It seems that the villain is targeting me.

Gwen didn't react to what was happening at that moment. She wanted to look up and around, but Xiao Niao held her tightly in his arms.

"Don't look up! It's an assassin!" Xiao Niao shouted at her hoarsely, "Go to the door, quickly!"

Gwyneth suddenly came to her senses and saw that the assassin, who was hiding somewhere, was quickly drawing the bow and string, and the next attack was about to come at any time!

The experience on the battlefield helped her quickly regain her composure. Gwyneth held onto Xiaoniao's shoulders, and the two of them did not stop and moved quickly towards the door.

They were now about ten meters away from the door. Even if they ran as fast as they could, it would take them several seconds. For an experienced assassin, these few seconds were enough time to shoot two or three more arrows.

But strangely, the next arrow did not arrive until Xiao Niao suddenly pushed the door open again and left the balcony.

A little further away, the assassin who received the assassination order looked at the

A broken crossbow string.

He had clearly checked the tools carefully before setting off, and maintained them meticulously every month. The bowstring was newly wound and was far from being damaged.

However, it still broke, and after the fatal arrow was shot, the assassin thought he was about to succeed. He chose a good angle and Gwyneth had almost no chance of dodging the arrow - as long as it hit her, she would be dead.

However, the Imperial Prime Minister blocked the arrow for Gwyneth, which made the assassin's wish come to nothing.

The assassin immediately prepared to load the second arrow without any hesitation, but the string on the crossbow broke at this moment, and the flexible copper wire bounced up and almost hit his eyes.

The timing of the bowstring breaking was such a coincidence that the first fatal arrow it shot was blocked by the shrike's wings, and then it was scrapped on the spot, forever losing the opportunity to change the course of the story.

The assassin was puzzled and could only conclude that the girl was lucky.

There is no other explanation. It is as if there is a "destiny" protecting Gwyneth Tudor. Otherwise, how could the tough and durable bowstring break so easily?

------

-

On the other side, two people had pushed open the small door to the balcony and returned to the banquet hall.

Gwyneth had never seen Xiaoniao so tough before. She held on to herself tightly without allowing any resistance, using her body as a barrier to block the crowd's sight and the possible second attack.

The banquet hall was still a harmonious scene of singing and dancing. The dinner was getting on well. Most people were indulging in the wine, food and pleasant atmosphere. No one realized that danger was approaching.

Xiao Niao held Gwyneth's shoulders tightly through a layer of clothing, his fingers exerting an abnormal amount of force.

"Don't make a sound, we'll go find the guards right away," the Prime Minister's voice remained calm. She glanced at Gwen and said, "Don't be nervous, Gwen. Just do as I say."

Xiao Niao thought Gwen was frightened by the assassin's attack. After all, normal people rarely encounter this kind of thing, and for Xiao Niao, assassination is as common as midnight snack.

But Gwyneth was not frightened by the assassin as she thought. She noticed that Xiaoniao lifted its left wing lightly. She subconsciously reached out to touch it, but her hand felt wet and warm. Her fingertips touched a sharp protrusion.

"Ugh..." A tiny groan of pain came from her ear. If Gwyneth hadn't been too close, she would not have had the chance to hear it.

Gwen trembled and retracted her fingers stained with bright red. She saw the dark red color slowly spreading on the inside of the Xiao bird's wings. The bird was retracting its wings, and she could only see the bronze arrow flash by.

"Don't touch the arrowhead, it might be poisonous." Xiao Niao grabbed Gwyneth's hand that was reaching out to her.

"...Luckily, I was the one who was shot. The arrow went straight through my wing, so even if it's poisonous, it won't be a big problem."

Xiao Niao shook his head at her, his expression somewhat anxious, "Let's go, don't delay."

Gwyneth had never hated her own powerlessness as much as she did now, watching the bird get hurt in front of her eyes and being unable to do anything.

But she also knew that she couldn't stay like this any longer. With assassins outside, the banquet hall might not be safe either. Both of them were unarmed now, and if they encountered danger, she alone would definitely not be able to protect Xiao Niao.

If those people are coming for the Prime Minister of the Empire, then she must get the bird back under the protection of the guards as soon as possible!

Gwyneth put the cloak back on Xiaoniao, carefully covering her wings, then lifted up Xiaoniao's already weak right shoulder and walked towards the nearest guard as inconspicuously as possible.

To outsiders, it looked like Gwen was supporting a drunk person and walking slowly.

Xiao Niao closed her eyes and endured the terrible pain coming from her wings. It felt like a red-hot charcoal was buried in her wings. In just a few seconds, cold sweat had soaked her back.

