Chapter 95: Don't Make Failure Assumptions
In the dead of night, the spring breeze after the rain blew into the room through the window, causing the candlestick on the side table to flicker.
The dormitory at the Eastern Palace Medical Office was simple and cramped. Zhou Fuling curled up at the foot of the bed, wide awake. The medical book she had just been looking at was stuck on a certain page and she hadn't touched it since.
Through the thin window, she heard a rhythmic sound.
This sound appears every few days, like some kind of signal.
She cautiously put on her coat, blew out the candle, threw aside her medical book, and stood behind the door listening quietly.
Soon, she saw through the crack that the door opposite had opened. Physician Zhong tiptoed out of the courtyard, looked around, and left the medical office carrying a lantern.
Zhou Fuling immediately chased after her out the door, and followed her to a secluded and deserted abandoned pavilion, several dozen steps away.
A palace attendant dressed in black stopped in the pavilion ahead. Imperial Physician Zhong looked around warily. Zhou Fuling, who had been following her, was on guard and slipped behind the artificial hill.
"How is the Crown Prince doing these days?"
"His Highness sent someone to fetch medicine again the day before yesterday; this is the third box."
When will it be effective?
Physician Zhong hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Your Highness already has symptoms of heat and stone eruption. As for when the stasis and toxins will manifest, it varies depending on the individual's constitution, and I dare not make a rash judgment."
"If it doesn't work, increase the dosage!" the eunuch suddenly growled urgently, then, realizing his voice was too low, quickly covered his mouth with his sleeve. "His Majesty wants results."
Zhou Fuling could only hear the first few sentences of the conversation before she saw Physician Zhong leave with a worried expression.
After a moment's hesitation, she cautiously peeked out from the other side of the artificial hill, staring intently at the eunuch in the pavilion.
In the stillness, the eunuch stood there for a moment before leaving the pavilion.
…
At midnight, lamps were lit inside Zhaohua Hall.
Yang Leyi clenched her fists, her gaze towards Zhou Fuling turning somewhat gloomy. "Are you sure you saw clearly that person was really Tong Shun?"
Zhou Fuling nodded and replied, "It's absolutely true. I wouldn't mistake the appearance of Eunuch Tong."
Tong Shun is Yao Qingxi's godson and a recent favorite of the emperor. The emperor often sends him to the West Garden to take care of Consort Zhang, and sometimes he also sends him to do things for Prince Qin... Was it Consort Zhang and Prince Qin's idea to instruct Imperial Physician Zhong to poison the crown prince, or was it the emperor's idea?
Yang Leyi felt a chill run down her spine upon thinking about this. She turned to look at Liang Yuanjun, whose expression remained calm, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Suddenly remembering something, she grasped Zhou Fuling's wrist and asked in a hoarse voice, "Physician Zhou, His Highness has already used two boxes of medicine. Since you can tell that there is something wrong with the medicine, do you have a way to detoxify His Highness?"
Zhou Fuling said, "His Highness has not been taking the medicine for very long. As long as you stop taking the medicine immediately, the toxins will be expelled slowly and will not cause too much harm to His Highness."
Hearing this, Yang Leyi finally breathed a sigh of relief, but still felt guilty. Just as Yu Mingshu had said, she was also well-versed in classics and history, yet when Physician Zhong suddenly offered medicine, she was completely unsuspecting, watching helplessly as His Highness was poisoned…
In contrast, Yu Mingshu became suspicious the first time he saw His Highness taking medicine. How vigilant was he?
After Zhou Fuling left, Yang Leyi returned to Liang Yuanjun's side and knelt opposite her. "Your Highness, what should be done with Physician Zhong?"
Liang Yuanjun's eyes darkened, her left hand gripping the fish-shaped tally tightly. After a long while, she sighed, "What's the use of punishing a mere imperial physician?"
The person who wanted to kill her was her father, the monarch of the Great Liang Dynasty.
The emperor wanted her to abdicate in favor of the Prince of Qin, but why did he choose to have Physician Zhong administer medicine to her instead of issuing an edict to depose the heir apparent?
