Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 283 Planning is up to people
Although she was not afraid of death, she had never thought about dying.

How can someone who defies fate easily accept their destiny?
After giving his instructions, Zhou Zhao looked at Su Changying seriously and said, "I know that you are a double agent. On the surface, you are a spy planted in the court by your adoptive father, but in reality, you have already surrendered to His Majesty and are hiding by your adoptive father's side to find out the remnants of the previous dynasty and uproot them."

Before, they were in the shadows, and we were in the open, relying solely on our clandestine schemes. Now that I know my adoptive father's identity, they've become an open card, and it's time for a decisive blow.

You should petition His Majesty to send top imperial guards to deal with my adoptive father. If my plan fails, with the help of these guards, plus the three of us, we will surely be able to capture him.

Another large army should be dispatched to deal with the situation, using their alleged treasonous act of setting fire as evidence, but the fire must not be allowed to start, lest the people of Chang'an be devastated.

Su Changying nodded, "I'll go up and comfort Han Ze, as you say."

As he spoke, he looked at Ah Huang, pointed to his cheek, and said, "Come on!"

Ah Huang took a deep breath, stood up abruptly, leaped up, and punched Su Changying in the face without mercy. Su Changying stretched out her finger, touched the corner of her mouth, and did not wipe away the blood that flowed out.

After finishing his attack, Ah Huang didn't say anything. He simply stood in front of Zhou Zhao without uttering a word.

He lowered his head, his bamboo hat obscuring his expression, but Su Changying still sensed Ah Huang's dissatisfaction with him.

Su Changying didn't say much to him, but looked at Zhou Zhao sitting on the big rock. "Zhao Zhao, after the truth comes out, I have something to say to you."

Zhou Zhao smiled and watched Su Changying leave. He walked to the cave, lightly leaped up, grabbed the hanging rope, and flew up.

As soon as he left, Zhou Zhao could no longer hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Ah Huang's expression changed drastically. He grabbed Zhou Zhao's hand and placed it on her pulse. His fingers trembled as he suddenly looked up at Zhou Zhao. The straw hat that usually seemed to be welded to his head fell to the ground, revealing Ah Huang's scarlet eyes.

"You were really dying, yet you lied to him and faked your death. You were truly poisoned, so why did you hide it from Su Changying? He's the one who harmed you, isn't he?"

Ah Huang hastily wiped his face with his sleeve, tears staining the sleeve and making the stain even darker.

“Ah Huang, listen to me. The pill Changying gave me before was called Soul Return, but someone laced it with half poison,” Zhou Zhao said, pulling out a shovelful of soil mixed with white powder from the ground. “This is the other half of the poison; the two have fused together…”

Ah Huang's expression turned serious. He took the medicine packet, held it to his nose, and gently sniffed it.

He was very talented in this area; back in the Lost City, he was able to concoct antidotes with ease.

“I have internal strength to protect me, and although the Soul Returning Medicine has been tampered with, it is still a divine medicine. Although the poison has now spread throughout my body, I am confident that I will not die within three days.”

Ah Huang's face turned pale, and three days passed.

His voice was a little hoarse, "And what about three days later?"

Zhou Zhao looked at Ah Huang, "I now have two ways to survive. Ah Huang, you can perform an autopsy to find out what poison the body was poisoned with, and then concoct an antidote. Although I am not a corpse now, I can still bleed you. Try to concoct the medicine."

Ah Huang took a deep breath, his fists clenched tightly.

Zhou Zhao smiled at Ah Huang, "You are the most skilled coroner I have ever seen. No one is better than you. You can definitely do it. Even if you don't succeed, it doesn't matter. I'll be fine."

"This time I will surely capture my adoptive father and eliminate this great threat to His Majesty. This will be an unparalleled feat. At that time, I will ask His Majesty for medicine. If there is any place in the world with the most miraculous medicines, it is definitely the Imperial Palace. There must be elixirs that can cure all poisons there, and it is even very likely that another soul-returning deity is hidden there."

As Su Changying mentioned before, there were three pills in total. She took them in the Lost City, and the remaining slight medicinal power was enough to resist the deadly poison in her body and keep her alive for three days. If there were a second pill, it might be a glimmer of hope for her survival.

"What if Father won't give it to me?"

As Ah Huang spoke, he felt an unprecedented panic. He suddenly hated himself. Why was he destined to be an unfavored prince? Why couldn't he even say a few words properly to His Majesty? Why couldn't he learn from those people in the palace, dressing up in colorful clothes to entertain their parents and please His Majesty?

If that's the case, then no extraordinary feat is needed.

He can go to the palace now to ask for it.

Although he might not be good at judging people, he wasn't stupid. This life-saving medicine was rare; once one was taken, it was gone forever. How could anyone in the palace be willing to give up their own life for Zhou Zhao's?

"They will give it to me. Who am I? I am Zhou Zhao. If I say you can do it, you definitely can. If I say they will give it to me, they definitely will. If they don't, Your Majesty must promote me based on this merit, so as not to discourage a meritorious official."

I am now a court official, and if I continue to be promoted, I will be able to participate in court assemblies. That would mean I would truly be standing among that large group of scholar-officials.

His Majesty will agree.

The power struggle between the Empress and His Majesty is now out in the open. The ambitious feudal lords have been wiped out by the Marquis of Lu, and the remnants of the previous dynasty lurking in the court will be dragged out and killed. So, His Majesty's next target of hatred will be the Empress.

He did not want the empress to hold power and wanted to establish another crown prince.

If she were to stand at the morning court session at this time, it would signify that women could wield power, govern the country, and lead the world.

His Majesty does not want her to appear at court meetings until he has made up his mind.

Therefore, she was certain that if His Majesty had one, he would definitely give it to her.

If Ah Huang fails and His Majesty doesn't have that medicine, then it can only mean that Zhou Zhao's fate is sealed.

As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes.

Looking at Zhou Zhao's determined gaze, Ah Huang's anxious heart calmed down instantly.

He pursed his lips, his expression suddenly hardening. Ah Huang opened the coroner's box he always carried with him, took out a small white porcelain bottle, and Zhou Zhao, without hesitation, took out his dagger and stabbed himself in the chest.

Her face paled, she pulled out the dagger, then took the bottle from Ah Huang's hand and collected the blood.

Ah Huang watched, his fists clenching, but he did not stop Zhou Zhao's actions.

He took out bottles and jars from the box, smeared them all over Zhou Zhao's face, and then looked at it carefully. "Okay, now you look like a dead person."

Zhou Zhao laughed weakly. She listened carefully to the sounds above, then stood up. "Alright, Ah Huang, carry my body home! Chang Ying should have the coffin ready by now."

Ah Huang gave a heavy "hmm," put on his straw hat, and carried Zhou Zhao on his back towards the pipe with the hanging hemp rope.

Their battle began.