Zong Jiu naturally didn't understand Xuan Yuan Yu's intentions either, and only frowned and guessed: "Your Highness, you went into the national treasury at midnight the day before yesterday and took the snow silkworm. Moreover, you only took the snow silkworm. The next day, which was yesterday morning, you fainted during the morning court. This old servant is wondering if Your Majesty's tuberculosis is related to that snow silkworm?"
These words were like a wake-up call. Xuan Yuanpeng immediately thought of the entanglement between the Southern Frontier Saintess and Xuan Yuanyu when she lived in the palace. He was shocked and said, "Quickly, go and summon Hang Yuqing to me."
"Yes." Zong Jiu immediately bowed and withdrew.
Hang Yuqing was brewing medicine for Xuanyuan Peng in the small kitchen of Chengqian Palace.
"Chief Physician Hang, His Majesty summons you."
Upon hearing that the Emperor wanted to see him, Hang Yuqing immediately found a reliable imperial physician to replace him, and then hurriedly went to the main hall.
Before entering the main hall, Zong Jiu pulled Hang Yuqing aside and whispered in his ear what had just happened.
Hang Yuqing felt as if she had been enlightened after hearing this.
The Third Prince went into the national treasury in the middle of the night the night before last and took away the snow silkworm presented by the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang. Could it be that the Emperor's fainting was related to that snow silkworm?
That shouldn't be the case. Snow silkworms are clearly a treasure of southern Xinjiang with extremely high medicinal value. How could they possibly harm a person's body?
Hang Yuqing entered the main hall with her mind completely blank.
"Cough cough..."
Upon entering the hall, Hang Yuqing heard Xuan Yuanpeng's violent coughing, and a sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart once again.
He was truly incompetent; not only could he not cure the emperor's tuberculosis, but he could not even alleviate his suffering!
"Your Majesty." Hang Yuqing entered the inner room and bowed to Xuan Yuanpeng.
Xuanyuan Peng struggled to lift his eyes and waved to him.
Hang Yuqing immediately stepped forward.
“Zong Jiu just said… cough cough… about the snow silkworm…” Xuan Yuanpeng wanted to talk to Hang Yuqing about the snow silkworm, but he couldn’t get out a complete sentence and just kept coughing.
"Your Majesty." Hang Yuqing hurriedly stepped forward with her medicine box, took out silver needles, and gave Xuan Yuanpeng two acupuncture treatments.
Xuanyuan Peng felt a little better and said, panting, "There might be something wrong with the snow silkworms that the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang presented."
Hang Yuqing quickly replied, "Eunuch Jiu just told me that the Third Prince took the Snow Silkworm from the national treasury. But as far as I know, the Snow Silkworm of the Southern Frontier is a precious and sacred medicine with extremely high medicinal value. Even if the Third Prince took it, it shouldn't be able to harm His Majesty!"
Snow silkworms are medicine, not poison!
How could the Third Prince use snow silkworms to harm the Emperor? He really couldn't understand it.
“Unless…” Hang Yuqing suddenly thought of a possibility.
"Unless what?" Xuanyuan Peng asked, panting heavily.
Zong Jiu also looked at Hang Yuqing with curiosity.
"Unless that snow silkworm is fake, if it were real, it certainly wouldn't be able to repay the Emperor. So if the Emperor's tuberculosis is related to that snow silkworm, then that snow silkworm must be fake!"
This result was deduced by Hang Yuqing, and now all the evidence proves that the Emperor's tuberculosis is related to the Third Prince.
The reason why the Third Prince was able to cause the Emperor to contract tuberculosis without anyone noticing was most likely due to the snow silkworm, which is why he made this deduction.
Xuanyuan Peng agreed with this conclusion.
Even Zong Jiu thought that the snow silkworm was very likely fake: "After the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang presented that snow silkworm, she had the servants send it to the national treasury. She did not send anyone to check its authenticity. Now no one can be sure whether the snow silkworm is real or fake."
Xuanyuan Peng frowned. He hadn't cared what gifts the Southern Frontier sent back then.
