Chapter 173 The Emperor is Poisoned
Zuo Dongrou remained silent, but her heart was in turmoil.
Her parents died one after another in the past few years, and her husband also died.
Only his son and eldest brother Mingyu are left as blood relatives.
If possible, she really doesn't want to lose any of her relatives again...
But, big brother should never...covet her son's kingdom!
"If..." Zuo Dongrou felt a little sad, looking in a certain direction, not knowing what she was thinking, "If it was really my eldest brother who did it, Aijia..."
"It must be to kill relatives for the sake of justice."
She withdrew her gaze in a daze, "Wanyue, what do you think...what will he do next?"
Ling Chan told Zuo Dongrou her guess.
"Next, he will poison the emperor."
Zuo Dongrou was so frightened that her hand trembled and she knocked over the teacup beside her. The teacup rolled around on the table for a few times before falling to the ground with a loud cracking sound.
"He, how could he...?"
"Mingyu has been chosen to be the Emperor's empress... He said he wants Mingyu to give birth to a prince..."
"How could it be, how could Ze'er be poisoned?"
Zuo Dongrou's heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it was about to jump out of her throat at any moment.
Her hands were shaking and the air seemed to become thinner, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Her thoughts were in a mess, and her mind was filled with all the ways Xiao Ze could have died.
"He...he is Ze'er's uncle."
She closed her eyes and tried to calm down.
But she found that she couldn't concentrate or think at all.
Zuo Dongrou grabbed the chair, "What's the point of him... killing Ze'er?"
"He naturally has his own arrangements." Ling Chan said.
"What arrangements?" Zuo Dongrou stood up suddenly. "What arrangements did he make?"
"The emperor's uncles are all dead, what else does he want?"
"If he kills my prince, will he have a chance to take over the world of Daqi?"
"It's wishful thinking, wishful thinking!"
Ling Chan sighed. Although Zuo Dongrou was naughty, she was quite clear-headed in this aspect.
"It's not wishful thinking," she said.
Zuo Dongrou looked over and asked, "What do you mean?"
"As long as he has a legitimate master."
Zuo Dongrou took a deep breath and asked, "How can I have a legitimate reason to be a disciple?"
During this period, Ling Chan and the others were also thinking about this issue.
In fact, Ling Chan once guessed that Zuo Lun killed the other three royal brothers and left Xiao Yi alone in the capital.
After he poisoned Xiao Ze, he framed Xiao Yi for treason and marched into the capital in the name of serving the king.
By then, the people only hoped that the war would end soon and did not care who was the emperor.
And the officials... had no choice because Zuo Lun had already led his troops into the city.
But now, Xiao Yi is also dead.
Her original guess was no longer valid.
However, they still made some breakthroughs during this period.
Although the group of people who broke into Prince Huai's Mansion and killed Xiao Yi escaped, Ling Chan has been trying to find them.
She sent the sisters from Qingyi Tower in and around the capital to search for these people.
In addition, Ling Chan also mobilized the martial artists who were active around the capital.
After their efforts, they finally found the trace of that group of people.
"Does the Empress Dowager also think, like Wanyue, that the Emperor is the only one left in the royal family?" Ling Chan asked.
Zuo Dongrou raised her eyebrows. Isn’t it?
"Does the Empress Dowager still remember that the late Emperor had a concubine's aunt?"
Zuo Dongrou frowned. The late emperor’s aunt?
"Not Xiao Heng."
Zuo Dongrou's pupils gradually dilated. Is there such a person?
"If this lady were still alive, she would be at least ninety years old."
Ninety years old...
Zuo Dongrou really didn't have any impression of it.
"This concubine princess married a military commander at the time and gave birth to a son and a daughter."
The princess's children are no longer alive.
But the princess's son has a grandson who is now 32 years old. The grandson also has a legitimate son who is the same age as Xiao Ze, both are ten years old.
Although the concubine princess's bloodline has been almost diluted.
However, this lineage of theirs often regards itself as a member of the royal family, but is not valued by the royal family and does not even have any sense of existence.
Because...he couldn't help feeling unwilling, so he was taken advantage of by Zuo Lun.
This grandson's name is Jie Zhen. He is now only the deputy commander of the Bingmasi, a sixth-rank official.
Although Ling Chan didn't know the content of the transaction between Zuo Lun and Jie Zhen, there was no doubt that Jie Zhen was fooled by Zuo Lun.
"Jie Zhen?" Zuo Dongrou had no impression of this person.
This is normal, after all, the princess is already at the level of an aunt.
"So, he intends to use Jie Zhen to give him a legitimate reason to be a disciple?" After Zuo Dongrou said this, his thoughts gradually became clear.
After the eldest brother ordered the people he had planted in the palace to poison the prince...
