I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

He Shen did not act rashly, and led two Imperial Guards to protect Lu Cangqiong.

Su Yuling stood to the left of the imperial carriage, blocking five assassins single-handedly. Instead of fighting them head-on, she used the carriage frame to restrict their movement.

The two assassins attacked simultaneously.

She dodged the dagger to the side, the butt of her spear struck one man's wrist, and then she spun the shaft to pin another man's weapon against the wheel.

When an assassin tried to ambush her from behind, she immediately released her spear, drew her sword from her waist, and slashed at the assassin's chest with a backhand.

Lu Cangqiong stood on the chariot, his gaze passing over the shield formation.

"That girl from the Su family is indeed brave."

"If she were a man, she would be more than capable of guarding this region."

Lu Yuan remained seated in the Crown Prince's carriage without disembarking.

He was accompanied by only eight palace guards, who occupied the four corners of the carriage. Archers were hidden behind the carriage deck, ready to fire arrows at anyone who broke through the imperial guards' defenses.

"Women can also be generals."

Lu Yuan raised his hand and pointed at Su Yuling.

"Once the Phoenix Battalion is fully reorganized, I will let her lead the troops."

Seeing that he was still observing the battle, Lu Cangqiong asked, "Aren't you afraid?"

"What's the use of being afraid?"

Lu Yuan took the crossbow handed to him by the guard and aimed it at the roof.

"What I want to know even more is who arranged the assassins."

An arrow was fired, and an assassin who was about to release it fell from the roof.

Lu Cangqiong frowned.

"You suspect the Shen family?"

"Shen Chongshan has just returned to Beijing, so he is indeed the most suspicious person."

"It can't be him."

Lu Cangqiong ordered the Imperial Guards to retract their right flank.

"If Shen Chongshan wanted to kill me, he wouldn't have chosen the time of offering sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

"What he needs most right now is fame."

"If we were assassinated today, the first family that people in the world would suspect would be the Shen family."

Lu Yuan put down his crossbow.

"It won't be Lu Cheng either."

Lu Cheng has been expelled from the royal family, and all his confidants in the mansion have been imprisoned. He cannot assemble this group of well-trained assassins in a short period of time.

The other princes had already taken up their fiefs.

They were hundreds or even thousands of miles away from the capital, and the news of the crown prince's investiture had only just spread, leaving no time to make arrangements.

Lu Yuan looked towards the end of the street.

"That's interesting."

An assassin broke through the right-side shield formation and leaped onto the chariot shaft towards the prince's carriage.

The guards didn't have time to turn around.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to draw his sword, a short knife flew from the side and pierced the man's shoulder.

After Zhao Mingzhu rushed past the Imperial Guards, she grabbed the assassin's belt and pulled him backward.

After landing, the opponent swung his knife to counterattack, but she dodged backward and stepped on his knee with her foot.

The assassin instantly knelt on the ground.

Zhao Mingzhu took the dagger from her shoulder, and the hilt of the dagger struck the back of his neck.

Mrs. Zhao paced back and forth on the street, her heart pounding with anxiety.

"Mingzhu, come back soon!"

However, Zhao Mingzhu didn't have time to respond at all.

After seeing their companion fall, the two assassins surrounded her together.

She used her dagger to block the first enemy, but her body was slammed against the wheel by the second enemy.

The opponent raised his knife to strike, and a long spear thrust at her from the side, forcing her to turn around and save herself.

Su Yuling approached Zhao Mingzhu with a gun in one hand.

"Can you still stand up?"

After Zhao Mingzhu lifted the wheel, she stood up.

"You're not injured."

"Then stay on the right flank."

Su Yuling tossed her another sword as well.

Zhao Mingzhu paused for a moment after taking the knife.

Do you know who I am?

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Zhao Mingzhu looked embarrassed and was so stunned that the assassin almost caught her off guard.

Su Yuling took a knife for her.

"Don't stand still on the battlefield."

"I'll settle accounts with you after I kill someone."

Zhao Mingzhu suppressed her embarrassment and stood back to back with her to defend against the enemy.

The two people have very different personalities.

Su Yuling's attack was very direct, targeting the opponent's vital points.

Zhao Mingzhu has been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for many years, so she is more skilled at close combat and protecting the truck.

The assassins tried to bypass them to approach the Crown Prince's carriage, but they were forced back to the Imperial Guards' positions.

Seeing that the two women were working together very well, Lu Cangqiong turned around and asked, "What's the name of the girl who came later?"

"The eldest daughter of the Fuyuan Escort Agency is named Zhao Mingzhu."

"Is this the person you're planning to bring into the manor?"

"That's right."

Lu Cangqiong saw Zhao Mingzhu snatch a long knife from an assassin and slam the man into the car frame, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Let's leave aside his other skills for now."

"He has a good eye for women."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan grinned.

"This is nothing!"

"Once I've married several women, you'll know what it means to be both scholarly and martial."

"Don't get carried away here."

Lu Cangqiong pointed out the scattered assassins to everyone.

"Capture a few alive."

After the Imperial Guards surrounded the assassins, only a dozen or so remained.

Instead of surrendering, they launched a final assault on the imperial chariot.

Su Yuling blocked the leader, forced him back a step with the gun barrel, and then pressed down on his shoulder as he switched hands.

Zhao Mingzhu kicked his weapon away.

Two imperial guards rushed over and pinned the man down.

After seeing their leader captured, the other assassins all bit open the poison sacs hidden in their teeth.

By the time the Imperial Guards tried to stop them, it was too late.

The leader, who had been pinned down, left nothing behind.

After examining the body, He Shen returned to the imperial carriage.

"There are sixty-three assassins in total."

"They all died; not a single one survived."

"Their waist tags did not bear their names, nor did their weapons have any official markings."

Lu Cangqiong saw that the ground was covered with corpses.

"Clear the imperial road and treat the wounded."

"The Imperial Ancestral Temple ceremony continues."

The Imperial Guards rehearsed the honor guard again.

The injured civilians were treated by the accompanying physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy, while officials from the Ministry of Justice went to investigate the restaurants and shops where the assassins were hiding.

After wiping the blood off the dagger, Zhao Mingzhu was about to look for her mother when Zhao Guoqiang, the Minister of Rites, blocked her way.

"What are you doing here, girl?"

"To attend the ceremony for the Crown Prince's investiture."

"Go ahead and watch the show if you want, but who gave you the right to intrude into the Imperial Guards' ranks?"

Zhao Mingzhu put the knife back into its sheath.

"Someone wants to kill the Crown Prince; I can't just stand by and watch."

Zhao Guoqiang pointed to the ripped clothes on her body.

"If something happens today, how am I supposed to explain it to your father?"

"Go back to your mother quickly."

"You are not allowed to wander around before the festival ends."

Zhao Mingzhu looked at the Crown Prince's carriage.

Lu Yuan was sitting there smiling at her, without a single scratch on his body.

The more she looked, the more she felt deceived.

How could a double be able to chat and laugh so easily next to the emperor, and even recognize who he was?

Just as Zhao Mingzhu was about to leave, intending to turn back and ask her properly, Zhou Fu came to her with two eunuchs.

"Miss Zhao, please wait a moment."

Zhao Mingzhu stopped.

Zhao Guoqiang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "Is there something you need, Eunuch Zhou?"

Zhou Fu stepped aside to make way, pointing to the imperial carriage ahead.

"His Majesty summons you!"