Chapter 75 The Wind Fills the East Tower (Part 1) "Your Highness must not conceal your illness and refuse medical treatment..."
The sky, which had been bright and sunny in the late afternoon, was now covered with dark clouds as evening approached. Several rumbles of thunder rolled across the sky, and suddenly it became dark and gloomy. A strong wind whipped up large raindrops that pelted down. The heavy rain continued for more than half an hour, showing no sign of letting up.
Yan Chao had originally planned to go to the Wenhua Hall, but now she was trapped in the East Palace. The rain outside the window sounded like arrows. She lay on her desk, her eyes unfocused on the candlelight, her mind wandering.
The matter in southern Sichuan was not yet fully resolved, and the truth about Ganlu Tea was about to surface. Liaodong also sent a report, saying that continuous rain for several days had destroyed the city walls inside and outside Shanhaiguan, and many soldiers and civilians were injured.
Privately, Chen Xiu told her about the turbulent situation in Liaodong. Besides natural disasters, there were also man-made calamities: the Liaodong Governor-General and the Provincial Governor were at odds, and the garrison eunuch was secretly stirring up trouble, making the three sides irreconcilable enemies. At the same time, the Doyan Three Guards in the north also seemed to be making moves.
With her thoughts wandering to this point, she decided to unfold the map and study it carefully. Military strategies unfolded in her mind, conjuring up thousands of troops. In the end, she couldn't help but sigh: "It's just theoretical warfare."
A bolt of lightning suddenly flashed outside, its intense white light disappearing in an instant. Almost simultaneously, hurried footsteps sounded outside the room, and Liang Luxian lifted the curtain to announce that Duan Shou had returned.
Yan Chao was slightly surprised, nodded to let him in, and frowned as he asked, "What urgent matter could have made you come back in this heavy rain?"
Duan Shou wiped the tears from his eyes, clasped his hands and bowed his head: "I'm afraid the news from the Zhenfu Division has been delayed." He presented the secret letter in his bosom and replied briefly: "Your Highness, Shi Xi does not admit to the crime of plotting to poison you, but he has confessed to having accomplices."
Yan Chao opened the secret letter and glanced through it. His face darkened, and he asked, "Is the person still alive?"
"Alive. But Commander Zhang used severe torture, so he probably doesn't have many days left."
"Then let him bite us to death."
Seeing that Duan Shou was soaked to the bone, Yan Chao told him to go and rest.
Liang Lu silently served tea, noticing her grave expression, and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, is Shi Xi refusing to confess? Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard can't get anything out of him?"
Yan Chao shook his head and showed him the secret letter.
Shi Xi admitted that there was something wrong with the Ganlu tea, and that he killed Du Youjin because he let slip that he had cut off his source of income. However, he did not say that the tea was poisonous; he confessed that the tea was of inferior quality, and that he colluded with merchants to pass off inferior tea as superior tea in order to receive kickbacks. The source of the inferior tea was the Cheng family of Yazhou.
As for his accomplices and the mastermind behind the scenes, apart from the merchant Du Youjin, he recruited Ma Chu, the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Hu Zuoming, the head of the Silver Workshop, and several eunuchs in the Eastern Palace who were protecting and covering for him.
Liang Lu was also taken aback: "I dare not say whether this confession is true or false, but the tea was definitely laced with slow-acting poison! Physician Feng could detect it, and so could other physicians."
However, he was aware of the Crown Prince's concerns and was unwilling to disturb the Imperial Medical Academy to come and examine him.
“Perhaps Shi Xi is just a pawn. The people he recruited are enough.” Having made his decision earlier, Yan Chao now had an idea in mind, so he instructed Liang Lu: “Have someone interrogate those palace eunuchs you mentioned.”
Liang Lu should be right. Just as he was about to write down the names of the people, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: "This eunuch named Gao Liang seems to be from Zhaojian Palace."
Yan Chao pondered, "Shi Xi used to work at Zhaojian Palace, so it's normal for him to have connections with the people below him."
"Yes. Your Highness instructed us to keep a close eye on the Consort, but we haven't noticed anything unusual. However, I just remembered a trivial matter: the Dew Tea that you gave to the Consort last time was accidentally soaked with dirty water by a palace maid yesterday, and the Consort had it thrown out."
"What a coincidence."
