Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 87 Do you want to go on a long trip?

Although she didn't know why Eunuch Jiu Fu had such an expression, Jiu Que still cooperated by smiling back.

The group then arrived at the palace and entered the familiar Hall of Nourishing Life. Jiu Que was also puzzled as to why His Majesty would summon her at this time. Wasn't the case at Wuyou Cave already closed?
When Emperor Jingtai presented a stack of evidence to Jiuque, Jiuque examined it carefully and couldn't help but frown. It turned out that these papers contained evidence of court officials, princes, and nobles becoming addicted to the Rejuvenation Pill.

"If I hadn't sent someone to investigate, I wouldn't have known that so many ministers had the habit of taking Rejuvenation Pills. Records of nobles and royalty taking elixirs have existed since ancient times, but it's merely evidence of their affected elegance. I didn't think taking elixirs would cause problems before, but after gathering the entire Imperial Medical Academy to investigate those elixirs, we found that without exception, all of them contained varying amounts of cinnabar and mercury. These past few days, Xie Mingchen of the Imperial Medical Academy fed those elixirs to small animals like rats, rabbits, chickens, and ducks, and without exception, they either went mad or died suddenly. This shows that these elixirs should not be taken long-term."

Emperor Jingtai suddenly stopped speaking, his expression turning somewhat grim. Jiu Que thought carefully for a moment, then compared the properties of the elixir he had heard about, and tentatively asked a question.

"Could it be that those who take the pills are already addicted and unable to quit?"

"...It's even more serious than that. I have a brother who fought alongside me on the battlefield. He was stabbed nineteen times in that war, each cut reaching the bone. Although he survived by chance, those wounds cause him excruciating pain every day. Although the Imperial Hospital provides him with treatment at any time, I don't know why my brother's pain has never lessened."

"About five years ago, my brother's condition suddenly changed drastically. I initially thought the Imperial Hospital's prescriptions were finally working. But this time, it was discovered that he was barely suppressing his pain by taking a large amount of Rejuvenation Pills. Those pills are extremely poisonous; how could I allow him to take them for a long time? So I ordered his supply of pills to be cut off. But I never expected..."

It's unclear what painful memory he was recalling, but a trace of sorrow flashed in Emperor Jingtai's eyes.

“My brother is a tough guy. Even though he has been suffering from pain ever since, he has never given up. But after he stopped taking the pills for a few days, my brother cried and knelt on the ground begging the guards to give him the pills... He was hardly like my brother anymore.”

The way he groveled and begged for the elixir on the ground was hardly resembling a battle-hardened, indomitable general. He seemed more like a spineless coward who clung to life.

It was from that time that Emperor Jingtai deeply realized the harm that the Rejuvenation Pill could cause to people. Even a man with such a strong will as his brother could turn into such a servile and pathetic creature; it would be even more difficult to control ordinary people.

If it's just an ordinary person, the impact is limited to themselves and their family. But what about high-ranking officials in the imperial court? Every decision they make is as heavy as a mountain for the common people. Even the slightest change can be unbearable for them.

If these elixirs were used on the eunuchs and palace maids serving him...

Even the most meticulous eunuchs and maids in the palace are, after all, human. And human beings have flaws. If someone becomes addicted to those elixirs, and their supply is controlled, they might be asked to do trivial things, such as adding slow-acting poison to the emperor's food. Or, for example, leaving a crack in the window to let in a cold draft while the emperor sleeps at night. Or, in the dead of winter, making the charcoal brazier burn brighter and sealing the doors and windows tightly shut…

The idea that such a simple act could yield a elixir that would bring one back to ecstasy would surely appeal to many. Especially since those addicted to these elixirs are often devoid of morality, conscience, or public order. Even the most heinous crime, punishable by death or the extermination of nine generations of one's family, cannot outweigh their momentary madness. Emperor Jingtai grew increasingly chilled by the thought. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he thoroughly searched the palace and ordered the Imperial Medical Academy to examine the pulses of every palace maid and eunuch. He successfully identified many with unusual pulses. Adhering to the principle of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free," Emperor Jingtai imprisoned these palace maids and eunuchs, ordering constant surveillance. This led him to uncover several channels through which elixirs were being smuggled into the palace.

Although those who seemed suspicious had been eradicated, a thorn remained in Emperor Jingtai's heart; he couldn't even trust those around him. At this moment, the only person he could truly trust was Ying Jiuque, for he was someone who could hear even his deepest thoughts.

Take this moment, for example.

[This sounds a lot like drug addiction. Do we even have that kind of technology these days? But who knows? Traditional Chinese medicine is said to be profound and extensive. Combined with alchemy, maybe they really could create such addictive elixirs. Luckily, I haven't taken any of those weird elixirs. People addicted to those elixirs would probably lose their humanity, just like drug addicts. I have to say, the old emperor did a really good job. Keeping those people around him would have been like having a ticking time bomb.]

Emperor Jingtai breathed a slight sigh of relief. It wasn't that some of his ministers felt that such a large-scale mobilization was unnecessary, but he was still uneasy. Now that he had Ying Jiuque's approval, he felt somewhat reassured.

"What does Your Majesty need from me? I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Emperor Jingtai liked Ying Jiuque's open and honest nature, so he didn't need to make excuses when assigning her tasks. As long as it was something she could do, Jiuque would never refuse.

However, Emperor Jingtai still considered it carefully before speaking.

"I wish to entrust you with a mission that requires secrecy. The finest cinnabar in the world originates in Qianzhou. It's quite a coincidence that the cinnabar in the seized pills is of superior quality. Even more coincidentally, a major cinnabar mine in Quanzhou collapsed a few years ago and hasn't produced any high-quality cinnabar for many years. I've examined the accounts in Qianzhou and feel there's something amiss. But there's an old saying: 'The emperor is far away,' and I, currently in the capital, cannot oversee the situation in Qianzhou. Therefore, I need someone to go to Quanzhou to investigate whether the major cinnabar mine truly collapsed. Jiuque, are you willing to be this imperial envoy?"

Jiu Que thought it over and over. She wasn't against going on a long trip, but the key issue was that the new village she was currently building still needed to be completed...

"Your Majesty, I am of course willing. But the disabled and elderly in my new village..."

"That's alright, I'll have Qi Zheng take over. You can trust his character, right? But he's just helping to clean up the mess; the credit still goes to you. After all, if it weren't for Ying Qing, there wouldn't have been such an excellent solution."

(End of this chapter)