Chapter 75 Poisoning
Surprised to see Concubine Qin and Xia Houkun coming over, Eunuch Yi immediately came to his sense and stepped forward to make a bow.
“Concubine Qin, Second Prince, pay my respects to you.”
Seeing the door closed, Concubine Qin gazed at Eunuch Yi.
“I heard the Emperor is awake. I’m very worried, so I come to see him with Second Prince. Why don’t you serve inside, Eunuch Yi? Is the Emperor talking with anyone?”
Eunuch Yi laughed. “That’s very nice of you, Concubine Qin. The Emperor is awake, and the King of Jin is inside now.”
Hearing this, Xia Houkun revealed a flicker of displeasure in his eyes. The foxy Xia Houmo had ruined his schemes over and over again and always took the lead to claim credit!
“King of Jin must be worried about father, too. I’m really ashamed to be a prince.” While speaking, Xia Houkun walked towards the room. Seeing this, Eunuch Yi promptly stepped forward to stop him.
“Second Prince, wait a moment…”
In the room, Su Muge and Xia Houmo heard the movement outside.
Su Muge looked at Xia Houmo and then at Xia Hourui who was still unconscious.
Xia Houmo also looked at Su Muge.
“I’ll take a look outside.” He stood up and walked towards the door.
Hearing the sound of opening and closing the door, Su Muge realized that Xia Houmo had left the room. She raised her eyes and suddenly met a pair of sharp eyes…
Opening the door, Xia Houmo walked out of the room.
Seeing Xia Houmo coming out, Concubine Qin and Xia Houkun gave a look at each other silently.
“Ninth brother, how is father?” Xia Houkun stepped forward and asked.
Xia Houmo, with a cold look, ignored Xia Houkun’s question. “Father let me ask Concubine Qin why you rebelled against his will.”
Hearing this, Concubine Qin slightly changed her countenance.
“Mother did so for the sake of father…”
Xia Houmo’s sharp eyes fell on Xia Houkun like an arrow.
“Second brother, you mean, you can do anything in the name of caring for father?”
In an instant, Xia Houkun put on a grave look.
“I’ll explain to father by myself. Get out of my way!”
Xia Houmo remained still.
“Father says…”
“Says what?”
“Get out of here!”
“!!”
Concubine Qin and Xia Houkun trembled with rage.
Concubine Qin stepped forward with tears in her eyes. “Your Majesty, I was so anxious and worried about your body that I made this mistake. Please forgive me this time, Your Majesty.”
“Concubine Qin, don’t disturb father’s rest.”
Seeing the two sides at a standstill, Eunuch Yi, although not knowing the situation inside, understood that he couldn’t let Concubine Qin and Second Prince enter the room right now.
How would Concubine Qin and Xia Houkun be willing to leave without figuring out the situation inside?!
But if they insisted on staying here, they were afraid that the Emperor would really be annoyed at them…
Seeing the struggling look of Concubine Qin, Eunuch Yi stepped forward and whispered, “Concubine Qin, the Emperor has just woken up. I’m afraid he’s still annoyed at this time. Please come here later. Since you’re considerate of the Emperor, how could he not understand?”
The tears were still swirling in Concubine Qin’s eyes, which appeared to be pitiful.
“You’re right, Eunuch Yi. I’m being silly.”
Concubine Qin gave a secret glance at Xia Houkun, who knowingly lifted his robe and knelt down immediately with three kowtows in the direction of the door.
“Father, please take care of yourself. I’ll come to see you next time.”
“Please excuse my departure.”
Concubine Qin and Xia Houkun left unwillingly.
When Xia Houmo returned to the room, he saw Su Muge kneeling in front of the bed and frowned slightly.
“Mo’er, how dare you!” The low and hoarse voice made Xia Houmo’s footsteps pause.
Xia Hourui, who had been lying on the bed, was sitting up now.
Xia Houmo lowered his eyes and half-knelt in front of the bed.
“Father, punish me as you want.”
Xia Hourui, in a low spirit, gasped. “Act on your own! You are getting more and more self-asserted! Nobody can make me free from worries!” With these words, he must have known the situation outside just now.
Xia Houmo replied without hesitation.
“I don’t want to see your health worsening day by day, father.”
Xia Hourui glanced at the two with a faint but not august look. He felt tired and said, “You want to force me too?”
Xia Houmo became serious. “I dare not, father.”
At this time, Su Muge wished that she could disappear in this room immediately. She shouldn’t hear the conversation between the father and the son; nor did she want to hear.
“You helped me wake up?”
Su Muge suddenly realized the Emperor was asking her.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Your Majesty, your body is so weak like this is not due to illness …”
“It’s poisoning.” Su Muge was interrupted by Xia Hourui before she could finish speaking.
Su Muge was surprised that the Emperor had already known.
Seeing the slightly surprised Xia Houmo, she realized that he didn’t know about it either.
