Chapter 157: Forbidden Drug Wushisan
Zhen Fei looked at the nanny beside her, and the nanny immediately understood what she meant and walked outside.
When she saw the nanny returning with her head hung and looking dejected, Zhen Fei could no longer control her inner agitation. She waved her hand and pushed over the antique display stand beside her. Even though her fair face was scratched by the splashed porcelain pieces, she seemed not to notice.
The nanny knelt on the ground with a pale face, kowtowed repeatedly and cried out, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
The Queen slowed down her pace when she came out of Chaolu Palace, her eyes were red. If the palace ladies saw her, they would probably sigh at the Queen's sincerity towards His Majesty.
Only the nanny beside the queen understood that her queen was happy.
"Madame Liu, let's go and see our wise emperor."
Nanny Liu nodded her head and followed slowly towards the Emperor's bedroom.
At this time, the person on the dragon bed had a flushed face and closed eyes. A dozen imperial doctors were kneeling beside him, taking his pulse in turns and feeling trembling with fear.
When the Queen arrived, she heard the doctors whispering something in the Prince's ear. She looked at the nanny beside her and nervously clenched the beads in her hand.
Nanny Liu stepped forward and helped the empress slowly walk to the side of the prince.
"Your Highness, I wonder if there is any serious problem with His Majesty's body?"
Luo Jin'an took a deep look at the empress and said calmly, "The imperial physician said that your Majesty's anger triggered the poison in his body. It seems that the harem is not clean."
The Queen struggled to lean on Nanny Liu. For some reason she had the illusion that the person in front of her saw through her.
Luo Jinan shifted his gaze away from the Queen and turned to call the guards.
"Your Majesty has been poisoned over time. It must have been done by someone who is always close to you. Take all the attendants away for questioning, and then search—"
Luo Jinan glanced at the empress beside him and said slowly, "Chaolu Palace."
The queen watched the guards leave after receiving her orders, and then she breathed a sigh of relief.
Luo Jin'an looked at Doctor Yu and said coldly, "Your Majesty takes Ping'an's pulse every day, why didn't you find out that he was poisoned before?"
Several doctors knelt on the ground and replied in trembling voices: "Five months ago, for some reason, His Majesty refused to take his pulse..."
Luo Jinan fell silent after hearing what Doctor Yu said. For a moment, the only sound he could hear was the heavy breathing of the person on the bed.
At this time, the guards who went to search the Chaolu Palace came in with a square box.
"Your Highness, this is something I dug out from under the plum tree in Chaolu Palace. I don't know what it is."
A doctor took the box, opened it and took a look, his face changed.
"Your Highness... this... this is the forbidden drug Wu Shi San."
Not only Luo Jin'an, but also the Queen looked at the wooden box in shock. How could Concubine Zhen be so bold as to secretly give His Majesty the forbidden drug? No, if His Majesty knew about it, then it would explain why he refused to ask Doctor Yu to check his pulse.
Luo Jinan looked at the person on the dragon bed and felt very sad. The reason why Wu Shi San became a banned drug was because the nobles of the previous dynasty became addicted to it, which eventually led to corruption and misery in the previous dynasty, and finally the world was seized by the Taizu of the current dynasty.
As the saying goes, what goes up comes down. Does he want Sheng Dynasty to be like the previous one?
"Is there any way to cure your Majesty's poison now?"
Doctor Yu shook his head. "Your Majesty's body is already at the end of its strength. I'm afraid... I'm afraid it won't last more than three months."
Luo Jin'an took one last look at the person on the dragon bed and said in a cold voice: "Then all the doctors should do their best. Your Majesty's anger has damaged his heart and he needs to rest. No one is allowed to see the emperor without my order."
All the doctors and palace maids knelt on the ground and nodded their heads in agreement. As people who make a living in the deep palace, they are all very shrewd and know very well that the fact that Your Majesty took the Five-Stone Powder will rot in their hearts and they must not reveal even a little bit of it.
The empress followed Luo Jin'an out of the bedroom, keeping a distance from him, one in front and one behind, until they turned into the palace road, and Luo Jin'an stopped.
The queen turned the beads in her hand and walked forward after hesitating for a moment. Luo Jinan looked at the palace wall in the distance, wondering what he was thinking.
"From today on, I hope your Majesty will behave herself. This is the only time Xihe will show her favor."
The queen looked at the prince walking away and raised her voice, "Your Majesty is not feeling well. I will close the palace and pray for your Majesty."
Luo Jinan paused, and finally walked away without saying anything.
Madam Liu looked at the empress worriedly, "Your Majesty, what should we do next?"
"Didn't I tell you to pray for your majesty?" The queen looked up at the azure sky and said with a smile, "Mammy, it's a really nice day today. Let's go back and weed the grass in front of the palace."
"Yes, Madam, let's go back."
When the Queen returned to Fengyi Palace, Luo Xihe was sitting in her palace eating snacks. Looking at her daughter's bulging cheeks, she smiled softly.
Luo Xihe looked up and saw his mother standing at the palace gate and went to greet her happily. Then he remembered something and lowered his raised lip.
"Mother, is Father feeling better?"
The Queen took Luo Xihe's hand and said softly, "Your father was too heartbroken and injured his heart. He needs to rest. From today on, you and your mother will pray for your father in the small Buddhist temple behind the palace."
Although Luo Xihe was unwilling in her heart, she said nothing in the end. She had never visited her father once since returning to the palace, because she still had resentment in her heart until today.
The last thing the empress did before closing the palace was to ask Madam Liu to take people to Chaolu Palace to present a three-foot white silk to Concubine Zhen. All the attendants around Concubine Zhen were beaten to death with sticks.
The empress knew very well that Luo Jin'an would not let Concubine Zhen live beyond this day, but as the crown prince, if Luo Jin'an sentenced a concubine to death, it would surely cause criticism from the previous dynasty. Although as the empress she had no legitimate reason to sentence Concubine Zhen to death at this time, she was not afraid of being criticized.
She just wanted Luo Jin'an to owe her this favor. Since Xihe only showed favor once, she would do it again for her daughter. She only hoped that the prince would take care of Xihe after he succeeded to the throne.
Luo Xihe was a little worried when he saw his mother acting a little different today.
"Mother, what happened?"
The queen shook her head, adjusted the hairpin on her daughter's head, and said with a smile, "My daughter has grown up so fast. In a few months, it will be her coming-of-age ceremony. I wonder what kind of husband she will find."
Luo Xihe said somewhat shyly: "I won't look for one. From now on, I will stay in the palace with my mother and won't go anywhere else."
The queen looked at her childish daughter and said nothing, but just smiled and tapped her nose.
As the empress had expected, Luo Jinan sent people to Chaolu Palace. However, when they arrived at the palace, they saw Concubine Zhen hanging from the beam and the bloodstains in front of the palace gate that had not been cleaned up yet.
When Luo Jin'an received the news, he guessed who did it and also knew what the other party wanted.
He walked along the corridor of the East Palace and looked towards the direction of the imperial city gate. As long as he walked out along this road, he would be able to find his Nian Nian, but now he was trapped here and could not go anywhere. He and the empress were not similar at all. They could only be bound by fate and move forward.