novelhk Chapter 647 Distress
Chapter 647 Distress
When Shen Ruyi and her group left, they finally got to hear the juicy gossip about Lü Wushuang.
The emperor's letter stated that, in order to satisfy her curiosity, he specially sent Eunuch Wei to the imperial prison to see this concubine.
She was at best considered pretty, but that was in comparison to Governor Dou's first wife; she was far from being a stunning beauty in the strictest sense.
Governor Dou's first wife was someone he married when he was still a nobody, so she was naturally less attractive.
Lü Wushuang's advantage lies in her good temperament; even though she is middle-aged, she still retains her charm.
He is also very cunning, good at seizing opportunities, and is willing to let go of his pride and lose face. He is a ruthless character.
Even if someone is in a place like the Heavenly Prison, it's hard to say if they can still have food and drink and a clean cell to live in.
If the arrest team hadn't been well-prepared and thorough, her son might have escaped.
She was trying to help her son escape when she was caught red-handed.
Alas, the allure of the "white moonlight" may not lie in whether the other person is stunningly beautiful.
Rather, it is that unforgettable time that is irretrievable, the memories that cannot be forgotten and the regret of never having obtained it that give it a golden glow, making it insurmountable and forever residing in our hearts.
After finishing the melon, Shen Ruyi put it down.
Of course, the Emperor also mentioned an important message, telling Shen Ruyi to be careful.
That means that Governor Dou trained a total of 500 assassins over the years, and more than 160 of them are still missing.
As for those that were still in development, they were all wiped out.
The first thing they do when they get hold of a child they've abducted or stolen is to examine their bones to see if they're suitable for martial arts training.
The emperor was worried that these people would seek revenge on Shen Ruyi, so he assigned twenty experts to her, fearing that she wouldn't be able to handle them.
And these people are already on their way.
From then on, Shen Ruyi strengthened her personal defenses while adopting a policy of outward laxity but inward vigilance, thus catching a fish in her own trap.
She actually hoped these people would seek revenge on her, rather than go into hiding; that would be much more difficult.
In order to give the other party a chance, after the new official sent by the government took office and took over.
Without delay, she led everyone on another trip.
The experts sent by the government arrived two days ago.
A dozen miles outside the city, in a valley that wasn't really a mountain hollow, they were surrounded by a group of men in black in broad daylight.
Actually, I sensed something was wrong before even entering this ravine.
After Shen Ruyi gave the order, Yi Ren and the shadow guards took the antidote before daring to step into this area.
Of course, to prevent the news from leaking out, no one else knew about it.
The surrounding woods were so quiet, unnaturally so, that you couldn't feel any vitality or life.
The moment these people appeared, Shadow Five, as previously agreed, shouted, "Quick, protect the master!"
"Yes."
Shen Ruyi was instantly surrounded by a dense crowd, keeping her at a distance from other carriages and people.
This was also Shen Ruyi's idea; she planned to use herself to draw the main firepower.
Ideally, they should be able to attract all attention to her so they can proceed with their next move.
These assassins did not disappoint Shen Ruyi; they all came towards her.
Moreover, the goal is clear.
There were about 40 people who came, all dressed in black, with their faces covered by a cloth, only their eyes were visible.
He walks with a light and agile gait, exuding a chilling aura; one could tell he's someone who frequently bleeds on the edge of a knife.
The gleaming white broadsword was blindingly bright in the sunlight. Every move was deadly, every strike a deadly blow.
Fortunately, the shadow guards were not to be outdone and fought fiercely with the newcomers, making it difficult for them to get close to the carriage in the center.
The horse was so frightened that it kept neighing, and it was only after someone held its head that it was calmed down.
General Huang and his men wanted to come over to help, but Shen Ruyi stopped them, saying, "Everyone else, listen to my order, step back and stay at least 20 meters away. Don't cause any trouble."
In the presence of a true master, others come not to help, but to cause trouble.
These young men were terrified, exclaiming that their lives were going to be incredibly difficult. Who would have thought they would encounter an assassination attempt? The journey had been so arduous and dangerous that they were on the verge of disaster.
Of course, the panic was only momentary, and seeing that the East Sea King's arrangements were well-organized, he felt somewhat relieved.