The tea offered was of no problem, but it was merely a prelude to lure the snake out of its hole. Yan Chao's fingers brushed over the covered bowl, and after a moment of slow contemplation, he said in a low voice, "Go and make arrangements. Consort Xu will serve you tonight."
The rain had stopped by nightfall, and a cool breeze rustled through the air, making it very refreshing. The side hall was dimly lit. Yan Chao lifted the curtain and went in, the footsteps behind her fading away with the sound of the door closing. The moment she saw Shu Ying, she suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Yan Chao dismissed her formalities, and seeing that her attire was as usual, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and told her to sit down. Seeing that she was trembling and at a loss, he simply went to the bedside, lowered the curtain, turned around and sat down first, then gestured for her to sit opposite him.
Shuying's expression indeed relaxed a lot, but her face blushed silently.
Yan Chao lowered her eyes, her heart filled with inexplicable complex emotions, as if containing a hint of pity and regret. She silently picked up the teapot, poured tea for herself, and then poured tea for Shu Ying.
Shuying was clearly flustered for a moment, and just as she was wondering how to refuse, the Crown Prince spoke up: "It's just jasmine tea, there's no need to be nervous."
The next sentence sounds more like a casual question: "I remember last time I gave you Mengding Dew, did you like it?"
"Your Highness's gift is very kind to me." She lowered her eyelashes, clearly trying to avoid the question, but then said urgently, "I later brought some to present to Consort Yongning Palace, and she said it was very good."
"Why would I think of giving it to Consort Ning? It's just tea, and I didn't give you much of it."
"Your Majesty treats me with great kindness and always thinks of me when you have something good. I have nothing to repay you with, but I would like to express my sincere respect and gratitude."
Shuying's eyes were full of enthusiasm, and her words were clear and frank. Yan Chao was also moved and praised her, "Shuying, you have a kind heart."
When the name was suddenly uttered by the Crown Prince, Shu Ying was taken aback, not expecting that the Crown Prince would actually remember it. In the Eastern Palace, she was only called "Xu Xuanshi" or "Xu Shi". It was only after entering Yongning Palace that Consort Ning affectionately called her "Shu Ying".
However, the Crown Prince's next words plunged her into an icy abyss: "What if I told you that someone had poisoned the tea you sincerely offered to the Empress?"
The young girl was innocent and naive, and her emotions were written all over her face. Yan Chao took in all the changes in her expression and his suspicions vanished in an instant.
"Don't worry, Your Highness is fine." Yan Chao reassured her as she sat down, then pointed to the tea in front of her and commanded, "Drink your tea. I have something to ask you later."
Shuying forced down half a cup, finally regaining her senses. A jumble of thoughts swirled within her, and she roughly guessed the Crown Prince's meaning. She couldn't help but put down her teacup and ask, "I've heard about what happened in the front hall. Does Your Highness suspect I was responsible?"
“I don’t suspect anything now,” Yan Chao said, placing one hand on the table. “Why were you so flustered when I asked you if you liked the tea?”
Shuying exclaimed "Ah!" and glanced cautiously at the Crown Prince before confessing, "Your Highness, the sweet dew tea you bestowed upon me was accidentally spilled by a palace maid yesterday, and I had it thrown away. That's why I feel guilty."
Why yesterday?
"Ah? The palace servant only made a mistake by accident; it probably wasn't intentional..."
"Which palace maid was it?"
"Surely you don't not recognize the people in your palace."
Yan Chao interrupted her: "Do you know Gao Liang, the eunuch of Zhaojian Palace?"
“I know him. He’s a low-ranking eunuch who does menial work and always serves in the outer palace.”
"How much did Shi Xi, who used to be in charge of your meals, associate with Gao Liang?"
"I don't know..."
Yan Chao paused, then asked, "Have you seen Xiao Jiu interacting with Gao Liang?"
"I saw them talking to each other from a distance, but I didn't pay attention to anyone else."
He had asked enough questions. Yan Chao was about to get up when he noticed Shu Ying's face full of doubt, so he had to remind her: "This matter will not involve you. You don't need to worry about it or overthink it. You are not allowed to mention tonight's events to anyone, including Consort Ning."
"Yes, I understand." Shuying solemnly agreed, but then, as if remembering something, she hesitated and stopped speaking.
"Speak your mind," Yan Chao said.
"I'm being nosy. Is someone trying to harm Your Highness? Have you been poisoned? Is your body damaged? Are you alright?"
