Chapter 9: Eye Gouging

Chapter 9: Eye Gouging

The assailant moved swiftly, thrusting a hand towards Li Xianyou’s eye sockets. Li Xianyou stumbled backward, stammering, “No, don’t…”

With a soft, wet *shhh* sound, both eyeballs were gouged out.

Li Xianyou reached up to touch his eyes, only to feel the scalding blood. A piercing, agonized scream tore from his throat: “My eyes! Aaaaaaah—!”

The officials were terrified by the gruesome scene, their lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

A deathly silence fell around them.

Chi Jing smiled and looked at the green-clad maid who had acted. “Well done. What is your name?”

“Your Majesty, this humble servant is Yu Zhao,” the green-clad maid replied, dropping to one knee and raising her blood-soaked hands above her head, offering them up for Chi Jing's inspection.

Chi Jing stared at the round, pale eyeballs, her eyes flickering with fascination. “How beautiful…” Hearing her own murmur, she snapped back to reality and shifted her gaze to Yu Zhao.

This person was from her palace, but it was the first time Chi Jing had truly examined her face—a slightly narrow, long face with striking eyebrows and eyes, her expression calm and composed.

Chi Jing was somewhat surprised. “Aren’t you afraid?”

Yu Zhao’s voice was even. “Your Majesty, my family are butchers. Before entering the palace, I often did this kind of work. Killing a person and slaughtering a pig aren’t really that different.”

Chi Jing was amused by her reply. “The difference between a person and a pig is vast. People will hold grudges against you; pigs won’t. Today, you blinded Li Xianyou. Many will resent you—Prime Minister Li, the Crown Prince, and these officials—they will all bear a grudge. Aren’t you afraid of that?”

“This servant is afraid, but I know one principle: whoever feeds you, you serve. As Your Majesty’s servant, I should obey Your Majesty’s commands. Since the guards were too timid to act, and I am braver than them, it falls to me to teach a lesson to those who offend Your Majesty.”

Yu Zhao spoke frankly, her gaze unusually calm.

After hearing her words, Chi Jing laughed loudly. “Yu Zhao, you are too modest. Those guards are as timid as mice—how could they compare to you?”

These words were a direct slap in the face to the Golden Crow Guard. Zhu Chengqin’s face turned ashen, and he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. The other guards all looked indignant.

Chi Jing paid him no mind, instead gazing delightedly at Yu Zhao. “With such loyalty, it’s a waste for you to remain a mere maid in my palace. I hereby bestow upon you the title of First-Class Guard. Stay by my side and protect my safety.”

Yu Zhao froze, a look of confusion in her eyes.

Zhu Chengqin strode forward, knelt on one knee with his sword, and said sternly, “Your Majesty, since the founding of the dynasty by the Great Ancestor, only those with meritorious service have held the position of First-Class Guard. To allow a butcher’s maid to take the role would only invite ridicule!”

Chi Jing’s gaze turned cold. “If she is not worthy, are you?”

Zhu Chengqin gritted his teeth and said loudly, “This humble officer dare not claim to be worthy of the position of First-Class Guard, but I do possess some martial skill. Unless this maid can defeat me, I will not accept her!”

He turned to Yu Zhao. “Do you dare to face me?”

Yu Zhao quickly glanced at Zhu Chengqin’s arms and legs—his clothes bulged, clearly indicating well-developed muscles beneath. A flicker of hesitation passed through her eyes.

Though she had some strength, she had never formally studied martial arts. Dealing with a frail scholar like Li Xianyou was one thing, but facing the burly Zhu Chengqin was another matter.

Should she refuse outright? But doing so would be admitting she couldn’t defeat him.

Zhu Chengqin was clearly challenging her mistress’s authority. Even if she had no desire to be a First-Class Guard, for the sake of her mistress’s dignity, she had to accept the challenge.

But what if she lost?

“What, you don’t dare?” Zhu Chengqin sneered, his eyes disdainful. “Don’t worry, you’re a woman—I won’t go too hard on you.”

