C58

"I was the one who killed the former Crown Prince, and I changed my appearance to Su Shao's. I entered the justice courts and watched him drink the poisoned wine." Zhou Ye slapped open another jar of wine as he mumbled to himself. In the end, without even finishing the jar of wine, he fell to the ground. It was hard to tell if he was truly drunk or not.

Lin Yi looked at Zhou Ye lying on the ground with an unfathomable expression. In the end, he ordered someone to imprison him in a private prison.

Whether Zhou Ye's words were true or false didn't matter, so he would naturally verify.

Lin Yi found a dark guard who knew Braille and asked him to decipher the note left behind by Sang Xin. The news that Sang Xin had received was that Su Mu had been captured, and he had begged Lin Yi to save him. Secondly, Yan Hen had been forced into a corner and was already preparing to force the palace.

In comparison, Lin Yi believed Zhou Ye's words even more. After all, if it was just to force the palace, then the method would be too crude, unlike the method that Yan Hen was used to. Moreover, forcing a palace was an outrageous act that would be despised by the world.

The Emperor was a man of his word, and had harmed many loyal officials and generals. However, in recent years, no major natural disasters had occurred, and people far from the center of power were still able to live and work in peace. Most people only wanted to eat and drink to their heart's content, and the change of power was bound to cause chaos in the Colony, which was the last thing the people wanted.

Lin Yi drank a cup of fine wine, put down his teacup and walked towards the emperor's sleeping quarters.

The emperor had been bedridden for nearly three months now, so the imperial physician couldn't find a single cause for his illness. Lin Yi also knew that Yan Heshen had been spreading rumors about Lin Yi disagreeing with the emperor's politics, defying the emperor's decisions in public, and not participating in the imperial government to threaten the emperor in the south of the river. That was why the emperor was so angry.

His reasoning was reasonable and well-founded. Some people believed that Lin Yi was wearing the hat of unfilial piety.

In fact, everyone in the center of power knew that it was just a play, a play used to numb Yan Heshen. With this scene, Lin Yi had a fair and honorable reason to go down Jiangnan, and took the opportunity to contact the governor of Jiang and Zhejiang provinces, Hu Rui.

Lin Yi walked into the emperor's sleeping quarters. The strong smell of medicine assaulted his nostrils. The smell of all sorts of herbal medicines congealed together, causing the air to be filled with a bitter and astringent air.

There were only two or three eunuchs and palace maids in the hall. They stood idly by, and when they saw Lin Yi walk in, they knelt down and greeted him. Lin Yi waved his hand, indicating for them to get up.

Lin Yi walked up to the emperor. The emperor was lying on the dragon bed, already on the verge of death. His skin was relaxed, his face ashen white, and his eyes were tightly shut, as if they were withered. A blanket embroidered with a golden dragon was placed over the emperor's body, making it seem exceptionally heavy.

An imperial physician sat by the emperor's side, taking his pulse.

"Imperial Physician Zhang, how is father now?" Lin Yi asked. At first, the doctor who guarded the emperor every day was another imperial physician that the emperor paid great attention to.

Lin Yi did not know the art of 'Qi Huang' and did not look at his prescription. It was only one day when he smelled deer antlers in the prescription that he ordered someone to bring it over. There were a total of thirteen types of herbs on the prescription, including wild ginseng, deer antler, and winter cordyceps and summer herbs. Lin Yi flew into a rage and ordered for the imperial physician to be dragged down and killed.

Anyone with the slightest knowledge of medicine would know that the emperor was currently too weak to endure such nourishment. Either the imperial physician wasn't proficient in medicine, or he was deliberately trying to take the emperor's life.

Imperial Physician Zhang wholeheartedly studied medical skills and never took part in any of the palace's vulgar affairs. Even if it was an unfavoured concubine or even a eunuch palace maid, as long as they needed help, Imperial Physician Zhang would be willing to help. It was precisely because of this that Imperial Physician Zhang was the focus of many people's attention. Even if Imperial Physician Zhang's medical skills were superb, he was still the most ordinary imperial physician in the entire Imperial Physician Courtyard.

