She climbed onto the step with her hands and feet stiff, and finally saw his face clearly. Strangely, it was indeed him. Her heart was in turmoil, and her mind was confused. She called out to her master, "What's wrong with you?"
The two captains bowed and accepted the order. She glanced at the prince from afar through the half-open window, picked up her robe and hurried to the Lizheng Gate.
It was better to have it than not. Dequan went to make it. The people in the palace were dispersed. The imperial physician was driven into the side hall to wait. No one was allowed to leave before dawn. Xinghe stood in the empty bedroom, feeling dizzy and almost fainting. He struggled to open the window to disperse the foul air, and returned to the bed, but he didn't know what to do next.
She nodded. "I'm going to Zhongchao first. The affairs of the Eastern Palace will depend on you two. You must investigate thoroughly and search every corner to see if there is anything suspicious."
The tentacles were just scalding hot, nothing else. She became increasingly anxious, and yelled at the doctors, "What on earth do you do? Five or six people have consulted, and you can't even tell me the cause of the disease?"
Dequan came forward in a panic, "Master Su, why did you come just now? Come and see the master..." He started crying, "He was fine when he came back from Lizheng Palace. He just said he was a little tired and asked me not to disturb him. I just received a message from the Central Court that the situation was urgent, so I went in to report it, but he didn't say a word. When I got to the front, I saw him in this state. I couldn't even recognize him."
Her father flatly said no, "Are all the others stupid?"
Xinghe knew she was referring to the prince, so he ignored her. He went back to the front hall to look at the evidence, and sorted out the dregs of the medicine that had been boiled into a different color. The imperial physician was explaining, "The emperor's headache was unbearable. He originally followed the method in the Ji Jian Fang, burning Chuanwutou powder and smoking it in a bowl, and then taking it with warm tea. Unfortunately, after seven days of taking it, there was no effect at all. Later, the Imperial Hospital held several consultations and re-prescribed the prescription, using Chuanxiong, Cyperus rotundus, Angelica dahurica, Tianma, Baixiantou, Xiqinjiao, etc. to decoct and take. The dosage of each medicine in it is regulated. Your Excellency, please look..." The imperial physician was pointing to the pile of aconite slices that were obviously more than other medicines, "It is clearly written in the prescription that five cents of aconite is enough, but nowadays it is more than five cents, and ten cents is an understatement. The medicines issued by our Imperial Hospital, especially those used by the emperor, must be checked again and again by five medical officers before they dare to be released. I dare to guarantee that there will be absolutely no mistakes in the prescriptions."
She couldn't delay here any longer, so she turned around and bowed to the queen. "The Eastern Palace is currently being investigated by a thousand households, and I have to rush back to supervise the work. If there is any progress, I will immediately report to His Majesty and the Queen."
Xinghe was stunned there, the situation changed suddenly overnight, it was beyond her ability to deal with. The emperor and the prince had accidents one after another, which was unimaginable. She knew there must be a conspiracy behind this, but she couldn't tell where the black hand came from. This person was really smart, he almost took everyone into account, once the emperor and the prince died, who would be the biggest beneficiary? Prince Jian was far away in the army, out of reach, in addition to the young Prince Xin, there was only Prince Min who had raised food and grass and was about to return to Beijing to report.
It was indeed a big basin of dirty water. If the prince was still standing here, wouldn't he be so confused that he couldn't explain himself? Everyone can infer the cause and effect, and after pushing and shoving, the prince was pushed to the cusp. Because he had both the motive and the opportunity. As soon as the old emperor stepped down, Dayin would be his world. It was reasonable to say that he was the mastermind.
Xinghe suddenly understood that some things were really unavoidable. Prince Xin's sudden words at this moment also surprised her. He said it was impossible, "The Emperor's father gave the important task of regent to my second brother." It was openly comforting, but secretly it was a pitfall for him.
She was stunned. "Is there such a thing?"
She said to take the palace servants who served the spices to the Military Control Department, "and those who stood guard at the gate and those who had entered the West Warm Pavilion, all of them should be taken away."
