In late spring, the faint fragrance of flowers and warmth melt into the breeze.
Yongdu has reached the best season of the year.
To celebrate the Fengshan ceremony and reward meritorious officials, the emperor held a grand banquet in Taishu Palace.
The current emperor seems to be particularly concerned about those elegant things.
The banquet was not held in the main hall as usual, but was held in the imperial garden along the stream.
The nobles and court officials were clearly separated and sat on either side of the stream, and the atmosphere was completely different.
Perhaps because his speech at today's Fengshan Ceremony particularly pleased the Emperor, Yi Guanxuan was greatly rewarded.
Concubine Hui, who had just been released from confinement, also felt proud.
She was wearing a light red silk dress decorated with gold and jade, which completely overshadowed Concubine Lan.
The hustle and bustle on this side of the stream makes the other side seem even more deserted and solemn.
The young eunuch beside the emperor had already spread the conversation in the carriage, and now everyone knew that the emperor wanted to investigate them thoroughly.
—Who in such a high position dares to say that he is really clean
Not to mention that some children from noble families have already been sent to the Ministry of Justice...
By this time, the nobles had clearly realized that the emperor's ultimate goal was to uproot the deeply rooted aristocratic families - regardless of whether they had any rebellious intentions or not.
If you sit and wait, you will surely die...
The shadows of people are looming in the stream, making people feel upset and confused.
Wen Qingci subconsciously clenched the wine glass in his hand.
The current emperor seems to be particularly concerned about the issue of "legitimacy".
As a benevolent monarch, he would not take the initiative to wipe out the aristocratic families.
In recent days, everything the emperor has done in the court has been aimed at forcing that group of nobles to rebel.
In "Fu Ming Tang", an aristocrat once took the risk and tried to assassinate him.
If Wen Qingci guessed correctly, this plot would still happen...
Today's banquet is undoubtedly a good opportunity.
"Doctor Wen, Doctor Wen, what are you thinking about?" Yu Guanlin suddenly spoke up, interrupting Wen Qingci's chaotic thoughts. The old doctor glanced at the table in front of him and asked with a smile, "Why haven't you moved your chopsticks for a long time? Is it because it doesn't suit your taste?"
Wen Qingci smiled and gently put down his wine glass: "… I was just thinking about the formula of the Fuxuanhua Pill, maybe it can be more concise."
“… I see,” the old doctor happily took a bite of the dish, and then half-jokingly said, “Today I am also lucky enough to follow Doctor Wen. It is the first time in my life that I can taste this kind of delicacy.”
The imperial physician was originally only allowed to sit at the last seat at the banquet, but today Wen Qingci was arranged in a prominent position, not far from the emperor's carriage.
Even the food on the table was extraordinarily exquisite.
Yu Guanlin, who was also an imperial physician, also enjoyed it.
"You're kidding." Wen Qingci smiled and shook his head, while silently clenching his hand under the table.
Yu Guanlin's words reminded him.
—I am no longer an ordinary imperial physician, but a grasshopper tied to the same rope as Xie Zhaolin.
If there really is an assassination, I won't be able to escape it!
The next second, Wen Qingci suddenly started coughing heavily.
His health was not good to begin with, and he failed to take the antidote in time after the poison broke out last time, which damaged his foundation.
As a result, after just a few coughs, a familiar tingling sensation arose in my throat.
The next moment, the silk handkerchief was stained with scarlet blood.
Like plum blossoms falling into the snow.
"Ahem..." After calming down, Wen Qingci took a deep breath. He looked back at the old doctor with a little apology and said, "... The incense at the banquet is a bit heavy. Please excuse me for leaving for a moment."
The Wei Dynasty was an era when the art of incense was popular.
The smoke filled the room, which was indeed a bit choking.
Yu Guanlin was frightened by this sudden scene.
He was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Doctor Wen, please go and rest first, I will keep an eye on it here."
"Thank you very much for your help," Wen Qingci smiled, shook his head and said softly, "I will be back soon." After that, he took the medicine box and slowly left the table.
Wen Qingci could feel that someone nearby was staring at him closely...
But even at this time, his movements were still neither hurried nor slow.
After walking away from the crowd, Wen Qingci finally took a deep breath, and the discomfort in his throat slowly subsided.
—He coughed on purpose just now.
After all, only the self-torture tactic could give Wen Qingci a reason to leave temporarily.
There were only a few guards guarding the Imperial Medical Bureau.
