Love Lock

Chapter 100 Smashing Tables and Breaking Bowls

Wei Chengchao's face grew increasingly pale. He knew all too well that his physical condition was far from being "unaffected" as the doctors had claimed.

He had a vague sense of foreboding, a feeling that lingered in his mind and wouldn't go away.

After a while, the doctors finally finished their discussion and turned to walk towards him.

Wei Chengchao and his two attendants exchanged a glance, their hearts pounding as if they were awaiting a death sentence.

“Young Master Wei,” the oldest doctor said with a furrowed brow, “we have carefully examined you by observing, listening, questioning, and feeling your pulse, and we have also carefully compared the diagnostic results. We have confirmed that Young Master Wei and your attendant are in good health and there are no signs of poisoning.”

“Yes, we haven’t found any signs of poisoning,” another doctor said with certainty.

The other doctors nodded in agreement.

"Not poisoned? That's impossible!"

Wei Chengchao didn't believe it at all. He had diarrhea that day, just as Han Lei said, but he recovered the same day after taking Han Lei's antidote and didn't have diarrhea again.

Although the two servants did not have diarrhea that day, they did feel their stomachs rumbling and were uncomfortable.

Wei Chengchao turned to look at the two attendants.

Sure enough, when they heard that they were healthy, they were not happy or excited. Instead, they both had long faces and obviously did not believe the doctor's diagnosis.

Could it be true, as Han Lei said, that the poison she used was so potent that even doctors in the capital wouldn't be able to detect it?

Seeing their disbelief, the elderly doctor could only bow and say, "Young Master Wei, please forgive our lack of expertise; we truly cannot see anything unusual about your health."

The other doctor shook his head. "Young Master Wei, please forgive our incompetence. We'll take our leave now."

Wei Chengchao was quite generous. Although the doctors couldn't diagnose anything wrong, he still paid the consultation fee and let them leave.

After the doctors left, Wei Chengchao went to the door and asked the maid who was guarding the door.

"Where's my father?"

The maid replied, "Young master, after you have finished your dinner, you have taken your men to the Wan Hua Lou."

Wanhualou was a famous brothel in the capital, and a place where high-ranking officials and nobles lingered.

Even though Prime Minister Wei was a high-ranking official, he was not immune to the mundane customs. In his fifties, he still frequently stayed overnight at the Wan Hua Lou.

The fact that Prime Minister Wei was not at home was exactly what Wei Chengchao had hoped for. He decided to take this opportunity to have a doctor come and make another diagnosis.

Turning back into the house, Wei Chengchao ordered two servants to go to the palace to invite the imperial physicians who specialize in treating the royal family.

"Go, in my father's name, summon Imperial Physician Cui, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy!"

Wei Chengchao's tone left no room for argument.

Han Lei, that bitch, did say that no other doctor could detect the poison she used, but Imperial Physician Cui is the head of the Imperial Hospital and has superb medical skills.

He refused to believe that even the Imperial Physician Cui couldn't diagnose Han Lei's poison.

Upon hearing that the head of the Imperial Medical Academy would be alerted, the two attendants were taken aback, but after thinking for a moment, they still reluctantly accepted the order and went to carry out the mission.

After all, this poison was no small matter; it concerned not only their master's life but also their own.

As night fell, the Prime Minister's Mansion was brightly lit.

Out of respect for Prime Minister Wei, the elderly Imperial Physician Cui, accompanied by two young apprentices, slowly entered the hall.

Physician Cui was hunched over, his face bearing a mixture of authority and composure.

Upon seeing this, Wei Chengchao quickly got up to greet him, feeling both expectant and apprehensive.

After the servants served tea, Wei Chengchao dismissed all the servants, leaving only two attendants.

"Physician Cui, it seems that the three of us have been poisoned. Please treat us carefully."

Wei Chengchao's tone carried a hint of pleading. Imperial Physician Cui nodded slightly, gesturing for them to sit down. Taking pulses, asking questions, observing… Imperial Physician Cui's movements were meticulous, his expression focused.

Wei Chengchao waited nervously, not daring to breathe.

Finally, Physician Cui slowly withdrew his hand, looking intently at Wei Chengchao.

"Young Master Wei, are you making a fool of me?" Doctor Cui's tone was very displeased.

"Uh... Physician Cui, what does this mean?" Wei Chengchao asked, puzzled.

Physician Cui was certain of his diagnosis: "None of you have been poisoned."

"This, this is impossible! That bitch clearly said we were poisoned."

Wei Chengchao looked on in disbelief.

"Yes, that bitch also said that no other doctor could detect the poison she used."

"Yes, yes, that's what they say."

The two attendants nodded repeatedly.

They didn't know how to describe their physical discomfort; the inexplicable fear and helplessness felt as if they could be swallowed up at any moment.

Suddenly, Wei Chengchao seemed to remember something and quickly took out the small porcelain bottle containing the antidote from his pocket.

With trembling hands, he removed the stopper from the porcelain bottle, poured out a few digestive tablets into his palm, and handed them to Physician Cui.

"Physician Cui. Look, this is the antidote she gave us. Take one pill every day, and you will surely die if you stop taking it."

Physician Cui glanced at him sideways, picked up a pill, and examined it carefully.

Is this the antidote they're talking about?
The pills had a peculiar shape, completely different from any pills he had ever seen.

Doctor Cui suspiciously brought the small pill to his nose and smelled it; it did indeed have a medicinal smell.

Then, he took a small bite and chewed it in his mouth, carefully tasting and judging it.

Finally, he came to a conclusion that left Wei Chengchao and the other two speechless—

"Hmm... It contains dried tangerine peel, yam, codonopsis, roasted malt, and hawthorn. This is hardly an antidote; it's just a formula to nourish the spleen and lungs and aid digestion."

"A recipe for aiding digestion? This... how is this possible?" Wei Chengchao was struck dumb.

What kind of physician is Imperial Physician Cui? He usually treats the emperor and empress. If he hadn't heard that Prime Minister Wei had invited him, how could he have come to treat them today?

Seeing that Wei Chengchao did not believe his judgment, Physician Cui's expression turned serious, and he slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Hmph! You mere brats, are you questioning my medical skills?"

As he spoke, Physician Cui turned and walked out shakily. When he reached the door, he stopped and turned to look at Wei Chengchao as if he were an idiot.

Physician Cui said, "Let me tell you, no matter how skillful the poison technique, as long as poison is used, it will inevitably leave traces. You haven't been fooled, have you?"

After saying this, Physician Cui, accompanied by two apprentice doctors, shook his head and walked away resentfully, his body hunched over.

The words of the imperial physician were like a bucket of ice water poured over Wei Chengchao's heart.

Watching Physician Cui leave indignantly, the three of them, along with their two attendants, stood frozen in place like statues.

It took Wei Chengchao a while to come to his senses.

He felt humiliated to be fooled by that little girl Han Lei, and his temper flared up. He immediately gritted his teeth and started slamming the table and smashing bowls.

Snapped! boom!
Wei Chengchao overturned the table, shattering the exquisitely crafted teapot, teacups, and other porcelain items on it. He then kicked them several times.

"That damn bitch! How dare she play me for a fool! I, Wei Chengchao, never thought I'd be outmaneuvered by a mere young girl!"

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(End of this chapter)