The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 835 - 835 386 The truth comes to light (two updates)

Chapter 835: 386 The truth comes to light (two updates) Chapter 835: 386 The truth comes to light (two updates) “`

The Emperor had no idea what the so-called “black pills” and “white pills” looked like, so he had no choice but to have the Dragon Shadow Guard bring all the medicines.

He also instructed the Dragon Shadow Guard not to alarm anyone.

With astonishing efficiency, the Dragon Shadow Guard swiftly and silently brought all the bottles and jars from Consort Jing’s quarters.

While waiting for the medicines, the Emperor actually contemplated whether Xiao Liulang’s words held any inconsistencies.

Generally speaking, given the martial skills of the Dragon Shadow Guard, they should have been capable of killing Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao; if Consort Jing truly had ordered an assassination against the two, they would have never backed off halfway through the mission.

However, the primary command of the Dragon Shadow Guard was to protect the Emperor and to never harm him. They served Consort Jing, yes, but they would not lose their lives over her tasks.

Each member of the Dragon Shadow Guard was invaluable; the late Emperor passed them on to his son not to be swords in his hand but shields to protect him.

Only if their demise meant the young master’s survival would they lay down their lives.

When they sensed danger to their lives, they would withdraw in time; a cracked mask was precisely one of the signals that alerted a Dragon Shadow Guard to danger.

It was because the Emperor understood this that he did not doubt Xiao Liulang’s words.

And Xiao Liulang was concerned there would be flaws in his story, so he strictly followed the details of Gu Jiao’s previous assassination attempt by the Dragon Shadow Guard.

The Emperor looked at the bottles and jars on the table and called for the royal physician to identify the medicines.

“This is a Blood-activating Pill, this is Golden Sore Medicine, this is Bruise Wine, this is Qi and Blood Boosting Pills…” The royal physician carefully identified the medicines on the table one by one, but there were two bottles which, after a long time of observation, he could not identify.

“What’s the matter?” the Emperor asked with a frown.

Putting down the white and black bottles in his hands, the royal physician bowed and said, “Your Majesty, my medical skills are limited; I’ve never seen these two types of medicines.”

The Emperor had a vague guess in his mind but suppressed it, reminding himself to stay calm and to seek incontrovertible evidence.

“You may leave,” he said to the royal physician.

“Yes,” the royal physician replied.

“Wait,” the Emperor suddenly called out, “You do understand what you should and shouldn’t speak of, right?”

The royal physician replied anxiously, “This servant will seal his lips!”

Eunuch Wei personally escorted the royal physician out of the Huaqing Palace, and upon his return to the Study Room, he noticed the Emperor’s tea had gone cold. He hurriedly replaced it with a new serving, “Your Majesty.”

The Emperor found that the pills in the black bottle and the white bottle looked identical and smelled almost the same. He casually picked up a white pill and asked Eunuch Wei, “I remember the last time the royal physician prescribed Clear Fire Pills, and they looked quite similar to this, go fetch them for me.”

“Yes,” Eunuch Wei went to get the Clear Fire Pills.

The Clear Fire Pills were also brown pills of this size, but lacked the same luster as the black and white pills, and in terms of smell, they were not very similar, but if mixed together, it wouldn’t be too difficult to tell them apart without careful scrutiny.

The Emperor took two pills each from the white and black bottles and placed the Clear Fire Pills into them.

The Emperor actually wanted to take a few more, but he knew that taking too many would make the smell inside the bottles too difficult to fake.

The Emperor ordered the Dragon Shadow Guard to return the medicines to the Nunnery and once again summoned Lord Hou into the Imperial Palace.

This time he did not intend to have Lord Hou gather news for him; he had decided to go himself.

“Your Majesty… Such a place is mixed with all sorts of people, it would be beneath your dignity, it would be better not to go,” Lord Hou dissuaded.

“I’m not going there to enjoy myself,” the Emperor said. He was going to solve the case; with the matter having developed to this stage, his curiosity was piqued, and of course, it wasn’t just to satisfy curiosity that he sought the truth.

It was because after all these years of affection, of heartfelt sincerity… he wanted to know whether it had all been misplaced?

Lord Hou, being a military general, was not adept with the subtleties of civil officials, and couldn’t outtalk the Emperor, so how could he persuade him?

After a few stuttering attempts at persuasion went nowhere, Lord Hou reluctantly agreed.

The Emperor changed into his traveling clothes.

Looking at him, Lord Hou reminded, “Your Majesty, better wear a mask lest you be recognized.”

The Emperor dismissed the idea with indifference, “I am the Son of Heaven; only you courtiers have seen me, how could I possibly be recognized in such a place, filled with all sorts of people?”

But Lord Hou thought to himself, that might not be the case.

In the end, the Emperor put on his traveling hat, which also had a veiled cover, sufficient to hide his features.

What he had not anticipated was that he was recognized the moment he entered the underground Martial Arts Arena.

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