boyutpedia Chapter 1288 Where
Chapter 1288 Where
His eyes were covered, and he instinctively asked, "Where have you brought this old man?"
King Wu stared at the old man and said in a deep voice, "You don't need to worry about where he is; just take his pulse."
The old man groped forward, his withered fingers touching the wrist of the King of Wu. The moment his fingertips touched the pulse, his brows furrowed slightly.
The hall was so quiet that the crackling of the candlelight could be heard. The King of Wu's heart was in his throat, and he even held his breath.
After a moment, the old man withdrew his hand, his tone hesitant: "Your pulse is weak and shallow, as if you are suffering from overwork. You must be very tired, right?"
The King of Wu, without showing any emotion, pressed on: "Anything else?"
The old man was stunned for a moment before tentatively asking, "Anything else?"
A flash of anger suddenly appeared in the eyes of the King of Wu: "What about my offspring? Are there any signs that my line will end?"
The old man hurriedly shook his head: "No, you're just overworked. With some rest and recuperation, you'll definitely recover!"
King Wu suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with shock. "Are you sure? But a famous doctor diagnosed me before, saying that I would have little chance of having children in this lifetime."
The old man shook his head: "I have practiced medicine for decades and I am sure I am not wrong. Although His Majesty's pulse is weak, it is not incurable. However..." He paused and then changed the subject: "There is a trace of abnormal energy in his pulse, as if he has been disturbed by some kind of drug for a long time. If it is not treated in time, it may really damage his health in the long run."
King Wu's face instantly turned ashen. He suddenly remembered Min Yue's words: Lin Yiwan was Zhan Xuan's mother. How could she genuinely examine his pulse? Could it be that all these years, his hidden ailment had been a hoax?
"Can we find out what kind of drug caused that strange odor?" King Wu asked through gritted teeth.
The old man took his pulse again, and after a long while, he slowly spoke: "This medicine is extremely insidious, and it is difficult to detect when mixed with ordinary tonics. Long-term use will silently damage your kidney qi. Although I can concoct an antidote, Your Majesty needs to tell me who is taking care of your body on a daily basis, and who prepared the medicines used?"
The King of Wu's eyes blazed with fury as he spoke, almost word by word, "She is someone I trust completely. I've used the medicine she prescribed before!"
A complex expression flashed across the old man's face. He frowned and said, "Since you trust someone, then I have nothing more to say. However, you need to take care of your health as soon as possible!"
King Wu hurriedly said, "Go and prepare some medicine for me!"
After the physician was taken away, the King of Wu raised his hand and swept all the teacups on the table to the ground.
He gritted his teeth and angrily retorted, "Fine, fine Lin Yiwan! Fine, the Zhan family!"
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and a guard rushed in to report: "Your Majesty, Miss Min Yue requests an audience."
King Wu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said in a deep voice, "Let her in."
Min Yue carried the food box into the hall and, seeing the King of Wu's gloomy face, feigned surprise and asked, "Your Majesty, what's wrong? Did the doctor diagnose something?"
King Wu took her hand, his voice tinged with lingering fear and guilt: "Yue'er, you're right, Lin Yiwan really does have a problem! That old doctor said that my hidden ailment was caused by medication, not something I was born with!"
A hint of smugness flashed in Min Yue's eyes, but then her expression turned to one of heartache. She threw herself into his arms and sobbed, "Your Majesty, I knew you would be alright! It's all my fault for not reminding you sooner, which caused you to suffer so many years of injustice."
“It’s not your fault,” King Wu hugged her tightly, his trust in her growing even stronger. “I was too foolish to trust the wrong person. If it weren’t for you, I would probably have been kept in the dark for the rest of my life.”
He whispered, "Yue'er, from now on, you will be in charge of my daily life and meals."
Min Yue was overjoyed, but feigned shyness on her face: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will take good care of you and never let anyone hurt you again."
The old man quickly brewed the medicine, which the King of Wu drank without suspicion. He then arranged for the old man to be properly cared for and strictly ordered him not to reveal what had happened that day.
After the old man left, Min Yue nestled in the arms of King Wu and said softly, "Your Majesty, this matter was probably premeditated by the Zhan family. Now that Zhan Xuan is about to become the crown prince, we must be on guard."
A flash of hatred crossed the eyes of the King of Wu: "I will not let them get away with this! Once I have fully recovered, I will find out the truth and make the Zhan family pay the price for what they have done!"
A barely perceptible smile played on Min Yue's lips. She knew that she had gained the upper hand in this game. Once the King of Wu fully saw through the true nature of the Zhan family, no one could stand in her way to the throne and the future of her unborn child.
Soon, the momentous day arrived when Zhan Xuan was to be established as the crown prince.
When the auspicious hour arrived, the Red Corner Tower rang its great bell, the sound reverberating throughout the imperial city.
On the wide street, the Imperial Guards stood solemnly like pine trees, their armor gleaming coldly in the morning light. People crowded on both sides of the street, craning their necks to look towards the palace, discussing the grand ceremony for the investiture of the crown prince, which was destined to be recorded in history.
Inside the newly built palace, solemn and melodious music filled the air, and the fragrance of ambergris and sandalwood mingled and permeated the atmosphere.
Zhan Xuan was dressed in the crown prince's robes, with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, dragons and phoenixes embroidered on the black robe. He wore a jade belt around his waist and a crown with hanging pearl tassels. With each step he took, the pearl strings swayed gently, but they did not disturb his steady steps in the slightest.
His gaze was fixed straight ahead, sweeping over the bowing officials below the steps, and finally settling on the King of Wu on the dragon throne.
Today, the King of Wu was dressed in a solemn dragon robe, but he lacked any of his usual majesty. His face was pale from taking medicine for days, but his eyes were filled with raging anger.
He watched Zhan Xuan walk towards him step by step, with his elder sister and Prime Minister Min by his side to protect him.
He felt that the figure looked exactly like the ambitious rebel king back then, and he also remembered Lin Yiwan's years of deception. His fingernails almost dug into the armrest of the dragon throne.
The palace attendant unfurled the bright yellow imperial edict and loudly proclaimed, "The Crown Prince Zhanxuan is hereby appointed as the Heir Apparent of the Kingdom of Li, and to oversee all affairs of state."
As the eunuch's voice faded, all the officials knelt and shouted, "Long live the Crown Prince!" The sound reverberated so loudly that even the beams of the palace trembled.
Zhan Xuan bowed to receive the imperial decree, his black imperial robes accentuating his tall and imposing figure. His composed demeanor suggested that he had already firmly grasped the position of crown prince.
King Wu slowly raised his hand, gesturing for his ministers to rise. A stiff smile appeared on his lips, and his voice was flat and emotionless: "From this day forward, Zhan Xuan will be the Crown Prince of Li Kingdom. You should all do your utmost to assist him and protect the kingdom together."
The anger in his eyes was suppressed deep within him. His fingertips dug deep marks into the armrests of the dragon throne, but he never lashed out. He knew that with the grand ceremony imminent, if he were to make a public outburst, it would only shake the foundations of the nation and give outsiders an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
Zhan Xuan turned around to receive the congratulations from the officials. His elder sister and Prime Minister Min stood beside him, smiling as they greeted the congratulations from all sides. The harmonious scene was particularly glaring to the eyes of the King of Wu.