Chapter 153

Chapter 153

This seems utterly agonizing.

Why is it the Emperor who ends up suffering?

The imperial physician was equally shocked by the treachery. He was curious about where the Grand Empress Dowager obtained such a malevolent substance.

The palace's complexities run deep. As an imperial physician, he might not even encounter such rare and peculiar toxins. At best, he's only read about them in books, never having seen them in person.

Some might be unrecognizable, and by the time something seems amiss, it could be too late, with life nearly extinguished.

The harem is remarkably resourceful, pinpointing things with precision, each one malevolent.

Women are inherently susceptible to bodily coldness. If a woman consumes this, even without a cold constitution, it could devastate her by seventy to eighty percent. Not only does she endure suffering, but her body would eventually resemble a leaky vessel, beyond replenishment. Any replenishment here would seep away, draining the woman's vital essence. In a short span—one or two years, or several—she could literally wither away.

The Emperor, a man of strong fire energy, faces the clash of cold and heat—how bearable could that be?

Inducing vomiting alone is insufficient; gold needles are also required to extract the medicinal properties, necessitating multiple acupuncture sessions to fully eliminate the residual effects.

As each gold needle is extracted, they are all immersed in water. The initially clear water gradually shifts in hue as more needles are added, adopting a faint purplish-black tint.

Liang Jiugong's hands trembled uncontrollably upon witnessing this.

"Imperial Physician, why have these gold needles changed color? Could it be poison?!"

This is genuinely terrifying. The Grand Empress Dowager and Consort Rong are in conflict, yet it's the Emperor who ultimately suffers.

The medicine originated from the Cining Palace, and Consort Rong was the one who presented it to the Emperor for consumption.

So ultimately, it's the Emperor who endures this ordeal—what kind of situation is this?

The imperial physician washed his hands in another basin, cleansing them while speaking in a solemn tone,

"This is cold poison. Only a portion has been extracted this time. Next, the Emperor must undergo acupuncture sessions like today's every three days, repeating the process three times to fully eradicate the cold poison." The imperial physician was drenched in sweat, too occupied to wipe it away—it was utterly draining.

He added a few more words, "Fortunately, the Emperor is a man, with abundant qi and blood, robust and strong, and plentiful yang energy. Although the cold poison is tricky, with some suffering, it can be removed, and the consumed yang energy can be quickly replenished with gentle recuperation.

But if it were a woman, it wouldn't be so simple. Women are yin in nature, and when cold poison invades, every moment it stays in the body, it continuously consumes more of the woman's yang energy. Prolonged consumption of yang energy leads to internal cold evil. If it cannot be removed in one go, it will keep recurring.

During the waiting period for the next acupuncture session, one cannot over-supplement, but gentle methods cannot quickly replenish the woman's lost yang energy, and the body will continue to deteriorate.

Even if the cold poison is successfully removed in the end, the root of the illness will already be left behind. Slow and gentle recuperation methods can no longer solve the problem, but one must absolutely not over-supplement, because the body is weak and cannot handle it, leading to a situation where one can neither advance nor retreat, truly very sinister."

The imperial physician couldn't help but express his feelings at the end, but then he realized that the medicine was brought by the one from the Cining Palace, and by saying it was sinister, he was indirectly referring to the one from the Cining Palace, and immediately felt a bit panicked.

He quickly looked at the Emperor, ready to kneel and apologize smoothly if the Emperor showed any displeasure, saying that he had spoken out of turn and begged the Emperor's forgiveness.

Liang Jiugong also felt that this was indeed very sinister as he listened.

Previously, he had somewhat blamed Consort Rong for daring to let the Emperor drink this 'Summer Cooler Soup' without knowing what was in it, not taking the Emperor's health and safety to heart.

Besides, the Grand Empress Dowager, being elderly, couldn't possibly use something as deadly as a potent poison, even if drunk, it wouldn't be life-threatening, it couldn't directly take the life of a concubine.

Consort Rong drinking it wouldn't necessarily lose her life, why make such a fuss, and recklessly involve the Emperor.

Now, hearing what the imperial physician said, plus the strange phenomenon of the gold needles being pulled out, Liang Jiugong truly felt a chill.

It might not kill you, but it’s even crueler than a quick death.

It would be better to just drink a bowl of poison and end it all at once.

A dull knife slicing through flesh will slowly drive you mad with pain.

