Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 777: Turmoil (Part 2)

The Grand Empress Dowager Zheng suddenly laughed, her face covered with wrinkles relaxed under the bright candlelight, like a chrysanthemum about to wither: "Zhao Chunming! Tell me, can I succeed tonight?"

Mr. Zhao’s heart was pounding, he quickly glanced at the frenzied Grand Empress Dowager, then swiftly lowered his head and replied: "This servant doesn’t dare speak recklessly. However, no matter what happens, this servant will stay by the Grand Empress Dowager’s side."

The Grand Empress Dowager laughed heartily and waved her hand. Mr. Zhao obediently stepped forward to his master’s side like a dog, bending over to let the Grand Empress Dowager touch his face.

The Grand Empress Dowager touched for a while, then moved her hand to Mr. Zhao’s chest: "Your heart is racing, are you afraid?"

"Yes," Mr. Zhao was sweating profusely on his forehead, unable to hide it, so he bluntly admitted: "This servant is timid and very afraid."

"No need to be afraid," The Grand Empress Dowager raised her hand and patted Mr. Zhao’s face: "I’ve lived for sixty years and have seen all sorts of storms. Tonight, something will definitely be accomplished!"

Mr. Zhao replied humbly: "Yes."

Suddenly, a sharp shout came from outside the door.

It was Prince Ping who had been startled awake.

The Grand Empress Dowager’s face turned stern, and she instructed: "Go and calm Prince Ping down, make sure he returns quietly to his chamber. Do not let him cause a ruckus here."

Mr. Zhao quietly accepted the order, mustered his spirits, and went out.

Prince Ping, likely traumatized by last year’s palace coup, was trembling violently at the distant sounds of battle cries, his chubby white face full of terror.

No amount of Mr. Zhao’s comforting words could reach Prince Ping. He scratched Mr. Zhao, yelling: "Move aside! I want to see grandmother!"

Mr. Zhao’s handsome face now bore three bloody scratches, both painful and angry. Thinking of how their somewhat peaceful life was utterly disrupted, uncertain if they would see the next sunrise, his mood grew increasingly irritable.

Mr. Zhao signaled to Eunuch Ge. Eunuch Ge gritted his teeth and struck a blow at the back of Prince Ping’s neck.

Prince Ping was knocked out, collapsing into Eunuch Ge’s arms.

Looking at Eunuch Ge as he wiped away the blood from his face, Mr. Zhao said with a hint of reproach: "If you’d stopped Prince Ping earlier, this scene wouldn’t have happened here."

Eunuch Ge sighed with a troubled expression: "As servants, how can we lay hands on our master?"

"Now you have to, don’t you?" Mr. Zhao retorted, exasperated: "Carry Prince Ping back to sleep, and come out again once we get through tonight."

Eunuch Ge quietly agreed and cautiously asked: "Are you sure we can get through tonight?"

Mr. Zhao’s expression turned grim as he cast a glance at Eunuch Ge: "I don’t know either."

Eunuch Ge felt a chill in his heart.

As a servant, he only wished for some peaceful days. With Prince Ping in this state, even if he were to sit on the Dragon Throne, he would just be a wooden statue, possibly meeting an earlier demise. Better to be carefree in the palace and live a little longer.

It’s just that the Grand Empress Dowager Zheng wouldn’t rest, holding in a year’s worth of pent-up anger that needed to be vented. With things developing to this point, hoping for peace was impossible.

Eunuch Ge struggled to carry Prince Ping away, his steps heavy.

Mr. Zhao exhaled a breath of turbid air and called his trusted little eunuch over, whispering a few instructions.

The little eunuch nodded.

After Mr. Zhao left, the little eunuch quietly hid in the shadows. Then he found the small gate of Jingyang Palace, slipped some silver to the eunuch guarding the gate, and snuck out into the night.

