Chapter 274: Returning to Weinan

As people were one by one carried to the spot between Liu Dewei and Yunyangzi, then tortured to death and taken away, Yunyangzi eventually suffered a mental breakdown and spilled everything.

From her actual age of over fifty to the specific pill formula, she said it all.

Liu Dewei nodded with satisfaction, then disdainfully glanced at Yunyangzi.

"Your bones aren't as hard as I imagined; I've seen the most mentally resilient prisoners persist until more than forty people had confessed, but you only persisted for a little over twenty."

"You're not human!!!" Yunyangzi's mind truly collapsed, eyes full of madness: "You are an evil ghost, you are an evil ghost!!!"

"Evil ghost... you are an evil ghost..."

Liu Dewei ignored whatever Yunyangzi said, put away his tools, and handed the paper containing the pill formula to Li Junxian.

"Commander Li, I've finished my business; could you please deliver this to His Majesty? I'm leaving now."

After speaking, he, regardless of Li Junxian's reaction, sprinted away with the box, looking nothing like someone about to enjoy a peaceful old age.

Li Junxian glanced at the pill formula in his hand and muttered under his breath, "old fox."

He had just been there the whole time, so he naturally heard the formula Yunyangzi mentioned.

To be honest, this thing is a hot potato; who would dare deliver it to Li Shimin?

But Liu Dewei has already fled, and he has no choice; he just hurried out with the paper, pondering privately what to do next.

As he neared Li Shimin's bedchamber, he happened to see Wushe emerging.

Li Junxian's eyes lit up instantly; amid the other's bewildered gaze, he swiftly shoved the formula into his hand, leaving a remark, and ran off quickly.

"Eunuch Wushe, the pill formula has been examined, and I still need to handle those alchemists, so please deliver it to His Majesty."

Hearing the words "pill formula" and Li Junxian's abnormal attitude, Wushe snapped back to his senses, recalled what Chen Yan had told him, and became urgent.

Wushe didn't dare look at the formula's contents, glanced left and right, and spotted a newly entered, relatively dim-witted junior eunuch.

"It's you!"

Wushe made up his mind and casually found an excuse to have the other deliver the formula to Li Shimin.

In fact, these eunuchs are quite united; they usually help each other, and Wushe, being one of the highest-ranking eunuchs, has no one he dislikes.

If he and Li Junxian delivered it, they'd likely survive, but Li Shimin's wrath needs someone to bear it.

Moreover, what if they actually died?

Who would dare gamble?

So we can only say that this junior eunuch had bad luck.

Watching him enter Li Shimin's bedchamber, Wushe deliberately slowed his pace, inching outward.

However, before he got far, he saw Li Junxian around a corner.

The atmosphere became extremely awkward for a moment; the two stared at each other, neither speaking.

At that moment, Li Shimin's bedchamber suddenly echoed his furious voice and a crisp sound like shattered porcelain.

Then came the terrified shout of that junior eunuch.

The two fell silent instantly.

"Commander Li, what exactly is the immortal pill made of?"

Wushe couldn't hold back, lowered his voice and asked.

"Didn't you see it?" Li Junxian said, surprised.

Wushe was speechless.

Would he dare look at such a thing?

Li Junxian whispered, "Most of it consists of highly toxic substances, such as five metals and eight stones, mercury, cinnabar, sulfur, gold, jade... and also..."

Li Junxian hesitated briefly, then muttered a few barely audible words.

Wushe's pupils trembled upon hearing it, his heart filled with relief and gratitude toward Chen Yan.

At the same time, he felt a chill toward those alchemists' methods.

Mercury, cinnabar and other poisons are one thing, but they even use virgin's blood.

Just thinking about it makes one nauseous.

Li Shimin also ate it... hmm, no, wait, I think I also ate it...

The next day, the Bo Mansion became lively early on.

Everyone was preparing to move; Xiao Shunzi and Qing'er were constantly busy.

Conversely, Chen Yan and Gao Yang were somewhat hesitant.

"Husband, can we leave today?"

"I don't know," Chen Yan said helplessly.

He had sent someone early to deliver the prescription to the Imperial Palace; Li Shimin should have received it.

But Li Shimin gave no response, leaving him unsure whether to leave.

After all, no matter how he phrased it, he is considered Li Shimin's imperial physician; now that Li Shimin is poisoned, his departure seems inappropriate.

Yet he had previously told Li Shimin that he would leave today, and the emperor and empress had both agreed.

"How about we stay two more days?" Gao Yang suggested tentatively, "After all, aren't Ma Zhou and Du Gou over in Weinan County?"

"We've been here less than ten days; there's no need to rush back."

"What if my Father Emperor summons you to the palace to treat his illness? Wouldn't it be troublesome if you're not here?"

"You want me to stay and detoxify your Father Emperor, right?" Chen Yan rolled his eyes, directly exposing Gao Yang's ulterior motive.

After being exposed, Gao Yang, in a fit of defiance, said boldly, "So what if it is?"

"Father Emperor has never trusted the Imperial Medical Bureau much; among those he trusts, only your superb medical skill. What's wrong with staying two more days to detoxify him?"

"What? You don't want to?"

Chen Yan: "It's not a matter of willingness; the problem is that your Father Emperor's poison has no cure. Didn't I tell you early on? It's just like your Mother Empress's qi illness—there's no way to treat it."

"Whether I stay or not, the result is the same."

Gao Yang was at a loss for words; after a while she finally said, "Then you decide. We can't keep waiting forever."

Chen Yan, after listening, thought it over, saw Qing'er and Xiao Shunzi already nearly finished moving the belongings and could set off immediately, and ultimately decided to go.

Yesterday Empress Changsun had also handed Xiao Sizi over to me; perhaps that also meant this, because at the time I said it very clearly: the poison of the poison pill has no cure.

Otherwise, Empress Changsun wouldn't have even said to let me go to Weinan County; last night it was impossible for me to leave the Imperial Palace.

"Fine, if we're leaving, we leave." Seeing Chen Yan had decided, Gao Yang said nothing further.

In some matters, she has always listened to Chen Yan.

However, as the two stepped out and were just about to board the carriage, a familiar silhouette jogged over.

"Lord Bo, Lord Bo, wait!"

Chen Yan turned his head, smiled, "Lord Wushe, are you all right?"

Wushe: "......."

He said it as if he must have some matter.

Wushe, unannoyed, came before Chen Yan, took a pill formula from his bosom and handed it to him: "Lord Bo, this is the formula for an immortal pill. His Majesty and Her Majesty hope you can study it, see if you can find a way to neutralize the poison; if that fails, at least find a way to lessen the aftereffects."

Chen Yan pondered briefly, gave a slight nod, "Very well, I'll take the formula. I won't ask about other matters; please convey my farewell to His Majesty and Her Majesty."

"Ah, fine, I take my leave!" Wushe, seeing Chen Yan take the formula, breathed a sigh of relief, then bowed to the couple and departed.

Gao Yang suddenly said, "If you stay now, it might turn out to be a great achievement."

"Ah, right, right! Since you want to stay, you go down then; I'm leaving."

Gao Yang: "......"

"......."