Chapter 69: Utterly Befuddled and Foolish

Emperor Wu of Qin retorted in exasperation.

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

"Prince Chang and Prince Duan would never do such a thing. I refuse to believe it!"

"No matter what rumors are being spread outside, I simply do not believe them."

"Prince Chang has always been sensible, filial, and modest. How could he ever commit such an act?"

"It must be some malicious individuals outside fabricating lies to deliberately slander and frame Prince Chang, attempting to alienate the bond between father and son and make me cast him aside."

"They are merely consumed by jealousy!"

"I will not fall for their traps."

Liu Quan'an watched Emperor Wu of Qin raving and flying into a frenzy upon the dais, yet he remained utterly silent.

Like a wooden stake, he knelt there completely motionless.

After venting for quite a while longer, Emperor Wu of Qin finally calmed down.

He then instructed his personal eunuch nearby, "Transmit my decree to Prince Duan and Prince Chang, and order them to get over here immediately."

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Prince Chang entered in a somewhat disheveled state.

As soon as he stepped into the hall, he rushed forward in tears, threw himself before Emperor Wu of Qin, and wailed, "Father, your son was subjected to an assassination attempt! You must seek justice for me!"

Emperor Wu of Qin hurried to help him up and asked anxiously, "What is going on?"

"Speak and give me the full details!"

Prince Chang grievance-ladenly replied, "Last night, Eldest Royal Brother was worried about me and came to the dense forest to check on me, only to be ambushed by formidable assassins. He is still heavily injured and unconscious!"

"In particular, one of his arms suffered severe trauma. Even if it heals, his dexterity will be impaired, and he may even experience tremors, rendering him unable to lift heavy objects."

"Furthermore, Royal Brother was struck by a hidden projectile coated in an extremely rare poison. The Imperial Physicians' Quarters are currently completely at a loss, which is why Royal Brother remains unconscious."

A look of utter shock crossed Emperor Wu of Qin's face, and he cursed angrily, "Who is it?"

"Who is so utterly audacious as to dare lay a hand on my sons!"

"I... I will never let them off! I must exterminate their nine agnates!"

By this point, he had completely forgotten the original intention behind summoning Prince Chang, nor did he harbor the slightest thought of reprimanding him.

Now, there remained only concern for Prince Chang and anguish for Prince Duan.

Witnessing this theatrical scene, Liu Quan'an could not help but sigh inwardly.

The wise and ambitious monarch of his youth had completely changed, becoming muddle-headed and incompetent, failing to distinguish between the important and the trivial, and losing all sense of right and wrong...

As for how that pair of father and son would subsequently display fatherly love and filial piety, or slaughter one another in mutual destruction, he turned a deaf ear to it all.

Let them be!

Even if the imperial court remained unstable, there was nothing he could do about it!

This was the emperor's affair.

It was useless for the eunuch to fret when the emperor himself was unconcerned.

It was all a waste of effort.

Soon, Liu Quan'an listened as the father and son plotted how to capture the assassins.

And how to find a miraculous doctor to cure Prince Duan of the poison.

No further mention was made of the missing Grand General.

The divine physician that naturally sprang to mind first was none other than the miraculous doctor Baili Qingyun.

Emperor Wu of Qin immediately dispatched men to invite Baili Qingyun to the palace.

Baili Qingyun arrived with remarkable promptness.

He walked in radiating vigor, looking to be in exceptionally high spirits.

This only added to his inherently refined, ethereal, and peerlessly handsome demeanor, elevating his presence to a whole new height.

After Baili Qingyun offered his greetings, Emperor Wu of Qin immediately asked, "I hear that the Divine Physician Baili is exceptionally skilled in toxicology. Would you be willing to examine Prince Duan's condition?"

"I shall do my utmost!" Baili Qingyun agreed readily.

He then followed Prince Chang to Prince Duan's chambers.

At that moment, Prince Duan was lying on the bed, unconscious.

His lips were dark blue and his complexion ashen, presenting the appearance of someone at death's door.

Gazing upon his own handiwork, Baili Qingyun smiled knowingly, though he quickly concealed his expression.

He earnestly took Prince Duan's pulse, yet remained silent for a long time without announcing a diagnosis.

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Emperor Wu of Qin asked, "Well? Can he be cured?"

Baili Qingyun arched a handsome brow, and his clear, resonant voice sounded, "This poison is exceedingly rare, and I am not yet fully familiar with it."

"However, through my diagnosis, I can tell that this poison accelerates aging."

"If left untreated, he will likely live for only another eight to ten years."

"Furthermore, if the poison is not neutralized within a year, his five senses—sight, hearing, and taste—will gradually degenerate."

"Even his hair will turn completely white, making him look like an aged elder."

"As for the injury on his arm, it is likewise difficult to heal. The wound lies not far above the wrist; even if the external trauma mends, it will fail to return to its normal state, frequently resulting in tremors and an inability to exert force."

"As for treating the wound itself, the Imperial Physicians' Quarters are fully capable; my services are not required."

"However, regarding the poison within his body, I can only assess its toxicity at present and have no immediate cure. It will require thorough study."

Hearing this, Emperor Wu of Qin furrowed his brow, his heart twisting sharply.

He never expected that the son born of his most beloved woman would suffer such grievous injuries, causing him profound heartache.

The thought that Consort Li would undoubtedly experience agonizing grief upon learning of this left him utterly unbearing, and he resolved to exhaust every possible means to restore Prince Duan to health.

With a tight deadline of just one year, Emperor Wu of Qin grew so anxious that beads of sweat seemed ready to erupt on his brow.

Wreathed in a forced smile, he adopted an exceedingly amiable tone toward Baili Qingyun.

"Then when will Your Highness awaken?"

"Once I administer acupuncture, he will wake up shortly."

"Very well! Please administer the treatment at once, Divine Physician! The horde of incompetent quacks in the Imperial Physicians' Quarters has been entirely helpless since last night..."

"They are nothing more than parasites holding sinecures, utterly useless."

Retrieving silver needles from his needle pouch, Baili Qingyun began the treatment with grave concentration.

To outside observers, he appeared utterly dignified and inscrutable.

Only Baili Qingyun was inwardly suppressing a laugh; aside from applying needles to rouse Prince Duan, he deliberately targeted several painful pressure points, thrusting the needles deep.

Retribution, executed so openly, brought an even greater sense of satisfaction to his heart.

Heh heh!

A short while later, Prince Duan was jolted awake by a wave of sharp agony.

Opening his hazy eyes, he scanned his surroundings. Upon catching sight of Emperor Wu of Qin, a flicker of panic first crossed his gaze.

The moment Emperor Wu of Qin saw Prince Duan open his eyes, he rushed to the bedside and murmured softly, "Jue'er, you are finally awake... Father was so worried about you..."

A slight choke could be detected in Emperor Wu of Qin's voice.

Prince Duan, also known as Huo Jue, managed to compose himself. He reached out to clasp Emperor Wu of Qin's hand, tears welling in his eyes as he said, "Father, I... I thought I would never see you again..."

"Focus on recovering your health, rest assured! Father will certainly find a way to heal you..."

Watching the paternal affection and filial devotion playing out between the father and son opposite him, Baili Qingyun could not help a cold sneer from touching the corners of his lips.

Emperor Wu of Qin treated Prince Duan and Prince Chang like a doting father, yet remained as distant as a stepfather toward Huo Yucheng.

In his heart, he truly felt a sense of injustice on behalf of the Crown Prince.