The little eunuch often ran to Zhaohai Palace to deliver messages, so he was familiar with the layout. He avoided two rounds of fierce fighting and wasn’t discovered until he was outside the gates of Zhaohai Palace.

"Don’t kill me, I’m here to deliver a message," the little eunuch urgently called out.

The Emperor’s personal guards, tall and strong, withdrew their long knives and dragged the little eunuch into the hall.

The little eunuch naturally had no chance to meet the Emperor and was brought before Commander Song.

Song Yuan’s expression was grave as he coldly questioned: "What message have you come to deliver?"

The little eunuch hurriedly said: "Mr. Zhao wanted me to tell Commander Song three names."

Song Yuan’s gaze sharpened. Mr. Zhao, risking being discovered and punished by the Grand Empress Dowager, sent his trusted aide to deliver this message. These three people were definitely not ordinary individuals.

After the little eunuch finished speaking, Song Yuan called in Qin Hu, Sun An, and others, instructing them to capture the people: "These three have been in hiding for years, they’re tough, be careful."

Qin Hu was full of killing intent: "Rest assured, Commander, I’ll go and take them down at once."

But who would have thought, even highly self-assured Qin Hu would have a moment of failure.

The first two Death Warriors were captured smoothly, but the last one had extraordinary skills and injured Qin Hu with a poisoned hidden weapon before he died.

The poison was fierce, Qin Hu’s wound immediately oozed black blood and was extremely painful. Fortunately, Doctor Sun and his daughter were both at Zhaohai Palace, arriving just in time.

Doctor Sun quickly gave an antidote pill and applied acupuncture to Qin Hu’s chest to protect his heart.

Sun Zelan, with a calm expression, picked up a sharp, slender blade and proceeded to cut the flesh without hesitation.

Qin Hu’s veins bulged in pain, and he screamed continuously, no longer caring about any masculine demeanor.

Sun Zelan said sternly: "If you want to live, keep quiet."

By the time the medicinal soup was ready and brought in, Qin Hu had passed out from the pain. Sun Zelan firmly pinched Qin Hu’s jaw and poured the steaming soup in.

Qin Hu didn’t know if he was awakened by the heat or the pain, his face flushed red. Soon, the medicine took effect, and he once again fell unconscious.

Sun Zelan remained silent, working swiftly and methodically, cutting layer after layer of flesh from Qin Hu’s wound until the black blood was gone, and fresh red blood flowed.

In the face of severe poison, every moment counted. Doctor Sun knew well his daughter’s surgical skills were exceptional and willingly assisted her.

Upon hearing that Qin Hu had been poisoned, the Emperor personally came over.

Sun Zelan was focused and undistracted, while Doctor Sun took a moment to turn and say: "The rescue was timely, Guard Qin should have his life preserved."

Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly, her gaze falling on Qin Hu’s young face, twisted in pain.

This Death Warrior had concealed a deadly hidden weapon.

If she had left her chamber earlier, it might have been her who was struck by that weapon.

Sun Zelan finally ceased her actions. At this point, Qin Hu’s wound was dressed with ointment and wrapped in layers of white gauze. His face was pale, his clothes soaked through with sweat.

Sun Zelan wiped her forehead with her sleeve, stood up, and looked at Jiang Shaohua: "Emperor, Qin Hu is very fortunate, his life has been saved. However, he’s injured on his left shoulder, with too much flesh cut away, his left arm will be weaker and somewhat impaired in the future."

As they proceeded, fewer and fewer familiar personal guards accompanied her. Especially after last year’s palace coup, where two hundred personal guards were heavily wounded or killed, leaving only a little over thirty alive.

Fortunately, Qin Hu’s life was saved.

Jiang Shaohua said: "Take good care of Qin Hu, I am going to Jingyang Palace to see if the Grand Empress Dowager is safe."

Sun Zelan gazed at the Empress with a face full of fury, silently lighting a candle for the Grand Empress Dowager in her heart.