Late Ming Dynasty: Starting with the overthrow of the county magistrate, a rebellion was launched to

Done

This was the first thought that popped into Zhang Da's mind after hearing the woman's words, because what she said was the truth, and he couldn't refute it; he was speechless...

Arguing is useless; life and death are at stake.

Then let's fight!

The woman's eyes flashed with murderous intent once more, and she pounced like a ghost, her blade, gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light, aimed straight for Zhang Da's throat.

Zhang Da was unarmed and had no weapons, so he had to use all his strength to dodge to the side.

On the bluestone slab, a cold glint flashed through the air as the dagger grazed his neck, its blade cutting into his skin. A sharp pain shot through him instantly, and warm blood immediately seeped out. Ignoring his wound, Zhang Da stomped his right foot and staggered back three steps, barely managing to steady himself by bracing his back against the cold bamboo.

This woman is really ruthless!

"You corrupt official, today is your death day!"

The woman pressed her advantage, leaping into the air and unleashing a flurry of kicks aimed directly at Zhang Da's face and chest. In his haste, Zhang Da crossed his arms to block, and with a muffled thud, a tremendous force struck him, causing his blood to surge, his hands to go numb, and him to stagger, nearly falling. Before he could catch his breath, the woman thrust her dagger forward again, aiming straight for his left ribs.

In a moment of desperation, Zhang Da twisted his waist and turned sharply, the dagger grazing his ribs and piercing the bamboo. The woman struggled to pull the blade away, and Zhang Da seized the opportunity to form a fist with his right hand, slamming it heavily into her wrist holding the weapon. The woman cried out in pain, but remained fearless, swiftly drawing a short blade that was hidden at her waist with her left hand. She attacked with both hands simultaneously, displaying remarkable prowess.

Zhang Da was startled by this sudden turn of events, making his already disadvantageous situation even more difficult to control. He could only defend and dodge awkwardly.

Zhang Da had been to the battlefield and killed people, and he also had some martial arts skills, but in the end, he was no match for this woman with a knife.

Every time the short blade pierced the air, and every time Zhang Da dodged, he had to suffer physical pain.

Within a few exchanges, he had several wounds on his left arm, shoulder, and side, the seeping blood soaking through his clothes and sliding down his skin. Accompanying these wounds were waves of excruciating pain. At this point, Zhang Da didn't care whether the blade was coated with poison; he was already covered in cuts and bruises.

Even so, the woman was still not satisfied and her attacks became increasingly ruthless. She only wanted a quick kill.

Straight thrusts, horizontal slashes, and diagonal cuts—all aimed at vital points…

Zhang Da could only barely hold on thanks to his exceptional reflexes, but he was never able to get close enough to disarm him.

"laugh--"

Another knife wound slashed open the outside of his right leg, leaving a deep gash about an inch deep, the flesh turned inside out, and he was in excruciating pain.

Zhang Da grunted and swayed. Seeing this, the woman's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. She leaped forward, thrusting both blades at once, aiming to kill him instantly in the chest and abdomen.

On the brink of life and death, Zhang Da's adrenaline surged again, and he actually came up with a solution. He suddenly lunged forward and headbutted the woman hard in the chest. Caught off guard, the woman staggered back two steps, her breath catching in her throat. Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Zhang Da, ignoring the pain all over his body, pounced on her, his right hand gripping her wrist holding the blade tightly, his left hand locking her neck, and with all his might, he tried to subdue her.

The woman struggled desperately, using all her strength to strike Zhang Da's ribs with her elbow.

The wound was so painful that Zhang Da's vision blurred, and his strength faltered. Taking advantage of this, the woman broke free and stabbed him in the back with her short blade. In the nick of time, Zhang Da suddenly turned to the side, and the dagger pierced his shoulder blade, causing blood to gush out.

"Damn it!"

The excruciating pain and the poison struck simultaneously; Zhang Da felt half his body go numb and stiff, his strength rapidly draining away. Finally, with his last ounce of strength, Zhang Da turned and kicked the woman in the abdomen.

The woman was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into a bamboo stalk. She coughed up blood, the dagger slipped from her hand, and she collapsed to the ground...

Zhang Da stood unsteadily in place, wanting to call for help, but the pain from his wounds was unbearable. The poison was spreading in his shoulder blade, and he felt dizzy and his vision was beginning to blur.

"Poison...it really is poison..."

After saying this, Zhang Da's consciousness gradually faded, a buzzing sound filled his ears, the world spun, and his vision blurred...

Just then, hurried footsteps and shouts came from afar. The guards' questions, the maids' exclamations, and Zhou Nianhui and Yang Qianqian's anxious cries broke the silence of the night as they drew nearer.

"My husband!"

