The shouting of the medicine-delivering eunuch struck like thunderclaps, blasting away Zhu Qingyu's drowsiness.
Shun'an was dead?!
She had only visited him yesterday—such a small child, so ill he had been moved out of the wards, his greatest hope merely to return to palace service.
He was such an insignificant child, with no deep-seated grudges against anyone, nor standing in anyone's way. He was almost recovered yesterday, and now, suddenly, he was dead!
Zhu Qingyu rushed out of the tea room and grabbed the medicine-delivering eunuch:
"What happened! Tell me in detail!"
The eunuch's sleeve was stained crimson, entirely soaked in blood.
Seeing Zhu Qingyu, the panicked, utterly disoriented eunuch seemed to find a pillar of support, his eyes finally focusing:
"Doctor Zhu! It's terrible—the medicine was tainted. I gave it to Shun'an, and at first, he was fine, even said he felt better, but then he started vomiting blood, and as he kept retching, he—he died!"
Had she used the wrong medicine?!
Or had she grabbed the wrong herbs?
To be safe, Zhu Qingyu mentally reviewed every herb she had used today, then ran back to the tea room, opened the medicinal pot, picked out the dregs, placed them on the tea table, and examined each piece carefully.
The reason the Empress Dowager insisted that Shun'an and the Imperial Academy Director test the medicine before it was given to the Emperor was precisely to guard against any potential issues.
So when news of Shun'an's sudden death broke, no one dared administer the medicine to the Emperor, and even the tea room was cordoned off.
Eunuch Qiu had gone to summon the Empress Dowager. When she arrived at the tea room, Zhu Qingyu was still examining the dregs.
The Empress Dowager's presence was announced, and everyone present bowed in greeting.
Mammy Gui noticed Zhu Qingyu was unmoved, still fiddling with her medicinal jar, and was about to remind her, but Gu Zhao, standing nearby, shook his head at Mammy Gui.
The Empress Dowager also waved her hand, and Mammy Gui immediately fell silent.
Inside and outside the small tea room stood a dense crowd—eunuchs and maids from the Qianqing Palace, the Empress Dowager and her attendants, and the guarding Imperial Guard—layers upon layers, an oppressive sea of people.
Because of the Empress Dowager's gesture, no one in the crowd dared make a sound; all silently watched Zhu Qingyu at the center.
Someone dropped something, which clattered loudly on the floor. The Empress Dowager shot a glance.
The eunuch who had dropped the item immediately knelt, covering his mouth, trembling with fear, not daring to utter a word.
Zhu Qingyu finished examining the last piece of herbal dregs, closed the pot lid, and looked up.
Only then did the Empress Dowager ask:
"Doctor Zhu, the trial eunuch is dead. What happened?"
Zhu Qingyu replied:
"Reportedly, he vomited blood and died suddenly. Such symptoms suggest either poisoning or severe internal trauma. I would need to examine his body to determine more precisely. But my medicine is not the cause; it has nothing to do with his death."
Just as she was reporting, another eunuch dashed frantically into the Qianqing Palace:
"Disaster! The Imperial Academy Director has also vomited blood and died! This medicine must not be used!"
Two people who had tested the medicine had now died suddenly—it was far too coincidental. The crowd exchanged glances, their expressions shifting.
Zhu Qingyu's earlier assertion that the medicine was fine had suddenly lost all credibility.
The Empress Dowager instructed Mammy Gui:
"Bring him here."
The eunuch who had delivered the medicine to the Imperial Academy Director was led before the Empress Dowager. He stammered through the account, and the Imperial Academy Director's death was identical to Shun'an's.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager remained composed, as if the deaths of these two were of little consequence. She asked Zhu Qingyu again:
"Doctor Zhu, what do you think? Is your medicine problematic?"
Zhu Qingyu's certainty did not waver; she replied:
"My medicine is not problematic."
She strove to deliver the answer without emotion, but a furious indignation within her threatened to drown her.
Beneath the golden hall, on the jade steps, amid the constant shifts and struggles for power, it was always these ordinary, innocent people who suffered and paid the heaviest price.
She didn't understand why whoever was behind this had such faith in her medical skill—even she herself was not confident she could cure the Emperor. But it seemed the schemer firmly believed she could, making her such a threat.
Perhaps because Gu Zhao and Shen Xu were always by her side, this person had no opportunity to target her directly and had resorted to a roundabout tactic—sacrificing two innocent lives to make the Empress Dowager question her skills and prevent her from treating the Emperor.
Trying to stop me?
Not this time!
Words were not enough. Zhu Qingyu knew that in this situation, her simple claim of innocence would not convince the Empress Dowager. So she continued:
"Empress Dowager, someone wants to prevent me from treating the Emperor, which means my medicine is indeed effective. Please allow me to test it again, right now."
The Empress Dowager looked at her, noting her resolute and confident expression, and replied:
"So be it."
Test it again? Who would risk it?
Two people were already dead, and they still wanted a trial?
The eunuchs and maids present all lowered their heads, terrified that this deadly assignment would fall on them.
Zhu Qingyu turned around and, in full view of everyone, poured half a bowl of medicine from the tea stove.
She planned to test it herself. This pot of medicine had never left the tea room, and she was confident no one had tampered with it.
Just as she raised the bowl to drink, a hand reached out from the side and pressed down on hers.
The Empress Dowager sensed something and rebuked:
"Zhao'er, stop!"
Gu Zhao ignored her command. He took the bowl from Zhu Qingyu's hand and drank it all in one gulp.
Zhu Qingyu looked at him:
"My medicine is fine; you didn't have to do this."
Gu Zhao set the bowl back on the table, frowning:
"I know it's fine, so it didn't matter who tested it. But this medicine is terribly bitter."
Because Gu Zhao had tested the medicine, no one else would have to bear that burden. Zhu Qingyu felt as if the very air around her had lightened.
Children grow up and become unruly—the Empress Dowager could hardly stand Gu Zhao's recklessness!
One man might not survive, and this fool was rushing to meet death!
But he had already drunk it, and she couldn't make him spit it out. So she merely instructed Mammy Gui to dismiss the crowded tea room, leaving only a few core people to stay and wait.
They waited to see if Vice Minister Gu would, like the other two, vomit blood and perish.
After an hour, the Empress Dowager, who had been trembling with anxiety, saw that Gu Zhao was still vibrant and alive, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. She gave the order:
"Administer the medicine to the Emperor."
After the Emperor took the medicine, they watched over him for another half hour to ensure he was safe. By then, daylight had fully broken.
Gu Zhao asked Zhu Qingyu:
"You've been up all night. Go back and rest?"
Zhu Qingyu took her pass:
"I need to see Shun'an."
Her anger still had not subsided. She had to find out how Shun'an had died. If someone had deliberately taken a life, could she just let them off scot-free?
Gu Zhao, surprisingly, did not stop her. Instead, he said:
"Fine. I knew you’d want to go out. Take your time. Last night when we went out, someone was lurking around. Chongshu has already deployed the Imperial Guard to keep watch—we're going to catch that person today."
Following the same route out of the imperial city, they reached a narrow alley where, as expected, the sounds of a scuffle could be heard.
Before long, Shen Xu and the Imperial Guard emerged, escorting several people in custody.
Zhu Qingyu didn’t even get a clear look at their faces before Shen Xu began his interrogation.
Among the captives, the one at the very front suddenly fell to his knees before Zhu Qingyu, kowtowing and wailing:
“Bodhisattva, spare me! Bodhisattva, spare me!”
