"Jiujiu has arrived," the Empress Dowager uttered with a weary smile, "The Imperial Physician is inside treating the Emperor, Jiujiu, please go in and take a look."
Yang Mengchen curtsied in respect, "As commanded, your granddaughter will obey! Lv Luo, stay and attend to the Royal Grandmother." Accompanied by Hai Tang and Sun Chuanmao, she walked into the inner chamber.
The Empress sat beside the bed, and all the Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Hospital were present, each wearing a look of heavy concern, constantly shaking their heads and sighing. Suddenly catching sight of Yang Mengchen, the Imperial Physicians’ eyes lit up.
Without a word, Yang Mengchen went straight to take the Emperor’s pulse, and after a moment, she glanced at the hopeful Empress, who then followed Yang Mengchen outside.
"How is he, Jiujiu?" the Empress Dowager asked impatiently.
Yang Mengchen answered with a grave tone, "To report to the Royal Grandmother and Mother Empress, the poison affecting Father Emperor is a rare mix of five potent toxins, each long lost to history. I can only promise to do my best, but the outcome is difficult to predict."
"Five ancient and potent toxins mixed together?"
The Empress Dowager and Empress turned pale, and before they could respond, a beautifully dressed lady rushed in, her voice shrill as she screamed, "Where did Prince Chen get these five rare toxins?" It was none other than the Mother of Prince Duan, Concubine De.
Upon hearing that the Empress Dowager had urgently summoned Yang Mengchen to the palace, Concubine De hastened to see the results of the diagnosis. Not expecting that Yang Mengchen could discern the mixture of five toxins and that they were long lost, she felt uneasy and thus blurted out about Prince Chen without thinking. She knew all too well that it was her father who had accidentally acquired the ancient formulas for these lost poisons and then had a master poison maker craft them.
The Empress Dowager and Empress frowned in displeasure.
After casting a faint glance at Concubine De, Yang Mengchen excused herself to the Empress Dowager and the Empress and turned back to enter the inner chamber.
That calm look, however, made Concubine De shudder uncontrollably, as if everything was within Princess Chen’s control. But how could that be possible?
In fact, Concubine De was somewhat resentful towards the Prince and her father. Though the Empress Dowager suddenly decided to visit Huangjue Temple for blessings, and the Prince and his wife, along with the three outstanding descendants of the Zheng family, were to accompany her, they could have found excuses to stay behind if they didn’t want to go. Their choice to act at that moment was clearly too hasty.
What upset her more was that the Prince and her father only informed her after they had taken control of the Imperial Palace, catching her completely off guard.
Little did she know, the Duke of Wuguo thought the opportunity was too good to pass up, and Prince Ke, the Second Prince of Xiliang, and that mysterious person had repeatedly urged him.
The pressure from the three parties wasn’t what worried him; he had simply grown impatient. Once he controlled the Capital, not only would Prince Ke, the Second Prince of Xiliang, and that mysterious person have no choice but to comply with him and beg for his help, but if they dared to betray him, they would face his ruthless retribution. Moreover...
The relationship with the three parties was known only to him and his two sons. Even Prince Duan and Concubine De were unaware, let alone other members of the Zheng family. Hence, he used the support of the three parties to instigate Prince Duan, only revealing the truth to Concubine De once everything was set in stone. By then, with the arrow on the bow, both Prince Duan and Concubine De had no choice but to commit to his cause.
Just as Concubine De was about to speak, Grand Prince and Prince Ning entered with swift strides, Prince Ning asked anxiously, "Mother, Sister-in-law, how is the Emperor?"
"Jiujiu is inside treating the Emperor. The outcome is unforeseeable," the Empress Dowager gravely replied.
The Empress’s face bore the marks of sadness and worry, her reddened eyes misted over, yet she bit her lip and fought back her tears.
Upon hearing this, Prince Ning’s expression turned somber and anxious as he quickly entered the inner chamber.
Meanwhile, Grand Prince glanced at Prince Duan and the Duke of Wuguo, his deep eyes icy as his voice boomed with authority, "The Imperial Palace is a place of great importance. Who allowed you to bring weapons inside? Who allowed you to take control of the palace?"
The Empress Dowager and the Empress shuddered. Until that moment, they had not dared to assert which Prince had poisoned the Emperor, but now...
When Grand Prince and Prince Ning appeared suddenly, the expression of Prince Duan, and especially the Duke of Wuguo, changed drastically.
Had they not carefully arranged for these two to be sent away from the Capital? How then could they be here?
And the promises from those three parties to the Duke of Wuguo—that as long as Grand Prince and Prince Ning left the Capital, they would have the strength to eliminate them, ensuring they would never return—had the assassination by their forces failed? Or had the two princes sensed something amiss and hurried back? ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com
Grand Prince, who was usually so reserved, radiated a fierce aura when he was serious, accompanied by the bloodthirsty savagery forged from years on the battlefield. Apart from Long Xuanmo, there was not a single younger member of the royal family who did not fear Grand Prince.
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