Chapter 22: Poisoned

Cheng Xi only learned of the commotion on Li Shi's side at noon the next day; Zhao Kang had been keeping a secret watch over there, stealthily gathering information.

Having obtained this news, he immediately returned to report it to the Eldest Miss.

Cheng Xi stopped her hand as she stirred the medicinal powder; the Wooden Figurine had returned injured, so logically, Li Shi should not have been having nightmares again last night...

Thinking of this, Cheng Xi looked at Zhao Kang and asked again: "Has Li Shi invited a physician?"

"No, Official Cheng had someone invite Xuan Cheng Zhenren back again early this morning; right now, they are setting up a Daoist altar over there to exorcise ghosts," Zhao Kang replied hurriedly.

Besides her, could there be someone else making a move against Li Shi?

She instructed Mulan to make sure the medicinal powder was stirred evenly, then boarded the carriage and went to Cheng Fu.

She did not get close, but sat inside the carriage, which was parked at the corner of the street opposite Cheng Fu; with people coming and going here, it was unlikely to attract attention.

She gazed in the direction of Cheng Fu; the main gate of Cheng Fu was tightly shut, and the servants at the gate were driving away the onlookers; she looked up toward the air, suddenly gave a soft laugh, and realized what was happening.

"Let's go back," Cheng Xi instructed the coachman.

"Yes, Eldest Miss."

The carriage stopped in front of the Du Mansion, and just as Cheng Xi stepped off the carriage, she saw Jiang Boyu waiting in front of the gate, riding a Jade Qilin Horse.

"Official Jiang, why are you here?" Cheng Xi spoke up to greet him.

As soon as Jiang Boyu saw Cheng Xi, he immediately leaped off his horse, walked over with long strides, and said: "Miss Cheng, the Chief sent me to ask if the Yangshen Pill is ready."

Cheng Xi:...

"It has only been the second day; even if I had four pairs of hands, I couldn't make it."

Listening to the Eldest Miss Cheng's displeased tone, Jiang Boyu rubbed his nose; he knew it couldn't be done, but he dared not disobey the Chief's orders.

"Then when will Miss Cheng be able to make it? Could you disclose a little so I can go back and report?" Jiang Boyu said, thickening his skin.

The Chief is truly a skin-flayer; the Eldest Miss Cheng has just recovered from a major illness, and he doesn't know how to cherish the fair and protect the fragile at all.

Cheng Xi's eyes rolled, and she suddenly had an idea: "I am still missing a few medicinal ingredients here, which is why the Yangshen Pill couldn't be finished. I wonder if Official Jiang could help me find them? I will provide the silver."

"What medicinal ingredients?" Jiang Boyu asked.

Cheng Xi invited Jiang Boyu into the mansion; she went straight to the study and wrote down a few medicinal ingredients on a piece of paper: "It is these."

Jiang Boyu took it and looked; he saw Black Gold Vine, Bone-Growing Flower, and Spirit Ginseng Fruit written on it. He didn't recognize a single one, but he wasn't an Alchemist, so it was normal not to recognize them. "I will take this back and ask Ji Muzhi; when there is news, I will come and tell Eldest Miss Cheng."

Cheng Xi thanked him, then picked up the jade bottle on the table and handed it over: "Official Jiang, this is my gift of thanks."

Jiang Boyu reached out and took it; although he didn't know what it was, he felt that Eldest Miss Cheng, who could make the Incense Bait that caught the Four-Eyed Demon Fox, might have something interesting in this jade bottle.

Only a fool would refuse it.

Not only must he take it, he must also go and show it off in front of Ji Muzhi!

He thanked her, tucked the jade bottle into his sleeve pocket, and then rose to take his leave.

He had just returned to the Tongtian Division, and before he could even dismount, he saw the Chief striding out with a dark complexion, his murderous aura impossible to block.

Jiang Boyu's expression also immediately turned serious, and he quickly leaped off his horse: "Chief."

Li Zhi'an did not stop his pace and said directly: "Follow me into the palace."

"Yes." Jiang Boyu immediately followed.

In the palace, the Empress Dowager stood in the hall with a pale face, while Li Taifei sat beside the Little Emperor's dragon bed, feeding him medicine.

