Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

Looking around, several imperial physicians who dared not administer the medicine were watching his every move.

Similarly, Empress Fang and several senior eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Imperial Horse Administration were also watching her.

Xu Kun turned his gaze back to the face of the unconscious Jiajing Emperor.

I was originally just an unknown physician in the Imperial Medical Academy. It was His Majesty who appreciated me and promoted me to the position of Director of the Imperial Medical Academy, in charge of its affairs.

Not only that, but two years ago he even gave himself the title of Minister of Works!

Whether a physician of the second rank existed in any dynasty was unknown to Xu Kun, who knew little about historical records and was not certain.

But in the Ming Dynasty, he was absolutely the highest-ranking physician since the founding of the dynasty, without exception!

His Majesty appreciates me because I am not only highly skilled in medicine, but also have a strong sense of responsibility and dare to prescribe medicine.

His Majesty's life is about to end. Based on my experience, if we delay for another half an hour, even a god would find it difficult to bring him back to life!

If I were to back down now, and allow His Majesty to lose his last chance of survival in order to save myself, how could I possibly repay His Majesty's kindness in recognizing my talent?!

How will future historians condemn them?!

Even a drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude in return, let alone such a vast imperial favor!

Not all imperial physicians are without a sense of responsibility!

Very well, I'm already over sixty, so I'll use this old body to gamble with His Majesty.

If Heaven is kind to me and His Majesty is blessed with great fortune, then I will have lived up to His Majesty's kindness over the years!

If Heaven's will is unavoidable and Your Majesty's lifespan has come to an end, then let me continue to serve Your Majesty from the afterlife!

If His Majesty ultimately passes away and the Crown Prince ascends the throne at a young age, Prince Ying will certainly serve as regent and assist in governing the country.

I had just treated His Highness's injuries at the Marquis of Wuding's residence, and His Highness appreciated me quite a bit.

Perhaps His Highness Prince Ying will step in to protect me, or at least prevent my family from being implicated.

"His Majesty has been strangled and is suffocating. His chest and diaphragm are congested with blood, his pulse is weak, and his breath is barely perceptible. He is hanging by a thread."

At this critical juncture, only a drastic measure can offer a glimmer of hope.

Xu Kun stood up, picked up paper and pen, and quickly wrote down a prescription.

"Peach kernels promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, moisten the intestines, and relieve constipation, which is effective against blood stasis in the chest."

Safflower is used to invigorate blood circulation, regulate menstruation, remove blood stasis, relieve pain, and help disperse blood stasis.

Rhubarb is used to purge accumulated blood stasis, remove blood stasis, and promote menstruation, forcing the stagnant blood to be expelled through urination and defecation.

Soon, Xu Kun wrote down a prescription with peach kernel, safflower, and rhubarb as the main ingredients and handed it to the junior physician beside him.

"Quickly go to the Imperial Pharmacy to prepare this prescription, and bring it along with the decoction utensils!"

I will personally prepare the medicine for His Majesty right here!

. . .

At the same time, inside the elephant carriage of the King of Ying.

"You mean, because of the Emperor's favor, Consort Cao has been living in Renshou Palace in Xiyuan for the past few months?"

Lu Chen sat upright in the main seat, looking at Huang Jin sitting below him.

Similarly, many palace maids from Yikun Palace also went to Renshou Palace with Consort Cao.

What about Consort Wang Ning?

"Your Highness, not long ago, when Consort Wang was serving the Emperor, she spoke ill of Consort Cao, calling her a 'vixen,' which His Majesty overheard."

Huang Jin quickly replied,

"His Majesty was furious and ordered that Consort Wang be flogged and punished by making her do odd jobs with the palace maids in the West Garden."

Such humiliation might cause Consort Wang to harbor resentment.

"Consort Wang Ning did indeed have the motive to kill the emperor."

Lu Chen nodded.

"But how could Consort Cao, who was clearly favored by her brother, possibly have murdered the emperor?"

Consort Wang Ning had a motive in accusing Consort Cao Duan of conspiring with her, since her current predicament was largely due to Consort Cao Duan.

