CHAPTER 676: CHAPTER 676: I’M AFRAID IT’S NOT LOOKING GOOD

"Assassins, to my side! Protect the Emperor!"

Li Shengan was so frightened his voice cracked, its timbre high and strained, like a desperately struggling drake. This drew a deeply dissatisfied glance from Zhao Junyao.

The Hidden Guards around them and the nearby patrolling Imperial Forest Army swarmed over in an instant.

Zhao Junyao squinted towards the direction from which the arrow had come and commanded coldly, "Go after them! Bring that person to me at all costs!"

"Yes!"

Xia Tingfeng and his men took off like a gust of wind, their speed like lightning.

Were it not for Shih Jieyu collapsed on the ground—a stark reminder of what had just transpired—everyone might have dismissed it as an illusion.

"Mistress! Mistress, what’s happened to you?" Zhaoer, terrified, knelt and desperately pressed her hands to Shih Jieyu’s chest, trying to stanch the ceaseless flow of blood. "Mistress, don’t scare me!"

"Zhaoer!" Shih Jieyu, looking at the unharmed Emperor, had a smile tugging at her lips.

He wasn’t hurt; that was all that mattered!

Feeling her gaze, Zhao Junyao lowered his head. He looked at the woman lying on the ground, the woman who had taken an arrow for him. A complex mix of emotions churned within him, guilt prominent among them. He was the Emperor; he was supposed to protect the women within these palace walls. Yet he had never intended for anyone to be harmed on his behalf! This was no longer simply a matter of face. It was akin to courting disaster! Even if she wasn’t favored, she still held the title of his consort! For one of his own consorts to meet with such an incident in his own palace was utterly intolerable to Zhao Junyao!

"Have someone carry Shih Jieyu back and summon the Imperial Physician at once!"

The flustered Li Shengan finally regained his senses upon hearing the Emperor’s command.

"Yes!"

He immediately called for men to carefully lift Shih Jieyu and carry her towards Lijing Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Zhao Junyao and his retinue returned to the palace.

The news of the Emperor’s assassination attempt spread throughout the entire Harem in less than half the time it took to burn a stick of incense. The news sent shivers down everyone’s spines and made their hearts pound.

"I heard that if Shih Jieyu hadn’t taken that arrow, the Emperor would have been hit!"

"This is terrifying! Palace security is so strict; how could something like this happen?"

"Hmph! Money makes ghosts turn millstones. There’s nothing those blinded by greed wouldn’t dare to do!"

"Where did the assassination attempt take place?"

"I heard it was at the corner of the palace path south of Qingya Residence!"

"Qingya Residence..."

The crowd pondered.

Consort Xian Pin is in for it this time.

The assassination attempt occurred closest to Qingya Residence, and all the other Palace Consorts had already departed.

No matter how one looked at it, the blame couldn’t possibly fall on anyone else.

With this thought, everyone felt relieved. Most even felt a sense of schadenfreude.

"Hmph! Let’s see how the Emperor defends her this time!"

"Indeed! Such a black-hearted woman, daring even to harm the Emperor!"

The rumors swirled wildly all afternoon, eventually coalescing into the narrative that Consort Xian Pin had dispatched an assassin to kill the Emperor.

Xia Ruqing had just woken from her noon rest when she heard this rumor. She found it utterly ludicrous.

What’s that saying about trouble flying in from the sky while one sits innocently at home? Hehe! The person behind this is audacious, even daring to scheme against the Emperor himself just to frame me!

She suddenly began to feel sympathy for Zhao Junyao.

He must be in turmoil right now. The incessant infighting among his consorts had practically made him a living target. Utterly ridiculous!

Xia Ruqing’s guess wasn’t wrong.

When Zhao Junyao returned, his expression was indeed terrifyingly grim.

Li Shengan was terrified too. He had served the Emperor for twenty years and witnessed countless sordid affairs within the Royal Family, but he had never encountered such brazen audacity! Attempting to assassinate the Emperor was an act of treason, a crime punishable by the extermination of one’s entire clan!

