and it, this is already on the outskirts of bear territory. My followers also reminded me not to step onto your land without permission.""Meng fought fiercely with the alligator, thrashing it from one...The original's body had already been nurtured by the ripples, not only using Qi to enter the body and expel toxins, but also undergoing preliminary body refinement. Therefore, with ripples holding their natal sword, the whole person's aura changed dramatically. After slashing a black-clad man with a single sword, she dodged a hidden arrow from the side with her body.

"Kill the one who shoots from the shadows."

The ripples spoke directly to the Fenghou standing beside her.

"Yes!"

Fengshou made a gesture, and someone immediately rushed to the spot where the hidden arrow had just been launched.

The Zhu Xiu Yuan was originally a royal garden. Besides the Empress's personal guards, there were only some ordinary guards. Compared to this group of ruthless assassins, their combat strength was still lacking. Although the guards outnumbered the assassins, they were at a disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat, after all, they were the defenders.

Ripples held her ancestral sword, effortlessly slaying the black-clad men.

Also because she was dressed in red, and guarded by the royal guards in the center, the moment she stepped out of the courtyard, a continuous stream of black-clad figures appeared.

In the eyes of the Black Coats, killing those low-ranking thugs held no significance. The Queen was their primary target. So, the moment Ripple appeared, she instantly became the focus of the Assassins' attention.

Because she had her signature sword and possessed incredible strength, even as the primary target of attack, she moved according to her own rhythm, effortlessly slaying the assailants in black.

Feng Shou's movements were also swift, but when she reached the back, she realized that she seemed to have fewer black-clothed assassins than the Empress had slain.

Just as the ripples severed the throat of a man in black, Xian Shijun also held his spear and, escorted by the guards, met with the Empress.

The wise servant saw the Empress in red, with a sword in hand, mercilessly slaying the surrounding black-clothed men. He let out a sigh of relief and immediately charged into the fray with his gun.

After more than half an hour of fierce fighting, over a hundred men in black who charged in were all wiped out. However, the number of casualties among the guards was also considerable. Lian Yi held the bloodless Lei Yao Sword, and asked in a calm voice:

"Where are the empress and her children"

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. The children have been sent to the secret passage for temporary shelter. The eldest princess is escorting Lady Rong and your husband towards us now. As for your Imperial Consort, my subordinates have already dispatched people there, but there's no movement yet."

The phoenix-headed man frowned and said.

"Have someone go take a look."

"Yes!"

Just at this moment, the sound of horses' hooves and boots scraping against the ground came from outside Zhu Xi Yuan. The Second Princess, clad in armor, arrived with the Imperial Guards. Upon seeing Lian Yi in red, her expression became a little awkward before she immediately stepped forward and knelt on one knee:

“My empress, I am so late for my duty! Please punish me!”

Ripples glanced at the generals following her, then back at the second princess kneeling before her. His face was impassive, but he stared at the princess for so long, until sweat beaded on her back.

Get up! What have you done wrong The other side had planned this for a long time, they wanted to catch us off guard. It's already a blessing that you managed to get here.

After a long while, ripples spoke in a soft voice. Then, with a clang, she sheathed her sword.

"Yes, your servant will escort the Empress back to the palace."

The Second Princess immediately lowered her hand and said.

"Your Majesty, the King has met with an accident."

A guard ran up to Ripples and whispered.

"What's going on Where are his guards"

"The emperor's husband was wounded, and almost all his guards were killed, which gave the assassins a chance."

Kenji explained in a low voice.

"What's wrong with his father"

The second princess's face paled, as if she had been frightened too.

"Come with me and see your father."

Ripple commanded directly.

"Yes!"

Only then did the Second Princess rise and follow Ripple's footsteps, hurrying to the courtyard of her brother-in-law Zhao. As she reached the door, she encountered the First Princess and Rong Shijun. Although they were somewhat disheveled, there were no wounds or bloodstains on their bodies.

"Mother Empress, are you well"

"I'm not going to die. You keep watch over your father, and I'll go check on the emperor."

Liàn Yī glanced at the Great Princess and then at Róng Shìjūn, who was coughing violently beside her, and said in a low voice.

"Yes, my lady will take good care of Your Majesty."

The eldest princess was very perceptive and made way.

The Second Princess arrived at the Emperor's courtyard with a worried expression, only to see bodies strewn throughout the yard and little maids kneeling on the ground, weeping. She suddenly had a bad feeling.

The second princess stepped into the room first. What she saw was overturned furniture, spilled teacups and porcelain, and blood on the floor. Mei Yuanzheng was checking the pulse of Emperor Zhao, who lay on the bed. The emperor's complexion was pale as ash, his lips devoid of color, and a thick bandage soaked with blood covered his chest.

"Father!"

The Second Imperial Princess gasped in alarm, rushing to the bed and kneeling down. Her eyes welled up with tears as she grabbed her husband, Zhao's, pale and translucent fingers, tremblingly asking:

"Mei Yuanzheng, how is my father"

A silver-haired Mei Yuan sighed deeply and spoke in a low voice:

"Why don't you go talk to your father Maybe he has something important he needs to tell you."

This statement was practically a death sentence for the emperor. The second imperial princess was stunned speechless. She hadn't expected that what started as a performance of saving the emperor and feigning hardship would now truly implicate her father.

"Father, open your eyes and look, it's me, I am Huānr!"

Tears finally flowed from her eyes, and the second princess cried out in anguish.

At this time, Mei Yuan, with the support of a medicine boy, walked to Lian Yi's side and said apologetically:

"Your Majesty, this old minister is incompetent. The Emperor was wounded in the heart by masked assailants. There's nothing I can do to save him. This old minister has only been able to keep him alive with purple ginseng slices, but I estimate he only has about one incense stick's worth of time left. If you have anything you wish to say to the Emperor, please speak quickly."

"I know, it's hard work for Dr. Mei Yuan! With such great upheaval here, you still have to lead people in treating the wounded."

"This is something within my duty, no trouble at all!"

Before the assassins broke in, Mei Yuan was sent directly onto the beams by a guard. She stayed perfectly still on the beam until the sounds of fighting died down. Only when the guard came to ask her to treat the wounded emperor did she come down.

As soon as I stepped out, I saw the pharmacy boy with a pale face. The clever boy knew he was no match for those assassins in a chase. He directly ransacked the room, threw open all the doors and windows, then slipped under the bed like a wisp of smoke, creating the illusion that the assassins had already been here. He waited until reinforcements arrived before crawling out.

Seeing that her little apprentice was unharmed, Mei Yuanzheng led people to rush to treat the emperor. However, the assassin's sword strike was both ruthless and accurate, leaving her helpless. Fortunately, the empress did not blame her, so she took her apprentice to treat the other wounded.

At this time, the atmosphere in the emperor's room was extremely heavy. In response to the second imperial daughter's cries, Emperor Zhao finally opened his eyes and looked at his tear-stained daughter. The corners of his mouth twitched as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end, it all came down to one sentence:

"My child, don't cry. Father has a few things to say to your mother."mpletely give up on this lateral root, otherwise the rot will spread to your main stem. There's no negotiating that! If you don't want to do it, I can just put the soil back as it is, there's no other...