She herself was captured after murdering the emperor and was already doomed. Her attempt to implicate Consort Cao was clearly an attempt to drag her down with her. How could anyone believe that?

"Have the Empress Dowager Wang Ning and those palace maids who murdered the emperor thoroughly interrogated; the truth will surely be revealed."

"Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress believes it."

Huang Jin lowered his voice a little.

"Originally, the palace maid named Zhang Jinlian testified before the Empress that Consort Cao and Consort Wang were plotting to kill the emperor."

This woman was also a palace maid in Yikun Palace. She kept saying that she heard Consort Wang Ning and Consort Cao Duan discussing killing the emperor.

The Empress used this as a pretext to remove Consort Cao from her position, but Consort Cao loudly protested her innocence before the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Horse Administration official, refusing to admit the matter.

The matriarch did not believe Zhang Jinlian's one-sided account and suggested to the Empress that Consort Cao be detained first, and that the truth be ascertained before taking further action.

"Mr. Mai handled it very well."

Lu Chen praised,

"As expected of the head eunuch whom the Emperor relies on."

Sure enough, although the history of this plane was shifted due to the butterfly effect it brought about, and the Renyin Palace Change changed from Yikun Palace to Renshou Palace, it was still largely close to the original state.

It was still Zhang Jinlian who, out of fear of being punished, betrayed her companions and ran to Empress Fang to inform on them.

"Even after Consort Wang Ning testified against her, the Empress Dowager could not save Consort Cao Duan."

Huang Jin sighed softly.

"Her Majesty the Empress ordered that Consort Cao be bound, in preparation for being dealt with along with Consort Wang and others."

Sure enough, no one really believed that Consort Cao would murder the emperor.

Anyone with eyes to see could see that this was simply Empress Fang using this opportunity to eliminate her rival in love.

"What about Zhang Jinlian?"

Lu Chen wanted to confirm the impact of the butterfly effect.

"Your Highness, after Consort Wang accused Consort Cao, she turned around and accused Zhang Jinlian as well."

Upon hearing Lu Chen's question, Huang Jin was slightly taken aback.

"Zhang Jinlian was standing next to the Empress at the time. We didn't know that she had also participated in the regicide."

Consort Wang testified that she had contributed greatly to the assassination of the emperor, and that after the emperor died, she betrayed her companions and secretly went to inform the Empress.

Zhang Jinlian denied it, claiming she hadn't laid a hand on His Majesty, but the Empress still ordered her arrest.

Your Highness is indeed wise; you saw that there was something wrong with Zhang Jinlian.

Consort Wang's accusations may not be true. She must hate traitors to the core, and would naturally seize any opportunity to frame them.

The Empress's reaction was also very strange!

Zhang Jinlian clearly had more to say, but was forcibly interrupted by Wei, the nanny beside Empress Fang, who had her mouth shut.

But these speculations cannot be voiced by oneself.

What His Highness Prince Ying thinks is none of our business.

"So, after receiving Zhang Jinlian's report, the Empress Dowager personally led people to Renshou Palace in the Western Garden to arrest the palace maid who murdered the emperor and Consort Wang Ning?"

Lu Chen sighed inwardly.

In another dimension of history, although Zhang Jinlian ran to Yikun Palace to inform Empress Fang, she still could not save her life.

Even in this dimension, this woman's fate remained unchanged.

"That's not it."

To Lu Chen's surprise, Huang Jin gently shook his head.

"The first to arrive at Renshou Palace was Gao Zhong, the eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration."

I asked Gao Zhong privately, and it turns out that a palace maid named Chen Furong, who was in charge of the palace, took the Empress's token to the Imperial Horse Administration and ordered them to send someone to the West Garden to rescue the Empress.

Upon hearing that someone had attempted to assassinate His Majesty, Gao Zhong naturally dared not delay. He immediately led his men to Renshou Palace and apprehended the fifteen palace maids and Consort Wang Ning at the scene.

The Empress herself actually arrived much later than Gao Zhong.