Chapter 0068: Surviving Great Peril

"Your Highness, quickly, get out of the way!" Karl von Jonalait shouted loudly.

Instinctively, Qin Tian also sidestepped, but it was too late.

"Die, Your Highness!" the assassin spat out as he pulled the trigger of his gun.

"Bang!"

The gunshot echoed, and Qin Tian felt as though someone had delivered a powerful blow to his abdomen, a searing pain overwhelming him, causing him to stumble backward. His consciousness began to slip away.

"Am I going to die? I refuse to accept this!" Qin Tian screamed silently within. However, no sound escaped his lips.

Indeed, the thought of dying now filled him with a profound sense of regret. After all, he had been granted a second chance at life; it would be utterly pointless to die before he could wield his own power to change history. Would there even be another opportunity for rebirth? He couldn't be certain. To be reborn once was already an extraordinary stroke of fortune!

"Your Highness, Your Highness, how are you?" Karl von Jonalait, disregarding the fleeing assassin, rushed to Qin Tian's side, panic written all over his face.

"Someone! Quickly! The Prince has been shot! Get him to the hospital!" Karl shouted frantically.

People inside the German Lottery Company rushed out. Upon realizing the situation, they immediately dispatched a vehicle to take Qin Tian to the hospital. Once the hospital became aware of Qin Tian's identity, they wasted no time and organized the doctors for emergency treatment.

"Whatever it takes, you must save the Prince!" Karl von Jonalait shouted wildly, his handsome face contorted in anguish.

"Of course, Mr. Jonalait, we will do our utmost. However, we ask that you do not hinder our efforts, or else any delay in treating the Prince will not be our responsibility," the hospital director replied sternly.

"Apologies, Director." Karl quickly regained his composure.

He then sent word to his father to inform Wilhelm II, while also arranging for increased security at the hospital to prevent further incursions by the assailant.

When the news of Qin Tian's assassination attempt reached Wilhelm II, he was in the midst of a court meeting. The moment Essen von Jonalait entered his office with a serious expression, Wilhelm sensed that something grave had occurred.

"Essen, what happened? What's going on?" Wilhelm II inquired.

"Your Majesty, Prince Oscar has been shot at; the assailant fired a shot, and he is currently being treated at the hospital!" Essen von Jonalait reported.

"What? This is outrageous! Who dares to commit such an act?" Wilhelm II thundered, furious that anyone would have the audacity to attempt an assassination of a prince in Berlin.

Count Tirpitz, Army Minister von Falkenhayn, and Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow were all astonished. Such a vile incident had not occurred in Germany for many years, especially in the capital, Berlin, which should have been the safest place in the country.

Although the Crown Prince was also present, and feigned anger upon hearing the news, a flicker of excitement gleamed in his eyes.

"Excellent! Friedrich Franz III has finally taken action. If he can eliminate that Oscar, it would be splendid," the Crown Prince mused inwardly.

If Qin Tian were to die, he would no longer pose any threat to him. Even if Wilhelm II traced it back to him, he doubted there would be significant repercussions. After all, dealing with a deceased ordinary prince for the sake of a crown prince was rather inappropriate.

Moreover, the wealth that Qin Tian possessed would likely revert to the royal family. As the heir to the empire, the Crown Prince would surely benefit from it. Once he ascended to the throne, he could dispose of that wealth at will.

Thus, the Crown Prince felt emboldened.

Von Moltke also attended the court meeting, and upon hearing the news of Qin Tian's assassination attempt, he felt a tightening in his chest. He knew the Crown Prince must have orchestrated it. The Crown Prince's audacity to target the Young Guard surprised him. However, this did not garner his approval. The last time he had advised the Crown Prince was in hopes that he would focus on state affairs to change Wilhelm II's perception of him. Instead, he had resorted to such a drastic course of action.

While it was not uncommon throughout European royal histories for brothers to be murdered in the struggle for power, it remained emotionally difficult to accept. No one wished to serve a ruler who was capable of betraying their own kin.

"Mr. Jonalait, how is the Prince? Is he in danger?" Count Tirpitz inquired anxiously.

Count Tirpitz regarded Qin Tian as a benefactor of the navy; without him, Germany's naval development would not have been so rapid. Qin Tian had promised to provide a loan of one hundred million marks annually to the navy, and should anything happen to him, that funding would surely vanish.

"It's still unclear; the hospital is performing surgery," Essen von Jonalait replied.

"Ensure that the hospital secures Oscar's safety. Additionally, notify the Berlin police to immediately capture the assassin. When did Berlin's security deteriorate to this extent? If the current chief cannot handle it, I would not hesitate to replace him!" Wilhelm II fumed. Any father would feel enraged at the assassination of his son, whose life now hung in the balance.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Essen von Jonalait nodded.

Thus, the court meeting concluded prematurely. Subsequently, Wilhelm II ordered the royal family's secret forces to investigate the matter diligently, determined to apprehend the assassin and unearth the mastermind behind the attack. He resolved that whoever was responsible would pay the price.

In the hospital, Qin Tian's surgery was completed; the bullet had been removed, and now it remained to be seen if he could survive. After all, the current medical conditions were limited, and infections and complications were inevitable. If luck was not on his side, he might not pull through.

However, Qin Tian was not a man who relied on ill fortune. After two days of unconsciousness, he finally awoke. After examining him, the doctors confirmed that he had temporarily passed the critical stage of danger.