Chapter 24: Do Not Beg Her

"Strange? What is strange?" the Empress Dowager asked immediately. "Cheng Xi, just speak. As long as you can save the Emperor, I will surely reward you handsomely!"

"Your Majesty, may I ask if the Imperial Hospital is at its wit's end regarding the Emperor's poison?" Cheng Xi asked again.

"Exactly." A flash of surprise crossed the Empress Dowager's eyes upon hearing this. "Can you truly cure it?"

The handkerchief in Li Taifei's hand tightened slightly. She looked at Cheng Xi and said, "Cheng Xi, this is no place to act brave. Think carefully before you speak."

"This subject's daughter never acts brave." Cheng Xi raised her eyes to look at Li Taifei.

Li Taifei finally understood the feeling Li Shi had when mentioning Cheng Xi—the desire to stomp her to death.

"Cheng Xi, tell me, how can it be cured?" the Empress Dowager asked anxiously, looking at the Emperor with concern. "The Emperor is still young; how can he withstand such a strange poison? Only by curing it early can I be at ease."

Upon hearing this, the Little Emperor raised his eyes to glance at the Empress Dowager. His gaze swept past Prince Ke, and the slightly moved expression turned cold once more.

"The one who tied the bell must untie it," Cheng Xi said with a smile.

Li Taifei's eyes sank slightly. For a moment, she could not tell if Cheng Xi was truly confident or just trying to bluff her.

Upon hearing this, Prince Ke finally raised his head to look at Cheng Xi. His frail body stood beside the Empress Dowager, one hand still clutching her sleeve, looking extremely dependent.

Cheng Xi sensed Prince Ke's gaze and turned to look at him.

Prince Ke immediately turned his head to avoid her gaze, his face showing unease and cowardice.

The Regent had been observing his son. Unfortunately, he was usually like a block of wood, and today, he was not only like a block of wood but also a mute. He could at least open his mouth to say a word for the young girl.

With him like this, he might as well be a bachelor for life!

The Regent kept a straight face and said nothing. Li Taifei observed cautiously from the side, unable to help but feel secretly pleased; it seemed the Regent did not like Cheng Xi's wild talk either.

Just then, Ji Muzhi arrived. He was brought in directly. Not knowing what had happened, Ji Muzhi had run all the way, panting heavily. Seeing the people present, he hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects one by one.

"It is you." The Empress Dowager's expression turned amicable upon seeing Ji Muzhi. "I hear your medical skills have improved again. Take the Emperor's pulse."

Li Taifei immediately said, "Your Majesty, is this not too rash? Ji Muzhi serves in the Tongtian Division and only treats commoners. How can he diagnose the Emperor?"

Ji Muzhi looked at no one but the Division Head; in any case, he only took orders from the Division Head.

Li Zhi'an did not look at Li Taifei, only at the Emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, let Ji Muzhi examine you. Your health is paramount."

The Little Emperor pursed his lips, then nodded in agreement. "Very well."

Ji Muzhi immediately stepped forward, knelt halfway before the dragon bed, placed the pulse pillow under the Emperor's wrist, and then rested his fingers upon it.

After only a few breaths, Ji Muzhi's expression changed slightly. "Your Majesty, please open your mouth and allow this humble subject to examine your tongue."

How could the Emperor perform such an unrefined act in front of everyone? He pulled the bed curtains down, isolating himself and Ji Muzhi inside.

Li Zhi'an looked at Cheng Xi. "What poison is it exactly?"

"The poison of the Blood Gu."

Li Zhi'an frowned. "What is this poison?"

Cheng Xi tilted her head slightly and whispered into Li Zhi'an's ear, "Only those of the closest bloodline can administer this poison. As one wanes, the other waxes; in the end, one lives, and one dies."

At this moment, Li Zhi'an's eyes changed instantly, sharp as if they had substance, as he looked at Prince Ke without any concealment.

Cheng Xi tugged at his sleeve.

Li Zhi'an frowned slightly. What kind of behavior was this, pulling and tugging in public?

Cheng Xi, however, did not care about such things. As a master hiding behind a facade, she was single-mindedly focused on the great matter of cultivation; how could she have the heart to think about these trivial details?

