The courtyard of Prince Qi's Mansion was particularly spacious, and all the guests gathered together.
On the high platform in front, Jin Wang Xiao Yuanhui and the eldest princess Xiao Yuanzhen were seated, accompanied by Xiao Yuanmu as the host. The rest of the male guests are on the east side of the courtyard, while the female family members are under the pergola on the west side.
The singing and dancing banquet was extremely lively, including various operas and animal dances. After drinking for three rounds, King Jin laughed softly and said: "Lao Qi's birthday is really expensive."
Xiao Yuanmu half-leaned, half-leaned, happily drinking and watching the show, and sneered: "I have been in a bitter and cold place for more than ten years, and I finally came back. How can I not enjoy myself? Last month, the emperor's brother and his wife invited me to the palace to give me a special reward. My daughter, let me have a good birthday."
This excitement could not be achieved with a thousand pieces of gold, but the emperor's preference was still evident, and Xiao Yuanhui was speechless.
Although Xiao Yuanmu's eyes were looking at the singing and dancing on the stage, his mind was already drifting away.
There are many guests at today's banquet, which is a good time for the dead assassin to strike.
In order to release the water, Xiao Yuanmu refused to close the markets around the palace on the grounds of not disturbing the people, so Wen Hou had to mobilize two battalions of forbidden troops to maintain security.
At this time, Xiao Yuanmu's eyes searched among the guests, and he soon saw Lu Tang, who was wearing a light green dress.
Lutang sat in the women's banquet, looking around with her eyes like a kitten entering a strange territory for the first time, its tail raised in panic.
I'm afraid I'm going to make her worry today. Xiao Yuanmu felt his ribs tighten and his heart twitched twice.
After all the performances on the stage, the sound of music and drums became more and more urgent, and the drum beats sounded like soldiers. Four costumed dancers came on stage holding daggers inlaid with copper bells and embroidered with flowers, and performed a sword dance.
"Come here, go and invite Miss Wen Er to come up and have a drink with you." Xiao Yuanzhen ordered the palace servants while holding a wine cup.
Xiao Yuanmu was stunned for a moment, frowned and said, "Brother Wang, don't let her come here. If you want to have fun and chat, please ask her to accompany you in the back hall."
These words sounded as if they were coming to the rescue of King Jin. After all, Lutang had been engaged to him. But Xiao Yuanzhen had a stubborn temper and insisted on being invited.
It is truly a great honor to have the eldest princess invite you to the table. The female relatives couldn't help but talk about it again, saying that Wen Lutang's "unfortunate body" hurt others, but brought a lot of luck to herself.
Accompanying the eldest princess at the dinner table is actually a hard job. You need to be measured when toasting and speaking carefully, otherwise you are very likely to be slapped by the palace maid with a smile.
If it were any other time, Lutang would avoid such publicity, but with the bustle in Prince Qi's mansion today, she was afraid that something big would happen.
Sitting on a high platform, he could see clearly from a high place, and he was very close to Xiao Yuanmu. Without thinking, Lutang stood up and followed the palace maid to the main table.
Princess Xiao Yuanzhen is actually very easy to talk to. She has been a monk since she was a child and has been practicing Taoism. She is very interested in Taoist books and the secrets of alchemy.
Lutang also read some books by Lao Zhuang when she was a child. Because she studied medicine, she also knew a little about alchemy. With these two items in mind, I actually chatted back and forth with Xiao Yuanzhen, and I felt like a close confidant.
The sword dance on the stage is vigorous and wonderful. The bells on the dancer's body and the dagger in her hand dance like wind and fire, and the sound is like thunder. Not only the Xiao Yuanmu brothers on the main stage, but also the guests below the stage couldn't take their eyes away. Only Xiao Yuanzhen and Lutang talked in low voices about Taoist warlocks and were not attracted by the sword dance.
"My sister proposes a toast to extend the seventh brother's life!"
The sun's shadow moved to the center, and the shadow under the eaves of the corridor opposite became darker and darker. Xiao Yuanmu's eyes were looking at the opposite side, as if deep in thought, and he held the golden peach cup in his hand very tightly.