Is it because she, as the crown prince, acts prudently and has made no mistakes, that the ministers would not agree? The emperor clearly holds her most fatal weakness.
Perhaps he didn't want to break ties with his mother, or perhaps he was satisfied with her political achievements and reputation as the crown prince. He wanted her to be buried in the imperial mausoleum with a clean record, bearing her illustrious achievements and virtuous reputation...
He hoped that future historical records would portray Liang Yuanjun, the eldest son of Emperor Fengle of the Great Liang Dynasty, as a virtuous crown prince who died young, rather than Empress He and Princess Qingluan as having deceived the emperor and usurped the crown prince position for twenty years.
But why should she grant his wish?
Having not slept all night, when the sky cleared, Liang Yuanjun changed into a light purple robe to meet the Empress.
In the evening, a secret edict from the Crown Prince appeared in Yu Mingshu's hands.
The Crown Prince ordered all the soldiers of the Eastern Palace in the capital to prepare weapons and armor and be ready to be deployed at any time.
The implications of this secret edict are self-evident.
When an emperor develops a dislike for his crown prince, it is conceivable that no peaceful means can win back his favor.
The crown prince faced only two paths: to sit and wait for death or to take a desperate gamble.
From the moment Yu Mingshu saw the imperial edict, his mind remained unsettled for a long time.
Emotionally speaking, the Crown Prince was frank and open-minded, with very stable emotions. He was fair in rewarding and punishing his subordinates, and was indeed a rare and virtuous ruler in the world.
Moreover, the Crown Prince respected her ideals, supported her political views, and had shown her great favor... For both emotional and rational reasons, she did not want to see the Crown Prince lose.
Furthermore, everyone knows that she is a favorite of the Crown Prince and has a marriage agreement with the He family. She is already bound to the Crown Prince and is in the eye of the storm, so she has no chance to weigh the pros and cons.
The crown prince had no way out, and so did she.
He took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart, gently wiped the coldness from his palms, and solemnly stamped the red seal of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices at the end of the secret edict.
…
The secret edict was sent to the Ten Commanders' Office of the Eastern Palace, and He Zheng rushed back to Chongrenfang that very night.
After leaving the Duke's mansion, he immediately climbed over the wall of Yu Mingshu's courtyard.
The bell under the window rang out crisply. Yu Mingshu gripped his dagger warily, but after carefully observing the familiar figure outside the door, he lowered his guard and opened the door for him.
He Zheng quickly pulled her into his arms without saying a word.
Yu Mingshu could hear his heartbeat. "You went home?"
He knew she was asking about the Duke's mansion, and silently replied, "Mm."
The Crown Prince did not reveal any further information besides the secret edict, but the Empress disclosed the truth to the He family.
Yu Mingshu silently wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her forehead on his collarbone, and after a long while, she tilted her head slightly to look into his eyes.
Are you scared?
"Afraid."
He Zheng's words surprised Yu Mingshu slightly; she had thought he wouldn't admit his panic.
“I’m not afraid of fighting in the palace; my father did it before.” He Zheng’s hand tightened slightly as he inhaled the faint fragrance of her hair. His voice was hoarse. “What I’m afraid of is you. Ming Shu, what will you do if this fails?”
Yu Mingshu smiled calmly and said, "Before taking action, don't make assumptions about failure."
…
In late February, the imperial examinations were held as scheduled.
This year, Li Qinian no longer served as the chief examiner, and all examination affairs fell on the shoulders of the Crown Prince. To everyone's relief, the Crown Prince handled it very well and there were no mistakes.
In the Taiji Hall, the emperor listened with a stern face as his ministers praised the crown prince's achievements, remaining silent and offering no comment.
After seeing off the ministers, the emperor returned to the inner palace and, suppressing his agitation, summoned Yao Qingxi.
"Does Your Majesty intend to travel to the West Garden?" Yao Qingxi asked tentatively.
The Emperor pointed at Yao Qingxi's forehead and said, "I ask you, the Crown Prince has been taking the medicine for nearly two months, why is there still no effect? Could it be that Zhong Ping is outwardly compliant but inwardly protecting the Crown Prince!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Physician Zhong's son and daughter are under strict guard in Xiudefang. Even if she intends to protect the Crown Prince, she has to consider her children..." Yao Qingxi replied in a panic, while pouring the emperor a cup of tea.
