"Just say what you have to say. Why beat around the bush like this? Do you think I'm going to punish you?"

Xiao Dezi then spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, he certainly wouldn't dare to do it openly, but we still have to be wary of it secretly, especially regarding certain foods."

Moreover, we should pretend we don't know what the Crown Prince said in the letter for the time being.

The Emperor nodded. "That's true. Keep a close eye on him when he comes tomorrow. Don't give him a chance to make a move."

The emperor was filled with unease, feeling that something bad was about to happen at any moment.

Suddenly, I thought of the Empress. "Xiao Dezi, go and tell the Empress that she doesn't need to come for the next few days. She's not feeling well and should rest more."

Xiao Dezi immediately went over. He knew exactly what the emperor meant: to make the empress feign illness and stay in her palace for the next few days.

The next day, since the Prince of Xiaoyao always held a banquet upon returning to the capital, more than half of the ministers stayed behind for the banquet after the morning court session.

At the luncheon, Prince Xiaoyao held up a wine cup and was about to toast the emperor, saying, "Brother, I hope our friendship will last forever, and that our great dynasty will prosper forever."

As he spoke, he stood up and went to the head seat, raising his wine glass high.

The emperor nervously touched his wine cup to the emperor's before drinking it down in one gulp.

Unexpectedly, he started to feel pain shortly after drinking it.

"Your Majesty, I heard that you have recently been granted the title of a princess. I wonder if I may meet her tomorrow?"

Upon hearing this, Lord Zeng chimed in, "It is only natural that the Prince of Xiaoyao would want to see the newly appointed princess upon returning to the capital."

The emperor, sitting at the head of the table, felt an indescribable discomfort all over his body, and a lump of blood was stuck in his throat.

"Since you wish to see the young princess, it wouldn't be unreasonable to arrange a meeting at the family banquet tomorrow."

Seeing that the emperor was already pale, the carefree prince knew he could no longer stay. Since his goal had been achieved, he got up to take his leave.

After he left, some ministers began to attack the carefree king.

"Your Majesty, this Prince Xiaoyao is far too presumptuous."

"Yes, His Majesty returned to the capital without saying a word. If any other general had done such a thing, they would have been exiled and their property confiscated."

The people below were still talking amongst themselves, saying that the carefree king was acting against the rules.

Xiao Dezi, standing to the side, grew nervous, noticing that the emperor's expression was not good.

These clueless fools didn't dare to speak up when the carefree king was around, but started complaining after he left.

If you're so capable, why don't you attack him in front of the carefree king? What's the point of attacking him behind his back?

"puff!"

"emperor".

Suddenly, the emperor on the high seat vomited a mouthful of black blood.

Xiao Dezi was immediately alarmed and rushed to support him.

The ministers below were all startled!

"Your Majesty, quickly, summon the imperial physician."

The scene below was chaotic. Xiao Dezi then waved his hand and said, "This matter must not be leaked today. Anyone who violates this rule will be executed immediately. Alright, all ministers, go back to the Emperor. This old servant will serve you here."

When Eunuch De spoke, all the ministers withdrew, but each of them had mixed feelings.

The current emperor is virtuous and works for the country and its people.

These ministers lived relatively comfortably, at least they wouldn't lose their lives at any time because the emperor was a tyrant.

But if it were the Prince of Xiaoyao, things might be different. From the very beginning, while the late emperor was still alive, the Prince of Xiaoyao had always wanted to seize the throne.

At that time, apart from the three confidants of the Prince of Xiaoyao, the entire court was biased towards the current emperor.

If the carefree prince were to ascend the throne, his first priority would be to completely overhaul the entire court.

They are all in the same boat, one by one.

The crown prince is still young, so the emperor must not be in danger at this time.

Everyone in the emperor's palace was in a flurry of activity when the imperial concubine rushed over.

"The Imperial Physician is treating His Majesty, Your Highness. Please wait a moment."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, how are you? Let me go in and serve you."