Before the imperial desk, Zhao Junyao looked at the two arrows laid out before him, a cold smile suddenly touching the corner of his mouth. His gaze, as frigid as a ten-thousand-year-old glacier, could chill one to the very marrow with a single look.

"Imperial Forest Army arrows!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shengan, who had only just regained some composure, felt his legs turn to jelly again.

Imperial Forest Army arrows?! Does this mean there’s a traitor in the Imperial Forest Army?!

He was greatly alarmed, not daring to utter a word.

Before long, Xia Tingfeng, Commander Xu, and others requested an audience outside.

Zhao Junyao waved for the two of them to come in.

As soon as the two Imperial Guard Commanders entered, they knelt.

"We pay respects to Your Majesty!"

Zhao Junyao’s stern gaze fixed on them. "How goes the investigation?"

Commander Xia and Commander Xu exchanged a glance, then cupped their fists. "Your Majesty, the culprit escaped too quickly. We only found this bow, and the rest is still under investigation."

Having said that, Xia Tingfeng presented the bow.

Zhao Junyao didn’t even bother to look at it and waved his hand dismissively. "I’ll give you three days. If you still haven’t found anything by then, you can come and confess your guilt!"

Xia Tingfeng and Commander Xu quickly nodded their heads. "Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After speaking, the two withdrew.

Zhao Junyao’s gaze, cold as a glacier, fell upon the bow—clearly one belonging to the Imperial Forest Army.

A traitor? They dare to plot against me? Hah! Let me find out who it is, and they’ll see.

However... considering the assassination attempt occurred in the Harem... no matter how he considered it, Zhao Junyao felt the Empress had to be involved in this matter.

If it really was the Empress...

Zhao Junyao reached out, his fingers stroking the Jade Seal on the imperial desk, his gaze chillingly cold.

She claims to be ill? Yet she still has this much energy to stir up trouble. If it really was the Empress this time... then I won’t be lenient. There’ll be no need for a clamorous deposition; I’ll just let her ’pass away quietly from illness.’ The Harem has no place for such a woman, and I, Zhao Junyao, have no need for such a wife!

「Lijing Pavilion」

Shih Jieyu was in a terrible state when she was brought back. A large patch of her chest was soaked with blood, the arrow still firmly embedded.

An Imperial Physician named Chen was sweating profusely as he attempted to stanch the bleeding, but to little avail. "The arrow is too deep! It has pierced the meridians near the heart; the bleeding is unstoppable!"

Imperial Doctor Zhang, while clearing away the blood-soaked medicinal powder from the wound, applied fresh powder. "We have to stop it! If this continues, she will die!"

The main problem was that the arrow couldn’t be extracted. Imperial Forest Army arrows were designed to maximize lethality, inflicting severe injuries upon impact. To this end, their arrowheads were fitted with barbs. These barbs might not seem like much upon entry, but they made extraction exceedingly difficult. The sharp barbs would tear out the surrounding flesh upon removal. This resulted in a horribly jagged wound. Such wounds were notoriously difficult to heal, and blood loss would only worsen. Ultimately, even if the victim didn’t die, they would be severely weakened.

And now... this arrow was lodged in Shih Jieyu’s chest, right over her vital heart meridians.

This...

Even Chief Imperial Doctor Zhang found the wound exceptionally perilous.

After dressing the wound, seeing the blood still gush uncontrollably, Imperial Doctor Zhang walked out, his face pale, anxiously wringing his hands.

Zhaoer, her eyes swollen from crying, followed him out. She immediately knelt before the Imperial Physician. "Imperial Physician, please, you must save my mistress! The bleeding still hasn’t stopped!"

Imperial Doctor Zhang gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head, then turned to instruct a Little Eunuch nearby, "Quickly! Go and inform Zhaochen Palace and Jiaofang Hall!"

It seems... Shih Jieyu might not make it this time.