Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 306: So It’s The Fourth Prince

Chapter 306: Chapter 306: So It’s The Fourth Prince

The Thin Line Heaven, which should have acted up on the third day, suddenly struck during the Zi Hour of the second day.

Murong Jiu awoke from her dreams with a splitting headache, not just a simple dizziness. The pain was so intense that her veins were bulging. Jun Yuyan, who had not slept, sensed her agony and immediately pulled the bell cord by the bed. Hong Yi, hearing the sound, hurried to summon Divine Doctor Zhai who had already arrived at Qiyun Courtyard ahead of time.

Divine Doctor Zhai had not rested, nor had he even laid down. Upon hearing the call, he immediately brought his medicine chest into the room.

"The girl’s poison has indeed acted up ahead of time? It seems you’ve predicted correctly that Consort Qin can control the early onset of the Thin Line Heaven!"

It was exactly so, which is why they had staged a play, having the Emperor send an order to the Western Region Prince to come to the Capital City for an audience.

Jun Yuyan’s expression was solemn as he nodded and said, "Uncle Zhai, Ah Jiu seems to be suffering a lot. Should she take the antidote given by Consort Qin?"

"That antidote indeed has no issues—I sliced it open as soon as we got it, and there is nothing else harmful to the body inside. For now, it seems that there is no conflict with the Thin Line Heaven inside Xiao Jiu."

Divine Doctor Zhai took out the small antidote that he had cut into quarters.

He already had a clear understanding of what medicinal ingredients were used inside and could produce an identical antidote. The only issue was that some of the herbs came from the Western Regions and were not easily found at the moment.

"If that’s the case, then let Ah Jiu take it first."

Jun Yuyan was somewhat anxious. Murong Jiu, with her hand covering her head, had already turned deathly pale, her forehead covered in cold sweat.

"No need to worry, I can still bear it. Let’s not rush with the antidote—I want to see just how powerful this Thin Line Heaven really is."

In fact, from the moment she entered the palace this morning, everything had already been under the control of a few individuals.

It was inevitable that Consort Qin would ask Murong Jiu to enter the palace because she needed to keep a grip on Murong Jiu.

The previous night, Murong Jiu, Jun Yuyan, and their master had a long heart-to-heart discussion. First, they suspected that the Thin Line Heaven might have been refined further. After all, Thin Line Heaven had been known for many years, and a refined version would be more secure. Second, they thought deeper, as Jun Yuyan suspected that Consort Qin’s goal was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

Consort Qin had already revealed her ambition, but even if she gave birth to a prince, so what? The Emperor was in poor health, and it was uncertain how many years he could live. How old would the young prince be by then?

All the other princes had already come of age. Could they really tolerate this little imperial brother?

Therefore, when Jun Yuyan went to the court the next day, though he was attending the morning assembly, he had already arranged for his people to communicate with those inside the palace, letting Imperial Noble Consort Qi know about Consort Qin asking Murong Jiu to enter the palace. The palace maid Hua Ping at Imperial Noble Consort Qi’s side was Jun Yuyan’s person.

Imperial Noble Consort Qi naturally had her own plans too. Consort Qin’s favored status was not good news for her, but as the manager of the harem, she had to inquire about all matters within the palace. If something went wrong at Consort Qin’s, the Emperor might blame her. Hence, when she went to attend to the Emperor’s illness, she deliberately mentioned it.

The Emperor cared about the young prince in Consort Qin’s womb. Since Murong Jiu had come to the palace twice in a row, the Emperor was concerned and thus went to Yonghe Palace.

Only then did Murong Jiu get the chance to re-examine Consort Qin’s pulse.

She did not understand how to discern the sex of a child by reading pulses, but her master had experience in this area and had specially taught her overnight. Eventually, she mastered it.

Unexpectedly, Consort Qin was indeed pregnant with a male fetus.

At that moment, Murong Jiu kept her composure, yet her emotions were as tumultuous as a tsunami inside her.

