Chapter 157

Chapter 157: Stop It

Northern Di’s Fourth Prince Lu Chuo had a deathly pale face as someone supported Lu Chuo. Lu Chuo clenched his teeth and pressed a hand to his chest, his whole body trembling with pain.

“Medicine! Where is the medicine?” Jin Ri Xu rushed over on a lame leg.

Jin Ri Xu searched through Lu Chuo’s clothes, inside and out, but still found no trace of medicine.

The two Northern Di palace attendants who served Lu Chuo closely dropped to their knees, shaking.

They spoke in Northern Di. Northern Di had been influenced by Sheng Kingdom, but many words were still impossible for Sheng officials to understand, and they needed an official who was fluent to translate.

Sheng Zhi Wan understood it, but Sheng Zhi Wan did not show it. Sheng Zhi Wan stood to the side like everyone else.

Lu Chuo’s face quickly changed from pale to bluish. Gray death seemed ready to spread across Lu Chuo’s handsome features.

Several Sheng Kingdom imperial physicians finally hurried over. Imperial Physician Jiang directed them to support Lu Chuo into a tent.

The other physicians split their tasks. One took Lu Chuo’s pulse. One listened to Lu Chuo’s heart. Another pried open Lu Chuo’s eyelids to check.

The Sheng Kingdom noblewomen, including Sheng Zhi Wan, were naturally stopped outside.

When Emperor Chong Sheng heard the news, Emperor Chong Sheng rushed over at once. Emperor Chong Sheng’s earlier good mood vanished.

Every bit of Emperor Chong Sheng’s planning and intimidation depended on one thing: Northern Di’s Fourth Prince could not die in Sheng Kingdom. If Lu Chuo died in Sheng Kingdom, Northern Di’s intentions would be obvious. Northern Di wanted to use the prince’s death to stir up their morale, turn against Sheng Kingdom, and start a war with a clean excuse.

But Sheng Kingdom was not suited for war right now.

So Lu Chuo could not die.

Emperor Chong Sheng immediately ordered the physicians to save Lu Chuo’s life no matter what. Emperor Chong Sheng also sent people to race back to the capital and fetch Imperial Physician Song.

Imperial Physician Song was old. Two months ago, Imperial Physician Song had been caught in the rain while treating someone, then came down with a cold. That was why Imperial Physician Song had not been able to come along to the travel palace.

When Emperor Chong Sheng thought of it, Emperor Chong Sheng hated the fool who had made Imperial Physician Song get rained on. But Emperor Chong Sheng had no time to investigate who it was. Emperor Chong Sheng could only stare into the tent, restless and irritated.

Hu Shu Xie and Jin Ri Xu looked grim.

They were not just crude men who knew how to fight. In this situation… the Fourth Prince had been meant to die, but as Northern Di military officers, were they also being treated as expendable pawns?

Before they came, the plan had been clear. They would act only when they were about to leave Sheng Kingdom’s borders. Yet now everything happened without warning.

They did not want to believe it, but they had to.

Besides, compared to Sheng Kingdom’s strong civil officials and weak military, Northern Di was never short on military officers who could fight.

As the physicians spoke, Lu Chuo’s condition worsened.

Imperial Physician Jiang, in the dead of winter, still sweated through his clothes. Imperial Physician Jiang said, “Your Majesty, Prince Lu Chuo was poisoned, and Prince Lu Chuo already had a long-standing heart illness. If Prince Lu Chuo collapsed like this, Prince Lu Chuo may not last until Imperial Physician Song arrives.”

“Impossible!” One Northern Di palace attendant who stayed by Lu Chuo’s side suddenly stood up and shouted in Northern Di. “The Fourth Prince was weak, but the Fourth Prince survived so many attacks before. Why is it that in Sheng Kingdom, the Fourth Prince can’t? You must be trying to harm the Fourth Prince, Your Majesty!”

Before the attendant even finished, the attendant yanked a hairpin free and lunged at Emperor Chong Sheng.

“Imperial Father, be careful!” Sheng Yuan Hao was the first to step in front of Emperor Chong Sheng.

But Sheng Yuan Hao did not need to. Imperial Forest Guard Commander Xie An was highly skilled, and there were so many Sheng officials present that Emperor Chong Sheng was in no real danger.

The palace attendant barely managed two steps before Xie An stopped the palace attendant.

“Dislocate the palace attendant’s jaw. Don’t let the palace attendant die!” Emperor Chong Sheng ordered.

But it was still too late. Since the palace attendant dared to do this, the palace attendant had already decided to die. The palace attendant had likely swallowed poison beforehand.

Sure enough, as soon as Xie An dislocated the attendant’s jaw, black blood poured from the attendant’s mouth. The attendant’s neck went limp, and the attendant collapsed.

