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墨書 Inktalez
Zuo An felt a deep sense of guilt for not being able to protect his master. It wasn't until Mistress Caesar obtained his master's Secret Letter from Lu Dongzan that he found the motivation to act.
He was well aware of his master's methods, but there were still some hidden techniques that he couldn't fully grasp. The Secret Letter was divided into two parts, one of which only Mistress Caesar knew the content of, as it was written in Zoroastrianism cipher.
The task assigned to him by Mistress Caesar was not easy, but it was something Zuo An desperately wanted to do, so he brought Gem along.
The two had hidden themselves in Maple Forest early on, like phantoms walking among humans. They had been lying in wait until this very moment, feeling as if they had merged with the maple trees, even sensing the roots absorbing moisture and the leaves exuding fragrance!
The target convoy approached slowly, with five Guards who were elite Imperial Guards. Although both he and Gem were well-versed in assassination techniques, they did not dare to be careless.
As a maple leaf fell, perfectly obscuring the Captain of the Guards' line of sight, Zuo An made his move!
Like a nimble monkey, he swung down from the tree, using the momentum to launch a flying dagger. His flying dagger inherited the legacy of Xu Zhen; although it lacked the effortless spirit of Xu Zhen's techniques, it was forged through countless trials and never missed its mark!
"Thud!"
The flying dagger instantly pierced the Captain of the Guards' forehead, and that person’s hand was still gripping the dagger's handle!
It was precisely because the flying dagger could strike silently that Zuo An chose it over a more powerful crossbow. For tonight's plan, he and Gem had studied several assassination strategies. If they failed tonight, his master's life would be at stake; in such a critical moment, how could he afford to be careless?
Before the Captain of the Guards fell, Zuo An released his feet from their grip on the tree and propelled himself like a kingfisher diving into water. He landed atop the carriage with a push above the Captain's head. With a light touch of his toes, he glided across smoothly, spinning his dual blades like wind wheels before swiftly crossing them. The guard on the left side of the carriage had already lost his head!
On the right side, another guard had just drawn his waist knife when Zuo An's foot struck his solar plexus. That man was incredibly alert; he hurriedly slammed his hand onto the saddle and fell off his horse in an ungraceful manner. Turning around, he saw that an Imperial Guard comrade on the right side lay slumped over with blood pooling in his deerskin boots before dripping onto the ground!
Zuo An pressed his hand against the ground for leverage and sprang up, tightly gripping the hilt of a narrow-bladed broad sword. However, as soon as he drew it out, it slipped from his grasp along with half of his arm!
Before he could even cry out in pain, half of the blade had already pierced through his mouth. When the blade was finally withdrawn, he thudded to the ground with a muffled sound, revealing behind him a girl with a playful face that was both charming and mischievous.
Qinsuo Luo lightly closed his eyes, gathering his energy to properly cherish the two sisters from India when he returned home. He subconsciously touched the Buddhist Monk Pill in his sleeve, recalling its astonishing effects, and a wicked heart suddenly burned with desire.
As he was walking, the carriage suddenly jolted, then continued moving forward. He furrowed his brow and pulled back the curtain, impatiently asking, "What’s going on?"
There was no response. The backs of the five horses were empty, and his heart tightened. A strong scent of blood filled the air. He instinctively wanted to rush out of the carriage, but just as he moved, he helplessly sat back down because a glinting knife tip was pressed against his throat!
"Hehehe..."
The young man before him wore an innocent smile, resembling a neighbor's boy. This scarred kid was none other than the one from Lu Dongzan's residence who had thwarted his attempt to capture the Xu Zhen and had even cut off Capturer's finger!
He wanted to scream for help but had no chance to do so. He could feel the murderous intent in Zuo An's eyes; if he spoke even a word or swallowed in fear, he would surely be stabbed to death!
Gem jumped onto the carriage and exchanged a knowing smile with Zuo An. They looked like a pair of well-coordinated bandits, chuckling as they high-fived each other. If they hadn't just killed five elite Imperial Guards, Qinsuo Luo would have thought these two were merely a couple of naive young lovers.
The carriage soon came to a stop, and a more graceful Tang lady boarded. Zuo An addressed her, saying, "Little Mistress, this person is in your hands now..."
The newcomer was Zhang Suling. She examined Qinsuo Luo for a moment and then used an eyebrow pencil to draw some lines on his face. Qinsuo Luo felt apprehensive and dared not speak because although the people in the carriage were all strikingly handsome and beautiful, their gazes toward him felt as if they were looking at a lifeless object!
After a moment, a burly man wielding a knife emerged from the roadside with four others. They were dressed in the armor of the slain elite Imperial Guards!
One of them stood out with impressive height and unmanageable golden hair; his bright blue eyes shone like a cat's in the night.
"Mistress, everything is ready..." Zuo An said to Caesar.
Caesar glanced at the situation inside the carriage and told Zhou Cang, who was disguised as Captain of the Guards, "Return to Execution Ground!"
