Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 449 The Calamity of the Pill
When Li Zhao arrived at the Zichen Palace, the palace was brightly lit.

Before even getting close, one could hear the sound of porcelain shattering, mixed with a woman's suppressed sobs.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider. Her Majesty the Empress is six months pregnant and truly cannot withstand such torment..."

"I'm not dead yet! It's none of your business to tell me what to do! Guards—bear my decree: depose Empress Xie..."

Emperor Chongzhao's voice was hoarse, and he was unusually excited. He was about to issue an edict, his voice trembling.

The palace doors burst open with a roar, and Li Zhao entered, enveloped in wind and snow.

"Your subject pays respects to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."

He bowed respectfully, his gaze sweeping quickly across the hall—

Empress Xie knelt on the gold bricks, her skirt stained with spilled medicine. She pressed her hands to her abdomen, her face pale, but her back was straight, refusing to yield.

Emperor Chongzhao sat on the edge of the couch, his cheeks unusually flushed, and he looked much better than before, almost eerily vigorous.

Consort Zhen knelt by the footstool, her hair disheveled, her face flushed with tears, silently weeping, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.

The most eye-catching thing was a Taoist priest dressed in a gray-blue robe sitting next to a low table opposite.

This man was around forty years old, with a fair complexion, three long tufts of beard on his chin, and a thin build. He held a whisk in his hand, his eyes lowered as he contemplated his inner thoughts, displaying an arrogant demeanor that seemed detached from worldly affairs.

Li Zhao had already heard Qingming's report before entering the palace.

On New Year's Eve, the emperor visited Consort Zhen, and it was this sorcerer who presented her with a "magic formula".

They say that absorbing the yin energy to replenish yang, and drawing upon the vital energy of young women, will greatly benefit the sacred body…

The emperor regarded such utter nonsense as gold and jade.

The reason was that the alchemist used some kind of "miracle drug" to suddenly make the emperor, who had been bedridden for a long time, energetic and even when he cursed, he was full of vigor.

"Has the Crown Prince barged in so abruptly, also to defy me?"

Li Zhao did not answer, but first bent down and carefully helped Empress Xie up.

"Mother, the ground is cold, please get up."

Empress Xie trembled slightly and remained silent.

Li Zhao suppressed his anger and turned to look at Emperor Chongzhao.

"The Empress Dowager is already six months pregnant and weak. Why is the Emperor so furious that he wants to depose her?"

"Crown Prince, are you questioning me?" Emperor Chongzhao slammed his hand on the edge of the bed, glaring angrily, his chest heaving violently: "Your mother is narrow-minded, meddling in politics and jealous, and has repeatedly disobeyed my will. What's wrong with deposing her?"

"Your Majesty's words are not to be understood." Li Zhao's gaze swept over the unmoving Taoist priest, his tone growing colder. "Advising Your Majesty to take care of your health is the Empress Dowager's duty. How can that be considered meddling in politics? As Empress, upholding the order of the harem, how can that be considered jealousy?"

Every word he said made sense.

Emperor Chongzhao, who always valued etiquette and law above all else, seemed to have lost his mind at this moment, acting completely unreasonable.

"I was merely summoning my concubines, and she obstructed me in every way, uttering vile words and cursing my head... I am the emperor, my words are imperial edicts, what right does she, a mere woman, have to stop me..."

"Father," Li Zhao knelt down, his voice solemn, "Empress Dowager has been in charge of the six palaces and has maintained order within the palace. What wrong has she done? Father, as the ruler of the country, how can you so easily depose the Empress Dowager because of a moment of anger? I beg you, Father, to rescind your decree!"

Emperor Chongzhao's anger intensified when he saw that the man was constantly contradicting him.

"You dare to pressure me too!" The emperor's face flushed even more, his fingers trembled, and his cloudy eyes stared at him. "You and your mother... one controls the court, the other controls the palace... do you wish for my early death so that you can have your way?"

"Your subject dares not." Li Zhao kowtowed, his gaze meeting his father's without flinching, and with a flick of his finger, pointed at the Taoist priest.

"May I ask Your Majesty, who is this person? And why would he appear in the Zichen Palace in the middle of the night?"

Emperor Chongzhao was embarrassed by the question, his old face turned red, and he then flew into a rage.

"How dare you! You interrogate me so presumptuously! Do you have no respect for your sovereign and father?"

Li Zhao's voice was slightly stern, "Your subject dares not be disrespectful, but I am worried that Your Majesty may be misled by unorthodox teachings and trust the wrong people."

He paused, looked directly at the Taoist priest, and said coldly, "The imperial physicians in the palace are all top-notch doctors selected from thousands of skilled physicians. Why does Father Emperor not use the imperial physicians but instead believe in these unknown sorcerers and take dangerous medicines?"

The Taoist priest slightly lifted his eyelids, glanced at Li Zhao, and lightly flicked his whisk.

“Amitabha! Your Highness, you are mistaken. I am Xuanjizi, and Your Majesty has honored me by offering me an elixir to prolong Your Majesty's life… After Your Majesty took the elixir, Your Majesty is in excellent health and full of energy. This is a sign of divine blessing upon the Great Liang and the longevity of the nation. Your Highness's repeated doubts suggest that you are not pleased…?”