If someone wants to kill you, going back is obviously not a good option.
Tonight, all the imperial guards of the palace were gathered in the Imperial Garden... By comparison, it was safer for me to stay here.
However, this does not mean that Wen Qingci left the banquet just to get some fresh air.
Someone followed Wen Qingci out from a distance.
It should be the one staring at him at the table...
Stay steady.
If I show any abnormality at this moment, the other party will definitely take action in advance.
Wen Qingci slowly adjusted his breathing and quickly walked into the pavilion.
He opened the medicine box with his back to the man, carefully took out the silver needle inside, and then quickly inserted the silver needle into the inside of his sleeve and hid it.
Wen Qingci's movements were extremely fast, and the silver needle only left a few shadows in the air before disappearing without a trace.
Affected by his physical condition, the original owner's internal energy was not strong, nor did he have the strength to practice martial arts.
The only thing he is good at is hidden weapons.
Silver needles were the weapons most commonly used by the original owner.
After traveling through the book, Wen Qingci was busy studying and treating illnesses every day and had no time to practice hidden weapons.
But after trying a few times, he confirmed that the muscle memory of this body still existed.
At this point, we can only try our best to save the situation.
As a pharmacist, everything in the medicine box is useless to Wen Qingci.
He let out a long sigh, and while continuing to pretend to cough, he casually took out a pill from the medicine box and swallowed it.
After a few seconds of pause, Wen Qingci picked up the medicine box again and walked slowly back to the stream.
All of this was seen by the people who were staring at him not far away.
The cold wind blew across the lake, bringing a hint of chill, brushing against Wen Qingci's body.
He gently touched the silver needle hidden in his sleeve, and the unfamiliar tingling sensation at his fingertips finally calmed him down a little.
When Wen Qingci returned to the Imperial Garden, he happened to see a palace maid carrying desserts to the table.
On the exquisite white jade plate, there is a lotus-shaped shortbread.
It was just baked and still had a faint heat, looking very tempting.
Wen Qingci suddenly stopped and asked, "What is this shortbread made of?"
"My Lord, it's peanuts." The palace maid hurriedly saluted.
"Okay..." Wen Qingci nodded and smiled, "I understand."
He was originally heading towards his seat, but he stood there for a while, hesitating, and finally changed direction...
As a doctor, Wen Qingci really couldn't sit idly by and watch this happen.
There was a lot of noise and chatter all around, but no one paid any attention to him.
There is no moon tonight, only stars in the sky.
The rolling stars fell into the cup at some point, shaking with the ripples.
Although the seat was a bit remote, Xie Bufeng was a prince after all, and the palace servants would definitely not give him "special treatment" at this time.
The small table in front of the boy was filled with exquisite bowls and plates, filled with delicacies from land and sea.
Xie Bufeng picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and put it in his mouth, but put the chopsticks back on the table the next second.
He lived and ate with the guards who guarded the mausoleum in Suzhou. The food was just enough to fill his stomach and had no taste at all.
However, at this moment, the table full of royal delicacies was hard for him to swallow.
Then, Xie Bufeng couldn't help but think of the magnolia porridge that Wen Qingci personally cooked...
The palace banquet is still going on.
A palace maid dressed in light green placed the jade plate in front of Xie Bufeng.
Just as she stood up to leave, a eunuch suddenly came and took the things back.
Xie Bufeng couldn't help but frown and looked at the person who came.
Without waiting for the young man to ask, the man smiled and quickly explained, "Eunuch Xian ordered that His Highness's plate of peanut crisps be removed."
After saying that, he quickly picked up the plate and left.
Peanut crisps
Xie Bufeng is allergic to peanuts, and besides him, he is the only other person in the world who knows this.
The young man slowly looked at the star shadows that kept shaking in the cup.
His diet was taken care of by Wen Qingci.
A few days ago, Wen Qingci sprinkled some crushed peanuts on the food, and then Xie Bufeng developed a rash on his arm and started coughing uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Wen Qingci solemnly warned him to be careful in the future and never eat any food containing peanuts.
And it introduces in great detail what "allergy" is.
Thinking of this, a faint warmth slipped through Xie Bufeng's heart.
He subconsciously looked for Wen Qingci at the banquet.
The banquet was set up by the water. In a trance, the young man saw through the swaying stream that a faint smile had appeared on his lips. He didn't know when.
There was an unfamiliar tenderness in those amber eyes.
The next moment, Xie Bufeng suddenly closed his eyes and pursed his lips tightly.
