freenovelworld Chapter 364: Being a Son of Man in vain
Chapter 364: Being a Son of Man in vain
This was the first time An Lingrong heard the name Qianji Powder. When she saw the serious expressions on the emperor and Su Peisheng's faces, she knew that this poison was no trivial matter.
So he tactfully didn't ask.
But as An Lingrong walked on the road, she couldn't suppress the doubts in her heart.
Does this poison have anything to do with Yu Ying'er?
Then An Lingrong denied in her heart the possibility that Yu Ying'er would attack the Fourth Prince.
The Imperial Medical Bureau had an antidote for Qianji Powder, which meant that this type of poison had appeared in the palace before, and it was even possible that someone had the medicine in their hands.
When Wei Lin introduced her to the common poisons in the palace, he did not mention Qianji Powder, so Yu Ying'er was even more forbidden to get it.
Besides, the decree conferring the title on the Fourth Prince has not yet been issued, and Yu Ying'er is reluctant to cut short her own future.
When the group hurried over, Prince Guo, supported by A Jin, was waiting anxiously in the main hall.
The emperor exempted him from the ceremony and asked anxiously.
"Seventeenth brother, how is Hongli?"
"My dear brother, Doctor Zhang has given Hongli the antidote, but he is still twitching all over."
Prince Guo paused for a moment and continued.
"Doctor Zhang said that Hongli didn't have much exposure to Qianjisan, so there might be a chance of saving his life."
The emperor's face darkened and he stepped directly into the inner room.
Hongli, lying on the bed, was twitching slightly all over his body, and his intact left leg and left hand were bent in pain.
He glanced at the imperial physician standing by the bed and gave orders in a deep voice.
"Zhang Wuwei, go out and answer."
"Wei Chen obeys your orders."
Zhang Wuwei followed the emperor out nervously.
News came from the Yangxin Palace today that the Fourth Prince was about to leave the palace, and asked him to go over and take his pulse.
Who knew that as soon as he entered the door, he would run into the Fourth Prince who was twitching all over.
As soon as he saw the porridge scattered on the ground, he knew that something was seriously wrong. After a quick inspection, he determined that the Fourth Prince had been poisoned.
"Tell me about what you saw and heard at the prince's residence."
Zhang Wuwei did not dare to hide anything and told everything that had happened since he entered the house.
"Su Peisheng, arrest all those who handled the meals and investigate them thoroughly."
"The slave obeys."
At the emperor's order, all the palace servants were arrested except for the pregnant Yu Ying'er and Li Yu, who took care of the Fourth Prince.
An Lingrong walked up to the anxious Yu Ying'er and asked softly.
"I saw you holding your stomach, but what's wrong with you?"
"Your Highness, I'm fine. If you hadn't reminded me today not to eat things like Job's tears, I don't know what would have happened to the child in my belly."
The Fourth Prince was murdered because he drank red bean and barley soup.
Yu Ying'er had seen the Fourth Prince's disorganized appearance after being poisoned. If she were to be infected, neither she nor her son would survive.
She thanked An Lingrong gratefully, and in her excitement she knelt on the ground to kowtow to her.
"Your Highness..."
"Yu, you should get up first and take care of the child in your belly."
An Lingrong was afraid that she would have a miscarriage due to the shock, so she quickly helped her up.
"Brother Emperor, why do I feel like the Imperial Concubine and Concubine Yu know each other?"
Prince Guo looked at the two of them curiously.
"Seventeenth brother, when Concubine Shu learned that Hongli's wife was pregnant, she gave her something as a reward."
"Today she went to Yongshou Palace to express her gratitude, and that's when the two of them met."
The emperor looked at him calmly and gave orders to Zhang Wuwei.
"Can you show Concubine Yu Shu a look and see if there's anything wrong with her?"
"Wei Chen takes orders."
After taking Yu Ying'er's pulse carefully, Zhang Wuwei said that she was frightened and needed to rest for a while.
Not long after, Su Peisheng reported back with a bitter face.
"Your Majesty, the eunuch who brought the food said that the prince's food was packed into his food box by a servant named Xiaomaizi in the kitchen. When the guards went to the kitchen to arrest him, they found Xiaomaizi dead."
"I have ordered a search of Xiaomaizi's residence and to investigate his association with others."
"I understand. Su Peisheng, you will stay at the prince's residence and look after the Fourth Prince for me. If you have any news, please report it as soon as possible."
The emperor gave a sad order.
When the struggle for the throne between brothers was at its most intense, poisoning each other was the norm.
The young eunuch who tasted the food took a small bite of each dish and fell to the ground after an incense stick of time.
The meal was filled with the highly toxic Qianji Powder. He would never forget the horrific scene of the young eunuch lying twisted and dying in agony in the yard.
The emperor had experienced the early death of his children several times, and he did not have any deep feelings for Hongli, so he did not listen to the wailing in front of the prince to avoid adding to his sorrow.
Even though he was an emperor, he could not fight against God.
After the emperor left, An Lingrong didn't want to stay any longer. She gave Yu Ying'er a few words of advice and followed him out.
She felt that the emperor's steps as he walked along the palace road were particularly heavy.
After all, the Fourth Prince is his son, so he must be reluctant to let him go.
Something big happened to the prince, so An Lingrong asked someone to inform Concubine Hua when she left.
They met halfway, and the emperor waved to Concubine Hua.
"Su Peisheng and Zhang Wuwei are guarding the prince's residence, so don't go over there."
"There's a bit of chaos in the office, you could send someone capable to look after it."
"I obey my orders."
After parting with the emperor, Concubine Hua took small steps to An Lingrong's side.
"How's Fourth Prince doing?"
"He's been poisoned, and things aren't going well."
An Lingrong thought for a moment and added another sentence.
"When we arrived at the prince's residence, Prince Guo was sick and guarding the courtyard."
"Lingrong, do you think this matter has something to do with him?"
Concubine Hua asked in a low voice.
"Sister Nian, be careful with your words. The Emperor has already sent people to investigate this matter. Please do not discuss it privately."
"The Fourth Prince has been given the Qianji Powder. We must protect our palace, especially take good care of the children."
An Lingrong knew very little about the Fourth Prince's poisoning, but she knew that they had to guard their own home.
Until after dinner, there was no news from the prince's office.
The emperor in the Yangxin Palace was also waiting for news from there. After he drank cup after cup of tea, a secret guard disguised as a guard entered the palace, escorting an old nanny with disheveled hair.
"Your Majesty, this person is from the same hometown as Xiaomaizi. She has taken good care of him since he entered the palace. Today, someone saw her go to the kitchen to look for Xiaomaizi, and the two of them talked in the room for a long time."
"The servants and others found Qianji Powder in her room."
The emperor slammed the table hard and questioned angrily.
"You bold and treacherous slave, who on earth ordered you to harm the Fourth Prince?"
The old nanny with cloudy eyes stared at the emperor and laughed out loud.
"Your Majesty, this is all retribution for you. The Empress Dowager has passed away, and you still sent people to spread rumors about her and the Fourteenth Master."
"You let our ancestors pass away in turmoil. You are unworthy of being a son."