Chapter 24 Assassination Attempt

Chapter 24: Assassination

In the chaos, Changle's words were like a massive rock thrown into water—with a splash—creating huge ripples and simultaneously offering Jiang Wang, who was trapped in darkness, a way out.

Jiang Wang opened his eyes, bolted upright, and gasped for fresh air like a suffocating fish.

His mind only started working again once his breathing steadied.

What had Changle just said? Xiao Yan was assassinated?!

But how was that possible? It was currently the Yuanzheng holiday, with all officials on leave at home. There shouldn't be any outsiders within the palace grounds.

Even if there were other unauthorized individuals, wasn't Ling Shan, as a shadow guard, always by Xiao Yan's side to protect him...

In the past, Jiang Wang wouldn't have worried at all.

Xiao Yan wasn't a fool. If he sensed danger, wouldn't he know to evade? Even if he couldn't dodge in time and sustained some injury, the best imperial physicians in all of Dajing were there to treat him. Surely, he would be fine.

However, he had just experienced that dark dream where Xiao Yan appeared fragile and helpless. Heavy waves of concern kept surging from the depths of his heart.

Jiang Wang rolled out of bed, grabbed a robe at random, and headed outside.

"Let's go take a look."

The Biwu Hall and the Cangwu Hall were not far apart. From just a few steps outside the Biwu Hall's courtyard gate, one could see the roof of the Cangwu Hall.

Yet, in those few short steps, the sky suddenly turned gloomy, followed by large, swirling snowflakes that added another layer of chill to the already cold weather.

Snow in winter was quite common, but the series of events today left Jiang Wang feeling uneasy.

Lost in thought, a snowflake happened to land on his face. It melted in an instant, leaving only a trace of cold that seeped straight into Jiang Wang's heart.

Jiang Wang quickened his pace, moving even faster than before.

Inside the Cangwu Hall, seven or eight imperial physicians waited in the outer chamber, each with a solemn expression. Fang Fengshi gripped the hilt of his saber, pacing anxiously back and forth nearby.

Ling Shan maintained his usual cold expression, making his thoughts impossible to read. Yet, upon closer observation, one could detect a hint of uncharacteristic worry in his eyes.

Only Cen Maoshi was there, covering his face and weeping bitterly, though a barely noticeable panic occasionally flickered across his expression.

However, when he saw Jiang Wang arrive, his eyes still lit up slightly.

He wiped his tears and went to greet Jiang Wang, his voice choked with sobs.

"Lord Jiang, what brings you here?"

"Chief Steward Cen, how is His Majesty?"

Jiang Wang had no time to explain his reason for coming. At this moment, he was only desperate to know how Xiao Yan was doing.

Before Cen Maoshi could answer, a young eunuch hurried out from the inner chamber carrying a basin of bloody water, beads of cold sweat still clinging to his forehead.

Jiang Wang's heart sank, the feeling of unease growing stronger.

Could it be that his dream was truly such a coincidence, foretelling these unfortunate events?

He pressed his lips together, his fists unconsciously clenching.

After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Physician Wang emerged from the inner chamber, bringing news that could barely be considered good.

"The wound isn't deep, so His Majesty's bleeding has stopped. However, it happens to be located on the chest, so the situation remains far from optimistic."

Jiang Wang recognized him—it was the same Physician Wang who had prescribed medicine during his first fever and bandaged his wound just two days prior.

"Then, has His Majesty awakened?"

Fang Fengshi's worry made his speech somewhat hurried.

"His Majesty is still asleep. As for when he will wake..." Physician Wang shook his head, "It is still unknown."

Hearing this, Fang Fengshi's eyes widened in fury.

He strode straight to the corridor outside the hall, drew his saber, and placed the blade against the neck of a thin, kneeling man.

The man wore exaggerated makeup and lavish attire, appearing to be a dancer.

Despite the cold, lethal weapon pressed against his vital point, the man showed not a trace of fear. Instead, he straightened his back.

In a voice loud enough for everyone present to hear, he declared, "Xiao Yan indulges in pleasure and is licentious and unprincipled! He deserves to die!"

Fang Fengshi's veins bulged instantly. He twisted his wrist, the sharp blade nearly slicing the man's throat, but was stopped by a voice.

"Commander Fang, spare his life!" Physician Wang quickly stepped to Fang Fengshi's side, intervening just in time. "Commander Fang, you absolutely must not!"

"Hmm?"

Fang Fengshi seemed not to understand why Physician Wang would do this. He looked even angrier than before, emitting a threatening "Hmm" from his nose.

Facing an even more irritable and furious Fang Fengshi, Physician Wang showed no trace of panic.

He explained to Commander Fang, though his words were also meant for everyone present: "His Majesty has not yet awakened. If this man dies now and His Majesty experiences any sudden complications, it will be difficult to investigate the cause. It would be better to keep him alive for now. Once His Majesty has fully recovered, His Majesty can decide his fate. That would not be too late."

It made some sense. If this man had coated his blade with some hard-to-detect poison, and he died while Xiao Yan coincidentally succumbed to the poison, there truly would be no antidote available. Keeping him alive for now was indeed a safer approach.

Fang Fengshi snorted coldly and withdrew his saber, his expression still severe. "Fine, we'll spare your life for now. Take him to the dungeon and keep a close watch!"

The imperial guards nearby acknowledged the order. Without waiting for the man to stand, they directly dragged him out of the Cangwu Hall. The sound of dragging, accompanied by the man's wails, faded into the distance.

They only needed this man alive. How he remained alive was not their concern.

Jiang Wang stood in the corner, witnessing the entire process of this man barely surviving.

He already had a general guess about this assassination attempt.