Almost all of Xu Zhen's personnel had been mobilized except for Li Wushuang in the deep palace. At that moment, she was also filled with worry; unable to directly participate in the plan, she felt quite guilty about Xu Zhen.
When she married Qizong Nongsan, the ruler of Tuguhun was already advanced in age and favored Princess Chizun the most, with two other Consorts of Tubo waiting for his affection. As a result, he was always indifferent towards Li Wushuang. Later, when Tuguhun suffered from an epidemic, Princess Chizun transmitted the illness to Qizong Nongsan, who then dared not approach the other princesses, ultimately never touching Li Wushuang.
Now that Qizong Nongsan had inexplicably died during a rebellion, Li Wushuang did not feel much sorrow. Given her status, Qiang Bang Se naturally did not dare to act recklessly. Without Qiang Bang Se's regency, she might have retained some position within the palace, but given the current situation, it seemed she could only guard the Tibetan King’s tomb and spend the rest of her life in solitude.
Of course, if the Tang Empire wanted to bring her back, it wouldn't be impossible; however, she was merely a member of the royal family, so how could Li Zhi possibly summon her back to the Tang Dynasty?
If Xu Zhen could escape this calamity, perhaps with a clever plan she could swap places and truly bring herself and her child back to Chang'an. But that was all speculation; if Caesar's plans failed, Xu Zhen would not even escape this disaster, let alone think about the future.
Though she did not engage in political affairs, she could gather from palace gossip that this execution of Xu Zhen was quite grand. Moreover, in order to make the execution more intimidating, Qiang Bang Se abandoned beheading and hanging in favor of an ancient method: dismemberment by five horses.
The lonely nights that had once been so difficult passed quietly amidst Li Wushuang's worries. By dawn, a Court Lady came to summon her, saying that Zanpu wanted her to witness the execution. Li Wushuang's heart sank.
Mangsong Mangzan was just a child of two or three years old, barely able to walk or speak; the so-called summons was merely Qiang Bang Se's intention.
If he only brought Mangsong Mangzan out, Qiang Bang Se would still fear public criticism for being autocratic. Thus, he brought Li Wushuang and two other princesses along as well.
After Qizong Nongsan's death, Princess Chizun's condition deteriorated rapidly; now she was on the brink of death. Even if Qiang Bang Se wanted to take her along, it would be nearly impossible.
At the foot of Red Mountain in Potala Palace stood a towering execution platform surrounded by Imperial Guards, likely fearing someone might attempt to rescue those sentenced. The crowd below surged with people; it was beyond description to say it was packed.
Qiang Bang Se deliberately promoted that Xu Zhen held a reputation among the populace akin to that of a Divine Child. Not only were people from all over Lhasa gathered there but many from various lords' territories had also come early. Among them were numerous foreign envoys from countries like Nepal and India as well as members of religious groups—all present to witness the event.
Xu Zhen, known as Zoroastrian Yelbo and Son of Ahura in religious circles, had gained immense fame. As a general of the Tang Empire, despite facing opposition from court officials, his renown abroad remained undiminished; tales of his deeds and military exploits continued to be sung.
Against this backdrop, today's execution was indeed shocking to the world and drew a crowd that filled the entire foot of Red Mountain.
Fortunately, Qiang Bang Se and Qinsuo Luo had prepared in advance by constructing an exceptionally tall execution platform. With clear weather, even from two or three miles away one could clearly see the scene of the execution.
Qiang Bang Se sat high above the execution platform, with Zanpu by his side. Mangsong Mangzan was held in the arms of Consort Tu Gu Hun Mengjie Chika, while the three queens of the former kings, including Li Wushuang, could only stand slightly behind. This greatly satisfied Qiang Bang Se's desire for power; he held his head high and raised his hand slightly, prompting those around him to take action.
A Prison Cart creaked as it rolled across the ground, coming from the direction of the dark prison. The crowd along the way gasped in awe, but quickly fell silent.
They were paying tribute to Xu Zhen in silence.
In a devout nation like Tuguhun, even Xu Zhen herself could not imagine how great her influence was. Just as Zanpu's incarnation could possess immense popularity, there were those who believed that after Qizong Nongsan's death, he transformed into a beam of light that merged into the statue at Dazhao Temple.
Even incarnations like Anqiao had followers; how much more so for Xu Zhen, who had displayed miracles!
In their eyes, Xu Zhen was a divine messenger walking among them. Although they were not followers of Zoroastrianism, they still worshipped Xu Zhen because she allowed them to see that what they believed in was not an illusion.
If Zoroastrianism could have a powerful figure like Xu Zhen, why couldn't Buddhism?
Tens of thousands of people quietly watched as the Prison Cart slowly approached. The Prison Cart was tall enough for Xu Zhen to stand, but she chose to sit cross-legged instead.
She entrusted everything to Old Black, as he was the only person she could see before being taken away. She did not know if she would be able to find Old Black again in the future, but she felt a deep sense of peace.
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