Xue Lin stood up and stood in front of Tong Aning.
He secretly lifted the carriage curtain and glanced outside.
Seeing his serious expression, Tong Aning asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Are there a lot of people?"
"Yes."
Xue Lin seemed to remember something, turned around, and his gaze swept across Tong Aning's face. He awkwardly comforted her, " Miss Tong, don't worry, I will definitely protect you."
[That doesn't sound very plausible.]
Xue Lin: "..."
[But he was so serious and calm, it made me feel safe, and I subconsciously wanted to believe him.]
Xue Lin's heart skipped a beat, and he earnestly promised, "I will definitely protect you, Miss Tong."
Tong Aning said, "I believe you."
He had clearly heard it in her heart long ago, but Tong Aning saying it to his face gave Xue Lin a different feeling. Xue Lin's eyes flickered; no matter what, he had to protect her.
Sichen, standing outside, gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness, there are too many of them..."
Xue Lin said, "Blow the whistle."
Sichen hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Xue Lin urged again, "Blow the whistle."
"Yes."
The whistle sounded, and muffled groans came one after another from outside.
Sichen said, "Your Highness, it's all resolved."
Xue Lin lifted the carriage curtain, Tong Aning curiously peeked out from behind him, but Xue Lin's shoulder blocked her view.
Xue Lin said, "It's bloody outside, Miss Tong doesn't need to look."
Tong Aning was always timid, and Xue Lin's thoughtfulness touched her. She looked at Xue Lin and slowly smiled, " Heir Xue, I'll wait for you in the carriage."
Tong Aning looked well-behaved, and his eyes were clear and innocent, which made Xue Lin want to pat Tong Aning's head.
Xue Lin restrained himself, lowered his eyes, responded, and got off the carriage somewhat awkwardly.
Besides the palace guards, there were also some people dressed in black robes with eagles drawn in gold thread on their collars.
The Eagle Guard leader knelt before Xue Lin, "Your Highness, there were thirty-two people in total, and three survived; they all committed suicide just now."
Xue Lin glanced at her and felt relieved. Luckily, he hadn't let Tong Aning out. If she had seen him, she would probably have nightmares.
Xue Lin asked coldly, "Who are these people?"
The leader said, "There is no one who can represent my identity."
This precisely illustrates the problem.
Xue Lin said in a deep voice, "Death squad?"
"Perhaps. I will truthfully report everything that happened today to Your Majesty."
"Um."
These Eagle Guard were originally bestowed upon him by the emperor after he had survived several assassination attempts.
He couldn't hide it even if he wanted to.
Xue Lin got back into the carriage, and as soon as Tong Aning saw him, she asked impatiently, "Is everything settled?"
"Yes."
Do you know who it is?
Xue Lin shook his head, "I'll take Miss Tong home first."
"Good."
Xue Lin carried the scent of the cold wind outside, mixed with the smell of blood, which became even more pronounced as the wheels passed by.
Tong Aning wrinkled her nose, her brows furrowing in discomfort, and the association she made made her face turn pale.
Xue Lin had been watching Tong Aning's reaction closely. Seeing this, he took out some pear-scented incense and lit it.
The sweet smell of pears brightened Tong Aning's expression.
She said shyly, "Your Highness, you really don't need to be so accommodating to me."
"Yes, I want it."
Tong Aning didn't hear clearly. She leaned forward, and Xue Lin said, "If it weren't for me, Miss Tong wouldn't have been in such danger. If something had happened to Miss Tong..."
A look of panic and self-reproach flashed in Xue Lin's eyes, Tong Aning comforted him, "Why are you making this sound so serious? I'm fine, Your Highness, don't worry about it."
Looking at Tong Aning's smiling face, Xue Lin felt an overwhelming surge of emotions. He said softly, "Okay."
Upon arriving at the Marquis's residence, Xue Lin alighted from the carriage first and reached out his hand to greet Tong Aning.
Tong Aning took his hand, glanced at the carriage, and said, "Your Highness, please be careful on your journey back."
"Good."
Watching Tong Aning turn and walk up the steps until her figure gradually disappeared, Xue Lin finally withdrew his gaze.
Sichen asked, "Didn't the Crown Prince say he couldn't persuade the Eagle Guard?"
The emperor bestowed the Eagle Guard upon Xue Lin, which represented his great affection for Xue Lin. However, Xue Lin could not use it easily. The Crown Prince did not even have Eagle Guard by his side. How could the Crown Prince be expected to act in this way?
but...
Xue Lin let out a breath, "I can't joke with Miss Tong's life."
"Yes," Sichen said, " Miss Tong's life is very important."
It was so important that it surpassed even the Crown Prince's own life.
*
"Assassination?"
Su Zhouyue and Tong Aobai couldn't sit still any longer. Su Zhouyue pulled Tong Aning over, and together with Tong Siyan, they thoroughly examined her entire body.
Tong Aning smiled and pressed Su Zhouyue and Tong Siyan's hands, saying, "I'm fine, don't worry."
Su Zhouyue was nearly scared to death by Tong Aning. She said sternly, "You're still laughing! What if something happens to you...?"
Tong Aning quickly interrupted, "I'm fine, aren't I?"
Su Zhouyue patted Tong Aning's hand with lingering fear, and casually asked, "Just how many people has the young master offended? Why is he always getting assassinated?"
Tong Aobai put his arm around Su Zhouyue's shoulder, comforted her for a few moments, and then instructed the kitchen to prepare a calming soup for Tong Aning.
