"Protect His Majesty!" the Tribune of the Plebs shouted in shock and fury, spurring his horse toward Commodus.
He had never expected anyone to be so brazen as to attack His Majesty less than ten miles from the military camp.
Fortunately, there were not many of these assassins disguised as Jewish worshippers, fewer than twenty in all. The Praetorian Guard held an absolute advantage in numbers, but they had been spread out too widely and were at a local disadvantage instead. Moreover, the assassins were highly skilled. When they struck together, they swiftly wiped out the squad of Praetorian Guards at the front of the procession and pressed toward Commodus's carriage.
The Praetorian Guards rushing in from elsewhere were often killed before they could even form ranks and organize themselves.
Cold sweat ran down Seibutur's back. He suddenly realized that his horse seemed to have run a little too fast. Though he had some combat experience, he had primarily risen to the position of Tribune of the Plebs through his family's influence. As a commander, he had never needed much personal prowess either. Seibutur now regretted not practicing his swordsmanship properly before.
Fortunately, the Praetorian Guard soldiers he had brought this time were well trained, and his two centurion deputies were highly capable. Hertor in particular, being the closest, led his squad forward at once. Though they failed to stop the assassins completely, they successfully slowed their advance and bought time for the following squads to form up. Yet the ones who truly changed the course of the battle were not members of the Praetorian Guard.
Zhang Heng had noticed the abnormalities about those Jewish worshippers even earlier than the Tribune of the Plebs, but he did nothing afterward. Only when they were about to reach Commodus did Zhang Heng