Chapter 97: Dead?

“Guards! Protect His Majesty!”

Liu Yue, the owner of the Drunken Immortal Tavern, was also thrown into a panic. Others might not know Zhao Huan’s identity, but he knew it all too well. Seeing Zhao Huan injured at a time like this nearly scared the soul out of him.

If anything were to happen to Zhao Huan at the gates of the Drunken Immortal Tavern, then there would truly be no reason for him to keep living.

A dozen servants in blue soon rushed out from inside the tavern. But in their hands now were not trays for serving dishes, but sharp swords.

Those blue-clad attendants sprinted to Zhao Huan’s side and formed a tight circle around him, their sword points all turned outward as they guarded warily against the crowd.

Liu Yue hurried up to Zhao Huan and said anxiously, “Your Majesty? Your Majesty?...”

But by then, Zhao Huan had already fallen unconscious. The immense force of the impact had hurled him away; fortunately, he had reacted in time and already turned as if to flee.

Zhang Yu, who had been sheltered in Zhao Huan’s arms, was completely unharmed. She was a martial artist who had long roamed the world with a sword at her side and had suffered injuries far worse than this. With Zhao Huan shielding her, it had amounted to no more than a heavy fall, and her body was otherwise fine.

Still, Zhang Yu was a little dazed. She had never imagined that the man holding her was actually the current sovereign, and that at the very moment of greatest danger, he had still not forgotten to protect her. Could it be that he had taken a liking to her? Surely not. What woman had the emperor not seen?

Then why had he saved her?

For a moment, Zhang Yu found herself strangely curious about Zhao Huan.

Zhao Yan struggled to turn Zhao Huan’s body over. At that moment, Zhao Huan’s appearance was truly frightening, because the force of the blow had driven a line of blood from the corner of his mouth. Zhao Yan immediately panicked and shouted, “Summon the imperial physicians! Hurry and summon the imperial physicians!”

By then, the surrounding onlookers were utterly stunned. The twist of events was so overwhelming that even their thoughts could hardly keep up.

That injured man was actually the current emperor? Everyone was stunned.

Wang Qiming was completely dumbfounded. He had indeed wanted to get rid of Zhao Huan, but that had only been talk. He had never expected someone else to act before him. The real question was this: if that man had already struck, why hadn’t he finished the job? In Zhao Huan’s current condition, was he dead or not?

Wang Qiming stamped his foot, then finally gritted his teeth and ran off. He needed to hurry back and report everything to his father. The saying went: strike while your enemy is wounded, and take his life. Wasn’t Zhao Huan’s current state the perfect opportunity to seize power?

The moment Wang Qiming left, Qin Xi panicked. You just goaded me into killing a man, and now you run off yourself? What am I supposed to do next? Protect the emperor, or keep pretending I know nothing about the killing? His mind was in a complete tangle. After drawing a deep breath, he too turned and left, intending to return home and discuss the matter with his father.

With the two main instigators gone, the remaining constables were left utterly bewildered. They had never imagined that the man they had just been about to kill was truly the current emperor. Would their heads still be safe after this?

The surrounding crowd, meanwhile, became restless, surging forward in hopes of catching a glimpse of Zhao Huan. Though he had only recently ascended the throne, he already held an extraordinarily high place in the hearts of the common people. Especially after he had removed several corrupt ministers, many believed him to be a good emperor.

Now that Zhao Huan was injured, most people simply wanted to see how serious his wounds were.

“Princess Kangle, I know a little simple medicine. Let me take a look at His Majesty,” Zhang Yu said after a moment’s thought to Zhao Yan.

Zhao Yan nodded. At that moment she was crying so hard that her face was a blur of tears, pitiable and delicate. “You must cure Emperor Brother. If you do, I’ll reward you handsomely.”

“His Majesty was injured saving me. Treating him is only right. I do not need any reward.” Zhang Yu shook her head as she spoke, then hurriedly crouched down to take Zhao Huan’s pulse.

Yet as soon as she felt it, Zhang Yu was puzzled. How could there be two pulses?

Zhao Yan stared at her nervously and asked anxiously, “How is Emperor Brother?”

Zhang Yu shook her head.

Zhao Yan immediately grew frantic and shouted, “What do you mean by that? Emperor Brother will be fine.”

Zhang Yu quickly said, “Please do not worry, Princess Kangle. I merely mean that my skills are limited. I cannot tell what is wrong with His Majesty’s injuries.”

At that point, Zhao Yan had no patience left to argue with her. All she wanted now was for the imperial physicians to arrive as quickly as possible.

Soon, a large contingent of imperial guards arrived and surrounded everyone present. Zhao Huan was carried onto the imperial palanquin, and the imperial physicians were already treating him there.

The one who had rushed over this time was none other than Zhang Xian, commander of the imperial guard. Upon arrival, he wasted no words and immediately ordered his men to arrest everyone nearby.

Zhao Huan was taken back to the palace, where chaos had already broken out.

The Empress Dowager, Lady Wang, sat in the center of the Great Celebration Hall, anxiously waiting while the imperial physicians treated Zhao Huan inside. They had been in there for so long, yet still had not come out, and the tension in the hall was becoming unbearable.

Empress Zhu Lian paced back and forth inside the hall, glancing inward every so often. If she had not been afraid of delaying Zhao Huan’s treatment, she would have rushed in long ago.

“Empress, stop pacing. You’ve made my head dizzy. Sit down and wait quietly for a while,” the Empress Dowager Lady Wang said to Zhu Lian.

Zhu Lian replied with a trace of grievance, “Mother, I simply cannot sit still. The imperial physicians have been in there for so long. Why are they still not out?”

A mother rises in dignity through her son, a wife through her husband. The reason they held the status they did today was entirely because of Zhao Huan. At this moment, they were truly afraid that something might happen to him.

“Mother,” Consort Xi Ying said, stepping forward with a grave expression, “at a time like this, the most important thing is to seal off the news that His Majesty has fallen unconscious. If word gets out, it will be very dangerous for him.”

“What do you mean?” The Empress Dowager, hearing Xi Ying’s words, suddenly saw the light. The retired emperor, Zhao Ji, was still alive. If he learned that Zhao Huan had lost consciousness, who knew whether he might try to reclaim power?

And if Zhao Ji truly intended to seize the throne again, then Zhao Huan would be in grave danger. After all, Zhao Ji had always favored Consort Liu, and by extension he favored the eighth prince born to her.