The Grand Empress Dowager might go easy on the Emperor, but she wouldn’t hesitate to be ruthless with Consort Rong. She’s usually seen eating vegetarian and chanting Buddhist prayers, making everyone forget how ruthless she used to be.

If not for this, you’d think the Grand Empress Dowager, after years of vegetarianism and prayer, had turned into a sweet old lady.

No wonder Consort Rong threw such a fit, nearly tearing the whole Cining Palace apart. If the Emperor hadn’t stepped in, even Suma Lagu would’ve gotten a beating, no questions asked.

Honestly, who could stay calm in a mess like this?

But Liang Jiugong only dared to think these things, never saying them out loud. He had no clue what the Emperor was thinking at that moment.

Kangxi stayed awake the whole time, gritting his teeth through the acupuncture pain without a word, the veins on his neck popping from the effort.

His lips pale and pressed tight, his eyes downcast, he stared at the bedspread’s patterns like they held his full attention, keeping an unsettling calm the whole time.

After changing into fresh clothes and downing the newly brewed medicine, his color finally improved from the earlier ghostly pale.

He inquired about Consort Rong’s condition.

The imperial physician couldn’t figure out the Emperor’s thoughts, finding his calmness a little unnerving.

Caught between his imperial grandmother and his beloved consort, the Emperor was stuck in a tough spot after such a mess.

After learning about Consort Rong’s condition, Kangxi simply instructed that she be well taken care of and then began to handle the pile of unprocessed memorials from the day, displaying an almost unnerving level of rationality.

Liang Jiugong wanted to advise Kangxi to take a rest, but it was of no use.

He felt that Kangxi seemed deceptively calm, as if nothing had happened, reviewing the petitions as usual without any apparent effect, but it was somewhat unnerving.

It was as if he was holding his breath, and one couldn’t tell when he might lose control and explode.

After Kangxi had dealt with most of the petitions and began to look tired, Liang Jiugong took the opportunity to gently urge him to have dinner and rest early.

Additionally, the Crown Prince had come by once, but since Kangxi was busy, he generally did not like to be interrupted during official business unless it was urgent.

Upon hearing that Kangxi was handling official business, the Crown Prince didn’t push to see him and went back.

Now that Kangxi was having dinner, should they summon the Crown Prince to accompany him?

Perhaps seeing the Crown Prince would lift Kangxi’s spirits.

"That would be good," Kangxi nodded, as if thinking of Baocheng, his expression softening slightly, easing the tension.

Seeing this, Liang Jiugong thought there was a chance and quickly sent someone to invite the Crown Prince, hoping Kangxi would feel better upon seeing him.

However, the palace servant went quickly and returned just as swiftly.

But there was no sign of the Crown Prince behind them.

The palace servant hesitantly explained, looking uneasy, that after the Crown Prince returned, upon hearing that Consort Rong was unwell, he had taken people to Yonghe Palace.

He also planned to have dinner there, which was why he was nowhere to be seen now.

Liang Jiugong thought to himself, this was a real problem.

I wish I hadn’t brought up the idea of having the Crown Prince join the meal.

He barely dares to bring up Consort Rong to the Emperor these days, just hoping the Crown Prince would come by to lift the Emperor’s spirits.

Now, the Crown Prince has gone to Yonghe Palace to see Consort Rong and decided to stay for dinner, not coming back.

No matter how you look at it, Liang Jiugong can’t help but feel sorry for the Emperor.

Consort Rong seems utterly indifferent, showing no concern for the Emperor’s suffering after drinking that so-called ‘Summer Cooler Soup.’ The Emperor kept it quiet, so the Crown Prince remains in the dark.

Now, the Crown Prince and Consort Rong are happily dining together, leaving the Emperor to eat alone, casting an inexplicable air of loneliness. Liang Jiugong can’t help but pity the Emperor, and not a single person bothers to check on him.

It’s as if they’re completely indifferent, likely not giving it a second thought.

But regardless, Liang Jiugong still has to return and report to the Emperor.

Kangxi sat before a table laden with delicacies, listened to Liang Jiugong’s report without a word, and continued his meal in silence.

Just as in the past when Kangxi dined alone, the maids serving him barely dared to breathe, attending to him with utmost care.

The entire meal was eerily silent, broken only by the occasional clink of bowls and chopsticks, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

Though Kangxi remained outwardly calm, showing no hint of anger.

