Chapter 43- The Banquet Night Attack

A.N: Hiiii! Thank you for all the love in comments(⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠❤

***

At Night

As expected of any official banquet taking place inside the Imperial Palace. It was outstandingly decorated. Moreover, the Banquet hall was livelier than any other day. By the daytime, news had already spread all over about the arrival of the infamous Consort Bai of the Xia Empire. Most of the men and women attending the banquet were mainly curious about, Bai Yuan. Among them, there was a man in pale color-ed attire, long gray hair tied up in a bun on top of his head, secured by a white jade crown, sophisticated demeanor, and curious golden eyes. The man was none but Wang Yiheng's maternal Grandfather, Feng Tao. Yiheng's uncle who became a Minister after Feng Tao retired stood by his side. He was the spitting image of his father. Minister Feng spoke in his calm yet curious tone, "Am I being too much excited, Father?"

Grandpa Feng replied in his elderly tone, "Not more than me."

Minister Feng chuckled faintly, "I know, Father, if not because of my responsibilities, I would have taken you and others to Xia Empire earlier!"

Grandpa Feng Humped in ignorance, "I rely on no one, if you were even half sensible as my lovely daughter, I would have abandoned you here and gone to my poor child. I wanted to raise Yiheng and Mo-er with my own two hands…I-" Tears escaped his lonely eyes as soon as he remembered his daughter and how Yiheng and Mo-er had to grow up without her.

The previous jollyness was replaced with sorrow on Minister Feng's face, "I understand, Father. Sister was- I miss her every day. Her memory in my mind of that day when she came holding Yiheng in our house for the first time is as clear as it was then. It is a great loss that we lost her so early."

Both Father and Son looked like they could break into unstoppable tears at any time. But then the Banquet suddenly started to bustle more. The announcer loudly welcomed the Sun of the Empire at first and according to the hierarchy started announcing the noblemen from the Empirial family. Then it was time to announce Yiheng and Bai Yuan's names.

"Please welcome, the honorable guests of our tonight's grand celebration, for whom we all have gathered here, The Sun of Xia Empire and his Noble consort, Emperor Wang Yiheng and Consort Bai Yuan!"

Everyone pried their head in the direction of the large Wooden gates. The gates started to open with a loud creaking noise.

A few minutes passed but there was no one making an entrance.

Emperor Shen gestured his guard, "What's happening? Where is the Emperor and his wife?"

The guard bowed to him and quickly stepped back to reach the guards waiting by the gate, "Your Majesty there seems to be some delay."

One of the guards suddenly shouted, "Sir! We see two silhouettes coming towards us!"

Soon the two silhouettes entered the hall room. Emperor Shen immediately stood up from his throne. Shen Haixiong, and Wang Mo-er both seemed bewildered. Not to mention Grandpa Feng and Minister Feng. Only Emperor Jin and Minister Yao had a sweet faint smile hung on their lips.

The two men who entered were severely injured and covered in blood. One guard was supporting the other guard who had his chest badly pierced by an arrow. The first guard panicked as he spoke hastily, "Your Majesty! Emperor Wang is in Danger! There were Assassins! We were guarding the gate when they suddenly attacked us! Please send more guards as soon as possible! Emperor Wang was seriously injured."

There was a look of horror in everyone's eyes.

"What is happening?"

"Suddenly, where did these Assassins come?"

"How did they enter the royal territory so easily?!"

"Oh my God, will we be attacked also!?"

Amidst the panicking uproar of the guests Emperor Shen's shouts rang the loudest,

"SEND THE GUARDS! PROTECT THEM AT ANY COST!"

Grandpa Feng pushed Minister Feng ahead, "Go!"

Shen Haixiong nodded at Wang Mo-er before jumping down from his throne and started running at the speed of a wild horse before anyone could even move a muscle. The royal guards and Minister Feng closely followed him behind.

"Wang Yiheng!"

***

Yiheng got ready earlier while Bai Yuan was struggling with his attire. For some reason, the maids didn't come to dress him up after the afternoon. Bai Yuan helplessly pulled his three-layer traditional hanfu in the clumsiest way possible.

"Ugh, shirt-pants are way better!"

