Chapter 176 - 176: He Should Wake Up With Another Pinch

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Qiao Mai silently watched the two interact, ate the food they had prepared, and only then went to her guest room to rest.

In the stillness of the night, she walked out of her guest room and scanned her surroundings.

The entire guest courtyard seemed empty of any hidden figures. With a graceful leap, she landed on the rooftop and headed towards the imperial palace.

The ancient imperial palace, much like the modern one, was similar in terms of architecture, nomenclature, and the arrangement of the main palace, as well as the east, south, west, and north palaces.

She passed by several hidden sentries and arrived at the emperor’s sleeping chamber.

Dressed in black attire and wearing a headscarf, she silently sat beside the emperor’s bed.

All those who were attending to him had fallen unconscious.

Qiao Mai wasn’t a doctor, but she had developed her spiritual senses to observe the internal structure of the emperor’s body.

His organs were deteriorating, and his vitality was slowly dissipating—clear signs of impending death.

“Oh my, if I hadn’t come, this old emperor would have passed away in days.”

Considering his age, which was only in his forties, he wasn’t particularly old. Nevertheless, the state of the country under his rule was dire.

She frowned at the thought of whether to save him or not. If she didn’t, it would be the common people who would suffer the most when turmoil broke out in the court.

With a sigh, Qiao Mai pinched the old emperor’s arm.

He didn’t react. She inserted a detoxifying pill into his mouth and examined him for signs of poisoning.

After a brief pause and seeing no reaction, she administered a wound-healing pill as well.

Surprisingly, the emperor’s organs began to regain vitality. Qiao Mai decided to give him another pill.

Observing the gradual recovery of the old emperor’s body, she shook her head in amazement. Perhaps another pinch would awaken him.

Without hesitation, she pinched his arm again. This time, the old emperor stirred, groaning before opening his eyes. “Who dared to pinch me?”

He saw a person in black attire with a headscarf.

“Bold assassin, you dare to attempt an assassination on me?”

Qiao Mai reached out and strangled his throat. “Arrogant Emperor. If you don’t want to die, shut your filthy mouth.”

Oh, it’s a female assassin.

“I-I’ll be quiet.’

“Good, you understand the situation!”

The emperor glanced around at the eunuchs and palace maids who had fallen to the ground. Finally, he focused on Qiao Mai.

He was sick for several days and growing weaker, but he now felt full of vitality. He attributed this miraculous recovery to the woman before him.

“Must I thank you?”

“Cut the nonsense. I didn’t want to save you, but if you died, your sons would fight for the throne, and the commoners would suffer.”

“I want to be a good emperor, but the south is suffering, the north has heavy snow, and problems are everywhere. The treasury has been empty.”

“Nonsense! Your palace consorts spend hundreds of thousands on jewelry, and your officials revel outside, indulging in corruption and bribery. If there’s no money, why not recover it from them? Kill a few corrupt officials, and you’ll have everything.”

“I admit my negligence.”

“Let me make it clear. I can save you once, but I can also come to kill you. If you can’t rule as a good emperor, step down even if you find someone to replace you. They must be a prince who treats the people well. Otherwise, I’ll wipe out your entire family and replace it with a different surname to govern this country.”

“You… you’re the first person who dares to speak to me like this.” “I have the power to back up my words. Do you want to try me?” “Heroine, feel free to make your requests. I’d rather not test you.”

“I want you to use the Golden Dragon Guard, left by your ancestors, to eliminate corrupt officials and restore order to the court. In addition, I’ll give you a plan for flood control. If you follow it, you can prevent more than sixty percent of disasters.”

The emperor’s eyes brightened, but he was surprised.

“How do you know about the Golden Dragon Guard passed down by my ancestors?”

“With my abilities, nothing escapes my eyes. There are five of them on the rooftop of your room, and their waist plates read ‘Golden Dragon Guard.’ I’m not blind. I’ve put them to sleep.”

After saying that, Qiao Mai took a notebook from her pocket and tossed it to the emperor.

