☆, Chapter 168 Palace Coup
After decades of playing the role of a kind and Buddhist monk, the emperor's uncle, Prince Xian, suddenly rebelled. His 50,000 private soldiers surrounded the imperial city like an iron barrel, so tight that even a mosquito couldn't get out.
Tonight, the palace is holding a banquet, and many ministers from the court are present. Although the security in the palace is stronger than usual, when Prince Xian barged in, everyone was already quite drunk. The emperor even pulled the chief minister to dance in public.
Prince Xian stood a few feet away when an arrow shot towards the Emperor. The Grand Secretary rushed forward and blocked it. The second arrow came, and Eunuch Lu rushed forward and blocked it. The third arrow was blocked by Eunuch Wang. The fourth arrow was blocked by the Eighth Prince. The fifth arrow was blocked by the Sixteenth Prince. The sixth arrow was blocked by Princess Jinling...
The Prince Xian fired more than a dozen arrows in one go, hitting people with every single one, but missing the Emperor with every single one. He was furious, so his confidants took the Empress hostage. In order to save the Empress, the Emperor was willing to exchange his life for hers. After the Emperor was saved, the Crown Prince suddenly rushed over and rescued the Emperor, but was seriously injured himself.
The wise king was furious and ordered that everyone be killed without exception; if the eldest son could not be killed, the youngest son should be killed, and anyone who tried to persuade him should be killed first.
At the command, the palace was instantly plunged into a bloodbath, with countless dead and wounded. Just as the emperor was once again besieged and about to fall into the hands of the Prince Xian, Jiang Wuyu and the emperor's seventeenth son, Li Changning, led 30,000 soldiers to the rescue. In the chaos of battle, Li Changning took a blow for the emperor, and finally, Jiang Wuyu pounced and beheaded the Prince Xian, ending the mutiny.
Zhou Mujiao went to the palace to participate in the treatment. Not only her, but also famous and unknown doctors from Huichuntang, Xinglintang and other places in the city were summoned to the palace.
Physician Xu and the others were so busy they couldn't keep up. The scene was chaotic; they barely finished bandaging one patient before another was brought over. When Physician Xu saw Zhou Mujiao, he burst into tears: "Miss Zhou! You've finally come! Quick! There are seriously injured patients over there; we dare not touch them. Please go quickly!"
Zhou Mujiao immediately led her team to begin the intensive treatment. Half an hour later, someone came looking for Zhou Mujiao, very anxious: "Miss Zhou, hurry, come with me!"
After quickly treating the wounded in front of her, Zhou Mujiao picked up her medicine box and ran. On the way, she learned about the touching story of the Emperor's family saving each other. It was also at this time that she learned that it was Jiang Wuyu who had saved the Emperor.
"The Crown Prince and the Seventeenth Prince were the most seriously injured. The knife was stuck in their lower abdomen, not quite inside the flesh, but quite deep. Several imperial physicians were helpless and dared not pull out the knife. It was Lord Jiang who suggested that you come here."
These days, Zhou Mujiao has been the darling of the palace, and the eunuch in front of her also likes her very much. Therefore, he lowered his voice and reminded her: "Miss Zhou, those are all noble ladies. You should decide for yourself. If you are not sure, then don't do it. If the Crown Prince is gone, the Emperor can appoint another one. If the Seventeenth Prince is gone, the Emperor still has so many princes. But Miss Zhou, you only have one life!"
"Thank you, Xiao Ye. You're a good person. I owe you a favor for tonight's events."
As they spoke, they arrived at the large house next to the Imperial Garden.
Jiang Wuyu, who was standing guard at the door, nodded slightly and went inside.
The room was filled with a strong smell of blood. Anyone who wasn't a professional would definitely vomit. Fortunately, Zhou Mujiao had applied Tiger Balm to her temples and nose before entering the palace, so she didn't vomit from the strong smell.
After a quick glance, Zhou Mujiao immediately ordered: "Open all doors and windows, disperse all irrelevant personnel, ensure air circulation, Physician Lin, immediately prepare alcohol, scalpels, tweezers, cotton..."
The woman's voice wasn't loud, but as soon as she spoke, it calmed the people's fears and anxieties.
The emperor had recovered and pulled the empress over, saying, "Miss Zhou, if you can save my children, even if you become emperor, I will abdicate immediately!"
Everyone present hissed.
Zhou Mujiao disinfected her hands before replying, "Your Majesty, I do wish to be emperor, but I lack the ability. Your Majesty, do you know why everyone dared to step forward to shield you from harm? Besides the fact that you are their relative, it is also because our Great Liang Kingdom cannot do without you."
She sterilized the knife and carefully observed the flames: "Your Majesty, everyone wants to do this, and everyone can do it, but to do it well, to let the people live in peace and prosperity, and to let the borders be peaceful and free from war, is not something that everyone can do. Please step aside, Your Majesty, I am about to begin."
This was Zhou Mujiao's first time performing surgery in front of others, and it was also the first time the people of the Great Liang Kingdom had learned that saving lives could be done in this way, and that human flesh could be sewn up like cloth with sewing thread.
The imperial physicians were dazzled and deeply impressed. They couldn't even hear Zhou Mujiao calling out to them several times. The three military doctors accompanying the seventeenth prince simply pushed them aside and took over the work of the three imperial physicians to assist Zhou Mujiao.
The three military doctors were also seasoned veterans, so they were incredibly calm and collected. Moreover, the three of them worked together seamlessly, making them very easy for Zhou Mujiao to use. Within an hour, they had treated the wounds of the Crown Prince and the Seventeenth Prince.
"The next eighteen hours are very important. The wound may swell and fester, which is normal. But you must be careful not to let them get a fever, especially a high fever."
Looking around, she added, "Everyone who is injured should pay attention to keeping their wounds clean. If any signs of fever are found, it is important to report it immediately. Otherwise, even the smallest wound can be fatal if it becomes inflamed and infected."
Seeing that the Crown Prince and the Seventeenth Prince's expressions had improved, the Emperor breathed a slight sigh of relief. He walked towards Zhou Mujiao and said, "Since you say you can't sit on the throne, then think carefully about what reward you want. Zhou Mujiao, you saved my whole family, so you have the right to make exorbitant demands of me."
"Then I thank Your Majesty in advance. I will tell Your Majesty when I have an idea."
With the children's injuries under control, the Emperor had to attend to the follow-up matters: "Yun Jing, follow along!"
Zhao Yunjing glanced at Zhou Mujiao, then followed the Emperor with Grand Secretary Zheng and the others.
The 50,000 troops that the Wise King has cannot be raised overnight. Furthermore, the fact that so many troops entered the city at the same time without the city gates noticing anything amiss is simply too unusual. This also shows that the imperial city, which was originally thought to be the most impregnable fortress in the entire Great Liang, is actually weak inside and so vulnerable.
This thorough investigation will surely cause great turmoil in the imperial court. The imperial examination is only three months away, and if it is not handled properly, it will affect the examination. The imperial examination is a matter of utmost importance to the country. Even if the emperor and his entire family were to fall from grace, it cannot be canceled at will.
Zhou Mujiao and Zhao Yunjing then began a life of going to the palace in the morning and returning to the Zhou family and the academy in the afternoon, respectively. Their days were busy and they rarely met. Occasionally, when they met in the palace, they would exchange a glance and a smile, which was the happiest moment for them.
In early March, the court was basically stabilized. On March 15th, the imperial examination of the Great Liang Kingdom arrived as scheduled. Zhou Mujiao's busy schedule came to a temporary end, and she finally had time to spend with her family.
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