Chapter 102: Plan to Assassinate His Majesty on the Road

Ning Jinli distinguished from the voices that the one blocking entry to the temple was General Duan Wu.

But the voice of the person being blocked was unfamiliar, and he clearly disregarded Duan Wu, calling himself Lord, appearing to be of unusual status.

Ning Jinli immediately went to the cave entrance and looked outward.

She saw two groups of people gathered outside.

One group was Duan Wu leading a dozen or so soldiers.

The other group was led by a person in official robes, accompanied by several guards.

At the official's command, his guards simultaneously drew bronze long swords from their waists, ready to take Duan Wu's head.

"Lord Liu, you look so imposing," Xiao Qidi's voice suddenly rang out.

The crowd shouted loudly, and upon hearing the voice, they all turned toward the cave entrance.

"His Majesty! Fairy!" Duan Wu and his soldiers exclaimed with great joy.

It has been almost a month since His Majesty left without notice.

No one knows his whereabouts.

Moreover, the Fairy has not appeared during this time.

The situation resembles the last time, so the people thought this was the same: His Majesty went to the Immortal Realm with the Fairy and might return at any moment.

They did not expect this time to be so long.

The official whom Xiao Qidi called Lord Liu hurriedly paid his respects, called for an audience with His Majesty, then glanced at Ning Jinli.

"Who is this person?" Ning Jinli whispered.

Xiao Qidi replied, "A clerk in the Royal City, a person of the Empress Dowager."

"Why are you making a ruckus here?" Xiao Qidi addressed the crowd.

Lord Liu was about to speak when Xiao Qidi gestured to Duan Wu.

Duan Wu immediately ran to Xiao Qidi and gave a brief account of the situation.

It turned out that Lord Liu had come on the Empress Dowager's orders; Duan Wu did not want him to know the current situation, so he initially blocked him outside Lin Xian Village, hoping to stall until His Majesty returned to decide.

But Lord Liu insisted on forcing his way in.

Considering Lord Liu's status, Duan Wu could only negotiate, then permitted him to bring a few guards inside, planning to assign them a place to stay and keep them from wandering.

But Duan Wu, a military commander, lacked the cunning and eloquence of a court civil official like Lord Liu.

While escorting the people in, Lord Liu engaged him in idle chat and extracted some information.

Lord Liu learned not only that Lin Xian Village had a locally worshipped Jinli Fairy.

Duan Wu also slipped, telling Lord Liu that His Majesty had gone to the Immortal Realm with the Fairy and was not here now.

Thus Lord Liu insisted on visiting the Fairy Temple.

Such an important place, Duan Wu could not agree to.

So the two sides clashed just now.

Fortunately Xiao Qidi appeared; otherwise the outcome was uncertain.

"Lord Liu, the Empress Dowager sent you here; what is the purpose?" Xiao Qidi asked as he approached Lord Liu.

Lord Liu clasped his hands and replied, "I report to His Majesty: because you have been away from the Royal City for too long, the Empress Dowager misses you greatly, so she sent me to ask you to return."

"It is indeed time to return... I also miss the Empress Mother greatly," Xiao Qidi said, his eyes full of meaning, "Very well, you wait outside the village while I make some preparations; tomorrow we will return to the Royal City together."

Lord Liu's eyes lit with pleasure, "As you command!"

Afterward, Xiao Qidi ordered his soldiers to escort those people out of the village.

"These people, are they really just here to bring you back to the Royal City?" Ning Jinli murmured doubtfully, watching their departing backs.

Xiao Qidi said calmly, "Regardless, I truly must return."

"May I go with you?" Ning Jinli asked.

Xiao Qidi shook his head, "No, I cannot let you be in danger."

Ning Jinli asked again, "Are you planning to do something when you return?"

Xiao Qidi exhaled slowly, a chill flashing in his eyes, "Perhaps, I am not entirely sure."

Ning Jinli whispered, "Then I will prepare some defensive items for you; please be very careful."

The chill in Xiao Qidi's eyes was replaced by tenderness, "Alright, thank you for your effort."

The next morning.

Xiao Qidi set off, accompanied only by General Li Yao, with no other soldiers.

Duan Wu did not understand this.

Although part of the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army had been ordered by Qi Zhan to eradicate the Shayue Kingdom, another part remained at Xi Tun Guan, so it should have been possible to select dozens for escort.

Why did His Majesty bring only one person?

But since it was His Majesty's wish, Duan Wu could not question it.

At the head of Lin Xian Village, Xiao Qidi and Li Yao each rode a horse toward the place where Lord Liu was waiting.

Both wore ordinary clothes, but beneath their outer garments they each wore a latest model close-fitting protective suit supplied by Ning Jinli, and their boots concealed special forces knives.

