Chapter 073

Chapter 73: Madam Zhang Under Attack from All Sides

With the guards joining the fight, the chaos in the hall finally calmed. Many were hurt, but thankfully no one had died.

The Emperor gave Duke Yong a cold look and said: “I will settle this account with you later.” Duke Yong was baffled and did not know why the Emperor was angry at him. Madam Meng was also confused, but she still cried out her innocence: “Your Majesty, we have nothing to do with the assassins.”

The Emperor ignored her. Looking at Yu Zhi Yi’s pale face, he again called: “Summon the imperial physicians.”

Before long, an imperial physician arrived and worked to stop Yu Zhi Yi’s bleeding.

Staring at Yu Zhi Yi’s ashen face, Yu Jiao Jiao felt a vicious thought rise: it would be best if she died from that sword. But she had no time to drift in such thoughts, because she heard the Emperor say: “Young Madam Du already saw through who these assassins were. With so many innocent people in the hall, she did not dare drag others into danger, so she used a fortune-telling performance to mislead the villains while sending word to me.”

“I had already ordered my people to find excuses to lead the assassins away in small groups to disrupt their plan and end this attack without alarm, but your spoiled daughter-in-law had to meddle.”

“If not for her, the assassination would not have happened at all.”

Yu Jiao Jiao’s legs went weak as she begged: “Your Majesty, I was trying to save you too. I worried you did not know about the assassins and that terrible things would happen. I meant well.”

The Emperor’s voice was ice: “Do I need your so-called goodwill, you ignorant, useless woman who only plays cheap little tricks? Guards, take this woman away. Throw her into Heaven Prison. Interrogate her well and see if she is in league with the assassins.”

“It is not true… Your Majesty, I am not, I truly am not,” Yu Jiao Jiao cried, but it was no use. She was dragged away.

The survivors listened to her desperate pleas in a daze, not understanding what had just happened. They had little time to think; at this moment nothing mattered more than the shock and relief of being alive.

Duke Yong, however, thought of many things. Once tied to an assassination, even great past war merit would not help. He lifted his robe and knelt: “Your Majesty, Jiao Jiao is indeed spoiled and foolish, but she would never dare commit treason. She only wanted to warn you. She had no other schemes.”

Madam Meng also realized how serious this was and hurried to kneel: “Yes, Your Majesty. Her father is the Minister of Revenue, and her husband’s family is the century-old Duke’s Manor. She would have to be mad to try an assassination. That would be throwing away her safe life.”

The Yu clan came over quickly and knelt together to plead for Yu Jiao Jiao.

The Emperor said nothing, so Madam Meng added: “Besides, this assassination is suspicious. The inner court of the Imperial Palace is guarded layer after layer. How did the assassins slip past the watch and questioning to get in? How did Young Madam Du and Jiao Jiao even know assassins were here?”

“I suspect Young Madam Du planned it. She wanted to use this to lock in her image as a miracle fortune-teller. Jiao Jiao must have found out by accident and spoke out to warn you…”

“Shut your mouth,” Madam Yao snapped, no longer caring about keeping up appearances as she glared at Madam Meng: “Yi’er truly can divine. With one look at a person’s face, she can read the course of his life. She must have recognized the assassins on the spot and informed Your Majesty.”

“What fortune-telling,” Madam Meng sneered: “Madam Du, lie to others if you like, but do not lie to yourself. If she were so magical, how did an assassin hurt her…”

Before Madam Yao could answer, an assassin with a hole in his belly woke up. Hearing the argument, he raised his head, saw the Emperor standing behind Madam Meng, grabbed a long knife, drew a breath, and charged.

“Mother, look out,” Zhang Tian Shun shouted.

Madam Meng turned, saw the assassin, and turned pale. Without thinking, she yanked Madam Yao in front of her as a shield. Under everyone’s eyes, the knife fell to within a palm’s length of Madam Yao, then snapped back as if struck hard by something invisible and flew away.

Bang. There was no dust in the hall, but there was blood. The man fell in a pool of it and spat a mouthful more. He had been at the end of his strength already. The fall scattered his last breath. He closed his eyes in unwilling silence and did not move again.

Silence fell. Everyone stared at Madam Yao, unharmed, then at the assassin, very much dead. For a moment they were confused about who had killed whom.

Quicker minds caught on first and whispered: “That defensive bracelet is real.” “It can block twelve fatal strikes.” “What a treasure.”

Snapping out of her fright, Madam Yao went from cold dread to blazing fury. She slapped Madam Meng hard and shouted: “You rotten-hearted, filthy woman. Your daughter-in-law got my Yi’er hurt, and you still tried to get me killed.”

Madam Meng could not fight back. It was not that a pampered life had made her helpless. Madam Yao was also a pampered noblewoman, so neither was stronger by much. Madam Yao only had the jump on her. The real problem was that whenever Madam Meng tried to strike back, an invisible barrier bounced her hands away. She was hit by Madam Yao from the front and by that strange barrier at the same time. Beaten from both sides, she finally could not hold on and let out a howl before fainting dead away.

Chancellor Du and Du Zi Heng had been watching coldly. Only after Madam Meng fainted did the two of them walk over to pull Madam Yao back and say: “Enough, enough. Calm down.”

Chancellor Du looked expressionlessly at Duke Yong and said: “Duke, I will remember today.” Duke Yong was silent. Zhang Tian Shun again received Du Zi Heng’s deadly glare and dared not say a word.

A fine palace banquet had been ruined, and with it the futures of Minister Yu and Duke Yong. If Yu Jiao Jiao’s ties to the assassins could not be cleared, neither house would escape a harsh reckoning.

Yu Zhi Yi, who was “unconscious,” knew nothing about these twists and turns. She lay in bed for two days before she “woke.” As soon as she opened her eyes, three gaunt faces leaned in over her, looking down.

Yu Zhi Yi blinked. Madam Yao choked back tears as she gripped her daughter’s hand and said: “Yi’er, you finally woke up.” Yu Zhi Yi felt the back of her hand grow wet; the warmth carried a heat that seemed to burn her heart too. Lowering her eyes to hide feelings she could not name, she said softly: “Mother, I am fine now.”