"Your Majesty~"
The eunuchs and palace maids outside the bedchamber saw the Emperor limp out and immediately cried out, scrambling forward to support him.
Zhang Yuanqing heaved a sigh of relief inwardly, but did not forget to stay in character. He shouted, "Assassins! Notify the Imperial City Directorate at once!"
The palace maids and eunuchs had also noticed the fierce sounds of fighting inside the bedchamber. In panic, they ran in every direction, spreading cries of "Assassins!" and "Save His Majesty!"
One spread it to ten, ten spread it to a hundred. Cries for help rang out everywhere beyond the bedchamber.
With his injured calf, Zhang Yuanqing fled toward the square outside the bedchamber with the support of two eunuchs. While waiting for reinforcements from the Imperial City Directorate's Imperial Guards, he grabbed the sleeve of the eunuch on his left and leaned close to whisper a few words to him.
The eunuch froze for a moment before nodding. "As you command!"
Leaving the Emperor behind, he hurried into the night.
Before long, a vast glow of fire approached from afar, accompanied by the clatter of armor. A unit of Imperial Guards carrying torches arrived first, led by Zheng Longtu, the commander of the Imperial Guards whom Zhang Yuanqing had met during the day.
"Your Majesty!" Zheng Longtu rushed over with a saber at his waist, his expression tense. "This subject arrived too late to rescue Your Majesty. I deserve ten thousand deaths."
By the light of the torches, he scrutinized Zhang Yuanqing from head to toe. Seeing that his life was not in danger, his stern expression eased slightly.
Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly said, "Capture the three female assassins at once. Take them alive."
Zheng Longtu nodded and waved his hand.
"Capture the assassins at once!"
The Imperial Guards behind