Chapter 354: Demotion and Imprisonment
Prince Duan rolled his eyes but still didn't dare to admit it. After all, Huo Li was still involved in a lawsuit, and he didn't want to be tainted by her.
He quickly denied it, "It's not Huo Li, it's a well-known itinerant doctor. I found him by accident."
"At first, I didn't quite trust the itinerant doctor's abilities and hesitated for a long time. Later, I was tortured by the poison in my body and had no other choice but to trust the itinerant doctor's medical skills. That's when I had no choice but to ask him for help in detoxifying."
"I've been detoxified three times in total, and it took nearly a month to eliminate the toxins in my body. I haven't had time to report to my father yet!"
Emperor Wu of Qin still looked confused.
He asked doubtfully, "Is that true?"
Prince Duan's face was full of sincerity, and his attitude was humble and respectful.
"I, your Highness, have always revered and worshipped your father as a deity. I have only ever held him in reverence and admiration. How could I dare to lie to him?"
Emperor Wu of Qin was still skeptical, staring at Prince Duan with sharp eyes without saying a word.
The scrutiny in his eyes was like a sharp knife, scraping across Prince Duan's body inch by inch, making him feel cold all over.
Emperor Wu of Qin waved to the old eunuch beside him, and the old eunuch ran over nimbly with a respectful look on his face.
He whispered, "I heard Huo Li has woken up. Send a message to the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and Jingzhao Prefecture immediately. Have them try Huo Li's case. And by the way, have someone ask if she was the one who cured Prince Duan of the poison."
The old eunuch glanced at Prince Duan and quickly took the order and left.
Witnessing Emperor Wu of Qin's every move, Prince Duan's heart sank suddenly, as if an inexplicable uneasiness surged like a tide, making him uneasy and confused.
He was filled with worry, fearing that his lies were like thin ice that would be exposed with a slight poke.
Once his lies were exposed, how severely would Emperor Wu of Qin punish him?
Prince Duan was extremely uneasy.
He slowly closed his eyes, not daring to think about it any further, but fear was like a flood, drowning his whole body.
The room was filled with silence again. Emperor Wu of Qin never spoke to Prince Duan again. He just treated him like air and left him alone.
One of them was carefully reviewing the pile of memorials, while the other was kneeling in fear and pretending to be dead.
The atmosphere was so strange that it felt suffocating.
About an hour later, the old eunuch rushed to Emperor Wu of Qin again with swift movements and whispered for a long time.
Prince Duan quietly and cautiously glanced in the direction of Emperor Wu of Qin, only to see that the eyes of Emperor Wu of Qin were like a sharp blade flashing with cold light, revealing an unquestionable sharpness and ruthlessness that made people feel cold.
His heart trembled violently and he felt that something was wrong.
Sure enough, in a moment, Emperor Wu of Qin's thunderous roar exploded from above his head.
"How dare you, this disloyal and unfilial son, speak so recklessly under my nose? Do you still regard me, your father, as your ruler?"
"Do you know that you have committed the heinous crime of deceiving the emperor? This is a heinous act that is beyond the reach of Heaven and cannot be tolerated!"
Prince Duan's mind was blank at this moment. He lowered his head to the ground and said in a trembling voice, "Father, please spare me!"
"I didn't do it on purpose. It's just that Huo Li is currently embroiled in a lawsuit, so I didn't dare admit that she was the one who cured the poison. I also wanted to distance myself from Prince Jing's Mansion to avoid being implicated by them and being tainted by their dirty aura!"
"Besides, I only asked Huo Li to help me detoxify. I didn't know she was so cruel as to test the poison on a living person. I was afraid that the emperor would suspect me, so I had no choice but to lie!"
"Although it is said that a righteous man is not afraid of being wronged, rumors are the most hurtful, and I am afraid of being implicated by them..."
After he finished speaking, an expression of deep sorrow instantly appeared on his face. He looked so sincere, as if he had truly analyzed his inner thoughts and truly recognized his mistakes.
Emperor Wu of Qin was not at all moved by his hard work.
He tried hard to suppress the raging anger in his chest and explained calmly, "Huo Li admitted in her confession that she cured you of the poison on your way back to the capital from the hunting grounds. I recall that your poison was cured even earlier than mine!"
"You are a cruel and selfish rebellious son. You watched helplessly as your father, mother, and brothers suffered from poison, yet you remained indifferent and unconcerned."
"Are you still a human being if you do this? You are worse than pigs and dogs. I am so disappointed."
Prince Duan didn't expect that Huo Li would drag him into this, so he confessed everything.
This idiot is simply unable to accomplish anything and is always causing trouble.
It's too useless.
Furious and anxious at the same time, Prince Duan eagerly defended himself, "Father, I was able to cure the poison after you did. You must have remembered it wrongly."
"At that time, you and mother were itching unbearably, and I wanted to take your place."
"But, at that time, I was also suffering from the toxins all over my body, and it was difficult for me to protect myself!"
"Later, when I saw that the stubborn poison in my father's body had been cured, I began to believe that there were extraordinary people in the world, and my hope of detoxification was rekindled. So I searched everywhere for a doctor to find a way to detoxify him. That's when I accidentally found Huo Li, who cured the poison in his body..."
"My son's words are absolutely not false. Please believe me, father..."
Emperor Wu of Qin didn't want to listen to Prince Duan's sophistry anymore. He kept telling lies and it was a complete waste of time to listen to him.
He looked at Prince Duan indifferently, his face full of disappointment.
This son has a heart as cold as ice. Even when facing his father, mother, and siblings, he can remain unmoved.
Do you still expect him to love the people like his own children and treat the wise and the humble with respect?
If the Qin Empire fell into his hands, it would surely cause great suffering to the people and weaken the nation...
This son, whom he had placed the highest hopes on, was also the one he had misjudged the most and the one who disappointed him the most.
Emperor Wu of Qin's face was filled with sorrow and disappointment.
He shook his head gently, his movements a little heavy, and finally, a long and deep sigh cut through the air in the hall.
Then, with unquestionable majesty and desolation in his voice, he slowly issued the imperial decree.
"Prince Duan is disrespectful to his father and the emperor, and has spoken rudely. His words and actions are unbecoming of a prince. From today on, Prince Duan is demoted to Prince Duan, and he will be confined to the palace from now on. Without my permission, he is not allowed to leave the palace..."
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