The poison Ye Chutang gave Nan Xiao would cause the skin of anyone who touched it to ulcerate and fester, resembling severe epidemic diseases.
It looked frightening but was not fatal.
Even without any medication, it would heal on its own after ten days, leaving behind ugly scars.
But if Eunuch De and the Emperor, acting clever, used epidemic treatment methods to counter the poison, it would double the toxicity, making life worse than death!
Qi Yanzhou smiled and patted Ye Chutang’s head.
“They both fear death. As long as there is hope for an antidote, they will surely try.”
As the two had anticipated.
Eunuch De was already drinking the medicinal broth for treating epidemics.
He was cautious, only drinking it after confirming with the imperial physician that even if the medicine didn’t match the ailment, it wouldn’t harm his body.
But the moment he finished the bowl of broth, he felt a sharp sting all over his body.
The ulceration spread visibly from his arms to his chest, to his face, and down his body.
The physician was so terrified he fell to the ground, frantically kicking his heels to shuffle backward.
“Gr-Grand Eunuch...”
Eunuch De’s ulcerated areas felt like a thousand ants biting him, with a thick needle stabbing, causing him to sweat profusely and unable to stand steady.
His ears buzzed, and he couldn’t hear anything clearly.
He felt he was about to die, letting out painful howls from his throat.
“Save... save me!”
The physician, frightened by Eunuch De’s horrifying condition, fled in panic from the Palace of Longevity and Joy.
The eunuchs who served Eunuch De, fearing infection, also ran away.
Shuangxi and Xiaozhuzi hesitated, then likewise left the Palace of Longevity and Joy.
They all believed Eunuch De was doomed.
Since that was the case, there was no need to sacrifice their own lives!
The physician, worried about the outbreak spreading, ordered the imperial guards to surround both the Emperor’s bedchamber and Eunuch De’s Palace of Longevity and Joy.
The servants who had previously attended them were also sent back to their quarters.
This was to prevent them from contracting the disease and infecting others.
“Until the poison of the Emperor and the Grand Eunuch is cured, no one may leave. Only daily food rations are to be provided.”
Commander Hu, after listening, also threw the physician back into the Emperor’s bedchamber.
“Head Physician, the Grand Eunuch said you have only three days. Help the Emperor expel the poison quickly.”
Imperial Physician: “...”
He was deeply relieved that he hadn’t given the Emperor the medicinal broth first, or else his head would have already been severed!
“Commander Hu, I need some medical texts.”
While the physician was trying to figure out the antidote, all the imperial consorts were mocking the Empress.
“The Empress originally wanted to use her attendance at the Emperor’s sickbed to obtain his final decree, but instead she trapped herself.”
“The deposed crown prince surely cannot return to the capital. Who will be the new emperor?”
“If Eunuch De hadn’t fallen, the new emperor would likely be the Eighth Prince. Now, the Second Prince has a better chance.”
“I think the Qi family might return to the capital and start a new dynasty!”
“Let’s not worry about the throne. We should focus on whether we’ve caught the epidemic.”
At this, the consorts grew anxious about their own situations.
In the Palace of Longevity and Joy, Eunuch De fainted from pain.
He woke again the next day.
His clothes were soaked with pus, emitting a foul, rancid stench.
There was no ice in the bedchamber to cool it, making it as hot as a steamer.
Sweat seeped into his ulcerated skin, feeling like torture.
Eunuch De gasped sharply in pain and called out weakly, “Someone come!”
Sores had also developed in his mouth; opening it caused stabbing pain.
He barely managed to spit out two words, but no one responded.
Eunuch De forced himself to sit up and looked at the closed door, noticing the cold food left outside.
Hunger struck him. He crawled slowly to the door and ate all the food.
Gaining some strength, he endured the excruciating pain and opened the door.
Seeing that Eunuch De was not dead, the eunuchs immediately knelt in terror.
“Greetings, Grand Eunuch.”
Eunuch De stepped over the threshold, seized the nearest eunuch by the neck, and snapped it.
“This is the cost of betraying me. Don’t let it happen again!”
The eunuchs kowtowed heavily, terrified. “This worthless servant deserves death!”
Exhausted, Eunuch De sat on the ground and asked, “Where is the physician? What other movements are there in the capital? What are the princes busy with?”
These three questions could not be answered by the eunuchs confined in the Palace of Longevity and Joy.
Eunuch De ordered the imperial guards outside to summon Commander Hu.
Commander Hu had long been bribed by Eunuch De, but he also wanted to shake off the eunuch’s control.
Thus, he followed the physician’s advice and shut Eunuch De away.
He didn’t expect that Eunuch De, though severely wounded, would survive.
He immediately feigned respect and answered Eunuch De’s questions.
“The physician is in the Emperor’s bedchamber, researching the antidote.
Overnight, everyone has learned that the Emperor’s pursuit of immortality through Taoism was a lie crafted by you, Grand Eunuch. The bodies of the fake Taoist priests were dumped at the market.
