Chapter 50

At this moment, what came to Zhao Zhu's mind was a movie called "The Hurt Locker." He really felt this way at the moment, as he was clearly on the brink of absolute danger. If he could find the spot on Nalan Xingde's scalp where the mercury was injected and pierce it, he would have successfully defused the bomb. If he couldn't, or if he was attacked by the zombie beneath him during the process, his fate would be no different from being blown to pieces by a bomb. In fact, Zhao Zhu would rather choose to be directly blown up by the bomb, as it would be a quick and clean death compared to being eaten by a zombie.

Actually, Zhao Zhu had also noticed that his strength seemed to have increased significantly. This couldn't be simply explained by his good physical condition from regular exercise. No matter how good his physical condition was, could he really keep a zombie pinned down?

What a joke!

Could it be the effect of the internal organ he had eaten?

These thoughts flashed through Zhao Zhu's mind, but he quickly began to use one hand to hold the military knife and start shaving Nalan Xingde's hair. He had to cut off his hair and braid to expose the scalp so that Zhao Zhu could accurately find the spot. Otherwise, if the military knife scraped other parts of his head, it would only produce sparks, showing how hard it was.

"Don't move, damn it!"

Zhao Zhu pressed his entire body onto Nalan Xingde. Nalan Xingde's mouth was right in front of Zhao Zhu, getting closer and closer, but always just a bit away. Zhao Zhu quickly cut off Nalan Xingde's hair. Fortunately, at that time, the "yin-yang head" style wasn't popular, so Nalan Xingde's hair and braid weren't very thick.

In most Qing dynasty dramas, the handsome men's hair was only partially shaved on the forehead, with the rest of the hair left long and tied into a long, thick braid. Although they still had braids, they looked quite neat, and people got used to it, as seen in dramas like "My Fair Princess," "Teeth and Tongue," and "Empresses in the Palace."

However, in reality, the "yin-yang head" style only became popular in the later Qing dynasty. For a long time, the Qing braids were not like those in TV dramas, where most of the head was shaved, leaving only a small patch of hair on the back of the head, which was then tied into a short, stiff braid. It looked as ugly as it could be. If the actors in those Qing dramas had to shave their heads this way, even the most handsome male stars would look terrible, and no one would want to act in them because it would ruin their image.

Nalan Xingde's hair was quickly shaved off by Zhao Zhu. Indeed, under the area where his hair had been, there was a red spot, about the thickness of a little finger.

"Finally found it."

Zhao Zhu shouted, leaned forward, and pressed his knees firmly on Nalan Xingde's chest. At the same time, he raised the military knife and stabbed it hard into the red spot on Nalan Xingde's scalp!

"Buzz!"

Zhao Zhu felt like he had punctured a balloon. He felt that Nalan Xingde, who had been struggling fiercely under him, was rapidly losing all his energy and vitality. His breath gradually disappeared until he was completely still.

"Phew... Phew..."

Zhao Zhu got off Nalan Xingde, sat on the ground, and panted heavily. He then wiped the sweat, stood up, and picked up the military knife and Nalan Xingde's fan. He continued walking deeper into the passage. The passage had reached its end, and when he came out, he saw a spacious square and a grand hall at the far end of the square.

"Is this really necessary? Even the tomb of Qin Shi Huang probably isn't this bizarre." Zhao Zhu drew a deep breath, as he was completely shocked.

On the square leading to the hall, there were two rows of soldiers in yellow coats, each holding a sword at their waist, standing solemnly. The white marble railings around the square were adorned with night pearls, emitting a soft, cold light, creating a terrifying and oppressive atmosphere in the underground structure.

"Maybe the essence of the dragon vein is really in there."

Zhao Zhu continued walking, paying special attention to the guards in yellow coats with swords. What made him feel relieved was that these guards were dead, meaning they wouldn't suddenly come to life. There were probably no fewer than three hundred such guards along the way. If they all came to life, even with the increased strength from the monster's internal organ, Zhao Zhu would only end up being torn apart and devoured.

It took Zhao Zhu nearly ten minutes to walk this stretch of the road because the atmosphere was so oppressive that he even dared not breathe too heavily. When he reached a stone bridge, he looked up and saw a large sign hanging from the eaves of the hall, which read "Taiji Hall."

For some reason, Zhao Zhu suddenly felt hesitant to take another step forward or to push open the door and enter the Taiji Hall. At this moment, he suddenly felt very small.

Actually, Zhao Zhu was a second-generation official. Although his father was a doctor, he had a high military rank, and the family often entertained high-ranking officials. However, Zhao Zhu had never had the opportunity to meet those truly at the pinnacle of human society. The presence of this hall, symbolizing the peak of imperial power, and the possibility of seeing the emperor from three hundred years ago, made Zhao Zhu feel somewhat timid...

Yes, he was timid, and Zhao Zhu admitted it. He needed time to calm down, or he felt he would go crazy.

This phenomenon is common in reality. Ordinary people, when questioned by police, often start trembling in the small, dark room. This is the fear of authority. Most people might feel suffocated by the authority of a mayor, let alone a provincial governor or the central leaders, whose presence and aura are beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

He lightly bit his tongue, which finally calmed his pulse and breathing. He finally took a step forward and pushed open the door of the Taiji Hall. As he pushed the door, a musty and ancient smell rushed out, and Zhao Zhu almost lost his balance, his consciousness becoming hazy.

"Clap! Clap! Clap! His Majesty has arrived, all officials enter the court!"

The "clap" is also known as "jingbian."

Since the eighth year of the Kangxi era, there were two "jingbian" at each "court session" in the Qing dynasty: one when the emperor left the Hall of Central Harmony and arrived at the Taiji Hall (Golden Hall), and the guards would shout "jingbian!" and three claps would be heard. The second was at the end of the ceremony, when three more claps were heard, and the emperor would return to the palace, and the officials would leave.

Zhao Zhu's consciousness became clear again with the sound of the claps, but he noticed something was wrong with him. He was walking slowly, head down, slightly bent, looking at his toes. He was wearing blue cloud-bottomed court shoes and a black court robe, which seemed to be embroidered with rare birds. In front of him, there were also people in court robes walking, and others walking beside him. They all walked in a neat, orderly line into the Golden Hall, the atmosphere solemn and serious.

However, at this moment, Zhao Zhu could no longer control his body. He had the ability to think, perceive, see, and hear, but he was just a spectator and a tenant of this body, only able to see and feel what this body saw and felt.

"If there is something to report, speak; if not, leave the court!" a eunuch's voice rang out, clear and crisp.

"I have something to report!"

...