[Bird, drop your wings!] The system's savior-like voice rang out in her mind, [Take a deep breath, your blood circulation is too fast right now!]

Xiao Niao did as she was told subconsciously. She waited in a daze for a few seconds, and then felt a round object like a glass ball appear in the back of her tooth socket.

She subconsciously clenched the ball.

The system quickly shouted, "Just chew it up and swallow it! The poison hasn't reached your heart yet, so there's still time to take the antidote."

Xiao Niao no longer hesitated. He bit the glass-like antidote hard and swallowed the bitter medicine.

Fortunately, it was me that was hit, Xiao Niao thought while enduring the severe pain, if this arrow had hit Gwen in the back, she would have been beyond saving no matter what.

Xiao Niao knew that the most urgent thing at this moment was to leave as soon as possible, so despite her physical discomfort, she tried her best to keep up with Gwen's pace. But just as she gritted her teeth and continued to move forward, her body suddenly shook.

Xiao Niao suddenly lost his breath, his knees became weak, and he almost fell down.

Fortunately, Gwyneth held her firmly.

Several snake-like blue-black marks appeared on the left side of the Imperial Prime Minister's neck, and the blood vessels became clearly visible - that was the effect caused by the combined effects of pain and toxins.

But fortunately, the bird has taken the antidote.

It just looks scary.

But Gwen didn't know this.

Gwyneth saw this scene clearly and remembered everything in her heart.

No one knows what she is thinking.

Xiao Niao's face was pale at this time. She was not the type with particularly strong physical fitness. The severe pain had tortured her to the point that she was a little confused.

The moment Gwen supported her, the bird instinctively reached out and grabbed the other's arm. She was shaking just now because she accidentally pulled the wound - the arrow was still hanging on her wing.

Even if that thing isn't poisonous, it still hurts like hell!

Xiao Niao shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel the dizziness in his head.

Her face was pale. She carefully lifted her coat and gently raised her wings.

"...Deal with this arrow first," Xiao Niao's voice sounded a little weak. "Don't pull it out, just break off the arrowhead and the shaft... I can't carry this with me."

Gwyneth was silent for a moment and whispered "OK".

Xiao Niao told her that there was a handkerchief in his shirt pocket. Gwen took it out, folded it in two, and carefully wrapped it around the arrowhead covered in black plasma.

The moment her finger touched the arrow, Gwyneth felt the breathing of the person leaning against her become a little disordered.

Xiao Niao looked away, not wanting to put any extra pressure on Gwen, and her jaw muscles were tightly clenched.

As if sensing the girl's hesitation, Xiao Niao urged vaguely, "Come on, Gwen, it's okay."

The bird's voice was filled with trust in the girl, and before she knew it, she had even begun to let the girl hold her most fragile wings in her arms.

Gwyneth tried her best to steady the arrow in her hand. The moment the arrow head was broken, her heart tightened as did her body. Xiao Niao did not make any sound, but the silence at that moment made her feel stinging.

------

-

Because the bird was injured, the two people walked slowly, but fortunately there were guards standing around in the banquet hall to protect the guests' safety.

Ever since the last incident involving the eldest prince, patrolling guards have become a standard feature of palace banquets, and these guards are all the emperor's own men.

This made Xiao Niao a little depressed, but he still cheered up and observed carefully.

Xiao Niao carefully chose two guards whom she was very familiar with and had known for a long time, and asked Gwyneth to lead her slowly over.

The two guards were also innocent. They were just on duty and had never expected that an accident would happen today. After all, the last time an accident happened in the palace, the current empire didn't even exist.

This job is quite good. After all, the work intensity is not high and the salary is quite good. Being assigned to stand guard in the banquet hall is much more comfortable than being exposed to the wind and rain outside the city gate.

But who could have thought that before they could enjoy themselves for long, Prime Minister Butcher came straight towards them with his bloody wings.

Both guards felt their scalps tingling, and their originally relaxed nerves immediately tensed up.

"An assassin has infiltrated the palace," Xiao Niao whispered to the two guards, "Leave here first and inform His Majesty and the imperial guards—and also the guests attending the banquet below. Find a way to evacuate them as quickly as possible..."

Xiao Niao had not let Gwyneth make it known before in order to avoid chaos. Otherwise, with so many people in the banquet hall running around in confusion, it would definitely be dangerous, and it would be easier for the assassins to take advantage of the chaos.

After all, the two guards were elite soldiers sent to guard the palace. After understanding the situation clearly, they quickly demonstrated their corresponding professional qualities.

Two people guarded Xiaoniao and Gwen, preparing to take them through a small path from the back to leave the banquet hall and get to a safe place as soon as possible.

