Chapter 100 News of Death
However, Zhixi and the others absolutely could not allow Prince Zhen to actually go to court like that, after all, anyone who saw him would think the emperor had gone mad. They also dared not imagine the uproar that would be caused if the ministers saw him.
“Your Majesty! Lord Qing is unwell, please do not trouble him. Perhaps I should take care of him,” Tang Quan suggested, forcing himself to speak.
Unexpectedly, the King's face suddenly darkened. He remembered that the imperial physicians all said they were helpless, insisting that the vital energy had truly been cut off, the heart had stopped beating, and there was no chance of survival.
What do they know?! Qing'er is not a mere mortal like them, but a powerful cultivator. This level of poison, this level of attack, could not possibly take Qing'er's life.
It was just a temporary state of suspended animation. Perhaps he was in a bad mood and didn't want to recover quickly, wanting to see him anxious and worried. How mischievous!
The King of Zhen revealed a "I really can't do anything with you" expression, his arms around Shinju's body bulging with well-defined muscles, tightly holding him in his embrace.
Seeing that the King of Zhen was unwilling to let go of the person and instead held her even tighter, Tang Quan and the others couldn't help but become anxious.
Tang Quan could guess why Prince Zhen was angry. She vividly remembered how Prince Zhen had previously lashed out at the imperial physician. After considering her words for a moment, she said, "Lord Qing's poison still needs to be removed. Moreover, the court is crowded and the atmosphere is mixed, which may hinder Lord Qing's recovery..."
They thought the Poison King might deny or refuse to acknowledge the poisoning, but he didn't. The Poison King seemed to have made a connection to something, glancing at them sideways, remaining silent for a long time before suddenly saying coldly, "Go and bring Zhao Kelin back to check on Qing'er."
The three of them quickly agreed, and Tang Quan turned and ran towards the horse farm.
King Zhen ultimately did not take Shinju to court, and news of Shinju's death was deliberately controlled and completely blocked by the secret guards, for fear of provoking King Zhen.
But with such a commotion and so many casualties last night, the attack on Prince Zhen could not be kept secret. All the officials in front of the Golden Palace craned their necks, eager to witness Prince Zhen's safety with their own eyes.
However, King Zhen did not go to court. Instead, he sat with Shinju in his arms in the main hall, which was covered with a velvet carpet. Layers of crimson gauze curtains surrounded them, as if they were isolated from the world.
"Qing'er still doesn't want to wake up? I've had the Imperial Kitchen prepare some steamed sweet cheese and pea flour cake, and they've also recently brewed a new batch of persimmon vinegar. Doesn't Qing'er like bran? It tastes excellent mixed with persimmon vinegar. Qing'er hasn't tried it yet, has she? Wake up and have a taste."
But only the deep, thin voice of the King of Poison echoed in the hall; no one echoed or responded, and not even a quarrel broke out.
The King of Zhen's heart felt as if it were bound by a thousand-pound boulder, and he was gradually dragged down.
Standing in the side hall, Zhixi gazed at the two blurred, overlapping figures behind the gauze curtain, feeling more lost than ever before.
"My lord, is it time?" Xiao Dunzi, who had just finished tasting the imperial meal in the side hall, had been waiting for a long time and instinctively felt that the wait was much longer than usual, so he couldn't help but ask Zhixi.
Zhixi then snapped out of her daze, turned around to look at the seemingly energetic Xiaodunzi, and slowly nodded. "Sorry, I was distracted. It seems the imperial meal is fine. You can go back now. Come back later to collect the dishes."
Xiao Dunzi immediately got up and tidied up the things on the table. He had vaguely heard about the commotion last night, but he had slept too soundly and didn't know about the horrifying incident until the morning. Since it involved Masuke, he was naturally very worried. Although he could still sense Masuke's presence, his telepathic communication had not received a response.
He wanted to come and see for himself, otherwise he would never be able to put his mind at ease.
