Xun Fan’s eyes widened. His feet stumbled backward two steps in confusion, but he couldn’t dodge the descending blade. He watched helplessly as this blade cleaved toward his face…

Just as the blade was about to strike his forehead, a sword shot forward with a whoosh and clanged against the blade. The blade deflected. Xun Fan’s left foot also tripped over his right foot, and he fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding it.

Xun Fan turned his head woodenly to see Zhao Shen, swordless, fighting empty-handed in the enemy crowd while charging toward him, shouting, “Quickly save Xun Fan!”

He couldn’t let him die here. Though their Zhao clan harbored imperial ambitions, Xun Fan’s connections were significant. If he died while on official duty outside, killed by a blade, who knew how many rumors would spread afterward.

Blocked for a moment, Zheng Zhi nearly went mad. At this point, his eyes could only see Xun Fan. So he kicked aside the fallen sword and rushed forward in two steps, gripping his blade to stab at Xun Fan.

Xun Fan’s feet pushed against the ground as he quickly retreated. The blade stabbed into his thigh with one thrust.

Xun Fan screamed in agony.

Zhao Shen was still some distance from Xun Fan. Hearing the cry, he glanced over and couldn’t help but roar in anger, “Yuan Li!”

Yuan Li, who had been holding back, secretly gritted his teeth. His movements became sharper, killing two more men in succession before disengaging from the melee. With one great stride, he blocked Zheng Zhi’s blade as he withdrew it to slash at Xun Fan’s neck. His heart hardened and with one sword thrust he ran the man through, kicking the body away before reaching out to haul Xun Fan up.

Xun Fan clutched his thigh with one hand, covered in blood, completely unable to stand.

Zhao Shen also fought his way over. With one glance, he stripped a corner of cloth from his garment and forcefully bound Xun Fan’s thigh. But his expression remained grim. “He’s lost too much blood. We need a physician. Yuan Li, have your men enter.”

Yuan Li remained calm and still, instead asking back, “How does Lord Zhao happen to be here?”

Zhao Shen’s gaze was sharp as he looked at him. “I happened to be passing by. General Yuan, if you don’t call in the men you left outside the mansion now, when will you?”

Xun Fan hadn’t noticed Yuan Li’s intent to kill him. After all, in these brief two quarters of an hour, he had saved him three times. But Zhao Shen himself was a military general and had crossed blades with Yuan Li before—how could he not know he was holding back?

Zhao Shen understood what Yuan Li was thinking, but he didn’t support it. He believed Zhao Hanzhang would absolutely never agree either.

Yuan Li silently met his gaze for a moment. After three breaths, he voluntarily looked away and shouted to Shi Si, “Send the signal.”

Shi Si acknowledged and pulled a tube from his chest. After opening it, there was a hissing sound. A beam of light accompanied by a sharp whistle shot into the sky with a whoosh, then disappeared…

The personal guards crouching outside the commandery governor’s mansion received the signal and immediately drew their concealed blades. Some climbed walls, others charged through various gates—”Imperial envoy conducting official business, unrelated persons disperse—”

Shouting all the way, they rushed into the main courtyard. Whether those outside wanting to support Yu Hong or those still fighting in the courtyard, they were all instantly surrounded. Others charged directly into the rear courtyard and seized all of Yu Hong’s family members.

Yu Hong had taken advantage of the courtyard chaos to cover his neck and, under Zheng Quan and others’ escort, had nearly reached the perimeter wall. Suddenly he was captured by Yuan Li’s personal guards who descended from above.

One bout of chaos ended. Shi Si came forward and checked Zheng Zhi’s breathing. “General, the man’s still alive.”

Yuan Li replied, “I stabbed his right chest. Unless his heart’s on the right side, how could he not be alive? Get him a physician. We still need his testimony to convict Yu Hong.”

Zhao Shen was still busy with Xun Fan. He said to Yuan Li, “Send someone on fast horse to fetch a physician. Save Grand Tutor Xun first!”

