Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 498: Assassin (Part 1)

This assassination came swiftly and unexpectedly.

Swoosh!

In the darkness, another arrow flew straight towards Jiang Shaohua. With a flick of her right hand, a flash of cold light shot out from her sleeve. With a ding, the cold light struck the arrow, and they both fell to the ground.

The number of assassins hiding in the dark was unknown, as they took advantage of the chaos to continue shooting arrows.

Qin Huma, Meng Sanbao, and the other trusted aides quickly gathered around, drawing their sharp weapons. While blocking the arrows with their weapons, they formed a protective barrier for their Commandery Princess with their bodies.

Chen Jinyu was so frightened that her face turned pale, crouching on the ground not daring to move.

Wang Jin, who had previously been kicked to the ground, appeared even more disheveled. However, at this moment, lying on the ground was the safest position. There was no time to worry about appearances.

Jiang Shaohua straightened her back, her gaze as cold as ice, looking in the direction from which the arrows came. She saw a few dark shadows flickering under the eaves a hundred meters away.

These assassins, having missed their target, were about to escape far away.

When Jiang Shaohua entered the Capital City, she brought two hundred trusted aides. However, the court rules were strict, and only five could accompany her in and out of the palace each day. For consecutive days, she left the palace daily, first going to the Ministry of Rites, then to the Ministry of Industry. Her trusted aides waited outside the palace gates daily, providing protection.

Today, fifty trusted aides accompanied her to the Ministry of War. Half surrounded her, while the other half, led by Song Yuan, slipped into the shadows to pursue the assassins.

The nearby constables from the Five Cities Military Department, who were patrolling at night, were also alarmed and chased the assassins with lanterns and weapons.

Though it took long to describe, the assassination attempt ended in failure in just a few blinks of an eye.

Everyone in the Ministry of Industry was startled and rushed to the door but dared not get too close, afraid that more assassins might be hiding in the dark ready to shoot arrows at them.

"Is the Commandery Princess unharmed?"

"In broad daylight and under the open sky! Who has the audacity to attempt an assassination on the Commandery Princess!"

It’s already midnight, far from broad daylight. It is clearly a moonless, deadly night!

Cold light flashed in Jiang Shaohua’s eyes; she did not turn around, maintaining her vigilant stance. As expected, a shadow silently approached from another direction.

This assassin displayed tremendous strength, throwing a long spear from dozens of meters away. The spear was about three feet long, entirely pitch-black, and hurtled through the night rapidly. It was truly a lethal weapon.

Qin Hu stepped forward, flicking his long knife to knock the spear away. The spear flew obliquely for more than ten meters, hitting the plaque of the Ministry of Industry, causing it to sway.

The officials inside the Ministry of Industry collectively gasped, retreating to find a safe place to hide.

The elderly Minister Zhou crouched trembling, his voice quivering uncontrollably: "Wh-where do these assassins come from!"

The officials were too terrified to respond, while some brave craftsmen didn’t know how to answer.

The Capital City was replete with high officials and nobles, its defense the strictest. A group of unknown assassins appearing outside the Six Ministries’ offices was beyond shocking.

From Minister Zhou’s perspective, he could only barely see a group of trusted aides. Jiang Shaohua was surrounded by them, leaving him unable to see her current state.

Strangely, Minister Zhou just knew that Jiang Shaohua was not frightened by the assassins. Her anger seemed tangible, even Minister Zhou lurking in the corner could sense the iron-blooded atmosphere.

Soon, three more assassins emerged from the darkness, continuously throwing long spears. Under such circumstances, the defending side was at a real disadvantage.

A trusted aide, using his body as a shield, blocked a hit from an assassin. Blood spurted from his abdomen, but the trusted aide didn’t make a sound, slowly collapsing.

A fierce killing intent flashed in Jiang Shaohua’s eyes as she swiftly bent down, took the long knife from the gravely injured aide’s hand, and replaced him in position.

Qin Huma and Meng Sanbao noticed this from the corners of their eyes, each startled: "Commandery Princess, please don’t be impulsive!"

Jiang Shaohua coldly replied, "This is the Six Ministries’ offices, the assassins won’t be many. If they dare come to assassinate me, tonight I’ll ensure they come but don’t leave! Kill them all, leave no one alive!"

The last sentence was filled with icy bloodthirstiness.

Qin Huma, Meng Sanbao, and the other trusted aides all perked up and responded loudly.

These assassins were Death Warriors, highly skilled and fearless of death. Capturing them alive would definitely require a bloody sacrifice. But with the Commandery Princess commanding to kill without mercy, things would be much easier.

The trusted aides charged forward with murderous intent, engaging in combat with the four assassins. Several other trusted aides continued to guard Jiang Shaohua, their eyes vigilantly scanning the dark night.

Fortunately, everything was as Jiang Shaohua anticipated. This was the territory of the Six Ministries’ offices flanking the Imperial Road. No matter how capable the masterminds behind this assassination were, they couldn’t possibly deploy too many people. Of the fleeing assassins, only a few were left, adding to the four in sight, totaling less than ten.

Wang Jin, lying on the ground, struggled to raise his head: "Is the Commandery Princess unharmed!"

Jiang Shaohua did not look down at Wang Jin, but spoke a few words: "I’m fine, it’s the assassins who are in trouble."

Thud!

An assassin got his chest pierced by two blades in succession, the blades piercing through, blood gushing wildly, dying with a scream.

Another assassin braved a cut on his back, finally reaching Jiang Shaohua. His face covered with a black scarf, his expression was indiscernible, but the madness and ferocity in his eyes were clear.

As long as he could injure Jiang Shaohua, dying immediately would be worth it.

He silently screamed in his heart, using all his strength to slash.

The next moment, the long knife flew up, taking his right arm into the air. Before he could feel the pain, his head followed.

It turned out the Nanyang County Princess was so formidable, beheading him in just an instant.

That was the assassin’s last thought before his eyes closed forever.

Wang Jin witnessed the scene clearly. Jiang Shaohua wielded the long knife with a cruel beauty, and it wasn’t until the assassin’s head hit the ground that his headless body collapsed powerlessly.

"Quick, protect the Commandery Princess!"

The Ministry of Justice’s office, hundreds of meters away, was completely startled, all lanterns and torches lit, with dozens of constables rushing over. Leading them was Vice Minister Yang holding down the fort at the Ministry of Justice.

Vice Minister Yang’s eyes swept over, seeing four assassin corpses gruesomely lying on the ground, Jiang Shaohua’s long knife still poised in a killing stance, blood dripping from its tip.

"Commandery Princess, I arrived a step too late!" Vice Minister Yang said, terrified, his voice trembling slightly.

Jiang Shaohua turned her head, her dark eyes as cold as ice and snow: "Vice Minister Yang is not late. These assassins are all dead. The others fled, and Commander Song has already led a pursuit."

"Please, Vice Minister Yang, immediately send people to retrieve the assassins’ bodies back to the Ministry of Justice and investigate their identities and origins."