AWB Chapter 330 The Cannon Fodder Who Suffered the Massacre of His Family (37)
Chapter 330 The Cannon Fodder Who Suffered the Massacre of His Family (37)
The scene was chaotic.
Qi Ning hid in an inconspicuous corner, seemingly too scared to move, but in reality, she was taking the opportunity to survey the overall situation.
She saw that Gao Yan and Gao Yun were both heading towards the emperor, with Gao Yan clearly moving much faster than Gao Yun.
Qi Ning felt that it was a sure thing; the credit for saving the emperor that originally belonged to Gao Yun would definitely be taken by Gao Yan.
However, things did not develop as Qi Ning had predicted.
Gao Yan originally intended to go to the emperor's side to protect him, but when he glanced around, he saw an assassin suddenly appear not far behind Qi Ning, and the position where Qi Ning was standing was extremely dangerous.
He suddenly stopped in his tracks.
At that moment, Gao Yan didn't have time to think. Instead of rushing towards the emperor, he went to Qi Ning's side.
He reached out and pulled Qi Ning over, then kicked the assassin behind her away.
Just as Gao Yan arrived at Qi Ning's side, Gao Yun also took the opportunity to go to the emperor's side to protect him.
Qi Ning was completely baffled by this scene.
She glared at Gao Yan and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"
Gao Yan didn't answer, but instead pulled her aside.
He instructed his two subordinates: "Protect Consort Qi well."
Afraid of being seen, Qi Ning quickly shook off his hand, turned her back, and put on a cold face.
Gao Yan glanced at Qi Ning, but didn't say anything more before going to the emperor's side.
In the end, all the assassins were captured.
In the emperor's view, it was naturally Gao Yun who came to his rescue immediately.
"Father, are you alright?" Gao Yun asked with concern.
"I'm fine."
The emperor looked at Gao Yun. Since those events some time ago, his attitude towards Gao Yun had been lukewarm, but now his attitude had softened considerably: "This time, I am very grateful for your merit in saving my life."
Gao Yun said very modestly, "Father, it is my duty to protect your safety. It is nothing to boast about."
The emperor nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the unassuming Gao Yan standing to the side.
He knew, of course, that although the first prince to come to his rescue was Gao Yun, Gao Yan also arrived quickly. Gao Yan's contribution was equally indispensable in their ability to capture the assassin so quickly.
However, this achievement is nothing compared to the merit of saving the emperor.
The emperor then remembered Qi Ning: "Where is Consort Qi?"
It was too chaotic just now, so neither the emperor nor Gao Yan really saw what happened. They didn't see Gao Yan personally go to rescue Qi Ning. They only saw Qi Ning's cold face towards Gao Yan after he pulled her aside.
When the emperor asked about Qi Ning, Qi Ning ran over from the side, lifting her skirt.
She ran to the emperor's side, her eyes red and her face full of fear and worry, and grabbed his sleeve.
"Your Majesty, are you alright? I was terrified just now."
"I am fine, my beloved consort need not worry."
The emperor instead asked Qi Ning, "Are you injured?"
Qi Ning shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.
The emperor paused, then said, "Just now, it seems that it was the fifth prince who saved you."
As he spoke, he glanced at Gao Yan.
Upon hearing this, Gao Yun looked at Gao Yan and said with some puzzlement, "That's right, it seems that Fifth Brother saved Consort Qi?"
Gao Yan's face was expressionless, his hands hanging at his sides, slightly clenched into fists.
Before he could explain, he heard Qi Ning say, "What is my little life worth? As long as Your Majesty is alright, that's all that matters. Your Majesty's safety is all thanks to the Fourth Prince for risking his life to save you. The Fourth Prince has done a great service!"
She completely omitted the fact that Gao Yan had saved her, acting as if she didn't care at all. Instead, she praised Gao Yun for saving the emperor, as if she was afraid that the emperor would overlook Gao Yun's contribution.
Her words in Gao Yun's favor instantly dispelled any remaining suspicion in the emperor's and Gao Yun's hearts.
Seeing that Qi Ning was completely ignoring Gao Yan, and Gao Yan was equally dismissive of Qi Ning, they were even less likely to think anything of it.
The emperor chuckled twice and said indulgently, "I understand. Yun'er has rendered meritorious service in saving my life, and I will certainly not treat him unfairly."
When Gao Yun saw that the emperor's attitude towards him had become so good, he was secretly delighted, and the frustration he had felt recently vanished instantly.
However, what Gao Yun was thinking was another matter; on the surface, he was very humble and low-key: "Father, you flatter me."
Instead, Qi Ning smiled generously and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
Gao Yan glanced at Qi Ning smiling sweetly beside his father, and his hands, hanging by his sides, quietly clenched into fists.
He knew that Qi Ning did this to dispel the emperor and Gao Yun's suspicions, but he still felt inexplicably frustrated.
After a period of rest, the procession continued its journey back to the palace.
The emperor changed to a different carriage, and Qi Ning did not follow him, but returned to his own carriage.
The carriages of the ministers' families were at the back of the procession, quite far from the carriages of the imperial concubines, not to mention that Qi Ning had just been on the emperor's palanquin, which was at the front of the procession.
Therefore, Jiang Weilan did not witness the assassination attempt herself.
After Qi Ning returned to her carriage, Jiang Weilan came to see her.
"Ning'er, are you alright?"
As soon as she got into Qi Ning's carriage, Jiang Weilan asked with concern.
"Don't worry, Sister Lan, I'm fine."
"That's good, that's good." Jiang Weilan patted her chest, looking like she was still shaken. "I was so worried just now. I'm so glad you're alright."
Qi Ning smiled but didn't say anything.
Jiang Weilan looked at Qi Ning and suddenly said, "I heard that the Fifth Prince saved you just now?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Ning immediately curled her lip.
"You don't know, at that time the Fourth Prince went to protect His Majesty. The Fifth Prince probably saw that he had been captured by the Fourth Prince for saving the emperor, so there was no point in him rushing over. He just happened to rescue me."
"He must have thought that even if he didn't get the honor of saving the emperor, at least he saved the emperor's concubines and could still get some favor from the emperor."
Jiang Weilan asked with a hint of doubt, "Really?"
"Otherwise, do you think he would be so kind?" Qi Ning retorted.
“Gao Yan has always looked down on me. Moreover, I am a member of the Jiang family and the Fourth Prince. He was right next to me at the time. If he had just watched me being killed by the assassin, His Majesty would definitely not have let him off easily. Saving me would have allowed him to gain a good impression in His Majesty’s eyes.”
Jiang Weilan nodded slowly after hearing this: "That's true."
She looked at Qi Ning and tentatively said, "However, he also saved you."
Jiang Weilan was worried that Qi Ning would turn against her because Gao Yan had saved her.
Qi Ning snorted, looking quite ungrateful: "He didn't really want to save me; he just wanted to use me."
"Besides, the assassin wasn't even targeting me. If he hadn't helped me, I probably wouldn't be in any danger."
------