Chapter 643: Revenge (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Song Jingchen was summoned to the palace the next day. Perhaps because of Shangguan Pu’s lesson, not only did the emperor arrange for someone to search any visitors at the palace entrance, but there was also an additional checkpoint at the entrance of the imperial study.
After a body search to make sure that he didn’t have a murder weapon on him, he was let in.
When he walked into the imperial study, he saw the emperor eating pills with water. Song Jingchen’s eyes moved slightly. He lowered his head and cupped his hands. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
After a long time, the emperor on the dragon throne said, “You’re the one who contributed the most to my escape this time. Tell me, what reward do you want?”
“Your Majesty is blessed with the protection of the True Dragon. I don’t dare to take credit.”
The emperor looked satisfied. He opened his mouth to praise him.
Song Jingchen continued, “However, I do have a favor to ask.”
The emperor’s face darkened. He thought of something and said in a low voice, “Speak.”
“I captured a woman from Fragrant Teahouse and learned from her that all the women who entered Fragrant Teahouse were fed a poison called the Heart Devouring Poison. However, I couldn’t find the antidote in Lord Jing’s residence. Your Majesty, please let me see Lord Jing so that I can get the antidote for those innocent women.’ The emperor frowned. “Why haven’t I heard you mention it before?”
“I’m worried about alerting the enemy.”
The emperor paused and thought of the two spies he had just caught. He coughed lightly and asked, “How’s that woman now?”
“The woman I saved is dead.” Right on the heels of that, Song Jingchen explained the toxicity of the Heart Devouring Poison.
When he heard that her pulse was no different from that of an ordinary person when it didn’t flare up, the emperor’s expression immediately changed. He stood up. “Then I…”
Halfway through his sentence, he paused and sat back down. He asked suspiciously, “That maidservant in your residence who detoxified me can’t detoxify this poison?”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to tell Your Majesty. According to the maidservants in my residence, this poison needs a poisonous grass called the Heart Devouring Grass to make it. Only the previous dynasty recorded the Heart Devouring Grass, but it has long disappeared in our dynasty. As for the antidote, it needs the root of the Heart Devouring Grass as the medicinal catalyst.”
“Therefore, it’s not that it can’t be cured, but that we can’t find the medicinal catalyst at all.”
The emperor was shocked. “You mean there are remnants of the previous dynasty? And they’re colluding with that unfilial son?”
Song Jingchen said, “I don’t know.”
He knew the emperor too well. Others were vigilant in times of peace, but it was the opposite for him. Once he no longer felt threatened and felt that he was safe, he would think of ways to kick someone to the curb when they’ve outlived their usefulness.
Just like how he treated the Song family back then.
That was why he deliberately described the Valley of Heavenly Secrets as the previous dynasty.
The emperor’s expression changed several times, from shock to fear to suspicion.
Coincidentally, an eunuch outside the hall reported that the capital magistrate, Lord Cai, wanted to see him urgently.
The emperor glanced at Song Jingchen and said in a low voice, “Let him in.”
Ten minutes later, Lord Cai walked into the imperial study and knelt down.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Minister Cai, why did you enter the palace today?” the emperor asked.
Lord Cai glanced at Song Jingchen.
Lord Cai glanced at Song Jingchen.
The emperor waved his hand. “Earl Zhongyi is not an outsider. If you have anything to say, just say it.”
Lord Cai lowered his eyes. “Yes, it’s those women locked up in the prison of the Imperial Capital. For some reason, a few of them suddenly fell to the ground and wailed non-stop. They even tried to commit suicide by hitting the wall. I think they’ve gone crazy. They’re really terrifying.”
The emperor frowned. Wasn’t this the same situation as what Song Jingchen had said?
“Has the doctor taken a look at them?” he asked.
“I’ve invited all the famous doctors in the capital. They all said that… they might have been poisoned…” Lord Cai’s voice became softer and softer. After saying that, he kowtowed a few times on the ground. “However, I’ve gotten someone to guard the prison tightly these days. It’s impossible for anyone to drug them. Your Majesty, please investigate.”
Not to mention that those women were all important witnesses, even the commoners were paying attention to this case. If they died inexplicably in prison, the emperor would not be able to answer to the commoners. Wouldn’t he be blamed?
He just wasn’t sure.
The emperor’s eyes darkened. He summoned an eunuch and asked him to call the imperial physician of the Imperial Hospital to make a trip with Lord Cai.
Lord Cai kowtowed repeatedly to thank him.
There were a lot of women who acted up in a row. He almost called everyone in the imperial hospital away. They left in a hurry and returned quickly.
The imperial physician returned with him and reported, “Your Majesty, those women were indeed poisoned, but…”
“But what?” the emperor asked.
“It’s just that the poison they were poisoned with is really strange. It’s a little like a poison I’ve heard of.” Then, he recounted what had happened in the prison..
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