Yu Zhao clenched her fists tightly, her eyes blazing with anger at Zhu Chengqin. Her lips moved as she prepared to accept the challenge when suddenly a clear, crisp voice rang out from behind:

“Captain Zhu, you have no right to duel with her.”

She turned to see Wu Wenxiu striding over, her face stern, eyes sharp, and expression resolute.

Zhu Chengqin looked impatient. “Who are you? What do you mean by that?”

Wu Wenxiu looked at him and said, “First disobeying an imperial decree, then defying an order—Captain Zhu, do you even remember your duties?”

Zhu Chengqin declared loudly, “Of course, it is to protect His—” Remembering that the Emperor had passed away, he quickly corrected himself, “Of course, it is to protect the royal family’s safety!”

“Good!” Wu Wenxiu’s gaze was sharp. “‘Serve the ruler who feeds you’—that’s a principle even Sister Yu Zhao understands. But you, Captain Zhu, receive a salary from the court yet neglect your duties. You stood by and watched as Empress Chi was insulted by officials. Tell me, what punishment does a guard captain deserve for such dereliction?”

Zhu Chengqin flew into a rage, sputtering, “You—! Where did this ignorant woman come from? You’re talking nonsense!” He abruptly drew his long sword and swung it toward Wu Wenxiu’s neck.

Yu Zhao gasped in shock, “Second Sister!”

Wu Wenxiu was also startled, feeling the rush of wind against her face. Before she could move, she heard two sharp *thwack* sounds. Zhu Chengqin cried out and fell to the ground, his long sword clattering beside him.

Wu Wenxiu’s heart was still pounding as she turned around. Chi Jing had just lowered her hand, and between her slender fingers, a trace of fresh blood was visible.

She immediately understood and looked down, searching the ground. Sure enough, she spotted two round, rolling eyeballs.

Her eyes widened in astonishment. Were these eyeballs the projectiles that had knocked the sword from Zhu Chengqin’s hand?

The onlookers watched as Zhu Chengqin clutched his wrist, writhing on the ground and howling in agony. Their faces grew even paler with fear.

Those who had been silently cursing Empress Chi for her cruelty and malice moments ago now didn’t even dare to curse. They lowered their heads, even breathing more softly.

Chi Jing rubbed the blood on her fingertips, finding it somewhat sticky. It seemed using eyeballs as projectiles wasn’t a great idea.

Fortunately, she had controlled her strength well, only crippling one of Zhu Chengqin’s hands without taking his life.

She raised her head and swept a cold gaze over the assembled crowd. “Now, who else objects?”

The faction of nobles who had earlier stepped forward to oppose her now lowered their heads even further, bowing and quietly retreating backward.

In contrast, officials from humble backgrounds stepped forward. “Your Majesty, Empress Chi, Li Xianyou’s offense of defying his superior warrants death. Zhu Chengqin’s insolence and use of force against a superior are even more egregious. I petition to strip him of his captaincy and demote him to a commoner!”

Others chimed in, “I second the motion.”

Chi Jing looked at these opportunists, a playful smile appearing on her face. “Very well, let it be done as you say. Additionally, the Golden Crow Guard cannot be without a leader. Yu Zhao has shown me utmost loyalty. On the journey back to the capital, she will temporarily act as captain.”

Everyone looked on in surprise. Though they all felt it was inappropriate, with Zhu Chengqin’s example fresh in their minds, they wisely remained silent.

Yu Zhao’s expression was conflicted. After hesitating for a long moment, she finally knelt to express her gratitude.

At this point, the matter was settled. Li Xianyou’s performance of fearless admonition had concluded with the loss of his eyes, bringing the curtain down on the affair.

The officials took their leave one by one, returning to their respective carriages.

As soon as the carriage curtain fell, officials aligned with Chancellor Li cursed under their breath: “Li Xianyou was a fool who couldn’t read the situation, inheriting none of Chancellor Li’s capability. With the Emperor just dead, why did he have to provoke Empress Chi now?”