What went wrong... She pounded her forehead with her fist, the more anxious she was, the more confused she became. She forced herself to calm down, turned around and asked Dequan, "What exactly is being said in Lizheng Hall? How is the emperor's situation? Are there any connections between these two things?"
Dequan walked out, looking back every few steps. Only she and the prince were left in the bedroom. She looked at that face for a long time, fanning herself and sighing, "You are really the smartest person I have ever seen, but you don't know how to control your strength. If you accidentally suffocate yourself to death, then this kingdom will really be handed over to someone else."
As soon as she finished, Prince Xin took over, "My son thinks what Lord Su said is very true. This matter should be investigated strictly. Not only those who entered and left the Lizheng Palace today, but also those who entered and left the Lizheng Palace in the past three days should be carefully questioned. I almost forgot that the eldest princess went to the palace to meet the emperor yesterday. I don't know what they said during the period, but I saw the princess run out of the palace in a rage with my own eyes. The emperor loves her so much, who in the palace doesn't know it? With her arrogant temper, it is not impossible for her to refuse to recognize her biological father. Besides, the eldest brother is the most outstanding among the brothers, and it is also the long-cherished wish of you and your son to replace the prince. The emperor is in danger, the East Palace has lost its owner, and Huo Qingluan can clear the suspicion by being in the army. As for the inside and outside of the palace, there is the Concubine Zhaoyi to make a pact for him. When he returns to the court, it will be the day for him to ascend the throne and become emperor. Isn't that what you plan to do?"
Dequan quickly prepared the medicine and brought it over. He used a cushion to prop up the prince's upper body, and Xinghe fed him spoonful by spoonful. He knew how to swallow, which was a comfort. Anyway, I don't know if this medicine will work or not. It all depends on luck! After using it, he carefully tucked the corner of his lips for him and put him down again. Only then did Xinghe remember to ask, "What is the prince's schedule for today?"
Dequan said, "Nothing special. He first discussed matters in Youchunfang, and then he sorted out the petitions and went to see the emperor in the middle court. In the afternoon, he took care of the emperor, and waited until the emperor had taken the medicine before returning to the East Palace. After returning, he rested for an hour. In the middle, I came in and lit a lamp. He had been sitting in the armchair for a long time, so I advised him to get on the bed, and he responded. Later... Later, Prince Xin sent someone to pass on the message, and I came in to report that the old man was like this." As he spoke, he burst into tears again, and blamed himself, "I have a pig brain. If I had found something wrong earlier, it would have been better..."
He spoke a long string of words, but Xinghe didn't hear a single word. She was thinking that she had to go up and see Zhen Zhou, in case this man wasn't the prince.
It is a blessing to meet a person of equal strength in one's life. But this person is lying down now, and she wants to save him more than anyone else. The emperor in Lizheng Hall is the boss, and the important ministers in the cabinet must be busy with lawsuits. Logically, she should go and see it in person to adjust the next path. But looking at the person in front of her again, she can't care about the outside world even if it is a mess.
The imperial physician was embarrassed. "Look at the prince's pulse. It is rapid and irregular, and it stops and recurs. It is more like a sparrow's pulse. This kind of pulse is dangerous. Medical books call it one of the ten strange pulses. Until now, there is no definitive cause..."
Indeed, before the situation is settled, any rash action will lead to one's own death. Her mind was in turmoil, and her father wanted to tell her something, so she said impatiently, "He is already like this, how can I care about anything else, please stop talking!" She turned around, left the stunned Su Daxueshi behind, and went to the East Palace.
Thinking of this, she suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. She had no idea what to do. The emperor was in trouble and could not come up with a solution in a short time. Everyone in the palace was waiting for her to make a decision, so she had to keep calm.
