Chapter 578 Taking the Golden Elixir Again
Emperor An sat on the edge of the bed, his emaciated body feeling extremely weak. He longed for the contents of the brocade box, and even more so for the incomparable pleasure that would come from taking it.
During this period of time, he tried his best to control himself and not touch this thing again, but the helplessness he felt when he was suppressed by Xiao Yan just now, and the disrespectful looks from the ministers in the court, all made him feel a rage that had not appeared for a long time.
When the addiction that had previously disappeared rose up, it overwhelmed all his rationality like a tide.
Emperor An's face twisted a little bit, and his eyes turned red as he stared at the brocade box.
"Jiang Tian said that this thing is a tonic, but it's not advisable to take too much..."
"If you use less, it shouldn't be a problem..."
I don’t know whether I am convincing others or myself.
Emperor An muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. He hesitantly reached out to open the lid of the brocade box, looking at the dozens of finger-sized golden pills lying inside that had not been taken. There was only a moment of struggle in his eyes before his hand fell on them.
"Just a little, just a little to refresh yourself..."
He needs to keep a clear mind and have enough energy to deal with the current situation in the court.
If he was always lacking in energy, how could he be able to defeat Xiao Yan?
As long as he could capture Xiao Yan, as long as he could take back the power of the government, completely depose the crown prince, and save himself from his current dilemma, he would never touch this thing again, and let Jiang Tian use acupuncture and medicine to completely stop him from taking this medicine!
Emperor An seemed to have convinced himself, and he no longer hesitated when he held the golden elixir in his hand.
He placed the golden elixir on the brocade handkerchief, took down the short dagger hanging beside it, and scraped out some of the golden elixir with trembling hands. He stopped after taking less than a quarter of it.
He poured the powder into his mouth mixed with water, and the familiar taste seemed to activate his body.
The dagger in Emperor An's hand fell to the ground with a "bang". He leaned against the edge of the bed, his hands and feet trembling slightly. A blush appeared on his originally sickly pale face. He closed his eyes and let out a low moan...
…
Feng Lai heard the faint sounds coming from inside. He walked in quietly, extinguished the lit incense burner with tea, and then took the small incense burner out covering it with his wide sleeves.
"His Majesty has gone to bed due to illness. I will go to the Forbidden Garden. You two should stay here and make sure no one disturbs His Majesty's rest."
"Yes, Eunuch Feng."
Feng Lai closed the hall door and turned to leave.
A young eunuch followed him closely in front of the palace. After they left the Imperial Dragon Terrace and turned the corner of the Imperial Garden Corridor, Feng Lai handed the incense burner in his sleeve to the young eunuch and said, "Clean up the contents so no one notices."
The young eunuch quickly put away the incense burner and whispered, "When Commander Liu left just now, he had a serious wound on his forehead and seemed dissatisfied with Your Majesty."
Feng Lai shook his head. "I've inquired with His Majesty, and he seems to have some leverage over Liu Tongen, so he's not afraid of his betrayal at all."
Feng Lai recalled the disdain Emperor An showed when he mentioned Liu Tong'en just now. It didn't seem like he was so arrogant and conceited that he looked down on Liu Tong'en. Instead, it seemed like he was so sure of something. No matter how he treated Liu Tong'en, he would never betray him.
Feng Lai waved to the person next to him and whispered a few words in his ear.
"Go ahead, but be careful not to attract anyone's attention."
"I understand."
The young eunuch bowed his head, turned around and retreated. Feng Lai stood in the corridor, staring at the plants in the imperial garden that had withered as winter approached and no longer had the splendor of spring and summer. He was stunned for a moment, as if he was recalling the high spirits when Emperor An ascended the throne.
Although Emperor An used despicable means to deal with Crown Prince Li at that time and joined forces with the Lu family to destroy the He family, he also had great ambitions after he ascended the throne and devoted himself to state affairs, wanting to become a wise ruler and prove that he was not inferior to the previous crown prince and that it was Emperor Taizu who was partial to him.
But why did it become like this?
Feng Lai looked at the dead trees and branches in silence for a long time before he couldn't help but laugh at himself.
What changes?
Their Majesty has been like this since he first started plotting to take the throne. He has never changed from the beginning to the end.
However, when he was firmly seated on the throne and held great power, he was still able to hide his inherent meanness with a sense of righteousness. But once he fell from a high position and fell into trouble, his true colors were revealed.
Is it any wonder that the man who agreed to massacre the city and burn down Rongjiang would collude with the rebels regardless of the precarious situation of the Wei Dynasty?
Feng Lai put away the complexity on his face and his expression returned to indifference, without even the last trace of pity left.
When he turned and left, the cold wind of late autumn blew up the fallen leaves on the ground, leaving only the coldness.
…
While Emperor An was "having fun" in his bedroom, Xiao Yan, General Yin, Marquis Wenxin and others had already discussed the itinerary of the army heading south to quell the rebellion. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue worked together to prepare military supplies and food, and the Ministry of Rites followed the Crown Prince to issue an imperial edict to mobilize troops. Marquis Wenxin and others dispatched troops, and dispatched 50,000 troops from the capital and the Lu'an garrison near the capital, and set out south four days later.
There was no one in front of the emperor, and Emperor An was "sick and weak", but the task of suppressing the rebellion could not be delayed.
After the Ministry of Rites drafted the edict, the Crown Prince stamped it, and the two regent ministers Liang Guangyi and Cao Dejiang signed their names, they ordered people to pass the imperial edict down, just as Emperor An had instructed after waking up. The process was carried out with extreme skill, as if no one had forgotten that there was still a legitimate emperor in the court.
It was just getting dark when they entered the palace, and by the time they came out, the dawn was already visible outside.
A ray of morning light suddenly tore through the dark night sky. Not to mention Liang Guangyi, Cao Dejiang and others, even several young court officials could not help but look tired.
As the war was about to break out, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War were the busiest. Qian Baokun and the Minister of Revenue, Yan Bai, said a few words to a few people, then hurriedly left and returned to the yamen to prepare all the things needed for the war. Before leaving, Qian Baokun also pulled Xiao Yan aside.
"You've also seen the Ministry of Revenue's account books. I'm afraid the food and fodder won't be enough for this war..."
"Uncle will first send what he can take out to the military camp, and others will make up for the rest for you."
Qian Baokun thought Xiao Yan was talking about him, so he breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I'll be leaving first. Be careful too." He glanced back at the palace, disgust in his eyes. "His Majesty is acting like a madman right now, trying every possible way to cause trouble for you. Be careful."
Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Okay."
Qian Baokun left in a hurry.
Xiao Yan watched Liang Guangyi and the others leave. He turned around and called out, "Grand Tutor Liang."
Liang Guangyi's eyelids jumped, and when he was forced to stop, his face was full of defense: "What do you want, Duke Dingguo?"
Xiao Yan raised his lips: "It's not really an order, I'm just reminding you to walk slower so you don't have to look back later."
Liang Guangyi was stunned and was about to ask Xiao Yan what he meant.
Then I heard someone approaching quickly from behind and calling out "Master Liang" from afar.
Liang Guangyi turned around and saw the young eunuch trotting towards him. "Teacher Liang, wait a minute. His Majesty has ordered you to go to the Imperial Dragon Terrace."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com