He would let Jie Zhen come out to control the court, and when Jie Zhen took some action, he would take the opportunity to enter Beijing.
"But why would Jie Zhen help him?" Zuo Dongrou now only uses his name to represent Zuo Lun, and no longer calls him "big brother".
If Zuo Lun took advantage of Jie Zhen, why was Jie Zhen willing to be used by her?
Zuo Dongrou had been standing for a long time, and now her legs and feet felt a little sore, so she remembered to sit down slowly.
"What benefits did he promise Jie Zhen? This is a grave crime that will implicate all nine clans. How dare Jie Zhen?"
Ling Chan is still thinking about this.
In order to get Jie Zhen to help Zuo Lun, she felt that he had to at least pray for the whole world.
Otherwise, why would Xie Zhen help Zuo Lun? Why would he sacrifice the entire Xie family to help Zuo Lun?
The prince consort of the Xie family several generations ago was someone everyone gave a thumbs up to.
But now it has declined, and the main reason is that the younger generations are not up to the task.
As for Jie Zhen, he is much better than his father.
He should have cherished the Jie family more than other members of the Jie family...but he chose to gamble.
But if Zuo Lun said he would help Jie Zhen conquer the world, Jie Zhen probably wouldn't believe it.
After all, the current emperor is Zuo Lun's nephew, Zuo Lun's daughter is the future queen, and his grandson may be the future emperor.
Why should Zuo Lun help Jie Zhen to seize the world?
Therefore, Ling Chan is more inclined to the possibility that Zuo Lun will seize the world himself, but promise Jie Zhen a high position and generous salary.
Zuo Dongrou remained calm and asked after a long while, "Wanyue, what should we do now?"
"Take advantage of their own tactic." Ling Chan said.
"Take advantage of his own strategy?" Zuo Dongrou's voice was loud and angry. "You mean, just let him do what he wants?"
"What if he really poisoned Ze'er?"
"Ling Chan, Ze'er is the emperor. As a subject, you should protect his safety."
Her fists were clenched and rattling, her jaw was set tight, and she looked genuinely angry.
Ling Chan was also unhappy, and her voice became tougher, "Queen Mother!"
"Zuo Lun wants to harm the Emperor. As the Emperor's mother, and in the palace, can't you protect the Emperor?"
"If you want me to do everything, why not let me take over the throne?"
Zuo Dongrou's eyes widened, flashing with anger, "Ling Chan, you..."
She hesitated for a moment, her fists unclenched, and her body relaxed.
"Okay, I'll leave the Emperor's affairs to Aijia."
"But you have to promise to capture Zuo Lun as soon as possible and destroy his plan..."
Ling Chan turned around and said, "Who can guarantee you something like this?"
She wanted to leave this place that made her angry.
"Ling Chan! Ling Chan!" Zuo Dongrou stumbled out, but could no longer see Ling Chan.
She gasped, unable to let go for a long time.
From that day on, Zuo Dongrou accompanied Xiao Ze every day. She was very cautious and careful about Xiao Ze's food, clothing, housing and transportation.
Before eating, people around Xiao Ze would test the poison, and only after they were sure that it was non-toxic would Xiao Ze be allowed to eat it.
Everything she wears passes through her hands.
She followed Xiao Ze wherever he went, even during the morning court session.
Her behavior aroused dissatisfaction among officials, and some even suspected that she wanted to act as regent in her capacity as empress dowager.
For this reason, people would raise opinions at the morning court every day, among whom Liu Huaiyu's father Liu Yuanshan was the most sincere.
But Zuo Dongrou couldn't care less. She had to make sure everything was foolproof and she couldn't afford any mistakes.
But...Xiao Ze doesn't understand.
He just felt that he was already the emperor, but his mother was still staring at him like this.
Finally one day, Xiao Ze exploded.
"Mother, what have you been worried about recently?" They were having a meal, but Zuo Dongrou didn't let Xiao Ze pick up his chopsticks. She insisted on having the palace servants test the food for poison before letting him eat.
Zuo Dongrou hesitated to speak. Xiao Ze was only a ten-year-old boy, and she felt that those things were not appropriate to tell him.
And... since it concerns Zuo Lun, she couldn't say it.
"Your Majesty, I am doing this all for Your Majesty."
"I have grown up." Xiao Ze said with a stern face, very impatient.
"The emperor has grown up, but..."
"Mother!" Xiao Ze threw the chopsticks on the table, scaring Zuo Dongrou so much that her body trembled.
"For the past ten days, you've been meddling in all my affairs. Doesn't it mean that my mother thinks I'm too young to be emperor?"
Zuo Dongrou was stunned. She tried to defend herself, "Your Majesty, why would I think so?"
She is now completely devoted to him. Does he know that she is ready to abandon her family and her elder brother for him?