After listening to Shen Ruyi's order, he gradually calmed down and began to retreat as instructed.
They know their own limitations, so it's best not to cause trouble.
Shen Ruyi took the medicine packets out of the carriage, stood on the edge of the carriage, and threw a few packets of medicine into the air above where the most assassins were.
Without needing to say much, Yingwu and Yiren tacitly used their swords to cut open the paper package, scattering the soft tendons that dazzled many people.
Even if one's own people don't manage to cut it open, and the assassin uses it as a flying weapon to cut it open, the effect is better than if one's own people cut it open.
The assassins thought it was lime or flour, and were only concerned with covering and protecting their eyes.
By the time he realized something was wrong, his whole body was too weak to hold the sword.
Those on the outer perimeter, who were slightly further away and least affected, also became sluggish after inhaling the powder.
The once impenetrable defense began to show numerous flaws, and due to slow movements and untimely reactions, the shadow guards seized the opportunity to deliver a direct attack.
He didn't realize what had just happened until he breathed his last.
They were all top-notch experts, so how could they have been so easily killed?
They even died with their eyes wide open, unable to close them in peace.
The five members of Shadow 5 had been waiting for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and they immediately started cutting up a large watermelon on the spot.
One knife at a time.
Within two minutes, the more than 40 assassins were hacked to pieces on the spot, their blood flowing everywhere.
The sticky, bloody smell was nauseating.
Shen Ruyi knocked twice on the carriage, and the driver very readily drove the carriage to a clean place.
They knew that their prince had a certain degree of mysophobia and disliked the smell of blood.
Meanwhile, Yiren felt she hadn't had enough of the chopping, and kept muttering, "Why didn't they come together? Each person can't get two, it's no fun, no excitement."
"It would be much better if we did it all at once; otherwise, it'll always be a problem."
“Who says otherwise? It ended before the fight even started. It was definitely a bit lacking,” Shadow Sixteen chimed in.
"Agreed, I was a little slow, and as a result I got two kills."
"Hey, I'm quick, but I only got three. What's the point of just three? It's not enough to really enjoy chopping them all."
Everyone was wiping their weapons and commenting on them all.
The assassination began with great fanfare but ended abruptly.
All of this left everyone else completely bewildered. Could this really be done?
Wow, the prince and his shadow guards work together so perfectly! I'm impressed.
It ended way too quickly. I thought we were going to have a tough battle today, but it's over already?
That speed and efficiency is just too high.
"I feel a little dizzy, this is not good."
"I'm dizzy too."
"Me too."
“Step back, step back even further. If we’re this close, we’ll be more susceptible to the effects of the drugs,” Shadow Five said.
He didn't participate in the discussion, but he also felt that he hadn't had enough fun today, feeling that there were too few people and it wasn't quite there.
He first examined the assassins, looking for any special marks or markings.
Nothing was found; everything was normal.
Only then did they summon these young masters to begin their job—looting corpses and digging pits to bury people.
General Huang and Lord Lu's mouths twitched as they listened. The King of Donghai was a freak, and even the shadow guards sent by the Emperor had become abnormal.
Like master, like subordinate.
Look, a grand assassination has been reduced to a meaningless and amusing little game in the mouths of these people.
Is this something a normal person would say?
But it must be said that the King of the East Sea is a really easy person to get along with. He is emotionally stable and never loses his temper or causes trouble for no reason.
When something happens, they are always the first to rush to the front, treating other people's lives as their own.
There's probably only one prince in the world who would use himself as bait after being assassinated.
If any other prince were to be assassinated, he would immediately send his men to attack, while he would take his trusted confidants and flee, never putting himself in danger.
He would not hesitate to sacrifice countless lives; this is what most princes would do.
No wonder these shadow guards are so obedient.
These young masters didn't fully come to their senses until Shadow 5 called out to them, thinking to themselves that it ended too quickly.
Is that all? Seeing that the others had already run past, he quickly followed behind and started looting the corpse.
Unfortunately, this group didn't find anything valuable on them. They were just complaining, "These people are so poor, they didn't find anything. What about you guys?"
"Me too, we have nothing. These people are so poor."