Yuan Li acknowledged and had Shi Si go find a physician.

Seeing Xun Fan’s face grow paler and paler, Zhao Shen couldn’t help pacing anxiously in circles. He finally had his men go to the rear courtyard to fetch various fabrics, needles and thread, scissors, and medicinal herbs, then had people carry Xun Fan into the room to a couch where he took matters into his own hands.

Yuan Li’s eyes narrowed as he circled around him. “The Lord also knows medical arts?”

How novel. In this era, if a scholar didn’t know some medical skills, they’d be embarrassed to call themselves a gentleman.

Moreover, Zhao Shen had declared himself a Daoist cultivator. Having traveled outside for many years, he could treat basic injuries and illnesses—no worse than an ordinary physician.

However, Xun Fan was advanced in years and had lost much blood. Zhao Shen felt it would be more proper to wait for a physician. If the physician couldn’t arrive in time, he could step in.

Zhao Shen picked up the scissors and quickly cut away Xun Fan’s trousers. Then he used cloth to bind the upper thigh tightly and rapidly cleaned the wound before picking up a needle to begin suturing.

Though Yuan Li didn’t understand medicine, he had seen military physicians treat external injuries many times and knew some basics himself. His eyebrows jumped sharply. “Lord Zhao, wounds aren’t sutured like this…”

Zhao Shen turned a deaf ear. At this point, stopping the bleeding was what mattered—who cared about the rest?

Xun Fan couldn’t even cry out anymore. His face was deathly pale, his lips completely bloodless. When Zhao Shen first started stitching, he had trembled with each stitch. By the end, his eyes were half-closed and he could barely react.

Zhao Shen had just finished when a physician was dragged over at a full run. He had been somewhat angry initially, but seeing the courtyard full of blood and carnage, he was too frightened to make a sound. When pulled into the room and saw Xun Fan, he dared not speak at all.

He recognized Xun Fan. One could say no one in this city didn’t know Xun Fan. For the past two months, from when the heavy rains fell without cease, he had appeared to provide disaster relief.

So the common people all believed him to be a good official.

Seeing him now lying on the couch covered in blood, his life or death unknown, the physician stamped his foot and cried “Aiya!” before hurrying forward.

He immediately untied the binding on his leg, then opened his medicine chest. From an inner pocket he pulled out a medicine bottle and shook out a dark red pill to stuff in Xun Fan’s mouth.

Xun Fan still had some consciousness and weakly held it. As the physician grabbed his needle pouch, he shouted, “Excellency, quickly chew it! If you chew this medicine and swallow it, you can save your life.”

Xun Fan, who had nearly lost consciousness, vaguely heard and began chewing forcefully. But this was only what he thought—in reality, his mouth barely moved and the pill nearly slipped out.

Zhao Shen watched anxiously, really wanting to reach out and crush the pill for him. Just as he was about to act, he saw Xun Fan bite down on the medicine pill and break it. His chewing strength gradually increased.

The physician had already begun inserting needles, pulling open Xun Fan’s garments to insert many needles. The wound that was still slowly bleeding after suturing gradually stopped, and Xun Fan’s breathing began to lengthen slightly.

Zhao Shen’s keen hearing caught this. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Xun Fan had temporarily survived this ordeal. The rest would depend on how things developed.

Yuan Li was staring at Xun Fan’s lip color. Seeing the bluish-white qi on his lips begin to dissipate, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. What a pity to miss such a good opportunity.

He turned and left, ordering people to take everyone in the courtyard into custody while simultaneously taking control of the commandery governor’s mansion.

In the rear courtyard, there was weeping and wailing everywhere. Yu Hong’s two sons and daughter were pulled out still completely bewildered, having no idea what had happened.

Yuan Li swept them with a single glance. “Take them all to prison and escort them back to the capital together.”