The princes have been quiet, holing up in their mansions under the pretense of copying Buddhist scriptures for the Emperor and you.”
Eunuch De hadn’t expected that the authority he had built over more than a decade would crumble in a single night.
He leaned weakly against the doorframe.
But accidentally pressing against a ulcerated wound, he twisted his features in pain.
“Does the Song family have any other moves?”
Commander Hu looked at the appalling state of Eunuch De and quietly stepped back.
“The Song family appears still on the surface, but they are secretly having their scholars spread rhetoric supporting Qi Yanzhou’s claim to the throne.
They’ve also compiled the royal family’s misdeeds and the Qi family’s merits into stories, spread across major teahouses.”
Everyone knew the Song family was overstepping, but no one dared to touch them.
On one hand, the Song family’s prestige in literary circles was too high, and since they weren’t spreading falsehoods, the authorities couldn’t act openly.
On the other hand, the Emperor and Eunuch De were too deeply poisoned. If the royal family struck at the Song family, Qi Yanzhou’s people would be even less likely to provide the antidote.
Thinking this, Commander Hu asked Eunuch De,
“Grand Eunuch, shouldn’t we prepare early to prevent Qi Yanzhou from gathering the old Qi family troops and marching back to the capital to seize the throne?”
Even a clay idol has a temper. If the royal family, ignoring Qi Yanzhou’s warning and sacrificing an entire city’s people, attacked the Qi family again, it truly might push him into armed rebellion!
Eunuch De also shared this concern and nodded.
“Strictly inspect everyone entering the capital, increase patrols within the palace city, closely watch all the princes, and monitor the movements of the Qi family troops.”
“Yes, Grand Eunuch.”
“Send more people to find Xue Dong. He must be found!”
Commander Hu bowed respectfully.
“Your subordinate obeys. Shall I summon a physician to treat you, Grand Eunuch?”
Eunuch De sneered viciously, “Summon all the physicians. If they can’t cure me, they’ll pay with their lives!”
“Yes, your subordinate will fetch them immediately.”
After Commander Hu left, Eunuch De ordered Shuangxi and Xiaozhuzi to prepare a bath.
He looked at the countless ulcerated wounds on his body and thought of how his manhood was still hanging from the city wall. He wished nothing more than to tear Qi Yanzhou apart piece by piece.
“Achoo!”
Qi Yanzhou, who had just left Dayang Town, sneezed.
He rubbed the tip of his nose and said with a smile, “It seems that Lai County’s district magistrate’s express memorial has already reached the Emperor and Eunuch De.”
The exiled convoy should have left before dawn.
But the people of Dayang Town, grateful for Ye Chutang’s and Qi Yanzhou’s life-saving deeds, mobilized their entire families to see them off.
The Qi family simply couldn’t refuse, which delayed considerable time.
In the end, unable to refuse their hospitality, she took away three cartloads of various foods.
Ye Chutang ate the grapes the villagers had given her as she rubbed her itching nose.
“The memorial must have arrived last night.”
She had sneezed several times the night before, making her sleep restless and uneasy.
It was clearly the emperor and Eunuch De, after being poisoned, cursing her in their fury.
Thinking of those two wretches suffering miserably from their festering wounds, she felt a surge of delight.
“A Zhou, the capital must be in chaos right now. Will anyone seize the opportunity to cause trouble?”
As she spoke, she popped a grape into Qi Yanzhou’s mouth.
There were many ambitious people, and if they could gain the support of military commanders, they might attempt a coup to seize the throne.
Qi Yanzhou found the grape a bit too sour, but he smiled and swallowed it anyway.
He shook his head with certainty, the jade hairpin holding his hair glinting brightly in the sunlight.
“In the entire Beichen Kingdom, there are only five military commanders with enough troops to rebel. Three are guarding the borders, the remaining two are the empress’s family and the Jiangnan garrison.”
With Zhao Chengyu dead, the empress’s family had lost the rightful claim to the throne and would not act rashly for now.
As for the Jiangnan garrison, they, like the Qi family army, were loyal generals and soldiers who would not rebel voluntarily.
Thus, while the imperial city and court were in turmoil, no major disaster would occur.
After hearing Qi Yanzhou’s analysis, Ye Chutang felt relieved.
“Pick some fruits and send them to my sister and brother-in-law. The two children are so young; they need more fruit.”
Qi Qingyu had successfully separated from the Chen family.
Everything needed for the exile journey had been bought with her dowry, while the Chen family got nothing and only had a pitiful amount of luggage.
Their daily meals consisted of the black coarse bread distributed by Wu Chenggang.
When the Chen family saw Qi Yanzhou sending a basket of fruit to Qi Qingyu, their eyes burned with jealousy.
But they could only glare in vain.
Qi Yanzhou had dared to kill a prince; killing them would be as easy as crushing ants.
Zhao Meng led his men to escort the Qi family to the border between Bingzhou and Dingzhou.
“Master Qi, I can only send you this far. I hope the assessment you mentioned comes soon.”
