Chapter 960: Chapter 956: Stunned (5)
He sneered inwardly as Vice General Chen desperately ran towards the camp. Vice General Chen was shocked, constantly looking back to find the direction from which the arrow was shot, but it was all forest over there, with no trace of anyone.
Thud!
A sound like tearing cloth, Vice General Chen staggered and fell to his knees, clutching his knee and pushing Min away: "Young Master, go quickly." He still tried to get up.
Min turned back to look at him, seeing a long arrow embedded in the back of his left leg. He supported Vice General Chen: "Let’s go together." If they stayed here and waited for the camp to realize the danger and come over, Vice General Chen would surely die.
"Don’t worry about me." Vice General Chen pushed Min away, but as he spoke, more arrows came flying in.
Min had no time to dodge and nowhere to hide, only feeling a sharp pain from his back, an arrow having already struck his waist and back, sweat instantly dripping down his forehead.
"Young Master?" Vice General Chen pressed Min down and shielded him: "Young Master!"
The intense pain made Min’s consciousness begin to blur, seeing double images of Vice General Chen swaying before him.
The Eldest Prince halted his running steps, blankly turned back to glance at him, then began to run even faster. Just then, an arrow suddenly changed direction and shot towards the Eldest Prince. He was completely unprepared, and the arrow grazed his arm as it flew past. The Eldest Prince cried out and clutched his arm...
His clothes were torn, the skin and flesh ripped open.
Everyone protected him.
Just then, the rain of arrows ceased.
All this happened in an instant. From the first arrow appearing, to this moment, it was but the work of a turn. The Eldest Prince, clutching his arm, cautiously looked back towards Min, seeing Vice General Chen still tightly shielding Min below him, already with dozens of sharp arrows embedded in him.
The Eldest Prince sneered, seeing the danger had passed, pushed away the surrounding guards and said: "Go, call for reinforcements." With that, he was about to continue towards the camp.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
An arrow shot from the left, as fast as lightning. Everyone had no time to react as they saw the arrowhead had already embedded itself into the Eldest Prince’s left shoulder...
The Eldest Prince’s eyes widened in disbelief, pulled down by the force of the arrow, he fell to the ground.
Everything returned to tranquility, as if nothing had happened.
Someone rode from the camp on horseback. Fourth Master Xiao jumped off the horse, instructing people to carry the Eldest Prince, Min, and Vice General Chen back. He himself rode towards the forest.
Until deep into the night, Min, injured in the waist, the accompanying Imperial Physician busied himself all night, finally extracting the arrow, but Min developed a fever.
The Emperor, hearing his sons were injured at the same time, was incensed, commanding thorough searches to find the assassins.
Qian Wenzhong led a few subordinates on a mission to track down the assassins.
Fourth Master Xiao stood by Min’s bedside, looking at his pale complexion, his weak breathing, his eyes cold. Turning away, he sat behind the desk, in the dim lamplight, penning a brief letter, calling a trusted confidant, and said: "You personally return to the Capital at once, ensure the letter is delivered there within five days, hand it to the Lady personally."
The confidant acknowledged, tucking the letter against his chest, knelt to receive the order: "Understood."
Fourth Master Xiao silently walked to Min’s bedside to sit. The Imperial Physician entered with a bowl of medicine, and Fourth Master Xiao asked: "How is his condition?"
The Imperial Physician, terrified, replied: "The Young Master has a persistent high fever. If he wakes tomorrow, he will be fine; if not, I’m afraid..." He sighed heavily, ladling medicine to feed Min, who pressed his lips tightly, the liquid slipping from the corners of his mouth.
"Great Governor, what shall we do, he cannot ingest the medicine, even if Hua Tuo were here, he could not save him." The Imperial Physician, discouraged, tried again, while Fourth Master Xiao helped clasp open Min’s mouth, softly asking: "How is the Eldest Prince?"
The Imperial Physician wiped his sweat, bitterly saying: "Slightly better than the Young Master, but still cannot be too optimistic." He drew such an unfortunate assignment; one was the Eldest Prince, the other was the Grand Commander Xiao’s son, neither could he afford to offend.
Fourth Master Xiao said no more.
Xiqiu, having washed, asked Chunliu: "Is the carriage ready?" Chunliu affirmed, replying: "Nanny Cen has already gone to the Marquis Mansion to report to the Grand Dowager."
She nodded, about to leave, when Tiancheng rushed hastily into the courtyard, standing outside the curtain calling to Xiqiu: "Madam, a letter has come from Sir." Xiqiu, delighted, quickly lifted the curtain, asking Tiancheng: "Where is the letter?"
Tiancheng took a letter from his chest and handed it to Xiqiu: "It was personally delivered by Sir’s military aide. Would you like to meet him?"
