it be besides that Pillar of State General?!
That should be it.

Although Chen Guangrui had never met Li Jing, he was certain of him based on the man's demeanor.

He was Li Jing, who closed his mansion during the "Xuanwu Gate Incident," neither helping Crown Prince Jiancheng nor assisting the Prince of Qin, and chose to stand by and watch coldly!
Now that Li Shimin has just assumed the role of Crown Prince and is overseeing the country, he is busy dealing with the former officials of the Eastern Palace left behind by his elder brother...

Li Jing, a former high-ranking official with an ambiguous stance, appears on this chaotic street and gets caught up in an assassination attempt...

He's probably worried about arousing suspicion from the new master, right? It's only right to keep a low profile at this critical juncture...

Li Jing paid no attention to Chen Guangrui's reaction at this moment.

He was squatting beside the gray-clad assassin who had just been struck on the pressure points by his iron ruler and was coughing up blood. His brows were furrowed, and he muttered, "Don't rush, let me think about it carefully..."

He asked the two men, "Who are you? Who are you working for? What is your target...?"

He paused, looked up at the two people on the ground, his eyes probing, "...Is it me, Li Jing?"

The voice was deep and thoughtful, as if the speaker was truly unraveling a mystery.

The gray-clad assassin on the ground, who had just been beaten bloody by Chen An, grinned, revealing his blood-stained mouth, and let out a sneer of utter contempt.

"Heh...Pah!" He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes filled with contempt and disdain. "You? Li Jing?...A spineless coward...Haha, is it necessary to...make such a big fuss?"

He was breathing heavily, his voice broken and intermittent, but the sarcasm was practically overflowing from his throat.

"A good-for-nothing?!"

The "deep thought" on Li Jing's face suddenly collapsed like a fragile ice surface! These four words were like boiling oil poured on dry firewood, and an unnamed rage surged straight to the top of his head!

His face instantly turned as red as a rooster's comb, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked, and his eyes, which had just been "thinking carefully," widened like copper bells, burning with an uncontrollable, violent rage!

Just a moment ago, Li Jing was squatting there "thinking it over carefully," but now his eyes were terrifyingly violent. The last syllable of his catchphrase seemed to still linger in the air. "You bastard!!"

A thunderous roar tore through the air! Without a second thought, Li Jing drew his sword from his waist! A flash of light! Carrying an uncontrollable, soaring rage, it was so fast that no one could react! What "think it over carefully"? It's better to just cut him down first.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two heavy, teeth-grinding thuds! Decisive! Clean! Ruthless!
The gray-clad assassin, who was still sneering, and his accomplice, who had been knocked unconscious and bound by Chen An, were thus killed.

The two heads rolled away, their faces still showing shock and... disbelief. They probably never understood why this guy, who had just been seriously saying he would "think it over carefully," turned on them faster than drawing a sword.

Dead silence! The heavy stench of blood instantly expanded in the sweltering summer air, making it hard to breathe.

A suppressed gasp of astonishment erupted from the crowd peering back from afar!
Chen An stared wide-eyed at Li Jing's sudden outburst! The coachman was so frightened that he almost collapsed to the ground.

Just moments ago, Lord Li Jing was saying, "Don't rush, let us think about it carefully," appearing mature and composed, as if he were about to interrogate them thoroughly. But the next second, he flew into a rage, drew his sword, and in a flash, the two survivors were decapitated!
This change is...too fast!

Is this the legendary general?
He only thought about it for less than a second before taking action? That's outrageous!
Li Jing himself was stunned. He gripped the still-dripping longsword, staring at the large pool of blood rapidly spreading on the ground and the two hideous human heads, breathing heavily.

The raging anger in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by a blank look of astonishment and...utter embarrassment.

He looked down at the blood-stained blade in his hand, then looked up at Chen Guangrui, who was equally shocked, and seemed to realize what he had done.

His lips twitched, and he raised his hand somewhat helplessly to touch the bridge of his nose. His expression was indescribably complex, a mixture of annoyance, regret, and a lingering trace of anger. He muttered something under his breath.
"Uh... I acted impulsively... I acted impulsively, look at this... Sigh! I couldn't help myself!"

He slapped his forehead with his left hand in frustration, his voice tinged with a rare embarrassment, "This temper... it's been like this for decades, sigh..."

Chen Guangrui: ...

He was truly speechless.

If you're already this irritable, then don't say "don't rush" anymore. The change is too sudden; it's a bit hard to accept.

He looked at Li Jing, whose face was filled with remorse, then at the headless, blood-soaked corpse on the ground, and could only take a deep breath. What else could he say? The man was dead! The trail had gone cold!
Chen Guangrui suppressed his helplessness and frustration, forcing himself to calm down.
"General Li... things have come to this point. A death has occurred in the middle of the street, and it must be reported to the authorities. It would be best to notify the Marquis of Wu and the Jingzhao Prefecture as soon as possible. I must also go with them."

He had to go. The timing and location of the two assassins' appearance, especially their final, sinister target... his intense premonition grew clearer and clearer.

The gray-clad man's blade was ultimately aimed at him and the carriage he was in!

Li Jing seems more like a shield caught in the crossfire. This assassination attempt is almost certainly aimed at Chen Guangrui! Who's behind it all? And why strike at this crucial moment when he's about to retreat into Buddhism?
"Yes, yes, yes! Report it to the police! Reporting it is urgent!"

Li Jing, who had been fighting on the battlefield for a long time, was obviously not afraid of dead people, but he was a little ashamed because he "couldn't help himself" and thought it best to report to the authorities first.

Chen Guangrui glanced at the headless corpse on the ground with a complicated expression, then subconsciously looked up at the sky. The sun was already setting in the west, and the orange-red sunlight outlined the rooftops in the distance with golden edges. At the end of his line of sight, the magnificent golden eaves and upturned corners of Daxingshan Temple were faintly visible at the street corner.

He raised his hand, a hint of barely suppressed irritation mixed with some confusion:
How could these things happen by such coincidence?
I was just about to become a monk when this happened?
(End of this chapter)