158: Chapter 158 Assassination

A sharp shortsword grazed his ribs, tearing through the bright yellow dragon robe and drawing a trail of blood beads.

Though he appeared to be in a sorry state, everything was actually within his control.

Seeing the opponent fly into a rage from the missed strike and continue swinging the sword, he immediately became "terror-stricken" again, crawling backward with hands and feet.

He knocked over wine cups and fruits, juice splashing everywhere in a pathetic display.

“Assassins! Protect the King! Protect the King!”

He screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice distorted by "fear."

Only then did Su Daji seem to react, letting out a short gasp of surprise and retreating while covering her mouth, her face perfectly filled with terror and helplessness.

But Su Chen saw clearly that her retreating steps were light and steady; she was no ordinary fragile woman.

Furthermore, there was even a nearly imperceptible hint of disappointment in those beautiful eyes.

“As expected, it was your doing...”

Failing to hit with one strike, the assassin in the shadows did not linger to fight, retreating rapidly like a ghost to merge back into the darkness.

“Hmph, trying to leave!”

Su Chen feigned a look of finally "erupting" after being excessively "frightened."

He let out a furious roar, appearing as if he were acting out of blind panic.

He grabbed a heavy bronze wine vessel nearby and hurled it fiercely toward the direction the assassin was retreating without even looking.

The wine vessel flew swift and fierce, carrying a whistling wind under Su Chen's great strength.

The assassin clearly hadn't expected this "faint-hearted ruler" to have such accuracy and strength in his panic, and her figure faltered slightly as she leaned aside to dodge.

In that brief moment of hesitation, the sound of hurried footsteps and clashing armor came from outside the hall.

The guards had arrived.

“Capture them for We, I want them alive!”

Su Chen slumped on the ground, pointing toward the assassin.

Panting heavily with a pale face, he looked like he was still in shock.

The guards swarmed forward. The assassin's martial arts were not weak, but two fists are no match for four hands; she was soon subdued and brought before Su Chen.

It was a woman with an ordinary face that would be lost in a crowd.

Only her eyes were currently glaring fixedly at Su Chen, filled with venomous malice and resentment.

Supported by the guards, Su Chen stood up "shakily," brushed off the mess on his clothes, walked up to the assassin, and looked down at her from above.

He didn't ask stupid questions like "Who sent you?"

Presumably, the other party wouldn't answer anyway.

For him, being able to capture this person alive and prevent them from instantly self-destructing or self-immolating upon the failed assassination meant his goal was achieved.

Because...

He had inadvertently caught a glimpse of the lining beneath the woman's black robe.

Embroidered on it was a pattern of two lotus flowers surrounding a jade pillar.

Su Chen only sized her up coldly for a moment before speaking slowly.

His voice could be heard clearly throughout the suddenly silent grand hall.

“Drag her down and flay her.”

“Do it right outside the hall, let everyone watch.”

“We want to see just how many more monsters and demons in this Zhaoge City, in this Great Yin world, dare to brandish weapons before Us.”

His tone was calm, and the guards ignored the assassin's struggling curses as they dragged her out.

Soon, the sound of deboning knives scraping flesh and the woman's shrill screams came from outside the hall.

Su Chen turned around, remembering Su Daji.

His face put on a feigned look of lingering fear and pity as he walked over to take her hand.

“Beloved Consort, were you hurt?”

Before he could touch her, Su Daji had already retreated half a step slightly.

She bowed gracefully, her voice soft and seductive, carrying a perfectly timed tremor.

“This concubine is unharmed, just a bit frightened.”

“Your Majesty possesses boundless fortune and is naturally protected by the heavenly gods.”

She kept her eyes lowered, her long eyelashes casting small shadows on her face, making it impossible to see the emotions in her eyes.

Su Chen's hand paused in mid-air for a moment before he withdrew it naturally.

He said with a smile,

“It is good that my Beloved Consort is fine. Tonight's mood is ruined; We will make it up to you another day.”

