Taken Captive

"There's an assassin!" shouted Eunuch Xie, who stepped forward to stop the man.

But then five more people came in; two attacked Eunuch Xie, and three others attacked the Emperor.

The four Imperial Guards standing behind the emperor quickly drew their swords to meet the attack. Unexpectedly, one of the Imperial Guards suddenly turned around and swung his sword at the emperor.

Fortunately, Eunuch Zhang was right beside the Emperor and had just stepped back two steps to protect him. Two more eunuchs stepped forward and blocked the Imperial Guards's attack.

Several Imperial Guards who had been lying in ambush rushed to meet their attack upon hearing the commotion, and the emperor was thus rescued from danger.

Both Eunuch Xie and Eunuch Zhang were terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.

Both of them were highly skilled in martial arts, but they had previously been on duty in shifts, each leading a few eunuchs to attend to the emperor. The Imperial Guards on duty around the emperor each day consisted of six outside the palace and four inside.

If it weren't for Xiao Lingyan reminding them to strengthen the Emperor's guard after the Emperor's birthday celebration, Eunuch Zhang and Eunuch Xie wouldn't have dared to relax their vigilance these past few days. Both of them stayed by the Emperor's side and even suggested that Xiao Ge add four more Imperial Guards to be hidden in the palace. Perhaps the Emperor would have been murdered by now.

"What's going on? Why is no one outside?"

"Is the Emperor in danger?"

"Quickly, save the emperor!"

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, and soon a group of people rushed into the main hall.

Upon recognizing the leader, Xiao Ge, Eunuch Xie, and Eunuch Zhang's nerves not only didn't relax, but instead became even more tense.

The visitor was none other than the Third Prince.

When the Third Prince entered the hall, he saw that there were many Imperial Guards fighting with the assassins, while Xiao Ge was still alive and well, protected by Eunuch Zhang and Eunuch Xie, standing in a place far away from the fighting. A look of astonishment inadvertently appeared on his face.

However, he quickly realized what was happening and asked with concern, "Father, are you alright?"

Xiao Ge nodded slightly. "It's nothing."

Xiao Lingheng waved his hand to his men, and they charged directly at the assassins, engaging them in fierce combat.

Originally, there were six assassins, plus the one Imperial Guards who betrayed them, making a total of seven.

There were already seven Imperial Guards in the main hall, seven against seven, so the assassin was at a disadvantage from the start. Now, with the help of a eunuch and four guards brought by the Third Prince, the assassin was captured in no time.

"Father, these assassins have been captured," Xiao Lingheng said, bowing.

Xiao Ge glanced at him, then at the crippled and injured assassins.

He said expressionlessly, "Raise their faces and let me see who is so eager to take my life."

The captured men lifted the assassins' heads one by one.

When they finally saw one of the people's faces clearly, everyone gasped. "The Crown Prince."

The crown prince was also dressed in Imperial Guards uniform, but his condition was very bad. He had a stab wound on his left chest near his shoulder, and blood was gushing out.

His eyes were bloodshot, and when he was forced to raise his face, his gaze towards Xiao Ge showed no remorse or fear, but rather was full of hatred.

Because the assassin was able to enter the palace without any obstacles and go straight to the main hall, Xiao Ge had long suspected that there was an assassin.

But seeing the Crown Prince's face, his already cold heart couldn't help but feel a chill.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask the crown prince why he had murdered his father and the emperor. But the words caught in his throat, and he closed his mouth again in despair.

What else could it be? It's simply because of the seat he's sitting on.

Seeing the Crown Prince's bloodshot eyes, reason told Xiao Ge that he should order him killed immediately.

Such a person cannot be allowed to live; keeping him would be a great scourge, and he might even succeed in patricide at any time.

But Xiao Ge just couldn't bring himself to say that command.

The crown prince was his first child, and he had high hopes for him, personally teaching him little by little.

I just don't know why he ended up like this.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ge raised his head, glanced at the Third Prince, and then whispered, "Send him back to prison, chain him up, and keep a close watch on him."

He paused, about to order the Imperial Guards to fetch a physician for the crown prince. But in that moment of distraction, he heard Imperial Guards exclaim in surprise.

He looked up and saw blood gushing from the prince's neck, and a dagger slipped from his hand.

That dagger was the one used to kill the Fourth Prince and was seized on the spot by the Imperial Guards, but for some reason it returned to the Crown Prince's hands. Now he used that dagger to slit his own throat.

The crown prince gazed in Xiao Ge's direction, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but before he could speak, he collapsed and fell silent.

At the same time, the captured men around the crown prince all collapsed to the ground, black blood flowing from their mouths; they had clearly also died from poisoning.

The head of the Imperial Guards stepped forward, checked the prince's nose, and then reported, "Your Majesty, the prince... he's gone."

"Take him out... and bury him like the fourth brother," Xiao Ge said.

The head of the Imperial Guards pointed to two men and ordered them to go outside and have the crown prince and his men carried out.

However, he himself did not leave, and his trusted subordinates remained inside the hall; outside the hall, the palace Imperial Guards all rushed over and surrounded the hall.

Eunuch Zhang and Eunuch Xie stood close to the Emperor, watching the Third Prince with wary expressions.

"Why are you here?" Xiao Ge asked.

Things had changed, Xiao Lingheng suddenly felt that his situation was extremely precarious. However, he tried his best to suppress his inner panic and remained outwardly calm.

He said, "Father has been in a bad mood these past few days. I wanted to come see you after the morning court session today, but I was afraid of disturbing you while you were reviewing memorials, so I waited until now. I didn't expect that as soon as I entered, I would find that the Imperial Guards who should have been guarding outside the hall were gone. I panicked for a moment, so I didn't ask anyone to announce my arrival and just barged in."

He bowed and said, "Please forgive me, Father Emperor."

Xiao Ge closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.

Xiao Lingheng set a trap for the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince wasn't completely stupid enough to let him scheme. Three days before the Crown Prince was imprisoned, someone had already sent some case files to Xiao Ge.

Emperor Xiao Ge reigned for so many years, and although he was often soft-hearted towards his sons, he was not without his methods.

He intentionally leaked this information to Xiao Lingheng.

He knew Xiao Lingheng would take action, but he never expected him to use the Crown Prince again to murder his father and the emperor.

Xiao Lingheng Ge had already noticed Xiao Ge's astonishment the moment he entered the hall. He felt even more disheartened by this son than he did about the Crown Prince.

Xiao Ge surveyed the scene in the hall and, seeing that the Imperial Guards had already surrounded Xiao Lingheng at the signal of their Imperial Guards, he ordered in a deep voice, "Take down the Prince of Ming for me."

The guards Xiao Lingheng brought all looked at him, waiting for his orders.

They were all daredevils; having followed Xiao Lingheng into the palace today, they had no intention of leaving alive. If Xiao Lingheng gave the order, they would immediately fight the Emperor's men to the death.