From the Court of Imperial Concubines to the Lizheng Palace, the distance was not far, but it felt like running for thousands of years, and she was in a mess. The Danbi, which symbolized solemnity and dignity, was like a steep mountain top, difficult to climb. She didn't know how she reached the top. When the main palace was in sight, many people had gathered inside the vermilion diamond-shaped gate. She was extremely anxious, and couldn't find a doctor to ask. She pushed through the panicked crowd and went into the inner bedroom, where she saw the prince lying on the bed, his face flushed and his breathing rapid. She suddenly stopped and looked over carefully, as if he was no longer the person she was familiar with.
The captain and the guards took the order and went to do it. Then she went into the inner chamber. She hoped that he had woken up, but when she entered the room, he was still the same, but his face was slightly calmer. She looked at Dequan and asked, Dequan drooped his eyebrows and sighed, "The doctor said he would wake up in a while. It's been an incense stick of time. Why hasn't he opened his eyes yet?"
Zuo Zhaoyi looked disdainful, "Who knows if he committed suicide out of fear of punishment, or if it was a self-torture tactic to divert everyone's attention."
Nan Yushu’s idea was very direct. He wanted to escort all the people involved to Zhaoyu Prison and interrogate them strictly.
There were hurried footsteps outside, and someone called softly under the porch: "Master Su, the people from the Control Military Department are here, and several captains have entered the East Palace. Master Nan will go to the Central Court to report first, please come with him."
One in front and one behind... Xinghe stood still, turned around to look at the person on the bed, and let out a long sigh.
The emperor had his empress taking care of him at his bedside. When she saw her coming, she turned around and gave her a bitter look.
Xinghe stood beside Nan Yushu and bowed, then turned his head and looked at him inquiringly. Nan Yushu lowered his voice and said, "The Imperial Hospital checked the used medicinal residues and found that the amount of aconite in it was far more than usual. Someone tampered with the medicine."
Zuo Zhaoyi tucked her hands under her chin and snorted, "Whether there is such a thing or not, we can find out by arresting the person who served medicine and interrogating him."
Xinghe left the main hall and saw her father and several military ministers standing in front of the side hall, whispering. They looked up and saw her, and hurried over, asking in a low voice, "What is the current situation of the East Palace?"
The young eunuch led the way with a sheep-horn lantern. The palace was in great chaos, with faint footsteps everywhere. After passing through the Lizheng Gate, there were groups of important officials and doctors, and then into the front hall, there were the ladies with tears in their eyes and the angry Zuo Zhaoyi.
Dequan just kept shaking his head. "How would we know all this? The palace gates are locked and martial law is in place inside and outside. The news that came back earlier said that although the emperor was in danger, his symptoms were not serious. He just felt numb, his tongue was swollen, and he had trouble speaking. But he was still conscious. In fact, the first attack occurred in Lizheng Palace. After the emperor took a short nap and changed his clothes, he stood up and shivered. His hands and feet were shaking. He was there for nearly a quarter of an hour before he slowly fell down. Prince Xin sent someone to report to the prince and found that his master was in this state. It took at least half an hour..."
She patted his face, "Master, can you hear me?"
He was so lively the day before that he collapsed the bed, how come he is like this today? Xinghe felt like the breath was stuck in her throat and she couldn't get it out. She held his hand tightly, and even though she didn't know any medical knowledge, she felt his pulse, trying to find out something. His pulse was urgent and chaotic, she knew it was not good, and turned around to call the imperial physician, "What is the prince's symptom? Is there any explanation?"
Kneeling on the pedal, she held his hand tightly, as if she could pass her energy to him and prolong his life. He was panting heavily, his face flushed, and his long eyebrows were knitted together, forming an unsolvable knot. Xinghe looked at him for a long time, tears streaming down her face. All her feelings for him surged up at once. She hated him, feared him, was on guard against him, worried about him, liked him, and even loved him a little...
