Amid a chorus of wailing pleas for mercy, the surrounded young women were dragged away by the guards, whose faces were dark and brimming with killing intent.
One could easily imagine that, innocent or not, none of these women’s lives would be spared. The only difference would be how much suffering they endured before death.
At a time like this, even the softest-hearted person had no time to spare a sigh for them.
All the eunuchs and maids who had been serving in the hall were also led away for questioning, their faces filled with panic — even Xinyun was taken away.
Ling Jingshu was the sole exception.
She had been the first to notice the Crown Prince was under attack, calling out the warning in time, and quickly feeding him the antidote pill. If the Crown Prince survived, hers would be the foremost merit.
The Imperial Guards, as if by unspoken agreement, let Ling Jingshu go untouched.
Once all these people had been led away, the main hall held far fewer than half its original number.
His face dark, the Emperor’s gaze swept over the consorts, their faces drained of color, and the few officials who had accompanied the Crown Prince. He said coldly, “In broad daylight, such formidable assassins appeared, first attacking me, then attacking the Crown Prince. What a useless, incompetent emperor I am.”
Startled, everyone dropped to their knees in unison. Some cried, “Your Majesty, this humble consort knew nothing of this,” while others called out, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger” — a chaotic mix of voices.
The Emperor’s eyes turned dark and venomous, his voice as cold as winter ice. “Silence, all of you! Prince Yan has not yet woken, and the Crown Prince is still being treated. Whoever dares to babble and disturb the physicians’ work will have his life taken right now!”
In his towering rage, killing a few people would mean nothing at all to the Emperor.
Terrified, everyone fell silent at once.
The vast main hall fell instantly silent.
Only the Emperor’s voice rang out coldly: “Whoever planned and took part in such a meticulous assassination nearly cost me my life. Everyone present in this hall today is under suspicion. Until your suspicion is cleared, no one is permitted to leave, not even a single step. Otherwise, do not blame my Imperial Guards for showing no mercy with their blades.”
The Imperial Guards, blades in hand, glared at the crowd like predators, as though ready to strike and kill at any moment.
No one dared move recklessly, much less make a sound.
…
Half an hour later.
The bleeding from Prince Yan’s chest had stopped, his wound had been bandaged, and he had regained a measure of consciousness. Upon seeing the state of the hall clearly, Prince Yan asked, both bewildered and uneasy, “Father, what happened here? What’s wrong with Older Brother?”
Weary and dispirited, the Emperor had no wish to elaborate, only saying, “We’ll discuss this later. Go and rest for now.”
Two guards came forward and carefully carried Prince Yan off to his chambers.
The Emperor sat rigidly for a long while, his back stiff, his whole body utterly exhausted. Only a surge of fury kept him from collapsing.
The Emperor gestured for the guards beside him to help him to his feet, and he walked over to where the Crown Prince lay.
Nearly the Crown Prince’s entire body was studded with golden needles, especially his head and upper torso, where the needles were packed densely together. The black blood seeping from them had already soaked through his collar — a sight that struck terror into the heart.
His face was as white as paper, utterly drained of color. Lying there, he looked like a corpse without breath.
At just one glance, the Emperor was overwhelmed by a surge of grief and anguish welling up within him. His eyes glistened with tears, and his voice trembled unconsciously. “Why hasn’t the Crown Prince woken yet?”
After so long spent fighting to save him, why hadn’t the Crown Prince woken?
Could it be that even Wei Yan couldn’t save his life?
At that moment, Wei Yan had just finished placing the last golden needle. Concentrating fully on administering acupuncture to save a life, wrestling a soul back from the grasp of death, was an immensely draining task. Even with his youth and good stamina, after such a strenuous effort, he felt utterly spent.
He let out a deep breath and rose to answer, “Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble servant has done everything in his power to administer emergency acupuncture for His Highness. However, the poisoned needle he was struck with was no ordinary matter — it is an extraordinarily potent and overwhelming poison. Once it reaches the heart, not even immortals could save him.”
“Fortunately, Female Official Ling was carrying antidote pills on her person. These pills were carefully prepared by this humble servant and presented to Her Ladyship Xianfei — they have both preventive and curative effects against poison. Female Official Ling, being careful in her conduct, kept this vial with her at all times, and gave the pills to His Highness in time, slowing the poison’s effect. Otherwise, no matter how skilled my needlework, it would have been useless.”
This also explained why Ling Jingshu happened to have antidote pills on her.
With his mind entirely consumed by concern for the Crown Prince’s safety, the Emperor had no patience to dwell on such details. Brow furrowed tightly, he asked, “From what you’re saying, the Crown Prince should no longer be in danger of dying?”
Wei Yan answered gravely, “This humble servant lacks the confidence to say so just yet. Only once all the poisoned blood has been drained, and what flows out turns bright red, can we say His Highness’s life has truly been reclaimed. Furthermore, traces of poison will certainly remain in his blood, requiring medicinal decoctions to expel them. As for the exact outcome, it will take at least two more days before we can be certain.”
Had any other Imperial Physician dared speak this way, the Emperor would have already flown into a rage.
But Wei Yan’s medical skill was exceptional, and the Emperor trusted him immensely. Knowing well his straightforward nature, the Emperor, upon hearing these words, felt not anger but instead a measure of relief.
Whatever the case, the Crown Prince was, for now, not in immediate danger of dying.
“The virtuous are watched over by heaven; the Crown Prince will surely be fine.” The Emperor seemed to be speaking to everyone present, and yet also to himself. “He survived an injury that grave back then — he will surely pull through this time too.”
Hearing this, the Crown Grandson’s heart felt as though it were being sliced by a blade. He stared unblinking at the Crown Prince’s face, as though, in the very next instant, the Crown Prince would safely open his eyes.
Ling Jingshu stood silently to the side.
Recalling the danger of that earlier moment still left her heart pounding with lingering fear. She herself didn’t know where she had found the courage to rush forward like that.
She hoped the Crown Prince would pull through this crisis safely.
Otherwise, after this incident, Prince Yan’s momentum would become unstoppable.
Once Prince Yan rose to power, Empress Xu and her daughter would gain a chance to reclaim their standing — and the Lu family, clinging tightly to Prince Yan’s coattails, would also be safe and secure.
On this point, her position aligned completely with the Crown Grandson’s.
“Female Official Ling!”
A voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Ling Jingshu’s train of thought.
Ling Jingshu snapped back to attention and answered respectfully, “Yes, this servant is here. Please instruct me, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor looked at Ling Jingshu, his gaze complicated, as if lost in unreadable thought. After a long pause, he said, “This time, your merit is immense. As long as the Crown Prince comes through safely, I will never forget what you have done.”
A promise from the Son of Heaven weighed heavier than a thousand pieces of gold!
Ling Jingshu naturally understood the weight of such words, and inwardly rejoiced, though her expression remained solemn and composed. “This was merely what this servant ought to have done. This servant would not dare claim the word ‘merit.’ I only hope the heavens watch over His Highness and let him wake soon.”
This response displayed her loyalty to the fullest.
The Crown Grandson, who had remained silent the entire time, now lifted his gaze toward her. “Ling Jingshu, there is no need for such excessive modesty. Everything you did today, I will keep firmly in my heart. There will surely be a reward for you in the future.”