GBP Chapter 525 Granny Zhang
Chapter 525 Granny Zhang
Grandma Zhang looked up and saw them. She was stunned for a moment, then noticed the blood on Cui Zhihao's arm. She quickly put down her vegetable basket and stood up: "Oh dear! What happened? Come inside quickly!"
As soon as they entered the courtyard, Granny Zhang led them to the vegetable cellar behind the woodshed: "I heard men in black walking around in the alley the other day. You must have gotten into trouble. This vegetable cellar is secluded, so hide here for a while!"
The cellar was damp and dark. Granny Zhang lit an oil lamp and handed it in, then brought over a pile of dry grass: "You sit down first. I'll go get some clean strips of cloth and some hemostatic medicine, and then I'll get you some food."
The light from the oil lamp shone on Shi Wanxia's face as she watched Cui Zhihao leaning against the hay, his face terribly pale. She felt both pain and anxiety in her heart.
She crouched down and carefully untied the old strip of cloth from his arm. The wound was still bleeding, and the edges were already red and swollen.
"Just say so if it hurts."
Shi Wanxia took out the wound medicine given to her by Granny Zhang and gently sprinkled it on the wound, her movements so light as if she were afraid of breaking it.
Choi Jiho looked at her drooping eyelashes, which cast a faint shadow under her eyes, and his heart suddenly warmed.
He reached out and gently grasped her wrist: "Wanwan, just now behind the tree, I thought we were going to be discovered."
"As long as I'm here, it won't happen."
Shi Wanxia looked up and met his gaze—a gaze filled with lingering fear, worry, and a tenderness she couldn't decipher, making her cheeks flush instantly. She quickly lowered her head to continue bandaging.
"Once we get the message to His Highness the Crown Prince, we will..."
"Just what?"
Choi Ji-ho pressed on, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of anticipation.
He actually remembered what he hadn't finished saying at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, but the journey was fraught with danger, and he couldn't find a suitable opportunity.
Shi Wanxia pursed her lips, about to speak, when she heard Granny Zhang's voice from the top of the cellar: "Girl! Young man! It seems someone outside is asking about your appearance. I sent them to the west. You'd better think of a way to contact your people!"
The two immediately fell silent.
Shi Wanxia took out a jade pendant from her bosom—a token given to her by the Crown Prince. With this jade pendant, she could contact Xiao Li, who was in charge of delivering secret messages in the palace.
“I’ll contact Xiao Li. He works as a waiter at the tea stall near the palace gate and can pass the message on to Lord Shen.”
Shi Wanxia carefully put the jade pendant away and then told Cui Zhihao, "Wait here and don't wander off. I'll be back soon."
"I will go with you!"
Cui Zhihao immediately sat up, but was stopped by Shi Wanxia just as he was about to get up.
"With your wound like this, going out will only be a burden to me."
Shi Wanxia's tone was firm, yet softened slightly.
"Listen to me, I'll take the basket Grandma Zhang gave me and pretend to be buying groceries, so I won't be discovered. You wait for me here, okay?"
Looking into her determined eyes, Cui Zhihao knew he couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he could only nod and put the sword in his hand back to her: "Take it, for self-defense."
Shi Wanxia took the sword, tucked it into her waistband, covered it with her apron, and quietly slipped out the back door with Granny Zhang.
The tea stalls at the palace gate were bustling with people. Little Li was wiping the table with his head down when he heard someone call out, "Want a bowl of Biluochun tea?" He looked up and saw Shi Wanxia. His eyes paused for a moment, and he immediately smiled and greeted her, "Please come in and sit down, young lady."
Shi Wanxia followed him into the inner room and handed him the jade pendant: "Little Li, I have urgent business with His Highness the Crown Prince—the Empress's trusted Mo Wei are going to make their move tonight, and their target may be His Majesty. They are also colluding with the old steward of the Cui family!"
Xiao Li's expression changed drastically. He took the jade pendant and put it away: "I understand. I'll find a way to get the message through."
"But young lady, I just saw the Empress's people loitering around the palace gate, you must hurry!"