The Regent had been watching from the corner of his eye, and he saw Cheng Xi tug his son's sleeve, and he obediently lowered his head.

Tsk!

In any case, ever since his son had grown up, he had never seen a woman get within three feet of him.

"Are you certain?" Li Zhi'an's expression could barely hold. She had never heard of the Blood Gu poison.

Before Cheng Xi could answer, she heard Ji Muzhi's astonished voice from inside, "It really is the Blood Gu poison!"

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager hurriedly asked, "What is the Blood Gu poison?"

The name alone sounded ominous.

"Only those of the closest bloodline can administer this poison. As one wanes, the other waxes; in the end, one lives, and one dies," Li Zhi'an said.

The Empress Dowager looked blank. Closest bloodline... She and the Emperor were of the closest bloodline, but how could she poison her own child?

Ji Muzhi hung the bed curtains back up, helped the Emperor sit up against the soft pillow, and then said, "The Division Head is absolutely correct. The Blood Gu poison cannot take effect unless administered by someone of the closest bloodline."

"Empress Dowager, please, for the sake of the Emperor being your own flesh and blood, let him go," Li Taifei choked out. "How could you be so heartless as to administer such a vicious poison?"

"Shut up!" The Empress Dowager was truly panicked. Closest bloodline—who else was the Little Emperor's closest bloodline alive in this world?

Only her!

But she would never harm her own son!

The Little Emperor looked at Ji Muzhi, his palms gripping the corner of the soft pillow tightly. "Official Ji, is there still hope for me?"

Ji Muzhi looked grave. "As long as the mother Gu is found and killed, the Emperor will naturally be fine."

It was just that those of the closest bloodline to the Emperor were the Empress Dowager and Prince Ke; he could not point fingers at either of them.

"Find the mother Gu?" The Emperor raised his eyes to look at the Empress Dowager. "Mother, can you help me find it? You and I are of the closest bloodline."

The Empress Dowager's face turned pale. "You don't trust me? You are my own flesh and blood; how could I harm you?"

"Is that so? I always thought you favored Prince Ke more. If I were to die, Prince Ke could rightfully succeed to the throne. Isn't that what you wanted?"

The Emperor's small face was taut; his voice was cold, and he was colder still.

That coldness pierced the Empress Dowager's heart as if it had substance. She had not expected her own son to be so suspicious of her now. Unable to catch her breath, she vomited blood on the spot.

Cheng Xi frowned the moment she saw this. She watched as the palace attendants immediately stepped forward to support the Empress Dowager's swaying body. "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

"Empress Dowager, do you truly have the heart to watch the Emperor wait for death? I beg you, let the Emperor go," Li Taifei knelt down with a thud and pleaded with the Empress Dowager.

"Get up, there is no need to beg her!" The Little Emperor grabbed Li Taifei with one hand, his face livid as he looked at the Empress Dowager.

"Empress Dowager, I beg you to save the Emperor; he is still so young..."

"Li Taifei, you are begging the wrong person. The Empress Dowager cannot save the Emperor; the mother Gu is not on her."

Cheng Xi suddenly spoke and threw out these words, and everyone in the hall looked at her.

Even Ji Muzhi looked over; if it was not the Empress Dowager, then it was...

Ji Muzhi's gaze fell upon Prince Ke, and his heart could not help but startle.

"What did you say?" The Little Emperor looked at Cheng Xi and said angrily.

"Your Majesty, this subject's daughter does not speak falsely; the Empress Dowager truly does not have the mother Gu on her person." Cheng Xi said this and looked at Li Zhi'an, "My Lord, do you have a flute?"

"What do you need a flute for?"

"Does my Lord not know? Those who raise Gu insects have always liked to use the sound of a flute to control them. This young woman happens to have a slight understanding of Gu insects; once the flute sounds, I will know who has the mother Gu."

The Regent said in a deep voice: "Have someone go to the Siyue Si and find someone skilled at playing the flute!"

"Ordinary musicians are useless, I will do it!" Li Zhi'an stepped forward, his wrist flipped, and a jade flute appeared in his palm.

Manifesting objects from Qi, Li Zhi'an is already able to reach this stage?

Cheng Xi could not help but wonder if she had reached this stage when she was his age.