Chapter 548: Severe Punishment for the Poisoner

Emperor Longqing suddenly felt a wave of boredom; around him were newly entered palace maidens wearing flattering smiles, but for this old fool of his, the subconscious disgust in those women's eyes could not be suppressed at all.

When palace banquets were held in the past, he was accompanied by some old acquaintances among the consorts.

He had many sons, and now several have died or gone missing; although he has adopted another, after more than twenty years of not raising a child he is still unfamiliar.

Emperor Longqing slowly sat down, his complexion no longer as warm as before.

Today he again took the medicine prepared by Bai Xiaosheng, feeling extremely fatigued, yet without any sharp pain.

He leaned back slowly, had no appetite, and merely glanced faintly at the dishes before him.

After Emperor Longqing sat, the court officials standing around also sat down one after another.

Because the emperor was present, the drinking was not very lively, and now Emperor Longqing showed no significant change in expression.

The people below gradually drank to a merry state, and laughter and toasts increased a few more than before.

The toast segment arrived again; several princes carried wine, trembling as they walked to Emperor Longqing's presence, kneeling and raising their cups.

A few infants in swaddling clothes and unsteady toddlers, who had no need to be there, were each taken by their consorts; some did not even attend the banquet.

The remaining eight- or nine-year-old youths held wine cups and followed behind the Crown Prince, and the group slowly knelt before Emperor Longqing.

Bai Xiaosheng, who had been attending Emperor Longqing, also knelt this time, lifted the wine in his hand, and raised it high.

Seeing several of his sons offering wine to him, Emperor Longqing felt a touch of satisfaction and finally softened his expression.

"Enough. You have this filial devotion; I am content," he said.

The princes lifted their wine cups and slowly stood up.

Emperor Longqing raised his hand and tapped the cups held by the Crown Prince and Bai Xiaosheng; he could not recall the names of the other princes.

They were truly too young; only the Crown Prince and this newly adopted son left a lasting impression.

Bai Xiaosheng and the Crown Prince brought the wine over; now that Emperor Longqing is gravely ill, he cannot drink much, at most a symbolic sip.

When Emperor Longqing chose the wine, he pondered whether to use the Crown Prince's first or Bai Xiaosheng's, a decision that determined their standing in his eyes.

Both wine cups were brought to Emperor Longqing by Wang Gonggong; in the past, Emperor Longqing would drink a little appropriately.

Now his body was truly beyond his control; he could no longer make any judgment, and he simply raised his hand to seize one of the cups presented by Bai Xiaosheng.

Crown Prince Xiao Ting watched helplessly as his father's gaunt, twig‑like hand reached for the cup Bai Xiaosheng had offered, and his heart sank instantly.

Sure enough, in recent days the emperor had favored Bai Xiaosheng more than him; now the emperor was about to drink the wine Bai Xiaosheng handed over, and whether his own wine was drunk no longer mattered.

Xiao Ting's eyes darkened slightly, a flash of mockery and a fleeting murderous intent passing through his gaze.

He whispered to himself repeatedly, "You forced me, this truly is your forcing!"

Emperor Longqing had already lifted the wine Bai Xiaosheng offered; a eunuch stepped forward and tested the cup with a silver needle, finding nothing abnormal.

Emperor Longqing raised the tea cup, took a few sips, and then placed the wine on the table.

"All my loyal ministers, I hope that from now on we can be of one mind and heart, safeguarding Southern Qi's realm for countless generations of prosperity!"

Emperor Longqing's toast emerged hoarsely and laboriously from his lips, and those around him rose and knelt.

"Long live the emperor, ten thousand years!"

The ministers' blessings echoed through the Qionghua Hall's palace gates, hovering over the palace city, heavy and not at all joyous, but rather with a hint of lifeless gloom.

The resonant bells and drums of the Origin Festival prayers began to sound, striking a particularly harsh note in the quiet night.

Emperor Longqing suddenly felt agitated, as if a stone pressed on his chest, and his vision went black as he fainted.

"Ah! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

"Someone, quickly! Send the imperial physician!"

"Send the imperial physician!"

Xiao Yin and the other ministers, unprepared for Emperor Longqing's sudden collapse, all sprang to their feet.

"Prince!" Gu Jiu Ling hurriedly grabbed Xiao Yin's sleeve; just as she was about to follow the others to see the situation, Xiao Yin seized her back.

"Don't go! Stay here!" Xiao Yin frowned sharply, and Gu Jiu Ling's steps halted.

Gu Jiu Ling thought to herself, not going was also correct.

Emperor Longqing suffered a terminal illness; her going would be futile, and in recent days large amounts of morphine painkillers had been administered to him.

It caused Emperor Longqing to hallucinate briefly, making him think his illness had truly improved; in fact it was only a temporary fix, and neglecting proper recuperation, he became reckless, and now he completely collapsed.

The imperial physicians rushed over, each frantically clutching their ears and scratching their faces, utterly unable to save him.

Gu Jiu Ling watched those physicians fear death, haphazardly fabricating various symptoms, and she sneered inwardly.

A disease that even modern medicine cannot control—how could these people possibly cure it?

"What on earth is happening?" Empress Dowager Ning An's face turned the deepest shade of pallor.

Doctor Zhang, sweating nervously, babbled incoherently for a few sentences, then remembered something and pointed at Gu Jiu Ling, saying, "To answer the Empress Dowager, lately it has been Princess Consort of Rui treating the emperor; perhaps we should ask her!"

"I thank you! You old brat have a nasty heart!" Gu Jiu Ling thought.

Xiao Yin's expression also darkened, his cold gaze falling on Doctor Zhang, who trembled slightly in fear but forced himself to continue.

He truly had no solution; the entire imperial medical institute was driven mad by Emperor Longqing's illness, and even though the exact cause could not be identified, there was no cure.

In another year he would retire and return to the countryside to play with his grandchildren, but he did not want to die in the palace.

"Hurry up and come! What are you standing there for?" Empress Dowager Ning An's face darkened further, and she cared little for decorum, shouting at Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling walked toward Emperor Longqing, the potent injection she had secretly prepared hidden in her hand, and under the pretense of checking his pulse, she injected it into his body.

"Ugh..." Emperor Longqing slowly regained consciousness, his complexion even more terrifyingly pale.

Empress Dowager Ning An pushed Gu Jiu Ling and the others aside, hurriedly supporting Emperor Longqing herself and asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, how are you? Is it serious? Where does it hurt?"

Emperor Longqing, ever concerned with face, felt a lingering murderous resentment after publicly fainting in disgrace.

Emperor Longqing took a deep breath, brushed the blood seeping from his lip corner, and cast a grim stare at Gu Jiu Ling.

He felt the needle Gu Jiu Ling had just given him, and a few doubts rose in his mind.

He constantly felt something was wrong with his body, perhaps even linked to this woman.

Emperor Longqing had not yet spoken when the Crown Prince beside him suddenly knelt and loudly said: 'Father Emperor! I, your subject, beg Father Emperor to severely punish the one who poisoned Father Emperor!'