At this moment, Xiao Yuanzhen inadvertently raised the jade cup, smiled and stepped forward to toast. Lutang was beside her and hurriedly stood up and knelt next to her.
Between the lightning and flint, a ray of light flickered across the corner of his eyes, and Lu Tang, who was kneeling on the ground, was suddenly startled. He suddenly stood up and took a look. The ray of light was reflected from the shadow under the eaves!
"Your Highness, be careful!"
When the light spot crossed Xiao Yuanzhen's body, Lutang pounced forward.
Bang! Xiao Yuanmu's golden peach cup fell to the ground, and a cold light shone directly over him!
"There's an assassin!"
Xiao Yuanzhen was the first to shout. She was thrown under Lutang, causing severe pain in her arm.
Xiao Yuanmu was the closest and rushed over to check. A short arrow had been nailed to Lu Tang's shoulder!
The world is turned upside down and the world is spinning.
Lutang was in agony, still shouting hoarsely: "There is an assassin! Your Highness, be careful!"
With blood all over her eyes, she was dizzy and lay limply on the white jade steps.
Xiao Yuanmu picked up Lu Tang and quickly ordered the palace people to surround Xiao Yuanzhen. He pointed at the corridor and scolded the soldiers: "The assassin is on the other side!"
Lutang leaned in his arms, with broad shoulders and a broad back and a heavy chest, as stable as the lower realm of the gods.
"Your Highness, the arrows are poisonous..."
Snake venom is slightly green in color and has a numbing sensation. It does not coagulate when exposed to blood. Lutang is well aware of the power of snake venom.
The guests in the audience also became confused. They gathered around in panic, calling for the imperial doctor and the assassins, and they were in chaos.
Xiao Yuanmu was worthy of his military background. Without any hesitation, he raised his hand and pulled out the arrow that had penetrated his flesh and blood.
"ah!!!"
Lutang screamed and rolled her eyes, how could she withstand such severe pain! It's a pity that I couldn't pass out, and had to watch a situation that was thousands of times more embarrassing than the pain.
She originally wanted to tell Xiao Yuanmu the antidote method and ask him to call her maid over immediately. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuanmu tore her wide-sleeved brocade robe to pieces in front of the onlookers, held her thin, paper-white shoulder in his mouth, and sucked the blackened poisonous blood!
"No!" Lutang was hurt and embarrassed, her mind went blank, "Your Highness, don't do this!"
Everyone was in an uproar!
Siblings Xiao Yuanzhen and Jin Wang Xiao Yuanhui stood on the spot as if struck by lightning.
Xiao Yuanmu took more than a dozen sips as if there was no one around, watching the blood turn from black to red. He tied the wound tightly with a silk handkerchief, and the bleeding stopped.
"Your Highness, I will not survive!" Lutang was lying in a pool of blood. Only then did she feel the severe pain gnawing at her heart, and she reluctantly gritted her teeth.
What is he doing? Kiss her skin to skin in front of thousands of guests!
With a cold face, Xiao Yuanmu picked her up from the dripping blood and ordered his subordinates: "Please invite the Royal Physician! Please invite Marquis Wen and his wife!"
Lutang's clothes were messy and her bun was fluffy. She was held in his arms and couldn't move. She finally burst into tears and said, "It's better to let me die!"
"If you yell again, I'll tear off all your clothes!" Xiao Yuanmu suddenly lowered his head, his eyebrows raised and his eyes widened.
The king, the general respected by everyone in the Daliang Kingdom, and the fierce general who made the enemy countries frightened, frightened her and she would be captured easily. Lutang was speechless, grinning, eyes red, and even the tears were scared away.
Xiao Yuanmu temporarily placed her on the soft couch in the flower hall, spit out a black pill and stuffed it into her mouth. There was no one else here, so his voice was very soft and trembling: "This is the detoxifying snake gallbladder, swallow it!"
The royal doctor came in carrying a medicine box.
Marquis Wen and his wife followed them in. Their brows were furrowed and what they said was heart-chilling.
"How do you look like you are so disheveled! It is a breach of moral integrity to touch your clothes with bare sleeves. Where do you put Wen's face!"