For a moment, a thought came to his mind, "Should I ask the Emperor for some help?"

Then he was quickly reminded of the kiss and his face turned red from embarrassment.

"Stop it, Yuan! It's not even your first kiss?! Why are you getting so worked up!?"

"But, it felt good, right?"

Bai Yuan nodded in affirmative response, "Oddly, it did- wait, who?"

"Who else?" Yiheng stood behind at the door, "I came to check up on my wife."

Yuan bit his lower lip in the embarrassment of getting caught red-handed, "....Um- I'm having a hard time with these…."

Yiheng took some steps forward and effortlessly started to fix the layers. His actions seemed skilled and there was no ill intention of touching Yuan's body in 'that' way.

Yuan was not used to such gentle gestures. In his previous life, most of the men and women ever touched him always had hidden intentions.

Yiheng spoke beside his ear as he moved his hands to tie the belt on Yuan's slender waist.

"You look ethereal, always."

Yuan could sense his ears burning under the spell of the man standing in front of him.

He never felt so nervous before facing someone, he stammered in an attempt to reply, "I-I think, I'm ready to go n-now!"

In his mind, he thought, why does he make my heart flutter so often?! Is this the Emperor who follows me silently and listens to everything I say?

Yuan shyly escaped Yiheng's grasp and timidly made a sprint out of the cottage room. It was a full moon outside. Moreover, the royal palace was decorated with paper lanterns and colourful papers. He opened his arms wide to inhale the cool breeze. His black hair loosely danced with the breeze and shimmered under the moonlight.

Yuan was enjoying the moment when suddenly he felt something sharp brush past his shoulder and the second he heard Yiheng groan in pain. Yiheng was still at the stairs of the cottage when an arrow was sneakily shot at him. Yuan screamed in panic, "Your Majesty!" He was about to run to his side but he heard a third voice.

"Don't even think of moving. My men have already arranged an array of sharp threads around you."

"Who are you? Why did you attack him?" Bai Yuan fiercely looked in the direction from where the voice came.

"I am not planning to kill him. I heard something unpleasant today, so I'm just in a bad mood."

"Show yourself, you sneaky ba####?!"

Song Xu slowly walked out of the dark and came to the light. His hawk-like eyes looked as sharp and mysterious as that of a predator who was looking at his prey.

Bai Yuan, "What do you want?"

Song Xu looked at Bai Yuan with amusement, "I thought you would be more scared than the reaction you're showing. I love it anyway. Everything about you is so beautiful!"

Bai Yuan finally noticed the array shining under the moonlight, but he still moved back and immediately his back was injured. Bai Yuan's three-layer attire was instantly pierced as soon as his back touched a thread. Blood sipped out through the wound.

Wang Yiheng witnessed the scene, screams gushing out, "Bai Yuan! Don't move!"

As soon as Yiheng tried to get up from the stairs where he had fallen earlier, another arrow was shot, right at his left thigh.

Song Xu laughed at him, "Moving is useless. I'm very merciful and so I'll let you live. The arrows I shot at you had Poison smeared on them. I hope the royal physicians are capable enough of treating that much."

Bai Yuan was sweating profusely, he again asked in a stern voice, "What the hell do you want?"

On the other side, Yiheng pulled down his sleeves to check the wound on his shoulder and groaned in frustration. Song Xu wasn't lying. The wound was rapidly turning black. Bai Yuan looked back and saw that horrible scene.

Song Xu took a few steps forward and brought out a small decanter from his hidden pocket.

"Drink this and I will give him the antidote like a true gentleman."

Yiheng forbade Bai Yuan from behind but Yuan was not going to listen anyway.

"Wife, Don't! I can handle this much."

"My life is not important. You're an Emperor! You must keep living."

Song Xu seemed to be having fun, "How lovely. Drink it fast." He threw the decanter in the direction of Yuan.

Yuan caught it and smelled it for a last time before pushing the liquid down his throat. The threads around him were retracted instantly.

"Now, Give him the antidote!"

Bai Yuan remembered later, "But what was this liquid?"

Before he could hear an answer his body lost all connections with his mind and fell on the ground.