Rebirth: I'm a Daddy's Darling in the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 304 Tension Reveals Steadfastness, Adversity Shows Composure

As the saying goes, tension reveals composure, and adversity reveals calmness. Don't be fooled by Yinzhu's usual carefree attitude; when it comes to getting serious, he is anything but hesitant. Seeing that some of the guards were being taken away by Yinti, Yinzhen, the thirteenth, and the fourteenth, he reached out and pulled Yinreng aside. The two of them then shielded Kangxi between them.

"What are you two doing? I am the emperor of a nation. Do you think I am afraid of a few mere assassins? Yinreng and Yinzuo, you two get out of my way. I'd like to see if they have the ability to take my life."

Yes, you are the emperor of a country, you certainly can't be afraid of a few mere assassins, but let's talk, can you please stop pulling me aside? Yinzhuo turned his head and glanced at his father, who had already pulled Yinreng aside and exposed him to the public, and felt extremely worried.

“Father, can we stop being so stubborn at a time like this? My second brother and I are your sons. It’s only natural for us to protect you when you’re in danger. You yourself said that you are the ruler of a country. If anything happens to you, it will shake the foundation of the country. Even if we are to fight assassins, there are so many people standing here. Just stand behind your sons and rest assured. As long as we don’t fall, you don’t need to charge into battle here.”

With Yinti and his men making such a big move, the assassins weren't blind. They weren't going to just sit there and wait to die. Assassinating the emperor was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. Whether they succeeded or not, death was the only outcome. Since they had already been discovered, the next step was naturally a fight to the death. Yinti and his men had brought quite a few guards, but they couldn't withstand the large number of assassins. Even with strict defenses, it was inevitable that a few would slip through the net and escape.

It was obvious that the group of assassins who came today had planned this for a long time. They knew this mountain forest like the back of their hand. Seeing that the assassins who had escaped from the mountain were about to break through the outermost line of defense, Yinzhuo's heart, which was already in his throat, tightened again. He raised his hand, lifted the corner of his robe and tied it to his waist, took the knife handed to him by Yinzhen, and stood in front of Kangxi and Yinreng.

"Second brother, if the assassins really rush over, you take some men and protect Father Khan and leave. Leave things here to us brothers. Father, don't worry, as long as your son is here, I will guarantee your safety."

To be honest, Kangxi was more afraid of hearing Yinzhuo say those words than of the assassin right in front of him. You see, the last time Yinzhuo said those words was in the northern desert, when Yinzhuo almost got shot through the heart by an arrow. So when Kangxi heard Yinzhuo say those words, his subconscious reaction was to pull him to his side.

"Save your breath. Your mediocre skills are worse than the Eighth Prince's. You wouldn't even last a round against him. Just stay by my side and you won't get a chance to go up there."

Although Yinzhuo admitted that his combat skills were not good, this was still too much of a slur. What did he mean by "amateurish skills"? What did he mean by "not even enough to be hacked once"? What, did he think I was a wooden stake? If he wanted to hack me, I would just stand there and wait to be hacked. And my dear father, look at our current situation. Do you think I want to walk right into their hands and get hacked? We have no choice, they're practically at our doorstep.

"Hey, look at you, looking down on people again. Although my fighting strength is a little weaker than my older brother and the others, I'm not as useless as you say. Father, have you ever heard the saying, 'Unknown fighting strength, but stronger when facing stronger opponents'? That's me. Just you wait and see."

When faced with a life-threatening situation, people often unleash astonishing power. Although there was an element of boasting in what Yinzuo said earlier, his performance in the instant of close combat with the assassin truly lived up to the saying "the stronger the opponent, the stronger he becomes." The fact that Yinzuo started fighting meant that the assassin had already reached the last line of defense in front of Kangxi. Yinzhi and Yinqi were not idle at this time either. Regardless of their own strength, they had already drawn their swords and were fighting the assassin. Yinzuo raised his sword to deflect the crossbow bolt flying towards Yinreng's back and turned to shout loudly towards Yinzhi and the others.

"Third brother, fifth brother, be careful, this assassin is carrying a crossbow."

The assassins who dared to attempt to assassinate the emperor must have been skilled, regardless of their intelligence. Even Yinqi and Yinzhen, who brought a large number of men, had to expend considerable effort to kill most of the assassins on the mountain. Kangxi and his entourage were here to enjoy the scenery on the lake, so their location must have provided an excellent view. Given the chaotic battle below, Yinqi and his men, unless they were blind, would have spotted them immediately.

"Thirteen, Fourteen, the remaining people on the mountain are in your hands. Father Khan may be in danger. Your fourth brother and I will take the men down to rescue him."

Leaving aside how anxious Yinti and Yinzhen were to lead their men down the mountain, Yinzuo and his men were currently fighting with tremendous difficulty. Yinzhi and Yinqi had already been honorably wounded, but even with their bloodied arms, they dared not stop for a moment. At this critical juncture, it was a matter of life or death, and there was no room for the slightest slackening. Yintang was doing better. Although his own martial arts skills were not particularly strong, he had a fierce general by his side, Yinxi, who was helping him from time to time. Yintang did not have any wounds.

Yinzhuo's situation wasn't much better. Although he felt incredibly energetic due to extreme tension and excitement, he wasn't invincible. Blood still gushed out when the knife struck him. Kangxi, who was also holding a knife, had just managed to cut down one assassin who rushed in front of him when he turned around and saw another assassin raising his arm, preparing to shoot an arrow at Yinzhuo.

"Yinzuo, be careful."

The assassin, who had intended to ambush Yinzhuo from behind, heard Kangxi's warning and changed the direction of his crossbow bolt, which was originally aimed at Yinzhuo, and fired it at Kangxi. Yinzhuo, alerted by Kangxi, turned around and saw this scene. However, it was obviously too late to warn Kangxi to dodge. In a moment of desperation, Yinzhuo could only desperately lunge towards Kangxi. History always repeats itself. Just like last time in the northern desert, the arrow pierced Yinzhuo's body solidly. If there was any difference from the time in the northern desert, well… it was from a different angle. The arrow in the northern desert pierced his back, but this time it pierced his chest. However, the only saving grace was that it wasn't as melodramatic as in the novels; he was injured on his right side.

Of course, it wasn't entirely without its dramatic twists. For example, Yinti and Yinzhen's group arrived neither early nor late, but just after Yinzuo had been thoroughly humiliated. With Yinti and his men joining the fray, the battle situation instantly turned around, and the fight quickly came to an end.