This is ridiculous! What assassin wouldn't put some poison in their mouth and on their weapon before attempting an assassination?

They came with the intention of dying, determined to kill as many as possible, preferring to perish rather than live in dishonor.

The assassin disguised as a palace maid was dragged away, and the Ministry of Justice was tasked with investigating her origins.

Meanwhile, the imperial physicians were pacing around Yinreng, their mouths bubbling with anxiety.

They could cure the poison, but the medicine was hard to find. The longer the antidote was prepared, the worse the poison would damage Yinreng's body. For an ordinary prince, it would be fine; giving him a royal title and a lifetime of wealth and honor would be more than enough.

But this is the Crown Prince, the next emperor of the Qing Dynasty; how could he possibly be in poor health?

If it weren't for the various tonics he's taken over the years, that bit of poison could have taken half his life.

Emperor Kangxi held Yinreng in his arms, tears streaming down his face.

He would rather be injured himself than watch Yinreng's fate remain unknown.

"Your Majesty, this is the prescription." The head of the Imperial Medical Academy wrote the prescription with lightning speed.

Emperor Kangxi frowned and angrily rebuked, "I am not a royal physician and cannot understand prescriptions. Whatever medicine you need, just brew it. All I want is to see the Crown Prince well!"

The Imperial Physician frowned, enduring the spittle that Emperor Kangxi spat out in his anxiety: "The prescription is fine, but these medicines are extremely rare. Of the twenty-two ingredients, the Imperial Pharmacy only has thirteen, and the remaining nine are very difficult to find. Your Majesty will probably have to open your private treasury to find them as soon as possible."

"Then what are we waiting for! Liang Jiugong, let him go and search! Write down several copies of this prescription and have Yuqing Palace and Ningshou Palace search for it as well!" Kangxi remembered that he had previously bestowed many hundred-year-old ginseng and thousand-year-old snow lotus upon the Empress Dowager and Yinreng. Most of those things were exaggerated in efficacy by his subordinates, but he sent them to their palaces whenever he thought they were good.

The Qianqing Palace instantly sprang into action, with groups of people moving back and forth, their steps quick and stealthy, careful not to make a sound that might disturb Emperor Kangxi.

Yinreng was carried directly onto the dragon bed. According to the imperial physician, it was also acceptable to send him back to Yuqing Palace, as a bit of a bumpy ride wouldn't be a problem.

Would Emperor Kangxi agree to this?

“My throne will belong to the Crown Prince from now on. Can the imperial bed compare to my son’s? It’s just letting the Crown Prince lie on the imperial bed ahead of time. What kind of nonsense is that!” Kangxi said.

Kangxi didn't care, and no one else dared to bring it up again.

The longer time passed, the more Kangxi's heart ached.

Looking at Yinreng's pale face and the rough, ugly silver hairpin on his chest, he felt an overwhelming sense of self-reproach.

The imperial physician wanted to remove the hairpin from Yinreng, but the poison was unusual. Removing the hairpin would only worsen the condition without the medicine to apply.

Everything stored in Emperor Kangxi's private treasury was priceless, and indeed, the imperial physicians searched high and low and found six of them.

There were two other items, which, in Liang Jiugong's memory, were sent to Ning Shou Palace and Yu Qing Palace, and should not have been used.

When the Empress Dowager and Tong Wanyan saw the imperial physician rushing over and briefly explain the situation, they were terrified.

The Empress Dowager was somewhat better off. Having witnessed countless life-and-death separations, she calmed down considerably after learning that Yinreng's life was not in danger.

"I've seen the medicine you mentioned; I'll go get it. I didn't see the other medicine listed when I checked the storeroom. Please have the imperial physician report to the Emperor and request that more people be sent to search for it." Tong Wanyan forced herself to calm down as the nail guard pierced her palm.

The imperial physicians had anticipated this outcome; they were all medicine enthusiasts, intimately familiar with all the drugs that had entered the palace. They hadn't openly discussed it with Emperor Kangxi for fear of overlooking anything. Now that they had searched and confirmed it wasn't there, they could report it to the emperor.

