Imperial Physician Li cupped his hands and bowed to Prince Rui.
“Your Highness, I am merely an imperial physician.”
“Besides, I need to prepare medicine for His Majesty. Please step aside, Your Highness!”
“Fourth Brother, why are you stopping Imperial Physician Li?” Prince Ling shouted angrily. “His Majesty’s health is what matters most right now. Imperial Physician Li, hurry and go!”
Imperial Physician Li bowed, then walked over to write out a prescription.
Prince Ling carefully laid the emperor back on the bed before turning to look at his brothers.
“His Majesty is unconscious. All of you will remain in the palace and take turns caring for him.”
Prince Rui, the Sixth Prince, and the Seventh Prince exchanged startled glances.
They could not figure out what Prince Ling was planning.
“And the rest of you will do the same.”
“Weren’t you demanding that His Majesty give you justice?”
“Then stay here and wait for His Majesty to speak.”
“Guards, take them to the side hall. They will remain there until His Majesty regains consciousness!”
At Prince Ling’s shout, more than a dozen imperial guards immediately rushed in.
The ministers finally understood what was happening. The Crown Prince intended to imprison them!
“Crown Prince, His Majesty is unwell, and we do not wish to cause any further disturbance. Could you please allow us to leave the palace?” one of them asked tentatively.
Prince Ling did not even glance at him. He merely waved his hand.
The imperial guards immediately stepped forward and shoved the ministers toward the side hall.
Imperial Physician Li’s heart jolted. He put down his brush.
“Crown Prince, the prescription is ready. I will go and fetch the medicine at once.”
“No need. Guards!”
Prince Ling took the prescription and handed it to one of the imperial guards. The guard took it and quickly disappeared.
“Imperial Physician Li, please wait in the side hall as well.”
“If His Majesty wakes up, you will be there to examine him immediately,” Prince Ling ordered with a false smile.
Imperial Physician Li lowered his head. “Yes, Your Highness. I obey.”
The imperial guards escorted Imperial Physician Li to the side hall.
Only the brothers and Eunuch Li remained in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
“Second Brother, what exactly are you trying to do?” the Sixth Prince asked at Prince Rui’s urging.
“It would be one thing if you made us stay, but why keep all those ministers here too?”
“With so many people confined to the palace, who knows what those outside will think?”
Prince Ling sat down and leisurely took a sip of tea.
“Sixth Brother, His Majesty’s sudden loss of consciousness is no small matter.”
“A nation cannot be without its ruler for even a day. If word gets out that His Majesty is critically ill, what do you think will happen to the empire?”
“I refuse to let them leave so that news of His Majesty’s condition does not leak out.”
“Everything I do is for the sake of the country and the people. You don’t understand your second brother’s painstaking intentions, but I do not blame you.”
The Sixth Prince was shocked.
Although he had never coveted the throne, he was still an imperial prince. From childhood, he had been exposed to matters of state and educated in everything concerning the empire.
Naturally, he understood that if news of the emperor’s critical condition spread, the entire realm would descend into chaos.
But why did something about this feel wrong?
The Sixth Prince could not help looking toward Prince Rui.
Prince Rui turned to Eunuch Li. “Xiao Lizi, you are His Majesty’s personal eunuch.”
“Who poisoned His Majesty? Has the culprit been caught?”
Eunuch Li’s eyebrows trembled, and he lowered his head even further.
“Answering Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered people to investigate the poisoning. The culprit has not yet been found.”
Prince Ling suddenly cut in.
“Fourth Brother wants to know who poisoned His Majesty?”
“I can tell you.”
Prince Rui turned his head toward Prince Ling, his eyes filled with disbelief.
“Oh? Second Brother knows? Could it be that you know the culprit personally?”
When Prince Rui arrived, he had already received word that Consort Li had poisoned the emperor and been thrown into prison.
He strongly suspected that the emperor’s vomiting blood just now had something to do with Prince Ling as well.
That was it!
Consort Li must have poisoned the emperor first, and then Prince Ling had deliberately provoked him, causing him to lose consciousness.
With that thought, a mocking smile appeared on Prince Rui’s face.
“Second Brother, this was all your doing, wasn’t it?”
“First you poisoned His Majesty, then you deliberately provoked him.”
“Your goal was to take His Majesty’s life and ascend the throne ahead of schedule!”
“Second Brother, you are already the Crown Prince. Why would you still frame His Majesty?”
Prince Rui’s voice grew louder and louder, until everyone in the side hall could hear him clearly.
Prince Ling stroked the rim of his teacup, his eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty madness.
“Fourth Brother, so this is what you think of your second brother?” he said with a faint smile.
“Do you know that I was not the one who poisoned His Majesty?”
“I will tell you who did it. It was Consort Shu.”
“Guards, bring Consort Shu here!”
Prince Ling’s voice suddenly turned sharp and commanding.
The imperial guards waiting outside quickly ran off.
Prince Rui’s expression froze when he heard this.
How could it be Consort Shu?
The information he had received clearly said otherwise.
The Sixth Prince quietly tugged at Prince Rui’s sleeve, signaling him not to say anything more.
Given the current situation, none of them could figure out what Prince Ling intended to do.
The best course was to remain still and observe the situation.
Prince Rui looked at the emperor, whose face was as pale as paper, and fell into deep thought.
If His Majesty never regained consciousness, Prince Ling, as the Crown Prince, would be the most likely person to ascend the throne.
And once Prince Ling became emperor, it would mean certain death for all of them!
Prince Ling’s refusal to let them leave was clearly an attempt to wipe them all out in one stroke.
No!
He had to find a way to send word outside.
But whom could he contact?
The imperial guards soon brought Consort Shu over.
They shoved her along the way, leaving her hair disheveled and the hem of her dress dirty.
The moment she entered the hall, she rushed toward the bed.
“Your Majesty, please wake up!”
“If you do not regain consciousness soon, I will not survive!”
“Stop her!” Prince Ling ordered, his face filled with disgust.
Eunuch Li stepped in front of the bed, blocking Consort Shu.
She lost her balance and fell to the floor.
Furious, she glared at Eunuch Li. “Xiao Lizi, how dare you block my path!”
Eunuch Li bent at the waist, his back stooped. “Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
At that moment, a eunuch’s voice rang out from beyond the hall.
“The Empress Dowager has arrived!”
A flash of irritation quickly crossed Prince Ling’s eyes.
He had forgotten about the Empress Dowager!
Soon, the Empress Dowager appeared in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
“What happened to the emperor? I heard he vomited blood.”
“Where is Imperial Physician Li? Why has no one summoned him yet?”
The moment the Empress Dowager entered the hall and saw the emperor unconscious on the bed, she fired off one question after another.
Prince Ling put on an expression of grief.
“Grandmother, Imperial Physician Li has already examined His Majesty. He is in the side hall.”
The Empress Dowager looked at Eunuch Li. “Go and bring Imperial Physician Li here.”
Eunuch Li bowed and left the hall.
The Empress Dowager glanced at the people inside and frowned.
“Why are all of you gathered in here? Leave, all of you!”
“Grandmother, Fourth Brother, Sixth Brother, and Seventh Brother are here to attend to Father,” Prince Ling said, stepping forward.
“As for Consort Shu, she was the one who poisoned Father and caused him to lose consciousness!”
“Guards, take her to the dungeon!”