Does the Hou Mansion still need face? If it weren't for the severe pain in her shoulder, Lu Tang would have wanted to laugh.
While the commotion was going on, Jin Wang Xiao Yuanhui was walking at the door. He followed the etiquette and did not enter the door. He only scolded Xiao Yuanmu at the door: "Second Miss, you have a rich body, how can you be so reckless?"
It seemed that everyone was talking about her having her clothes ripped off by Xiao Yuanmu and losing her reputation. Someone shot a cold arrow in Prince Qi's palace, but no one talked about the assassin?
"In public, you take off your clothes and get naked. Second sister, do you know whether your daughter's life or death is a minor indiscretion or a major indiscretion?" Wen Hongyao followed behind her parents and could hardly help laughing when she spoke.
Now that things have happened, does she have the nerve to teach her a lesson for losing her reputation? Lutang wanted to argue with her, but the wound was so painful that she couldn't speak because she was covered in sweat.
"What kind of bastards are the Wen family? Miss Wen Er was seriously injured when she blocked an arrow from an assassin in order to save me, and your whole family scolded her for losing her integrity? According to your intention, she is not allowed to save her, and I want to die. Did the arrow fall?"
The chaos outside has been controlled by the soldiers of Prince Qi's palace, and the maids gathered around Xiao Yuanzhen to visit.
"Elder Princess, please forgive me, I don't dare to have such intention." Marquis Wen and his wife were the first to apologize. Wen Hongyao looked disdainful and could only kneel down and salute.
"Master Wenhou, you are in charge of the imperial army in the capital, and the security of the capital is also under your control. I don't quite understand that an assassin is trying to assassinate me. Instead of leading the imperial army to hunt down the assassin, you ran to your niece's bedside and thought What’s the point of forcing her to death?”
Xiao Yuanmu watched the imperial doctor treat Lutang's injuries and sneered at Marquis Wen while sitting on the edge of the couch.
"Uncle and auntie, don't worry, my niece will not die as a martyrdom, and I will embarrass you beyond the sky!" Lutang shouted while holding on to his body, deliberately trying to piss them off.
"Shut up, you bastard!" Marquis Wen and his wife saw that she still had the energy to speak, so they couldn't help but stop shouting.
Xiao Yuanmu was immediately furious and loudly ordered his servants: "Get my sword!"
He drew his sword in his hand, and the green sword energy shot out with cold light.
"I have rudely violated the Second Young Lady and exposed her noble body to others. Since it is a breach of integrity to touch her clothes with bare sleeves, and I have touched her shoulder, why not cut it off to preserve her integrity?"
Lutang never expected that Xiao Yuanmu would make such a fuss. A sword light dazzled in front of him, and he was so frightened that he almost fainted.
Fortunately, everyone swarmed up and stopped Xiao Yuanmu.
Xiao Yuanmu didn't care, and sneered at Wenhou's family: "It seems that Wenhou is not satisfied with cutting off an arm, so she must die? I have killed many people since I was young, and I don't care about one more. Then just like you The couple wanted to chop off the second lady’s head!”
When he waved his sword here, Marquis Wen was so shocked that he knelt down on one knee and apologized repeatedly.
"I am being pedantic. Your Highness, please calm down! I will go out and find out the assassin right now!"
Wenhou, his wife and Wenhongyao retreated in disgrace.
Xiao Yuanhui watched outside the door for a while and felt that he was really making a big fuss. He pulled Xiao Yuanzhen away with him and said impatiently: "Old Qi, there is an assassin in the house. Don't panic or get angry. Let's take care of this place first." Now. I, along with Yuan Zhen, will be waiting for you in the study."
Xiao Yuanmu put down the sword casually, holding it with his knuckles, and said with a sneer: "Brother Jin Prince, don't worry, assassins are not allowed to run rampant in this palace. Wait until I capture the assassin alive and grind him into powder—— "
When he said this, he suddenly lowered his head and glanced at the exhausted Lutang, with a hint of unnoticeable pity.
"——Avenge Miss Wen Er!"
Lutang's heart jumped a few times, and her eyes filled with tears from the pain.
