Chapter 1539: Regent Prince Dotes on Me Too Much, What Should I Do? 08

Xie Zhiwei fastened a heavy fur robe on Jin Chen; even though it was already June, the hot season, the young emperor's constitution was so frail that not even a mountain breeze could be tolerated.

Jin Chen held the little lion in his arms, letting it move as it pleased, occasionally pinching its ears; as he played with it, he wondered what scheme the seme protagonist would cook up this time.

Suddenly, the hand stroking the lion was seized by Xie Zhiwei; Jin Chen had just come to his senses when he heard Xie Zhiwei lazily say, 'Your Majesty, if you like lions, upon returning to the palace I will have the Western Regions send over a few fine ones—there's really no need to keep this one.'

Jin Chen abruptly stepped back half a step, stubbornly clutching the little lion that Xie Zhiwei had frightened into trembling, 'No, I want this one.'

He pulled his hand free from Xie Zhiwei's grasp, turned and entered the carriage; his back view looked somewhat sad.

Xie Zhiwei truly did not understand.

It's just a little lion; is Your Majesty… angry with him?

But why?

Your Majesty's thoughts are becoming ever harder to fathom.

Xie Zhiwei shook his head, raised his hand to signal the imperial guard to set out; the official troops had already departed half a shichen earlier.

De Quan and An Jiu rode side by side; De Quan watched the scene just now and asked his close friend, 'Do you feel that the Regent Prince has been overly fond of His Majesty lately?'

An Jiu was always sparing with words, never wasting a glance; he now gave De Quan a look that said 'you idiot,' 'His Majesty must be kept safe, only then can the Regent Prince be well—how could he not be fond of him?'

"Oh you blockhead, I wasn't talking about that kind of fondness!"

"Which one?"

"Well… I can't quite put it into words," De Quan wondered, "it just feels… the Regent Prince used to speak only a few words to His Majesty during the months when blood was needed, but now they are inseparable day and night, and it is the Regent Prince who actively draws near to His Majesty."

After De Quan finished speaking, even he found it strange, 'Forget it, I must be imagining things.'

En route to the imperial capital.

Jin Chen was sitting in meditation, holding the little lion, when his Spiritual Power had just cleared the meridians and he sharply heard the distant hoofbeats, a sign of a well-trained unit.

Soon after, the hoofbeats drew nearer, and then a guard shouted, 'Assassins! Protect the Emperor!!'

"Kill the foolish Emperor!!" the troop roared, each member incredibly fierce, actually able to fight on par with the Dark Dragon Army guards escorting them.

Jin Chen sat in the carriage, yawned, and hooked the little lion's soft ears to feign deafness.

But these assassins were clearly different from before; not long after, Jin Chen felt the carriage jolt— they had already closed in.

Jin Chen furtively lifted the side curtain to look outside; this time the Dark Dragon Army escort was few in number, the assassins employed a human-wave tactic, the martial artists fought blow for blow, the whole scene was gruesome beyond bearing.

Lowering the curtain, Jin Chen suddenly felt that relying on Spiritual Power alone might not be impossible in this world.

If one wanted to cultivate martial arts, with an inadequate physique one wouldn't even know how long training would take.

Thinking of that, another jolt shook the carriage exterior; the whole door, after being savagely hacked by a broadsword, finally gave way and split apart.

"Your Majesty!!" the guards rushed to shield the sovereign, but were blocked by the surging assassins, leaving Jin Chen momentarily isolated and helpless.

"Come, save the sovereign—" Jin Chen shouted weakly, each step landing just on points the assassins couldn't grab, walking around like one walking a dog.

"Your Majesty!" Mu Zhongzheng somehow broke through the assassins' blockade, heedless of everything as he ran toward him, 'I come to save you!'

Jin Chen gently turned his head to look, his brows slightly raised; the ease and languor on his face vanished, replaced by innocence and fear, 'Cousin…'

How did this damned thing arrive so fast, not even allowing time for the handsome royal uncle to come heroically to the rescue!

【Now is not the time to think about these things!】 Ling Gun Gun couldn't help reminding: '【The little lion is about to panic! Don't let it hurt you!】'

After all, the lion is still a cub; when frightened it flails wildly, Jin Chen narrowly avoided being scratched, quickly using a clever trick to hold it fast in his arms.

"Your Majesty, are you all right? Come with me quickly!" Mu Zhongzheng grabbed Jin Chen's hand to head for safety, but suddenly saw the assassin who should have been down pick up his blade and charge, 'Foolish Emperor, die!'

The blade sank into the chest.

Jin Chen lowered his gaze; Mu Zhongzheng blocked him with his body, taking the sword blow squarely on his right chest!

"Pfft…" Mu Zhongzheng couldn't help spitting a mouthful of blood, yet immediately let Han Zhou, who had wanted to rush forward, retreat.

Today is a rare good opportunity; just right to use these assassins who came from nowhere to make the little emperor trust him completely, preferably even surpassing the Regent Prince!

The little emperor was terrified, lunging toward him in haste, 'Cousin!'

Mu Zhongzheng had only suffered a light wound, but that pounce landed him a real blade strike, and he fainted completely.

"Master!" Han Zhou hurried over to help, furrowed his brows and fixed his eyes on Jin Chen, but saw only a blank face, 'I… I am merely afraid.'

Han Zhou blocked the blade aimed at the assassin Jin Chen, first pulling Mu Zhongzheng out of the killing zone; he knew the Emperor would come to no harm.

Jin Chen also soon noticed something amiss.

He had thought these people were summoned by that dog Mu Zhongzheng, but the earlier fight didn't seem feigned; rather, Han Zhou was suspiciously calm…

Jin Chen suddenly lifted his gaze, narrowing his peach-blossom eyes toward the front of the troop.

Han Zhou is Xie Zhiwei's man.

These people were actually sent by Xie Zhiwei.

What is the purpose—to test whether he knows martial arts, or whether he has been replaced?

Jin Chen dodged an attack; seeing the assassin's fierce aura, every move a lethal strike, his expression instantly darkened.

"Regent Prince!"

At that moment, at the forefront of the troop, An Jiu swung his sword and slew an assassin, then hurried toward the carriage cabin waiting quietly in the corner.

"Regent Prince, something's wrong! These aren't our people! The assassins we arranged were ambushed en route!"

An Jiu had just finished speaking when the carriage curtain suddenly tore apart; Xie Zhiwei left only a fleeting silhouette that vanished on the spot.

【The Main God has arrived.】 Ling Gun Gun whispered a reminder.

Jin Chen coldly watched the assassin before him collapse dead; upon turning, he instantly lost his bearings, staggering two steps on the bloody battlefield.

Turning his gaze toward Xie Zhiwei, that look was pallid, fearful, and struggling.

He seemed to have realized it. At that moment Xie Zhiwei was thinking, the little emperor knows the assassination was deliberately arranged, but he never imagined he would want Jin Chen's life…

"Jin Chen!" Xie Zhiwei caught the person about to fall, his uncontrollable panic spreading rapidly.

The Dark Dragon Army, which had been observing the surroundings, instantly reacted, unleashing their killing techniques.

In just a few brief moments, all the assassins were slain.

"Cut the grass and pull out the roots." Xie Zhiwei held the unconscious Jin Chen and rushed toward the imperial capital, leaving only a light, fleeting command.