"The harem has always been forbidden to interfere in political affairs, mother!" Xiao Ze shouted loudly. He still looked like a child, so angry, as if he had been bewitched by something.
Zuo Dongrou also noticed it, and she looked at the palace maids who followed Xiao Ze.
These palace servants...I don't know when these palace servants were replaced.
She didn't recognize these people. "Your Majesty, where is Eunuch Su?"
Eunuch Su was sent to Xiao Ze by Zuo Dongrou. He is an old man by her side.
She was very favored by Xiao Ze in the past two years, but why is she rarely seen recently?
"He treated other workers harshly and has been expelled from the palace."
Zuo Dongrou was stunned. "Your Majesty, that was an old man who was close to my mother. You punished him without even asking me."
"I am the ruler of a country. I am only punishing a eunuch. I don't need to ask the Queen Mother, right?"
Xiao Ze glared at Zuo Dongrou angrily...
Zuo Dongrou opened her mouth slightly, "My prince...did someone tell you something?"
Xiao Ze looked at her deeply and said, "There is no need for others to tell me what the Queen Mother has done or what she wants to do. The Queen Mother knows it best."
After saying that, he stood up, flicked his sleeves and left.
Zuo Dongrou sat on the stool for a long time before giving instructions to the nanny beside her.
"Send someone to look for Eunuch Su."
What Xiao Ze meant by being punished by being expelled from the palace was not actually being expelled from the palace, but being sent to a temporary palace outside the capital or to a royal farm.
Moreover, Xiao Ze must have sent someone to keep an eye on Eunuch Su, otherwise he could have come to Zuo Dongrou to complain.
"By the way, let's take a look around the Emperor...who is stirring up trouble and driving a wedge between us mother and son?"
Mammy took the order and left...
The news of the estrangement between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager soon reached Ling Chan.
Ling Chan pressed her solar plexus with a headache. Zuo Lun's problem hadn't been resolved yet, and now they had this incident...
Fortunately, she had made arrangements in advance, otherwise...the people arranged by Zuo Lun would have succeeded.
However, this Xiao Ze is really a headache.
He is not a cooperative person.
You have to do the whole act...it seems like you have to do it for real.
Ling Chan sent a letter to the people in the palace and gave new orders.
Zuo Dongrou had a headache for three days because of Xiao Ze's words. She was angry with Xiao Ze and did not personally take care of Xiao Ze's food, clothing, housing and transportation. She only sent the nanny beside her to take care of him.
This morning, Zuo Dongrou was having breakfast...
Suddenly, the nanny rushed in in a panic, "Queen Dowager, something bad has happened."
Zuo Dongrou had already sent her to Xiao Ze. Now that she came here in such a panic, something must have happened to Xiao Ze.
"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the emperor?"
The nanny slapped her thigh fiercely, "Empress Dowager, the Emperor has been poisoned."
Zuo Dongrou's legs went weak and she almost fell. Fortunately, the nanny was quick-witted and supported her in time.
"Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, the imperial physician has gone. You should go and see him too."
Zuo Dongrou held her hand and said, "Go, go quickly."
She was completely exhausted and could only rely on Mo Mo to support herself. She didn't even have time to prepare the phoenix chariot as she ran towards the hall for the morning court session.
After they ran for a while, servants from Ningshou Palace arrived carrying a phoenix sedan chair.
Zuo Dongrou sat on the phoenix chariot, her heart rising and falling with the turbulence of the chariot.
After a while, they finally arrived at the main hall. The nanny held out her hand and helped her walk inside. "The emperor is in the side hall, and the imperial physician is seeing him."
Zuo Dongrou walked towards the side hall step by step, feeling scared about the situation inside.
But her son was inside, and she had to go see him.
"Empress Dowager, you are here." It was this eunuch Ding who served Xiao Ze instead of eunuch Su.
"The Emperor was fine during the morning court session, but he was poisoned after drinking a cup of tea in the side hall."
"How is the emperor?" Zuo Dongrou asked.
"The emperor is unconscious, the imperial physician..."
Eunuch Ding: "The imperial physician couldn't find the cause."
"How come they can't find the cause? Isn't it poisoning?" Zuo Dongrou exploded instantly.
"We just can't find out what the poison is." Eunuch Ding added.
Zuo Dongrou came to the bedside and looked at Xiao Ze who was already unconscious.
Xiao Ze's face was pale, his lips were black, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his body was shaking constantly, as if he was in great pain.
"I demand that you do your utmost to save the Emperor. If you cannot save the Emperor, you will not live either."
The imperial doctors were in a panic, and the one who was giving the emperor an acupuncture had a trembling hand and directly inserted the needle into the wrong acupoint.
He nervously wiped the sweat off his face, pulled it out discreetly, and re-inserted it into the correct acupoint...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