He was very familiar with the layout of the Scorpion Shadow Palace. After walking out of the side hall, there was a spot at the corner of the corridor that was not covered by gauze curtains. If you looked from behind the antique display shelf, you could clearly see the two people in the main hall.
So, as soon as Xiaodunzi finished tidying up, he hurriedly left the side hall. Then, he glanced back at Zhixi and, seeing that she wasn't looking at him, his heart pounded like a drum. He silently walked to that spot, past the display shelf, and was about to look inside—
With a sharp "bang," the purple-glazed porcelain vase on the shelf fell to the ground, scattering shards of porcelain that startled several people in the hall.
Xiao Dunzi's hands were still gripping the shelf, trembling violently. He didn't notice the noise he was making; his face was filled with disbelief. He blinked repeatedly, but couldn't shake the grotesque gash on the face of the person before him, and the lifeless expression. Finally, what came into view was the back and shoulders of the Zhenwang, which were partially hidden, and the gloomy face turned to the side.
Zhixi immediately ran over and forced Xiaodunzi to kneel down with her. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty! It was my fault for not taking good care of Xiaodunzi."
Xiao Dunzi was forced to stare at the ground, but the scene was already imprinted in his mind, impossible to forget. After holding his breath for several dozen breaths, Xiao Dunzi suddenly choked, then gasped for air while coughing, his chest heaving violently.
"How...how could this happen?! Qingqing!!!" In the blink of an eye, Xiaodunzi's vision blurred. He struggled to break free from Zhixi, crawled to the King of Zhen, and kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "Let me see him, please, Your Majesty, please, even if you're going to kill me, can you at least let me see him one last time?! Please!!"
Zhixi stopped her movement to grab the person, clutching her clothes tightly, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes.
The King of Zhen glanced at the small mound with an unwavering expression, pondered for a moment, and then stopped blocking it with his body, revealing the face of the True Monk.
Xiaodunzi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died; not a ray of light could shine into his eyes.
The King of Poison laughed and didn't argue with him. He gestured to Zhixi to take the person away, and then, seeing the shards scattered all over the ground, he carried Zhensu back to the inner room.
.
The Imperial Guards regained complete control of the entire palace. The rebels were either killed, captured, or imprisoned and interrogated, and none of them could escape.
The Silver Scorpion guards were all extremely busy, and one of them, after working for most of the day, only remembered that he had not yet reported his mission as night approached.
Although I witnessed the death of Shinjuku, this matter is of great importance, and the identity of that boy is probably not simple. His Majesty may know something.
So the man decided to return to the stronghold first to draw the boy's portrait, and then report the matter to the King of Poison.
But upon returning to the city, he passed by some inns, taverns, and teahouses that were open at night and found that many people were discussing "the death of the treacherous minister."
"I heard that traitor was stabbed to death by the rebels!!"
"Hey, karma really came fast! I have to say, this guy got what he deserved!"
"He got off too easily, dying so easily. Which eunuch who controls the court can possibly have a good end?! It's just a matter of dying sooner or later."
"With those seditious and misleading people gone, isn't this the same as purging the court of corrupt officials? In my opinion, our lives are likely to get better!"
"Hahaha! Perfect, let's celebrate with my treasured wine! I told you these eunuchs would amount to nothing. His Majesty is wise and mighty! He even easily suppressed the rebels. They were only temporarily misled before. How could there be any villains in power in the future!"
"Come on! Cheers!"
"Dry!!"
"Hey, I have to go somewhere else. I'll come back and drink with you guys later!"
"Hey, Lao Lu! Don't run away! You managed to get your hands on such big inside information, aren't you going to share it with the brothers?"
"I just overheard it..." Tie Lao Lu wiped the sweat from his brow, struggled against the arms of the burly men who were urging him to drink, and started to walk towards the door.
Little did she know that she would make eye contact with the man who had been eavesdropping outside the door for quite some time.
"?!?!" Tie Laolu recognized the man as the one who had run out of his cellar and hit him, and immediately turned and ran.
The man spat and immediately gave chase.
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