Chapter 237 Mad Dog
Little Bell was currently in the Ganlu Hall taking the emperor's pulse for him.
Whether the emperor is truly confused or has vaguely sensed something, he suddenly goes mad whenever she gets close to him each day.
At best, they would smash the teacups and medicine bowls at her; at worst, they would struggle and try to pounce on her and bite her.
He's like a mad dog that's lost its mind.
If it weren't for His Highness the Crown Prince's order to "spare his life for a few more days," she would have loved to force-feed him a bowl of poison so that the old man would die sooner and she could save herself from having to suffer this indignity every day.
Li Ye lay sprawled on the bed, his hair disheveled, and vomited up the medicine that the palace servants had just fed him.
He coughed violently, pointing at Xiao Lingdang and the group of palace maids and eunuchs, and roared.
"Get out! All of you, get out of my sight! Don't think I don't know you're trying to poison me!"
"Go tell that wretched son Li Yuanzhao! I will not give in to her wishes! Let her give up on that idea as soon as possible!"
"As long as I live, she can forget about sitting comfortably on that throne!"
That day, he feigned agreement to establish an heir and abdicate, intending to temporarily quell Li Yuanzhao's hostility, stabilize the situation, and then seek a turning point.
But unexpectedly, the devil is one step ahead of the saint.
Li Yuanzhao never let his guard down around him. After he issued the edict to establish the crown prince, he imprisoned him in Ganlu Palace and forbade anyone to visit him.
Even Zheng Chongwen, whom he trusted most, was accused of "colluding with the Cui family" and placed under house arrest.
Now in the palace, he is completely isolated and helpless, without even a messenger.
He even had a premonition that once Li Yuanzhao's coronation ceremony was over, his old life would probably come to an end.
Seeing this man, Li Yuanzhao, whom he had once trusted so much, Physician Lin, filled him with endless regret.
Unexpectedly, Li Yuanzhao had wanted to kill him so long ago.
He was completely oblivious, thinking it was his daughter's "filial piety"—how foolish!
Seeing his erratic behavior, Xiao Lingdang turned to the young imperial physician behind her and instructed, "Since His Majesty dislikes the taste of this medicine, brew a fresh bowl and bring it up. Remember, stop when he obediently takes it."
The young imperial physician bowed and accepted the order immediately: "Yes, Your Excellency, I will go right away."
Since the death of Imperial Physician Wen, Xiao Lingdang "naturally" took over as the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau, and now she is in charge of the entire Imperial Medical Academy.
Little Bell added slowly, "By the way, when you boil it again, add more Coptis chinensis."
Doesn't this old geezer like to cause trouble? Well, she certainly won't let him have his way.
Coptis chinensis is extremely bitter and cold, as the saying goes, "a mute eating Coptis chinensis is bitter but cannot express it." Today, let him taste this bitterness properly.
Then force it down his throat, make him suffer to death.
Let's see if he dares to throw a tantrum and waste medicinal herbs again next time.
The young imperial physician paused for a moment, then instantly understood what Xiao Lingdang meant, and quickly replied, "This subordinate understands!"
Li Ye heard it clearly and trembled with rage. "You traitorous villain! I will kill you! I will kill you!"
As he spoke, he used all his strength to pull the jade pillow beneath him, intending to smash it against the little bell.
However, he had been suffering from a long-term illness and his body was already weak, so he didn't have the strength to lift the jade pillow.
He then turned and threw a soft pillow from the couch at her.
Little Bell slightly turned to avoid him and instructed the palace servants around her, "His Majesty has gone mad again. Why don't you tie him up quickly? Otherwise, what if he hurts himself? His Highness the Crown Prince will be heartbroken."
Upon receiving the order, the palace servants immediately stepped forward and hurriedly used the soft ropes that had been prepared to firmly bind Li Ye's hands and feet to the bed.
Li Ye struggled desperately, but to no avail.
At that moment, he felt like a pig, completely at the mercy of others.
The former imperial dignity has been crushed to pieces, leaving only humiliation and despair of being at the mercy of others.
At this moment, a palace servant came to report, "Imperial Physician Lin, His Highness the Crown Prince is looking for you."
Xiao Lingdang ignored Li Ye, who was still howling on the bed, packed up her medicine box, and hurried towards Yan Ying Palace.
Inside Yanying Hall, Li Yuanzhao didn't even look up. As soon as she entered, he asked directly, "How is Li Ye?"
"She's making a huge fuss!" Little Bell pouted. "She won't eat or drink her medicine, and all she does is throw things at me or open her mouth to bite me, just like a dog."
Li Yuanzhao then glanced at her and saw that her clothes were neat and there were no injuries on her face. A faint smile flashed in his eyes.
"You weren't hurt by him, were you?"
"It's okay, I'm smart. I'll stay far away from him, he can't touch me."
As Little Bell spoke, she suddenly lowered her voice and said, "It's my sister. I think he's already figured out that we want to kill him."
Li Yuanzhao continued flipping through the memorial book in his hand, without looking up.
"If he were still completely unaware of this situation, he wouldn't have been able to sit firmly on the throne for so many years."
Little Bell blinked, still puzzled: "Then why did you keep him alive, sister? Wouldn't it have been cleaner to just let him 'die of illness'?"
"Naturally, it's for the abdication ceremony," Li Yuanzhao explained expressionlessly.
Li Ye must personally place the imperial crown on her head and personally go to Shen Lang's tomb to offer sacrifices and kowtow. Only then can the past grievances be completely settled.
Moreover, she was not unaware that the people were already discussing her and Shen Lang's imperial conferment.
If Li Ye were to suddenly "die of illness" shortly after she was named Crown Prince, it would be far from a good thing for her.
Rumors of her patricide will surely spread like wildfire, and some may even speculate that she usurped power.
Although the guess was not bad.
But rumors and gossip are ultimately a troublesome issue, enough to shake her still-unstable foundation.
However, if Li Ye were to personally pass the throne to her during the abdication ceremony, it would naturally dispel most of the gossip.
Little Bell asked with some concern, "Aren't you worried, Sister, that he might talk nonsense and say things he shouldn't during the coronation ceremony?"
Li Yuanzhao glanced at her. "Didn't you already spread the news of 'His Majesty's madness' throughout the palace? Who would believe the nonsense of a madman?"
Little Bell chuckled, then said mysteriously, "I actually have a kind of medicine hidden away. It makes people confused and disoriented, and they'll do whatever anyone tells them to do. They're very obedient."
Li Yuanzhao raised an eyebrow. "That impressive?"
Wouldn't that mean if I "accidentally" gave her that food one day, she would just let it go?
Little Bell noticed her concerns and quickly said, "It doesn't work on everyone. This medicine only works on very young children or people who are dying. It won't work on others. It's just right for Li Ye. It will make him behave and not do anything wrong."
Li Yuanzhao turned a page of the memorial and said in a nonchalant tone, "Alright, just feed it to him on the day of the ceremony."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com