Yet the oppressive air lingered, making the maids even more cautious in their service.

At a glance, Kangxi seemed to revert to his old self—the cold, ruthless monarch, commanding respect and keeping everyone on edge.

If he had never changed, it might not have felt so jarring.

But Liang Jiugong had witnessed the Emperor dining with Consort Rong in Yonghe Palace.

During those meals, the rule of silence while eating wasn’t strictly enforced.

The Emperor seemed more relaxed, his appetite improved, sometimes even overindulging, revealing a rare playfulness.

At first, Liang Jiugong was a bit alarmed, but as he watched the Emperor finish his meal and silently return to reviewing the remaining memorials, his back radiated loneliness.

As he waited outside, Liang Jiugong reflected on the day’s events, growing more and more upset on the Emperor’s behalf.

Though the Grand Empress Dowager was at fault first, Consort Rong’s anger toward the Emperor feels overly harsh.

When Consort Rong caused a scene in Cining Palace, the Emperor rushed over immediately to contain the situation before it could spread.

To protect Consort Rong’s reputation and avoid having to publicly punish her.

By acting swiftly, he ensured the incident stayed within Cining Palace before it could leak out.

When he arrived, the Emperor didn’t utter a single harsh word.

Even when Consort Rong offered him that harmful ‘Summer Cooler Soup,’ he drank it without hesitation.

He assumed the Emperor had taken precautions, but after drinking it, the Emperor endured the pain in silence, only secretly summoning the imperial physician upon returning to Qianqing Palace.

In front of the Grand Empress Dowager, the Emperor lied, claiming everything was under his control, that he had prepared in advance, and that drinking the ‘Summer Cooler Soup’ would do no harm, all to temporarily ease the Grand Empress Dowager’s murderous intent toward Consort Rong.

Otherwise, even if the cold poison wasn’t administered by Consort Rong, since it was passed through her hands to the Emperor, she would have to bear the responsibility if he fell ill.

Could they have implicated the Grand Empress Dowager? That would have been a huge scandal, a disgrace to the royal family.

His Majesty has endured such hardship, and Liang Jiugong's heart ached just seeing it.

He wished someone would inform Consort Rong about the extent of His Majesty's suffering. At least Consort Rong should send someone to inquire if everything is alright, but she didn’t even bother to ask.

If His Majesty is truly unhappy, it would be better if he vented his anger. The current situation is worse than if His Majesty had a full-blown outburst.

Oh, it’s just too heartbreaking. Liang Jiugong felt as if he were reading a storybook, following the plot only to be deeply hurt by the conflicts between the protagonists.

For a moment, he was overwhelmed with emotion. Standing outside, he couldn’t help but tear up, deeply moved, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

It was quite a sight, hard to put into words.

Imagine Liang Jiugong, who is usually always smiling, handling everything smoothly, as if no matter how difficult the situation, he has the means to solve it, like a seasoned fox.

Now, with tears in his eyes, it was quite eerie.

When Baocheng arrived, he saw Liang Jiugong delicately pinching his sleeve to wipe away his tears.

"Liang Jiugong, why are you crying?" Baocheng had just returned from Yonghe Palace and remembered that he hadn’t seen his father yet, so he came over.

He wasn’t the kind of child who, just because of Consort Rong, would forget about his father.

But why was Liang Jiugong secretly crying? Had His Majesty scolded him?

Liang Jiugong was about to wipe his nose when he heard the Crown Prince’s voice. He didn’t have time to wipe it, so he quickly sniffed it back.

He didn’t want to be caught with a runny nose in front of the Crown Prince—it would be too embarrassing. Fortunately, he hadn’t had the chance to wipe his nose yet.

"Crown Prince, why have you come?" Liang Jiugong bowed and smiled at the Crown Prince, the previous image of tears and snot almost seeming like an illusion, as if it had never happened.

Liang Jiugong: As long as I stay composed and have thick skin, it’s all manageable.

Baocheng walked over with small, deliberate steps, already mindful of maintaining his demeanor at such a young age. He held one hand behind his back, just like Kangxi usually did, and slightly looked up at Liang Jiugong. He didn’t press further about what had just happened, as it wasn’t within his concern.

"I’ve come to see my father," he said, holding something in his hand, though his sleeve obscured it, making it unclear what it was.