Whether it's a snow silkworm or an ice silkworm, he has no use for it anyway, so he doesn't care whether it's real or fake.
"If the snow silkworm is truly fake, then my sudden onset of tuberculosis is inextricably linked to that Southern Frontier Saintess. That woman's purpose in coming to Eastern Chu is impure, and her intentions are despicable!"
Thinking that the Southern Frontier Saintess came to Eastern Chu to kill him, Xuanyuan Peng was so angry that he pounded the bed.
"Cough cough cough cough..." Xuanyuan Peng coughed violently again, seemingly due to overexertion.
Seeing this, Zong Jiu hurriedly stepped forward to comfort Xuan Yuanpeng, saying with concern, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. You must take care of your health!"
Hang Yuqing never expected that the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier would be so treacherous, traveling all the way to their Eastern Chu to harm their Emperor. She truly deserves to die!
Hang Yuqing thought of the most terrifying aspect of the people of Southern Xinjiang: "I've heard that the people of Southern Xinjiang are skilled in Gu poison. The Emperor's pulse doesn't seem to indicate poisoning, so perhaps it's related to the Gu poison from Southern Xinjiang?"
Upon hearing Hang Yuqing's words, Xuan Yuanpeng was instantly terrified.
As the emperor of Eastern Chu, he had naturally heard of the power of Gu magic in the southern borderlands long ago.
It is said that people from southern Xinjiang can remotely control those afflicted by Gu poison through Gu magic, and there was even a time when a person from southern Xinjiang used Gu magic to destroy a country.
That's why outsiders are so terrified when they hear about the Gu techniques of the Southern Frontier.
Zong Jiu was unaware of so many of the Gu techniques from the Southern Frontier. Upon hearing that Hang Yuqing seemed to have found the cause of Xuan Yuanpeng's illness, he quickly asked, "Does Headmaster Hang know anything about Gu techniques?"
Hang Yuqing shook his head, then bowed to Xuan Yuanpeng with shame: "I am ashamed. I have been practicing medicine for many years, but I have never studied Gu magic."
Zong Jiu became anxious upon hearing this: "Then what do we do now? Even if we know that the Emperor has been poisoned by a curse, we can't find a way to cure it."
Hang Yuqing frowned: "I've heard that there are many highly skilled doctors in Zhongzhou, including the Luo Shenyi from Baihua Valley, whose medical skills are exceptional. I wonder if they have any way to cure the Gu."
Seemingly clinging to a lifeline, Zong Jiu asked urgently, "Does Chief Physician Hang know this Divine Physician Luo?"
Hang Yuqing's face stiffened, and he shook his head again in shame: "I have only heard of him, and I do not know him."
Zong Jiu was extremely disappointed. After thinking for a moment, he said, "This old servant will immediately send someone to Zhongzhou to find that Divine Physician Luo."
Xuanyuan Peng, however, seemed to have seen through it all, and waved his hand, saying, "Forget it, Zhongzhou is a hundred and eight thousand miles away from here. Let alone whether we can find this so-called divine doctor, the round trip alone will take two or three months. I don't even know if we can survive until the month when the food is ready, or if we can wait for that divine doctor to arrive."
Seeing Xuan Yuanpeng's self-destructive attitude, Zong Jiu felt very sorry for him: "Your Majesty, please don't think like that. We've finally made some progress, we certainly can't give up like this!"
As Zong Jiu was speaking, he suddenly thought of something and excitedly said, "That's right, if the Third Prince planted this Gu worm, then the Third Prince must know something."
"Your Majesty, should we arrest the Third Prince and interrogate him?" Zong Jiu tentatively suggested.
Hang Yuqing's eyes lit up; this was indeed a good idea.
Since the Third Prince was able to successfully cast the Gu poison, he might have a way to remove it.
Xuan Yuanpeng narrowed his eyes menacingly: "Xuan Yuanyu will definitely be investigated, but not now!"
He kept him around to see what kind of trouble he could cause!
Moreover, he now needs him to keep the second son in check, and he doesn't want to disrupt the current balance before Zhan'er returns to the capital.
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