"My lord." Xue Liang rushed over, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest at the sight of Hua Zhi in such a state. Had he arrived a step later—no, half a step later—the consequences would have been unimaginable.
After a moment to steady herself, Hua Zhi extended a hand toward Xue Liang. Leaning on his support, she sat up and glanced toward the fierce battle raging in the center. "Keep a few of them alive. Make sure they don’t take their own lives."
"Yes." Xue Liang signaled to the fighters with a few gestures.
"Yu Mu and Jia Yang are in that direction." Hua Zhi pointed. "Send someone immediately to check if they’re still alive."
Xue Liang promptly called two men and gave the order. Only after watching them hurry away did Hua Zhi suppress her distress and ask, "What’s the current situation?"
"We were ambushed on the way here, which caused some delay. According to intelligence from the Seven Constellation Bureau, there are also ambushes outside the Heir Apparent Residence, with a large number of assailants. The Residence’s guards were pinned down and couldn’t come to assist."
"What about the Hua family?"
"I’ve already dispatched men to check on them."
Hua Zhi nodded. That he had thought of the Hua family in such a short time showed his consideration. "Help me up. We’re going to the palace."
"Forgive my impertinence, my lord." Xue Liang assisted Hua Zhi to her feet, whistled to summon his horse, and helped her mount. He then blew another long whistle, and six men broke away from the fight. "Escort my lord to the palace. Take the route via Green Mountains Bridge to avoid further ambushes."
"Yes."
Hua Zhi gripped the reins tightly. Whether from blood loss or exhaustion, she felt dizzy but forced herself to stay upright, not letting anyone see her weakness.
Fortunately, the imperial palace wasn’t too far, and they encountered no further enemies on the way. Just as the jolting ride was about to make her faint, they finally arrived. The Crown Prince, ever thoughtful, had arranged for a sedan chair to wait. As soon as she appeared, a palace maid hurried over to support her into the chair, then swiftly carried her inside, directly to the imperial study.
Not only had the Grand Tutor arrived, but several senior ministers had also been summoned. Even Shen Qi, who had earlier delivered the message, remained.
At the sight of Hua Zhi’s disheveled state, the Crown Prince rushed out from behind the imperial desk in shock. He personally helped the Grand Tutor from the sedan chair to a soft seat nearby, his voice cracking as he ordered a physician to be summoned.
Zhu Bowen was equally frantic. "How were you injured so severely? Can you endure it?"
"It’s nothing. No vital areas were hit." Hua Zhi cleared her hoarse throat. "Your Highness, please have someone prepare some saltwater for me. Just a small pinch of salt in a bowl of water will suffice."
"Lai Fu, go."
Lai Fu hurried off. He had heard of the young lady’s injuries before, but seeing them in person made him realize how brutal the situation had been.
The Crown Prince wanted to touch the Grand Tutor, but the bloodstains made it impossible to tell where she was wounded. His outstretched hand hesitated and withdrew. Instead, he knelt beside the Grand Tutor, trying to lean against her inconspicuously.
Seeing him like this, Hua Zhi felt an inexplicable pang of sorrow. When a person possesses very little, they treasure even the smallest gain and fear losing it intensely. The Crown Prince’s attachment to her was much the same.
Perhaps it was the aftermath of brushing with death, or perhaps it was her inherent lack of reverence for imperial authority, but Hua Zhi suddenly reached out and patted the young Crown Prince’s shoulder, her voice gentle. "I’m fine. Don’t worry."
The Crown Prince froze for a moment. From the moment he received the news until now, his heart had been adrift, but with these words of reassurance, it finally settled. He rested his forehead against the Grand Tutor’s arm, his usual restrained affection and dependence now fully revealed.The Grand Tutor frowned slightly, then relaxed after a moment. Well, the Crown Prince had no maternal consort and had spent his most difficult years under the Grand Tutor's care, so it was natural for them to be close. If they could maintain such harmony between ruler and subject, it would be a good thing in the future. The Grand Tutor was a wise man who knew how to maintain proper boundaries.
Sure enough, Hua Zhi only indulged the Crown Prince briefly. After drinking some salt water and feeling slightly better, she returned to the main topic. "The Chao Li Tribe likely killed General Sun specifically to draw the Regent away from the capital. Even Shaoyao was probably part of their calculations. The subsequent reinforcements from various regions were likely deliberately orchestrated to empty the capital. There's no doubt the Chao Li Tribe's target is the capital itself."
The Crown Prince composed himself and stood up, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward the study door. Why hadn't the imperial physician arrived yet? Couldn't they hurry?
"The Grand Tutor's reasoning is sound, but what I want to know is where the Chao Li Tribe gets such confidence. The number of their agents in the capital couldn't possibly exceed the remaining two battalions, not to mention the imperial guards protecting the palace. How dare they be so audacious?"
"I have a bold conjecture."
Everyone turned to look at Hua Zhi. Whether familiar with her or not, they all knew she never spoke lightly. If she said something, there must be grounds for it.
"I suspect the Wise Man is in the capital."
The assembly reacted with shock, then excitement. The Minister of War said, "Does that mean if we eliminate the Wise Man, the Chao Li Tribe will lose their leader?"
"The problem lies precisely there—who is the Wise Man, and where is he?" Hua Zhi rubbed her throbbing head. "He could be among us, in our households, or anywhere in the capital. How do we find him?"
The Grand Tutor suddenly spoke, "You previously mentioned Ling Wang's wife seemed suspicious. Could she be the one?"
"I considered that possibility but later dismissed it. She has been with Ling Wang for nearly ten years and remained in the capital since then. However, from Zhu Ling's accounts, we can deduce the Wise Man hasn't been confined to one location all these years. Though he did mention the Wise Man had visited the capital before. Wait..."
Hua Zhi felt she was missing something related to the Wise Man. What was it?
"Your Highness, the imperial physician has arrived."
The Crown Prince immediately had them admitted. No matter how important other matters were, the Grand Tutor's health took precedence.
Knowing the Grand Tutor was injured, the imperial physician brought a medical attendant. Lost in thought, Hua Zhi remained still. The Crown Prince didn't disturb her, instead having a screen set up before leading the officials to the side.
The imperial physician first took Hua Zhi's pulse, then stood behind the screen while the medical attendant cut away her clothing and carefully described the wound. The physician orally instructed her on treatment procedures, all without disrupting Hua Zhi's train of thought.
The Wise Man had visited the capital before, and now he was here again. There must be some connection. What was it?
Now he's here again...
Hua Zhi suddenly remembered something and stood up abruptly. "Your Highness, has everyone in Ling Wang's residence been accounted for? Are they all present?"
"Commander Fu just reported—all present."
"Including Ling Wang's wife's parents?"
The Crown Prince paused, then immediately sent someone to verify.
"Also, please have someone investigate whether Ling Wang's wife's parents have visited the capital before. If so, when did they come, and who accompanied them? These being royal matters, there should be records."
"Lai Fu, go investigate this personally. Be quick.""Yes."
The Grand Tutor immediately pressed further, "Has the Grand Tutor thought of something?"
"I suspect Ling Wang's wife's father," Hua Zhi did not conceal her speculation in the slightest. "What a remarkable coincidence—some of you may not know that not long ago, Ling Wang's wife brought her parents from Yangzhou to the capital."
PS: Finally kept my promise—my head is about to split in two.
OpenNovel