If Xun Fan couldn’t make it through, Yu Hong’s family would all be implicated.

Xun Fan hadn’t escaped danger. Zhao Shen kept the physician to care for him, then went angrily to find Yuan Li. “You wanted to kill Xun Fan?”

Yuan Li didn’t admit it. “Lord Zhao, the one who poisoned was Yu Hong, the one who wounded Grand Tutor Xun was Zheng Zhi. Even our smooth departure from the mansion was disrupted by your sudden arrival, allowing Yu Hong to escape and creating this great disaster. To pin all the blame on me—isn’t that inappropriate?”

Zhao Shen looked at him steadily. “No matter how many reasons you have, you can’t hide from me. The matter is already done—I don’t want to pursue it. But I must warn you: don’t do unnecessary things. Xun Fan must return to Luoyang safe and sound.”

He said in a low voice, “Even if he must die, it should be the Great General’s decision, not yours personally.”

After warning Yuan Li, Zhao Shen went to find the telegraph to send a message to Luoyang. This matter was significant. Never mind Xun Fan’s serious injury—a commandery’s governor daring to assassinate two imperial envoys was a major case. The court must know immediately.

Telegraph stations were no longer secret. The Zhao clan’s weapons workshop had produced more telegraph units. The Telegraph Department in the palace received massive amounts of information from various places daily.

This was how Zhao Hanzhang’s control over local areas had grown stronger.

Because there was so much information, the Telegraph Department had to process it first after receiving messages, then hand them to the Secretariat beside them. They would sort by urgency and importance before sending to Zhao Hanzhang or the Central Secretariat and Chancellery.

Of course, most went to the Central Secretariat and Chancellery. Only major incidents went to Zhao Hanzhang.

Like now.

Fan Ying, on duty at the Secretariat, saw Zhao Shen’s telegram and was so frightened she went directly to find Zhao Hanzhang. “Great General, Xun Fan has been assassinated. He’s gravely wounded and hasn’t escaped danger yet.”

Zhao Hanzhang frowned and reached out to take the telegram.

Zhao Shen had written simply and clearly. Knowing the telegram would pass through intermediaries, he hadn’t named Yuan Li but pushed all responsibility onto Yu Hong and Zheng Zhi, praising Yuan Li’s proper handling and timely rescue. However, Xun Fan was advanced in years. Having suffered such grave injury, his chances seemed poor.

Zhao Hanzhang crumpled the paper, first ordering someone to assign imperial physicians and prepare hemostatic medicines and supplements for blood and qi from the storehouse. “Deploy a unit of Imperial Guards to escort the physician. You must preserve Grand Tutor Xun’s life and bring him safely back to Luoyang.”

After the person left on her orders, only then did Zhao Hanzhang ask in a somber voice, “How did Zhao Shen end up where Xun Fan was?”

The imperial envoys’ disaster relief areas had been divided long ago, all going to heavily affected regions. The two men’s disaster zones weren’t close.

Fan Ying suggested, “Perhaps he was passing through on his way back to the capital.”

Zhao Hanzhang sneered. “That’s quite a detour—half a circuit. Hmph, most likely his hands were itching and he calculated some nonsense on the return journey, then went over.”

Zhao Hanzhang even suspected this calamity was brought by him. “I trust him, but the old ministers at court may not trust him, and may not trust me either.”

Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment with lowered eyes. “Since the news has gone through the Telegraph Department to the Secretariat, it’s no longer secret. You should send it to the Central Secretariat for filing as usual.”

Fan Ying acknowledged and asked quietly, “Should we assign extra people to watch those old ministers?”

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at her. “No need. Don’t do unnecessary things.”

Fan Ying acknowledged and withdrew.

Zhao Hanzhang sat quietly for a moment. Zeng Yue entered silently and stood aside without a word. She came to slightly and said softly, “Place two more people around His Majesty. They needn’t do anything—just watch those who come to the palace to see him, especially Xun Zu.”

