Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 1179 - 1176_1

Chapter 1179: Chapter 1176_1

The black-clothed figure Yang Mei was chasing managed to attract the attention of the majority of the palace’s soldiers. Meanwhile, the other, who had snatched the child from the cabinet, found a place to hide. After a while, he slipped out unnoticed and escaped with little interaction with the guards.

The third black-clothed man who had randomly abducted a child was almost immediately confronted by the Imperial Guard stationed in the palace.

"Here! The assassin is here!" cried one of the guards upon identifying the criminal. The rest of the Imperial Guard hastily sprinted after him.

The other Imperial Guards, not on the scene, heard the commotion and headed towards the uproar.

Having successfully evaded numerous guards, the man carrying the child from the cabinet exited through a weed-choked dog hole in a deserted wing of the Imperial Garden. He quickly mounted a horse and escaped.

...

Yang Liu rushed to the small Buddhist temple and discovered the Empress Dowager’s garments engulfed in flames. The maids were frantically trying to extinguish the fire.

However, the Empress Dowager was running amok in a frenzy, making it difficult for them to put out the flames on her.

"Ah! Fire! Put out the fire! It will burn me alive, ah! Ah! ..." Shrieked the Empress Dowager as she spun around in a disoriented state.

Alarmed by what she saw, Yang Liu glanced around the room and noticed an ice basin in a corner. She quickly dashed over, grabbed the large block of ice, and splashed half the basin of ice water onto the Empress Dowager. The fire was instantly doused.

Without much time to verify the Empress Dowager’s injuries after extinguishing the fire, she heard shouts that there was an assassin on the premises.

Immediately, she realized they had fallen for a diversion!

"Leave the ice on the Dowager’s burns and have someone quickly fetch the imperial doctor!" Leaving those words behind, Yang Liu swiftly turned to exit.

Coming out of their panic-induced stupor, the maids hurried to execute Yang Liu’s interruption default orders. One of the maids rapidly dashed off to fetch the imperial doctor.

Guided by Yang Liu’s instructions, another maid pushed the ice block towards the Empress Dowager, "Your Highness, quickly apply your burned areas to the ice!"

With the Empress Dowager groaning in pain, two trembling maids tried to place her onto the ice block, ensuring that her burns were touching the ice. They then placed her burned hand on the ice.

However, as her sleeve was the first article of clothing to catch fire, the Empress Dowager’s hand injury was the most severe. Despite placing her hand on the ice block, only a small portion of the wound made contact with the cold surface.

Another ice basin was placed in the corner of the room. Seeing her seniors’ actions, a maid quickly fetched it, wedging it between her feet to avoid spilling the iced water. When she pushed the basin over, there was a loud ’clunk’ and the ice shattered on impact.

Quickly, the maid brought the shattered ice towards the Empress Dowager, carefully lifted her burned hand and submerged her wounds in the ice water, "Your Highness, please soak your hand in the iced water."

"Xiang Ling, quickly wrap some ice fragments in a handkerchief and apply them to the Dowager’s other injuries."

"Where is the imperial doctor? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?" Lamented the weak and pain-stricken Empress Dowager.

"He’s been summoned, your highness, and should be here soon." The maid responded, still urgently treating the Dowager’s burns.

...

Just when Yang Mei was about to catch the black-clothed figure in the Imperial Garden, the assassin abruptly hurled the child he was holding and darted away, utilizing his Qinggong skills to make his escape.

Witnessing the child being flung, Yang Mei was horrified. She gave up chasing and darted toward the child.

Despite her haste, it was too late. The child fell to the ground, just barely out of her reach.

Despair rushed over Yang Mei!

However, to her shock, the child bounced off the ground and rolled a few feet before stopping, revealing that the bundle was not a child at all, but a decoy.

Although she knew she had fallen for a diversion, she couldn’t help but sigh with immense relief!

It wasn’t the young master... She was petrified!

Yang Mei quickly picked herself up and bolted towards the Cining Palace.

The chaos in the Imperial Garden was so commotionary that it even alarmed the Emperor, who was in the middle of a Sacrifice to Heaven ceremony at the altar.

Despite not knowing exactly what was happening, Shangguan Xuanyi sensed a bad premonition. He hastily retrieved a bamboo tube from his sleeve and sent up a city-wide signal for heightened security before swiftly heading to Cining Palace.

Xiao’er was quicker than Shangguan Xuanyi. She immediately employed her Qinggong and flew towards Cining Palace.

Along the way, Shangguan Xuanyi caught up with Xiao’er. Smoothly, he hoisted her into his arms and carried both of them to their destination with increased speed.

"Assassins, protect the emperor!" General Zhao Youwei cried in unison.

The officials looked at each other in bewilderment, gazing around in an attempt to spot the hiding assassin.

Being deeply engrossed in his prayers, the Emperor was oblivious to the situation. He asked Zhao Youwei, "What happened? What’s going on in the palace?"

"Your Majesty, there’s an assassin in the Cining Palace, the young prince has been kidnapped, and the Dowager has been injured by fire!"

"What!" The Emperor changed his demeanor after hearing the news.

"Order a city-wide lockdown. Nobody may leave the city or palace until further notice. Those who disobey will face severe consequences! You two, even if it involves turning the capital upside down do not let them escape with the young prince!"

"Aye!"

"Aye!" Command acknowledged, Zhao Youwei and Jiang Yuheng sprang into action. Zhao Youwei was in charge of the palace while Jiang Yuheng took over the entirety of the imperial city.

"Leave the rest of the ceremony to you, we can reschedule the Sacrifice to Heaven ceremony!" No longer concerned about the ceremony, the Emperor rushed to the Cining Palace to check on the Dowager and see if his grandson had indeed been kidnapped.

Shen Chengyao was stunned! He ran towards Zhao Youwei, "General Zhao, let me go with you to find the young prince. I can recognize them!"

"Okay!" Being the maternal grandfather of the young prince, Shen Chengyao couldn’t possibly be an assassin. Zhao Youwei thought about this and agreed.

...

As Shangguan Xuanyi and Xiao’er rushed towards Cining Palace through a shortcut, they caught sight of a masked man in black escaping with a child towards the high palace walls. He was closely followed by a sizeable contingent of the Imperial Guard.

"The child is with him!" Xiao’er spotted them and cried out.

"I’ll save the child!" Letting go of Xiao’er, Shangguan Xuanyi leapt into pursuit with a burst of speed.

Xiao’er put her skills into use and chased after them.

Seeing Shangguan Xuanyi on his tail, the black-clothed figure assumed their mission was accomplished and the decoy had effectively drawn them away successfully. Thus, he hurled the child onto the ground.

"No!" Xiao’er screamed, witnessing the scene from behind Shangguan Xuanyi.

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