Chapter 271 The Emperor's Heart is Like an Abyss, Is the Assassination Real or Fake?

"Of course not, Madam Wei."

He caught a glimpse of longan shells and jujube pits under the bed out of the corner of his eye, and his smile deepened.

Wei Ting walked to the red lacquered rosewood round table in the room and sat down, extending his hand to invite her to sit down as well.

"There's so much food on the table, come and have some to fill your stomach first, otherwise you won't have the energy later."

Ji Qingwu understood the teasing tone in his words perfectly.

She asked, "Where is Lanzhi?"

Wei Ting raised an eyebrow and asked, "Your maid?"

Seeing that she seemed determined to stand by the window all night if she couldn't see Lanzhi, Weiting good-naturedly called Xuemei in.

"Why aren't Madam's maids in the room?"

Xuemei respectfully replied, "General, Sister Lanzhi's medicine is half-cooked, with only a little over half an hour left. She doesn't want anyone else to watch over it, and said she'll be here soon."

Xuemei then said, "General, Madam, it's time for a bath. The hot water in the side room is ready."

Ji Qingwu's brow twitched when he heard the word "bath".

Wei Ting calmly replied, "No rush, you can go out now."

The night was long, and he wasn't in a hurry.

Ji Qingwu had just woken up from a deep sleep and was starving. He ate a few dry dates and didn't think much of it.

Seeing Wei Ting pick up his chopsticks and eat a piece of stewed, tender deer tendon, Ji Qingwu pursed her lips, walked over, and sat down opposite him.

Ji Qingwu picked up his ivory-colored chopsticks and took a dumpling from the shallow blue-and-white pottery plate.

Even if life is tough, you can't let your stomach suffer; you still have to eat.

Wei Ting watched in surprise as she put the dumpling into her mouth, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

Ji Qingwu took a bite before realizing something was wrong.

Wei Ting asked with a smile, "To have a child or not?"

"Madam is so thoughtful, wanting to make up for all the previous ceremonies."

He picked up the wine pot containing the nuptial wine and poured it into two jade cups: "How about we drink another cup of nuptial wine?"

Ji Qingwu covered her lips with a handkerchief, spat out the half-cooked dumpling, and ignored his self-delusion.

She picked up her chopsticks and took some other dishes, and the situation of not being able to eat recurred.

Seeing her eating with such focus, Wei Ting, who wasn't hungry at first, was also aroused and his appetite was whetted.

Inside the bridal chamber, the two remained silent for a moment, the only sound being the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

*

Zhaoyang Palace.

The black-clad guards of the Imperial City Guard diligently patrolled around the palace, ensuring that anyone who wanted to find out any news about Emperor Wusu returned empty-handed.

During this period, only the Empress Dowager and Princess Huachang went in twice.

Night was just beginning to fall.

Duan Mingfeng led a person wearing a black cloak that covered their entire face into Zhaoyang Palace.

Li Yuzong glanced warily outside the hall twice before closing the hall door.

After not seeing him for the past two days, the frown lines between Duan Mingfeng's brows have become even deeper.

He asked worriedly, "The master hasn't woken up yet. Has something happened?"

The man pulled off the hood that concealed his identity, revealing a handsome face; it was none other than Lu Juan, the heir of the Marquis of Zhongyong.

Lu Juan said, "I also find it strange. Logically speaking, the Emperor should have been awake long ago, so why is he still unconscious?"

Li Yuzong said in bewilderment, "These days, apart from Physician Chen and Miss Ji, no one else has come close to His Majesty. This old servant has been watching from the sidelines."

Duan Mingfeng looked at the bright candlelight in the hall.

"Xi Jin has made contact with the spies of the previous dynasty, and the secret guards have also found out the location of their rendezvous."

Everything in the previous dynasty was proceeding as Emperor Wusu had envisioned.

"But His Majesty still hasn't woken up." Duan Mingfeng said anxiously, "Lord Lu, is there something wrong with the breathing-preventing pills that Lexi gave us?"

Emperor Wusu was indeed seriously injured in the assassination attempt.

Although the assassins sent by Xijin were skilled in martial arts, Emperor Wusu had honed his agility on the battlefield over many years, and the arrow wound was only an inch from his heart meridian.

Moreover, the emperor practiced martial arts and built a foundation, so he had internal energy protecting him and wouldn't have been so easily seriously injured and died.

The moment he was struck by the arrow, Emperor Wusu had already planned his next move.

This stab wound must not be suffered in vain.

The renowned physician Le Xi of Lin'an once gave Emperor Wusu a pill that would cause him to fall into a coma and have a pulse as thin as a thread.

However, prolonged abstinence can be harmful to the body.

Therefore, one pill can only last for twenty hours.

What could be more convincing to these wolves of Xijin that the Northern Li regime was about to change, than the Northern Li emperor being shot by an arrow and falling to the ground in front of his ministers and assassins? That's why they all came out in droves.

After Emperor Wusu was assassinated, on his way back from the Temple of Emperors, Duan Mingfeng and Lu Juan stopped Ji Qingwu from seeing the Emperor at the palace gate, not wanting to waste any more time there.

They wanted to inform Xijin's spies as soon as possible that the Northern Li emperor's life was in danger, thus exposing their true intentions.

However, Emperor Wusu has not yet woken up. He is still lying quietly on the dragon bed, his handsome face pale and bloodless.

Lu Juan took out a yellow paper package from his pocket.

He whispered, "I'll go to the manor outside the city to find Doctor Yue and get the antidote. It's freshly made."

Duan Mingfeng said urgently, "Lord Lu, please give it to the master quickly."

"Eunuch Li, bring me a cup of water."

Li Yuzong brought over a kettle and a cup, but Lu Juan held onto the medicine packet and didn't hand it to Li Yuzong.

He frowned and said, "Doctor Le said he hasn't used this elixir in a long time and has long forgotten how to counteract it."

Upon hearing this, Duan Mingfeng was dumbfounded and asked, "Then... will this antidote actually work...?"

Li Yuzong's hand wobbled, and he almost dropped the cup on the ground.

"Your Majesty is of inestimable health and cannot be given any medicine without careful consideration, especially in these critical circumstances."

Lu Juan had asked Le Xi about this in detail, and he continued, "It can still be used, but there might be some side effects after using this antidote."

Duan Mingfeng pressed further, "What kind of aftereffects?"

Lu Juan said, "Doctor Yue said that this antidote will definitely neutralize the effects of the Breath-Avoiding Pill. He added several strong medicines, and His Majesty will surely wake up, but..."

He recounted what Lexi had said while lying in the rocking chair, fanning herself with a palm leaf fan, and munching on a melon.

"If the medicinal properties are too strong, it is very likely that the internal energy will be disordered when it is released from a certain part of the body. The internal energy will collide and it is unknown which part of the body will be damaged in the end."

Duan Mingfeng, Lu Juan, and Li Yuzong stood in front of the dragon bed, their gazes all fixed on the pale-faced Emperor Wusu.

For a moment, no one could make up their minds whether or not to administer the antidote to the emperor.

The group sighed simultaneously.

Li Yuzong frowned and said, "How about giving Doctor Le another day to develop a reliable antidote?"

At this moment, the palace doors were knocked on loudly.

The messenger from the post station brought news from the North.

After listening, the group looked at each other and immediately made a decision.