The banquet hall was now at its busiest. After all, it was a celebratory dinner, and in addition to dancing, many programs were prepared in advance to liven up the atmosphere. There was also plenty of alcohol, and most people drank.

The atmosphere was getting better and better, and the surroundings were extremely noisy. Generally speaking, as long as you kept a low profile, no one would notice that four people had suddenly left.

But for some reason, Xiao Niao felt vaguely uneasy.

After returning from that expedition, the original storyline had been fanned dizzy by her butterfly wings and was no longer of any reference value.

Although she hadn't really counted on this, Xiao Niao had indeed lost an advantage that was very important for a time traveler: the ability to predict the plot.

Xiao Niao did not have the confidence that he could arrange everything perfectly without any omissions.

This is actually normal in reality - no matter how careful the arrangements are, there will always be unexpected accidents. Even if you are as meticulous as Zhuge Liang, there will always be mistakes.

To be honest, even the instigator of the conspiracy could not have expected this.

Just as Xiao Niao and Gwen were carefully walking through the crowd and about to leave the banquet hall, a jester who was invited to sing some funny jokes suddenly noticed the two people.

This jester was a native of the capital and had been singing and performing in the palace for a long time, so he knew the emperor's first

What does he look like?

Then, I don’t know if this big brother was crazy about telling jokes or was crazy about trying to persuade people to drink, but he actually walked towards the two of them with a tray and a wine jug, smiling.

No one understood why he suddenly came over.

Even if Wumuda knew about it afterwards, he would have to go to this man in person and ask him what he was thinking at that time.

In short, the sudden approach of the jester made the two guards instantly nervous, and their hands subconsciously reached for the weapons at their waists.

Xiao Niao and Gwyneth couldn't help but take a defensive stance, their sharp eyes piercing the jester.

The jester, who was just about to tell a few jokes as a toast, was frightened by the four men's fearful expressions and froze in place for a moment, not daring to move.

At this moment, the jester suddenly noticed the bird's wings drooping limply under its cloak.

The feathers on the other party's wings seemed a little messy and the color was not normal - most importantly, he saw some black blood sliding down the tips of the feathers and dripping onto the floor.

The little wine the Fool had drunk was instantly sobered by the fright.

His hand trembled, and the copper tray and silver wine jug fell to the ground with a clang. He screamed in his ugly duck voice:

"There is an assassin—"

This sentence ignited the nerves of some people hiding in the dark.

Xiao Niao was surprised to find that just when she and Gwen were about to pass a corner, several knights in armor suddenly jumped out, as if they had been lying in ambush there, waiting for them to pass.

If that big brother hadn't come over on a whim, the two of them would have probably fallen into the trap that the other party had prepared long ago!

At the same time, a commotion broke out in the banquet hall. A large number of unknown knights surrounded the entire banquet hall from all directions, shouting at everyone to lie down on the ground.

This is a palace coup!

The leader of the unknown knights pointed at Xiao Niao and Gwyneth and shouted in a gruff voice, "Capture these two!"

Chapter 76: It was like a replay of that day

The two guards were the first to react. Although there was a huge disparity in the number of people present, they still drew their weapons and prepared to fight to the death.

There were also some guards who, like the two of them, knew nothing about the coup that took place in the banquet hall:

These people were either of low birth and had no chance to choose sides; or they were completely opposed to the eldest prince's faction and there was no possibility of winning them over.

At this moment, they, like the two guards, became the highest priority targets of the knights who launched the palace coup.

Screams and the sound of fighting rang out, and the smell of rust began to spread in the air.

The banquet hall was in chaos. Cries and shouts could be heard from the crowd, accompanied by the loud orders of the fully armed knights, which made people panic.

This may be a bit ironic: although it was not his own will, and the circumstances and conditions were completely different from the original ones - in the end the eldest prince still placed the guests in the banquet hall under house arrest.

About dozens of aggressive knights were approaching Xiao Niao and Gwyneth, obviously targeting them specifically.

The orders these knights received were very clear: it was best to capture her alive, but if the resistance was fierce, they were allowed to use heavy hands, as long as the Tudor girl was left with a chance to survive.

Gwyneth's scalp tingled as she watched the knight approaching them in a semicircle.

All the common sense Gwen had learned told her: once the encirclement was formed, there would be no possibility for her to escape with the injured bird without any weapons.

This is not the time to be indecisive. She must make a judgment and react quickly, otherwise she will miss her only chance to escape.

She has always been calm and can act rationally even on a battlefield full of dangers and crises. The more life-threatening the situation, the calmer she is.

But this time, Gwyneth seemed to have lost her usual calm attitude. While she was protecting the injured Xiao Niao, her eyes couldn't help but quickly scan the panicked crowd around her.