Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard

The Empress Dowager suddenly smiled, gathering inner strength in her palm before striking out at Du Xiaoli in one swift motion.

This turn of events caught everyone off guard. No one knew the Empress Dowager possessed martial arts skills, nor did they anticipate her sudden attack on Du Xiaoli– especially at such a close range. Those standing farther away simply couldn’t reach them in time to intervene.

Truthfully, those aware of Du Xiaoli’s martial prowess remained relatively calm. After all, the Empress Dowager couldn’t harm someone of her caliber.

But for the Empress, unaware of Du Xiaoli’s skills, the Empress Dowager’s strike would surely be fatal. Before her mind even had time to process things, she had already spun around, wrapping her arms around Du Xiaoli. The Empress Dowager’s palm struck her back instead.

“Pfft—”

Blood spurted as the Empress collapsed limply onto Du Xiaoli.

The Empress Dowager hadn’t anticipated the Empress diving onto Du Xiaoli. Her first strike failing, she swung for a second blow.

Luo Qi stepped forward to intercept the strike, engaging her in combat. They weren’t worried about Du Xiaoli, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be furious at seeing her attacked. The viciousness in Luo Qi’s every strike showed just how furious he was!

“Empress!”

Du Xiaoli held the Empress, feeling her body slowly slide down. She gently laid her on the ground and then cradled her upper body.

“I’m... I’m sorry about last time,” the Empress murmured, her voice breaking as she clasped Du Xiaoli’s hand. “I... I truly didn’t want to, but... but I had... no choice. I’m sorry. Please forgive me...”

“Empress, say no more. I understand. I don’t blame you.” Du Xiaoli clasped her hand in return.

Hearing Du Xiaoli’s words, the Empress’s lips curved slightly. She closed her eyes contentedly.

“Empress!” Han Mingze arrived just as the Empress shut her eyes, crying out in anguish.

Though he had stripped her of her imperial consort title and resented her for not being honest with him, he now realized he had never truly forgotten that figure in the peach grove all those years ago. She remained the Empress in his heart. Seeing her lifelessly slumped in Du Xiaoli’s arms, he felt as if his heart had been hollowed out in an instant.

Everyone present, seeing the Empress’ appearance, assumed she was dead. Du Xiaoli touched her wrist, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes. “She can still be saved! Xia Yuan, Ying Ge, follow me! Everyone else stay outside.”

With that, she scooped the Empress into her arms and carried her directly back to her former quarters.

Xia Yuan, who always carried Du Xiaoli’s silver needles, hurriedly followed upon hearing the order.

Han Mingze wanted to follow them in, but with the situation outside unresolved and Du Xiaoli’s explicit order for everyone to stay outside, he could only wait anxiously outside. His gaze, cold as ice, fixed on the Empress Dowager who continued to resist desperately.

Du Xiaoli laid the Empress on the bed. Sensing the room was too cold, she instructed Ying Ge to inform the Emperor to immediately bring in over a dozen braziers. She also had hot water brought in.

The Empress lay deathly pale on the bed. Du Xiaoli tore open her clothing, then summoned Xia Yuan to assist. She inserted needles into several vital acupoints on the Empress’s body. Only after confirming her vital signs had stopped declining did she exhale a heavy sigh of relief.

“Mistress, is the Empress out of danger?” Xia Yuan asked, staring at the Empress’s lifeless appearance.

“Her life is temporarily sustained. But whether she can be saved depends on whether the palace possesses these few items.” Du Xiaoli slowly twirled the needle in her hand.

The door opened as a dozen palace maids entered carrying braziers, instantly warming the room.

A palace maid delivered ink and brushes. Du Xiaoli wrote down several medicinal ingredients on paper and instructed Ying Ge to take it to Han Mingze, instructing him to depart and procure these herbs.

Han Mingze reviewed the list. While most ingredients were readily available within the palace, the thousand-year-old ginseng and century-old snow lotus remained uncertain—he didn’t know if the Imperial Medical Bureau still possessed them. He entrusted the prescription to trusted aides to procure the herbs from the Imperial Medical Bureau, then turned his attention to the Empress Dowager, who still had not been subdued.

The Empress Dowager’s martial arts skills had already astonished everyone, but their exceptional proficiency surprised even Luo Qi, who couldn’t fully subdue her.

The Empress Dowager and Luo Qi clashed palms mid-air. Seizing the momentum, she somersaulted backward twice, landing on the wall, intending to escape. Han Mingyi, positioned by the wall, instantly intercepted her.

“You want to escape?”

Han Mingyi’s temper flared when he saw the Empress Dowager ambush Du Xiaoli. However, Luo Qi, who was closer, engaged her first but failed to subdue her. Now that she was in his grasp, he would slaughter her mercilessly!

It was the first time the Empress Dowager had witnessed Han Mingyi in combat, and she hadn’t anticipated his martial arts prowess to be even more formidable than she’d imagined. Yet that didn’t mean he could capture her.

However, the confidence on her face crumbled completely when she saw Han Mingyi’s subsequent move.

“How? How do you know this martial art?! Who taught you?” The Empress Dowager stared at Han Mingyi in disbelief.

“My master.”

Hearing his reply, everyone shared the same thought: What a cold answer.

Witnessing Han Mingze’s martial prowess, the Empress Dowager abandoned the fight and turned to flee.

Han Mingyi was clearly behind her, yet before anyone could discern his movement, he materialized before her. A single palm strike to her chest sent her crashing backward.

Clutching her chest, the Empress Dowager scrambled to her feet and fled in another direction. Mid-air, she collided with Luo Qi, who sent her tumbling backward with a kick.

She got up again and encountered Han Mingyi in the air again. This time, he also kicked her, and the Empress Dowager was kicked back like a ball once more.

MoonWhisperer, skyrise's Thoughts

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