Zeng Yue acknowledged.

Zhao Hanzhang’s fingers lightly tapped the table as she considered every possible outcome. Only then did she stand and walk out.

The sun had already set in the west. Half the sky was filled with orange-red sunset clouds. Zhao Hanzhang’s steps turned and she headed toward the Observatory.

Because she lacked funds, the Observatory hadn’t been built very high—only large and open.

This area had originally been a garden. To save money, she had people pull up all the flowers and plants, fill it level, pave it with green bricks, then select the best position to begin constructing the Observatory.

Only thirty-three steps. Guo Pu had wanted ninety-nine, but after Zhao Hanzhang saw that budget, she told him to wait a bit.

So only thirty-three were built.

All the surrounding buildings had been allocated to him. Guo Pu ate, lived, and played here. Naturally he worked here too.

Fu Tinghan liked him very much. Guo Pu was currently the only friend he’d met who could discuss mathematics with him. Most wonderfully, he knew much that Fu Tinghan didn’t.

Fu Tinghan found it magical. Guo Pu could even calculate which day he’d be hit on the head by a falling object when returning home. He too had recently become absorbed in this.

Regarding Fu Tinghan, Guo Pu taught unreservedly. All the things Zhao Shen wanted to learn from him but couldn’t, he willingly taught Fu Tinghan.

Of course, Fu Tinghan also taught him many marvelous things. So he felt they were mutually instructing each other.

Like now—Fu Tinghan was tinkering with something. He rapidly turned a hand crank, and several thread-like connected things emitted dazzling light, flickering before gradually stabilizing into a blinding glow.

Everyone surrounding Fu Tinghan cried out in surprise. Guo Pu couldn’t help exclaiming “Ah, ah!” several times, urgently circling around him, really wanting to push Fu Tinghan aside and try it himself.

After cranking for a while and seeing the lamp’s brightness stabilize, Fu Tinghan stopped.

As soon as he yielded, someone immediately took his place. “Minister, may I crank?”

Fu Tinghan smiled and waved. “Go ahead.”

Guo Pu also wanted a turn. Just as he was about to drive everyone out, he turned and saw Zhao Hanzhang standing at the door. He immediately waved at her. “Come quickly and see—Tinghan has made something extremely wonderful.”

Only then did everyone notice Zhao Hanzhang’s arrival. They all bowed in greeting.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded at them, her gaze sweeping over those several glowing threads before looking at the hand-crank generator being fought over. She exclaimed, “It’s already this small?”

Guo Pu said dismissively, “Can’t you tell quality? I’m talking about this. Look—it’s just several threads, yet they can emit light like the sun, much brighter than candles. What’s so interesting about that generator? It’s just somewhat smaller than the foot-pedal version. We don’t lack space to put it.”

Zhao Hanzhang countered, “It’s tungsten filament—just tungsten wire. Not hard to make. What’s difficult is this generator. Its size is three times smaller than before, meaning the telegraph can be quickly mobilized using minimal manpower.”

At this time, the wireless frequencies were extremely clean. Even a telegraph of only forty or fifty watts could transmit to the province next to the neighboring province. So if this hand-crank generator only powered a telegraph, it was completely sufficient.

Zhao Hanzhang was very pleased.

Seeing Zhao Hanzhang’s mood improve, Fu Tinghan couldn’t help but smile too. “This generator is for you. I’ll make another one later to send to the weapons workshop as a prototype.”

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t refuse. In the future when she traveled light, this generator would be essential. The generators they currently used were still too large, so they could only be used locally or in the military.

Guo Pu stood aside. After they finished talking, he said, “Give the generator to her, then give me this tungsten filament. Also give me a large generator—I don’t mind its bulk.”

His Observatory was so large with so many rooms—plenty of space. By then he’d install many tungsten filaments and light up the entire palace.

No lamp oil needed yet the whole place brilliantly lit.

—