King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 558 Murderous Intent

There was a fierce battle in Yin'an Palace, and some people were suffering from sleepless nights.

In the back kitchen firewood room that few people paid attention to, there were two people hiding in the vegetable firewood pile, chewing the dry food in their hands very carefully.

These two people were the assassins that Yang Yan had gone to great lengths to send into Prince Yan's Mansion.

The way they entered Prince Yan's Mansion was through a cart carrying vegetables.

They were not hiding in the vegetable basket, but in the mezzanine of the trolley. This was a method that no normal person would have thought of.

That's right, they specially built a mezzanine cart for this mission, with people and "equipment" hidden inside.

Each time one person was brought in, a total of two people were delivered in two days, two daggers, two blunderbuss, and nearly ten kilograms of gunpowder.

Even though it was a woodshed, there were guards standing guard outside, and patrols passed by from time to time.

So the two of them hid here after thinking about it. They haven't even left the door yet and can only wait for the opportunity quietly.

"I'm really worried if I don't go and take a look!"

After a few breaths of silence, Zhao Gui said: "I'm afraid it's not that easy..."

Zhao Gui nodded and said: "Well... maybe we can take the opportunity to go out, sneak into King Xiang's chamber, and then wait for an opportunity to strike!"

"That's right, that's right!" Zhao Gui smiled.

Zhu Yili was well prepared for this and immediately replied: "I just have a restless temper. I'm afraid that Brother Wang will neglect you. I'm really worried, so I came here to have a look!"

"There is nothing foolproof. I was almost discovered last night. If we don't take action today... I'm afraid we won't have a chance!" Chen Gang said slowly.

On the other side, Zhu Yili, who was ill at home, appeared at the corner gate of the palace. He came prepared tonight.

Being reminded like this, the flag officer leading the team was stunned for a moment, and then the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

Another one-year-old guard said: "Whether it is true or not, it is suspicious...it should be questioned!"

Zhu Yili had compiled these words in advance so that he could explain himself to the greatest extent, even if the guards asked him if he had anything to say next.

Today's Prince Yan's Mansion, even if it is already tight on the outside and tight on the inside, has an alarmingly high patrol density. The two of them have experienced this deeply.

Both of them were soldiers of the Border Guards. They offended Shangguan and were killed, and their families were ruined. They had no choice but to sneak into the White Lotus Sect.

"But it's so late, why do you bother anymore!" Xiao Qiguan said with a smile.

Originally, other guards who had objections were reluctant to speak out because of the little flag official's face. Now someone took the lead and they expressed their approval one after another.

In the first one, he asked himself not to get involved when he was sick, and then he invited Zhu Yibin's brother-in-law to replace him.

He is also a lieutenant of Fengguo. Although he has a good relationship with Zhu Yibin and his son, his next generation will still be white. Once he burps, his family will be ruined.

"Are you afraid?" Chen Gang asked.

At this time, he came to the palace in order to identify the culprit at the right time and then make a great contribution to rescue Zhu Jinghong.

Now that he met people like Zhu Boji, he found an opportunity to make meritorious deeds, and at the same time, he could use this to frame Da Zong.

"His Royal Highness Prince Xiang's visit to Yan Fan is an honor for the whole family. How can we not serve him with all our heart and soul?"

The reason why they offended their boss was that the two of them were too good, and not only did they take the credit, but they also aroused jealousy.

"Brother, you and I will die tonight and go to the underworld... and we will have a companion!" Zhao Gui said with a smile.

The people who were sent to the palace were one named Chen Gang and the other named Zhao Gui. They were both around thirty years old and both looked fierce.

After he left, a guard on the spot said: "Boss, He Qianhu just said today that he should pay attention to all suspicious signs. This guy came into the house late at night... wouldn't it be abnormal!"

After a few breaths, I heard Zhao Gui say: "Wait another half an hour, wait until late at night before taking action!"

First, he had to clean himself up, and then put the responsibility of letting the assassin into the house on Da Zong.

Zhao Gui was still weighing and thinking, and he knew that what Chen Gang said made sense.

Chen Gang shook his head and said, "It's not just the two of us, there's also that boy named Zhu accompanying us!"

"Okay!" Chen Gang agreed.

The flag officer who led the team said: "You are too dedicated to your work. There are very few people like you in the world!"

Thinking that Zhu Yili was kind and kind these days, always seeking benefits and conveniences for everyone, Xiaoqi Guan said: "You...forget it, if you want to go, just go!"

Yes, Zhu Yili could have reported it a few days ago, but he had to wait for the most critical moment to maximize his own interests.

"Thank you!"

Knowing that these people wanted to enter the palace to do evil things, Zhu Yili's mind suddenly became vivid, and he wanted to use this matter to achieve his own goals.

"They have changed the guard!" Chen Gang whispered.