"Very well, invite him in." Xiqiu accepted the letter, watching Tiancheng leave.
Returning to her room about to open the letter, Lyuzhi hurriedly came in: "Madam, someone has come from the palace." As Bihuai spoke, the unique voice of a eunuch sounded in the courtyard: "Fourth Madam, the Empress is gravely ill and has specially summoned you to the palace."
Xiqiu, holding the letter, was stunned, just about to ask them to wait a moment, but they added: "Please, Madam, quickly come with me to the palace." They seemed unable to wait.
Xiqiu knitted her brows and looked towards Chunliu, then said, "It seems inevitable. Go to the Marquis Mansion and inform the Grand Dowager and the Marquis, and also find out if any other ladies from the inner quarters have been summoned to the palace."
If the Empress is truly gravely ill, then so be it. But I’m afraid she might not be ill at all, with some other intention in mind. Thus, I must be on guard.
Chunliu’s face was grave: "Let Bihuai go, I will accompany you into the palace."
Outside, the eunuch urged again, "Fourth Madam, please hurry!" His tone was urgent.
"You can’t go in, I can go alone. There won’t be any trouble." Saying this, she looked again at the letter in her hand, turned around, and placed it securely beside the bed.
I’ll have to look at it again when I return from the palace.
She lowered her head to tidy her attire, lifted the curtain, and walked out, following the eunuch into the palace.
She stepped into Fengwu Palace, the palace people passing by with light steps, showing no signs of urgency. In her heart, she already knew that the Empress’s grave illness was merely an excuse.
What exactly does the Empress intend?
She furrowed her brows tightly.
Once inside the palace, Nanny Mao was standing at the entrance, gave Xiqiu a deep look, and saluted, "Fourth Madam, please follow me," and led Xiqiu into the inner hall.
Xiqiu slightly nodded, quietly following Nanny Mao into the inner hall.
There, within layers of veils, a carved dragon and phoenix redwood square bed was revealed, with the Empress leaning against the headboard, dressed in a red inner garment, her face looking unwell yet not in the way of severe illness.
She stopped ten steps away to salute, as Nanny Mao approached to report. The Empress extended her hand, "Fourth Madam, please sit."
Xiqiu thanked and sat down on a stool five steps away, not looking towards the bed.
The Empress, however, spoke with a hint of sorrow, "I was feeling uncomfortable and stifled just now, and wanted to find someone to converse with. I’ve made you come all this way for nothing."
If it were just for talking, wouldn’t there be people in the palace? Xiqiu replied, "Your Ladyship overestimates it. Your health is a blessing to the realm and to my humble self. How could this trip be considered a waste?"
The Empress sneered coldly but said on her face, "The Imperial Uncle..." and covered her face with tears, "Even in the end, I didn’t get to see him!"
"Your Ladyship, please take solace in your grief," Xiqiu also showed a look of sorrow, "The passing of the Imperial Uncle grieves my heart as well. He sacrificed for the nation and blessed the people, surely to be praised for generations, etched forever in the people’s hearts," and then, looking at the Empress, gently advised, "You are the mother of the nation, do take great care of your health."
The Empress wished to throw the Jade Pillow at Xiqiu’s face; eternally praised, what he needed was his living brother!
It was all thanks to Fourth Master Xiao, she dared to speak grandiloquent words!
At that moment, suddenly a eunuch burst in from outside, "Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship, something has happened."
Nanny Mao frowned and scolded, "What place do you think this is, making such a racket!" The eunuch knelt on the ground and replied, "Just now Lord Wu received a message, from the army sent back by the Emperor."
Xiqiu froze, listening carefully, the Empress also could not help but sit up straight.
The eunuch, trembling, glanced at the Empress, "Five days ago, the Eldest Prince and Master Xiao encountered assassins and both were severely injured."
Xiqiu wavered, and the Empress’s expression changed instantly, "How could they be injured, how are they now?"
The eunuch, with his head lowered, replied, "The Eldest Prince remains unconscious." Then he paused and glanced at Xiqiu, "Xiao... Third Young Master Xiao... is... no more?"
No more? What do you mean no more?
Xiqiu raised her head, looked towards the eunuch, squinting, and the Empress glanced at Xiqiu showing an anxious look, "Third Young Master Xiao is no more, when did this happen?" She did not ask about the Eldest Prince.
The eunuch replied, "Just the second day after they were injured."
Min is dead?
Xiqiu’s face turned ashen, seeing this, the Empress immediately called out, "Fourth Madam."
Xiqiu slowly stood up, her movements wooden, looking towards the Empress, but the next moment everything went black and she collapsed to the ground...
"Fourth Madam!"