Those who didn't know would think Li Taifei was the Little Emperor's biological mother and the Empress Dowager was an outsider.

The Empress Dowager's nails dug into her palms; she turned her head to look at the silent Regent: "The Emperor and I dined together; I am fine, yet the Emperor has been poisoned. I ask the Regent to investigate this matter thoroughly."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this Prince will definitely find the true culprit," the Regent said in a deep voice, then turned to look at the Imperial Physician: "Has it been determined what poison the Emperor has taken?"

The Chief of the Imperial Hospital hurriedly spoke up: "Replying to the Regent, this humble official is incompetent and failed to identify what poison His Majesty has taken. This poison is colorless and odorless, and it is truly difficult to detect when mixed into food. Moreover, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor ate the same bowl of soup, yet one was poisoned and the other was not; this humble official's medical skills are shallow, and I have yet to determine the reason."

Just then, the Little Emperor vomited out all the medicine he had consumed, and Li Taifei exclaimed: "Your Majesty, how are you? Imperial Physician, Imperial Physician!"

The Chief Physician immediately ran over to take the Little Emperor's pulse; his expression was grave, and his voice trembled slightly: "Prince, His Majesty's... vital signs are weakening. If we cannot find an antidote, I fear..."

Just then, Li Taifei suddenly looked up at the Empress Dowager: "Empress Dowager, I beg you to save the Emperor. As long as you agree to save the Emperor, I am willing to go to the detached palace to pray for the Former Emperor and never return to the palace!"

As Li Taifei spoke, she "thumped" to her knees on the ground, tears streaming from her eyes, her voice choked with sobs, her face filled with heartache.

The Emperor leaned against a soft pillow, and hearing Li Taifei's words, he opened his mouth to spit out a sentence: "Taifei, get up, do not beg her..."

"Your Majesty, lives are at stake; you cannot be willful." Li Taifei choked with sobs and turned to look at the Empress Dowager: "Empress Dowager, I beg you to show mercy and save the Emperor."

The Empress Dowager was so angry that her vision went black; watching her put on an act while splashing dirty water on her with every word, and then looking at her own son, who would rather believe her than his own mother, the Empress Dowager's fury surged. Just as she was about to speak, she heard a voice come from behind.

"Li Taifei, you ask the Empress Dowager to save His Majesty with every word; may I ask Li Taifei, since the Chief of the Imperial Hospital does not even know what poison His Majesty has taken, why are you so certain that the Empress Dowager has the antidote?"

Li Zhi'an strode in, his eyes fixed on Li Taifei as he asked.

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, and did not even have a hint of emphasis, yet it added a layer of pressure upon the hearts of everyone present.

The Regent raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked at his son; how did he arrive so quickly?

Strange, strange.

Li Taifei was not afraid when facing the Regent, but she felt uneasy when facing Li Zhi'an, simply because Li Zhi'an had exceptional talent and a unique cultivation path that was far ahead of others.

Li Taifei suppressed the disgust and unease in her heart; she did not meet Li Zhi'an's gaze, but instead turned to look at the Little Emperor, saying with a pained expression: "Yesterday, the palace servant by the Empress Dowager's side went to the Imperial Kitchen to request today's menu; the servant by my side who fetches the meals happened to see it."

"It was merely requesting a menu; on that basis alone, Li Taifei can be certain that it was the Empress Dowager who poisoned him?" Li Zhi'an asked again.

Seeing that Li Zhi'an had arrived, the Empress Dowager felt a moment of relief, and hearing him question Li Taifei repeatedly, she also slowly calmed down.

Hearing Li Zhi'an's question, she followed up: "That is right, I am also curious; on what basis does Li Taifei conclude that I am the one who poisoned him? The Emperor is my own son; how could I harm my own child?"

Li Taifei looked up at the Empress Dowager, her face full of hesitation, wanting to speak but stopping, then sighed softly: "Empress Dowager, when Cheng Xi entered the palace that day, I knew that the palace maid by your side met with her in private."

"Moreover, I also know that you have recently been visiting Prince Ke often; you wanted to support Prince Ke to ascend the throne back then, and I did not expect that even though the Emperor has already ascended the throne, you still want to support Prince Ke."

Hearing Li Taifei deliberately bring up Cheng Xi, Li Zhi'an's expression suddenly became subtle.