Spring Morning Palace.
It was late at night, all insects were silent, and the candlelight flickered.
An old man and a young boy sat on a beautifully carved golden nanmu couch, resembling the Yang Guifei couch.
The old man had white hair but a youthful face and was full of energy. The woman was beautiful and possessed an air of imperial majesty.
The two men were none other than the old man who had just met Yun Zhang in the side hall, Zhang Jing, the medical sage of the Great Xuan Dynasty, and his granddaughter, Zhao Zhi, the current empress of the Yun Dynasty.
"Grandpa, I feel so bad that you've come all this way, going through so much trouble." Zhao Zhi's voice was soft, tinged with guilt. She gently held Zhang Jing's hands, which were marked by the passage of time, her eyes glistening with tears.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jing gently patted Zhao Zhi's hand, his eyes filled with tenderness and reluctance. He turned slightly to the side, carefully examining his granddaughter, who had grown into a graceful young woman, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
“Zhizhi, you’ve grown up. You’ve not only grown taller, but you’ve also lost a lot of weight. The burden on your shoulders must be even heavier now.” Zhang Jing’s voice choked up as he said this. He knew that as the Empress, Zhao Zhi’s pressure and responsibility were far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
Zhao Zhi nodded slightly. She understood the principle that one who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight.
“Grandfather, the reason I have invited you to Dunyang City is because my brother’s poison is too difficult to treat. The imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital are all helpless, and my brother’s life is hanging by a thread. I had no choice but to ask you to come out of retirement.” Zhao Zhi took a deep breath and composed himself.
She took a deep breath and continued, "However, I didn't tell Prince Yi about this. I just wanted to use this opportunity to test whether he was truly loyal to me. To tell you the truth, today in the Imperial Study, Yun Zhang asked me to make him the Imperial Noble Consort, and I agreed on the spot. Prince Yi's power in the court is too great. If he can't become my capable assistant, he'll be a big problem. For the stability of the Yun Dynasty, I must find a way to get rid of him. Let's see if he can help me at a crucial moment."
After hearing this, Zhang Jing narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled, saying, "Zhizhi has really grown up, and is considering things more and more thoroughly. Remember, you can't judge a book by its cover, and you must always leave yourself a way out. The human heart is the hardest to fathom, and the world is ever-changing, so you must be careful with every step you take."
“The old man has carefully examined Shenghe’s illness,” Zhang Jing comforted her. “You don’t need to worry too much. The situation isn’t that bad, but it’s not that optimistic either. Back then, my medical skills were on par with Senior Brother Li’s, but his medical skills were cunning and his personality was ruthless. Later, he was expelled from our sect by our master. By chance, he infiltrated Yunluo and became a military doctor.”
He's the one who developed the Hidden Poison. It's a very strange poison, but fortunately, I've learned a bit about his methods over the years. I'll try several antidotes to see which one works best. Actually, Yunzhang isn't a bad kid at heart.”
Zhao Zhi was somewhat surprised when her grandfather suddenly mentioned Yun Zhang. She looked at Zhang Jing questioningly, "Grandfather?"
In my second year at Yunluo, Senior Brother Li made a mistake while treating an officer and wrote to me, asking me to rescue him. Remembering our past camaraderie, I went to Yunluo, where I met Xiao Yunzhang, whom Senior Brother Li was using as a medicine puppet. I found the child clever and bright, and took a liking to him. So I secretly prepared another poison for him, called 'Anti-Gate.' This poison, taken alone, is considered poison, but when taken with 'Hidden Nether,' they counteract each other, creating a delicate balance.
"Does Grandfather mean that Yunzhang has been soaked in Hidden Poison by the military doctors ever since he was sent to Yunluo?" Zhao Zhi stared wide-eyed in disbelief, her face full of astonishment, clearly finding it hard to accept this fact.
Zhang Jing sighed almost imperceptibly, a hint of helplessness and sorrow flashing in his eyes. He nodded slightly and said, "That's exactly right." Zhao Zhi's heart trembled; she couldn't believe this cruel truth. The image of Xiao Yunzhang's unbearable suffering flashed through her mind, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
"Then he—he—" Zhao Zhi hesitated, her voice trembling as she asked, "How did he survive the onset of the poison before he met his grandfather?"
She couldn't imagine the torment and suffering Yunzhang had gone through as a child.
Zhang Jing paused for a moment, then slowly said, "For years, Yun Zhang has been taking the antidote given to him by his maternal grandfather. However, in the past, it was always his grandfather who sent people to Yun Dynasty. Senior Brother Li was unaware that I had altered his drug-using person. Since Yun Zhang hadn't died, Senior Brother Li assumed that his antidote had been successfully developed. That's why he offered Yin You to Yun Shu. Yun Shu's use of such a vicious drug to control people is utterly despicable!"
At this point, Zhang Jing suddenly stopped. "Speaking of which, it's been quite a while since I've seen my senior brother Li." He turned to Zhao Zhi. "Zhizhi, Yunluo has been forgotten by Yun Shu for over ten years. Given my senior brother Li's personality, I wonder what it's become. Yunluo, it's either conquered or destroyed. Make up your mind, and once your grandfather has refined the antidote for Shenghe, we'll go to Yunluo together."
"Should we bring Yunzhang along?" Zhao Zhi asked subconsciously. "Yunzhang was used as a drug by Old Li, he must hate him terribly. Whether I subdue Yunluo or destroy him, let Yunzhang, the Prince of Yi, be the pawn. He has a better reason to act than I do." Saying this, Zhao Zhi smiled slightly, hugged Zhang Jing's arm and said coquettishly, "Grandpa, isn't what Zhizhi said right?"
Zhang Jing was somewhat surprised that his little granddaughter had so many schemes, but at the same time he felt gratified.
He smiled and nodded, indicating his agreement with Zhao Zhi's idea. Then, he couldn't help but let out a big yawn, which made Zhao Zhi laugh.
Zhao Zhi gently stood up, walked to the door, and instructed the palace maid to lead her grandfather to a side hall that had been prepared in advance to rest. Afterward, she returned to the bedside and sat down, looking at the bright moon hanging high in the sky outside the window, her mind filled with many thoughts.
Although it was late at night, she was wide awake, her mind filled with various plans and strategies.
She knew that the next move required careful and meticulous planning. Neither subduing Yun Luo nor destroying him would be an easy task.
But she believed that as long as she was smart, brave, and decisive enough, she would definitely be able to achieve her goal. Thinking of this, her eyes became firm and confident, as if she could already see the victory in the future.
"Brother, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of Yunchao for you."
Zhao Zhi fell into a deep sleep.
She didn't know how long she had slept when she suddenly felt a gaze upon her. Instinct drove her to wake up abruptly, but she didn't immediately open her eyes. At the same time, under the cover of darkness, she quietly took out several silver needles from a cloth bag on the inside of the bed.
If the other party takes another step forward, she will definitely stab that person to death!
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