This was the only way out of the current situation. Xinghe seconded the proposal and went to the inner chamber with Nan Yushu to ask for an imperial decree. But Zuo Zhaoyi was unwilling to miss the opportunity and said sternly, "You are arresting people, but are you going to arrest the culprit? Who was the doctor yesterday? Isn't this person the first to bear the brunt? If something happens to the emperor, who will benefit the most? I think everyone knows it. In my opinion, the East Palace is the most suspicious. He has been the crown prince for more than 20 years and he must have been impatient. The emperor's father is still alive, blocking his path to the throne. What can't a person like him do? If someone makes him unhappy, he will dare to do something and plot to kill the emperor!"
Xinghe felt as if his head was hit by a heavy punch, and suddenly his head began to buzz with pain.
Xinghe was stunned for a moment, "Incense?" It turned out that this was what she couldn't remember before. The prince was very strict about incense. He was extremely sensitive to smells. If there was a slight deviation, his spleen and stomach would be in trouble. This hyssop and nutmeg did not have obvious characteristics when burned, but everyone knew that the combination of the two was extremely toxic and could paralyze a person's consciousness. Now that the cause has been found, it should not be difficult to detoxify. She asked Xu Xingzhi: "Have those imperial doctors come up with a solution? Have they prescribed a new prescription?"
"From now on, all the palace servants on duty are not allowed to move around randomly. All the utensils in this palace are not allowed to be moved or replaced without permission. Shan Jin went outside the palace gate to tell Ye Jinchun to notify the Military Control Division and ask Lord Nan to bring the case-handling Thousand Households to the East Palace to investigate and collect evidence." She gritted her teeth and murmured, "I don't believe... There are such coincidences in the world. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is strong and healthy, and there is no way such an accident would happen."
No wonder he said that no one in this world truly loves him, so he can only try to find someone among those who are against him who he still has a chance to win over, like her.
Xu Xingzhi said, "It has been fried and sent in, so it must have been fed by now. Sir, what should we do next?"
The more chaos there is, the better. Everyone is busy trying to clear themselves of the wrongdoing, so they won't keep staring at the crown prince. Xing He heard Zuo Zhaoyi accusing Prince Xin of killing three birds with one stone, and that he might have ambitions to seize the throne. Taking advantage of the fact that the emperor couldn't speak, he made a speech in front of the emperor, saying that everyone was guilty.
If the matter doesn't fall on you, you still have the time to step on others. Once you are involved, the situation will be different. Zuo Zhaoyi scolded Prince Xin sharply, "You are talking nonsense. You can talk anyone alive with your eloquence. Although Xia Ling is unruly, she will never do such a treasonous thing. Please understand, my master."
But before Lan Chu had the time to repeat herself, she ran out.
She also felt uncertain, and anxiously took the palm-leaf fan from his hand and said, "It's only been an incense stick, the effect of the medicine may not have come yet, let's wait a little longer. I'll serve here, you go outside and help Qian Hu count the palace servants."
Xu Xingzhi and Jiang Yi were waiting in front of the side hall with their guards. When they saw her, they bowed and said, "My lord."
Xinghe saw that they were timid and was so angry that he cursed and forced them to write a prescription and get some medicine. The doctors discussed for a long time and finally wrote out the prescription. When they got it, they saw that it was all heat-clearing and detoxifying medicine. It didn't help, but it definitely wouldn't kill people.
The Queen was disgusted by her arrogance and said in a deep voice: "Zuo Zhaoyi is a god at solving cases. It's a pity that she didn't go to the Control Military Department. Is it just your inference that the Crown Prince is guilty? Something happened in the East Palace at the moment. The Crown Prince is lying unconscious in bed. It's hard to say who benefited from it."
She looked at her father with a serious expression, "Dad, is it..."
Although the emperor could not speak, he understood everything in his heart. When he heard that the prince was seriously ill, he pounded the mattress with trembling hands, making everyone tremble with fear.
But the imperial physician shook his head and couldn't even explain the cause of the disease.
Zuo Zhaoyi was even more pleased with Prince Xin's words, "Look, it turns out that he is going to be the regent. Now it is even clearer."
"What did you say?"
After hearing this, Xinghe told Dequan to take care of it and turned around and left the inner bedroom.