Xia Hourui shook his head, indicating that she shouldn’t have known it, or both of them shouldn’t have known it.
“I’ve concealed this matter for such a long time, but you finally have known it.”
Su Muge pursed her lips and said, “King of Jin is worried about your health, Your Majesty.” They were now on the same boat, so it’s reasonable to make a pitch for him.
“Even the imperial doctors have no clue. Do you have any solution?” Xia Hourui said casually with a smile.
“Can you detoxify father?” Xia Houmo asked.
Su Muge nodded slowly, which made Xia Hourui amazed.
“You mean you can detoxify me?”
Su Muge nodded more firmly this time. “Although the poison in your body has infiltrated into the blood, it is not incurable.”
Hearing her words, Xia Hourui exposed a hint of hope in his dim and lifeless eyes.
“Are you serious?”
“I dare not deceive you, Your Majesty!”
“Okay, I’ll give you a chance. If you can detoxify me, I’ll greatly reward you.”
Su Muge rolled her eyes secretly in her heart; it seemed as if she had begged to treat him.
“I’ll do my best.”
“You’ve won the competition today, and I won’t break my promise.” Xia Hourui gave her a deep look and said slowly.
“Yes.” Su Muge had no intention to plead for Zhang Yue. Today, he took the initiative to propose the punishment. If the loser was her, her hands had already gone!
“From now on, treat me with Deputy Director Chen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You can leave now.”
Knowing that he had something to talk with Xia Houmo alone, Su Muge promptly got up and retreated.
Walking out of the gate with her medical kit, she felt the breeze blowing gently, which made her a little chill. Only then did she realize that her clothes had been wet with cold sweat.
She didn’t know if her choice was right or wrong; but now that she had made a decision, she should just go ahead!
Although Concubine Qin was dismissed by Xia Houmo’s words, she would never let it go so easily.
Seeing Su Muge coming out of the Emperor’s chamber, the palace person lurking and observing outside the chamber instantly went towards Zhaohe Palace.
After Su Muge left, Xia Hourui asked Xia Houmo to sit in front of his bed.
“Who poisoned father?”
Looking at Xia Houmo, Xia Hourui squinted to smile.
“The poison has been mixed in the meals and tea that I have every day. How many people in the Chu can do that?”
“He had stayed in the Palace for over a decade …”
Xia Houmo frowned slightly with an answer in his heart already.
…
After being sent to the Palace gate, Su Muge found that Su Lun had already returned home without waiting for her.
Standing outside the empty Palace gate, Su Muge was really helpless since the Emperor didn’t dispatch a carriage to send her back either.
As the last resort, Su Muge could only walk to the street and rent a carriage back.
It was just past noon at this time, and the street was crowded with pedestrians.
Eager to figure out the poison of the Emperor, Su Muge went directly to the carriage rental agency.
“Humph, cheap thing, I’m killing you today!”
The carriage rental agency was at the stall on the street corner. As soon as Su Muge went over, she saw a burly man waving a wooden stick which was thicker than her arm and hitting a man on the ground.
The closer she came, the clearer she could see the figure on the ground; it was a 13-year-old boy.
Seeing the heavy stick hit his body with one snap after another, she was afraid that his bones would be broken.
“I asked you to work for me with good intention. How dare you steal my things?! I’ll kill you.”
A group of onlookers soon surrounded them, pointing and discussing.
“The Old Third Zhang came again. Several young workers had been beaten to half-death by him without receiving any wages. This child must have also been framed by him. He had not only worked for him for nothing but was also beaten up so hard.”
“That’s true! Who doesn’t know Old Third Zhang in this carriage agency?! I just feel pity for this child.”
Su Muge listened to the onlookers who put on a disdainful look at the burly man. Although they were all talking excitedly and indignantly, none of them had the intention to stand out and save the child.
Su Muge looked at the little boy who curled up on the ground with his hands laced behind his head.
In spite of the unbearable pain, he didn’t utter a sound.
Perhaps touched by his stubbornness, Su Muge walked into the crowd; before the strong man could hit again, she grabbed the stick.
Old Third Zhang paused and looked up at Su Muge. Seeing her dressed up as a delicate Miss, he revealed a flicker of evil lasciviousness in his eyes.
“What are you doing, young lady?”
Su Muge let go of the stick with a cold look. “Is he a servant you bought?”
“No.”
“Then who is he to you?”
Old Third Zhang stepped closer to Su Muge with a dirty and sinister smile. “Why do you ask so, young lady?”
“If you beat innocent people for no reason, you’ll be imprisoned.” Su Muge said with a cold look, making Old Third Zhang who wanted to draw nearer pause and wonder how a charming young lady’s eyes could be so scary?!
“He stole my things! Five Liang!”
“I, I didn’t. The money was, was taken by yourself to gamble and was lost …” The boy on the ground struggled to speak.
“Bastard, how dare you deny?! I’ll kill you!” Old Third Zhang glared at him fiercely and the stick in his hand was about to fall.
