The garrison in the city received the news that there were assassins in the post house, and the captain Deng Huan immediately led hundreds of state soldiers to come to support, and as the state soldiers entered the post house, the remaining dozens of them scattered as birds and beasts, each fleeing for their lives, but was captured by the state soldiers on the periphery one by one, most of the 100 assassins were killed and wounded, and only a few escaped from Xiangcheng County.

Li Chongrun lived next door to his parents, and when the Assassins attacked, he also participated in the fierce battle with the Assassins, but he was not the target of the Assassins, and escaped with his life, and when the Assassins retreated, the compound returned to calm, and the ground was full of corpses and wounded, and Li Chongrun also joined in the rescue.

At this time, he saw an injured guard beside the rockery, and hurriedly ran up, he squatted beside the guard, but his face slowly became gloomy, this injured guard turned out to be Han Zhiqi, the leader of the guards.

Han Zhiqi was hit by two swords in his body, bleeding profusely, he moaned and begged Li Chongrun, "Childe, save me"

Li Chongrun said coldly: "When you went to my mother's bed, did you ever think that there would be today?"

Han Zhiqi's eyes showed a look of fear, "I." I promise......"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Chongrun's dagger had already plunged deep into his chest, piercing his heart, and Han Zhiqi was killed instantly.

"Death to atone for your sins"

Li Chongrun whispered, slowly stood up, the two guards just ran over, stunned by Li Chongrun's behavior, Li Chongrun said lightly: "He can't live anymore, beg me to give him a good time"

He turned and walked briskly to his parents' room.

The fierce fighting in the main room was also over, and the ground was full of chaos, all six assassins were killed, five of them were killed, another was wounded and committed suicide, several eunuchs and palace maids were also half dead, and some guards helped the Luling King and his wife out of the table hole.

Li Xian and his wife were still trembling with fright, Li Chongrun walked in quickly, and he was relieved to see that his parents were all right.

Li Xian asked him in a trembling voice, "Outside." Circumstance. How's it going?"

"The guards have suffered heavy casualties, it is estimated that half of them are left, thanks to the internal guards to resist, otherwise there will be a big incident today, hundreds of assassins"

Li Xian's face turned even paler, she couldn't ask anymore, Princess Wei Lian had already recovered her composure from the fright, she gritted her teeth and asked, "Who sent the assassin?"

"The specific child is not very clear, the child only knows that they sneaked into the inner courtyard from the city wall, and Han Zhiqi did not allow the internal guards to enter the inner courtyard, so the casualties were so heavy that it almost caused a catastrophe, and he has an unshirkable responsibility. ”

Wei Lian suddenly said angrily: "Where is Han Zhiqi? Let him come to see me."

"Mother, he's already dead in battle. Li Chongrun looked at his mother calmly.

Wei Lian's eyes were gloomy for a while, and she whispered after a while: "Since you are dead, don't talk about any responsibility." ”

At this time, Li Zhen hurriedly walked in and knelt down on one knee to report: "Lord Qiqi, princess, all the assassins have been cleared, and the outside is safe." ”

"Commander Li, who is it?" asked Li Xian in a low voice.

Li Zhen shook his head, "There is no evidence, the assassins who were caught were all Jiangyang thieves wanted by the government, they took money to do things, and I don't know who the instructor was behind, I only knew that it was a young man, but when this person retreated, he heard him shouting not in a Tang accent, it seemed to be the language of Goguryeo." ”

Wei Lian suddenly said angrily: "It turned out that Goguryeo's gang of dogs who were bent on recovering the country killed us and wanted to provoke civil strife in the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Xian's face was very ugly, he knew in his heart that the Goguryeo people were just a knife, but he didn't say anything, only sighed and said, "Clean up and get ready to go on the road at dawn."

