Chapter 124 - 105: Achievement Unlocked: The Empress Dowager’s Protection
The sight of six women alighting from the carriage immediately drew the attention of the attackers.
Even though most of the guards had gone to escort the Empress Dowager’s retreat, the remaining forces still had the men in black completely occupied. Not many could break away to pursue them. They probably assumed that capturing a few women, pampered by the Emperor in the depths of the palace, would be child’s play.
"Shoot them!"
"Aim for the really beautiful one!"
Since they weren’t a regular army, their arrows were quite crude. But in ancient times, with primitive medical care, they were more than enough to be lethal. Upon hearing the order to aim for the beautiful one, Noble Consort Rong instinctively glanced back. She saw the arrows were all flying toward Jiang Xian, and felt both a pang of worry for her and a subtle sense of disappointment.
Fortunately, Jiang Xian seemed to be protected by some mysterious force. All the arrows aimed at her veered off course or fell to the ground just before impact.
System: [Use of the halo requires a report to my superiors. My supervising AI is already wondering why a pregnant woman is being shot at with arrows...]
’It’s simple,’
Jiang Xian explained perfectly while dodging the arrows. ’Noble Consort Rong fears I’ll threaten her position after giving birth to a Prince, so she sent her men to storm the delivery room and unleash a hail of arrows. She’s actually a Special Agent Princess Consort from another world who uses the Qinglian Sword Technique... I’ve already come up with this much, so crank up the evasion effect for me!’
The system silently began writing a report to its superior.
The scan results showed that when the host was in crisis, an adult female with the identity of Princess Consort Yan Chi was indeed by her side.
Still, it wasn’t very convincing.
Jiang Xian had no choice but to shout, "Noble Consort, do you want to kill me?"
Noble Consort Rong, gasping for breath as she ran, stammered, "I... I do not..."
"No, you have to say you do! That’s what I want to hear!"
Rong Xueshi had been a Noble Consort for years, but this was the first time she’d ever heard such an absurd request. "Fine. I... I want to kill you..."
System: [Request approved. Evasion effect boosted to 70%.]
Jiang Xian was quite skilled at deceiving those above and hiding things from those below.
The six women followed the path of the Empress Dowager’s retreating party. Since the Empress Dowager’s group was also fighting off attackers and moving in fits and starts, Jiang Xian and her companions soon caught up. Sikong Rui, also dressed in black and protecting Jiang Xian from a short distance, executed a light Qinggong leap and landed beside his mistress. "Royal reinforcements will be here soon."
"In a moment, swing your sword at the Empress Dowager. I’ll block it. Make sure you control the angle, and disinfect the sword first."
Jiang Xian hadn’t spoken that command aloud. As a Hidden Guard, Sikong Rui could read lips.
Otherwise, they would be conspiring out loud.
Sikong Rui was aghast. "How can I do that!"
He had gone to great lengths to parry every blade aimed at his mistress; he couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering even the slightest injury.
His mistress replied with just four words—
Fortune favors the bold.
Jiang Xian had complete faith in his level of martial skill. He could strike with great precision, avoiding any vital spots. Moreover, the system’s medical supplies were her ultimate safety net. If she didn’t have these two assurances, she would never risk her life. After all, you have to be alive to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
In the harem, her birth was simply too low.
If she wanted to climb the ranks, relying solely on the Emperor’s favor would be too slow.
Seeing his mistress’s resolute expression, Sikong Rui could only accept the order.
And so, amidst the chaos of battle, a furtive figure darted behind the cover of a large tree. He swiftly dispatched an attacker who, noticing his suspicious movements, had given chase. Then, he used a fire lighter to heat his sword, sterilizing it with the high temperature. Once that was done, he poured water from his flask onto the red-hot blade and brought it to his lips, blowing on it to cool it down faster.
’Ugh, why isn’t it cool yet?’
...
"Thank goodness you all escaped. Otherwise, I would not know how to face the Emperor..."
The Empress Dowager beckoned to Noble Consort Rong, bidding her come to her side while repeatedly chanting "Amitabha."
Noble Consort Rong and her party had just caught their breath when they saw a man in black burst through the fray, his sword pointed directly at the Empress Dowager!
"Protect the Empress Dowager!"
But the nearest guards were all engaged with the enemy, more than seven paces away.
A look of shock crossed the Empress Dowager’s face. Her heart nearly stopped.
Faster than words could tell, Noble Lady Gu leaped out and blocked the sword with her own body!
The painkiller and hemostatic agents took effect simultaneously.
But the system’s supervising AI nearly fried its CPU trying to figure out why someone would suffer massive blood loss from their shoulder during childbirth.
System: [Host, why is your wound from a sword?]
Jiang Xian: ’It was a C-section.’
System: [But you were cut on the shoulder...]
Jiang Xian: ’Ectopic pregnancy.’
The system fell silent.
It sounded utterly absurd, yet somehow, it could just barely be justified within the logic of an artificial intelligence.
The man in black’s sword pierced Noble Lady Gu’s shoulder. Seeing his plan had failed, he did not linger. He quickly used Qinggong to flee the scene, cutting down two of his fellow black-clad attackers on the way out as if, in a bloodthirsty rage, he could no longer tell friend from foe.
The gravely wounded Noble Lady Gu crumpled like a kite with its string cut.
Noble Consort Rong lunged forward to catch her. She bit her lip, wanting to call Jiang Xian a fool, but held her tongue.
After all, protecting the Empress Dowager was the correct thing to do, both in terms of filial piety and in deference to imperial authority.
But the Noble Consort still felt it wasn’t worth it. She just didn’t want to see her get hurt.
"Nanny, quickly, come look at Noble Lady Gu!"
The nanny at the Empress Dowager’s side had some medical knowledge. She helped Jiang Xian sit on the ground and began to bandage her wound. Having survived the ordeal, the Empress Dowager grasped Jiang Xian’s other hand, tears streaming down her face. "Silly child, I will make sure you live."
Thanks to the high-quality medicine provided by the system, Jiang Xian actually felt no pain, and the bleeding miraculously stopped.
But the blood had soaked a large portion of her robes, creating a shocking sight.
’If I don’t claim credit now, when will I?’
"Empress Dowager, are you unhurt?"
Jiang Xian put on a brave face.
This moved the Empress Dowager even more. "I am fine. But you... you’ve lost so much blood... Is there medicine in the carriage? Bring it all for Noble Lady Gu!"
"As long as the Empress Dowager is safe, that’s all that matters. I only worry that if this leaves a scar, the Emperor will be displeased," she said with feigned panic.
’Don’t just make empty promises. I want something tangible.’
The Empress Dowager paused, realizing that a woman would be most concerned about being scarred. "Even if the Emperor shuns you because of this injury, I will personally guarantee you a life of wealth and comfort in the palace."
...
[Achievement Unlocked: The Empress Dowager’s Patronage]
[Reward: 8000 Harem Scheming Points]
[Evaluation: The Empress Dowager now regards you more dearly than her own niece. How did you do it, Host?]