Marrying Wife and Concubine Together: After Rebirth, I Remarried the Scumbag's Father on the Sp

At that moment, Madam Li was helping her daughter Rongrong sit in the carriage. Rongrong was very active and was looking out the window at the scenery. She said in a clear voice, "Mother, the lady of the Marquis of Zhanyi's mansion was so gentle. She even gave me a hairpin inlaid with pearls and red gold."

Madam Li reached out and tidied the stray hairs by her daughter's temples, her eyes showing a mixture of tenderness and seriousness: "She is the most intelligent and capable woman in our court. You must be respectful when you see her in the future."

She knew perfectly well that the Prince of Dongping had extended an olive branch to the Marquis of Zhanyi's mansion simply because he wanted to find a powerful backer, but whether that backer could be relied upon was still unknown.

The carriage came to a fork in the road. On both sides were tall locust trees, their branches and leaves intertwined, blocking out the sun and preventing even a sliver of sunlight from penetrating. The only sounds were the hoofbeats of horses and the wheels rolling over the stone slabs.

Li's heart tightened suddenly. She raised her hand and pressed Rongrong's hand down, saying in a deep voice, "Don't make a sound, sit inside."

Rongrong was startled by her mother's expression and quickly shrank back inside the carriage, her little hands tightly gripping Li's sleeve.

Just then, a sharp whistle broke the silence, and dozens of masked men in black rushed out of the locust grove, each wielding a sharp blade and with fierce eyes, and pounced straight at the carriage.

The guards from the Dongping Prince's Mansion who were escorting Li and her daughter numbered only ten. Although they were somewhat skilled, they were no match for these well-trained assassins. In just a short while, several of them fell into pools of blood, and screams of agony rang out one after another.

"Protect the Crown Princess and the Princess!" the head of the guards of the Prince's Mansion roared, brandishing his sword to defend himself, but was attacked from both sides by two assassins, took a knife to the chest, and fell heavily to the ground.

The coachman was also slashed in the neck and fell to the ground. The carriage lost control, lurched violently, and came to a stop.

An assassin raised his hand to strike the wooden curtain of the carriage. Li Shi shielded Rongrong in her arms, closed her eyes tightly, and felt a chill in her heart. She knew that she would probably die today.

But the sharp blade did not fall in the end. There was a crisp "clang" followed by the assassin's muffled groan.

Li opened her eyes abruptly and saw a purple figure rush to the carriage like an arrow released from a bow. The long sword in her hand was flying, and every move was ruthless. It was Zi'er.

The twenty guards from the Marquis of Zhanyi's mansion behind Zi'er had also arrived and instantly engaged the assassins in a fierce battle, with flashing swords and deafening shouts of battle.

Zi'er's swordsmanship was personally taught by Zhan Yan; it was sharp and unrestrained, carrying a touch of the ruthlessness of the military.

She immediately recognized that the assassins' target was Li Shi and Rongrong in the carriage, so she stayed by the carriage closely, and whenever an assassin approached, she forced them back with a single sword stroke.

"Princess Consort, Princess, do not be afraid! Your subordinate is here to protect you on the orders of the Lady of the Marquis!" Zi'er shouted into the carriage while brandishing her sword to fight the enemy. Although her voice was steady, beads of sweat had already seeped from her forehead.

These assassins were clearly death squads, each one fearless and willing to fight to the last breath, even if they were struck in a vital spot.

Zi'er stood alone in front of the carriage, under immense pressure. Her robes were quickly splattered with blood, some from the assassins and some from herself.

Li was terrified as she listened in the carriage. Rongrong was so frightened that she cried out, but Li covered her mouth tightly, and she only dared to make muffled sobs.

Zi'er caught a glimpse of the carriage curtain moving out of the corner of her eye. Fearing that Li and her daughter would be startled, she was distracted for a moment, and her left arm was slashed by an assassin's dagger. The slash went deep enough to expose the bone, and blood gushed out instantly, staining her sleeve red.

She gritted her teeth, stabbed the assassin in the throat with a backhand stroke, and kicked him away. She didn't dare to stop for a moment, because more assassins were surging towards them.

Although the guards of the Marquis's mansion were brave, there were simply too many assassins, and each of them was fighting desperately. For a time, they were unable to gain the upper hand, and several guards had already fallen. The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous.

Zi'er knew that if she wanted to protect Li and her daughter today, she had to fight to the death.

She held her longsword horizontally in front of her, her eyes blazing as she stared at the assassin before her. She had only one thought in her mind: she had to do what the Lady Hou had entrusted to her, even if it cost her her life.

Seeing that they couldn't break through her defenses, a ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of one of the leading assassins. He raised his hand and waved his hand, and several assassins abandoned their fight with the Marquis's guards and rushed towards Zi'er together, their blades flashing and swords clashing all around her.

Instead of retreating, Zi'er advanced, her longsword forming an impenetrable wall of swords that blocked most of the attacks. However, she was ultimately outnumbered and was struck in the back by an assassin's longsword. The force was immense, and she staggered, nearly falling to the ground.

A sharp pain shot through her back, and Zi'er's vision went black, but she stubbornly held on. She knew she couldn't fall; if she did, Li Shi and Rongrong in the carriage would immediately be in danger.

She turned abruptly, and with all her might, thrust her sword into the heart of the assassin who had struck her. The assassin's eyes widened, and he collapsed.

Just then, another assassin circled around to her side, his dagger aimed at her back. The attack was swift and ruthless, leaving Zi'er with no way to dodge.

At the critical moment, she suddenly turned to the side, using her right shoulder to block the dagger. The dagger pierced deep into her shoulder bone. Zi'er groaned, but her longsword did not stop at all. She slashed the assassin's neck with her backhand.

Having suffered three serious injuries in succession, Zi'er was almost exhausted. Her vision blurred, and her hand holding the sword began to tremble. Yet, she still stood in front of the carriage, like an unshakable stone statue. Her long sword was propped up on the ground, supporting her swaying body, and her gaze remained sharp as she stared at the assassin in front of her.

When the guards of the Marquis's mansion saw Zi'er seriously injured, their eyes turned red with rage. They roared and rushed forward, fighting the assassins with their lives. They were all people of the Marquis's mansion, and had long been grateful for the Marquis's kindness. They had long engraved loyalty and righteousness in their hearts. Even if they died today, they would protect the Crown Princess and the Princess, as well as their deputy commander.

Seeing that Zi'er was at her last gasp, the leader of the assassins had a smug look in his eyes. He swung his knife at Zi'er with great force and determination to kill her.

Zi'er looked up, her eyes showing no fear, only a resolute determination. She gripped her longsword, wanting to raise her hand to defend herself, but her body, due to excessive blood loss, was completely unresponsive. Her arm fell heavily to the ground after only halfway up.

Seeing this from inside the carriage, Li cried out in alarm, "Be careful!"

At this critical moment, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar, accompanied by a neat battle cry: "The city guards are here! Assassins, surrender!"

It turned out that Lin Yiwan had been feeling uneasy ever since Zi'er left, so she sent someone to inform Yingyi. Yingyi dared not delay and immediately dispatched the city guards to provide support.

Seeing that the city guards had arrived, the assassins knew that their plans for the day were doomed. The leader glared at Zi'er in front of the carriage, then glanced at the carriage again, raised his hand and gave a whistle. The remaining assassins immediately withdrew and fled into the depths of the locust grove.