Never forget why he is so good to you.
You are just his experiment.
It was no different from the rabbits that had died tragically at his hands.
At this moment, the little bit of rationality in the boy's heart, like the immune system in his body, instinctively resisted.
Maybe he is not only allergic to peanuts, but also allergic to Wen Qingci...
After a while, Xie Bufeng finally opened his eyes again.
The amber eyes returned to their usual wary and cold look.
But at some point, the hand that clenched the wine glass inadvertently revealed the owner's secret.
The boy's heart was probably not as calm as he appeared.
After Wen Qingci returned to his seat, he realized that the atmosphere around him had become tense without him noticing.
The river lanterns floating in the stream flickered, disturbing people's minds.
There was silence at the front of the long banquet, with only the sound of gurgling water.
Wen Qingci originally wanted to ask Yu Guanlin what had just happened, but he didn't expect that after three or five cups of wine, the old doctor was half drunk.
At this moment, he was secretly dozing off at the table, and it was obvious that he couldn't get any information from him.
Wen Qingci sat down much more gently.
He had just carefully put away the medicine box when an old voice came from the other side of the stream.
An old man in a gorgeous red robe was raising his glass to celebrate.
"… Your Majesty has been on the throne for more than 20 years and has accomplished great achievements. This is truly a great blessing for our dynasty… It is also worthy of the trust that the late emperor placed in Your Majesty. If he knew about this in his afterlife, he would surely be pleased."
He was clearly praising the emperor, but his tone was a little sharp.
The word "former emperor" is also used in a particularly subtle way.
Not only Wen Qingci sensed the unusual atmosphere, even the drunk Yu Guanlin suddenly raised his head, frowned and looked ahead and said: "Duke Yongguo, why are you talking about something else..."
Wen Qingci's fingers couldn't help but pause.
The title of "Duke of Yongguo" was left over from the founding of the previous dynasty.
Their clan lasted for a hundred years and produced six queens, which was extremely honorable.
The previous dynasty had stipulated that every crown prince must study and live in the capital for a period of time before ascending the throne.
Xie Zhaolin, the former prince of Suzhou, is no exception.
The Duke of Yongguo in front of us has another identity—the maternal grandfather of Emperor Ai.
Therefore, it can be said that he grew up watching the emperor and was highly respected and admired.
The Duke of Yongguo is not only powerful, but also a spiritual totem in the hearts of the nobles of the Wei Dynasty.
The most important thing is that, just as Xie Zhaolin thought, he was unwilling to recognize the other party's throne from the bottom of his heart, and even directly raised objections back then...
Duke Yongguo is already in his eighties.
The plot development speed in the original novel was much slower than it is now. He passed away before he had the chance to wade into this muddy water, and thus he retained his final dignity.
The person on the throne slowly closed his eyes, and the smile on his face disappeared.
After a moment, he finally chuckled, breaking the suffocating silence.
The emperor did not answer the Duke of Yongguo's words. Instead, he pushed the old man aside and turned to talk to Concubine Lan.
Wen Qingci:…!
It looked like the emperor had really been hit in a sore spot.
Could it be that the rumor that Xie Zhaolin has always been concerned about, that he came to the country for an unrighteous purpose, is true? !
Wen Qingci couldn't help but feel curious and scratching his head.
Perhaps he already knew how hard the people on the throne were, or perhaps he knew that his death was imminent.
Duke Yongguo smiled and reminded in his hoarse and old voice: "I only hope that even if Your Majesty travels far away, you must never forget your roots."
"Duke Yongguo is tired," the emperor, who had just looked very bad, laughed softly upon hearing this. He waved his hand and said, "Take him down to have some rest."
"Yes, Your Majesty." After he finished speaking, two guards stepped forward in unison and took the old man away. The old man, who was born into a noble family and lived a life of glory, had never been so embarrassed.
His face was livid and his eyes were full of hatred.
The lights on both sides of the banquet hall flickered, and even though Wen Qingci was very close, he still couldn't see Xie Zhaolin's expression clearly.
However, at this moment, he still felt a strong murderous intent from the other party.
There was total silence at the table.
The weird atmosphere spread little by little.
The back of the Duke of Yongguo pierced the eyes of every noble.
They exchanged glances, and had the answer in their hearts...
kill.
It's not that they don't know the emperor's purpose, but... since the emperor is unwilling to leave them a way out.
Then they would take action, fight him head-on, and fight their way out!
(End of this chapter)