Chapter 308 Mountain Collapse
The hall was eerily quiet; everyone was waiting for the imperial physician's diagnosis.
Under immense pressure, the imperial physician broke out in a fine sweat, and his entire back was soaked with sweat.
"His Majesty—" the imperial physician opened his mouth, his voice trembling and broken, "His Majesty...has passed away..."
Everyone present knelt down, and the sound of weeping filled the air.
Qiu Heng knelt among them, her heart finally at peace.
Thankfully, it wasn't a coma, but a quick and painless death.
Several concubines collapsed in tears beside Emperor Jingping.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you can't just leave like this..."
"Commander, I have ordered the Imperial Guards to surround the main hall." The speaker was Yang Zhen, the Deputy Commander of the Palace Guard.
Zhu Qiang, the commander of the palace guards, nodded and looked at the person in charge.
Those qualified to attend the banquet were all important officials in the court. Among them were Chancellor Zhu Youwei, Privy Councilor Tao Ranfang, Censor-in-Chief Lü Yan, and Prince Fu, who were the four people entrusted with political affairs after Emperor Jingping revoked the power of the Crown Prince to oversee the country.
"His Majesty has vomited blood; the cause must be investigated," said Prime Minister Zhu, his eyes filled with tears.
Lü Zhongcheng then said, "In my opinion, the most urgent task is to inform His Highness the Crown Prince that a country cannot be without a ruler for even a day."
Zhu Xiang immediately objected: "We were all present when the Emperor passed away. How can we spread the news without investigating anything? Besides, once everyone leaves, all those who attended the banquet will be suspects. How can we explain it clearly?"
Lu Zhongcheng frowned: "What does Prime Minister Zhu mean?"
"I believe we should first have the imperial physician examine His Majesty's condition to determine whether it is an acute illness or something else. If His Majesty has been harmed by treacherous officials, we must find the culprits to repay His Majesty's great kindness to us."
Many officials said, "What Prime Minister Zhu said is absolutely right."
The Emperor's visit was suspicious. If we don't investigate now, we might be accused of plotting against him when we return. Who could bear that?
"What if we can't figure it out right away?" Lü Zhongcheng asked coldly.
"If there is no clue before nightfall today, then we should ring the bell to announce it."
Lu Zhongcheng fell silent, which meant he no longer objected.
Xue Quan choked up as he spoke, "Let's invite His Majesty to the rear hall first."
Two imperial physicians and several concubines accompanied Emperor Jingping's body to the rear hall.
After a suffocating wait, the two imperial physicians staggered back into the hall, their faces ashen.
Countless gazes fell upon the two imperial physicians, pressing down like mountains, making it hard to breathe.
The sudden death of a monarch could have been a catastrophic disaster, as even the slightest misstep in his words or actions could have led to his annihilation.
"What is the condition, Imperial Physicians?" Prime Minister Zhu asked.
The two imperial physicians exchanged a glance. The more senior physician hesitated before saying, "His Majesty... seems to have ingested a potent substance, causing his vital energy to deplete and damaging all five internal organs..."
"The elixir! There must be something wrong with that elixir!" someone among the ministers blurted out.
No one cared who spoke; all eyes were on Master Miaoqing.
Master Miaoqing appeared calm, but his tense body betrayed his nervousness.
Prince Fu suddenly spoke up: "Everyone present has taken the miraculous medicine bestowed by His Majesty, and is currently doing well—"
Lu Zhongcheng coldly said, "Prince Fu, you are mistaken. Just because we are fine after taking the elixir does not mean that the elixir is without problem. You should know that we only took one elixir today, while His Majesty has probably taken dozens or even hundreds of them in the past period of time."
The group exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Lü Zhongcheng's words make sense. The reason they are fine after eating is because they eat little, while the Emperor eats a lot!
Compared to suspecting that the drinks and food are poisonous, the so-called elixir is obviously more worthy of suspicion.