He was about to go in when he was stopped by Eunuch De, who was guarding the door.

The Imperial Concubine slapped Xiao Dezi across the face, saying, "You dog servant, how dare you block my path?"

The maid behind him shoved Eunuch De aside, saying, "You've been serving the Emperor for so long, you really think of yourself as the master."

"He's nothing but a dog, yet he dares to block the Imperial Concubine's path! Guards, drag him away and give him fifty lashes!"

The two men who came to take Eunuch De away were shocked. They never expected that the Imperial Concubine would be so ruthless.

Putting aside the fact that Grandpa De is old, even a strong laborer couldn't withstand 50 strokes of the cane.

"Your Highness, I am, after all, the Emperor's person. Even if he wants to beat or kill me, it is up to the Emperor to decide. How dare you, a mere concubine of the harem, interfere?"

Upon hearing this, the two men who had originally intended to come up and arrest the person stopped in their tracks.

"You all just keep a close watch on this gate. No one is allowed to disturb us without the Emperor's decree."

Eunuch De ordered the chief eunuch to lead men to surround the gate completely.

Xiao Dezi wasn't stupid. This woman wasn't as simple as she seemed. She might be in cahoots with Xiaoyao Wang.

Otherwise, how could it be? She knew something had happened to the emperor as soon as the ministers left.

Without even seeing the emperor, they were shouting at the door, asking how the emperor was doing. Anyone with eyes could see what was going on.

Not to mention that all the servants present had not left, and these ministers had just left, it was even more impossible for them to inform the Imperial Concubine so quickly.

The fact that this imperial concubine was able to arrive at the emperor's bedchamber from the West Palace so quickly indicates that she already knew about this event.

He dared not take the risk of letting the imperial concubine in, regardless of the possibility, as the emperor was still diagnosing the situation and it was unknown what was going on.

"Very well, I'd like to see who dares to stop me today."

As she spoke, she tried to barge inside, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for us servants. Otherwise, you can only blame yourselves for being rude."

He then gave a wink to the chief eunuch and the others, and the man who had been blocking the door drew his sword from his waist.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me."

As he spoke, the guards held up their swords in front of the Imperial Concubine.

"Very well, I will remember what Eunuch De did today."

"I'd like to see how long you can remain arrogant."

After uttering those harsh words, the imperial concubine turned and left. The imperial physicians in the room all stepped forward to take her pulse, but in the end, they all shook their heads.

When Eunuch De entered, he saw the imperial physicians shaking their heads and sighing, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Your Majesty, the poison His Majesty planted is the Golden Flower Poison from the Western Regions, also known as the incurable poison."

In the Western Regions, it is also known as the "King of Hell Flower." There are no known cases of anyone recovering from it, and the poison does not kill immediately.

At first, he was able to remain conscious, until later he could only cling to life and died in agony.

Xiao Dezi was furious when he heard this.

He was also trying to recall exactly when the carefree prince had committed this heinous act. He thought about it over and over again, and apart from the moment the prince touched his cup with the emperor's when he was toasting him, there was nothing else unusual.

That's probably when the poison was administered.

The Crown Prince had previously neutralized the slow-acting poison in the Emperor's body, and the matter was kept secret. However, the Carefree Prince suddenly came up with the treacherous idea of ​​poisoning the Emperor again.

It seems that the Emperor's previous slow-acting poison has been neutralized, and the carefree prince has already learned of this.

Just when everyone was at a loss, the Empress arrived late.

"Xiao Dezi, what's going on here?"

Before the Empress arrived, she had only come to the Imperial Study after being told by her maid that the ministers had already left. She never expected to be stopped by the people outside.

Helplessly, he called out to Xiao Dezi inside.

Upon hearing that it was the Empress outside, Xiao Dezi quickly came out to invite her in, for with the Empress by his side, he felt reassured.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has been poisoned by the Prince of Xiaoyao, and there is no antidote..."

Upon hearing this news, the Empress staggered back two steps.