Chapter 270: You Are Simply My God

At the same time, Li Shimin ordered martial law in the Imperial Palace and took control of all personnel of the Shangshi Bureau and Guanglu Temple.

Moreover, Li Shimin did not spare even the palace maids and eunuchs who were responsible for cleaning the imperial garden and his bedchamber; anyone who had the opportunity to poison him was arrested.

Just after returning to Lizheng Hall, intending to ask Chen Yan specifically what the situation was, he heard Chen Yan say that Empress Changsun and her three daughters were not poisoned, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

That was a blessing in misfortune.

If the pregnant Empress Changsun and the three princesses had been poisoned, he might never have been able to stay calm; tonight would have been destined to run red with blood.

"Er Lang!"

"Father Emperor!"

"His Majesty!"

Seeing Li Shimin arrive, the crowd each shouted.

"No problem, Zi An already said it, didn't he?"

"I am only mildly poisoned; with proper recuperation there is no danger to my life," Li Shimin reassured the others.

In fact, he had already prepared for the worst; after leaving, he made some arrangements and went with Wushe, leaving an imperial edict behind.

If he dies, Li Chengqian will succeed him.

"Father Emperor, have we found the poisoner?!" Li Lizhi's usual gentleness vanished, replaced by a murderous aura.

"We've already sent people to investigate, but it will likely take some time." The terrifying murderous intent in Li Shimin's eyes faded as soon as the poisoner was mentioned.

The Tang Dynasty was then emerging from natural and human calamities, entering a period of recovery, and with his becoming the Heavenly Khan, he was about to lead the Tang toward prosperity.

Yet at this critical moment, someone had poisoned him.

How could Li Shimin not be angry?

He practically wished he could seize the poisoner on the spot and crush their bones to dust.

However, doubt also arose.

Although he was grateful that his wife and daughters were unharmed, this was clearly abnormal.

The poisoner must have used unconventional methods.

"Zi An!"

Li Shimin's tone softened slightly.

Now that he knew Empress Changsun and the others were not poisoned, his trivial suspicion of Chen Yan was dispelled.

"His Majesty, I am here," Chen Yan stepped forward two paces.

"Hmm, I have ordered that all my food, drink, and supplies be brought over; you examine them and determine exactly how the poisoner administered the toxin to me."

How else could it have been administered?

You ate the immortal pill yourself!

Chen Yan felt inwardly resentful; this was a self‑inflicted disaster.

But he could not speak, so he nodded in agreement.

Because news had spread last year that Li Shimin had summoned alchemists to refine immortal pills, and at that time Chen Yan had taken it lightly, even mocking Li Shimin for trying to follow the path of the First Emperor.

Later, he forgot the matter in a corner until just now, when diagnosing Li Shimin with mercury poisoning, he recalled it.

If he now told Li Shimin that the cause was the poison in the immortal pill, he would have no explanation for himself.

What would Li Shimin and his wife think then?

"Many know that His Majesty summoned alchemists to refine immortal pills, and you know the pills are toxic—why didn't you say?"

"Why wait until the immortal pills were refined and His Majesty took them, only then revealing the initial poisoning?"

"What is your intention?"

It's hard to explain clearly, so he pretended ignorance, waiting for Li Shimin to bring the immortal pills, then he could speak later.

In this way, he both cleared himself of responsibility and saved Li Shimin's life, allowing him to rest easy.

"......"

Afterward, Li Shimin comforted Empress Changsun and the others, stating plainly that with Chen Yan present, he would be fine.

Crucially, after hearing this, Empress Changsun and the others truly relaxed.

It left Chen Yan speechless.

Really thinking of himself as an immortal?

Mercury poisoning, or the kind from the immortal pill, he tried to cure it with a piece of yarn.

Moreover, immortal pills have more than just poisoning as a hazard.

Soon after, many palace maids and eunuchs brought a lot of items, including uncooked food, some leftover meal scraps from Li Shimin, the water they usually drank, and other daily supplies.

They were all scattered outside Lizheng Hall.

"Zi An, come, I don't trust those people at the Imperial Medical Institute; you help me examine them," Li Shimin led Chen Yan outside, pointing at the huge pile of items.

"Understood, His Majesty."

Chen Yan had no objections, took several silver needles, and had some eunuchs prepare sparrows, rabbits and other small animals, and began a pretended inspection.

Time passed slowly as Li Shimin's family patiently waited behind, without stepping forward to disturb or urge.

The Imperial Palace was under strict martial law, with many personnel detained, and squads of the Imperial Guard periodically marched by.

The entire palace instantly fell into a bizarre atmosphere; apart from a few individuals, no one knew what was happening.

When night fell, Chen Yan picked up a white jade bottle and poured out several finger-sized red pills.

After studying them carefully and confirming they were the immortal pills Li Shimin had taken, he wrapped them in several layers of handkerchief, crushed them forcefully, ground them repeatedly, and finally had someone feed the residue bit by bit to a sparrow.

"Zi An, is there something wrong with the pill?" Li Shimin's eyes flashed as he stepped forward to ask.

Chen Yan replied, "Your Majesty, I feel the pill is quite off, and since only you are poisoned, I wanted to test it; the result will only be known after testing."

Li Shimin glanced at his wife and daughters, then immediately summoned Li Junxian.

"Seize all those alchemists for me, and don't let a single one be released!"

"I obey!" Li Junxian narrowed his eyes and left.

"If the pill is faulty, it could indeed cause only Er Lang to be poisoned," Empress Changsun's phoenix eyes held a murderous glint.

Like Li Shimin, she began to suspect something when Chen Yan said the pill felt off.

After all, the pill had just been refined, its quantity was small, and among them only Li Shimin had taken it.

Since Chen Yan had examined it for so long and found nothing wrong with anything else, the probability that the pill was the problem naturally increased greatly.

The crowd waited anxiously, their eyes fixed on the sparrow that had been fed the pill.

Gradually, the sparrow grew irritable, its eyes blood‑red, and it kept emitting painful shrieks, as if enduring immense torment.

Anyone but a fool could see at this point that the pill was definitely defective.

Soon after, under everyone's gaze, the sparrow's voice grew weaker and it finally died amid a mournful wail.

A few people present felt resentment, some were filled with righteous indignation, and some were embarrassed.

Li Shimin, however, wore a calm expression, with no ripple in his eyes, as if he were neither poisoned nor had he witnessed the sparrow's death.

Only Empress Changsun, who understood him, realized that Li Shimin was truly angry.

A calm Li Shimin is the most terrifying.

However, there was one person who showed an expression completely different from the others.

Wushe fell behind the crowd, head lowered, his face full of the relief of having survived a disaster.

Heaven knows how terrified he was upon learning that Li Shimin had been poisoned.

As Li Shimin's personal eunuch, if Li Shimin had been poisoned by any other means, there would have been no escape for him—only death.

But Li Shimin was poisoned by the elixir itself, so he shouldn't be blamed, right?

Wushe quietly glanced at Chen Yan's silhouette ahead.

"Lord Bo, you are literally my god!!!"

"......."