"My lord! Where are you!"

Zhang Da reluctantly turned his head and saw bright lights, with a group of people rushing towards him.

Zhang Da felt a sense of relief. His last bit of strength was exhausted, and darkness enveloped his vision. His body went limp, and he fell straight backward, losing consciousness…

Zhang Da felt as if he had experienced a serendipitous encounter with a legendary chess master. He didn't know how much time had passed; it seemed like a moment, yet also like years.

In the chaotic illusion, Zhang Da struggled desperately in the boundless darkness. Toxins raged through his meridians, burning his internal organs. He wanted to open his eyes, but he was powerless, as if trapped in a nightmare.

Until a sliver of light pierced the darkness

Zhang struggled to open his heavy eyelids, the glaring light causing him to squint instinctively. As his vision gradually cleared, he realized he was lying on a warm couch, covered with a brocade quilt, his wounds carefully bandaged, and the air filled with the scent of medicine.

Surprisingly, Zhang Da was surrounded by a large group of people, all of whom were familiar faces.

On the left, Zhang Wen, the second brother, Zhou Wenqu, the Little Zhuge, and his trusted generals Sun Liu, Li Er, Wang Tui, and Li Dan, all stood respectfully bowing and holding their breath in anticipation.

On the right are the newly appointed officials of the four counties and one prefecture under the jurisdiction of Baoqing Prefecture, such as the magistrate of Xinhua County, the prefect of Wugang Prefecture, the assistant magistrate of Chengbu County, and so on... There are also some unfamiliar faces... It seems to be Zhao Quan, the chief clerk of the Ministry of War and an official under Yang Sichang's command.

Further forward were his two wives.

In the past, Zhang Da would have been very annoyed that there were so many outsiders in his room... But now he felt very safe.

From now on, I must bring a knife when I shower!

"Husband! You're awake!"

"My lord! You're finally awake!"

As Zhang Da swore an oath in his heart, gasps of surprise rose from the crowd upon seeing him awaken. Everyone in the room was overjoyed; their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. Zhang Wen was the first to step forward, his voice choked with emotion.

"Big brother! You're finally awake! You scared us to death!"

Zhou Wenqu waved his hand hurriedly: "Quick! Summon the doctor! The master has woken up!"

The maidservant rushed off at the sound of her voice, and a moment later, the elderly doctor, his temples streaked with gray, hurried in carrying his medicine chest. He bowed and approached the bedside, carefully placing his hand on Zhang Da's wrist to feel his pulse.

"Sir, how are you feeling? Do you experience dizziness, lightheadedness, or a burning sensation in your chest?"

In fact, Zhang Da couldn't hear clearly because his throat was dry, his voice was hoarse and weak, his wounds were in excruciating pain, every movement felt like being cut by a knife, and his head was as heavy as lead, his consciousness was still somewhat blurred.

The old doctor asked him three times before he slowly came to his senses and reluctantly shook his head.

As someone in a position of authority, admitting one's incompetence in front of so many people would be too demoralizing; one must never show weakness!

"Water...water..."

Zhang Daqiang, forcing himself to stay awake, changed the subject. Upon hearing this, Zhou Nianhui and Yang Qianqian rushed forward to feed him water again. After Zhang Daqiang quickly swallowed a few mouthfuls and his complexion improved, he asked in a deep voice...

"How long...did I remain unconscious?"

After the words were spoken, everyone in the room fell silent, exchanging bewildered glances. No one responded first, their expressions hesitant, as if they had some unspeakable secret.

Seeing this, Zhang Da's expression darkened, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart. However, he didn't want to ask about it anymore and spoke again.

"The assassin's blade was poisoned. Am I poisoned? How potent is it?"

The old doctor dared not conceal anything and bowed respectfully in response.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the quenching on the blade was a secret Sichuan-style mixture of aconite, cassia bark, and arsenic, which is extremely potent and causes immediate death upon contact with blood. Fortunately, Your Excellency discovered it in time, and the wound was not deep, so the amount of poison entering the bloodstream was not much. In addition, my subordinates repeatedly administered honeysuckle, licorice, and mung bean soup to the wound and used silver needles to expel the poison. After some manipulation, we were able to barely stabilize the toxicity."

The doctor suddenly realized that he had been too obvious in taking credit, so he added, "It is fortunate that the gentleman has woken up. Now he only needs to rest and recuperate, and he will recover in time."

Zhang Da and the others breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but remembering what had just happened, they pressed for more information.

"How many days have I been unconscious?"

The old doctor hesitated for a moment, glancing at Zhang Wen in the crowd. After a brief hesitation, Zhang Wen finally replied in a low voice.

"Brother...you've been unconscious for nine whole days."