"Same here, me too."
No sooner had he finished speaking than someone screamed, "Silver notes, and large denomination silver notes at that! Hahaha, I'm so lucky!"
Let me look at myself. It's all here with me, one, two, three... a total of six hundred and fifty taels, plus some loose silver."
"Let me see, let me see," and everyone else gathered around.
"Wow, it really is over 600 taels! You've struck it rich! If I hadn't found it, it would have been such a waste," he said, his eyes gleaming with envy.
"Damn, so all the money was in this one person? No wonder! You've really hit the jackpot today."
"I'm so envious I'm jealous."
"Who says it isn't?"
"No need to be jealous. Next time we go to the city, I'll arrange a table for the brothers to show my appreciation. How about that?"
"You're a good kid. This will do, this absolutely will. It has to be done to the best standard. Anything inferior won't do."
"Ok, Ok."
Once upon a time, several thousand taels of silver were nothing to them.
Since coming to the side of the King of the East Sea, they have almost never seen more than two hundred taels of silver.
They sent some silver from their own residence, but it was confiscated by the despicable King of the East Sea.
They also said that having too much money would make them prone to going astray and causing trouble, and that they were there on official business, not to enjoy themselves or travel, and therefore shouldn't have so much wealth.
If it weren't for the jobs of looting corpses and digging for medicinal herbs, who knows how badly they would have fared.
I've never seen a prince who can lie so blatantly.
However, these people only dared to grumble about it; to say that they really disliked or hated the King of the East Sea was an understatement.
The longer I stayed by the East Sea King's side, the more complicated my feelings became.
Gradually, I realized that the King of the East Sea is a person who is difficult to judge as either a good or bad person.
In short, the senses are very complex.
They also knew that although the King of the East Sea didn't treat them well, he had never actually punished or made things difficult for them.
They won't be used as scapegoats when something dangerous happens.
Today's events are the best example; he deliberately lured all the assassins over there, something none of them had anticipated.
I also physically cut ties with these people.
For them, being suddenly thrust into a scapegoat in their own home was quite unusual.
As they pondered, they began digging a pit.
Shen Ruyi had no idea what others were thinking. She washed her hands and leaned back against the cushion, pretending to doze off.
What I was really thinking was that I didn't know when the next wave of enemies would arrive, and the road ahead seemed a bit turbulent.
Although she's not afraid of assassination attempts, it's still annoying when this happens from time to time.
The others also took the opportunity to get some rest.
After burying the people and resting the carriages and horses for a while, they set off again.
However, knowing that the road ahead would be treacherous, Shadow 5 had already sent a few people ahead to scout the way.
The convoy slowly made its way forward, and after traveling about five kilometers, it came to a lake.
The group stopped to rest and have a meal before setting off again.
We arrived at a post station before dark, which was quite rare in this area.
For some unknown reason, they waited and waited until they went to sleep, but the second wave of assassins never came.
Of course, no one let their guard down.
Shen Ruyi and Yiren shared the same room, one sleeping on the bed and the other on the couch.
Just in case, one of them would stay on duty for the first half of the night, and the other for the second half.
Shen Ruyi stayed up for the first half of the night, waking Yiren up at two in the morning.
She fell asleep fully clothed, only to be woken up by shouts of "Assassin!"
Shen Ruyi rubbed her eyes, feeling utterly grumpy from being woken up. It was a terrible feeling to be woken up right after falling asleep.
He shouted "Protect our master!" and angrily grabbed his sword and charged out with Yiren, indiscriminately killing the assassins outside.
They even deliberately started fighting in the room behind them to give people the wrong impression.
Only our own people know that there's no one in the back room, so there's no need for special guards; just signal to stop them.
The assassins actually believed that the King of the East Sea was in the back room, and some even jumped onto the roof, intending to attack from there.
No one expected that the King of Donghai himself would join the battle, and Shen Ruyi's clothing was not particularly elaborate.
They blend in with the shadow guards and you can't tell the difference at all.
Shen Ruyi fought the assassins back and forth for several hundred rounds, killing five of them in the process.
Of course, this was the result of her deliberately hiding her true abilities; her real skill level could never be exposed to the public.