Tong Siyan could tell that Tong Aobai had something to discuss with Tong Yibin, so she said, "Father, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things."
Tong Aobai nodded and entered the study one after the other with Tong Yibin.
Tong Aobai asked, " Yibin, do you think this assassination attempt is the same in nature as the previous ones?"
Tong Yibin thought about it carefully, "Father, do you suspect that this assassination attempt was related to the imperial examination?"
Tong Aobai raised an eyebrow, "Is that impossible?"
Tong Yibin pondered for a moment and said, "It's not impossible."
Judging from Tong Aning's description, Xue Lin may have even used the Eagle Guard. Someone who requires the Eagle Guard to deal with must be quite extraordinary.
Tong Aobai said, "I need to go to the palace."
"I'll have Uncle Zhao prepare the horses."
As Tong Aobai mounted his horse, he caught a glimpse of a servant carrying a food box as he walked out of the manor.
He asked, "What are you going to do?"
Upon seeing him, the servant respectfully said, "My lord, the Fourth Miss instructed me to deliver a calming soup to Prince Yong's Residence."
Tong Aobai waved his hand, dismissing the servant, but inwardly he wondered, why was soup being sent specifically to the Prince Yong's Residence?
Xue Lin was also present when Tong Aobai entered the palace.
The emperor's face was ashen; it seemed he already knew.
The emperor slammed his fist on the table in anger. "Outrageous! These people are utterly insolent! If I were the one investigating this matter, would they also hire assassins to kill me?"
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven; they dare not."
The Emperor looked at Tong Aobai, "So Alin and the others dare to do it? If I can't protect Alin, I won't have the face to see Prince Yong and Consort of Prince Yong."
Tong Aobai suddenly said, "The results will be released in a few days."
The emperor narrowed his eyes and said, "Continue your investigation openly. We'll deal with the rest after the results are released."
Xue Lin cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I have another request."
"What?"
Xue Lin knelt on the ground and resolutely said, "Your Majesty, please recall the Eagle Guard beside me."
Tong Aobai sighed inwardly. His Majesty values Xue Lin too much; this will cause problems.
The emperor was reluctant to agree, but Xue Lin was adamant, so he had no choice but to recall all of Xue Lin's Eagle Guard.
Tong Aobai and Xue Lin went out at the same time.
Although he already knew, Tong Aobai still asked, "Your Highness... has the Eagle Guard been deployed?"
"I didn't want to use it, but..."
Tong Aobai actually recognized Xue Lin's unspoken message.
Because his daughter was also in the carriage at the time.
The Prince's guards might not be inferior to those assassins, but because of Tong Aning... Xue Lin didn't want anything to happen to Tong Aning.
He's a good kid, Tong Aobai appreciates his kindness.
Tong Aobai asked softly, "Did you run into any servants from the Marquis's residence before you entered the palace, Your Highness?"
Xue Lin was taken aback. "No."
Tong Aobai smiled and walked down the steps alone.
Xue Lin watched Tong Aobai 'Tong Aobai retreating figure, still unable to understand his meaning, until he returned to his residence.
"Young Master, this is a calming soup brought by a servant from the Marquis's residence. He said it was sent by Fourth Miss Tong."
Xue Lin opened the food box; the calming soup had long since gone cold.
He picked it up, took a sip, and Sichen said, "Your Highness, please heat it up."
Xue Lin had already finished drinking the calming soup.
Sichen: "..."
No one dares to compete with the Crown Prince, so why is he in such a hurry?
Sichen asked curiously, "Is it good?"
Xue Lin nodded.
Sichen had never drunk calming soup before, but he had drunk hangover soup, which tasted awful. By simulating it like this, he understood that calming soup must not taste very good either.
Judging from the prince's appearance, it was as if he were drinking the finest nectar.
It seems that whether a soup tastes good or not has little to do with the soup itself; it all depends on the person who delivers it.
*
Tong Aning has been trying to get information out of Xixi these past few days.
Unable to find the mastermind behind it all, Tong Aning was restless and unable to eat or sleep.
Xue Lin Xue Lin fine; she doesn't want anything to happen to him.
But Xixi told her that the assassins couldn't tell Tong Aning from the perspective of the melon.
Tong Aning was depressed for quite a while because of this, but seeing the results today cheered her up a bit.
"Aaaaaaah, Aning, I actually won!"
Upon seeing her name, Lou Yingyu, who was standing next to her, almost jumped up and kissed Tong Aning and her husband.
Tong Aning was genuinely happy for Lou Yingyu, "That's wonderful, Yingyu!"
Lou Yingyu blinked. "You're great too."
Tong Aning's name was before Lou Yingyu's. Although their names weren't next to each other, it already made Lou Yingyu happy.
Lou Yingyu opened her arms and said, "I want to go to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and throw a three-day, three-night banquet."
Tong Aning was both amused and exasperated. " Yingyu, be careful with your money..."
"I didn't win! How could this be?!"
Some were happy, some were sad, because countless people fainted on the spot and had to be taken away after failing the exam.
[ Xixi, were any of them replaced?]
[have.]
[Who arranged this? How could they be so mean!]
That person is both far away and right before my eyes.
Tong Aning looked around, trying to see if there were any familiar faces, when she suddenly heard a cry of "The Crown Prince has arrived!"
Tong Aning: "???"
[Could it be the crown prince?]