Indeed, Jun Yuyan’s suspicions were correct—Consort Qin’s motives were not that simple. She pretended to lure her onto the same boat, but never actually planned to replace the fetus!

What exactly did Consort Qin want to do?

She couldn’t figure it out.

But one thing was certain—that Consort Qin was plotting against her and Prince Ling’s Mansion, a scheme that could lead to the downfall of the entire Prince Ling’s Mansion!

Therefore, she decided to initiate the second plan she had discussed with Jun Yuyan—using the Emperor!

Feeling the Emperor’s pulse, it was clear that his cold was nearly well, and his fatigue merely stemmed from previous bodily weaknesses. His thirst was a side effect of the medicine he’d been taking. In good spirits, one’s body tends to heal better, a concept that applies not just to him, but to others as well.

The Emperor’s trust in Divine Doctor Miao’s medical skills had waned, but his trust in her had increased somewhat.

So when she once again suggested that the Emperor visit Prince Ling’s Mansion for a surprise, he hesitated only slightly before agreeing. After all, he was still very concerned about his health and wanted to recover more quickly.

Once they arrived at Prince Ling’s Mansion and entered the Glazed Pavilion, everything went even more smoothly.

The matter of inviting the Western Region Prince to the Capital City also became an obvious step to take.

Although they indeed needed the white fleeceflower seeds, Jun Yuyan had already secretly dispatched people to the Western Regions, not only to rescue his merchant convoy but also to bring back more seeds.

Inviting the Western Region Prince over was merely a means to better control him.

The ambitions of Consort Qin, when considered in the least favorable light, seemed to aim at seizing power and usurping the throne.

There were those who colluded with her from the inside and out.

The thought of her usurping the throne herself was, of course, unrealistic. A foreign princess hoping to become the Empress of Great Yan was plausible only if every citizen and official in the Capital City were to die.

Her young prince usurping the throne? That too was unrealistic. Even if powerful backers supported him, the major powers in the Capital City balanced each other out, and none had the strength to achieve such a feat.

Moreover, Consort Qin couldn’t just kill the Emperor and all four princes in one go, leaving only her young prince as the sole heir of the Imperial Family. The court officials might then consider him for the New Emperor, but they weren’t fools. If such a major shift occurred, wouldn’t they sense something was amiss? Such an event would immediately prompt others to consider seizing power for themselves.

So after the Emperor left Prince Ling’s Mansion, several people began discussing the matter in earnest.

That evening’s banquet attendees were reviewed again, and the list containing the names of Vice Chancellor of the Dali Temple, Su Yuting, Junior Minister of Guanglu Temple, Chen Shaolin, Duke Uncle Yun’s son, Vice Minister of Punishment, Du Yangang, and the Empress Dowager’s nephew, Zhang Zhaoan, were all crossed off.

In the end, only the Fourth Prince remained on the list.

By eliminating the impossibilities, the Fourth Prince emerged as the least likely candidate, and yet it was he who seemed the most possible.

Yes, the Fourth Prince, out of favor and with no maternal family power to support him, how could he possibly lack ambition?

Duke Yun appeared to be noble and virtuous, but wasn’t he engaging in scandalous acts in secret?

The child in Consort Qin’s womb could potentially be the seed of the Fourth Prince, tightly intertwining their interests.

The Fourth Prince truly had a knack for finding unconventional paths.

But what exactly they planned to do, no one could predict.

Whether Murong Jiu would get the full antidote for the Thin Line Heaven poison was also unpredictable.

That’s why she wished to experience the full force of the poison when it struck, to better gauge its intensity.

Watching her grit her teeth and endure, Jun Yuyan clenched his fists tightly, a terrifying murderous intent surging in his dark eyes.

If the antidote wasn’t in Consort Qin’s hands, he really would have wished to kill her on the spot!

Divine Doctor Zhai also felt a deep sorrow but could only take her pulse to sense its changes.

"No, girl, you can’t bear it any longer; your pulse is rapid and superficial. Quickly, take the antidote!"

Murong Jiu, drenched in sweat, opened her mouth, and Jun Yuyan immediately placed the antidote within.