When Lin Yi was young, the empress was framed and thrown into the cold palace. The environment of the cold palace was vile. Within a few days, a palace maid by the empress's side contracted a fever. At that time, Imperial Concubine Yan's favors were flourishing, and the Empress' family was being suppressed. Compared to that, the Empress seemed like she had no chance to make a comeback. Thus, even if the empress personally went to call the imperial physician, the people in the Imperial Physician Guild would still try their best to avoid offending Imperial Concubine Yan. In the end, only Imperial Physician Zhang took the initiative to follow the empress to the cold palace.

After that imperial physician was killed, Lin Yi ordered someone to bring her over.

When Imperial Physician Zhang heard Lin Yi's voice, he hastily knelt down to pay his respects. "This subject is incompetent. We're still unable to find out what illness the emperor is suffering from."

Lin Yi thought of Zhou Ye's words and asked, "Have you ever thought that it might not be an illness?"

Imperial Physician Zhang understood immediately. After some hesitation, he slowly said, "This subject suspects too." "For the past few days, this subject has been reading the books in the Supreme Hospital. After thinking about it, this subject feels that this medicine is just like the Spirit Devouring Powder that came out of Shen Nong Valley."

"Shen Nong Valley?" Lin Yi had never heard of this name before.

"Shennong Valley has been secluded for nearly two hundred years, and this subject has only read a little about it in the ancient texts. It is said that the name of the head of the Shen Nong Valley is Song, and his medical skills are unfathomable. Imperial Physician Zhang looked forward to it, his eyes shining brightly.

"Is there any way to save the Spirit Devouring Powder?" Lin Yi sat on the edge of the bed, tidied up the blanket, and put the emperor's exposed hand back under the blanket.

Imperial Physician Zhang shook his head. "There's no antidote in the records."

Lin Yi thought for a moment. "Then is there a way to wake father for a moment?"

Imperial Physician Zhang still shook his head. "His majesty's already spent all his energy, relying solely on medicine to keep him awake. Sleeping is also a way to prolong his life. If he wakes up by force, I'm afraid …" He hadn't finished speaking, but he could understand what was going on.

"Your Highness, Lord Yan requests an audience." A sharp voice rang out. It was the eunuch at the door.

"Let him in." Lin Yi took a deep breath and stood up. He calmly said, "It's better to lose than to lose. At the very least, you can't lose your momentum."

Yan Heshen entered and saluted the Emperor and Lin Yi.

"What is Sir Yan here for?" Lin Yi put his hands behind his back, calmly looking at Yan Sen.

"Prince Bao's son, Bao Fu, attempted to murder the prince. He is guilty of a heinous crime, but this matter is of great importance. After discussing it for a long time with the justice court officials, this subject does not dare make any rash decisions. I would like to request the Emperor to step in." Yan Heshen's face was solemn.

"His Majesty is gravely ill. As the son of a man, it is natural that we should help royal father share his worries. The evidence regarding Bao Fu's murder of the prince is insufficient, so I hope that Sir Yan can take great care of this matter. Lin Yi lightly said.

Although Prince Bao didn't have the authority to do so, in his early years, the meritorious deeds left behind by Prince Bao for the greater good were recorded in historical records. His prestige among the people was also very high, so this matter had to be taken into account. However, although Bao Fu Sheng was the son of Prince Bao, he had never obtained the protection of Prince Bao. For example, right now, Bao Fu Cheng was trapped in jail, and he didn't even see Prince Bao appear. This was probably the reason why Yan Jin dared to set his sights on Bao Fu.

Yan Heshen smiled. He had never intended to take Bao Fusheng's life. Prince Bao may not love this son of his, but Bao Fusheng was the only son of Prince Bao's.