Yan Chao said gently, "It's alright. Neither Consort Ning nor you will be in any trouble."
The candlelight on the candlestick suddenly flickered. Yan Chao stood up and looked up abruptly, only to see that Shu Ying had already left her seat and was respectfully bowing her head in anticipation.
Yan Chao suddenly asked, "Does Xiao Jiu often go to Zhaojian Palace?"
This question immediately made Shuying nervous again. She didn't know what "frequently" meant, and hesitated to speak.
“I imagine you wouldn’t dare answer yes,” Yan Chao chuckled lightly, then changed the subject. “You met him when you were in Zhaoyang Palace; later, when you first entered the Eastern Palace, he always took care of you; when you fell ill during my southern tour, he was the one who looked after you; over the years, he has shown you great care, both openly and secretly. Am I wrong about this?”
Shuying's breath hitched, and her knees buckled as she knelt on the ground: "Your Highness, Eunuch Jiu only helped me out of kindness, and he only served me with respect, without overstepping any boundaries. It is I who have troubled him so much. It is my fault that Your Highness has suffered humiliation, but I beg Your Highness not to take your anger out on him..."
She was getting more and more absurd. Yan Chao pinched the bridge of his nose, stopping her, but blurted out, "Do you like Xiao Jiu? Is that why you're only pleading for him?"
Shuying's mind went blank for a moment, and she stood there stunned. Coming to her senses, she quickly shook her head and kowtowed, "No, Your Highness, I wouldn't dare! You are wise enough to know better! I would never dare to have such thoughts!"
Yan Chao told her to get up and didn't continue the topic. She sighed softly, "I'm sorry I frightened you," and then told her, "Rest assured and get some rest." Then she turned and left.
.
After three days of investigation, the Imperial Medical Academy finally produced its findings. The head of the academy, accompanied by several imperial physicians, personally sought an audience with the Crown Prince, offering apologies without uttering a word. As for the punishment, everyone knew in their hearts that the Crown Prince had only ever employed one imperial physician, Feng Jingmo, over the years; the Imperial Medical Academy simply needed to make a statement at this moment.
As expected, the Crown Prince did not blame them and ordered everyone to rise. Only Feng Jingmo remained bowed: "Your Highness has entrusted me with the important task of attending to your medical needs, but I failed to notice anything amiss in time, resulting in damage to Your Highness's health. I deserve to die a thousand deaths."
"Imperial Physician Feng has done his utmost. Even the Imperial Hospital is struggling with this problem, so it can't be entirely attributed to his negligence." Yan Chao gestured for Feng Jingmo to rise, then turned his gaze to the head of the Imperial Physician's office: "What exactly was put in the Ganlu Tea?"
"Your Highness, after careful examination, we found that not all of the Mengding Ganlu tea contained cinnamon twigs. Different batches of new and old tea contained different additives. For example, the batch from two years ago contained Sichuan lovage rhizome, which is bitter but has a sweet aftertaste and a numbing sensation on the tongue, so mint was used to reduce the off-flavor. Last year's tea contained rosin, and this year's contains cinnamon twigs. Because the dosage is small and other medicinal materials are used to blend and mask the effects, the symptoms are not obvious. However, long-term use will damage the liver and kidneys, deplete blood and fluids, and the symptoms are mainly dizziness, drowsiness, nightmares, and palpitations."
Besides, some teas even contain trace amounts of atractylodes, aconite, and arsenic, all of which are highly poisonous and can be fatal if consumed in careless amounts! Fortunately, according to the pulse diagnosis of His Highness by Imperial Physician Feng, His Highness's poisoning is not severe.
The Imperial Physician was also alarmed, secretly wiping the sweat from his brow. His stiff back ached terribly, but he still bowed and asked, "Your Highness's health and medication require extra caution. Physician Feng alone may not be able to handle it. I implore Your Highness to allow us to carefully examine your pulse and have all the physicians of the Imperial Hospital consult and prescribe a prescription to ensure Your Highness's recovery!"
Upon hearing this, all the imperial physicians knelt down and pleaded, echoing the sentiment. The old chief physician was about to bow when he swayed and nearly slipped.
Yan Chao instinctively leaned forward to stand up and reached out to help him. The old court judge, however, was quick-witted and grabbed the crown prince's sleeve, about to press it down on his wrist.