Xinghe's head began to hurt violently. She felt as if there was something right in front of her eyes, which she could see clearly with a slight move. But strangely, she couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she tried. She was so anxious that her heart was spinning.
But judging from the current situation, the problem lies precisely with the medicine. Xinghe turned around and asked Nan Yushu: "What do you think, sir?"
A blind life turned out to be so terrible. She suddenly realized that the prince had been her only goal for all these years. Now that this goal had been abandoned, and perhaps he would die of unknown causes, she could do nothing. In fact, she was not as powerful as she thought.
As soon as she entered the room, she received good news. A few pieces of charcoal of unclear color were placed in front of her on a silver plate. Xu Xingzhi asked her to take a look. "They were found in the Boshan furnace. There happened to be a piece that was not completely burned. After identification by the internal department, it was found to be hyssop and nutmeg."
Too complicated, sometimes even she couldn't explain it clearly. When she had to consider the survival of her family, she could only be cautious and vigilant; but once the two were alone, she relaxed and joked with him, saying all kinds of stupid things.
Zuo Zhaoyi was so angry that she choked. The emperor, seeing this internal strife, had already closed his eyes in dismay.
Xinghe cupped his hands, "Ladies, please wait a moment. In my opinion, no one has ever usurped power without sacrificing his own life. I don't understand medical principles, but from a superficial point of view, the prince's symptoms are far more serious than the emperor's. I just came from the East Palace, and the imperial physician was helpless and couldn't even find the cause of the disease. He only dared to prescribe some heat-clearing and relieving symptoms medicine to deal with it casually. I don't know how he is now."
Xinghe stepped forward to comfort him, "Your Majesty, don't worry. Although the prince's pulse is disordered, he is still conscious. The imperial physician is consulting with him, and the Military Control Department has also entered the Eastern Palace for investigation. If the cause of the disease can be found, there is still hope for treatment." She choked up and said in a sad voice, "Your Majesty is wise. The prince has become like that, and there are still people throwing dirty water on him. It really makes me sad. I am an official of the Military Control Department and also the Minister of the Eastern Palace. I know the prince's temperament best. He loves your majesty, and the emperor is his father and even more so his heaven. When the emperor was in danger, how many people thought of him first. Now that he is in danger, who is the most proud in the court? I dare to say something extremely treasonous. Everyone in this room of nobles is suspected, and even those who are not here may find it difficult to prove that they are not involved."
However, the cause of the disease was difficult to determine. The useless imperial doctors held the silver needles in their hands, and hesitated for several times before daring to put the needles in. After all, he was the crown prince, and no one had the courage to bet their lives. At this time, the more you do, the more mistakes you make, and if you do nothing, you will make no mistakes. In the officialdom, self-preservation is everywhere, and the same is true for those who treat illnesses and save lives. First, you are an official, then a doctor.
The Queen agreed, but she still had to act in front of the Emperor, and repeatedly warned him, "Tell them to treat him well. He is still not conscious at the moment, what can we do..."
What is this? Can you blame him for his strange illness by talking nonsense like this? If you can't find the cause of the disease, you can't prescribe the right medicine. Xinghe saw that he was breathing rapidly, and her heart suddenly felt like an invisible hand was pinching it. Although it was urgent at this time, she couldn't panic. She barely calmed down and asked Dequan if he had reported to the emperor. Dequan's words surprised her, "I haven't had time to tell you yet. Something happened to the emperor. It is said that his limbs are twitching, half of his body is numb, and he can't even speak. The imperial guards are under martial law inside and outside, and the important ministers of the cabinet were urgently summoned to the palace overnight. The court is in chaos."
"That's hard to say." Prince Xin smiled coldly, "She was able to team up with Gao Zhiya to kill the prince consort, and today she can fill the emperor's medicine jar with aconite because of a little thing that makes her unhappy. She is an old hand, so it's easy for her to do things. Just now, the Concubine Zhaoyi guessed my brother in this way, and now I will return it in full. Please think of a countermeasure before you deny it for the eldest princess."