The emperor downed his tea in one gulp, calming himself slightly, and then changed the subject: "What has the empress been busy with lately?"
"Recently, due to the change of seasons, the Third Prince has fallen ill again, and the other day he even took his illness out on Princess Fu'an. Her Majesty the Empress has been staying in the warm pavilion all day, and has even exempted the concubines from paying their respects."
"Those two sickly children are impossible to raise properly, and the Empress suffers from their constant toil. If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred to let Lady Wei stay and raise them myself."
Yao Qingxi carefully observed his expression and echoed, "Her Majesty the Empress has always been virtuous and kind. Over the years, she has treated the Third Prince as her own son and has never complained about the hardships."
The emperor put down his teacup, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes.
The Empress was indeed virtuous; she was not only virtuous but also intelligent and quick-witted.
She and the He family behind her helped him secure the throne, but after arriving in the capital, they did not seek credit and remained low-key and humble for decades, never causing him any trouble.
Apart from He Ning, no one in the world is more suitable to be the empress who will rule the world.
To ensure that the empress remains the empress while the crown prince cannot remain the crown prince, no emperor throughout history has faced a more difficult situation.
A chilling look quickly settled in the emperor's eyes. He said to Yao Qingxi, "No matter what method Zhong Ping uses, whether it's Five-Stone Powder or arsenic, I want to see the results before April."
Yao Qingxi replied "Yes" and went out to instruct Tong Shun to pass on a message to Physician Zhong.
In the evening, after reviewing a whole basket of memorials in the inner palace, the emperor, dragging his weary body, arrived in his sedan chair.
Yao Qingxi sang loudly as usual: "Prepare the carriage for the West Garden!"
The emperor closed his eyes to rest, which was tantamount to acquiescing.
As the imperial palanquin passed through the inner palace's main road, the palace servants along the way all knelt down upon seeing the imperial carriage.
After passing the Golden Carp Pond, the palace gate leading to the West Garden is just ahead. Suddenly, a lingering song drifts from the center of the waterside pavilion by the pond.
The emperor lifted his eyelids to look over, then raised his hand.
Yao Qingxi hurriedly ordered, "Stop the sedan chair!"
"The one singing is..." The emperor looked at the woman in plain clothes dancing and singing in the waterside pavilion and felt that she looked vaguely familiar.
Yao Qingxi squinted and immediately recognized the person. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, that is Consort Xiao from Wangyun Palace."
The emperor seemed to recall something and sat quietly in his sedan chair for a while, listening intently.
After the song ended, he said, "Call Xiao Shi over to talk."
The eunuch immediately went to deliver the message. Consort Xiao was overjoyed upon hearing the news and dared not delay for a moment. She ran along the riverbank to the imperial carriage.
Since last Mid-Autumn Festival, when she inadvertently disparaged the pear blossom lanterns and angered the emperor, he hadn't visited her Wangyun Palace for a full six months.
She had practiced singing and dancing for two months to prepare for this chance encounter.
As the emperor watched the young and delicate woman run happily toward him, her flowing robes carrying a refreshing fragrance, he suddenly lost his desire to go to the West Garden.
"Did you just sing 'Ode to the Pear Blossom'?"
Consort Xiao replied, seemingly both delighted and timid, "Yes, Your Majesty has excellent hearing."
The emperor teased, "Didn't you say pear blossoms were unlucky? Why are you singing about them now?"
Consort Xiao bowed in fear, "I only later learned that this flower is pure and noble. I am now deeply ashamed of my arrogant words back then..."
Seeing her clumsily trying to please him, the emperor was somewhat helpless, but finally smiled and said, "Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, why force yourself? You are beautiful and young, so you would look more attractive if you dressed in bright colors."
Consort Xiao's eyes flickered slightly as she gazed at him tenderly, "This concubine will go back to change now."
The emperor reached out and led her into the sedan chair, saying to Yao Qingxi, "Go to Wangyun Palace."
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