Despite Emperor Jingyou feigning nonchalance and teasing Lu Qingwan, the Prime Minister, Grand Scholar Chi, Tang Xiao, and Fu An were all far from cheerful.
They wore crestfallen faces, filled with grief.
While Lu Qingwan administered acupuncture to Emperor Jingyou, she said, "This consort is incapable of saving Your Majesty's life.
However, I have a method that can allow Your Majesty to appear as if he were in perfect health for the next three months. Would Your Majesty be willing to try?"
Emperor Jingyou, being incredibly intelligent, asked, "What is the price for appearing to be as if in perfect health?"
Lu Qingwan, the physician, felt a little helpless when her patient was so astute.
"This method simply uses tonics to strengthen Your Majesty's limbs and other medicines to numb your pain.
Over time, the body, weakened, will be unable to absorb the tonics, and the affected areas will suffer severe damage.
In the final three to five days before death, Your Majesty might spend more time sleeping than awake, and may even pass away in your dreams."
Emperor Jingyou pondered for a moment and asked, "Only three to five days?"
Lu Qingwan nodded. "This consort will do her utmost to ensure Your Majesty remains awake and pain-free.
Three to five days is the bottom line this consort has set for herself."
"Then let us proceed."
Emperor Jingyou said with a sense of release, "I wish to preside over a few more court sessions, and then, together with Xiwu, pay our respects to Father Emperor and Mother Empress..."
He seemed to have forgotten the ministers and attendants around him, and spoke at length about various trivial matters.
Lu Qingwan committed each of his ramblings to memory. Finally, she retrieved the Teng Snake, which had been coiled nearby, disguised as a mosquito coil.
"This creature is sentient. It was it that discovered Your Majesty's poisoning.
Let it stay by Your Majesty's side these days. Should Your Majesty encounter any urgent situation, you can have it come to find this consort."
Upon seeing the Teng Snake, Emperor Jingyou's face showed understanding. "So it is your beloved pet. No wonder it caused such chaos in the inner palace, yet no one could capture it.
Was it seeking revenge for you, its master?"
Lu Qingwan offered a sheepish smile. "Your Majesty is amused. Pets follow their masters and are protective."
On the day of the selection of consorts, although several concubines in the inner palace did not dare to overtly trouble Lu Qingwan due to Emperor Jingyou's command, they had still caused her plenty of difficulties.
Afterward, the Teng Snake had caused mayhem in the palaces of several concubines, leaving Consort Jiang Hui and Consort Chu Xian sleepless with fear.
Lu Qingwan had heard some of these happenings, but who could prove it was the Teng Snake?
Therefore, she had chosen to feign ignorance, only to be exposed by Emperor Jingyou today.
Emperor Jingyou had no intention of blaming her, merely wishing for her to know when to stop.
Lu Qingwan played dumb. "Your Majesty is not afraid of snakes, is he? Shall I let it wear itself as a bracelet for you?"
Emperor Jingyou calmly extended his hand. The Teng Snake affectionately rubbed Lu Qingwan's palm before obediently crawling onto Emperor Jingyou's wrist.
Prime Minister Wen and Grand Scholar Chi, seeing the Teng Snake, which was indistinguishable from a real one, smiled with relief.
"It can protect its master and ward off poison. With it here, no one will be able to harm Your Majesty!"
However, even though Lu Qingwan had stated that Emperor Jingyou could move freely, his lifespan was still only three months.
The temporary freedom of movement did not bring Grand Scholar Chi and Prime Minister Wen any real joy.
Grand Scholar Chi asked with great earnestness, "Since Your Majesty was poisoned, all provisions, including food and medicine, in the palace have been handled with extreme caution. How did this happen again?"
Lu Qingwan looked at Tang Xiao. "News of Your Majesty's poisoning was received yesterday. Has the Divine Strategy Camp uncovered anything?"
Tang Xiao lowered his head in shame. "This subordinate is ashamed. If Your Highness the Consort had not just pointed it out, this subordinate would not even know what kind of poison Your Majesty had ingested.
