“Yes.” Qinghe was also worried that these two might harm her master. It would be best to take them away from her master.
“Two gentlemen, please follow this servant.”
The two men showed no reluctance on their faces. They placed the medicine box on the table, and obediently followed behind Qinghe, exiting the study. Qinghe conveniently closed the study door.
“Master Li doesn’t seem to care about his own health at all. Such a major event happened, and he didn’t inform me. I had to learn about it from someone else. Only then did I know about such a big hidden danger!” When there were only two people left in the room, Doctor Lin spoke.
Doctor Lin’s voice was not loud, but Li Shu knew his actions had angered the old man. He stood up and bowed, “It’s Zi Shu’s fault for this matter.”
“Now that the days are finally getting better, your health is much better compared to before. Pay more attention to these matters. If something happens to you one day, I won’t be able to even find the cause.”
Thinking about this, Doctor Lin felt a fire in his heart. If it weren’t for Prince Qin seeking him out, he wouldn’t even know that there was such an underlying reason for Li Shu’s illness.
However, wasn’t Prince Qin paying too much attention to Li Shu?
“Zi Shu, when did you become acquainted with Prince Qin? If Prince Qin hadn’t found me, I would probably be kept in the dark about this matter. I shouldn’t have asked about your affairs, but thinking it over, I can’t help feeling uneasy.”
Since that day when he went to the secret cell to draw blood from Concubine Luo, Prince Qin sent two people to his side, claiming it was for his protection and to help him. But he knew those two were probably there to monitor him.
A small matter like this could reveal a lot. If Prince Qin didn’t care deeply about Li Shu’s safety, why bother assigning people to watch over him?
‘Why? Of course it’s because Qi Mingxuan is deeply attached to my host now and guards him with like his own eyes. How could he tolerate any harm to the host at this critical juncture?’ 1314 complained sarcastically.
It didn’t know what its host was thinking. It couldn’t influence the host’s thoughts and could only take it one step at a time. Maybe the host could give it a surprise.
“I once accidentally saved Prince Qin’s life. Perhaps Prince Qin’s attention to my life is to repay the favor.” Li Shu picked the most convenient reason, but it wasn’t a lie. After all, his connection with Qi Mingxuan started from that incident at Xian Guo Temple.
As for the real reason, it’s something he couldn’t tell Doctor Lin. It wouldn’t be good if he scared the old man.
However, he wondered why Qi Mingxuan paid attention to him after that incident, and ignored Li Xinuo, who deserved it more. His attitude towards Qi Mingxuan at that time could be described as cold. Compared to his attitude, the female protagonist was like a little angel.
Seeing the confused look on Li Shu’s face, it was obvious that he didn’t know what was going on either, and Doctor Lin sighed, “It’s okay like this. With a giant Buddha like Prince Qin watching over, those small fries won’t dare to cause trouble in front of you.”
Regardless of what Prince Qin was thinking, as long as he didn’t harm Zi Shu, it was good.
“Let’s not talk about these things for now. Let me show you. There’s something strange about Concubine Luo, and I need to confirm it.”
These days, he had pushed aside all other matters, focusing all his attention on the blood samples taken from Concubine Luo. He went there several times in the process, and finally managed to figure out something.
Since this substance was acting on two people simultaneously, studying only Concubine Luo wouldn’t be enough. So, after finding some clues, he immediately brought people to Li mansion.
Li Shu cooperated with the whole process of taking blood and his pulse. Seeing the dark shadows under Doctor Lin’s eyes, he advised, “Doctor Lin, don’t overexert yourself. If you ruin your health because of this matter, how can I face myself in the future?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Doctor Lin waved his hand. He was devoted to medical arts throughout his life, especially researching difficult and complicated illnesses. This time, he encountered something he had never seen before, and he couldn’t help but feel excited, unknowingly spending more time than usual.
“As you know, I’m the kind of person who can’t resist when encountering strange illnesses. Even if this matter didn’t happen to you, I would still thoroughly study it.”
Indeed, Doctor Lin had always been like this. The original owner’s illness wasn’t caused solely by poor conditions; it resulted from the mother’s poisoning during pregnancy. The toxin passed to the fetus, causing abnormalities and forming a new poison that lurked inside the child’s body, which was difficult to detect.
If it weren’t for Doctor Lin’s excellent medical skills and his timely use of medicine every time the original owner fell ill, the original owner would have left the world early as Concubine Luo wished, long before Li Shu arrived.
~
Prince Yu’s Mansion.
“Your Highness, everything has been arranged. We are just waiting for Your Highness’s command to start.” A trusted confidant and a master of schemes fanned himself with a feathered fan as he calmly reported to the prince.
On the chessboard, the black pieces were surrounded by the white ones, with no way out.
The man in a bright yellow court robe stood with hands behind his back, facing his confidant standing at the window. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Do you think I can succeed?”
This was treason. He had never thought that he would walk down such a path one day.
“Why worry, Your Highness? Both inside and outside the palace, everyone is on our side. Once successful, Your Highness will be the master of Great Zhou!”
