readytorunbook Chapter 332: The Merchants Are Assassinated
Chapter 332: The Merchants Are Assassinated
He rushed over and pushed the person to the left with his hand. Wangshu, who turned back and laughed, looked out along her terrified gaze. He saw the blue sky in the distance and the black dot getting closer and closer...
"Puff!" She didn't know what the black spot was yet, but it had already penetrated her. Her body was knocked backwards by the powerful inertia of the black spot rushing towards her. The world was spinning, and the severe pain spread rapidly. As she fell, she couldn't help but look to the right. It was a very thick bamboo arrow, and the arrow body was still shaking as it drilled into her shoulder.
"who!"
"lady!"
"There are assassins!"
"Close the city gates! Assassin, reward 100 gold!"
Everyone was rushing forward. Wangshu, pushed to the left and back by the force of the arrow and Xiaoqing, fell heavily to the ground. After Ji Shou finished shouting Bai Jin, he calmly instructed Xiaoqing: "Hurry back to the mansion and ask the old doctor and Tang Bo to come over! Send a letter to the general immediately!"
He helped Wangshu, whose teeth were chattering with pain, up and brought her ginseng soup. "Miss, Miss, open your mouth and drink ginseng soup."
Breaking out in a cold sweat, her face pale, Wangshu tilted her head to look at the arrow. It was deep, with colorful flame patterns visible on the arrow. Her heart sank, and her vision went dark. Instead, she gritted her teeth and tried to speak clearly, "Tell... Liang Juju... and Zheng Da... to come quickly."
Liang Ju arrived the fastest. The entire Ji's Trading Company building was deserted. As he sprinted up, he ordered the manager to immediately send someone to look for witnesses. "Any clues will be rewarded!"
His wife was assassinated and her life was in danger. This was the fate of Chang'an and the Jingzhou army... The more he thought about it, the weaker his legs became and he stepped on empty air, falling down on the stairs. His wife must be anxious to see him because she had something important to tell him... But the more anxious he became, the harder it was to get up, and he looked miserable.
The doctor, who was dragged here by the guards on the way, saw this scene on the stairs as soon as he entered the first floor. His eyes went dark and he was dragged to the third floor. On the small couch that was originally used for temporary rest, there lay an unconscious noblewoman. The guards beside her hurriedly helped her drink ginseng soup, "Miss! Miss! Wake up, you can't sleep!"
Regardless of the fact that there were no sober women in the room, the doctor stepped forward, lifted the right collar, and took a look at the blood-filled wound. He immediately felt something was wrong. "A flat-headed iron arrowhead?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Tang Bo, who had rushed to the door, paused. The flat-headed iron arrowhead was covered in rust and even stained with human feces, which was like poisoning and almost impossible to survive.
The old doctor pushed him away and said, "Get out of the way!" From the side, he saw the unconscious woman with an arrow in her right shoulder and warned both sides, "Everyone, step back!"
Ji Shou quickly pulled a screen to isolate everyone, leaving only Xiaoqing, Tang Bo, and the two doctors inside. "The arrow is too deep, return home quickly to remove the arrow. General...how long will it take for you to return?"
According to the pace, Tang Bo silently pointed three fingers, and the old doctor nodded, "Butler Tang, you must do it as soon as possible. This situation... can't be delayed." As he said that, he went to check the pulse of the unconscious man who was breathing relatively steadily. After a while, his face looked shocked and pale. He gathered his consciousness and checked the pulse again with two fingers. He called the doctor who came earlier in to check the pulse. A quarter of an hour later, the two old men's faces were as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Old brother, let's go to the General's Mansion."
While everyone was escorting Xiaoqing downstairs and carrying her down to the carriage, the old doctor quickly pulled Tang Bo aside and said, "This arrow must be removed quickly to have a chance of survival. ... Everyone must be nearby."
