Chapter 7
As dawn breaks, the red sun rises from the east.
On the imperial city walls, the drums of the Drum Tower sounded in succession to announce the dawn, and the quiet and deserted streets soon became noisy. Shouts, sounds of people giving way, and the clatter of horses' hooves rose and fell as carriages of all sizes hurriedly left the grand courtyards and drove into the streets leading to the imperial city.
Officials arrive at their workday at the appointed time.
When Physician Jia entered the government office, he had dark circles under his eyes.
Seeing this, a colleague teased, "Master Jia, did you go drinking at a brothel last night?"
Physician Jia was annoyed and had no time to argue with him, so he muttered, "Why are you drinking? You're about to die."
"What death?"
The imperial physician who was consulting with him walked in, a piece of cake still in his mouth, emitting a rich aroma, which he ate with great relish.
Sigh, what a worthless thing, still indulging in gluttony at a time like this.
The imperial physician glanced at him, then plopped down on the stool, ignoring him and silently grieving.
Since being tricked into giving away the clothes by Shen Yao, Imperial Physician Jia couldn't sleep all night. He didn't know who the other person was or what she wanted to do with the Crown Prince's clothes, but he was certain that it was not a good thing.
But what angered him even more was that he had actually been deceived by a young girl, how hateful!
Another drumbeat sounded, and the unlucky Imperial Physician Jia got up with a sigh and headed to Cining Palace with several equally gloomy colleagues.
In the opposite direction, Shen Yao, with Bi Luo carrying a jar, also left the palace; they were heading to the Jiangnan alley.
*
Inside Cining Palace, Wei Luo was still lying on the couch, but unlike the previous three days, his lips were black, and several red streaks appeared on his neck, running along the blood vessels to his ears. Even his arms showed similar symptoms.
Several imperial physicians who were consulting on the case nearly fainted, especially Physician Jia. He was not only questioned by Liu Heng, but also had to endure complaints from his colleagues.
"What you said about the blockage of vital energy is completely wrong. The prince's symptoms not only did not improve after taking it, but became more severe."
"You've ruined us all."
"The idea came from Physician Jia, and the medicine was also administered by Physician Jia. It has nothing to do with us."
Imperial Physician Jia was so angry that he jumped up and down. "Bullshit! Don't talk about who should take responsibility for what they did. Although the idea came from me, it was all discussed and decided by everyone yesterday. Even if something happens to the Crown Prince, the responsibility is shared. None of you can escape it."
The group argued and bickered in front of the bed. Wei Luo gripped the bedsheet tightly, gritting his teeth in anger. He wasn't dead yet, but he was forced to witness a posthumous argument.
Now he even has a fantasy that he will suddenly sit up, laugh at them, and do something strange to scare them.
Oh, right, it seems like we can actually do what Liu Heng suggested about feigning madness now...
After criticizing his colleagues, Physician Jia reluctantly returned to Wei Luo's bedside. Holding a candle, he brought his head close to Wei Luo's face to examine the symptoms up close.
Wei Luo was waiting for him.
Just then, Wei Luo suddenly opened his eyes, pressed his pale face close to the doctor's neck, grabbed the doctor with both hands, and screamed "Ahhh!" at him.
The sound penetrated the hall.
"What's going on?" The imperial physicians all looked over in alarm.
As he struggled, Physician Jia cried out hoarsely, "Help! Help!"
The bed curtains were lifted, and everyone present gasped. His Highness the Crown Prince was like a ghost; he had gone mad!
"The Crown Prince has gone mad! The Crown Prince has gone mad..."
Someone shouted something, and then all the palace staff in Cining Palace rushed over, as if they were watching a monkey.
Wei Luo was still choking Doctor Jia, but no one dared to step forward to stop him. Everyone stood by, staring in disbelief, like statues.
"Help!"
The imperial physician Jia cried for help again, and finally one of the physicians regained his senses. He called out to the crowd, and together they pulled the two apart.
After being saved, Physician Jia lay on the ground coughing violently, and his colleagues helped him catch his breath.
Wei Luo rolled off the bed like an eel, running barefoot around the room, sometimes yelling, sometimes laughing, his face beaming, gesturing wildly...
Liu Heng followed behind, playing along, "Your Highness, Your Highness, put on your shoes, put on your clothes, stop running, what's wrong?"
"I am White Impermanence, I am Black Impermanence, I am a little devil from the Yama King's Palace, here in the human world to find my kind. Which of you is a little devil? Come home with me."
"Time to go home."
Wei Luo picked out a royal physician, grabbed his arm, and asked, "Are you a little devil?"
The imperial physician trembled: "Your Highness?"
Are you going home?
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Wei Luo blinked, sighed suddenly, grabbed another imperial physician's arm, and asked the same question. The physicians looked at each other in bewilderment.
"..."
Liu Heng knelt on the ground, hugging Wei Luo's legs and wailing, "Your Highness, are you possessed? Has someone used some kind of magic to make you like this?"
A single word awakened me from my dream.
Imperial Physician Jia raised his eyes, scrambled to his feet, and shouted, "I know! His Highness is possessed! This is witchcraft! Someone is using witchcraft to curse His Highness! We need to see His Majesty!"
Wei Luo turned his gaze to Imperial Physician Jia, laughed heartily, and followed closely behind, saying, "Your Majesty, I wish to see Your Majesty."
The crowd murmured amongst themselves, "He's gone mad, he's really gone mad! We must go and tell His Majesty!"
As the imperial physician quickly left, news that the crown prince had been cursed by witchcraft spread like wildfire.
The entire palace was in an uproar, and the emperor nearly overturned the table upon hearing the news.
The practice of witchcraft has been strictly prohibited in all dynasties. Now that the crown prince has gone mad, the imperial physicians have diagnosed it as a witchcraft curse and unanimously requested a search of the palace.
