Chapter 269: The Poison Stone Has No Cure

Bang!

Wushe, who had just returned cautiously carrying a tea bag, unsurprisingly heard Chen Yan's words.

The tea bag in his hand fell to the ground, and fear spread continuously in his eyes.

"Your Majesty... are you... poisoned?"

"Er Lang!!!" Empress Changsun's tears instantly fell as she clutched Li Shimin's hand tightly, unwilling to let go.

Li Shimin's complexion also turned pale, his whole body trembled uncontrollably, and seeing his wife frightened into incoherence and his two bewildered daughters still unaware of what had happened, he forced himself to stay calm, felt his own body, and said in a deep voice:

"I do not feel any serious discomfort; could the diagnosis be wrong?"

He still harbored a sliver of hope in his heart.

Even Empress Changsun suddenly lifted her head, looking at Chen Yan with hopeful anticipation.

Unfortunately, facing everyone's expectations, Chen Yan only slowly shook his head and said, "Your Majesty is afflicted with a chronic toxin, manifested as a dull complexion, purple‑black lips, dry flaking skin, white transverse lines on the nails, and bloodshot eyes."

"If my assessment is correct, Your Majesty has become increasingly irritable lately, accompanied by hand tremors, insomnia, and anxiety."

"We have detected it relatively early; if detection were later, Your Majesty would develop abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea..."

As he spoke, Chen Yan's voice grew fainter, because Li Shimin's expression was terrifying; the surrounding atmosphere instantly fell silent, as cold and bone‑chilling as a millennial ancient pond.

"Father Emperor!" Princess Chengyang, slightly older and already understanding some matters, burst into loud sobs after hearing Chen Yan's words.

Seeing her sister cry, Sizi's eyes instantly reddened, and she began to cry as well.

"Take the two princesses to Changle!" Li Shimin gave Wushe a cold glance.

"Yes... yes, I will go at once!" Wushe dared not delay, carrying the two princesses who were sobbing uncontrollably away.

Then Li Shimin gently patted the tear‑filled Empress Changsun, who was struggling to suppress her emotions, as a sign of comfort.

Looking up at Chen Yan, he asked, "Is there a cure for this toxin?"

Chen Yan, also flustered at this moment, replied honestly, "Your Majesty, you are suffering from mercury poisoning; there is no medicine in the world that can cure it."

Upon hearing there was no cure, Li Shimin's ferocious glare nearly burst forth, and the aura radiating from his body became terrifyingly overwhelming.

Seeing this, Chen Yan hurriedly said, "Fortunately, Your Majesty's poisoning is not deep; if you cease taking the toxin and recuperate slowly, it will not... endanger your life."

Li Shimin, hearing this, let his tense nerves relax a bit, then looked up at Chen Yan.

He knew Chen Yan probably had more to say, but now was not the time to press further; uncovering the poisoner was the priority!

Moreover, more importantly, he now harbored some doubt toward Chen Yan.

Because his meals had, for a long period, been delivered by Chen Yan.

Until later, when Chen Yan was about to leave, Li Shimin sent several imperial chefs to Chen Yan's home to learn cooking, and Chen Yan then stopped delivering meals to the Imperial Palace.

However, it was only a slight suspicion within reasonable bounds.

He did not really believe Chen Yan would do that, because there was no reason.

Li Shimin immediately rose, stepped out of the hall, and coldly said to the two eunuchs guarding the gate, "Go, summon Li Junxian, and call Yuchi Gong and Cheng Yaojin into the palace."

"Go quickly!!!"

The last sentence was shouted by Li Shimin in anger.

The two eunuchs were quite frightened; after obeying, they fled away swiftly.

Having done all this, Li Shimin left directly, and no one knew what he intended to do.

Chen Yan was left standing, at a loss, unable to go nor stay.

Damn it, how did it become like this?

For a moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind, and he suddenly realized a very serious problem.

If this matter is mishandled, he might also be implicated.

Not long after, when Empress Changsun had calmed a bit, just as he was about to speak, Li Lizhi hurriedly dragged her two younger sisters and ran in.

"Mother Empress!"

Seeing Empress Changsun collapsed on the ground, she rushed over to help her mother up: "Mother Empress, what exactly happened?"

"I just saw Father Emperor... I saw Father Emperor go out..."

Li Lizhi originally wanted to say she saw Li Shimin's face extremely sullen as he walked out, as if he were straining to suppress his fury, ignoring her and her two sisters passing by, but she dared not speak.

Having grown so old, this was still her first time seeing such a terrifying Li Shimin.

Combined with her two sisters' previously fragmented words, Li Lizhi suddenly panicked.

"All right!" Empress Changsun took two deep breaths, steadied her mind, and comforted her three daughters.

She then led Chen Yan to a more distant corner and asked in a deep voice, "What kind of toxin is mercury poisoning? Is this toxin truly incurable?"

"Your Majesty, mercury poisoning is simply 'mercury' poisoning."

Chen Yan's words were brief, mentioning little, but he trusted Empress Changsun could understand.

Sure enough, upon hearing the word 'mercury', Empress Changsun nearly fainted.

Who doesn't know mercury?

That substance, once entered the body, is untreatable, extremely lethal, and those who die from mercury poisoning meet a very tragic fate.

Mild cases cause oral ulceration, incessant vomiting of blood, and a slow march toward death.

Severe cases are like ten thousand ants gnawing the body, awaiting death in excruciating pain.

She never imagined that so‑called mercury poisoning was actually mercury!

Just as she wanted to continue questioning, worrying about Li Shimin's condition, she suddenly thought of something and instantly turned to look at her three daughters.

Chen Yan was numb, because he felt Empress Changsun was extremely terrifying at that moment.

Just like when he once intended to kill the imperial physician.

"Zi An, Zi An!" Empress Changsun clutched his arm tightly, breathing more rapidly, "Quick, quickly check whether Changle and Princess Chengyang are poisoned."

"Quick!"

Chen Yan originally thought to say no need, after all these three have no chance of being poisoned.

But he suddenly thought of a very good reason that would clear his involvement, keep himself safe, and not lose Li Shimin and his wife's trust.

He followed Empress Changsun's order, meticulously examined the three once, the procedure exactly the same as when he examined Li Shimin, while Empress Changsun stood nearby with reddened eyes, never leaving his side.

Li Lizhi remained silent as she let Chen Yan examine herself and her two younger sisters; evidently, she also suspected something.

After finishing, Chen Yan stood up, "Her Majesty, all three Princesses show no signs of poisoning, and… judging from your expression, you likely aren't poisoned either."

At those words, the four mother and daughters all froze in surprise.

"We haven't been poisoned?"

Xiao Sizi could understand, after all Sizi had been staying with Chen Yan, only just moved into the Imperial Palace a few days ago, so not being poisoned was normal.

"Why Cheng Yang and Li Lizhi?"

"Why Empress Changsun herself?"

It should be noted that they eat meals with Li Shimin every day; the rice, the water, the lodging, the incense they use are all the same as Li Shimin's.

Why is only Li Shimin poisoned while they are not?

"......"