in2ebook Chapter 900 The Emperor has eaten the food you offered.
Chapter 900 The Emperor has eaten the food you offered.
Because of his illness, the emperor has missed the morning court session for two consecutive days.
The entire Imperial Medical Academy was in a state of chaos, but they still couldn't find the root cause of the emperor's illness.
The palace began to focus its investigation on the imperial kitchen, since in most cases, illnesses enter through the mouth, and the Imperial Medical Academy suspected that the emperor had eaten something unclean.
However, the imperial kitchen and everyone who could come into contact with the food were thoroughly checked, and there were no problems.
The emperor temporarily entrusted some important matters to Qiao Lian'er and several princes for discussion.
The meeting took place in the Golden Palace, where the emperor held morning court and met with his ministers. A curtain separated the meeting, and the emperor, who was resting, could hear the conversation outside.
No one dared to be careless; they had to keep their voices very low while ensuring the emperor could hear them.
Once the results were obtained, they were sent to the inner palace for the emperor to review. Only after the emperor approved them could he write his approval in red ink.
Although the emperor was not in his usual condition, he was still capable of reviewing the resolutions.
After leaving the court assembly that day, Prince Su stopped outside the Golden Palace.
"Don't you think it's very strange that the Emperor fell ill this time?"
Prince Heng was optimistic, waving his hand and saying, "No matter how noble the Emperor is, he is still made of flesh and blood. He needs to eat rice and drink water. It's normal for him to have a headache or fever. I believe he will be fine in a few days."
“His Majesty has always been in good health. The Imperial Hospital examines him every few days, and if there is even the slightest abnormality, they immediately prescribe medicine to prevent it. This time, even the Imperial Hospital did not notice that so many symptoms had suddenly appeared. It was impossible to prevent. Now His Majesty cannot even attend the morning court and can only stay in bed. I suspect that there is an unknown reason behind this.” Prince Su said persistently.
Prince Su was a somewhat suspicious person, but his words were not without reason, and everyone fell silent.
"Why are you all silent? Are you afraid of saying something that might cause trouble? We're all perfectly aboveboard, just concerned about His Majesty's health and discussing his condition. Maybe we'll come up with something that can help His Majesty recover as soon as possible." Prince Su sneered, seemingly mocking those present as cowards.
“Eighth Brother, you can’t say that. Who doesn’t care about His Majesty’s health? It’s just that the imperial physicians are more experienced than us in this matter. Even the Imperial Hospital hasn’t reached a conclusion, so we can’t come up with anything. Saying more would be useless.” Prince Yan still had a cold expression, but his tone was full of concern for the Emperor.
Prince Su frowned: "Family affairs, state affairs, world affairs, the Emperor's health is the most important thing in the world. Since the Emperor has asked us to come to the Golden Palace to discuss matters, the fact that the Emperor is bedridden and the cause of his illness has not yet been found is naturally within the scope of discussion. As soon as there is a clue and progress, the Emperor can recover sooner and resume his duties as a state official. Although there are several of us discussing matters together, how can we compare to the Emperor's wisdom and sagacity?"
Prince Heng curled his lip. This Prince Su spoke so grandly, but what could laymen like them possibly come up with about something that even the Imperial Hospital couldn't handle?
In this way, it seems that he is the one who cares most about the emperor, but he puts everyone else in a difficult position. He appears to be selfless and magnanimous, but in reality, he is the most selfish.
Prince Jin said, "The Imperial Kitchen has already conducted an investigation and found no problems. If it was a mistake due to negligence in food preparation, the cook will be punished and appropriate measures will be taken. If there is a deeper reason..." He paused, "then we must investigate thoroughly and see who has such audacity."
Today, when he entered the palace for a meeting, some people passed by his carriage and whispered that they had obtained inside information that the emperor's illness might be due to someone with ulterior motives who had secretly sabotaged it.
The imperial kitchen has already investigated; it's likely due to external factors.
Prince Jin boasted of his utmost loyalty to the emperor, but the emperor had never been particularly fond of him. If he could achieve merit in the most important matter, he would surely be able to change his situation.
He told the suspicious Prince Su about this, hoping that Prince Su would bring it up himself.
“Eleventh Brother, are you saying that the Emperor’s illness is due to someone secretly sabotaging him?” Prince Heng shook his head: “The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, and his power over the world is immense. Who would dare to harbor such thoughts? I think that now that the weather is turning cold and winter is approaching, it’s probably just a cold. There’s no need to overthink it.”
"Is this too much for you to think?" Prince Jin said with displeasure. "If it were caused by a cold, wouldn't the Imperial Hospital have been able to diagnose it? Who would have a stomachache and vomiting if they caught a cold? The Imperial Kitchen has already checked and confirmed there's no problem. Perhaps someone has harbored rebellious intentions and is trying to defy their superiors. If we don't find this person soon, it's like letting a potential scourge run rampant."
Prince Guangping pondered, "Even if there are doubts, the Imperial Academy will investigate. We should remain silent to avoid overstepping our bounds."
The Imperial Household Department was a secret service agency directly under the emperor, answering only to the emperor and acting on his behalf. It wielded considerable power and had the function of monitoring all officials.
This organization is very mysterious; who is inside and how many people are there remains a mystery to outsiders.
The Prince of Yan lowered his voice and said, "Everyone should go back first. His Majesty is recuperating. If he hears these words, it may affect his mood. Everyone should also be more careful. If anyone has ill intentions, we must not let them get away with it."
Prince Jin ignored his words and instead turned to look at Qiao Lian'er.
“Princess Zhenguo usually discusses matters with the Emperor, but now that the Emperor is bedridden, why hasn’t Princess Zhenguo said a single word from beginning to end?”
Prince Jin never concealed his opinion of Qiao Lian'er.
An outsider has actually surpassed these princes to become the emperor's most trusted person, capable of making so many important decisions. Compared to him, even the prince of a different surname, Prince Pei, seems less annoying.
Qiao Lian'er said calmly, "I believe the palace will investigate thoroughly. We should focus on what we need to focus on, complete the tasks assigned by the Emperor, and let him recuperate in peace. As for the rest, let those who know the relevant stuff handle it. Otherwise, we'll just be making things more complicated."
There was an uproar in Tianhe Prefecture, and around the same time, the emperor fell ill.
She suspected there was some connection between the two, so she remained silent.
Just now, she was also observing the expressions of these princes, and she had a premonition that someone would try to drag her into this matter.
But it's Prince Jin who has always disliked her, so it's hard to judge.
Prince Su then noticed the quiet Qiao Lian'er. He seemed to have thought of something, and his expression slowly turned strange.
“I remember that Princess Zhenguo would send things to the palace every few days, mainly fruits, snacks, and pastries. Apart from the imperial kitchen, the emperor ate the most of the things you presented.”