"Don't worry, Consort. The prescription left by our predecessors must contain the necessary ingredients, no matter how hard they are to find. Fortunately, that particular ingredient was prepared last, so there's still some time," the imperial physician said.

"Could the imperial physician describe the medicinal herb?" Tong Wanyan's heart pounded, feeling confident that she could find it.

The imperial physician listened and described the medicinal herbs in detail. The herbs were easy to identify; they were emerald green, shaped like tree roots, and felt heavy in the hand. They also had a pleasant fragrance that calmed the mind.

Anyone who has met him will remember him immediately.

Tong Wanyan's expression brightened: "I have these branches. No, I have these medicinal herbs. Chunque, go and fetch them yourself."

Chunque stood guard behind her, secretly supporting Tong Wanyan's arm, afraid that she would fall.

As she stepped back, Xia Zhu quickly moved closer so that Tong Wanyan could lean on her.

That tree branch was seized by Tong Qinian from Galdan's camp.

Having heard that Galdan suffered from insomnia for many years, he went to great lengths to find this sacred tree to soothe his mind.

When Tong Qinian found out, he deliberately snatched it and gave it to Tong Wanyan.

Chunque ran back and forth, taking only a little less than usual time to retrieve the medicinal herbs.

The imperial physician didn't even need to examine it; just by looking at its greenish luster and soothing fragrance, he was certain it was the right thing.

Ordinary tree branches wouldn't grow into such a unique shape.

"Is it the imperial physician?" Tong Wanyan asked hesitantly, afraid that the imperial physician would shake his head and say no.

The imperial physician's mustache twitched with delight: "Yes, yes, His Highness is out of danger! I never imagined we could gather the medicinal herbs so quickly. It is truly a blessing for the Crown Prince, the Emperor, and the Qing Dynasty!"

The imperial physicians were so excited they were almost delirious. If they could keep the crown prince safe, they would certainly not suffer for it.

When emperors are angry, they sometimes don't reason with them.

"Don't worry, Consort, I guarantee the Crown Prince will return safely tomorrow. I'll take my leave now!" the imperial physician said, beaming with joy.

If the imperial physicians say there's nothing wrong, then there must be nothing wrong. They are all shrewd and calculating; they would never speak definitively if there was even the slightest problem.

"Thank you all for your trouble." Tong Wanyan slightly squatted down and solemnly gave a gesture of thanks.

The imperial physician quickly stepped aside, saying it was the proper thing to do. Then, carrying his small medicine box, he lifted his robe and jogged away.

Yinreng, who had been poisoned, was still unconscious. The imperial physicians had to race against time to prepare an antidote to prevent him from suffering serious damage from prolonged poisoning.

There were three imperial physicians preparing the medicine, and they took turns watching over it. The remaining physician honestly went to report to Emperor Kangxi on how to find these medicinal herbs.

Apart from the sacred wood, the sources of the other two medicinal materials were within Kangxi's expectations.

"It's destiny!"

Upon learning that it was Tong Wanyan who had found the sacred tree, Kangxi's face remained expressionless for a long time before he let out a long sigh.

He would no longer disregard the prophecy of the bald monk at Tanzhe Temple. The Qing Dynasty's lucky star had to be properly worshipped, and he could no longer harbor any ulterior motives.

In any case, the Shi family, who were betrothed in advance, are still in good health and should be able to enter the palace as the Crown Princess.

At that time, how Tong Wanyan conducted herself was up to the Crown Princess.

If wives and concubines can live in harmony, that would be the best outcome.

If not, then let's see who has the stronger fate!

An hour later, the medicine was boiled into a thick broth, emitting a strange smell, and brought to the bedside.

Emperor Kangxi, who was standing guard by the side, had been sitting hunched over for a long time, and his back began to feel slightly numb and sore.

The strange smell of the soup made Kangxi's stomach churn.

"This tastes so disgusting, how can my Bao Cheng drink it?" Kangxi was heartbroken.