Entering Prince Yan's Mansion as he wished was equivalent to completing the most important step, and Zhu Yili immediately accelerated his pace.

The guard on duty at the corner gate recognized Zhu Yili. Seeing him arriving late at night, he asked: "Brother, why are you here so late? Aren't you sick?"

"Let's do it tonight!" Chen Gang suggested again.

Zhao Gui didn't panic at all and said slowly: "I just want to be foolproof!"

He followed Zhu Boxi a few days ago and easily discovered that this person was abnormal.

"You said he would be an assassin?"

Even if there is a one in 10,000 chance that Zhu Yili is an assassin, he was let into the palace from them, and if something goes wrong, they may be held responsible.

The flag officer's name was Zhou Kui. At this time, he also understood the seriousness of the matter, so he immediately said: "Xiao San, Lao Wang, Zhu Zhu, Lao Wu, follow me, the others will strictly keep their posts!"

"Yes!"

After ordering four of his subordinates, Zhou Kui went all the way to the mansion. They even sped up their pace, and their armors collided with each other, making a metallic sound.

According to Zhu Yili, he should have gone to the kitchen, so they also went in that direction.

Along the way, they met patrolling guards. They also asked about Zhu Yili's whereabouts. After confirming that they were pursuing the correct direction, they continued forward.

Soon, Zhou Kui and his entourage came to the outer kitchen and asked the colleague on duty at the courtyard door to find out that Zhu Yili had just entered.

"Zhou Xiaoqi, what's going on?" one of the guards on duty asked.

"I have something to ask him..."

Not in the mood to explain too much, after saying this, Zhou Kui led the people into the courtyard. Then he ordered his men to work in pairs and search each room separately.

Zhou Kui himself held the knife to his chest, ready to fight at any time.

Seeing their posture, the two guards on duty at the door also entered the courtyard and stood guard around Zhou Kui.

"Zhou Xiaoqi, what happened?"

"I'm afraid there are assassins entering the house, so I'm ordering people to search!"

As soon as he heard that there was an assassin, the guard on his left said: "I'm going to call someone right now!"

"It's the guy who came in just now. Do you still need to call someone to get him? Where can I put my face!" Zhou Kui said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing that Zhu Yili might be an assassin, the two guards who came in laughed. There was really no need to call in reinforcements in this situation.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

While everyone was searching one by one, Zhu Yili appeared in the east wing, which was where the ingredients were placed.

Looking at Zhu Yili under the candlelight, Zhou Kui asked coldly: "Brother, I'm afraid you didn't come into the palace so late just to check the ingredients!"

"Brother, you are just joking. Why else would you want to do this if you are not checking the ingredients!" "Only you know this, let's go... let's go out and talk!"

He could tell that something was wrong, but Zhu Yili believed that he had no flaws, so he smiled and said: "Okay...it's boring for you to stay here at night. I'll go find someone to buy some food and wine, and have a good chat with you!"

Before there was evidence, Zhou Kui didn't want to show off his face, so he smiled and replied: "That's great!"

Ever since, Zhu Yili followed Zhou Kui on the way out of the mansion.

Although he was calm on the outside, he was extremely anxious in his heart, fearing that he would lose the opportunity to make meritorious service tonight.

"Why don't we find a reason later and use the situation in the kitchen as an excuse to let them go with me to catch the thief!" Zhu Yili made a plan in his mind.

The problem now is that he doesn't know where the assassin is hiding, so he can only try his luck for a while.

But at least meritorious service is a foregone conclusion, but the size of the credit is different.

When Zhu Yili left with the guards, Chen Gang and Chen Gang were hiding on the beam before they dared to wipe the sweat from their foreheads.

Just a little bit, if they hesitated a little longer, they would be discovered by Zhou Kui and his party.

"Brother, I just said... we have to take action as soon as possible, otherwise we won't even have a chance!" Chen Gang took a deep breath.

The two quietly climbed down the beam, then felt out along the window, followed the wall to a hidden place in the north of the yard, and then Zhao Gui took out a map.

This is the map of Yan Fan. It was drawn by Zhu Bo based on his memory, and its topographic content is basically accurate.

"Now we are in the outer kitchen. The person named Zhu should be in Yin'an Hall. There are four gates between the two. We have to find a way to get past them!"

What Zhao Gui said was the shortest way, but he mentioned that every door was guarded by guards, and there were also guards patrolling back and forth. It was absolutely difficult to pass through.

After listening to Zhao Gui's analysis, Chen Gang said: "If you don't take the main entrance, you can climb over the wall!"

In fact, it is not feasible to climb over the wall, because it is impossible to determine the situation on the other side of the wall, and climbing over may also lead to a trap.

But there is no other way. For example, at this time, the two of them have to climb over the wall and escape from the outer kitchen first.

Although the two of them were elite soldiers in the frontier army and their skills were second to none, they were not sure that they could easily take down the two men wearing armor at the door.

