Consort Xi was taken aback and looked up to see a handsome and domineering face.

Consort Xi did not know Yin Jin'an personally, but had only heard of his reputation.

Spoiled brat, good-for-nothing, scoundrel!

By a twist of fate, he was rewarded for his meritorious service in suppressing bandits and was parachuted into the position of Commander-in-Chief. Moreover, His Majesty allowed him to receive a salary without having to report for duty every day.

She felt that Gu Shaoyu was abusing his power for personal gain.

Consort Xi frowned and looked at Duke Xun: "Is the son you raised so ill-mannered?"

In the past, Duke Xun would have rushed over and beaten his son, but today he felt that his son had not done anything wrong.

"His Majesty is in so much pain that he has fainted, and the poison flares up every few hours. Is His Majesty going to die from the pain? Since the imperial physicians can't cure him, what can we do with some folk healers?"

Consort Xi said, "Can the Duke of Xun bear this responsibility? Who allowed a common doctor to treat His Majesty?"

Gu Shaoyu said, "Your Highness, Lu Feiyan is the lady's personal physician. She is young, but her medical skills are quite good. I am willing to vouch for them."

"You guarantee it? Can you afford to guarantee it? His Majesty's health is of utmost importance, how could he possibly allow some random cat or dog to treat him?" Consort Xi said, "Precisely because she is Zhaozhao's personal physician, she cannot stand by and watch you make mistakes."

"Then what should the Imperial Concubine do?"

"Tell Physician Lan to continue researching an antidote, and take the people you brought with you away."

Yin Jin'an, annoyed, said, "Since we're here, what's wrong with taking a look?"

"How dare you! How dare you look at His Majesty's body as you please?"

"Then let's draw up a contract! The imperial physician will draw up one, and Your Majesty will act as guarantor; these two folk masters will draw up one, and I will act as guarantor."

"You vouch for me? The entire Duke of Xunguo vouch for me?"

“I have already separated from the family and established my own household, so naturally I am the guarantor.”

"Wouldn't that be letting you off easy?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoyu calmly replied, "Including myself, I guarantee it!"

Duke Xun stepped forward: "I also vouch for him!"

Xie Anfeng stepped forward at this moment and said solemnly, "The Xie family is willing to vouch for us!"

"Brother! You must know that there are thousands of people in the Xie household!" Consort Xi looked at Xie Anfeng angrily. "Mother is so old, do you want her to worry about you?"

"If Mother knew, she would approve of what I did."

"Very well, you all want outsiders to treat His Majesty, then sign a pledge!" Consort Xi said to Xie Anfeng. "Lord Xie is so noble, insisting on risking the entire Xie family, I cannot stop you!"

Prince Jing had remained silent until now. He stepped forward, took out paper and pen, and said, "This old minister will write."

Lu Feiyan couldn't help but say, "Shouldn't you at least let me see the patient? You won't even let me take a look, but you're making Lord Xie and Grand Secretary Gu sign a pledge. Isn't that unfair?"

Lan Lin said angrily, "How dare you! In the imperial palace, how dare you, a mere commoner, speak?"

"Why are you putting on airs? We're all doctors, why are you belittling your colleagues?" Lu Feiyan's inner rage erupted.

Uncle Chai carefully pulled Lu Feiyan back and said with a smile, "She's just a child and hasn't seen much of the world. Don't take it to heart."

Suddenly, Lan Lin clutched his chest with both hands, his face turning deathly pale. He cried out "Ah~" and covered his head, then grabbed his shirt, his face contorting into a grimace at a visible speed.

He knelt on both knees, writhing in pain.

"Pfft!" A mouthful of blood spurted out.

Pointing at Uncle Chai: "You, you, you..."

Uncle Chai stood there unmoved and said, “You gentlemen saw it for yourselves. He didn’t hesitate to poison himself in order to prevent us from getting close to His Majesty. Don’t try to pin this on us; we are far away.”

Indeed, as everyone could see, since entering the main hall, Chai Bo and Lu Feiyan had kept a distance from Lan Lin and Consort Xi.

Lu Feiyan said, "Uncle Chai, he's not blaming us, he's just afraid of signing a pledge. He's faking illness so he won't have to sign anything."

Uncle Chai suddenly realized: "That's right, in order to protect his family, he didn't hesitate to feign illness, and he did it so convincingly that it's truly amazing!"

Consort Xi laughed in exasperation: "Why are you two singing in unison? Imperial Physician Lan is a senior physician in the palace; everyone knows what kind of person he is."

She guessed that it was either Lu Feiyan or this Chai Bo who poisoned Lan Lin.

But she had no evidence.

She chuckled and said, "Since you're poison doctors, then show us your skills right here and cure him, so everyone can see what you're capable of!"

Lu Feiyan shook her head: "He's faking it, he's not poisoned."

He said to Lan Lin, who was rolling around in the air, "Hey, you're a royal physician, take your own pulse and see if you've been poisoned?"

Lan Lin was trembling with pain, but he endured the excruciating agony to take his own pulse.

Really, I'm not poisoned!

But if I'm not poisoned, why does it hurt so much?

Oh God, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Laozi, Medicine King, and all the great gods who pass by, please save me!

Lu Feiyan said, "I bet he'll get better as soon as he signs the pledge."

Prince Jing finished writing the pledge and said calmly, "This old minister is heartbroken to see His Majesty suffer. This old minister is willing to vouch for the two physicians brought by Grand Secretary Gu! This old minister will be the first to sign."

He respectfully signed his name and pressed his fingerprint, betting the entire Prince Jing's Mansion on it.

Xie Anfeng's second signature.

Gu Shaoyu is the third.

The fourth, the fifth...

After everyone had signed their names, Lan Lin really felt no more pain!

He suddenly stopped howling and scratching, sat up, and stared blankly at everyone.

Lu Feiyan shrugged: "See? I told you he wasn't sick, he was faking it, right? We signed and sealed the papers, and he immediately stopped faking it."

He squatted down a foot away from Lan Lin and said, "Hey, it's no use if you stop pretending. We've all signed, so you have to sign too. Why are so many adults signing pledges, but you're not?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!