“You’re right. The court is in such chaos now. Father is seriously ill and is incapable of managing the situation. It’s better to hand over power.”
He didn’t want to come to this point. If his father hadn’t stubbornly clung to power, if his elder brother hadn’t been relentlessly pursuing him from behind, he wouldn’t have to take this step.
At this point, the relationship between him and his elder brother had become irreconcilable. If his elder brother ascended successfully, his future could be easily imagined. Just for this reason, he had to make a desperate attempt.
“Convey my order; take action tonight!”
~
After days of scorching heat, the capital finally welcomed the first rain.
Low hanging dark clouds covered the sky, strong winds blew, and raindrops pattered on the eaves. Li Shu stood on the porch, and Qi Mingxuan stood beside him holding an umbrella.
Li Shu looked into the distance, and Qi Mingxuan watched him. Neither of them spoke.
As the sky darkened, the rain showed no sign of decreasing. Flashes of light could be seen in the distance, and the sounds of fighting were perfectly masked by this heavy rain. Qi Mingxuan and Li Shu seemed like two unrelated spectators, observing from a distance.
While life here was peaceful, just a street away, the palace had completely descended into chaos.
The clash of weapons, the cries of palace attendants, the neighing of warhorses… Blood dyed the long steps red, and the once solemn and dignified imperial palace had lost its grace, becoming a battlefield for power struggles.
Prince Yu led the imperial army into the palace, as if entering an empty space. The palace had long been filled with his people. Even if they encountered a few stubborn resistances, they were swiftly dealt with.
Without any hindrance, they reached the emperor’s sleeping palace and he ordered people to surround it.
Prince Yu sat on the horse, holding a long wooden box. Everything felt surreal.
The rain continued to fall, their clothes were soaked, but no one paid attention. They stared at the palace not far away, their eyes filled with fiery determination.
As long as they broke in, they would possess endless wealth and glory, fame and fortune were within reach.
They were waiting for the person at the forefront to give the order.
The war horse snorted impatiently, and Prince Yu came out of his trance. Success was right before his eyes. Once he gave the order to rush in, that position would be his.
But his heart pounded anxiously.
Under the rain curtain, the palace in front seemed to transform into a monstrous beast with a gaping blood-filled mouth, its large crimson eyes staring at him, waiting for him to approach and then devour him.
Why did he have such thoughts?
Yes, the journey had been too smooth, far smoother than he imagined. Just one last step remained. Would this step be as smooth?
A sudden fear rose in him; he wanted to retreat, to escape from here.
Perhaps sensing his unease, someone beside him inquired, “Your Highness? When shall we attack?”
One sentence brought Prince Yu’s scattered thoughts back. They had come this far, there was no room for regret.
“Attack!”
Since there was no way back, they could only move forward.
The hall was dim, only the sound of armor clashing echoed. Prince Yu held his breath and pushed aside the bed curtains.
No one?!
How could there be no one?
The emperor had difficulty moving now. If he was not here, where could he be? Why wasn’t he here? Did he anticipate the coup?
In a short moment, various questions tumbled in Prince Yu’s mind. Before he could give the order to retreat, a sharp arrow shot from afar.
As if it was a signal to start, arrows poured in from all directions like raindrops.
Unstoppable.
After a wave of arrow rain, Prince Yu’s forces suffered heavy losses, and Prince Yu himself was injured.
Before they could catch their breaths, the palace door was forcefully pushed open. Prince Yu turned and saw his elder brother striding in. Behind him, Eunuch An pushed the emperor who was in a wheelchair protected in the middle. Looking further back, he saw a guard holding a woman in palace attire, his mother.
“Big brother, you are really cunning. Did you know I would rebel and were waiting for this moment? This way, you can effortlessly eliminate me as a rival and gain credit for protecting the emperor. What a well-laid plan.”
“Fourth brother, you jest. Since a grave mistake has been made, you better surrender willingly.” The eldest prince chuckled, looking at Prince Yu as if he were a clown.
“No way!”
At this point, surrender meant a dead end. But if he took a gamble, there might be a slim chance of survival.
“Whoever can take their heads will be made a general after the deed is accomplished!”
“Kill—”
After giving the order, the imperial guards from other parts of the palace rushed in to support. Prince Yu held the majority of the imperial guards, outnumbering the eldest prince. The eldest prince was only able to suppress them earlier because he caught them by surprise. Once they reacted, the outcome became uncertain.
Especially when he had the emperor with limited mobility on his side. Forces had to be allocated to protect the emperor, making it somewhat challenging compared to Prince Yu’s side.
Outside the palace, a large and disciplined army advanced towards the imperial city under the cover of rain.
“Does Zi Shu want to enter the palace with me?” Qi Mingxuan asked.
“Yes.”
Upon hearing the answer, Qi Mingxuan shifted his gaze away from the young man, looking into the distance. Through layers of rain and mist, it seemed as if the fierce battle inside the palace could be seen. Blood filled the air, like the days and nights he had experienced.
It was time to bring it to an end.