At this time, a guard reported at the door: "Lord Qi, the county order county Cheng came to ask for guilt"

Li Xian waved his hand tiredly, "I don't want to see them anymore, let them deal with the aftermath, I won't impeach them in this matter." ”

Di Yan frowned slightly, she glanced at Li Zhen, Li Zhen followed her to the outside of the house, Di Yan immediately whispered: "Did you hear it, there is only the county order and the county cheng, but there is no county lieutenant, where did he go?"

Li Zhen nodded, Di Yan's words reminded him, indeed, where did that Pei County Lieutenant go? He walked quickly towards the gate, and Di Yan followed closely behind him

Outside the gate, the county commander Huang Weifang knelt on the ground, and the county Cheng also knelt aside, both of them were frightened and frightened, their faces were pale, the king of Luling was actually assassinated in Xiangcheng County, how could they explain to the saint and the imperial court? Not only could the official not be saved, but his life might also be lost.

Li Zhen walked out quickly, he glanced at a few people outside the gate, there were county orders, county officials and master books, but he didn't see the county lieutenant Pei Shunqing, so he asked, "Where is the county lieutenant Pei?"

Huang Weifang was stunned in his heart, and he only then reacted, why hasn't Lieutenant Pei come yet?

"Xiaguan has already sent someone to find him, he should have arrived, and Xiaguan doesn't know"

At this moment, a servant rushed to the scene, holding an object in his hand, and he ran forward and said in a loud voice; Qiyu County Order, Pei County Lieutenant abandoned the official and left, and he hung the official seal in the lobby

Li Zhen's face changed suddenly, and he immediately said to Zhao Qiuniang behind him: "Quickly go and seal the Jishengtang Pharmacy, and no one inside is allowed to let go."

"Compliance"

Zhao Qiuniang agreed, and waved to dozens of state soldiers next to her, "You guys also come with me"

The soldiers and the internal guards ran towards the city with Zhao Qiuniang, and Di Yan also followed, she was very excited in her heart, she was not mistaken, there was really something wrong with this pharmacy.

Huang Weifang was startled and hurriedly asked, "Could it be that County Lieutenant Pei has something to do with the assassination?"

Li Zhen said coldly: "If I guessed correctly, this Pei County Lieutenant should also be a resettlement person of Goguryeo."

The county man said in a low voice: "The county gentleman, it seems that yes, I heard him say that he was relocated from Goguryeo with his father since he was a child. ”

Huang Weifang reacted very quickly, could it be that the person who assassinated the King of Luling was the restoration of Goguryeo?

But in any case, if the county lieutenant Pei abandoned the official and fled, he could put all the responsibility on the county lieutenant Pei, and he would be able to keep it, Huang Weifang was secretly happy in his heart, this Pei Shunqing escaped at really the right time

"The lower officials will thoroughly investigate this matter and will definitely give an explanation to the prince. ”

Not long after, Di Yan returned from the pharmacy and brought back a very sad news, the shopkeeper and several men in the pharmacy had fled, leaving only a group of doctors who knew nothing.

This was expected by Li Zhen, since the other party had made careful arrangements, how could they sit still and wait for death, and they would definitely have fled if they could escape, in fact, they did not have any evidence to identify that this assassination was committed by the Goguryeo Restoration Association.

However, Li Zhen didn't care who the mastermind behind the assassination of Li Xian was, either Wu Sansi or Lai Junchen, that's all, Li Zhen also got what he wanted, that is, when Li Xian was in the most crisis, he appeared in time, saved his life, and made him owe himself a favor, no matter whether Li Xian ascended the throne in the future, it is always good to leave himself a way back.

The sky gradually brightened, and the frightened Li Xian and his wife got into the carriage, Li Zhen led the internal guards and the remaining eight guards to protect the carriage, left Xiangcheng County, and drove towards Luyang Pass in the north, where troops were stationed, and they would be protected by the army until they returned to Luoyang.

Two days later, the report of Li Xianzai, the king of Luling, who was assassinated in Xiangcheng County, was finally sent to Shangguan Wan'er's desk, and Shangguan Wan'er was shocked and immediately rushed to the imperial study to find Wu Zetian to report.

