But at that moment, he merely glanced around and then turned his gaze back to the fluttering joss paper as he slowly ascended the steps. The imperial secret guards stationed outside the hall seemed to have already been instructed, for as he strode stiffly into the Qianqing Palace, no one stepped forward to stop him.
As if entering a deserted place, he stepped over the threshold and saw droves of young men and women in mourning clothes kneeling before a golden phoebe coffin, crying so hard they were gasping for breath.
Among these young men and women, he saw Zhao Miao, who was crying so hard that snot bubbles were forming, and Zhao Hong, whose face was still smeared with mud.
He passed by Zhao Miao, gently patted his head, and then went straight to the coffin to look at Emperor Xiping inside.
The young men and women in the hall, seeing this plainly dressed stranger boldly approaching their father emperor’s coffin to peer inside, were so shocked that they briefly forgot to sob.
Inside the coffin, Emperor Xiping, dressed in a vermilion dragon robe of state ceremonial mourning attire, clutching a ceremonial jade, his eyes tightly shut, his complexion blue-black, his lips purplish-black, and his cheekbones prominently raised, gave off the impression of emaciation.
This gaunt appearance let Yang Ge know that Shen Fa had indeed not deceived him; Emperor Xiping didn’t die suddenly but succumbed to prolonged illness.
Ironically, he himself felt somewhat bewildered. He and Emperor Xiping had tacitly matched wits for over four years, but today was the first time they met face to face.
The first meeting, with him outside the coffin and Emperor Xiping inside...
Yang Ge pursed his lips and, without saying a word, rolled up his sleeves and reached directly into the coffin.
Suddenly, several of the young men and women kneeling in the hall sprang up and howled furiously.
"How dare you!"
"Impudent!"
"What are you waiting for, apprehend this treacherous scoundrel at once, and execute his entire family..."
The imperial secret guards inside and outside the hall, upon hearing the ferocious shouts of these young heirs, looked at each other, both shocked and bewildered, none daring to step forward or speak out.
These young heirs didn’t know who Yang Ge was, but they did!
Meanwhile, Yang Ge, standing before the coffin, didn’t even glance at these barking young men and women. He simply released a stream of Taiji True Qi from his palm, which flowed into Emperor Xiping’s body.
Although Emperor Xiping had been dead for some time, his body still retained faint traces of life. The Taiji True Qi flowing into his body elicited slight reactions; though not many, they were better than those of a dead object.
Based on these reactions, he carefully examined the internal conditions of Emperor Xiping’s body.
Emperor Xiping indeed died from poisoning. His organs had largely failed, and this unknown toxin was fiercely dominant; not only did it physiologically destroy the body’s functions, it also tangled intensely with the body’s vital force, making it difficult to separate the two.
This meant that once the toxin had taken root within the body, it was nearly impossible to remove, as treating the poison would mean removing not just the toxin, but also the victim’s life.
Even if the poison was timely discovered and the detoxification skillfully handled, it would still severely damage most of the victim’s bodily functions, making their existence worse than death, and they would not live long thereafter.
Considering the emperor’s food was always tested for poison, it must have been some form of concealed slow-acting poison, and by the time it was discovered, the toxicity would have been severe.
That meant even if Shen Fa hadn’t suspected him and had informed him of Emperor Xiping’s poisoning right from the start, he would still have only a fifty percent chance of keeping Emperor Xiping alive for another two or three years.
But this issue couldn’t really be blamed on Shen Fa; after all, Yang Ge was a warrior, not a doctor, and Shen Fa had no knowledge of the extraordinary effects of his Taiji True Qi in exorcising evils, stabilizing essence, and nurturing vitality.
’Life...’
He silently sighed in his heart and slowly withdrew his hand.
Just then, Tang Xiong’s voice sounded beside him, "How does it look? Did you discover anything?"
Yang Ge turned his expressionless face towards Tang Xiong and the four other unfamiliar but energetically familiar old men now inside the hall.
He replied softly, "A little, but not much."
The eyes of the five elders simultaneously brightened, and an eunuch with a face full of wrinkles asked sharply, "Marquis of Luting, do you recognize this poison?"
Yang Ge responded indifferently, "I do not recognize it, but someone definitely does."
Tang Xiong: "Who?"
Yang Ge: "Someone you cannot defeat."
Five Elders: ...
You are good at chatting!
Tang Xiong took a deep breath and asked seriously, "Before Emperor Xiping passed away, he left a will passing the throne to Crown Prince Zhao Hong. What is your opinion on this?"
Yang Ge responded indifferently, "Don’t ask me. You should handle your own family affairs. I will mention just one thing—if Zhao Hong cannot be the emperor, send him back to me completely at Luting. The drainage channel he was overseeing isn’t finished yet..."
He didn’t emphasize his tone nor did he say much more.
But upon hearing this, a chill went down the spines of the five elders inside the hall.
Yang Ge didn’t mind their strange looks, turned around and walked to the coffin, picked up three sticks of incense from the offering table, lit them on the ever-burning lamp, respectfully bowed three times to the coffin with the incense in hand, and then stepped forward to place the incense sticks into the incense burner.
Then he spoke again, "You investigate your part, and I’ll investigate mine. If I find results on my side that I should handle, I will take care of it; and if it’s something you should handle, I’ll bring the results to you to manage as you see fit. Similarly, if you find results."
After a pause, he added emphasis to his words, "To make things clear, I am involved in this mess only because the Emperor cared for the welfare of the realm. Once this matter is resolved, the past will be wiped clean, and thereafter, it depends on the performance of the next emperor. If he also holds the people in his heart, I am still willing to help, but if he only cares about himself..."
He did not continue speaking in front of Emperor Xiping’s spirit, but the implied meaning was clear to everyone inside the hall: if you are willing to work properly, then you’ve gained an ally in me; if you are not, then you’ve gained an enemy.
For a moment, everyone inside the hall looked at him with inexplicable expressions.
Meanwhile, Yang Ge had already started walking toward the hall’s exit. As he passed by Zhao Miao, who was still lying on the ground sobbing and trembling, he bent down and gently patted her head, "Send off your father properly for his last journey. After he is buried, your second brother will come to pick you up..."
Zhao Miao stood up and clung tightly to his leg, crying loudly, "Second brother, I have no father now."
Yang Ge’s heart ached as he tried to comfort her warmly, "You still have your second brother..."
Zhao Miao sobbed and clung to his leg, unwilling to let him go.
Nearby, Zhao Hong approached, tears streaming down his face, and gently pulled on Zhao Miao’s arm, whispering, "Big sister, let the Store Manager go back and find out who really harmed our father..."
Zhao Miao could only let go, and she banged her head on the ground.
Yang Ge looked at her quivering little figure, pursed his lips, then turned to Zhao Hong, "Take care of your big sister for me."
Zhao Hong nodded emphatically, "I will."
Yang Ge patted his shoulder, "Do you still remember the words I told you?"
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
Zhao Hong wiped away his tears and nodded vigorously again, "I remember, I haven’t forgotten for a moment!"
Yang Ge nodded, said no more, stepped out of the hall, and turned into a beam of golden light that shot up into the sky.
The five elders inside the hall watched the golden streak split the sky and simultaneously let out a huge sigh of relief...