Eunuch Gao, looking flustered and in a hurry, presented an urgent report from Jiangnan to Emperor Wen. After Emperor Wen received the report, his originally calm face suddenly darkened, as if shrouded by a dark cloud.
At this moment, the court was completely silent, and the ministers dared not even breathe. Emperor Wen signaled Wen Yanghao to continue his report. Wen Yanghao pursed his lips and said in a trembling voice, "General An Junyuan of the An family army has been poisoned. His life or death is uncertain!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wen frowned slightly, raised his head and looked at Wen Yanghao, and asked, "The military affairs are far away from the capital and the situation is complicated. Where did you get this news, my dear Wen?"
Wen Yanghao replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, I have a distant cousin who runs a pharmacy in Nandu, where the troops are stationed. This has caused a great uproar in Nandu. He informed me of this via carrier pigeon and asked me to find a miracle doctor to treat General An!"
An Qingxuan, standing in the queue, was struck by the news as if struck by a bolt from the blue. He collapsed to the ground, his vision darkening. His already pale face had become even more bloodless, as if the light of life had completely drained from him.
When Emperor Wen saw this, he was horrified and shouted loudly: "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Help Lord An back to the side hall! Call the imperial physician to treat him immediately!" His voice was full of anxiety and concern, as if An Qingxuan's life and death was more important than his own.
Hearing Emperor Wen's order, the eunuchs around him didn't dare to delay. They quickly took action, nimbly lifting An Qingxuan and carefully walking towards the side hall. They knew that An Qingxuan held a very important position in Emperor Wen's heart. If anything happened to An Qingxuan, they, the servants, would probably be blamed.
Emperor Wen was extremely anxious. He followed the eunuchs closely and went to the side hall. Looking at An Qingxuan lying unconscious on the bed, Emperor Wen's brows furrowed even deeper. He prayed silently, hoping that An Qingxuan would be safe. At the same time, he kept urging the imperial physicians to find a way to cure An Qingxuan as soon as possible.
The imperial doctors were busy feeding An Qingxuan ginseng soup and pricking his acupuncture points with silver needles. After a long while, An Qingxuan slowly opened his eyes. He felt his body was extremely heavy, as if he was being pressed down by a mountain.
Emperor Wen was relieved to see An Qingxuan awake. He hurried to the bedside and comforted him, "My dear An, you're finally awake! I was so worried just now. But don't worry, Luo Xiaoliu has already revived Junyuan! I will thoroughly investigate this incident and bring justice to your family!"
An Qingxuan was overwhelmed with gratitude when he heard Emperor Wen's words. He forced himself to stand and tried to salute the emperor, but his strength was too great and he nearly fell. Emperor Wen quickly supported him and said with concern, "My dear An, you haven't recovered yet. There's no need to be so polite."
An Qingxuan's face was pale, and he said weakly: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern! The An family is grateful for your kindness this time. But... I am weak now and can no longer serve Your Majesty..." When he said this, he couldn't help but shed tears.
Emperor Wen patted An Qingxuan's hand and said gently, "My dear An, just focus on recuperating. Don't worry about other things. I will handle them properly. When you recover, I still have many important matters to discuss with you."
An Qingxuan nodded with emotion and expressed his gratitude to Emperor Wen once again. At this moment, his heart was filled with respect and loyalty for Emperor Wen. He secretly vowed to redouble his efforts in the future to repay Emperor Wen's kindness.
Emperor Wen looked at Eunuch Gao with a gloomy expression and ordered in a cold tone, "Give Minister An a seat in the main hall!"
Eunuch Gao did not dare to delay and quickly waved his hand to signal the eunuchs around him to take action. They quickly and carefully carried an exquisitely carved soft chair and placed it in the center of the hall.
After completing all this, Eunuch Gao personally stepped forward to support An Qingxuan and slowly escorted him back to the main hall. Throughout the process, Eunuch Gao appeared extremely cautious and respectful, as if he was afraid of making any mistakes.
Emperor Wen's face grew increasingly sullen. He clenched his fists tightly, glared at the soldier who had brought him the urgent report, and demanded in a stern voice, "Have they caught the person who poisoned them?"
The soldier trembled with fear at Emperor Wen's majesty, but he still replied with forced composure, "Your Majesty! The person who poisoned us is General An Junyuan's deputy, Liu Lin!"
Emperor Wen frowned even more deeply, and he asked, "Where is this person now?"
The soldier lowered his head and replied with a trembling voice, "Liulin has committed suicide by taking poison!"
Emperor Wen's heart surged with nameless anger. He gritted his teeth and continued to ask, "What poison did An Junyuan take?"
The soldier swallowed his saliva and uttered two words with difficulty: "Ge Du!"
At this moment, the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Luo Cheng, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty! Yesterday, I sealed off the mountainous land north of the capital. It's overgrown with kudzu vines! This mountain is owned by Tian Youhai, a wealthy businessman in the capital!"
These words were like a boulder dropped into a lake, stirring up a thousand waves. The court officials began to whisper, their gazes turning to Prime Minister Li Mingfu, who stood nearby. Everyone knew that Tian Youhai was related to the Prime Minister's wife, and Luo Cheng's accusation clearly pointed the finger directly at Prime Minister Li Mingfu.
Luo Cheng was originally a local judicial official with no connections, but his outstanding talent and upright character earned him the Emperor's recognition and he was directly promoted to Minister of Justice. He remained independent of all factions at court and devoted his life to Emperor Wen.
Emperor Wen looked at Li Mingfu sternly and asked sternly, "Prime Minister! I remember that Tian Youhai is your wife's cousin! What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Li Mingfu stepped out and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, if used alone, kudzu vine is an extremely toxic poison! However, if combined with other herbs, it becomes a highly effective wound remedy! The soldiers of Dazhao have long relied on Youli Kingdom's wound remedy, but this time, my cousin has signed an agreement with the Imperial Clinic, promising to supply kudzu vine for use in wound remedies!"
After Li Mingfu finished speaking, his eyes immediately fell on An Qingxuan who was sitting on the soft chair.
An Qingxuan seemed somewhat exhausted at this moment, but he still responded, "Your Majesty! It is indeed so! The Ministry of War has recorded this matter!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wen glanced at Kang Peiyi, the Minister of Revenue, who was standing beside the Third Prince. Seeing this, Kang Peiyi immediately stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty! According to investigations, the household registration of Liu Lin, the man who poisoned An Junyuan, shows that he and Madam Liu, the Empress's attendant, are actually aunt and nephew!"
These words were like a bombshell dropped into the court, causing an uproar. Officials whispered to each other, their shock palpable. The entire court was instantly thrown into chaos, the solemn atmosphere shattered.
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