"You stay with me. All the others wait outside the door!" When Xin Zizhao gave the order, there was an air of non - negotiability about him.
"On what grounds!" Prince Xin Yezheng appeared at the main gate of the Lingxiao Palace.
"On the grounds that I can save Father Emperor. If Father Emperor loses his life because of your reluctance, can't the common people in the world attribute all the blame to you?"
"You!" Xin Yezheng had no way to refute Xin Zizhao's argument. He could only flick his sleeve and leave.
"Hurry up and close the door. Don't let anyone else in. I'm going to give Father Emperor acupuncture now."
"Okay!" Wei Shuxuan cooperated and ran to close the door.
Xin Zizhao took out his acupuncture bag. First, he applied acupuncture to several major acupoints on Emperor Jinzheng. Then he channeled his inner energy into Emperor Jinzheng's body. He took out a dagger and cut his finger to let out blood. The blood that came out was black. After seeing the purple on Emperor Jinzheng's face fade, Xin Zizhao stopped the blood - letting.
"Is it done?" Wei Shuxuan, who had been lying beside the bed watching Xin Zizhao's actions, looked up and asked.
"It's done. Now I'll write a few prescriptions. Once Father Emperor takes the medicine, he'll be fine."
Xin Zizhao picked up the pen, wrote out the prescription and gave it to Wei Shuxuan. "You go to the pharmacy and pick up the medicine yourself and bring it back to me. I'll decoct it."
"Then I'll go."
Wei Shuxuan took the prescription and walked out of the room. The head maid, Xiang'er, who had been waiting outside, immediately stepped forward. "Sir Wei, do you need any help from me?"
"No, I'll leave first."
Wei Shuxuan politely smiled and declined Xiang'er's offer. If Xin Zizhao found out that she had passed on the task he had given her to someone else, he would surely scold her. She cherished her own life.
The people in the pharmacy quickly picked up the medicine according to the prescription Xin Zizhao had written and gave it to Wei Shuxuan. According to Xin Zizhao's words, he wanted to decoct the medicine himself, but there didn't seem to be a stove or a medicine pot in the room. She'd better take a set back for Xin Zizhao.
Xiang'er was a bit anxious. She didn't know what medicine Xin Zizhao had prescribed for Emperor Jinzheng. If Emperor Jinzheng's "condition" improved, her master would surely punish her.
After serving Emperor Jinzheng the medicine, Xin Zizhao let him lie down to rest. When Emperor Jinzheng was taking the medicine, he had woken up for a while. Wei Shuxuan, who was standing on one side, heard Emperor Jinzheng ask Xin Zizhao in a daze, "Zizhao, it'll be okay, right?"
"Father Emperor, please rest assured. I prepared this medicine myself. There's no need to worry."
After that, Emperor Jinzheng took the medicine with a relieved mind. After taking the medicine, Emperor Jinzheng fell into a deep sleep. Wei Shuxuan watched as Xin Zizhao put the bowl aside. "Did something happen between you and His Majesty? Is His Majesty... being monitored?"
Xin Zizhao didn't answer. Wei Shuxuan took it as his default. "It seems that there really is someone monitoring His Majesty. Is it related to the case I'm investigating?"
"I don't know. It's just what Father Emperor thinks. I haven't found anything either."
"I feel that these two things are related. It seems that I have to step up my investigation."
"Okay, then go for it."
Since the matter now involved Emperor Jinzheng, Wei Shuxuan thought she had to speed up. Instead of starting with the unpopular concubines, she would start with the favored ones. She'd send someone to ask Ge Zian to come to the Fenghe Palace tomorrow.
When Ge Zian heard that there was a fire in His Majesty's palace, he immediately entered the palace at night. When he arrived at the Lingxiao Palace, he learned from others that His Majesty was resting after being treated by the Fifth Prince and couldn't be disturbed for the time being.
When Ge Zian was about to leave, he saw a petite figure sneaking across the courtyard. He was very curious and followed her using his light - footed skills. When the silver moonlight fell on the person's face, Ge Zian recognized her. Isn't this Xiang'er, the new head maid beside His Majesty?
Xiang'er went to the backyard where the kitchen waste and other garbage were stored. She seemed to be rummaging for something. As she rummaged, she muttered to herself, "Damn that Fifth Prince. Why did he have to decoct the medicine for His Majesty himself? Now I have to rummage through this garbage in the backyard. It's so dirty."
After rummaging for a while, Xiang'er finally found the dregs of the medicine that Xin Zizhao had thrown away. She picked up a little, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and then trotted back to her room. Ge Zian felt it was strange and followed her.
Stepping gently on the tiles, Ge Zian removed a tile from the roof and looked down. He saw Xiang'er, who had just returned to her room, open the handkerchief and sort out the things inside. Xiang'er picked up a part of it and smelled it gently, then recorded it in a notebook.
Ge Zian clearly saw that what was recorded in the notebook was licorice. It seemed that the black stuff was the dregs of the medicine. Why did Xiang'er go to the backyard to look for the dregs of the medicine so late at night? And why did she record it? It seemed that there should be some unknown things recorded in that notebook. He had to find a chance to take a look.
"I've worked for nothing again. The medicine in these dregs is incomplete. Forget it, I'd better go to sleep."
When Xiang'er got up to blow out the candle, Ge Zian took the opportunity to hit her acupoint with a pebble. Xiang'er fell to the ground unconscious.
Ge Zian jumped down from the roof. Seeing that there was no one around, he entered Xiang'er's room. He remembered that Xiang'er had put the notebook in a box, and the box was on the dressing table. Ge Zian took out the notebook in the box and found that it was all records of Emperor Jinzheng's daily life, diet, and words and deeds. Why did this woman record His Majesty's daily life, diet, and words and deeds?
He had to tell Xuan'er about this as soon as possible.
Ge Zian closed the notebook and put it back in the box, then left Xiang'er's room.
It was very late now. Ge Zian wanted to go to the Fenghe Palace and ask the Fifth Prince to take him in for the night. He didn't know if the Fifth Prince would agree. If not, he would have to go back.
He thought that Xin Zizhao and Wei Shuxuan would have already gone to sleep at this late hour, but unexpectedly, when he got there, the main hall of the Fenghe Palace was still lit.
"General Ge requests an audience with the Fifth Prince!"
"Why is Zian here?" Wei Shuxuan looked out of the main hall in surprise.
"Maybe he heard that there was a fire in Father Emperor's palace and came to visit him."
"Then why did he come to find you?" Wei Shuxuan looked at Xin Zizhao curiously.
Xin Zizhao lowered his head and met Wei Shuxuan's eyes. "How would I know? You should ask him. Chief Li, let him in."
"Your humble subject pays homage to the Fifth Prince."
"Rise. What do you want to see me about?" Xin Zizhao looked at Ge Zian.