“Bastard!” Emperor Chong Sheng roared.

This was such a crude setup. That palace attendant had to be the one who poisoned Lu Chuo, but now the attendant was dead, and the attendant’s last shout had been loud enough for everyone to hear.

The dirty water had been thrown straight onto Sheng Kingdom’s head.

Unless- unless Lu Chuo did not die.

But was that possible?

When Imperial Physician Jiang came out of the tent earlier, Imperial Physician Jiang had lifted the flap. Everyone had seen Lu Chuo’s face. Lu Chuo was blue-purple and gray with death.

Hu Shu Xie and Jin Ri Xu charged into the tent.

Lu Chuo lay there, lips trembling, unable to say even one full word.

Inside and outside the drill ground, everything went dead silent.

Then, at that moment, a clear voice like metal and stone rang out from behind the officials. “Imperial Father! This child may have a way to save Prince Lu Chuo.”

What?

Imperial Physician Jiang, still kneeling on the ground, looked up in shock.

Qi Shu Xian also stared at the speaker in disbelief.

Sheng Zhi Wan stepped forward slowly. Sheng Zhi Wan folded her hands together and gave Emperor Chong Sheng a deep salute. “I beg Imperial Father to allow this child to try.”

Emperor Chong Sheng stared at the person kneeling before him, stunned. “Qing Ning? Do you know what you are saying?”

“This child knew.” Sheng Zhi Wan lifted her eyes and pleaded again. “This child was weak since childhood. After being ill for so long, this child learned a little medicine. After marrying into the Duke manor, for the sake of Mother-in-law Madam Cui’s illness, this child also read many medical books…”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Prince Lu Chuo’s symptoms matched exactly what this child saw in a medical book.”

“Nonsense!” Emperor Chong Sheng barked.

Qi Shu Xian hurried to kneel beside Sheng Zhi Wan. “Your Majesty, please forgive her. Zhi Wan only spoke in panic.”

Qi Shu Xian lowered his voice to Sheng Zhi Wan. “Do not be reckless. That is Northern Di’s prince. Even the imperial physicians have no solution. You only read a few books and now you want to copy words from a page and try it?”

Qi Shu Xian reached out as if to pull Sheng Zhi Wan back to beg for mercy.

But Sheng Zhi Wan shook Qi Shu Xian off. Sheng Zhi Wan raised her eyes and stared straight at Emperor Chong Sheng. “Imperial Father, if this child fails to save Prince Lu Chuo, this child is willing to repay it with my life!”

“Zhi Wan?!” Qi Shu Xian’s face changed.

In the crowd, Shang Xing Yu also clenched his fist.

Qi Shu Xian panicked. “Zhi Wan… it was my fault. Don’t do this, alright? Don’t make a scene.”

Even if Sheng Zhi Wan understood a little medicine, Sheng Zhi Wan could never be better than several imperial physicians. Qi Shu Xian was sure Sheng Zhi Wan was doing this because Sheng Zhi Wan hated that Qi Shu Xian gave the red fox to Meng Yang, and Sheng Zhi Wan wanted to scare him.

But the imperial court was not like the inner household. And right now, Sheng Kingdom truly needed someone with the right status to take responsibility for Lu Chuo’s death.

The thought made Qi Shu Xian even more terrified as Qi Shu Xian looked at Sheng Zhi Wan.

Sheng Zhi Wan only smiled.

Making a scene? Sheng Zhi Wan had long stopped fighting with Qi Shu Xian. It was only Qi Shu Xian who had not noticed.

“Imperial Father, please let this child try!” Sheng Zhi Wan bowed again, hands folded.

Qi Shu Xian reached out to stop Sheng Zhi Wan.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not even look at Qi Shu Xian.

Emperor Chong Sheng’s expression turned complex. “Qing Ning, do you truly have a way? Do you know what you will face if you cannot save Prince Lu Chuo?”

Even if Emperor Chong Sheng tried to stop it as her Imperial Father, against Northern Di there would still be countless court officials who would demand that Sheng Zhi Wan be handed over.

Emperor Chong Sheng truly needed someone of proper status to help divert Northern Di’s rage.

Emperor Chong Sheng just did not expect that the one brave enough to step forward would be Sheng Zhi Wan.

People said daughters resembled their fathers. Emperor Chong Sheng gave a cold laugh. She truly was that person’s daughter. Even her temper looked like his.

“This child knew.” Sheng Zhi Wan said, “But this child also has one request. If this child can save Prince Lu Chuo’s life, I beg Imperial Father to agree to this child’s request.”

Emperor Chong Sheng looked down at Sheng Zhi Wan and did not take it too seriously. “Fine. As long as it does not harm the state and the commoner, I will agree.”