dognovel Chapter 375 Emergency Support
Chapter 375 Emergency Support
"Yes! I'll go right away!"
Mu Yin dared not delay and got up, disappearing into the night like the wind.
Shen Yanchu watched his retreating figure, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Yan Yueren wants to disrupt Cangling, and the Imperial Concubine wants to seize power. Do they all think he's a fool? The Crown Prince's fate is still up to him.
Meanwhile, at the Duke of Fuguo's residence.
Lin Yongnan was fast asleep, dreaming of playing chess with his old friend, when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the courtyard, followed by the servants' panicked shouts: "My lord! My lord! Someone from the palace has arrived! Chief Steward Yu has come in person, saying that he has received an imperial edict from His Majesty, ordering you to rise immediately to receive the decree!"
Lin Yongnan jolted awake and sat up abruptly in bed.
He was the commander of the Imperial Guards, in charge of the defense of the capital region. Unless it was something extremely important, the palace would never summon him in the middle of the night.
He didn't dare to delay. He didn't even have time to put on his shoes properly. Barefoot on the ground, he shouted "Bring me clothes!" as he hurried outside.
"Sir, slow down, be careful not to catch a cold."
His personal attendant caught up with him carrying the court robes and hurriedly helped him put them on.
Lin Yongnan hastily put on his outer robe, pushed open the door, and saw the chief eunuch Yu Heng pacing anxiously under the lanterns outside the mansion gate.
Upon seeing him emerge, Yu Heng rushed forward, his face filled with anxiety: "Lord Lin, hurry! His Majesty has decreed that His Highness the Crown Prince has been attacked, and you are ordered to immediately lead three thousand Imperial Guards to reinforce East Street. There must be no delay!"
Lin Yongnan's heart sank; this was indeed a major matter! He disregarded pleasantries and replied in a deep voice, "Your subject obeys! Please wait a moment, Chief Steward Yu, I will muster the troops immediately!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already turned and run towards the training ground, his voice echoing in the silent mansion: "Pass on my order, all Imperial Guards assemble and follow me to reinforce East Street!"
As night deepened, the various factions in the capital were quietly stirred up by the sudden assassination attempt on East Street.
A contest concerning the safety of the crown prince and the political landscape of the court is escalating in the dead of night.
In the west courtyard of the Shi residence, Lin Yiyu was studying blueprints under a solitary lamp.
A crimson light suddenly flashed outside the window, followed by a muffled thud.
Lin Yiyu didn't pay much attention at first, thinking it was just a signal from someone who had been attacked. But the shape of the red light exploding in the night sky made his heart skip a beat—it was the Crown Prince's exclusive signal smoke, which was only lit when the Crown Prince was attacked or in dire straits!
"not good!"
Lin Yiyu suddenly stood up, causing the chair to tip over with a loud crash.
Crown Prince Shen Yanzhou was attacked, but Sister Shi said in the evening that she was going to East Street to appease the people, so she must still be there now!
The thought that Shi Wanxia might be in danger made Lin Yiyu feel cold in his hands and feet, and he almost lost his balance.
He gripped the edge of the table, took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and shouted, "Chen Ping'an! Chen Ping'an!"
"Young master, what is it?"
The guard Chen Ping'an rushed over upon hearing the noise and was taken aback when he saw that the man's face was deathly pale.
"Quick! Take the best fighters in the manor and come with me to East Street!"
Lin Yiyu spoke very quickly, running outside as he spoke, grabbing the long sword hanging on the wall.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has been attacked, and Sister Shi is over there too. We must go and rescue her!"
Chen Ping'an's expression changed, and he dared not slacken in the slightest. He immediately replied, "Yes! I will go and gather the men right away!"
The commotion in the mansion quickly alerted the inner courtyard, and Shuyun rushed over with several maids, her face full of anxiety.
They had just seen the signal in the night sky and were in a panic when they saw Lin Yiyu about to take people out, so they quickly stepped forward to stop him.
"Young Master Lin!"
Shuyun's eyes were red and her voice was trembling with tears.
"Has something happened to Miss Shi? You must be careful, you must find Miss Shi and protect her!"
Lin Yiyu stopped in his tracks, his usually smiling face now filled with seriousness.
Looking at Shuyun's worried eyes, he nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, Sister Shuyun, with me here, I will never let Sister Shi get into trouble."
After saying that, he didn't linger any longer. He turned around and led Chen Ping'an and more than ten carefully selected guards, rushing out of the Shi Mansion gate.
The sound of horses' hooves echoed through the quiet night alley, galloping towards East Street, kicking up a trail of dust.
The fighting on East Street continued, but it had subsided considerably compared to before.
When Cui Zhihao arrived with his men, the sight before him made him gasp – limbs and torsos were scattered everywhere beneath the broken walls and beside the ruins, dark red bloodstains soaking through the bluestone slabs, mixed with charred wood chips, emitting a pungent, fishy odor that sent chills down one's spine.
"Where is Miss Shi?"
Cui Zhihao's heart tightened, and he staggered as he dismounted.
Ignoring the carnage around him, he grabbed a palace guard who was transporting the wounded, his voice trembling.
"Where is Miss Shi? How is she?"
The guard was taken aback by the question, but upon seeing that it was Cui Zhihao, he quickly replied, "Don't worry, Lord Cui, Lord Shi is at the temporary treatment point behind, bandaging the wounded. He's fine for now."
Cui Zhihao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, eased slightly, but he still dared not delay.
He instructed the people behind him: "Go immediately to support His Highness the Crown Prince and make sure he is safe!"
He then released the guard and ran towards the depths of the ruins, following the direction the guard pointed.
After passing through several broken walls and around a pile of rubble that was half burned, he finally saw a temporary shed with a wooden sign that read "Aid Point" in front of a relatively intact courtyard.
Several civilians were carrying the wounded inside, and low groans and suppressed sobs could be heard coming from within.
Choi Ji-ho rushed in, his eyes searching eagerly through the crowd.
The next moment, his gaze settled on a familiar figure in the corner—Shi Wanxia was squatting on the ground, holding gauze in her hand, carefully bandaging the arm of an injured guard.
Her signature moon-white dress was now stained with black and red bloodstains, and her bangs were soaked with sweat, clinging to her pale cheeks, yet she remained steady in her movements and focused in her eyes.
"Miss Shi!"
Choi Ji-ho's voice trembled uncontrollably, as if it were a lost treasure that had been found again.
Upon hearing the call, Shi Wanxia paused in her actions and abruptly looked up.
When she saw the travel-worn, anxious figure at the door, her nerves, which had been tense all night, suddenly relaxed, and her eyes instantly reddened.
"Brother Cui? What brings you here?"
She stood up, wanting to walk forward, but found that her legs were already numb, and she could only hold onto the wooden table next to her.
"It's too dangerous here, you shouldn't have come."
Cui Zhihao walked quickly to her and carefully examined her. Seeing that she was unharmed except for the bloodstains on her clothes, he was finally relieved.
He wanted to reach out and brush the dust off her shoulder, but his fingertips lifted and then stopped. In the end, he could only say in a hoarse voice, "I heard something happened here, and I was worried about you."
Shi Wanxia sniffed, holding back her tears, and pointed towards the inner room: "Brother Cui, Cui Jiu... he was stabbed in the back while protecting the Crown Prince, and he is being treated inside. He hasn't woken up yet."
When Cui Jiu was mentioned, Cui Zhihao's expression darkened, but he still reassured her first: "Don't worry, he's very tough, he'll be fine."