"Your Honor, be careful!" Feng Jingmo hurriedly crawled a few steps behind him, grabbed the Honor Minister around the waist, and used all his strength to pull him backward.
Chaos erupted instantly in the hall as everyone hurriedly helped the old physician to his feet. Taking advantage of the chaos, Yan Chao withdrew his hand, secretly relieved, and quickly asked with concern, "How are you, old physician? Are you injured anywhere?"
Feng Jingmo, feeling guilty, checked the judge over from head to toe to make sure he wasn't seriously injured before hurriedly admitting his mistake: "I was reckless. I was trying to help you up, but I ended up making things worse."
The old physician glanced at him, snorted coldly, and then relentlessly advised the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, your health is of utmost importance. You must not conceal your illness and refuse medical treatment!"
The hall was filled with kneeling figures. Just as Yan Chao was having a headache, a eunuch suddenly came to report: there was an urgent matter in the Wenhua Hall.
Having found a reason to leave, Yan Chao hurriedly replied, "I'll go immediately." Before leaving, he didn't forget to appease the others, saying, "All the imperial physicians have worked hard, so please go back now. Physician Feng has already examined the pulses yesterday; you can just write a prescription." With that, he left in a hurry, leaving the imperial physicians looking at each other in bewilderment.
News from the Eastern Palace and the Imperial Medical Academy spread extremely quickly, soon shocking the court and the public. While several cabinet ministers met with the Crown Prince, he was still listening to daily lectures in the side hall behind the Wenhua Hall.
The Crown Prince remained remarkably calm in the face of the cabinet ministers' anxious inquiries, simply stating that it was nothing serious. After all, she did not desire turmoil in the court, nor did she wish to incite unfounded speculation and create widespread panic.
Grand Secretary Yang Ren's face was grave: "Who on earth is so audacious as to plot against the Crown Prince?!"
Chen Xiu's face was filled with worry. Rumors circulated that a palace maid in the Eastern Palace was plotting something, but such a capital offense must have a mastermind behind it all. The Crown Prince's composure was too much. He had a suspicion in his mind and was considering whether to request an imperial edict to order the Three Departments to investigate thoroughly.
The Crown Prince, seated at the head of the table, picked up his teacup, squeezed it, and put it down again, saying, "Prime Minister, do not worry, the investigation is still ongoing." She glanced at Li Shih-huai, who was equally filled with worry and indignation, and casually remarked, "Some people have already been interrogated, and it is said that they have some connection with criminals in southern Sichuan."
Li Shih-huai's right sleeve clearly twitched.
"However, the imperial envoy and the criminals will be returning to the capital soon, and Prince Xin will be escorting them along the way, so there shouldn't be any problems. We can just hand them over to the Ministry of Justice for review."
Prince Xin has been away from the capital for several days. She wasn't afraid that the news would reach Prince Xin's ears; she hoped he would find out as soon as possible.
This commotion naturally alerted the Western Garden. Lan Huaien received the news first and immediately arrested Hu Zuoming, giving him no chance to catch his breath. That evening, when the emperor asked why Hu Zuoming had not served him, Lan Huaien reported the events at the Eastern Palace in detail, adding some embellishments and rumors.
Upon hearing this, the emperor was so shocked that he dropped the scriptures he was holding.
"Outrageous! Lawless! You even dare to touch the Crown Prince!"
"Is the Crown Prince alright?" the Emperor asked.
"The Imperial Medical Academy has examined His Highness the Crown Prince and said that his life is not in immediate danger, and he only needs proper treatment."
The emperor's eyes were filled with malice as he stared at Lan Huaien: "Then investigate thoroughly, and tear them all to pieces!"
"I obey the order."
The emperor, panting with shock and anger, was quickly helped by Lan Huai'en, who patted his back to help him catch his breath. After calming down, the emperor asked again, "Is the Crown Prince truly alright? Can he walk? Can he speak? Is he in good spirits?"
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. His Highness the Crown Prince is merely a little weak. I heard that he has been going to the Wenhua Hall as usual these past two days, and his official duties have not been neglected at all."
The emperor frowned and blurted out, "I'm not dead yet, why should he keep pushing himself like this? Let him rest properly."
Lan Huaien's heart sank, inwardly cursing himself for his slip of the tongue, wishing he could slap himself a few times on the spot. But then he heard the emperor order, "Go and see him. If he is really alright, prepare a sedan chair and bring him here. I want to see him."
"yes."
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