Chapter 73: Madam Zhang’s Peril
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With the guards joining the fray, the chaos in the grand hall finally subsided.
Although many were injured, thankfully, no lives were lost.
The Emperor glared coldly at Duke Courage. “I’ll settle this account with you later.”
Duke Courage looked bewildered, unable to fathom why the Emperor’s anger was directed at him.
Madam Meng was equally puzzled but still cried out in grievance, “Your Majesty, we have nothing to do with the assassins!”
The Emperor ignored her and turned to the pale-faced Yu Zhi Yi, calling once again for the imperial physicians.
Soon, a physician arrived to stop Yu Zhi Yi’s bleeding.
Watching Yu Zhi Yi’s ashen face, a dark thought crossed Yu Jiao Jiao’s mind—how wonderful it would be if this sword ended her life entirely.
But she didn’t have time to indulge in such thoughts for long. The Emperor’s voice brought her back to reality. “Young Madam Du discerned the assassins’ identities early on but, fearing the hall’s innocents would be harmed, cleverly used her fortune-telling performance to deceive the culprits and alert me simultaneously.”
“I had already ordered men to find excuses to remove the assassins in batches, disrupting their plans and neutralizing the threat silently. But no—your spoiled and reckless daughter-in-law had to interfere!”
“If it weren’t for her, this assassination would never have happened!”
Yu Jiao Jiao’s legs gave way. “Your Majesty, I… I only acted to protect you! I feared you were unaware of the assassins’ presence and wanted to avoid unthinkable consequences. I acted out of good intentions…”
“You, an ignorant, incompetent, petty-minded woman playing lowly tricks, dare to claim your intentions matter to me?”
“Guards! Drag this vile woman away! Lock her in the dungeon! Interrogate her thoroughly—find out if she colluded with the assassins!”
“No, Your Majesty! I’m innocent! I swear I’m innocent!” Yu Jiao Jiao’s desperate cries for justice fell on deaf ears.
She was still hauled away.
Those who survived stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. Yet, amidst their confusion, the overwhelming relief and terror of surviving the ordeal overtook their thoughts.
Duke Courage, however, considered the gravity of the situation.
Involvement in an assassination, regardless of his glorious past achievements, could render his legacy meaningless.
He lifted his robe and knelt. “Your Majesty, Jiao Jiao may be arrogant and foolish, but she would never dare commit treason. She only meant to warn you and bore no ulterior motives.”
Madam Meng, realizing the dire consequences, also dropped to her knees. “Indeed, Your Majesty! Her father is the Minister of Revenue, and she’s married into a century-old noble family. She’d have to be out of her mind to jeopardize her secure life by engaging in treason!”
The Yu family members rushed forward as well, collectively pleading for Yu Jiao Jiao’s innocence.
The Emperor remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Madam Meng pressed on, “Besides, the assassination itself is suspicious. The palace’s inner court is heavily guarded—how did the assassins bypass the defenses and infiltrate? And how did Young Madam Du and Jiao Jiao both know about their presence?”
“I suspect Young Madam Du orchestrated this entire incident! She wanted to use it to cement her reputation as a seer. Jiao Jiao must have stumbled upon her plan by accident and tried to expose it…”
“Shut your mouth!” Madam Du, abandoning all decorum, glared fiercely at Madam Meng. “Yi’er’s divinations can reveal a person’s life trajectory with just a glance! She must have noticed the assassins’ identities at the last moment and informed His Majesty!”
“Divinations?” Madam Meng sneered. “Madam Du, it’s one thing to fool others, but don’t delude yourself. If she were truly as skilled as you claim, how did she end up wounded by the assassins?”
Just as Madam Du prepared to retort, an assassin—his stomach pierced and bleeding—regained consciousness. Hearing the heated argument, he raised his head and saw the Emperor standing behind Madam Meng. With his last ounce of strength, he grabbed a nearby blade and lunged.
“Mother, watch out!” Zhang Tian Shun’s warning rang out.
Madam Meng turned to see the assassin charging at her. In panic, she reflexively pulled Madam Du in front of her.
Under the stunned gaze of the crowd, the assassin’s blade stopped less than a hand’s width from Madam Du—only to be deflected by an invisible force, sending it flying.
The assassin collapsed in a pool of blood, coughing out one final breath before succumbing to his injuries.
The hall fell into an eerie silence.
All eyes turned to Madam Du, unscathed.
Then back to the assassin, who lay lifeless.
The stunned crowd began murmuring.
“The Defensive Bracelet… It’s real?”
“It truly wards off twelve fatal threats…”
“Incredible! What a treasure!”
Madam Du snapped out of her shock and flew into a rage. She slapped Madam Meng hard across the face. “You vile, conniving woman! Was it not enough for your daughter-in-law to injure my Yi’er? Now you seek to have me killed too?!”
Madam Meng, overwhelmed, could not retaliate. It wasn’t that her pampered lifestyle had robbed her of strength; Madam Du was equally pampered. But each time Madam Meng tried to fight back, an invisible barrier thwarted her efforts.
Faced with Madam Du’s wrath and the bracelet’s strange power, Madam Meng finally collapsed, unconscious.
Chancellor Du and Du Zi Heng watched coldly, stepping in only when Madam Meng fainted. “That’s enough. Calm yourself.”
Chancellor Du turned to Duke Courage, his face devoid of emotion. “Duke, I’ll remember what transpired today.”
Duke Courage: “…”
Zhang Tian Shun found himself once again the target of Du Zi Heng’s cold, piercing glare. He shuddered.
The palace banquet had been utterly ruined, as were the futures of Minister Yu and Duke Courage.
If Yu Jiao Jiao’s connection to the assassins couldn’t be disproven, both families would suffer severe consequences.
Blissfully unaware of the political fallout, Yu Zhi Yi lay “unconscious” in bed for two days before “waking up.”
When she opened her eyes, three haggard faces hovered over her, their gazes fixed on her.
Yu Zhi Yi: “…”
“Yi’er, you’re finally awake!” Madam Du wanted to embrace her but hesitated, wary of her injuries. In the end, she clasped Yu Zhi Yi’s hand tightly.
Yu Zhi Yi felt the dampness on the back of her hand, warmth radiating from the touch and seeping into her heart.
Suppressing an unexplainable emotion, she replied softly, “Mother, I’m fine now.”