Chapter 421

The evening sun slanted onto the bluestone street, turning the gray bricks into a layer of dark red ember.

Shenjing's streets were spacious; on the main avenue, aside from occasional passersby hurrying by, there were hardly any idle people.

The shutters of most shops on both sides were closed; only a few eateries had their doors half open, shedding a dim yellow light.

Zhang Tingyu's sedan chair moved slowly under the escort of over thirty Imperial City Guard guards, steps uniform, sword scabbards lightly bumping at the waist, emitting a faint metallic clink.

A young Imperial City Guard officer looked left and right for a moment, then couldn't help lowering his voice to say:

"Vice Envoy, are we being overly cautious? In broad daylight, who would dare to move against the current Vice Premier in Shenjing City? Moreover, this is a Cabinet Minister who just had an audience with the emperor!"

The leading Vice Envoy Gu did not turn back, his sharp gaze sweeping over the eaves on both sides:

"Being cautious is never excessive; lately, the area around Grand Secretary Zhang's residence seems to have more suspicious people, and the brothers have reported it several times."

"They say there's an unfamiliar peddler loitering at the alley entrance, and someone sat in the opposite teahouse all afternoon, ordering only one pot of tea and not moving at all."

The young Imperial City Guard officer stared for a moment, feeling somewhat incredulous.

After a moment of silence, his gaze also began to follow Vice Envoy Gu's sweep to both sides; the left inn's door was tightly shut, its lantern still unlit;

The right tavern's second‑floor window was half‑closed, obscuring whether anyone was inside; the street seemed unnaturally quiet, not even a dog's bark.

Suddenly, a low cough came from within the sedan chair, followed by an old man's voice, as if muttering to himself, yet so faint it was barely audible.

The Imperial City Guard officers listened to the voices from the sedan, not turning back; the curtain hung tightly, obscuring whoever was inside.

The leading Vice Envoy Gu walked at the front left of the sedan, one hand on his sword hilt, his eyes scanning back and forth like brushes over the eaves, windows, and door cracks on both sides.

Suddenly he smelled a scent—not the street's dust, but a faint, almost imperceptible tang of metal, as if something had just been polished.

His steps paused for an instant, his gaze stopping at the two‑story tavern on the street corner.

The central window on the second floor was half open, pitch black inside, yet he caught something in that darkness,

like a tiny silhouette—someone standing motionless by the window, face turned toward us.

His heart sank involuntarily.

"Stop." Vice Envoy Gu's voice was low, yet clear enough to reach everyone's ears!

"Dismount, stand guard."

The Imperial City Guard officers halted, swiftly dismounting, drawing their swords, and forming ranks in groups of three or five.

Blades flashed dark gleams in the twilight, armor plates clinking softly.

Someone whispered, "Vice Envoy, what's wrong?"

Vice Envoy Gu did not answer, his eyes still fixed on that window, but the dark shape within had vanished.

He was about to speak when a sudden change occurred.

A sharp tearing sound fell from above, several in succession, like silk being ripped or a taut string snapping,

coming from the second floor of the tavern at the street corner, the roof of the opposite inn, and three different directions at once.

The first volley of crossbow bolts flew just above the street, so fast there was no time to react.

"Assassins!" cried an Imperial City Guard officer, and before he could finish, three bolts were already lodged in his chest.

He glanced at the bolts stuck in the armor's gaps, his sword slipped from his hand, and he toppled backward.

Then came the second, third, and fourth.

Crossbow bolts shot into the neck, pierced the chest, slipped through the gap in the arm guard and stabbed into the wrist; the fallen guards, some still twitching, some already motionless,

Gu Fushi shouted:

Shield the sedan! Shield the Grand Secretary!

Someone lunged at the sedan, trying to block the curtain with his body, but he hadn't steadied himself when the second volley of crossbow bolts arrived.

This time the aim was fiercer; four Imperial City Guard envoys threw themselves to either side of the sedan, their bodies still bent, crossbow bolts embedded in their backs, sunk deep, only a small tip of the fletching visible outside.

One Imperial City Guard envoy was about to draw his sword when a crossbow bolt came from the side, pierced his forearm, pinning his hand to the hilt.

He cried out in pain, dropped to one knee, gritted his teeth trying to pull out the bolt, but as soon as he touched it the agony made him curl up.

The street instantly fell into chaos.

People and horses were overturned, horse hooves clattered on the flagstones in disorder, the sedan bearers stumbled, each scrambling to flee.

Some shouted 'Protect the Grand Secretary!', some cried 'Where are the archers?', others had already collapsed on the ground, silent.

The leading Gu Fushi took cover on the other side of the sedan, using the sedan as a shield, his eyes fixed on the direction the bolts came from.

His heart sank; this was a military-issue heavy crossbow, apparently an eight-ox crossbow and a foot‑bow—how could such a weapon appear here?

The crossbow bolts came again.

The third volley of crossbow bolts struck the center of the sedan, three bolts almost simultaneously piercing the curtain and embedding in the cabin, followed quickly by a fourth, a fifth…

A anguished cry came from inside the cabin, short and heart‑rending, then abruptly cut off.

Gu Fushi's face darkened.

Then he heard the twang of the crossbow strings fading rapidly from above; the assassins were reloading, apparently withdrawing immediately after success, without pause or hesitation.

Their target had been the person inside the sedan from the start.

The street was thick with the smell of blood, mixed with wood shavings and dust.

Gu Fushi rose to his feet, sword still in hand, stained with someone's blood.

He walked to the sedan, reached out, lifted the curtain; both sides of the cabin were pierced by crossbow bolts, wood shavings scattered on the seat cushion, a person lay inside, two bolts in the chest and two in the thigh, already lifeless.

Standing before the sedan, Gu Fushi rested his hand on the curtain and fell silent for a moment.

Then he lowered the curtain, turned around, and faced the Imperial City Guard envoys still gasping for breath.

"Return to the office and report to Lord Xia!" his voice low, as if squeezed from between his teeth.

The twilight deepened, wind swept in from the street, stirring up dust and the smell of blood, blowing toward the palace.

Half an hour later, news of Zhang Tingyu's attack spread throughout the city; all nine gates of Shenjing were placed under lockdown, and the Imperial City Guard's cavalry rode out everywhere.

Soon came another shocking piece of news: the Duke of Jing, summoned into the palace by Emperor Jing Sheng Di, was likewise ambushed outside Shenjing!

In a moment, the mountain rain is about to come!