He waved his hand and gave orders to the eunuchs who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

“Escort Beauty Su back to Guanwa Palace to rest. Summon the Imperial Physician to bandage Our wound.”

“Furthermore, summon Bi Gan, Shang Rong, Mei Bo, Du Yuanxian, and Queen Jiang to see Us immediately.”

The names he called out were all high-ranking officials of the court, and he added Queen Jiang at the end.

The eunuch was startled and said cautiously,

“Your Majesty, Queen Jiang said the day before yesterday that she was feeling unwell...”

“We said, immediately.”

Hearing Su Chen's majestic voice and remembering the assassin who was just being flayed alive, the eunuch didn't dare speak further and could only nod in agreement.

“Understood!”

Su Daji was supported by palace maids as she left; as she was exiting the hall doors, she glanced back.

Su Chen's back was turned to her as he allowed the Imperial Physician to treat his wound.

The tyrant wore a suit of golden armor, and behind him hung the snow-white long hair unique to the Yin Dynasty royal family.

Aside from everything else, this tyrant truly had the fine appearance of an elegant noble young master.

A pity...

Su Daji shook her head, her fingers curling slightly.

...

An hour later, Zhaoming Hall.

Su Chen had changed into casual clothes, and the wound on his ribs had been simply bandaged.

He sat behind the imperial desk, while below stood several high-ranking officials who had hurried over upon receiving the summons.

As well as Queen Jiang, who looked haggard but still maintained her poise.

Bi Gan was the first to step forward.

This Royal Uncle, famous for his bluntness and courage in admonishing the throne, now had his hair and beard bristling, looking pained and distressed.

“Your Majesty! This old minister heard that tonight you were again at the Deer Terrace drinking and making merry with that enchant... with that Woman of the Su clan, leading to an assassination attempt!”

“Although the assassin truly deserves ten thousand deaths, this is a warning from Heaven, Your Majesty.”

“The enchantress brings disaster to the country and defiles the palace; the heavens are angry and the people are resentful.”

“Please issue an imperial decree immediately to expel the Su woman from the palace and execute her publicly to appease the world and the ancestors.”

“Not to mention the floods in the Central Plains and the rise of the Ji Clan in Xiqi, just around Zhaoge City...”

Once he started talking about state affairs, this old minister seemed unable to stop.

He looked exactly like a loyal subject who dared to risk death to admonish his king.

But Su Chen was not truly a faint-hearted ruler.

Although the suggestions Bi Gan raised sounded very sincere on the surface, upon careful analysis, not a single one was beneficial to the Yin Dynasty.

As long as he was even slightly fatuous and actually followed his advice, it would only be a matter of time before the Ji Clan replaced the Yin Dynasty.

But if he did not adopt these suggestions, Bi Gan would admonish him to death every day until one day he completely lost patience and executed him.

In that way, he, the King of Yin, would also end up with a reputation for being fatuous and devoid of principles.

What a truly clever scheme!

While Bi Gan was acting pained and distressed, Su Chen's gaze swept over the other high-ranking officials.

As expected.

Their faces were full of indifference, without any emotional fluctuations.

It was very clear.

Even if they didn't know the full details of Bi Gan's current plan, they had at least heard something about it.

They were simply all in it together!

Queen Jiang pursed her lips, her face pale and her eyes filled with tears.

She and Di Xin had been married since their youth and once had times of mutual respect and harmony.

But she didn't know when it started, the monarch's eyes were only left with beauty and pleasure, and he grew increasingly cold toward her.

Hearing of the assassination at the Deer Terrace tonight, she had been terrified.

But seeing Su Chen unharmed and being summoned to face such a scene, her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

(Author's note: Everyone should be able to see that investing is the protagonist's cycle of reincarnations. Here, the Queen also fell in love with the protagonist himself when they were young. Due to length constraints, the investment story starts from here.)