Because Li Yao excelled with bow and arrow, Ning Jinli additionally gave him a modern repeating crossbow.

In addition, Ning Jinli gave Xiao Qidi a new smartphone, since his previous phone had been lost when it fell into Zhuiyingjian.

In this phone, Ning Jinli had specially downloaded some documents for him to study on the way back to the Royal City.

Xiao Qidi had already learned modern script, so reading posed no difficulty.

These documents were historical records, chronicling key events from the year of Xiao Qidi's birth through the establishment and eventual fall of the unified Xuan Dynasty of the Central Plains.

Xiao Qidi and Li Yao rode their horses out of the village and met Lord Liu's party.

The whole party numbered just over thirty, and aside from Lord Liu, everyone else was an armed guard.

"His Majesty, the journey is long; you should ride in my carriage," Lord Liu said politely, standing before a carriage.

"No need, I'm accustomed to riding," Xiao Qidi said without looking at the carriage and walked straight toward the front of the party.

Lord Liu then took his guard captain and both entered the carriage together.

The party set off slowly.

Lord Liu lifted a corner of the curtain, glanced from afar at Xiao Qidi and Li Yao's backs, then lowered the curtain and said to the guard captain, "Xiao Qidi only brought one attendant; truly, Heaven aids me."

The guard captain nodded, "Then it will be much easier for us to act when the time comes."

Lord Liu wore a smug expression, "I didn't expect that the Marquis's men sent to deal with Xiao Qidi to disappear one after another. It must have been the drought and famine, the conditions were too harsh, so they fled to save themselves. I should thank them for leaving such a fine opportunity for merit to me."

"Sir, do not be careless," the guard warned, "Xiao Qidi managed to come here alone, so he is certainly no ordinary man."

Lord Liu laughed, "Why should you diminish his spirit and your own prestige? He never suspected me; otherwise, why would he only bring one attendant? Moreover, he didn't even carry a weapon. Besides, he only knows I am a person of the Empress Dowager, how could he know we are all guests of Marquis Le'an? With more than thirty of us, there is absolutely no chance of failure!"

Seeing that Lord Liu's argument made sense, the guard captain said no more.

The party walked until night fell, the surroundings still a barren land.

Lord Liu then suggested they rest on the spot.

Xiao Qidi agreed, but instead of staying with the party he and Li Yao found a spot a little farther away, lit a campfire, and ate rations while browsing historical data on his phone.

Li Yao remained calm, observing the movements of the party.

The night grew deeper.

Apart from the few guards on watch, everyone in the carriage convoy had fallen asleep.

The wilderness was especially quiet; the extreme drought had silenced even insects, and only the crackling of burning firewood could be heard.

"Hmm? So he's a man of Marquis Le'an?" Xiao Qidi muttered.

Li Yao asked softly, "His Majesty, what did you say?"

Xiao Qidi waved his hand, "Let me finish this part, then I'll tell you."

"Yes, His Majesty."

Xiao Qidi had already seen the historical account of Marquis Le'an launching an assassination rebellion.

It mentioned a man named Liu Chang.

This person was a protégé secretly cultivated by Marquis Le'an; after entering the court and becoming an official, he joined the Empress Dowager's faction, but in reality obeyed Marquis Le'an's orders.

Liu Chang was the chief planner of the rebellion that attempted to assassinate Xiao Qidi.

And this Liu Chang was none other than Lord Liu himself.

He turned off his phone, rubbed the bridge of his nose, looked up at the star‑filled night sky, and his mind raced.

That piece of history had occurred in the parallel universe world where Ning Jinli resides.

Combined with the secret history, the rebellion broke out after his counterpart in that world, the Human Stick, was replaced by a puppet.

Marquis Le'an should have been unaware, not knowing that the reigning monarch was an impostor, and still fantasized about removing the king to support a new ruler.

Of course, his counterpart in that world was advising the puppet behind the scenes, and Marquis Le'an ultimately failed.

He met a gruesome end, torn apart by five horses.

"Marquis Le'an…" Xiao Qidi sneered, murmuring, "In this world, I won't let you live long enough to launch a rebellion."

Xiao Qidi called softly, "General Li."

"The junior officer is here," Li Yao replied.

Xiao Qidi's thin lips moved slightly, "Bring Liu Chang here; the rest—kill."

"As you command!"

Li Yao took a repeating crossbow from his pack and strode toward the caravan.

Xiao Qidi sat beside the fire, one hand propping his cheek, eyes closed, resting.

Soon, shouts and angry curses rose from the nearby caravan, followed by the clamor of fighting.

In a moment, pleas for mercy rang out.

After a while, calm returned.

Xiao Qidi heard footsteps approaching and slowly opened his eyes.

He saw Li Yao yank Liu Chang by the back of his robe, dragging him like a dead dog.

