Anyway, we'll see how things go, but when it really comes down to it, the Second Prince Li Chengru won't be soft-hearted at all.
If poisoning fails, then assassinate Sun Jian.
The number of assassins is not too many, ten will suffice.
Assassins are all about striking unexpectedly and catching their prey off guard. In such an environment, people's vigilance is bound to be very low. If you strike at that moment, the probability of success is very high.
If even the assassins fail, then ambush two hundred axemen on Sun Jian's panicked return home. At that point, Sun Jian will likely be unable to escape!
Let's see how that brat Sun Jian manages to escape this calamity!
Having plotted all this, the Second Prince and his accomplices smiled sinisterly, awaiting the show to begin the day after tomorrow...
————
The next morning, before dawn, Sun Jian got up early, picked up an ancient doctor's medical kit, and headed to the palace.
I didn't sleep a wink last night. For some reason, even though I was very tired, Sun Jian, who was sleeping in the study, just tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
Sun Jian didn't think much about the situation, only assuming that he had probably stayed up too late.
Upon arriving at the inner palace, Sun Jian discovered that the Taiji Hall of His Majesty was already packed with people.
In addition to the three ministers Yao Tianzheng, Yu Yiwei, and Zhuang Qishi, there was also Li Ke, the governor of Jizhou.
This wasn't the first time Sun Jian and Governor Li had met. They had exchanged pleasantries at the earliest court meeting, so it wasn't exactly a formal meeting.
As for Wang De, Li You, and Li Mu, there's no need to say more; these three were all the emperor's close confidants.
But besides these seven people, there were four others that Sun Jian had never met.
However, judging from their official robes and the items they carried, it is not difficult to tell that these four should all be imperial physicians, from the Imperial Medical Academy.
After Sun Jian entered, he first respectfully bowed to the emperor, and then bowed to the ministers with clasped hands.
Sun Jian was unsure of what had happened before he arrived, but it was easy to see that the four imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital had extremely complicated expressions, as if their own parents were dying.
Looking at Emperor Ganwu, Sun Jian was even more surprised.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Ganwu's expression changed so drastically in such a short time.
His face was like a dead man's, completely devoid of color, but his lips were a deep, dark purple.
He was listless, as if even blinking and breathing were extremely difficult.
It seems my guess was right; Emperor Ganwu is indeed nearing the end of his life.
He probably had his face made up by the palace maids and eunuchs when he went to court before, which made his complexion look rosy. This is probably his true appearance after he took off his disguise.
Needless to say, none of the ministers wore expressions that were amiss; they were all very complicated and gloomy.
"Minister Sun, you've arrived."
Emperor Ganwu weakly looked up at Sun Jian. Despite his poor physical condition, it was still easy to see the majesty and kingly aura of the founding emperor in his eyes.
"Your Majesty... what is this...?"
Even though Sun Jian had already guessed the cause and condition of Emperor Ganwu's illness, he still pretended to be unaware of it.
Sun Jian's acting skills are now so superb that even he himself can't tell the difference between reality and fiction, let alone others.
When Sun Jian gets ruthless, he can even deceive himself!
Emperor Ganwu did not speak, but Wang De, who was standing to the side, told him about Emperor Ganwu's situation with a mournful face.
In fact, Wang De had already said these words once before Sun Jian arrived, in front of Li Ke, the governor of Ji Province, but every time he said them, it felt like his heart was being cut by a knife.
His account was largely consistent with Sun Jian's earlier analysis at home.
Firstly, Emperor Ganwu had been shot in the abdomen with a poisoned arrow in his early years. The wound would heal and then relapse, and it would heal again and again, never fully recovering.
Because the abdomen area will be pulled whenever you're not lying down.
In addition, the poisoned arrow used a triangular barb arrowhead. When the arrowhead was pulled out, the wound looked like an eight-petaled flower petal, making it very difficult to suture.
This is also largely due to the fact that Emperor Ganwu did not treat the wound immediately after being shot, which is why the wound has not fully healed over the years.
This leads to repeated purulent infections and inflammation, which then recurs after treatment.
In addition, Emperor Qianwu had never had a regular schedule over the years. He often stayed up all night reviewing memorials and would only rest after working up a cold sweat all night.
He repeatedly overdrawn his lifespan, and then started consuming elixirs made by Taoist priests, which exacerbated his condition and led to his current state.
"well!"
After saying these words, Wang De let out a deep sigh.
The glistening tears in the old eunuch's eyes clearly showed that he was indeed a loyal servant.
Sun Jian also sighed and asked, "When I met Your Majesty in Hongnong County, didn't I remind Your Majesty not to take those so-called elixirs anymore...? Did Your Majesty continue to take them afterward?"
Wang De added, "Reporting to Your Majesty, ever since you said that the elixir was poisonous, His Majesty has not taken any more elixirs since returning to the palace. However, His Majesty's health has continued to deteriorate, and instead of improving, it has become more severe..."
Sun Jian inwardly rolled his eyes at Wang De, annoyed.
Do you even need to tell me that?!
It's like taking poison; you keep taking it until you're almost dead before you stop.
What's the point of stopping it then...?
The energy your body has depleted cannot be replenished simply through diet.
But since things had come to this point, Sun Jian could say nothing more and could only sigh softly.
Judging from the current situation, it seems that the four imperial physicians and Yao Tianzheng have no way to cure Emperor Ganwu, which is why Emperor Ganwu summoned him to the capital as a last resort.
Despite knowing all this, Sun Jian pretended not to know and turned to Yao Tianzheng with an anxious expression.
"Lord Yao, are you also helpless regarding His Majesty's current illness?"
"Alas! Yes... I only regret that I, Yao, am incompetent!"
Yao Tianzheng sighed deeply, his face full of shame.
He was already feeling bad when Sun Jian didn't say those words, but when Sun Jian said them, his mood worsened.
"I... cough cough!"
"I know my own body well, I don't blame them."
Emperor Ganwu finally spoke, but he coughed twice after each sentence.
"Your Majesty! We are incompetent! We beg Your Majesty to punish us!"
As soon as Emperor Ganwu finished speaking, the four imperial physicians standing next to him immediately knelt down, not daring to raise their heads, and begged Emperor Ganwu for mercy.
"Alright, get up."
Emperor Ganwu glanced at the four imperial physicians and told them to get up.
He was not some tyrannical and incompetent ruler; he wouldn't kill the imperial physician who had served him for almost twenty years just because of this situation.
These people were quite loyal and served diligently.
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