As the Third Prince's troops left the city, a rumor began to spread within the city.
The rumor said that the National Teacher, Yuan Tongtian, was an accomplice of the Third Prince. They had colluded to steal the national fortune, usurp the throne, and even poisoned the emperor. To prevent the plan from being exposed, they had targeted the Ling family.
The rumor was so detailed that some even claimed it had spread from the Holy Monk.
After the events of the past few days, the name of the Holy Monk had spread throughout the capital. The daily afternoon punishment of some Ling family members, which had been scheduled, was also stopped for fear of divine wrath.
The rumor spread like wildfire, and the National Teacher was suddenly put on the spot. To show his loyalty and ability, the National Teacher voluntarily went to the outskirts of the capital to deal with the demonic creatures.
In the imperial study, the Third Prince knelt on the ground nervously. Beside him knelt the imperial physician who had been checking on Emperor Xiao Chengye's health.
Xiao Chengye's face was terrifyingly gloomy. He said coldly, "Doctor Wen, tell the Third Prince the result of your diagnosis for me today."
Doctor Wen trembled twice. He looked like he was about to cry, and his gray beard covered his bitter mouth.
"Your Highness, the Third Prince... Today, when I checked the emperor's pulse, I found that his pulse was floating and weak. There was excessive liver fire in the cold evil. The two extremes clashed, and his vital energy was dispersing. The qi of his liver was on the verge of extinction..."
"This... This is a sign that someone has deliberately harmed the emperor's body. There are symptoms of poisoning!"
Doctor Wen stammered, as if there was a knife hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.
Hearing this, the Third Prince was shocked, and cold sweat immediately broke out on his back.
The emperor had been poisoned, and in this palace, the first suspect was himself.
Although he had been ruthless behind the scenes, he didn't have the guts to poison the emperor!
The Third Prince's mind was in a mess, and he quickly defended himself, "Father, please listen! Your son has always been loyal to you. Over the years, I have never disobeyed you, let alone poisoned you. I really didn't do such a thing!"
Listening to the Third Prince's sincere defense, Xiao Chengye was momentarily dazed.
Was it really his own son who had poisoned him?
He had a shallow family affection. One after another, his children had met with misfortunes. He knew who was behind it, but if an incompetent person were to sit on the throne, it would ruin the Great Zhou.
So he indulged his sons in killing each other, like raising poisonous insects, letting them decide the most outstanding one.
Now the most outstanding one had emerged, his third son. But he never expected that someone would have the audacity to poison him.
In this palace, besides him, the most powerful were the National Teacher and the Third Prince. If it wasn't them, who else could do it?
Moreover, if he died, the one who would benefit the most would be the Third Prince. How could he not suspect?
What's more, the rumors were spreading like wildfire in the streets. It was almost as if the evidence had been presented on his desk. Emperors were naturally suspicious. How could he not be afraid?
Privately, he almost immediately believed the rumor.
Xiao Chengye sneered. His face kept changing, sending chills down Doctor Wen's and the Third Prince's backs.
"Third Prince, my good son, what are you defending? Did I say it was you who did it?"
The Third Prince wished he could bang his head on the ground. Although Xiao Chengye didn't directly say who he suspected, in this situation, if he didn't understand, he would be a fool!
The Third Prince kowtowed repeatedly. "Father! Your son's loyalty can be seen by the sun and the moon. If Father trusts me, I guarantee that I will catch the poisoner within two days and hand him over to Father for punishment!"
The Third Prince was extremely anxious. He felt that one problem after another kept emerging. He had just arranged for people to leave the city to deal with the matters in the counties, and now something had happened in the palace.
Who on earth was behind all this, making him so caught off guard!
The Third Prince recalled all his brothers in his mind but didn't think any of them would dare to arrange so many things under his nose.
The appearance of that monk was very strange. Since the monk's appearance, everything had gone wrong for him. It really annoyed him.
Xiao Chengye remained silent, staring fixedly at his son. But since half of his body was covered in shadow, no one could see his expression clearly. They only felt the overwhelming pressure and could hardly breathe.
"Two days."
Xiao Chengye's light words made the Third Prince frown, but he didn't dare to refute. He quickly responded, "Yes! Your son will surely live up to Father's trust!"
The Third Prince loudly expressed his loyalty. Xiao Chengye felt irritated when he heard it. He just waved his hand, and the Third Prince immediately understood. He scrambled out of the imperial study.
Doctor Wen was still kneeling on the ground. His forehead was covered in sweat. He was extremely afraid that the angry emperor would just say a word and take his head.
"Can the poison on me still be cured?"
The emperor's voice was hard to tell whether he was angry or happy, but that made it even scarier.
Doctor Wen kowtowed repeatedly. His heart was already filled with despair, but he didn't dare to say it directly. He could only say euphemistically, "Your servant will surely do his best to detoxify the emperor!"
The answer that didn't answer directly was the answer. Xiao Chengye understood in his heart that the poison on him was already difficult to cure.
"Keep this news a secret for me. Don't tell anyone else. Do your best to treat me. If you can detoxify me, high - ranking official positions, wealth, and treasures will all be yours. But if you can't, you will be promoted."
Promoted!
Hearing these four words, Doctor Wen knew that his days were numbered.
The poison on the emperor had been there for a long time. It couldn't have been formed in just one or two days. The person who could poison the emperor for such a long time must be someone of high status in the palace.
Even the National Teacher and the emperor hadn't noticed this poison, which proved how difficult it was to cure.
Even if he did his best, he could only extend the emperor's life for a while. If the emperor wanted to fully recover, only a great immortal could save him!
"Your servant receives the order!"
Doctor Wen kowtowed solemnly, closed his eyes, and was ready to face death.
After Doctor Wen left, the imperial study was completely silent. Xiao Chengye closed his eyes tiredly. Looking at the memorials on the table, he felt utterly powerless.
His health was getting worse day by day, but the crown prince had not been determined yet. In his heart, the Third Prince was not the best candidate to succeed him.
But besides the Third Prince, his other sons were either sick or disabled. There were no other suitable candidates.
But suddenly, the figure of Yuan Zhao flashed through Xiao Chengye's mind, and everything seemed to become clear.
Yuan Zhao and the Third Prince were siblings of the same mother, the former empress. The former empress had died of massive bleeding after giving birth to Yuan Zhao, leaving behind a pair of children.
Although there were many concubines in the harem, Yuan Zhao was his only daughter. So he had doted on her since childhood, fearing that she would fall if he held her in his hands and melt if he held her in his mouth. It could be said that his daughter was the happiest little princess in the world.
But his little princess seemed to have as much ambition as her elder brother. There was an ambition in her eyes that was no less than that of her elder brother.
But Yuan Zhao was a woman after all. Could a woman really ascend to a high position?