Wangshu woke up in the carriage and listened to the old doctor explain step by step how to remove the arrow, cut the flesh, and bandage it. She tried to tilt her head to look at the tetanus sword that had almost pierced her shoulder. She couldn't ignore the pain in another place that was almost unbearable. "My stomach hurts too."
The old doctor felt very distressed and had to speak frankly in a low voice, "Madam, your pulse indicates pregnancy, but it's still early. ... You can't keep it... You will pass it soon..."
Wangshu closed his eyes tightly, but tears flowed down his ears.
"How sure are you?"
There was rust in the bruises on the wound, and it was now red and swollen. Tetanus was an incurable disease in those days. Northerners liked to add materials to the arrowheads of their swords, such as human feces or even pierce the arrows with dirty blood from people who died of tetanus. This was likely to cause death, and bleeding began intermittently from under the body.
Doctors can only save those who can be saved. How can we save those who are already on the way? "Madam, I think... 30% chance."
A white lie. Wangshu was certain of it, his five senses suddenly clear, "I don't want to suffer great pain before dying."
The first order he gave upon returning home was to post a notice to recruit witnesses to the murder of the general's wife and her unborn baby. He would offer a reward of ten gold coins for any effective clues, a reward of one hundred gold coins for capturing the murderer, and he would be promoted to centurion.
Anyone who catches the murderer within three days will be rewarded with 200 gold coins, promoted to General of the Central Army, and can make meritorious contributions while serving his sentence. Secondly, he can pay a large sum of money to hire a famous doctor who is good at treating sword wounds and good medicine.
The news sent the entire city into an uproar. The general's wife being shot by an arrow was already a bolt from the blue, and now the "unborn child" was involved. The general and his wife had been deeply in love, having been blessed with a son and a daughter for years. Now... just the thought of changing their circumstances made him shudder in broad daylight.
"I heard that two midwives who attempted to murder my wife in Jingzhou were executed. They were skinned and boned on the spot and displayed on the city walls."
"More than that! If it weren't for this, would the general have become enemies with... that guy from last year?!"
If they hadn't turned against each other, the world would have been at peace long ago!
"The pattern on this arrow... isn't unusual..."
"Report any clues immediately. I will reward you with a generous reward and an official position!"
The city gates allowed only entry, not exit. Soldiers from the suburban barracks were arrayed along the city's main street, with one soldier every ten steps and one team every hundred steps. The main road was left clear, and no horses or carriages were allowed to pass. The four businesses of Liang, Chen, Nan, and Ji closed their shops, leaving the once bustling and peaceful streets deserted, and the people were in a state of panic.
Prince Consort's Mansion.
"Why!" A hysterical roar was heard, and then the exquisite porcelain plate with flowers and birds fell to the ground and broke into pieces with a crisp sound.
Zhou Wuxie leaned against the windowsill, his frown deep in the lines, just like his depressed and troubled heart. "Changping, since we can't go out, we can stay at home."
It's easy to say, but Changping's chest was heaving with anger. "With thieves in power, the whole country is in turmoil!"
In front of the servants, Zhou Wuxie was truly afraid of her mouth. He waved his hand and asked them to leave. He walked over, his movements gentle and graceful, but his words were bitter: "Ten gold coins are offered for clues. Wealth and fame are alluring. Many servants have begun to bite their master."
It was so infuriating! Changping slammed the table and said, "Wealth! It's all stolen goods from my Daliang Dynasty!"
It's always like this, opening and closing the Daliang Dynasty. Zhou Wuxie was too lazy to persuade him anymore, "Changping, if not for yourself, but also for the sake of the children, when you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head."
Speaking of children, Changping was even more angry. After the rebels entered the city, they confiscated large private estates and lands inside and outside the city. The shops in the city also had a bleak business due to the shortage of goods. She went out frequently just to protect the only two small villas left.
Today, first of all, no one is allowed to ride horses or drive cars on the main street. Then, soldiers are stationed in front of the major houses in Ci'en Lane to guard them, and no one is allowed to enter or leave without permission.