It was probably during the Yuanzheng holiday. Xiao Yan, unable to bear the boredom, summoned dancers to perform for him. Then, due to carelessness, he ended up being assassinated...

No wonder Xiao Yan hadn't come to eat at his place these past few days. So he had dancers to watch.

Jiang Wang instantly recalled what Cen Maoshi had said yesterday—"His Majesty has matters to attend to"—and turned to look for the latter.

He happened to see, behind an inconspicuous curtain, Cen Maoshi whispering something to another person.

The other person nodded repeatedly, then, taking advantage of others' inattention, hurriedly left through a side door. Cen Maoshi then resumed his tearful, worried expression and returned to the outer chamber.

Judging by the dark blue corner of the robe, the other person was likely also a eunuch, and of a lower rank than Cen Maoshi.

But why wasn't Cen Maoshi waiting here properly for Xiao Yan to wake up? Instead, he was instructing another eunuch about something?

It was a bit peculiar.

Just as Cen Maoshi was about to turn around to face him, Jiang Wang lowered his head first, looking at the ground to avoid making eye contact.

In a scene like this, it was better for him to know as little as possible.

After all, within the palace walls, at the heart of this unpredictable power struggle, knowing more was not a good thing.

Jiang Wang exhaled softly and slowly, planning to leave.

Everyone in the Cangwu Hall was more useful than him; his presence here felt somewhat redundant.

Imperial Physician Wang could treat Xiao Yan’s wounds, Ling Shan and Fang Fengshi ensured Xiao Yan's safety, and Cen Maoshi, as the chief eunuch, though harboring his own unspoken motives, was after all familiar with the palace’s affairs and could provide assistance.

Only he had no particular skills and was utterly useless here. It was better to leave sooner rather than later.

“Well…”

But as soon as he spoke, the familiar voice sounded in his head again.

“Hello, host. A new task is here.”

“Stay in the Cangwu Hall and look after Xiao Yan for three days.”

“Task points: 20.”

“Current points: 25.”

This time, the system wasted no time and directly issued the task, almost as if it were dropping it off and running away.

“Hold on.” Jiang Wang stopped 001, as he had a score to settle.

“Did you know a fire would break out in the last task?”

The system didn’t answer, but Jiang Wang knew it was there.

“Don’t play dead. Talk to me.”

Perhaps Jiang Wang’s unusually stern tone spooked the system. After a moment of silence, 001 finally spoke.

“…I knew.”

But it didn’t give Jiang Wang a chance to continue, quickly explaining.

“I knew, but I couldn’t tell you directly. I could only give you hints indirectly. After all, as a low-level system, my authority isn’t very high, and I’m still restricted by the Transmigration Administration in many ways…”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault…”

001’s voice grew softer and softer. If the system had a physical form, Jiang Wang imagined he’d see a little dog wagging its tail—fawning, pleading, begging for forgiveness.

Jiang Wang didn’t speak, but his attitude was clearly less rigid than before.

001 continued, assuring him, “This is the fourth task. As soon as you complete it, the total points will exceed forty, and my authority will increase a bit. Then I can quietly sneak you some benefits!”

Jiang Wang still didn’t speak, but this time it was because he was considering whether the system was telling the truth.

001 had previously told him that as his points increased, its authority would expand, which didn’t contradict what it said now. It probably wasn’t lying.

However, the last task had almost cost him his life. Should he give 001 another chance?

As Jiang Wang hesitated, the system’s voice sounded in his ears again.

“Host, this task pays 20 points. Originally, it was only 15, but I slipped you an extra 5.” 001 lowered its voice even further, as if afraid someone might overhear. “With these 20 points plus the previous 25, you’re almost halfway there! Host, you'll reach your goal in no time!”

The earlier words had only made Jiang Wang consider things more carefully, but this statement really got his heart racing.

Twenty plus twenty-five made forty-five points—almost halfway there. He could almost see the hundred points waving at him from not too far away.

Once he completed tasks to reach a hundred points, he would finally learn who was behind the car that hit him, and he could return to the modern world!

Who wouldn’t be tempted by that?

However, he wasn’t about to agree too readily. He needed to lay down the law and take control of the situation.

“You know you rely on me to earn points, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“So, we have a mutually beneficial relationship, understand?”

“Understood, understood.”

“Don’t keep hiding little schemes from now on. If we work together well, we can achieve our goals quickly, right?”

“Right, right.”

The system practically wore “obedience” on its face, and Jiang Wang was quite satisfied.

Thus, he pretended to struggle before nodding reluctantly. “Alright, I’ll take on this task.”

Sure enough, cheers erupted in his mind, but they stopped abruptly the next moment.

In the next second, the familiar saber appeared before his eyes, and Fang Fengshi’s voice sounded from above.

“What did Lord Jiang want to say just now?”

Jiang Wang quickly suppressed the smile that had curled his lips upon accepting the task and looked up.

But as he opened his mouth, no words came out.

He had originally intended to leave, but the task required him to stay. He couldn’t find a suitable reason…

But if he left now, would he have another chance to return? Could he still complete his task successfully?

“I… just… wanted…”

Jiang Wang stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

Fang Fengshi, however, seemed to remember something and suddenly slapped his forehead. “Ah, right! Lord Jiang, I have something to attend to at home. Could I trouble you to keep an eye on things here for a while?”

“O-okay.”

Though puzzled, Jiang Wang agreed. After all, he wanted to stay here.

He felt secretly delighted—things were working out just as he wished. Someone had practically spoon-fed him the opportunity.

But was it really that easy?

Author’s Note:

Fang Fengshi: I’ve really gone to great lengths for my brother’s happiness.