A companion replied in a low voice, “What’s truly frightening is Empress Chi. Does she not know that punishing Li Xianyou will offend Prime Minister Li? What backing does she have?”

The two exchanged a glance and instantly understood: “The Empress Dowager.”

At the same time, the faction of humble origins was also whispering among themselves.

“Should we really support Empress Chi? Prime Minister Li will not let us off easily.”

"Hmph! Even if we don't support Empress Chi, would the Li faction ever give us a way out? Don’t forget, the emperor is already dead. Once Crown Prince Zhao Chun ascends the throne, Empress Chi will firmly control the new emperor’s power."

"True, Zhao Chun is incompetent, while Empress Chi is clever—a clever, power-hungry woman. If she wants to rule, she must have her own people in the court. Aside from us, she has no other choice."

"Riches and honors come through risks. Though aligning with a woman may not be honorable, in bureaucratic circles, many will stop at nothing to climb higher!"

Elsewhere, Li Xianyou and Zhu Chengqin were carried away for medical treatment.

Neither of them knew they had been completely abandoned.

Even if they recovered from their injuries, it would be useless—one blind, the other crippled, they no longer even had the qualifications to enter officialdom, let alone make a comeback.

As for Chi Jing, she was assessing those who stayed.

Her gaze swept over Yu Zhao and Wu Wenxiu. These two had their own strengths and were loyal to her—they could be useful for now.

Next was Zhao Mingyue, who had observed everything yet remained silent. What was she thinking beneath that frightened expression?

Finally, there was the Golden Crow Guard. Their captain she had incapacitated, yet they still had to stay and ensure her safety.

Chi Jing first looked at Yu Zhao. "You don’t seem to want to be the captain. Why?"

Yu Zhao replied frankly, "My lady, the Golden Crow Guard are all men. They won’t take orders from a palace maid like me. Besides, I lack the ability to be qualified for this role."

Chi Jing raised an eyebrow slightly. "I don’t see that as a problem. You are my personally appointed First-Class Imperial Guard. Anyone who dares disobey your orders will be dismissed and replaced with someone more obedient—loyalty matters more to me than ability."

The guards nearby understood—this was a warning to them. Their expressions shifted several times before they finally lowered their heads in resignation.

Yu Zhao responded respectfully, "Yes, this servant understands—"

Chi Jing’s face turned cold. "Wrong."

Yu Zhao paused, then corrected herself, "Yes, your subordinate understands."

"I need an imperial guard absolutely loyal to me. Your task is to help me identify and train suitable candidates. Can you do it?"

"...Your subordinate obeys."

Chi Jing then turned to Wu Wenxiu and was about to speak when Zhao Mingyue approached, appearing timid. "Mother, I have something to tell you."

After a moment’s thought, since there was nothing urgent to discuss with Wu Wenxiu, she waved her hand. "Wenxiu, you may withdraw as well. There’s no need to follow me any longer."

Wu Wenxiu and Yu Zhao both withdrew.

Chi Jing looked at Zhao Mingyue. "What did you want to tell me?"

Zhao Mingyue appeared uneasy, carefully avoiding her gaze, her eyes filled with fear. This gave Chi Jing pause.

Then it occurred to her: Zhao Mingyue was inherently kind-natured and likely couldn’t accept how cruelly she had treated Li Xianyou.

If she were to come into conflict with Zhao Chun, Zhao Mingyue would surely side with Zhao Chun, wouldn’t she? After all, they were blood relatives.

Chi Jing lowered her eyelids, an unusual glint flashing in her eyes.

It didn’t matter. Even if Zhao Mingyue detested her, it was fine—she would never give Zhao Mingyue the chance to betray her.

Zhao Mingyue hesitated before speaking. "Mother, what my brother said… I didn’t intentionally hide it from you. I was just… just afraid that if you found out, you would grow to dislike me."