Qi Zhong replied, "The King of Qin is still bedridden and recuperating. According to the Imperial Physician, he refuses to take herbal medicine and instead takes pills every day. Those pills are indeed somewhat effective; the King of Qin seems to be in better spirits and no longer suffers from pain day and night. However, the medicine is too strong, and if this continues, his health will be completely ruined."
However, the Imperial Physician dared not tell these things to the King of Qin, and would only tell the truth when Qi Zhong asked him.
But Qi Zhong was the emperor's man and knew the emperor's thoughts best, so why would he say anything out of turn?
Upon hearing this, Emperor Cheng'an indeed showed a thoughtful expression and said, "If the Prince of Qin wants to eat, then let him be. I'll go and see him." He looked at his second son kneeling in the hall, sighed, and said, "You should go back first. We'll discuss the assassin matter later. Let me think about it some more."
King Chen thought his plea for justice had worked, and a look of joy appeared on his face. He then obediently withdrew.
Emperor Cheng'an ordered his carriage to be prepared at the Wenhe Hall.
For some reason, the scene of Xue Shen shooting the white tiger kept replaying in his mind today, making him very wary.
As for who benefited the most from the Crown Prince's serious injury, besides Prince Chen, it was Xue Shen.
If everything Xue Shen has shown over the years was deliberate, then he had every motive to assassinate the Crown Prince, frame the Prince of Chen, and then remain behind the scenes to reap the benefits.
Emperor Cheng'an was pondering this when he arrived at the Wenhe Hall.
The guards and eunuchs at the gate immediately bowed and announced the arrival. Emperor Cheng'an composed himself, put on a loving expression of concern for his nephew, and entered the inner palace.
Inside the inner palace, Xue Shen was lying in bed, while Princess Qin sat beside him, holding a bowl of medicine and urging him to drink some.
"I asked the Imperial Physician, and he said that pills only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. If you want to get your body back in shape, you still need to take medicine slowly." This wasn't just something Shen Youying said randomly. She had noticed that Xue Shen was taking pills like candy these days and almost never taking herbal medicine, so she was worried and went to ask the Imperial Physician in private.
The Imperial Physician, perhaps out of consideration for the King of Qin, dared not speak too clearly, offering only a few vague hints, which Shen Youying understood.
Of all the people in this room, who else dared to advise the King of Qin? After much thought, he realized it was only himself.
Whether it was because of the kindness the King of Qin had shown her, or because she didn't want to be a widow and hoped the King of Qin would live a long life and provide her with some protection, Shen Youying had no choice but to be the one to speak out against the prevailing opinion.
Fortunately, she now understood the King of Qin's temperament to some extent, and she gently persuaded him. Although the King of Qin still refused to drink, at least he did not lose his temper.
"If the imperial physician were truly effective, I wouldn't have been in so much pain that I couldn't sleep all night." Xue Shen frowned, seemingly a little impatient, but seeing the beautiful and gentle princess before him, he gained some patience. He took the medicine bowl and casually set it aside, then held Shen Youying's fingers intimately and said, "If Your Highness really wants to feed me, perhaps you could try something else..."
Emperor Cheng'an entered at this time.
He listened to his nephew and niece-in-law's almost flirtatious private conversation, then coughed sternly as a reminder.
Shen Youying blushed and stood up to greet him. Xue Shen couldn't get up, but he cupped his hands in greeting. He looked completely unashamed.
"What brings Your Majesty here?" Xue Shen asked. "I heard that my elder brother was seriously injured in an assassination attempt. How is he now? I can't get up and can't go see him."
Emperor Cheng'an observed him calmly and said, "He is very lucky. The assassin did not injure any vital organs. The imperial physician is currently on his side. As long as he does not have a fever, he will be fine after he wakes up and takes good care of himself."
At this point, he seemed extremely tired and sighed softly: "This autumn hunt has truly been a troublesome one. You, Crown Prince, have not given me a moment's peace of mind."
Xue Shen smiled indifferently, a hint of sinister intent unintentionally flashing in his eyes: "I've gotten used to this old injury myself, Your Majesty need not worry. It's just that it's been quite painful when it flares up, but fortunately, I've been taking pills these past few days and it's gotten much better. I think I'll be fully recovered soon. It sounds like my elder brother's injury is more serious than mine. Your Majesty should visit him more often."
Emperor Cheng'an said, "After seeing you, I'll go see the Crown Prince later."
He glanced at Shen Youying beside him and said, "Princess Qin is right. You need to take good care of your health. Relying on pills is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause, and it's not a long-term solution."
Xue Shen frowned, seemingly disagreeing, but since the speaker was Emperor Cheng'an, he didn't refute it, only shaking his head and saying, "I know my own body best."
Emperor Cheng'an sighed again and, with a concerned expression, summoned the imperial physician to examine his pulse.
Xue Shen did not refuse, but his face was full of forbearance. It was clear that his violent temper was about to flare up again, but he forcibly suppressed it.
Emperor Cheng'an pretended not to notice and had the imperial physician carefully examine his pulse.
After carefully examining the patient's body, the imperial physician gave the same explanation as before.
Emperor Cheng'an frowned almost imperceptibly, but his face showed deep concern. He offered Xue Shen a few more words of advice before getting up to leave.
After leaving the Wenhe Hall, he frowned deeply and repeatedly confirmed with the imperial physician: "Is the Prince of Qin's health really so dilapidated?"
The imperial physician truthfully replied, "Judging from the pulse, it is indeed so. That elixir is a potent and dangerous drug. If the Prince of Qin continues to take it, I fear..."
I'm afraid he doesn't have more than two years left to live.
Emperor Cheng'an's worries subsided somewhat, but then more doubts surfaced.
If the King of Qin was not faking it, then who was the mastermind behind the assassination?
He then asked Qi Zhong, "Did you ask the servants in the palace if the Prince of Qin has been recuperating in the Wenhe Hall these past few days? Have any suspicious people been seen coming and going?"
The people serving in Wenhe Hall were all arranged by Qi Zhong, and naturally, there were their spies among them. Upon hearing this, Qi Zhong shook his head and said softly, "No, he told everyone that everything was normal and there was nothing unusual."
Emperor Cheng'an then completely dispelled his suspicions about the Prince of Qin.
If it wasn't the King of Qin, then who could it be?
Could it be that it is the Prince of Chen?
Emperor Cheng'an's expression shifted uncertainly. If everything so far had been the work of Prince Chen, then Emperor Cheng'an found his method of creating a false impression and confusing the public somewhat admirable.
Emperor Cheng'an pondered for a moment, then ordered, "Summon the Prince of Chen."
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