In the imperial study, the assassination report written by Li Zhen made Wu Zetian speechless for a long time, although she secretly summoned her son Li Xian back to Beijing not to reward him, but to put him under her nose so that he could better supervise him.

But she never wanted her son to be assassinated on the way to Beijing, and a nameless anger filled Wu Zetian's broad chest, and she slapped the royal case heavily, "Quickly summon Wu Sansi to see me"

Shangguan Wan'er was secretly taken aback, and asked in a low voice, "Does Your Majesty think it was Wu Sansi who did it?"

Wu Zetian said coldly: "Except for him, I can't think of anyone else." ”

"But...... In his report, Commander Lee mentioned the Goguryeo Restoration Congress—"

"Hmph, I Xuan Luling King secretly entered Beijing, how many people can know about this? I understand very well in my heart, why did he do this? He thought that getting rid of King Luling, the crown prince was his, I can only say that he is delusional."

At this time, a eunuch reported outside the door, "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness King Liang has arrived." ”

"Let Him In"

After a while, Wu Sansi walked into the imperial study tremblingly, of course he could hear the anger in Wu Zetian's tone, and he also knew why she summoned him, Wu Sansi got the news last night that the assassination of Li Xian failed.

This made him disappointed, and his heart also began to worry, of course he knew that assassinating Li Xian would be risky, but compared to the benefits obtained from killing Li Xian, this little risk was nothing.

Last night, he should have discussed the countermeasures with Mr. Ming, it was very simple, as long as there was no evidence that he did it, then he would resolutely deny it, even if he offended the Holy Lord, he must not admit that he planned it.

Wu Sansi entered the door and saluted: "Weichen see Your Majesty"

"Wu Sansi, the good things you have done" Wu Zetian slashed his head and reprimanded angrily, which frightened Wu Sansi all over, "Weichen." Wechen will speed up the progress and repair the Ming Hall on time, please calm your anger"

Wu Zetian stared at him for a long time, and said coldly: "Don't think that you can hide it from me by pretending to be confused, I know that it is you, but you still don't admit it?"

Wu Sansi knelt down, kowtowed again and again: "Weichen really doesn't know what His Majesty is talking about, please make it clear."

"The assassination of King Luling in Xiangcheng County, do you dare to say that it was not you?"

Wu Sansi's face was full of astonishment, and he immediately kowtowed, "Your Majesty, Weichen has been wronged, although Weichen has a bad relationship with His Royal Highness the King of Luling, but he is not so bold that he wants to assassinate him, this."

Isn't it a trick for yourself, Your Majesty, it's not the work of the ministers."

In the end, Wu Sansi burst into tears, and tried hard to justify, Wu Zetian was also a little puzzled, although she believed that Wu Sansi did it, but she had no evidence, but if it wasn't Wu Sansi's doing, who would still have this motive, and who would leak the matter of King Luling's return to Beijing?

Shangguan Wan'er next to her watched coldly, she saw the hesitation of the saint, and knew that Wu Sansi was about to succeed again, so she stepped forward and saluted, "Your Majesty, Wan'er thinks there is another possibility." ”

"What is possible?"

"Because His Majesty sent Yushitai and Dali Temple to Fangzhou to handle the case, it will inevitably alarm some people with bad intentions, and they must also be paying attention to Fangzhou, so when King Luling left Fangzhou and returned to Beijing, they immediately got the news, Wan'er means that the news may not be leaked from the capital, but from Fangzhou. ”

Shangguan Wan'er's words do make sense, so many people went to Fangzhou to investigate, how could anyone not pay attention to Fangzhou, and it was reasonable to know that Li Xian left Fangzhou and returned to Beijing.

Wu Zetian's eyes glanced at Wu Sansi coldly, but his tone was not as sure as just now, "I really have no evidence, but I will investigate this matter thoroughly, once I find out that you are secretly planning this matter, I will not blame me for not being merciful."