“Your Excellency, your words are mistaken!” Lai Luozhi carefully observed the Empress’s expression while refuting, “This humble official means that my sister was executed according to the Tang Dynasty’s laws back then. Her appearance today is merely due to a coincidental rebirth through an elixir. The previous life has already been paid for the deceased. This new life need not be compensated for again.
“Moreover, my sister has forgotten about the past events. She’s now wholeheartedly devoted to doing good. As they say, ‘There’s no greater virtue than knowing one’s faults and correcting them.’ Why must you all be so unrelenting, bringing up old matters?”
“Absurd. You speak of rebirth so casually, but who in the world has ever witnessed such a thing?” Shen Du said coldly. “Furthermore, my wife was taken to the back courtyard by Lai Luofu, and upon returning home, she showed symptoms of poisoning. This has to do with Lai Luofu. How can you claim she’s ‘wholeheartedly devoted to doing good’?”
“Do you have evidence to prove that Commander Zhu’s poisoning is related to my sister?”
“No, but Lai Luofu killed someone years ago and escaped punishment due to your protection. Yesterday, she was suspected of harming someone again. This shows how dangerous she is. I implore Your Majesty to execute Lai Luofu according to the law!” Shen Du stepped back with one foot, bent his knees slightly, and knelt straight while holding Zhu Yan.
“We beseech Your Majesty to execute Lai Luofu according to the law!” Zhang Xingwei, eager to topple Lai Luozhi, was more than willing to add fuel to the fire.
As he knelt, Zhu Kuo and Zhang Xingwei’s faction also knelt.
Along with Shen Du’s faction, officials who disapproved of Lai Luozhi or simply believed Lai Luofu was guilty also showed their support.
More than half of the court officials had knelt.
Lai Luozhi was furious inwardly. He secretly glanced up at Empress Zhou Zhao on the dragon throne, seeing her expression dark as she fiddled with the ring on her finger. Her gaze seemed to fall on the officials, yet also on no one in particular.
Lai Luozhi decided to test the waters. Kneeling as if suffering a great injustice, he cried out, “My sister’s life has already been paid for the deceased. She owes nothing to anyone. We cannot endlessly pursue this matter. I beg Your Majesty to see this!”
“Oh.” The Empress responded without emotion. Just as Lai Luozhi was uncertain of her attitude and feeling anxious, she slowly spoke, “Death and rebirth? How was such a miraculous feat accomplished? Tell us, Minister Lai, let us broaden our horizons.”
Hearing this, Lai Luozhi felt greatly relieved. The Empress, after all, was getting on in years. No matter how wise she was, she couldn’t resist the desire for immortality. As long as he held the secret of resurrection, the Empress wouldn’t take severe action against Lai Luofu.
Just as Lai Luozhi was feeling pleased, Shen Du spoke again: “Your Majesty, please don’t be deceived by this villain. There’s no such thing as resurrection in this world. Lai Luozhi is publicly deceiving Your Majesty to protect Lai Luofu. I request that Your Majesty punish him as well.”
The kneeling officials echoed in unison. Even some of the impartial censors couldn’t stand it anymore and began to denounce Lai Luozhi’s crimes vehemently.
In an instant, Lai Luozhi once again became a treacherous minister that everyone wanted to execute.
Seeing the situation, Lai Luozhi wished he could chew Shen Du to pieces to vent his anger. As he saw the situation becoming increasingly unfavorable, he had no choice but to cup his hands and say, “Your Majesty, this official still has the elixir that brought my sister back to life years ago. Shall we revive Commander Zhu on the spot to prove that my words are not false?”
“The poison your sister and you administered, naturally you have the antidote,” Zhang Xingwei said, seizing any opportunity to bring down Lai Luozhi. He didn’t care about Zhu Yan’s life or death at all. Sacrificing one woman to become the sole powerful minister and achieve his years of scheming was more than worth it.
“Let the imperial physicians examine it to see if it’s the antidote.”
The poison was so rare that even doctors couldn’t alleviate its effects. Even if examined, there was no way to determine if it was the antidote. Lai Luozhi was confident about this. He glanced at the cold-faced Shen Du and sneered, “Grand Commander Shen acts so forcefully, who knows how many people he’s offended, bringing such misfortune upon Commander Zhu. Grand Commander Shen, please examine yourself and don’t wrongly accuse us, siblings.”
“Is that so?” Shen Du turned his head, looking directly at Lai Luozhi. “You should focus on clearing your crimes before considering anything else.”
This light remark made Lai Luozhi’s brow twitch violently. He had fallen into the trap!
Lai Luozhi was so frustrated he almost hit his head, looking at Shen Du with eyes as if laced with poison.
Shen Du’s relentless pursuit wasn’t to persuade the Empress to punish them but for the antidote!
Just as Lai Luofu had given Zhu Yan only two options yesterday, Shen Du was now giving him two choices today: either prove that resurrection truly exists or confess to his crimes.
Shen Du knew he had the antidote. To protect Lai Luofu, he would have to prove the truth of the resurrection. Right now, in the great hall, a person was suffering from severe poisoning. She was undoubtedly the best subject to prove this. If she lived, then Lai Luofu’s rebirth might indeed be true.
Shen Du was forcing him, compelling him to produce the antidote to save Zhu Yan.
On the high platform, Empress Zhou Zhao smiled without speaking. Lai Luozhi hated Shen Du intensely but could only force out a smile. He took out a white porcelain bottle from his bosom:
“I have committed no crime, so I have nothing to fear. Here, this is the elixir that can bring the dead back to life. Grand Commander Shen, please use it carefully.”
Shen Du glanced at Zhu Kuo, who had been waiting impatiently. Zhu Kuo quickly snatched the white porcelain bottle, pulled out the stopper, and poured out a round pill about the size of a pinky fingertip. “Give it to Sixth Sister to eat.”
“Wait.” Shen Du requested the Empress’s permission for Lai Luofu to enter the hall. The Empress casually agreed.
After a while, Lai Luofu was escorted in. The Empress looked at this face, identical to Madam Tang’s, smiling with an unclear meaning.
Shen Du said to Zhu Kuo, “Put one pill into Lai Luofu’s mouth and watch her swallow it.”
Lai Luofu was tightly bound and controlled by Jing Lin. She instinctively wanted to struggle, but upon meeting Lai Luozhi’s gaze, she immediately calmed down and opened her mouth to swallow the pill.
Everyone watched intently, not blinking, anxiously observing her reaction. At this time, the imperial physicians were summoned to wait outside the hall. After a long while, seeing no change in her appearance, the Empress had the physicians check her pulse.
Indeed, her body showed no abnormalities.
After confirming there was no poison, Shen Du finally put the antidote into Zhu Yan’s mouth. Wrapped in red, she looked like a sleeping beauty, her eyes closed and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, so peaceful it was unsettling.
Shen Du tilted Zhu Yan’s chin slightly upward and waited for a moment. Seeing her throat move slightly, successfully swallowing the antidote, he let out a small sigh of relief and turned to place Zhu Yan in Zhu Kuo’s arms.
Still suspicious, he walked to Lai Luofu and felt her pulse, but noticed something unusual.