The emperor coughed repeatedly for quite a while and waved his hand. "Wanlin, you're a woman. You don't need to interfere in this matter..."
Seeing that the emperor was hell - bent on passing the throne to the ambitious tenth prince, Murong Yunqian, Wei Dongling was so angry that she almost wanted to curse.
The emperor's consciousness was gradually getting fuzzy. He sighed repeatedly. "You don't understand. Once the tenth prince grows powerful, he will be able to check and balance the Prince Rui. Yu Chen is too soft - hearted..."
Wei Dongling was stunned. So the emperor had some reservations about the Prince Rui in his heart! She was just about to ask something when suddenly there came a rush of footsteps outside the door.
Ruan Niang gave Wei Dongling a look. Without saying a word, she flashed forward and pulled out the silver needle from Eunuch Cao's neck. Eunuch Cao slowly came to his senses. Wei Dongling quickly knelt down respectfully beside him, holding Ruan Niang's medical kit with both hands and pretending to be an assistant.
The emperor's consciousness was getting more and more blurred. His eyes opened and closed, and he softly called out, "Wanlin... Wanlin..."
Eunuch Cao stood up, extremely puzzled. He asked Ruan Niang doubtfully, "What happened just now? Why was I on the chair?"
Ruan Niang replied respectfully, "Eunuch Cao has been taking care of the emperor day and night recently. Maybe he was just too tired. I didn't have the heart to wake you up."
Eunuch Cao was about to ask more when he heard the little eunuch at the door bowing and calling out in a low voice respectfully, "Greetings to the tenth prince!"
Wei Dongling and Ruan Niang were shocked. Why did Murong Yunqian come so quickly? Could it be that immediately after the emperor broke the teacup, a palace maid went to report the news?
Hearing the commotion outside, Eunuch Cao quickly rushed to the door to greet the guest.
The door of the sleeping chamber was opened. The tenth prince, Murong Yunqian, strode in. Eunuch Cao, with a fawning look on his face, bowed and scraped as he walked beside him to lead the way.
Out of the corner of her eye, Wei Dongling took a glance at the tenth prince and lowered her head even more. After not seeing him for a month, Murong Yunqian seemed to have grown stronger. There was an innate aura of a domineering ruler in his eyes.
The tenth prince glanced at Ruan Niang and Wei Dongling kneeling on the ground and snorted, "Who are they?"
Eunuch Cao quickly replied, "Your Highness, these two are old acquaintances of Doctor Sun. They've come to treat the emperor."
The tenth prince squinted his eyes slightly, gave Eunuch Cao an impatient look, and sneered, "Just because Doctor Sun recommended them, you brought them up to treat my father without asking about their background? If anything happens to my father, who should be held accountable?"
Cold sweat broke out on Wei Dongling's forehead. It seemed that this tenth imperial brother of hers was not so easy to deceive.
Under Murong Yunqian's powerful aura, Eunuch Cao kept wiping the cold sweat off his forehead and replied in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, this Mrs. Ruan claimed that she had treated similar cases of poisoning before. After the empress dowager heard about it, she insisted on inviting this civilian doctor to feel the emperor's pulse. I couldn't go against the empress dowager's wishes!"
Murong Yunqian snorted and his eyes fell on the broken teacup on the ground. Seeing this, Eunuch Cao quickly waved his hand to signal the eunuchs behind him to clean up the broken cup.
Murong Yunqian said unhappily, "How is my father now? Didn't I order you to inform me immediately as soon as he woke up?"
Eunuch Cao buried his head and didn't say a word. He didn't know why he had fallen asleep in a daze just now. It was the two little eunuchs at the door who had informed the tenth prince.
On the sickbed, the emperor coughed from time to time. He didn't seem to notice that Murong Yunqian and his entourage were standing beside him. He stretched out his hand and called out, "Wanlin, Wanlin..."
Wei Dongling's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't dare to answer.
Murong Yunqian stepped forward and grabbed the emperor's sleeve, saying softly, "Father, you're confused. The fifth imperial sister died in Xiliang. She'll never come back!"
Hearing this, the emperor twitched all over and shook his head. "No! My Wanlin is not dead! I saw her just now!"
Wei Dongling didn't even dare to make a sound.
Eunuch Cao stepped forward respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, you must have seen wrongly! Are you thirsty? Let me pour you a cup of tea!" Saying that, Eunuch Cao got up, poured a cup of tea at the table, and held it in front of the emperor.
The emperor waved his hand vigorously. "No! I won't drink!"
Eunuch Cao quickly waved his hand to signal two eunuchs beside him to hold down the emperor's hands and feet. He forced open the emperor's mouth and gasped, "Your Majesty! You haven't eaten or drunk for many days. How can you go on like this?" Saying that, Eunuch Cao picked up a porcelain spoon, scooped up some tea, and tried to pour it into the emperor's mouth.
Murong Yunqian watched coldly from the side the whole time, with a faint smile on his lips.
The emperor's hands and feet were held down and he couldn't struggle. He could only shake his head from side to side desperately to break free from Eunuch Cao's restraint. The porcelain spoon was knocked over, and the tea spilled out, flowing down the emperor's neck.
Seeing this, Eunuch Cao scooped up another spoonful of tea and brought it to the emperor's lips.
Wei Dongling felt heart - wrenching. In broad daylight, Murong Yunqian and his entourage dared to so brazenly force the poisoned tea down the emperor's throat! She tightened her fists again and again. She just wanted to rush up and beat that Eunuch Cao to death! To think that he had served the emperor for so many years, but he was actually a double - dealing scoundrel!
Ruan Niang quickly pulled the eager Wei Dongling and stood up to stop them. "How about changing to ginseng soup? It's useless for the emperor to drink too much tea at this time. I think drinking some ginseng soup can calm the emperor down."
Eunuch Cao was already annoyed that he hadn't been able to feed the emperor a mouthful with the porcelain spoon. Hearing what Ruan Niang said, he turned to look at Murong Yunqian's face. The tenth prince had a mocking smile on his face. He waved his hand at Eunuch Cao and said, "Fine! I do have something to discuss with my father. Then change to ginseng soup!"
Eunuch Cao immediately nodded and called someone to change the ginseng soup for the emperor. Ruan Niang stepped forward and bowed. "There are particularities in stewing ginseng soup. Let my assistant go!"
Eunuch Cao looked at the tenth prince with a difficult expression on his face. Murong Yunqian waved his hand generously. "Then I'll trouble you!"
Ruan Niang immediately rummaged through her bag and took out a ginseng. She handed it to Wei Dongling and pretended to give a few instructions. Wei Dongling took the ginseng and withdrew.
Ruan Niang must be worried that if Eunuch Cao sent someone to stew the ginseng soup, they might add some medicine. It would be really hard to guard against.
After going out, Wei Dongling dragged the ninth prince into the private kitchen behind the sleeping chamber. The two fetched well water and started stewing the ginseng soup haphazardly.
Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, Wei Dongling pulled the little palace maid who was doing odd jobs to the corner. The maid was so frightened that her face turned pale. Wei Dongling quietly stuffed a gold ingot into her hand. Then she took out an ordinary wooden hairpin and said with a soft smile, "Please help me, sister! I have a hairpin that I want to give to my sweetheart. But she works in the palace. After we parted, I've never had the chance to see her again."
The little palace maid patted her chest and took the gold ingot. "You scared me to death. Who is your sweetheart?"