At a royal banquet, every dish and drink undergoes rigorous control; it's incredibly difficult to poison someone, especially the Emperor. On the contrary, the elixirs concocted by Master Miaoqing were never inspected before being consumed.
"In that case, since the two imperial physicians are here, let's check if there's anything wrong with the elixir." Prince Fu said with a pained expression, "The person who harmed the Emperor must be found."
Upon hearing what Prince Fu said, Qiu Heng couldn't help but look at Xue Han.
Behind Master Miaoqing is Prince Fu, yet Prince Fu took the initiative to suggest inspecting the elixir. Was he preparing pills that were safe, or did he have ulterior motives?
Qiuheng leans towards the latter.
Emperor Jingping's sudden death at the Immortal Gathering Banquet was clearly not something Master Miaoqing's side wanted to see. It was an unexpected and unforeseen event for them; would they have prepared safe and effective pills beforehand?
If the problem with the elixir cannot be avoided, what is the point of making such a suggestion?
Qiu Heng and Xue Han exchanged glances, their minds racing.
Xue Han was also pondering this question.
A flash of inspiration struck them, and almost simultaneously, a guess arose in their minds: stall for time!
Qiu Heng's pupils dilated, and in an instant she realized the purpose of stalling for time: the Crown Prince!
If the sword wasn't aimed at the Crown Prince, delaying for such a short time would be meaningless.
Xue Han had obviously thought of that as well. He nodded almost imperceptibly to Qiu Heng and quietly retreated towards the palace entrance.
At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the death of Emperor Jingping, and they were so tense and fearful that they couldn't pay attention to anything else.
Xue Han was blocked by the palace guards.
"Lord Xue, those inside the palace are not allowed to leave for the time being." Yang Zhen, the deputy commander of the Palace Guard, blocked Xue Han's way.
"Whose orders?"
"This is our commander's order."
"Is that so? I was in the hall the whole time and did not hear Commander Zhu give this order. On the contrary, it was you, Deputy Commander Yang, who arranged for the Imperial Guards to surround the hall before reporting to Commander Zhu."
Yang Zhen was surprised that Xue Han had noticed these details even in the midst of such a panic. He paused for a moment and said, "As a subordinate, it is natural to think ahead for one's superiors. Does Lord Xue really think that our commander would not do such a thing?"
"All I know is that the Imperial City Guard is directly under the Emperor's command and not under the control of your Palace Guard," Xue Han said coldly. "Or is it that with the Emperor's passing, the Palace Guard will now be in charge of the Imperial City Guard?"
Yang Zhen's expression changed: "Lord Xue, be careful what you say!"
Xue Han curled the corners of his lips, his eyes growing colder: "Besides, investigating and judging cases involving court officials is the duty of my Imperial City Guard. Deputy Commander Yang, you're obstructing me from sending my men here; could you be harboring ulterior motives?"
Faced with Xue Han's reasonable, well-founded, and firm attitude, Yang Zhen softened his tone: "Lord Xue is overthinking it."
Xue Han's cold gaze fell on Yang Zhen's face, carrying a warning: "Such a shocking incident occurred at the banquet. The Palace Guard and the Imperial City Guard should have cooperated and fulfilled their respective responsibilities, instead of acting unilaterally and giving others cause for gossip. What do you say, Deputy Commander Yang?"
Yang Zhen's expression changed several times before he finally turned his body away.
Xue Han strode outside.
Since the Crown Prince was placed under house arrest, the Eastern Palace has become deserted and eerily quiet.
The crown prince stayed in his study, holding a book and silently turning the pages.
A voice came from the doorway: "Your Highness, an imperial messenger has arrived and requests that you go to receive the decree."
The Crown Prince's usually calm expression changed slightly.
Is the lockdown coming to an end? Or is it about to get worse?
How does the Emperor intend to treat his son?
The crown prince put down his book and walked out calmly.
(End of this chapter)
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