boyutpedia Chapter 1388 Rest and Recuperation
Chapter 1388 Rest and Recuperation
On the dragon bed, Emperor Xiao Li's face was ashen, his chest wrapped in thick brocade, the bloodstains of which had congealed into a dark brown color.
His eyes were tightly closed, his brows furrowed, and his thin chest rose and fell weakly, as if he might stop breathing at any moment. The medicine bowl beside the bed had long since gone cold, and the medicine had spilled all over the floor, indicating that he had been neglected for a long time.
"Father!" Lin Yiwan exclaimed in shock, rushing to the bedside and trembling as she reached out to feel Xiao Li's pulse.
Her eyes instantly welled up with tears when her fingertips touched that faint, almost imperceptible throbbing.
His pulse was erratic, his breath was faint, and a chilling toxin was slowly spreading in his chest.
This was definitely not as simple as a stab wound! Meng Xiang had indeed secretly sabotaged things!
Lin Yiwan suddenly looked up and sternly questioned the eunuch behind her: "Who prepared the Emperor's medicine? Where is the imperial physician? Why is the medicine in the bowl completely cold!"
The eunuch was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly: "Madam, spare me! It was the Prime Minister who ordered that His Majesty needs to rest and that the imperial physicians are not allowed to come in to take his pulse at will. The medicine he takes every day is also prepared according to the Prime Minister's prescription!"
"So, you say you need to rest!" Lin Yiwan laughed angrily, the coldness in her eyes almost freezing. She quickly took out a bottle of pills from her purse and poured them all into Xiao Li's mouth.
While feeding her, she burst into tears: "Father, your daughter is unfilial and has come late. Please hold on, your daughter is coming to you now."
This antidote pill is a secret medicine passed down through the Lin family for over a hundred years, supplemented with heart's blood, which can temporarily suppress the yin poison in the body.
Lin Yiwan's medical skills are superb, so detoxification is naturally a piece of cake for her.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xiao Li's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and the rise and fall of his chest gradually became stronger.
Lin Yiwan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to get up to find warm water when the palace door was pushed open from the outside.
Meng Xiang strolled in with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Li on the bed before landing on the medicine bottle in Lin Yiwan's hand. He smiled sinisterly: "Madam Hou has quite the methods; she has managed to improve the Emperor's condition so quickly."
Lin Yiwan quickly hid the bottle in her sleeve and looked at him coldly: "Prime Minister Meng has come at the right time. His Majesty has been poisoned by the Three Yin Intestine-Severing Powder. This poison requires three antidotes to prepare. If it cannot be cured within seven days, it will attack the heart and cause death. I want all the medicines from the Imperial Hospital, as well as a quiet pharmacy where no one is allowed to disturb him."
A hint of surprise flashed in Meng Xiang's eyes, followed by a sneer. "Madam Lin has good eyesight. However, why should I believe you? If you take this opportunity to bewitch the Emperor, wouldn't I be losing more than I gain?"
Lin Yiwan met his gaze, not giving an inch, "If anything happens to Father, the court and the country will be in turmoil, and vassal kings will rise up everywhere. Will you be able to hold onto your position as prime minister?"
Meng Xiang's expression changed repeatedly; he knew Lin Yiwan was telling the truth.
He painstakingly plotted to retrieve the evidence of crimes from Lin Yiwan, rather than earning the infamy of regicide and usurpation.
Meng Xiang gritted his teeth and agreed, "Fine, I'll give you the medicinal herbs and the pharmacy, but if you dare to play any tricks, your husband and children will be beheaded on the spot!"
Lin Yiwan ignored her and carefully tucked the blanket around Xiao Li, her voice soft yet carrying immense force: "If they lose even a single hair, Meng Xiang will immediately become a treacherous minister hated by everyone!"
Speechless with shock, Meng Xiang turned and left.
Soon, the medicines from the Imperial Medical Academy were continuously delivered to the pharmacy in the side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Lin Yiwan dismissed all the eunuchs and maids, and stayed alone in the pharmacy, not sleeping all night.
She meticulously categorized and selected the medicinal herbs. The preparation of the antidote for the Three Yin Intestinal Disorder was extremely demanding; even the slightest error would ruin the entire process. She concentrated her mind and body, crushing, steaming, and purifying the herbs with utmost precision at every step.
As the sky outside the window gradually turned white, and the first rays of dawn shone into the pharmacy through the window lattice, a bowl of dark medicine was finally brewed.
Lin Yiwan carried the medicine bowl and quickly walked to the dragon bedside. She carefully helped Xiao Li up and fed him the medicine little by little.
As the medicine entered his throat, Xiao Li's Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and he let out a barely audible groan.
Lin Yiwan's heart was in her throat as she stared intently at his expression.
After about half a cup of tea's time, Xiao Li's eyelashes trembled slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes.
Those eyes, once sharp as an eagle's, now held a hint of confusion. He looked at Lin Yiwan before him and called out in a hoarse voice, word by word, "Wanwan?"
"Father!" Lin Yiwan could no longer hold back, tears streaming down her face. "You're awake! You're finally awake!"
Xiao Li's gaze slowly swept across the scene in the hall, then landed on Lin Yiwan's bloodshot eyes. He weakly shook his head: "It's Meng Xiang. He framed Zhan Yan. I absolutely do not believe he would kill me!"
"Your daughter knows." Lin Yiwan quickly wiped away her tears and squeezed his hand tightly. "Father, rest assured, your daughter will definitely rescue Zhan Yan and the children, and will make Meng Xiang pay for his crimes in blood!"
A hint of relief flashed in Xiao Li's eyes. Just as he was about to say something more, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.
Meng Xiang burst in with a group of guards. His gaze fell on Xiao Li's open eyes, his pupils contracted sharply, and then a sinister smile appeared on his face: "The Emperor has awakened? Congratulations indeed. However, Madam Hou, shouldn't you fulfill your promise to me?"
Lin Yiwan slowly stood up and stood in front of the dragon bed, her eyes surging with murderous intent.
Xiao Li, struggling to sit up, was quickly supported by Lin Yiwan, who placed a brocade quilt under his lower back.
The emperor's eyes lost their initial confusion upon waking, replaced by a chilling coldness. He stared at the hypocritical face of the Dream Minister, his voice hoarse yet each word like a knife: "Meng Yuan, do you know your crime?"
Meng Xiang's heart skipped a beat, but he still maintained a calm demeanor, even forcing a hint of concern. He quickly walked to the bedside, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty is unwell, and I am deeply worried. I have been guarding outside the palace day and night, hoping that Your Majesty will wake up soon. May I ask why Your Majesty says this?"
"What makes you say that?" Xiao Li sneered, which aggravated the wound on his chest, causing him to groan in pain.
He still gritted his teeth and said, "At the New Year's banquet, you ordered an assassin to impersonate Zhan Yan and assassinate me. Afterwards, you turned around and imprisoned Zhan Yan in the dungeon. You also imprisoned my grandson and granddaughter, seized control of the court, and replaced the Imperial Guards. Do you dare to say that none of this was your doing?"
Meng Xiang's expression changed slightly. He decided to tear off the mask of pretense, straightened up, and his eyes were full of arrogance and ruthlessness: "Now that things have come to this, I don't need to pretend anymore! Originally, I didn't want to expose myself so soon, but who told Lin Yiwan to suddenly run off to the Wolf Head Gang?"
Before he could finish speaking, he shouted, "Guards! Seize this traitor Lin Yiwan, and then seize Xiao Li..."
"What can you do to me?" Xiao Li's voice suddenly rose, his gaze sharp as a hawk, sweeping across the outside of the hall.