Qi Yanzhou looked at Zhao Meng, who was still recovering from serious injuries, and gave him the task.
“General Zhao, your mission is to make the Bingzhou garrison swear allegiance to me.”
This was a difficult task for Zhao Meng.
Because the Bingzhou garrison were loyalists to the emperor.
But he also knew that only by proving his value could he earn the right to become Qi Yanzhou’s subordinate.
“Master Qi, rest assured, I will do my best. I wish you a smooth journey!”
With that, Zhao Meng led the thousand soldiers escorting them back to their post.
The exile procession continued northwest.
Ye Chutang stood still, soon falling to the back of the line.
She watched the clouds of dust kicked up by the horses’ hooves and asked Qi Yanzhou, “Do you think he can do it?”
“It depends on human effort. I hope he succeeds.”
Every ounce of strength he gained meant one less for the imperial family.
As his chips accumulated, he could make the dynasty change hands without bloodshed.
Sun Chu approached and said with a smile, “With a little push, taking over the Bingzhou garrison won’t be hard.”
Both his original self and his current self were well-versed in military texts.
And those texts covered not only battlefield formations but also various strategies.
Ye Chutang withdrew her gaze and patted Sun Chu’s thin shoulder.
“I’ll give you some men. Handle this matter.”
Sun Chu: “…”
He wished he could slap himself: Why did you have to open your big mouth!
“If you succeed, I’ll count it as one point. Once you accumulate ten points, I’ll grant you freedom.”
Hearing this, Sun Chu didn’t think trading ten years of servitude for ten tasks was a bargain.
He only felt that Ye Chutang’s words were disturbingly familiar, making his heart race.
“Odd functions, even constants.”
As he spoke this “password,” he stared intently into Ye Chutang’s eyes.
Yet he saw none of the expected emotional reaction.
Qi Yanzhou disliked the way Sun Chu looked at Ye Chutang and stepped sideways to block his view.
He didn’t understand Sun Chu’s words and asked bluntly with displeasure, “What did you mean by that just now, Master Sun?”
Sun Chu withdrew his gaze. “It’s a unique way of identifying kin from my hometown. I thought that Lady Qi, who is so familiar with military strategy, might be a descendant of the Wuji Sect.”
Though Qi Yanzhou didn’t know much about the Wuji Sect, he knew Sun Chu was lying.
Seeing that Ye Chutang showed no reaction, he didn’t press further.
“It’s late. Let’s talk as we walk.”
Sun Chu’s injuries had mostly healed. Nodding, he walked forward while replying to Ye Chutang’s earlier words.
“Fine. I’ll accomplish ten tasks for you, but they must be within my ability.”
If she asked him to burn a city like Zhao Chengyu had, he couldn’t do it.
Ye Chutang smiled. “Don’t worry, I know my limits.”
Then she turned to Qi Yanzhou. “From now on, ‘Nightshade’ belongs to Sun Chu. Have Nanxiao handle the handover.”
“Alright, I’ll contact Nanxiao during the midday break.”
Sun Chu, familiar with the underworld, naturally knew that “Nightshade” was an assassin organization.
But he’d never dealt with them before.
Curiously, he asked Ye Chutang, “Nightshade, which would do any evil for money—it was yours?”
Qi Yanzhou answered for Ye Chutang.
“No, A Tang just dismantled Nightshade and conscripted some of its people.”
“Those people were too despicable. Why not kill them all?”
“The ones who deserved death are dead. Those left are merely blades for killing, and those blades will be thrust into the bodies of our enemies.”
Ye Chutang added, “It’s called making the best use of everything.”
Sun Chu found this reasonable and agreed. “Alright, let me have them.”
Then he asked, “Why do the people of Nightshade listen to you?”
“For the same reason as you.”
“… ”
The three soon caught up with the exile procession.
After crossing a mountain ridge, they reached the borders of Dingzhou.
Dingzhou was considered the most prosperous prefecture in the north, twice the size of Bingzhou.
Its garrison was also substantial, with 120,000 troops.
Because of the incident in Dayang Town, the Dingzhou garrison had posted soldiers at all entry points into the prefecture.
This was to prevent Qi Yanzhou from suddenly raising an army and dragging Dingzhou into chaos.
So when the soldiers saw the exile procession, they were highly alert.
Wu Chenggang stepped forward with the exile documents and handed them to the soldiers guarding the checkpoint.
“The Qi, Ye, and Sun families are being exiled to the northwest. The Zhao family is to be confined in Dingzhou City. Here is the transit permit.”
After reviewing the documents, the soldier said with a smile, “The prefect has instructed that given the hot weather, you officials need not detour to Dingzhou City for registration. Simply hand over the Zhao family to us, and we’ll take them to Dingzhou City for confinement.”
The Dingzhou prefect had not received any secret decree from the emperor to target the Qi family and thus wanted to avoid them.
This was to spare himself unnecessary trouble.
After all, everyone who had received imperial orders to deal with the Qi family had met a bad end!
