Chapter 409: I Am Ill

The carriage proceeded at a steady pace.

Inside the carriage, Heng Xian changed into a brand-new red official robe, which made him look even more youthful and handsome.

Jia Gonggong sat to one side, sizing him up, and said with a smile: "Don't even mention it, Master Heng in official robes is not only more handsome but also bears the dignity of a high official; in looks and talent, he is truly the first prince consort of our dynasty!"

Heng Xian looked at him; the feeling of being praised by an old eunuch wasn't very pleasant, and he said: "Are all the other prince consorts that incompetent?"

Jia Gonggong's face stalled for a moment, then he accompanied with a smile: "I can't say others are bad; I'm just praising you!"

"Speak!" Heng Xian said: "How did His Majesty come to the idea of letting me treat his illness?"

Jia Gonggong startled, quickly flicked out more than ten talismans, sticking them around the carriage interior to prevent eavesdropping, and lowered his voice: "How do you know?"

Heng Xian said: "Nonsense! I haven't even married the princess yet, yet I'm inexplicably given an official post, and it's already afternoon—summoned hastily to the palace—what good could come of it? I've heard that many palace maids and eunuchs have died inside!"

Jia Gonggong bowed deeply: "His Majesty has recently often suffered dizziness and blurred vision, numbness all over, and even hallucinations—it's unbearable.

Originally we also suspected poisoning, but… every dish and every set of utensils underwent extremely strict inspection, and His Majesty doesn't really show the symptoms of poisoning, so we haven't really believed it.

Until that day when you pointed it out, we only then had a vague realization; His Majesty flew into a rage, slaughtering many eunuchs and palace maids, and last night his condition suddenly worsened…

Heng Xian's face turned solemn: "Does anyone else know?"

Jia Gonggong said: "Only this old servant and Feilian know!"

"Speed up!"

"Yes!"

"Niao niao niao…"

The carriage accelerated and galloped.

Soon they reached the imperial city, entered the palace, wound left and right through the deep palace courtyards, and finally entered a heavily guarded side hall.

Before the hall doors, Heng Xian paused slightly, glanced around, and couldn't help feeling a chill run down his spine.

Nearby there were at least two or more Nascent Soul cultivators, and a dozen or so Golden Core perfected!

If one were slightly careless…

"Master Heng?" Jia Gonggong shouted.

"Oh!" Heng Xian reacted, following Jia Gonggong into the palace.

The hall was cold and deserted, save for a few little eunuchs hidden in the corners like logs, with not a sound to be heard.

Only after entering the rear hall and passing through a layer of isolating seal did one hear a violent coughing fit.

Jia Gonggong grew anxious: "Quickly…"

Without his reminder, Heng Xian quickened his steps, walked down a pavilion, and saw the door of a peculiarly shaped room open ahead, with Feilian's wheelchair leaning against the door, gazing this way.

"How is it?" Heng Xian asked.

Feilian shook his head: "Very serious."

As Heng Xian stepped inside, he smelled a foul stench and truly wondered how the old Feilian could endure it; looking toward the bed, he couldn't help but furrow his brows.

There sat the Emperor on the bed, his whole body thin as a large shrimp, complexion as pale as paper, bent over, coughing violently; each cough expelled a clump of black, foul-smelling black blood.

An old palace maiden, expressionless, held a basin to catch it.

As if sensing someone's arrival, the Emperor forcibly suppressed his cough, lifted his head for a glance, clearly suffering to the extreme, yet still endured, and said softly: "You've come?"

Seeing this face faintly resembling Ji Yaoyue's, Heng Xian couldn't help but feel moved; his father‑in‑law had come to this state—it was truly hard—and he nodded: "I'm here."

The Emperor waved his hand to dismiss the old palace maiden, chuckled lightly, and said: "My illness is growing worse by the day; perhaps it really is poisoning—please trouble yourself to have a look!"

"Your Majesty…" Jia Gonggong knelt beside him, choking up unable to speak.

Feilian also 'walked' over, and in a low voice told Heng Xian: "You are the Emperor's father‑in‑law; I believe you will certainly put your heart into it!"

"Don't worry!" Heng Xian immediately grabbed a stool nearby, sat at the bedside, and took the Emperor's wrist to feel his pulse.

This attempt gave him the sense that inside the Emperor's body seemed a tangled mess, yet orderly within the chaos, weak yet carrying a hint of peace—actually showing no sign of poisoning, and not even looking ill.