"Injured?" Xiao Qidi asked, glancing at General Li, his face covered in fresh blood.

Li Yao raised his hand to wipe his face, a murderous excitement still in his eyes, "Your Majesty, the junior officer is unharmed; however, Lord Liu broke his leg while trying to flee."

"His Majesty… you… why did you do this?" Liu Chang lay on the ground, his face pallid, trembling all over.

His mind was filled with extreme terror and shock, so much that he could no longer feel the pain of his broken leg.

Over thirty guards…

Including the guard captain, they were all death soldiers secretly raised by Marquis Le'an.

And they were caught off guard, all taken down by Li Yao alone!

At first, a few half a dozen died in their sleep.

Then the guards who sensed danger quickly engaged Li Yao in battle.

He was still shouting curses at Li Yao from the side.

But soon he could no longer utter a word.

Li Yao, one hand wielding a strange weapon that could fire a rapid series of short arrows, the other gripping a palm‑sized dagger, killed about twenty guards without resistance!

The guards' bronze blades struck him, merely tearing his outer garment without harming his flesh.

Yet his arrows and dagger easily pierced the guards' soft armor.

Even that seemingly ordinary, unremarkable dagger could snap the guards' long swords!

Just like that, over thirty guards, not a single survivor……

"Why would I do this? Don't you understand?" Xiao Qidi stood up and walked to Liu Chang's front.

Liu Chang's eyes filled with terror, "I... I don't know......"

Xiao Qidi gave a cold laugh, "Speak, what is the real purpose of coming to fetch me back this time?"

Liu Chang burst into wailing, "I was sent by the Empress Dowager's order, I didn't deceive you!"

Pfft!

Li Yao directly stabbed a knife into Liu Chang's thigh.

"Ah!" Liu Chang let out a pig-slaughtering wail.

Li Yao didn't stop there; instead, he gripped the knife handle and slowly pulled it back.

"Stop... stop!" Liu Chang couldn't bear the heart-piercing pain, "I'll talk... I'll say everything! I... we planned to assassinate His Majesty on the way... then, upon returning to the Royal City, we would outwardly claim that His Majesty met with an accident."

"Who ordered this?" Xiao Qidi's eyes were terrifyingly cold.

Liu Chang's teeth chattered, "Yes, yes... Le, Le'an Marquis."

Xiao Qidi pressed his lips, remained silent for a long time, then squeezed out a few words from between his teeth, "Does the Empress Dowager know?"

Liu Chang shook his head, "I... I... don't know."

Xiao Qidi stepped on his wound with one foot.

Liu Chang screamed in agony, "I really don't know!"

Xiao Qidi slowly moved his foot to Liu Chang's neck, while Liu Chang begged for mercy and swore he truly didn't know whether the Empress Dowager knew.

"Crack——"

Xiao Qidi stepped down expressionlessly.

Liu Chang's neck bones shattered; after a few death throes, he breathed his last.

"Let's go, keep moving." Xiao Qidi walked toward his mount.

Li Yao asked, "Return to Xi Tun Guan?"

"No." Xiao Qidi leapt onto his horse, "The Empress Dowager wants to see me, after all—I certainly will go see her and give her a surprise."

……

Several days later, at dawn——

A luxurious carriage exited the Royal City gate, speeding all the way and taking most of the day to reach another city.

After entering the city, the carriage went straight to the palace inside the city.

"Greetings to the Le'an Marquis!" The servants, maids, and patrol guards outside the palace knelt before the carriage.

The coachman lifted the curtain, and immediately a servant climbed onto the carriage floor.

A middle-aged man in splendid robes, with red lips, white teeth, and handsome features, stepped on the servant's back, dismounted swiftly, and then rushed into the main hall with an excited expression.

Meanwhile, the maids inside the hall, upon seeing the Le'an Marquis arrive, after performing their respects and greetings, all withdrew sensibly and closed the door.

"Subject Le'an Marquis, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager." The Le'an Marquis stood in the main hall and made a bow toward the screen ahead.

"Le'an Marquis, do you know your crime?" A sharp voice sounded from behind the screen.

The Le'an Marquis stared at the gauze screen, barely able to see a graceful figure reclining sideways on the wide seat; he swallowed, curled his lips, and said, "If I have done wrong, please let the Empress Dowager punish me as she sees fit."

"Come here, I will punish you severely."

"Yes, Empress Dowager."

The Le'an Marquis laughed as he walked around the screen.

In an instant, a faint fragrance assailed his nose.

A pair of long, snow-white, soft, boneless arms wrapped around his neck, and a red lip pressed to his ear, "Listen well, I will punish you…… I will punish you to remove my clothes piece by piece…… you may not use your hands, only your mouth……"