lcionline Chapter 442 Who is the mastermind behind this?
Chapter 442 Who is the mastermind behind this?
The news of the eldest prince being demoted to a commoner spread like wildfire, and the person playing chess behind the crowd smirked slightly.
The men in black who arrived later, of course, did not harm the emperor in the slightest, after all, the guards and secret agents were not to be trifled with.
With Jiang Xiaoqi lurking among the crowd in a ghillie suit, the Emperor's safety level has increased considerably.
In the end, some of the black-clad assassins were shot dead on the spot, while others committed suicide by poison after being captured. In any case, none of them were left alive to be interrogated.
The emperor was not a fool; he understood his son. It was precisely because of this understanding that he only demoted the eldest prince to a commoner.
Assassinating the king is a capital offense. Those present understood the key to this, but they couldn't say it, much less spread it.
Jiang Xiaoqi originally wanted to blend in with the crowd and leave the First Prince's residence, but he was discovered by the head guard several times when he secretly helped the imperial guards.
This person was quite interesting; he directly told the emperor that the remaining guests and attendants might not be entirely without suspicion, and that it was still necessary to conduct a thorough investigation before they left the palace.
The emperor readily agreed and was in no hurry to return to the palace. He immediately began to watch as the head of the guards questioned each of the guests present.
Those who are cleared of any issues will be released; those who are suspected will be detained pending trial.
Sweat beaded on Jiang Xiaoqi's forehead. He should have followed Minister Lin ahead of him; what a miscalculation!
This situation is not a good thing if the emperor notices it, since no one can testify for him whether he is there to help the eldest prince or to protect the hostages and the emperor.
Minister Lin is probably busy helping his son find a doctor and medicine right now, so he has no time to bother with his ally.
Sigh, I hope my human skin mask won't be exposed, otherwise I might be charged with deceiving the emperor.
Jiang Xiaoqi discreetly blended into the crowd, subtly moving back a few places to try and delay being found.
However, this seemingly unintentional movement had already been noticed by the head guard.
The head guard didn't make it clear, anyway, no matter how long it was postponed, it would eventually be discovered, haha.
Soon, fewer and fewer people were being checked, and Jiang Xiaoqi's anxiety grew.
Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out at the back of the crowd, and someone shouted, "An assassin has escaped by scaling the wall!"
Upon hearing this, the guards all turned their attention to the rear, and the captain of the guards, disregarding Jiang Xiaoqi, led most of the men to chase after them.
Jiang Xiaoqi was secretly delighted. Taking advantage of the chaos, he quickly ran towards the gate of the mansion.
However, he had just reached the door when he was stopped by the head guard and other guards who had run off. "Stop! Undergo a search!"
Oh no! We've been tricked!
Jiang Xiaoqi sighed, "People's IQ really drops sharply when they're nervous!"
Sigh~ Forget it, if I run now I'll probably get shot into a pincushion by a hail of arrows.
"Whose servant are you? Why are you running around while being questioned? Are you with those assassins?!"
When the head guard saw Jiang Xiaoqi save the person, he still said a few threatening words to see if the kid would tell the truth.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, I am a servant of Minister Lin of the Ministry of War. My master left in a hurry, so I was left behind. When I came to my senses, a group of men in black appeared."
"After all the men in black were killed, you still wouldn't let the guests and servants leave. I was worried my master would be angry at my late return, that's why I was a little anxious."
Jiang Xiaoqi tried her best to be timid and submissive, bending her back repeatedly.
The head guard felt that the person in front of him was a poor actor. If he hadn't discovered that this person was exceptionally skilled and had saved His Majesty several times, directly or indirectly, he would have actually believed the other person's nonsense.
"Oh? Is that so? But it would be troublesome to verify with Minister Lin now. Why don't you come with us?"
No? Why is it so troublesome to verify?
Jiang Xiaoqi wasn't worried that Minister Lin wouldn't cover for him; it was just that Minister Lin was currently too busy to deal with it, so it was normal for him to forget about him.
If he were detained by the palace guards, he wouldn't be able to work at the Hanlin Academy tomorrow, and he wouldn't even be able to ask for leave. He would be considered absent without leave!
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you the truth. Please, Captain, dismiss everyone else."
The head guard raised an eyebrow. It seemed this person might be an acquaintance.
He readily dismissed his men, then stared at Jiang Xiaoqi in silence.
Of course, now "small eyes" refers to Jiang Xiaoqi after his disguise, and "big eyes" refers to the head guard.
At this moment, the head guard's wide-open bull eyes seemed to see through Jiang Xiaoqi's human skin mask.
Jiang Xiaoqi resignedly took out the softening agent produced by the system from her pocket and sprinkled it directly on her face.
The ears were the first to curl up, followed by the forehead and chin becoming wrinkled.
In just one minute, the perfectly fitting human skin mask separated from the original skin, becoming dry and brittle, and could be removed directly from the face.
Jiang Xiaoqi took off the human skin mask, carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief, and preserved it well. It could be reused; it was worth five points, and she couldn't waste it.
The captain of the guards' eyes widened even more, and his mouth looked as if he could swallow an egg.
At first, he thought this person was a江湖人士 (jianghu figure) who had infiltrated the underworld, someone who stood up for justice and acted chivalrously. He figured he would ask about the person's background and then consider him a friend.
After all, having more friends means having more options, especially with someone as unfathomable and highly skilled in martial arts as this.
My goodness, who knew this person was not only unfathomable and highly skilled in martial arts, but also possessed the legendary art of disguise!
This is truly eye-opening! This isn't a storybook; this is the real world! It's so fantastical, absolutely fantastical!
Just as the head guard closed his gaping mouth, he saw the person opposite him carefully wiping his face with a silk handkerchief.
That makes sense. That mask must have been glued on with some kind of adhesive. It would feel sticky if you didn't wipe it off.
The head guard, unusually patient, stood aside and waited for everyone to finish cleaning up.
Jiang Xiaoqi put away the handkerchief, tidied her somewhat messy hair, and then raised her head to bow, saying, "Excuse me!"
"Jiang! Scholar Jiang! Wait, no, Compiler Jiang! How is it you?!"
Jiang Xiaoqi flashed a row of white teeth, looking a little embarrassed: "Hehe, I already spoke with Minister Lin beforehand, and I knew things wouldn't be peaceful today."
I was worried about my friend's safety, so I disguised myself and came in to check. I'm sorry to have troubled you.
"No, no trouble at all! Jiang Xiuzhuan was a great help. If it weren't for your protection, we couldn't have guaranteed His Majesty's safety."
The head guard didn't ask who Jiang Xiaoqi's friend was. More than a dozen officials' sons were locked in the cellar, but the head guard subconsciously felt that Jiang Xiuzhuan's friend was Young Master Lin.
The scene today was indeed somewhat chaotic. The eldest prince, who had been demoted to a commoner, was bewildered, and the others were in no better shape.
Next, I need to find the real culprit. If Minister Lin and Compiler Jiang can help me, I might be able to finish my task sooner.