"My son is fine," Shangguan Yao said. His expression darkened slightly. He had just woken up and was still weak. Seeing his mother scolding Song Yuan made him a little uncomfortable.
What happened tonight had nothing to do with Song Yuan. He had insisted on leaving the palace, and Song Yuan was injured, even risking his life to protect him. He vaguely remembered someone else protecting him at the time.
"Song Yuan, I remember someone else protected me. Who was that?"
Song Yuan bowed his head and reported, "Your Majesty, it was Lord Lan, the Assistant Minister of War. Lord Lan shed a lot of blood to detoxify Your Majesty."
"Shed blood? What is this about?"
The Empress Dowager glared at Song Yuan, her displeasure at the Emperor's protection of him evident. Her face was grim and unsightly.
"Your Majesty was poisoned, and the situation was critical. Lord Lan and I brought Your Majesty to the Poppy Medical Hall. The young master of the medical hall, Leng Yue, was very skilled in medicine. However, to detoxify the poison, a medicinal guide was needed, which was human blood. Lord Lan shed his blood for Your Majesty."
"What? There's such a thing?"
The Empress Dowager frowned, hearing this unprecedented tale. She had heard of detoxification, but never of using human blood as a medicinal guide.
Was this some sort of martial arts medicine? It was truly strange, but fortunately, His Majesty was unharmed. Otherwise, the Empress Dowager said coldly.
"Song Yuan, if anything had happened to His Majesty today, your Song family would have paid for it. And that Leng Yue, none of you will escape."
Her fierce words echoed through the hall, and all the consorts trembled, afraid to even breathe loudly.
Not far away, Shangguan Lin observed everything with cold eyes. He felt in his heart that the Empress Dowager and the current Emperor were more like a mother and son, and nothing like the relationship with his former imperial brother.
Shangguan Lin couldn't fathom it, his mind buzzing. He decided to stop thinking about it.
"Mother, your son is tired. Please return."
This time, Shangguan Yao was angered. He had just woken up and saw his mother throwing a tantrum. If she truly cared for him, she would be quiet. His poison had just been neutralized, and she was shouting in his chambers. Was this for his own good?
The Empress Dowager's expression turned unsightly upon hearing the Emperor's words. Her pupils flickered a few times, but she finally restrained herself.
However, thinking of how her son had embarrassed her in front of so many consorts, her heart felt heavy with suppressed anger. She glared at Song Yuan, rose, and spoke.
"Since the Emperor is fine, I am relieved. Please rest early."
"Xiao Tingzi, escort the Empress Dowager."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Xiao Tingzi dared not say anything. He cautiously stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and led the way.
Although the Empress Dowager harbored resentment, she remembered her son had just woken up and suppressed her anger. She led her entourage and followed Xiao Tingzi out.
Once the Empress Dowager left, Consort Yan Ling and Virtuous Consort Ye Yuyun simultaneously cried out, "Your Majesty."
A group of women with teary eyes, their sincerity evident, looked better in Shangguan Yao's eyes. His expression softened, and he waved his hand, "I am tired, you may all return."
Yan Ling and Ye Yuyun exchanged glances. They had intended to stay and serve His Majesty, but they remembered that His Majesty had sent away even the Empress Dowager, let alone them. If they proposed to stay, it might anger him. Thus, the consorts curtsied and took their leave.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The bedchamber finally quieted down. Shangguan Yao looked towards the glazed screen where Shangguan Lin stood quietly, and spoke gently, "What is wrong with my imperial brother? He hasn't spoken for so long."
Shangguan Lin's eyes were deep. After a long while, he curved his lips and said faintly, "Your Imperial Brother has frightened this subject to death. Why didn't you send someone to notify me? You went out of the palace and almost got into trouble."
Shangguan Yao said nothing. His expression was serene, his eyes cold. He slowly said, "I was too bored in the palace, so I went out for a walk. Who knew I would encounter assassins trying to kill me."
"Could there be a traitor in the palace? Otherwise, how would your whereabouts have been leaked?"
Shangguan Lin, enveloped in a cold aura, turned his head to glance at Song Yuan, who was kneeling on the ground. Song Yuan trembled again, feeling truly unlucky. It was the Emperor who insisted on leaving the palace, but when something happened, it was they, the servants, who suffered.
"My brother need not worry. I will investigate this matter."
Shangguan Yao spoke, and Song Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. He raised his head and glanced at Shangguan Lin. His expression indeed softened slightly. At this moment, the weakened Emperor waved his hand, "Song Yuan, you may rise. I have something to ask you."
"You said the person who saved me tonight was Lan Qinglun, the Assistant Minister of War?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Song Yuan nodded. Tonight, they were fortunate to have met Lan Qinglun. If he hadn't gone to visit Minister Ye of the Ministry of War and happened to meet them, neither he nor the Emperor would have survived.
Those people from the Divine Dragon Palace were too formidable.
"Your Majesty, all the people we brought out of the palace tonight are dead."
Shangguan Yao's heart clenched. He remembered his carefully trained guards, Ming Ri and Ming Yue, who were now dead. It seemed he would need to assign two new people to his service.
"Those people from the Divine Dragon Palace are so detestable. Why can't their whereabouts ever be found? Where exactly are they hiding?"
Shangguan Yao's eyes were crimson with rage as he panted heavily.
Shangguan Lin watched him quietly, completely impassive. He carefully assessed the situation in his heart. Honestly, if he hadn't noticed the anomaly up close, he would never have imagined such a shocking event.
His Crown Prince Imperial Brother was actually a fake. The Emperor in the palace was a fake. A person who deceived the world and gained fame. Why was this happening?
In the bedchamber, the three of them harbored their own thoughts, so they didn't reveal any flaws for a moment. Shangguan Yao remembered the doctor who had detoxified him. He seemed to have some skill. Recalling his hidden ailment, he inquired softly.
"Is that doctor named Leng Yue?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Song Yuan bowed his head. Shangguan Lin, upon hearing the name Leng Yue, immediately became vigilant, fearing that His Majesty might take action against Leng Yue.
However, His Majesty said nothing further. Instead, he slightly closed his eyes and said weakly, "Imperial Brother, you may return. I am tired."
"Yes, Imperial Brother. Please rest well. This subject will visit you again tomorrow."
Shangguan Lin bowed and retreated. He walked all the way to the outside of the study. Standing on the stone steps, he looked up at the full moon overhead, his heart heavy. He felt as if the sky was dim, and all of this hid a huge, bizarre, and unfathomable conspiracy.
In the bedchamber, after Shangguan Lin left, the handsome face that had been gazing downwards suddenly widened, his cold eyes sharp, chilling, and arrogant.
"Minister Song, nothing happened tonight, right?"
Shangguan Lin seemed different from before, but he couldn't quite pinpoint how.
Early in the morning, the entire Yan Capital was enveloped in an atmosphere of slaughter. The Emperor was assassinated last night. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War had almost mobilized their entire forces. Everyone on the streets was in a state of panic.
The vast Yan Capital was eerily quiet. People walked and spoke cautiously, fearing that a careless word might bring disaster. Even the small vendors by the roadside dared not hawk their wares, quietly selling their goods.