HLnovel Chapter 261 Bo Zi'an, I'm here to marry you.
Chapter 261 Bo Zi'an, I'm here to marry you.
A sharp, hidden arrow pierced the air, hurtling towards the emperor amidst the crowd's horror.
The assassination attempt happened so suddenly that the imperial guards around the area were caught off guard. Just as the arrow was about to pierce the emperor's brow, a hand suddenly appeared out of thin air and caught the arrow at the crucial moment.
It was none other than Grand Eunuch Feng, who served the emperor.
He caught the hidden arrow with his bare hands, his hand trembled violently, and blood spurted out, splashing onto the emperor's face, which was less than two fists away from him.
"Escort!"
"Assassins! Protect the Emperor!"
A shout suddenly rang out.
The imperial guards swarmed around the emperor, surrounding him completely.
The emperor's eyes were as cold and still as dead water. He reached out and took the handkerchief from the palace maid beside him, wiped the damp heat splashed on his face, and looked coldly at the performance stage in the center.
Uncle An had already lost the initiative. He was quickly subdued by the Imperial Guards and forced to lie on the ground. He looked up with stubborn hatred at the Emperor sitting on the dragon throne.
"Wipe his face clean and let me see who dares to be so audacious," the emperor said sternly.
The Imperial Guard immediately grabbed Uncle An's hair, pulled his head up, poured a pot of wine over his head, and vigorously rubbed his face with a cloth.
Uncle An did not resist, letting them wipe the makeup off his face, revealing his original face.
His face was very thin, his cheeks were almost sunken, and the marks of time were very obvious. His temples were full of white hair, and his eyes were as weathered as withered leaves that had fallen into the mud, without any luster. But even so, he could not hide the handsome and elegant demeanor in his eyes.
"Bo Zi'an!"
I don't know who shouted.
Not many of those present remembered this face, but some did. However, no matter what, they couldn't connect this face with Bo Zi'an, the third-ranked scholar who rode through the streets on horseback back then.
Bo Zi'an came from a humble background, merely an ordinary gentry family in Jiangnan. However, he was intelligent and learned from a young age, passing the imperial examination at a young age. Moreover, due to his exceptionally refined appearance, he was personally selected by the late emperor as the third-ranked scholar. The top two scholars that year were already over thirty years old. When Bo Zi'an rode through the streets, his exceptionally handsome appearance captivated countless young girls.
Just then, the eldest princess returned to the capital from her trip with her friends. Her bright red dress was striking and flamboyant. When they met on the ten-mile-long street, it was as if the sun, moon, and stars were intertwined, and a thousand years passed in an instant.
What followed was a natural arrangement for the emperor to bestow a marriage upon the princess, pairing her with the newly appointed third-ranked scholar, thus creating a beautiful story.
The couple were very loving after their marriage, and the princess soon became pregnant.
Unfortunately, this period of peace was short-lived. War soon broke out between the two countries, and the Northern Yan army reached the Shun River. The Great Zhao was forced to begin negotiations. The Northern Yan proposed that Crown Prince Chongwen be sent as a hostage. For the sake of righteousness, Crown Prince Chongwen accepted and went north as a hostage. When selecting his entourage, Bo Zi'an, moved by Crown Prince Chongwen's righteousness, volunteered to go with him. Along with him were many young talents who were loyal to Crown Prince Chongwen. They all firmly believed that the Great Zhao would soon bring them back, and they would soon be able to return to their homeland with Crown Prince Chongwen to build a great future together.
However, the reality was that after they left, the late emperor soon passed away, and then the current emperor ascended the throne, working diligently to stabilize the court. From then on, the matter of going north to bring back Crown Prince Chongwen became a taboo topic, and for several years thereafter, it seemed like it would never happen.
After Bo Zi'an left, the eldest princess gave birth to a son. It is said that she was too heartbroken to take care of the child and sent him back to Bo Zi'an's hometown. Since then, there has been no news of him. Many people say that the child has already died.
The past has long since faded away with time.
Now, more than 20 years have passed, and it feels like a lifetime ago. Only those who experienced that time back then still have a vague impression of this elegant and refined scholar.
No one could have imagined it would be him, let alone that he was still alive and had secretly returned to Dazhao to attempt to assassinate the emperor.
This is simply...
The emperor understood everything the moment he saw Bo Zi'an's face.
He sneered and, without even asking why, directly ordered, "You audacious madman, attempting to assassinate the emperor, your crime is unforgivable, execute him on the spot!"
“Father Emperor—” the Crown Prince called out, cupping his hands and requesting, “Father Emperor, the assassination is a matter of great importance, and the matter of Lord Bo’s return to the capital also needs to be carefully investigated. I suggest that it be handed over to the Dali Temple for review before any further action is taken.”
Grand Tutor Lan then chimed in, “Your Majesty, what His Highness the Crown Prince says is absolutely right. Lord Bo’s matter concerns the diplomatic relations between our two countries. His hasty return to the capital must have serious implications. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider and investigate the truth before taking any action.”
Upon hearing Grand Tutor Lan's mention, the emperor glanced at Helian Jue indifferently.
Logically speaking, Bo Zi'an should still be in Northern Yan.
Helian Jue's face was also somewhat grim. He had previously received news that Mr. Bo, who was imprisoned in the Bitter Star Tower, had passed away before the new year. Mr. Bo was getting old and his body could not withstand the bitter cold of the north, so he had been unwell. Although he was very sorry, he did not doubt it.
To my utter surprise, someone actually dared to pull this trick on him.
Helian Jue had no choice but to tell the truth: "Your Majesty, please do not misunderstand. I received news of Mr. Bo's passing before the New Year. I really do not know why Mr. Bo is here."
Bo Zi'an's gaze swept over the group of people, then he suddenly smiled and looked at the emperor, "Your Majesty, I'm here to kill you. My life is nearing its end, and the thing I want to do most in this life is to come back and kill you."
"Because 22 years is too long a wait for me."
The emperor's eyes suddenly darkened.
Feng, the Grand Eunuch, quickly gave a wink to the Imperial Guards who were holding Bo Zi'an down.
The imperial guard raised his hand and thrust a long sword through Bo Zi'an's body from behind.
Blood flowed from the corner of Bo Zi'an's lips.
Suddenly, a figure rushed towards Bo Zi'an like the wind.
It's the eldest princess!
She had gotten up from her seat at some point and ran towards Bo Zi'an on the stage.
The seat at the head of the table was a flight of steps away from the central platform. The princess, with a smile on her face, ran down the steps and then ran towards Bo Zi'an on the platform.
Meanwhile, on the dragon throne, the emperor had unknowingly drawn a longbow and aimed it at the back of the eldest princess.
"No, Mother, no!"
Li Duan stumbled to her feet, trying to rush to the center of the stage, but before she could, she was grabbed tightly by a hand.
She struggled to move forward, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free.
"Father, this matter has nothing to do with my aunt, Father..." The Crown Prince tried to plead, but before he could finish speaking, the long arrow in the Emperor's hand had already left the bowstring.
It pierced through the princess's body, disappearing into her dazzling red dress.
The princess sluggishly moved for a moment, but still tried her best to walk forward, her lips and eyebrows radiating a smile as bright as peach blossoms.
One step, two steps, three steps...
Another arrow pierced her body.
Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Very close.
She supported herself and crawled forward with great effort. Bo Zi'an's vision was already blurred, but he still reached out his hand to her.
Finally, the princess's fingers hooked onto that hand, which was already covered in calluses, and her heart and eyes were filled with joy.
"Bo Zi'an, I'm here to marry you."