These words were spoken in a sarcastic and ambiguous tone, full of hidden meaning.

Li Zhao sneered, looking at the emperor's flushed face and trembling fingers.

"Father, do you know how many emperors throughout history have lost their lives by seeking immortality and consuming poisonous elixirs...? The lessons of the past are not far off. These elixirs, seemingly to boost spirits, actually deplete one's vital energy..."

"enough!"

Emperor Chongzhao abruptly interrupted him, then swayed as he stood up, leaning on the edge of the bed. "Look at me! What's wrong with me? I feel perfectly fine, better than ever before! I see you all... you just want me to stay sick, you can't stand to see me well..."

He became emotional and spoke recklessly.

Lacking his usual imperial majesty, he resembled a senile old man fallen into delusion...

Upon seeing this, Xuanjizi stepped forward and gave a perfunctory bow, glancing at Li Zhao with ill intent.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has long been accustomed to the mortal realm and is unfamiliar with the wondrous arts of immortals; it is understandable that he harbors doubts. Your Majesty, your body is of immeasurable value; please do not let a small misunderstanding harm the harmony of the imperial family or hinder your cultivation..."

Upon hearing his words, Emperor Chongzhao actually calmed down and glared fiercely at Li Zhao.

"Take your mother back to the Jiaofang Palace and let her rest and recuperate properly. Don't interfere in my private affairs anymore... Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless..."

These words gave the Crown Prince a way out, and he stopped mentioning the matter of deposing the Empress.

But when Empress Xie saw that the emperor was still obstinate, she suddenly broke free from the support of the palace maids, rushed over and hugged the emperor's leg, looking up with her face full of tears.

"Your Majesty, you must not believe the words of this sorcerer. The laws of our ancestors cannot be broken. I beg you... for the sake of our unborn child... please wake up..."

Emperor Chongzhao was already weak, and when she pounced on him, he almost fell over.

He looked down at his wife, who was prostrate on the ground, his eyes devoid of any tenderness, only filled with offended rage. He raised his foot to kick her—

"Father!"

Li Zhao shouted sharply, leaping up to catch the swaying Empress Xie and shielding her in front of him. Looking at the ferocious Emperor Chongzhao before him, his face grew colder and colder.

Although Emperor Chongzhao was also suspicious and distrustful, he was mindful of etiquette and rules, and was determined to be a wise ruler, so he cherished his reputation. Although he didn't have deep affection for Empress Xie, his first wife, he gave her the respect and dignity due to an empress.

A serious illness and several setbacks turned him into someone so easily swayed and stubborn. How is he any different from those corrupt and tyrannical rulers in history who favored treacherous officials and brought about the downfall of their kingdoms?

The affection between the emperor and empress had reached such a level.

Consort Zhen huddled in the corner, silent as a cicada in winter.

Xuanji Zi, however, remained calm and spoke with a gentle gesture of respect, cupping his hands in a respectful manner.

"Your Majesty, please calm down... The Empress is only acting out of concern. Your Majesty must not be angry, lest you harm your health..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhao became extremely impatient and pointed at the palace gate.

"Get out! All of you, get out of here—I don't want to see you again."

Li Zhao's face turned ashen. He was about to forcibly take his mother away when Empress Xie suddenly groaned in pain and collapsed, clutching her stomach tightly with both hands. Her face showed extreme pain, and dirty red stains seeped from under her skirt...

"Your Majesty!" the palace maid screamed.

"Your Majesty, has your water broken? You're about to give birth..."

The hall suddenly fell into chaos.

Emperor Chongzhao stood frozen in place, staring at the bloodstains, speechless with shock.

"Summon the imperial physician! Quickly summon the imperial physician and midwife to the Empress Dowager's quarters to await orders—" Li Zhao scooped up his mother in his arms and rushed out of the palace, his voice so tense it was almost tearing.

"Mother... hold on, I'm here!"

Empress Xie's painful groans made everyone's heart tighten.

Inside the Jiaofang Palace, the screen was quickly pulled up, and hot towels were continuously brought in.

In the chaos, the Empress suddenly struggled to raise her hand and weakly called out to Li Zhao.

"Crown Prince... Zhao'er..."

Li Zhao immediately bent down.

Sweat soaked through Empress Xie's hair, but her mind was perfectly clear. She gripped his hand tightly, "Go...go and invite Miss Xue...she knows Mother's condition best..."

Li Zhao was taken aback.

Xue Sui was skilled in gynecology and had personally saved Xue Yuechen's child from a difficult childbirth.

Summoning her here at this time would be tantamount to dragging her into this farcical drama within the palace...

"Your subject obeys." Li Zhao looked at Empress Xie's pained yet trusting eyes, and without further hesitation, turned around and sternly ordered Lai Fu.

"Take my imperial token and go immediately to Yiyuan Garden to bring the Sixth Miss into the palace. Be quick!"

Lai Fu accepted the order and strode out of the palace gate.

(End of this chapter)