Although this subordinate and Physician Meng have investigated everything Your Majesty has come into contact with, we have still not found any toxic substances.
All food and medicine Your Majesty has come into contact with, and all individuals who have entered and exited Weiyang Palace recently, have been rigorously interrogated, yielding no results.
This subordinate is truly at a loss. Had it not been for Your Highness the Consort's arrival, this subordinate intended to request Your Majesty's permission to use torture on all involved parties."
Using severe torture to extract confessions had always been a last resort. The commander of the Divine Strategy Camp, driven to such a point, felt both self-reproach and shame.
A man of seven feet, his head was nearly tucked into his chest.
"In that case, would that not be like startling the snake without gaining anything?"
Lu Qingwan's expression instinctively darkened at Tang Xiao's seemingly unprofitable endeavor.
Prime Minister Wen quickly said, "Your Highness the Consort, please do not be angry yet. Commander Tang has not startled any snakes.
Yesterday, Your Majesty used the incident of the Prince Regent's previous poisoning to detain everyone who had entered and exited Weiyang Palace.
People outside all believe Your Majesty is merely settling accounts for the Prince Regent. Currently, no one knows that we have discovered Your Majesty has been poisoned again."
Lu Qingwan then remembered that she and Feng Xiwu had prepared to cast a long line to catch a big fish and completely expose the conspiracy of Duke Pei and Prince Jing, to avenge Duke Pei for nearly causing Feng Xiwu's poisoning to be fatal by using the Hundred Petal Lily.
Who knew that the Northern Wei's surprise attack on the frontier would force the plan of casting a long line to catch a big fish to be shelved.
"I never imagined that by enduring the anger then, and not avenging my Prince, it would be put to such good use now!"
Lu Qingwan smiled wryly. "Perfect. Since it is an investigation into my Prince's poisoning, it is only natural that I investigate personally."
Saying this, she bowed to Emperor Jingyou, "This consort implores Your Majesty to grant permission for a thorough investigation of Weiyang Palace."
Emperor Jingyou's eyes were slightly closed as he raised his hand. "Granted."
With the decree issued, Lu Qingwan began a comprehensive search.
On the surface, she appeared to be searching meticulously. In reality, she was using her spatial laboratory to search for the source of the poison.
Emperor Jingyou's bed, teacup, and medicine bowl were all examined, but the spatial laboratory showed no reaction.
Emperor Jingyou was gravely ill, and the number of people and objects he could interact with had been greatly reduced.
After searching for a while and not finding the source of the poison, Lu Qingwan already had some ideas. "Take me to where His Majesty's medicine is brewed. I want to examine the medicine cauldron and the dregs."
Due to Emperor Jingyou's noble status, all used medicinal dregs were to be stored specially.
If Emperor Jingyou were to fall ill, the first things to be investigated would be the food and the medicinal dregs. No one objected, and Tang Xiao personally led Lu Qingwan to the pharmacy.
Emperor Jingyou was seriously ill and had been poisoned repeatedly, so a room had been specially designated in Weiyang Palace for brewing medicine.
As soon as Lu Qingwan entered, Meng Tang came forward. The word "Master" almost slipped out, but he quickly bowed. "This commoner pays respects to the Princess Regent."
Lu Qingwan walked straight over. "Has there been any progress on the poison Your Majesty has ingested?"
"This commoner vaguely suspects that Your Majesty's symptoms resemble those of poisoning by the Western Regions' Chaotic Soul Incense. However, thus far, the source of the poison has not been found, so it is uncertain whether it is indeed the Western Regions' Chaotic Soul Incense."
Lu Qingwan picked up the medicinal dregs. The spatial laboratory showed no movement.
For a moment, Lu Qingwan even suspected that her spatial laboratory might have a bug.
But just as she was concentrating, trying to figure out what she had overlooked, a sharp alarm suddenly sounded in the spatial laboratory.
"Attention! Highly toxic substance detected!"
"Attention! Highly toxic substance detected!"