AWB Chapter 448 The Shadow of the Dove
Chapter 448 The Shadow of the Dove
When Yun Shang led Old Man Feng back into the Hall of Longevity, the court officials outside had already dispersed, and all was quiet except for the faint sound of sobbing coming from inside the hall.
Upon entering the hall, one sees Empress Su and Consort Zhou, in addition to the nervous-looking imperial physicians and the eunuchs serving the emperor with trepidation.
Consort Zhou's face was streaked with tears, and she cried so pitifully that it was heartbreaking to see. Her frail shoulders trembled slightly, and anyone who saw her couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
Empress Su stood to one side, her expression complex and difficult to discern, showing worry, doubt, and unease.
Upon seeing the old man Feng behind Yun Shang, Empress Su's eyes lit up instantly, and she said eagerly and joyfully, "Divine Physician Feng, you've finally arrived!"
Empress Su had great trust in the medical skills of Old Man Feng because of his previous treatment of the Empress Dowager, and now she felt as if she had grasped a lifeline.
Empress Su's call drew the attention of everyone in the hall.
Old Feng nodded slightly in response.
Upon hearing this, Consort Zhou hurriedly looked up at Old Man Feng, a glimmer of hope igniting in her eyes. However, her tear stains were still wet, making her appear even more pitiful: "Divine Physician Feng, you must save His Majesty! If anything happens to His Majesty, what will become of the harem and the world!"
A beauty is a beauty; even with a sob in her voice, she still possesses a captivating charm.
Old Feng ignored her, bowed respectfully to Empress Su, and then walked straight to the dragon bed. With a solemn expression, he reached out and gently placed his hand on the pulse of the unconscious Emperor Wenjing.
The imperial physicians standing nearby exchanged glances upon seeing this.
Some people still remember Old Man Feng, who had previously entered the palace to treat the Empress Dowager.
When the Empress Dowager was poisoned, none of the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital could diagnose it, but it was an old man named Feng, a wandering doctor, who diagnosed it. Because of this, Emperor Wenjing punished all the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital by deducting their salary for a year.
The imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Academy harbored some resentment towards Old Man Feng as a result.
But given the current situation, they could only watch helplessly, seething with resentment.
Old Feng paid no attention to the scheming thoughts of the imperial physicians, immersing himself in taking their pulses.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand, his expression solemn.
Seeing this, Empress Su hurriedly stepped forward and asked anxiously, "Divine Physician Feng, what is His Majesty's condition?"
Consort Zhou echoed with a sob, "Yes, Physician Feng, please save His Majesty."
Old Man Feng frowned deeply, glanced at Empress Su and Consort Zhou, and said in a heavy tone, "The Emperor has been poisoned."
Empress Su's eyes trembled slightly upon hearing this, her gaze filled with shock.
poison?
How could the emperor have been poisoned?
Food and drink that enter the mouth, and even clothing worn on a daily basis, are all tested for poison by specialists at every level.
Furthermore, since the Empress Dowager was poisoned some time ago, the palace has tightened its control over poisons to an even stricter level.
She is in charge of the harem and has repeatedly issued orders prohibiting anything that might be poisonous from appearing in the palace. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to poison her under her nose these days!
Empress Su's mind raced. She took a deep breath and tried her best to calm herself down, but her slightly trembling hands betrayed the turmoil in her heart.
She looked up and stared straight at Old Man Feng. "Dr. Feng, are you sure you haven't made a mistake in your diagnosis?"
Feeling displeased at being questioned, Old Man Feng suppressed his displeasure for the time being, remembering his previous good impression of the Empress, and said firmly, "Your Majesty, I have been practicing medicine for decades, and I would never be wrong about this."
"His Majesty's pulse is disordered, toxins are circulating in his body, and his breathing is weak. He has indeed been poisoned, and has been poisoned for quite some time."
"If I am not mistaken, this poison is a forbidden drug from the previous dynasty, called 'Dove Shadow's Lament'."
Upon hearing the words "Jiuyingyuan," the other imperial physicians in the hall changed their expressions drastically, their faces filled with astonishment and fear, and they couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
"The Shadow of the Dove?!"
"How could it be 'Dove Shadow'?! That was a forbidden drug of the previous dynasty; it was completely destroyed when the new dynasty was first established!"
'Dove Shadow' was developed by a shamanic physician from the previous dynasty who was skilled in poisons. Its poison was derived from a dove that had been fed a hundred poisons.
After complex refining, "Jiuyingyuan" is colorless and odorless, and can be hidden in food and aromatherapy to quietly invade the human body.
People poisoned by this poison will not experience immediate symptoms; the poison will remain dormant in the body for a year, ten years, or even decades.
If no trigger is used to activate the toxin, it will remain dormant and appear no different from an ordinary person.
However, once the trigger appears, the toxins will erupt instantly, invading the internal organs, and there is no cure.
The imperial physicians instantly realized this, their faces turning deathly pale, large beads of sweat constantly seeping from their foreheads, their entire being enveloped in fear.
Empress Su's heart skipped a beat as she saw the large beads of cold sweat on the foreheads of the imperial physicians. She asked sharply, "What exactly is 'Dove Shadow' poison?!"
One of the imperial physicians stepped forward tremblingly, his legs weak, and he gave a hesitant explanation in a trembling voice.
Upon hearing this, Empress Su felt dizzy and swayed, almost falling to the ground.
Upon hearing this, Consort Zhou's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face like raindrops.
He murmured, "So, His Majesty's poison... can't be cured?"
Empress Su glanced at her, saw that her face was full of shock and sadness, with no other unusual expression, and then looked away.
Unbeknownst to him, the moment he looked away, a barely perceptible hint of guilt flashed across Consort Zhou's eyes.
Her fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force.
Yun Shang's gaze swept over her without making a sound.
Empress Su, supported by the old woman, barely managed to steady herself so that her legs wouldn't give way. Her face was ashen, and she still clung to a last glimmer of hope. "'Jiuyingyuan' is a poison from the previous dynasty. Even if it wasn't completely destroyed back then and some residue remained, after so much time, its effects must not be as strong. Physician Feng, you must have a way to detoxify it, right?"
If there is no cure, then the emperor is left with only…
Li Chongyi is still imprisoned and has not been executed. If the emperor were to die at this time, the court would likely descend into chaos.
Empress Su looked at Old Man Feng with hopeful eyes, but Old Man Feng's words shattered her last shred of illusion.
"Your Majesty, the reason why 'Dove Shadow' became a forbidden drug in the previous dynasty is because its toxicity is too domineering and will not weaken in the slightest over the years."
"As far as I know, there is no antidote for this poison."
Upon hearing this, Empress Su was struck dumb and slowly looked at the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital.
The imperial physicians were so frightened that they dared not look her in the eye, and hurriedly bowed their heads and kowtowed, not daring to breathe.
Her last glimmer of hope vanished in an instant. Empress Su's legs went weak, and she stumbled back several steps, almost all her weight resting on the nanny who was supporting her.
The old woman said worriedly, "Your Majesty the Empress..."
Consort Zhou collapsed to the ground, her eyes and nose stained red, tears streaming down her face. "No, it's impossible! His Majesty is in the prime of his life, how could he possibly..."
When Empress Su and Consort Zhou began to cry, the eunuchs and imperial physicians in the palace also started to cry.
In an instant, the hall was filled with weeping, and the atmosphere of grief grew even heavier.