Surrounding the great hall were serving palace maids and eunuchs.

This grand birthday banquet was arranged and managed by the Empress, so these people were naturally planted by her as well.

Using her drinking wine as the signal, the death warriors would act.

A palace maid standing at the very front suddenly pulled a dagger from her sleeve and thrust it toward Li Jingshu’s chest.

The Empress’s eyes were icy cold.

Her goal was to kill the Emperor so the Crown Prince could ascend the throne.

But in this process, she would conveniently also kill Li Jingshu, that old slut.

However.

Li Jingshu had long sensed something was wrong.

She screamed, her knees went soft as she fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding that blade, though her arm was still injured.

The high and noble lady had no image as she scrambled messily on the ground, crawling behind the Emperor: “Erlang, save me…”

The Emperor always had hidden guards protecting him. The instant the crisis occurred, those hidden guards immediately positioned themselves around the Emperor and viciously stabbed with a blade. That palace maid took the knife to her chest, blood spraying from her mouth as she fell to the ground.

“Quick, protect His Majesty!”

“Protect the Emperor!”

Eunuch Gao’s shrill voice rang out.

This voice made everyone present realize—someone was assassinating the Emperor!

The great hall immediately descended into chaos. Military officials crowded around the Emperor to protect him, civil officials trembled in fear, female family members cried in terror, children made noise…

Chu Yi’s eyes immediately darkened.

He had considered that the Empress might assassinate Li Jingshu, or assassinate him, or even all the other princes. He never imagined the target would actually be Father Emperor.

Father Emperor was lustful but not incompetent. In his decades of reign, though he hadn’t achieved any great accomplishments, at least he hadn’t brought chaos to the people. The populace lived and worked in peace, foreign enemies dared not invade, no territory had been lost. Looking at all dynasties throughout history, this already counted as a very good emperor.

If Father Emperor died in this assassination, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne, Great Jin would surely fall into chaos.

Chu Yi drew his long blade, beheaded the person before him, and turned to tell Yun Chu: “Chu’er, go out through the northeast side door and quickly find a place to hide.”

Yun Chu nodded.

In such a situation, women without martial arts skills would already be helping greatly by not adding to the chaos.

She looked toward the female family members. Many young ladies were frightened to tears. The older madams still maintained composure but didn’t know where to flee…

“Everyone calm down! Let’s quickly go hide over there!”

Yun Chu called out loudly.

She knew the Empress had deployed many death warriors in a semi-encirclement lurking around the great hall. If they didn’t escape quickly, once the death warriors surged in, who knew how many of these defenseless women would die.

She took the lead running toward the northeast side door.

However, a discordant voice came from the crowd: “That side door is too far. Escaping from here would be faster.”

Yun Chu glanced sideways and saw Consort Fang standing beside the Crown Princess. Having just become pregnant, she was supported by two nannies on either side, full of imposing presence.

Fang Xinyan pointed at another side door to the north, indicating everyone should escape that way. “Once out this door and walking back, there’s the Imperial Garden. Going further back, you can leave the palace and be safe.”

The Crown Princess nodded in agreement: “Let’s go this way.”

Many people were frightened senseless. Whatever others said was accepted, instinctively agreeing with the Crown Princess’s words.

Yun Chu shook her head and spoke: “The north door is close to the Imperial Garden. The Imperial Garden has lush vegetation—precisely because of this, assassins might be hiding there… Time is urgent, so I won’t say more. Those willing to trust me, follow me this way. Those unwilling to believe may do as they please.”

She stepped forward to support Noble Consort Yun, then took Consort Yin’s arm.

She couldn’t worry about others, but at least she had to look after her own aunt and mother-in-law.

Qinghua remembered what Yun Chu had said to her yesterday and spoke: “Mother Consort, I’ll support you. Let’s go quickly!”

Consort Yin’s lovely face had lost all color: “His Majesty—save His Majesty…”

“Mother Consort doesn’t know martial arts. Going over would only add to His Majesty’s troubles. With so many military officials there, Father Emperor will be fine!” Qinghua helped Consort Yin along.

Duling supported her own mother-in-law: “Let’s also follow Chu’er.”

Her mother-in-law quickly struggled her hand free: “Prince Pingxi’s consort lives outside the palace and isn’t familiar with it. How can we listen to her? We should follow the Eastern Palace people.”

With that, she followed the Crown Princess toward the north door.

Watching the increasingly chaotic great hall, Duling stamped her feet anxiously: “Mother-in-law, Chu’er won’t be wrong. Go this way, this way!”

Before she could say more, Yun Chu grabbed and pulled her away.

Fang Xinyan curved her lips: “If Prince Pingxi’s consort wants to go die, just let her die. Let’s escape quickly.”

Everyone knew that Consort Fang had once lost a child because of Prince Pingxi’s consort. Though the specific circumstances were unknown, the two had ultimately formed a grudge.

The Crown Princess quickly said: “Regardless, this isn’t a place to linger. Don’t just stand there—run!”

This group of female family members looked at each other, ultimately choosing to believe the Crown Princess.

By this time, Yun Chu’s small group had already run so far they could barely be seen.

That large group of people fled swiftly and mightily toward the north door. There weren’t many people near this door—palace maids and eunuchs had long scattered everywhere. The door was open, and the female family members escaped very smoothly.

“I told you this door was safer.” Fang Xinyan’s face bore a smile. “Ladies, don’t be afraid. Walk down this path and we’ll reach the Imperial Garden. We’ll be completely safe very soon.”

As for Yun Chu, having chosen the wrong path, she would surely die in the chaos.

But this place was truly too quiet.

The Crown Princess felt a thread of bad premonition.

Just then.

With rustling sounds of trees stirring, immediately after, dozens—or perhaps hundreds—of black-clothed people appeared from who knows where.

The female family members didn’t even have time to scream before the blades fell.

Fang Xinyan just watched helplessly as the nanny supporting her was beheaded, that head falling beside her feet.

Frightened, she immediately fell to the ground. Her belly tightened as she crawled and rolled away: “Crown Princess sister, save me, quickly save me…”

The crowd became chaotic.

“There are assassins—run!”

“Consort Fang led us the wrong way. We shouldn’t have believed her.”

“Quick, escape!”

The female family members fled in all directions.

The Crown Princess had wanted to save Fang Xinyan, but she only had four guards beside her. If she arranged two for Fang Xinyan, she herself might not be able to protect herself.

She glanced at Fang Xinyan fallen on the ground, then steeled her heart and turned to flee.

She was immensely grateful that, fortunately, the Empress hadn’t allowed the children to come. Otherwise, the children would have been in danger.

“Ah! Save me…” Fang Xinyan grabbed hold of Old Madam Ji—that is, Duling’s mother-in-law. “Old Madam Ji, please help me, help me up…”

Old Madam Ji was just about to kick her away when she felt pain at the back of her neck. She reached to touch it—her hand was covered in blood. Her eyes rolled back as she directly fainted.

A black-clothed person casually stabbed a blade into Old Madam Ji’s abdomen.

Immediately after, that blade sliced across Fang Xinyan’s throat. She didn’t even have time to scream before she lost her breath.