If they can't kill with one blow, it will be dangerous for them to fight with others, and tonight's assassination operation will completely fail.

The two of them were extremely careful and worked together to build a ladder. Chen Gang climbed up the wall first, making sure that no one was outside before climbing up, and then pulled Zhao Gui up.

There was a box outside. There was no patrol sergeant at this time, but by chance, two low-level eunuchs passed by.

"Brother, change their clothes!" Zhao Gui suggested.

After changing into eunuch's clothes, their actions would be safer, and Chen Gang would naturally have no objection to this.

The two of them are indeed good players, and their timing is extremely accurate.

The two of them jumped off the wall together, locked the necks of their respective targets, and then twisted them off with sudden force.

Almost silently, the two eunuchs were dealt with, and then Chen Gang and the two men began to change clothes.

No one knew when the patrol would arrive, so the two of them moved extremely quickly and quickly changed into the green robes of the low-level eunuchs.

It happened that one of the eunuchs was still carrying the food box, so they were able to eat some of the food, dump the rest and put the gunpowder into the box.

After hiding the body and clothes in a corner, Chen and Gang imitated the eunuchs' behavior, lowered their heads and walked forward.

But after taking only two steps, Zhao Gui said: "Brother, we have to shave off our beards!"

Chen Gang was immediately alert, so he took out a dagger and started shaving his beard, and Zhao Guizi did the same.

Both of their daggers were extremely sharp, and the two of them were very skilled, so they easily shaved off their beards, making them look much younger under the candlelight.

So one of them held a lantern, the other held a food box, and headed for the first checkpoint.

Passing through the checkpoint directly shows that they have excellent psychological quality.

But they were definitely not brainless. After arriving nearby, they hid and observed the situation to see how other eunuchs passed.

To put it simply, show your waistband and give your name.

They also took the waist badges and memorized their names and information. It seemed that passing was a matter of course.

After taking a deep breath, the two of them lowered their heads and walked forward side by side, towards the group of guards guarding the door.

This is already the defensive area of ​​the Dragon Guards, so their armors and weapons are more sophisticated, but this also means that they consume more physical energy.

Therefore, the night watchers had to eat supper every night. The eunuchs who passed by several groups just now were carrying food boxes, obviously to deliver to people in other places.

These late-night snacks are all made in Zhu Jinghong's inner kitchen and taste much better. The guards look forward to them every night.

Smelling the residual aroma of other people's food boxes, one of the guards said dissatisfied: "Everyone else has been sent away, why hasn't Feng Chun come yet... They are usually the first to arrive!"

At this time, Chen Gang and the two men were only twenty steps away from the guards, and they all heard these words.

Then Zhao Gui stopped and squeezed Chen Gang into a side alley. Fortunately, there was an alley here.

"What's wrong?" Chen Gang didn't know what he meant.

Looking at the food box in his hand, Zhao Gui said with a complicated expression: "The person I am pretending to be is named Feng Chun!"

"This..." Chen Gang felt deeply depressed at the moment.

"Brother, we can only try to cross this door!"

Just as Zhao Gui finished speaking, he vaguely heard footsteps, and the next moment patrolling guards appeared at the other end of the alley.

The two quickly returned to normal, lowered their heads, each held a lamp and a food box, and walked directly in the direction of the patrol.

The two sides went separate ways. Because Zhao Gui and his two men had good mental qualities, the patrolling guards did not notice anything strange.

After these people left, Zhao and Gui helped each other and climbed over the wall again after a few breaths.

As soon as the two landed, they heard footsteps again. The next moment, a guard appeared at the entrance of the alley, but this person came back after going to the latrine for convenience.

At this time, Chen Gang had the urge to kill the guard and continue to sneak into Yin'an Palace by pretending to be a guard.

But the two of them still resisted the urge, because the Dragon Guards were all selected from the best, and they were also not sure of killing them with one strike.

"What are you two doing here?" the guard shouted coldly.

Fortunately, after figuring out the situation, Zhao Gui replied: "Report to your lord, give supper to the brothers!"

"Let's take a look at the waistband!" the guard continued. He always felt that something was wrong with these two people.

Zhao and Gui handed over their waistbands. At the same time, they made eye contact and were ready to kill.

However, after checking, the guard did not find any problems. In addition, the light was dim at night and he could not see the face clearly, so he returned the badge.

"Send it over quickly, don't wander around!"

"Yes!"

Seeing that the guard didn't notice, Zhao Gui and his two men suddenly became more confident. After the guard left, they discussed how to go next.

At this time, in Yin'an Palace, Miaoyu was about to collapse.

"Your Majesty, I'm going to die..."

"I can not make it……"

Nuomin's wild shouting sounded like endless torture to Miaoyu's ears. She now wished she could kill the couple with a knife.

(End of this chapter)