Shi Wanxia nodded and was about to go out when she heard a commotion outside.
She peeked through the crack in the door and saw several people dressed in black surrounding the tea stall, with the leader being none other than the Mo Wei from earlier!
"Oh no! Why is he here?" Shi Wanxia's heart tightened, and she quickly backed away.
Little Li panicked and pulled her towards the back storage room, saying, "Don't panic, girl. There's a back door to this storage room that leads to the alley!"
The two had just hidden in the storage room when they heard Mo Wei's voice: "Did you see a girl in a blue cloth dress just now? Carrying a basket?"
"I...I didn't see it, sir," the tea stall owner said, his voice trembling.
Mo Wei snorted coldly and kicked over the table next to him: "Search! Search thoroughly!"
The footsteps grew closer, and Shi Wanxia gripped the sword at her waist, plotting how to break through.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from outside, and someone shouted, "His Highness the Crown Prince is returning to the palace! All bystanders, make way immediately!"
Mo Wei's footsteps stopped, and then the sound of him and his men hurriedly leaving could be heard.
Shi Wanxia breathed a sigh of relief and was about to come out of the storeroom when she saw Xiao Lizi run in, his face pale: "Miss! Something terrible has happened! News just came from the palace that His Majesty's medicine has been poisoned, and His Highness the Crown Prince is arguing with the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager said... said she would punish His Highness the Crown Prince!"
"what?"
Shi Wanxia was startled, and almost dropped the sword in her hand.
She flung open the door to the storeroom and ran toward the south of the city—Cui Zhihao was still waiting for her in the cellar, while Shen Yanzhou in the palace was already in danger. The Empress Dowager's conspiracy had begun. What should they do next?
As she ran past the alley entrance, she vaguely saw Cui Zhihao standing at the gate of Granny Zhang's courtyard, looking in her direction, with blood seeping through the cloth strip on his arm again.
Before she could even shout, two men in black jumped out of the alley and grabbed Choi Ji-ho's arm!
"Brother Cui!" Shi Wanxia shouted, rushing over with her sword in hand.
Just as Shi Wanxia drew her sword, the man in black who was holding Cui Zhihao's arm twisted his wrist behind his back.
Cui Zhihao groaned in pain, but still managed to shout to Shi Wanxia, "Don't come any closer! Wanwan, they have knives!"
The man in black sneered, while another man drew a short knife and held it to Choi Ji-ho's neck: "Take another step, and we'll kill him!"
Shi Wanxia froze in place, the tip of her sword trembling slightly.
She looked at the glint of the knife on Choi Ji-ho's neck, then at the bleeding wound on his arm. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a hand, and even breathing hurt—just moments ago in the cellar she had said she would protect him, but now she could only watch helplessly as he was being threatened.
"What do you want?"
Shi Wanxia suppressed the trembling in her voice, "Let him go, I'll go with you."
"Come with us?"
The leader of the men in black raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the jade pendant at her waist, and suddenly he smiled.
"No need. We don't need you. We need Young Master Cui. The Cui family are loyal officials personally appointed by His Majesty. They might know something we need."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a furious shout rang out from the alleyway entrance: "Stop!"
It was Granny Zhang! She was panting as she ran, clutching a rolling pin in her hand. When she saw Cui Zhihao being held at knifepoint, her eyes immediately turned red: "You heartless bastards! Snatching someone in broad daylight, is there no law anymore?"
The man in black didn't take the old woman seriously and waved for someone to stop him.
Grandma Zhang didn't hesitate; she swung the rolling pin with a whooshing sound and smashed it into the arm of a man in black.
The man in black winced in pain, nearly dropping his knife.
"Now!" Shi Wanxia seized the opportunity to rush forward, thrusting her sword toward the back of the leader of the men in black.
The leader of the men in black reacted quickly, dodging to the side, but also releasing his grip on Choi Ji-ho's hand.
Cui Zhihao seized the opportunity to break free and turned around to help Shi Wanxia, but the wound on his arm was pulled, and the pain made his vision go black. He staggered after taking just one step.