The inner palace and the outer court were one entity. In just half a day, the news reached the cabinet. A flood of memorials poured into the emperor's desk, and the pressure from public opinion was enormous. In the end, the emperor allowed the search of the palace!
*
Inside the alleyways of Jiangnan, Shen Yao arrived at the "Hall of the King of Hell".
This time, the mysterious master revealed his true colors. He was not tall, slightly overweight, with a wide face and thick ears. Judging from his appearance, he seemed like a good person.
Shen Yao said "Amitabha" and presented the jar. "Master, everything is ready. Would you like to take a look?"
Shen Yao was about to unseal the seal when the master quickly stopped her, saying, "No need, just give me your birth date and time."
Shen Yao handed it to him.
The master glanced at it, copied it onto the talisman, and handed it back to Shen Yao, saying, "Now put the talisman back into the jar."
Shen Yao did as instructed, then asked, "From now on, will it be enough to make a wish to the altar every day—oh no, I mean, chant a spell?"
The master grunted and then said, "Recite the mantra for fifteen minutes morning and evening. Only with sincerity can your wish come true. Can you do that?"
“Of course, I’m very sincere.” Shen Yao patted her chest to assure her, then asked, “Will that person die after half a month of chanting the incantation? Is there anything else I need to do during this time? Or are there any taboos, such as not being able to kill living beings…”
"No need for that."
The master interrupted Shen Yao's endless chatter, "In half a month, you will indeed need to do one thing to ensure the complete success of the spell."
"What is it?" Shen Yao asked impatiently.
"When you have sex with your husband, scratch a wound on his back and pour holy water on it... The water, carrying a vicious curse, will enter his body and annihilate his soul."
Shen Yao: "...??"
"No, you want to pour it on the wound?" Shen Yao stared wide-eyed, utterly incredulous. "I thought it could directly curse someone to death, why does it need to be done manually??"
"Of course it's a curse to death, it just needs to enter the body..."
"Pah!"
Shen Yao suddenly realized what he meant, angrily pointed at his nose, and shouted, "This is a bacterial infection, how dare you say it was a curse? You're just a charlatan."
Not only did he deceive her feelings, but he also swindled her out of a lot of money. The money she spent on these things was less valuable than a packet of rat poison or a dagger.
Shen Yao's chest heaved as she angrily demanded a refund, "If you don't refund my money, I'll report you to the authorities."
"Hey, I've been in business for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever seen someone ask me for a refund."
His lie was exposed, and he stopped pretending. He took out a gleaming dagger from his sleeve and tested it, pressing closer and closer. "I've always been honest and fair in my business dealings. Now that I've told you the method, there's nothing I can do if you don't follow it... The money is non-refundable."
When this grown man pointed a sharp blade at her, Shen Yao was so frightened that her legs trembled and her face turned deathly pale.
Seriously? He's so enraged that he's going to kill someone to silence them?
She exchanged a glance with Biluo, whose body was also trembling. "Girl, why don't we just forget about it? It's not worth it for a little money."
That's really bad luck.
However, life is indeed the most important thing, so Shen Yao said, "Don't be impulsive. Murder is illegal. We don't want the money, but we still want to take the jar. Can you let us take it?"
Shen Yao softened her tone, and seeing that Shen Yao was sensible, the man nodded in agreement.
Shen Yao bent down and, under the master's gaze, slowly picked up the jar. Then, with a loud shout, she smashed the jar onto the counter.
With a loud bang, the jar shattered, splashing yellow liquid everywhere, accompanied by a foul odor.
"..."
Amid the master's shock, Shen Yao grabbed Bi Luo and ran away.
This should count as revenge, right?!
She is very timid.
When Shen Yao returned to the palace, the world had already changed.
Things have really changed.
The palace was guarded by a large number of eunuchs and guards, including the Imperial Guards dressed in flying fish robes. The emperor sat at the head of the hall with a sullen face, while Consort Shen stood straight beside him.
The atmosphere is so strange!
She suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Kneel down!" The Imperial Concubine's stern rebuke suddenly rang out.
Shen Yao immediately went limp and collapsed to the ground, looking at the Imperial Concubine and asking, "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong... Don't you remember the mess you made?"
The Imperial Concubine rushed down the stairs, and before Shen Yao could react, she was slapped hard across the face.
Her cheeks burned, and Shen Yao raised her hand to cover them, looking at the Imperial Concubine in astonishment, "Aunt, what did I do wrong? Why are you hitting me?"
"You still have the nerve to ask?"
Shen Yao was even more puzzled. She looked past the Imperial Concubine and directly at the Emperor.
The emperor's sinister voice came through: "Show it to her."
Shen Yao saw the box, the box that was placed under her bed, which contained paper figures covered with curses against the Crown Prince and Liu Ru.
It's over, the sky has fallen!
She felt that she wouldn't even have to wait a year; her life was about to end now. She cursed the Crown Prince to be executed by slow slicing, a punishment she'd heard involved cutting a person to death piece by piece…
Out of fear, Shen Yao trembled violently, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly.
"Now you know fear, but when you used such despicable means to curse others, did you ever think about the consequences today?"
Shen Yao cried even louder, and kowtowed to the ground, "Your Majesty, I will never dare to do it again."
"Tell me, when did it start?"
Shen Yao sobbed, "About half a month ago."
"Besides Xu Xuan and Liu Ru, is there anyone else in the box?"
"there is none left."
Shen Yao answered blankly, and after a long while, she suddenly raised her eyes and asked in confusion, "Xu Xuan?"
Isn't he the crown prince?
Suppressing her shock, Shen Yao opened the box and saw that the Crown Prince's name had been changed to Xu Xuan.
Is this a ghost story, or a divine intervention?
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