How strange!

No wonder they don't believe it's poisoning!

Normally, this 'quack doctor' of mine would have panicked by now, but…

He immediately opened the Mysterious Yellow Heavenly Hexagram and asked: "What poison does the Emperor have?"

The hexagram showed: 【Li Li Zi Mu Xiao, an ancient formula from tens of thousands of years ago; when poisoning, one first gives the person to eat the 'mother' powder, which is colorless, tasteless, and even difficult for a Divine Transformation cultivator to distinguish.】

This powder, once inside the body, turns into the "son" poison, spreading through the limbs and bones, gradually disguising itself as the body's own qi and blood, corroding the body for only one‑third of an incense stick's time each day, making it extremely hard to detect.

This poison can swiftly kill cultivators below Divine Transformation, or slowly and steadily drive a person to death over the long term!】

Seeing the answer, Heng Xian couldn't help but draw a deep breath.

Just who is the poisoner? So vicious, to harm the emperor of a nation!

"How?"

The Emperor, Feilian, and Jia Gonggong stared at Heng Xian's expression; seeing him change color, their hearts rose in tandem.

"Poisoned!" Heng Xian lowered the Emperor's wrist, utterly grave.

"What poison?" the three exclaimed in unison.

Heng Xian said: "Li Li Zi Mu Xiao…"

He recounted the introduction from the hexagram and the description to the three of them.

After hearing it, the Emperor and the three others' breathing grew coarse, their faces turning ferociously grim.

Jia Gonggong said: "Master Heng, can… can it be cured?"

The Emperor and Feilian also stared fixedly at him.

"Yes!" Heng Xian rose, "Shall I write it down or give it orally?"

The Emperor and Feilian let out a breath, their expressions slightly stirred.

Jia Gonggong hurriedly said: "Orally!"

Heng Xian immediately spoke the detox method; the prescription is extremely complex and bizarre—only the emperor could manage it, an ordinary person would hardly be able to.

For example, it requires the essence and blood of a child born on a yang year, yang month, yang day, and yang hour; it needs more than fifty years of hundred-herb ash; and it needs thirteen kinds of rare spiritual herbs!

After Heng Xian finished speaking, Eunuch Jia noted everything down.

Heng Xian said, "One dose a day, the pain will be relieved in three days, the body will recover in a month, and the toxin will be completely eliminated in three months!"

The emperor's face showed a look of relief as he looked at him: "I suddenly understand why Taiping chose you—you can write poetry, you know medicine, your character and appearance are both excellent, you are also a senior disciple of the Tianyuan Sect, and you have just shone brightly at the State Altar Academy; truly rare!"

"Your Majesty flatters me!" Heng Xian bowed, his heart startled—how did the old emperor already know about my visit to the State Altar Academy so quickly??

The emperor's expression turned grave as he said: "Your marriage, I approve—but… my health concerns the Great Zhou state; you and I know this, it must not be leaked to others, including Taiping!"

"Understood!"

Heng Xian clasped his fists and slowly retreated.

Only after leaving the imperial palace hall and entering the wide imperial gardens did he finally let out a long breath—it seems being emperor is no easy task, constantly being watched; what's the point?

He glanced around, wondering where Ji Yaoyue was—he truly had no idea her father was ill?

Having left the imperial city, Tàijiān was already waiting with a carriage.

The eunuch looked unfamiliar, smiling as he asked, "Sir, which way are you heading back?"

"Which way?" Heng Xian frowned slightly.

The eunuch bowed with a smile and said, "What I mean is, if you're in a hurry, we can take a shortcut; if not, we can go down the bustling main street and also enjoy the scenery of the Imperial Capital."

"Whatever!" Heng Xian got onto the carriage.

"All right!" Tàijiān drove the carriage forward.

The carriage sped along the road; at first it was on the Imperial Capital's main street, but soon it turned onto a side lane.

The "side lane" isn't exactly remote; it's just not bustling, with taverns, brothels, and shops everywhere, and there are plenty of pedestrians on the road.

At that moment, in a table by the window on the third floor of the Guest Joy Tavern, two people sat, both dressed in ordinary clothes and wearing bamboo hats.

One of them was drinking while gazing down at the street below.

"General, are you certain he will take this street?"

The bearded, disheveled man across from him asked.

(End of chapter)