“This is the plan for flood control. This year, taxes will be waived for the northern regions affected by the snow disaster. The same goes for the southern regions. Let the common people breathe a sigh of relief.”

“What about food? Even if I follow your advice and start flood control immediately, it will take time. What about the soldiers? Will they starve?” “Execute corrupt officials, and let the generals on the border use their money to purchase food. Let me make this clear. If you kill the wrong person, I will hold you accountable.”

“I’m not a God.”

The old emperor quickly changed his tune, saying, “I’ll do my best!”

“Heroine, or should I say, Goddess, is my illness cured now?”

“As long as you don’t get poisoned again, you’ll live for many more decades.”

“Thank you.”

Qiao Mai stood up. “Remember my words: govern justly and benevolently, and don’t let your personal preferences lead to unfairness. I’ll come back to deal with you if you don’t.”

“Understood!”

Qiao Mai left the main hall and looked at the empty courtyard. With a single thought, she moved the hundreds of thousands of grain from her space.

“Old man, I’ve given you enough grain for a year. Don’t let me down, or you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”

The emperor, witnessing this scene, regarded her as a deity.

“Yes, yes, I will definitely be a good Emperor.”

If the emperor had been reluctant earlier and had his dignity challenged by a woman, he now regarded Qiao Mai as a divine being, willing to listen to her every word.

Who can fill the square with grain with a wave of their hand?

Only a deity can. Respect the deity and heed their words. That’s right!

Qiao Mai, disappearing into the night at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, caused the emperor to rub his eyes and stretch his muscles before calling for his officials.

No matter what the emperor did, Qiao Mai accomplished what she set out to do. Returning to Prince Shunqin’s mansion, she closed the door and slept in her space.

She wanted a peaceful sleep, which she couldn’t find outside.

Qiao Mai woke up the next day, brought Dong Zao out of the stable, and stored the carriage in her space.

Riding her horse, she arrived at the Zijing Pavilion. The young prince had already left, and Ruler was still sleeping. Qiao Mai left a message and departed from the mansion.

Riding her horse, she kept an eye on her surroundings. She spotted freshly roasted ducks and decided to take ten.

She also picked up five bags of snacks from a pastry shop.

As she continued to shop, she felt that something was amiss.

She had a tail following her and could sense a faint trace of killing intent.

Oh dear, the last time she took action, it attracted attention. Were they finally catching up to her?

Well, it was a good opportunity since she had nothing else to do.

Qiao Mai deliberately took her time, originally planning to return after shopping, but now she had a reason to stay longer.

Throughout the day, she leisurely explored the city. She stopped shopping as the day grew darker, realizing that the city gates would soon be closing.

She headed north on the official road, urging Dong Zao to trot.

The killing intent behind her grew stronger, indicating that more people were closing in. These assassins didn’t ride horses and instead relied on their light footwork to silently chase Qiao Mai, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

As the night grew darker, Qiao Mai continued to ride Dong Zao northwards leisurely while the assassins remained cautious and did not make a move.

Qiao Mai remained unperturbed. She casually retrieved a fruit from her space and began to eat it slowly.

This time, she decided not to use pearls as they were too expensive. A good pearl could cost several taels of silver, enough for an ordinary family to live on for two to three months.

She needed to be more frugal and save money to donate.

Under the moonlight, Qiao Mai noticed a space by the road. She dismounted her horse.

“Good boy, take care of yourself. Come here to pick me up later. I’ll deal with them for now.”

Qiao Mai patted Dong Zao’s rump, and the horse neighed before heading north. The assassins continued to watch her closely. Since she had stopped, they didn’t pursue her horse.

Seeing that Qiao Mai had reached the empty space, many assassins were puzzled, not knowing what she was planning.

Qiao Mai finished eating the remaining apples, tossed the cores aside, and beckoned to the assassins hiding in the darkness.

“Come on, all of you. Don’t hide any longer.. Let’s settle this matter!”