AUBTN -Chapter 267 The Young Emperor’s Poisoning

But she was, after all, an old fox who had survived years of struggle in the harem. She knew very well that this was absolutely not the time to turn hostile.

She forcibly swallowed down her anger and suppressed the murderous intent rising in her heart.

“Fine. This dowager would like to see what abilities you all truly have!”

The Empress Dowager spoke coldly, her voice carrying a bone-deep arrogance.

Su Hewan directly ignored the threat in her words and stepped out from behind Shen Jue.

She met the Empress Dowager’s gaze head-on and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

“Your Majesty, this subject needs to immediately examine His Majesty’s condition.”

“His Majesty has been unconscious for many days. The poison has likely already penetrated deep into his internal organs. Every moment of delay adds another layer of danger.”

The Empress Dowager frowned tightly, rubbing her brow in irritation.

“Do you think this dowager doesn’t want that?”

“That old bastard Zhou Wenhai, under the excuse of protecting the Dragon Body, has surrounded the Qianqing Palace so tightly it’s impossible to get through!”

“Even this dowager, the Empress Dowager herself, has to be questioned repeatedly just to take a single look at the emperor!”

Shen Jue smiled faintly.

“Since Your Majesty is His Majesty’s biological grandmother, if you truly wish to see the Emperor, would those Imperial Guards really dare to draw their blades against you?”

“Zhou Wenhai is merely placing him under soft confinement; it has not yet come to a complete rupture.”

“Right now, the only one who can openly walk into the Taicheng Palace… is you.”

The Empress Dowager was choked by Shen Jue’s words. Her expression darkened further, but she could not refute him.

She took a deep breath, her mind rapidly calculating countermeasures.

After a moment, she said gloomily, “Not tonight.”

“Tomorrow morning.”

Her gaze fell on Yu Qing and Su Hewan, flickering with calculation.

“Every morning, an imperial physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau, Physician Wang, is ordered to take the Emperor’s pulse.”

“Physician Wang was personally promoted by this dowager; he can still be trusted.”

“Tomorrow morning, I will arrange for someone to let this girl…” The Empress Dowager glanced at Su Hewan with disdain. “…disguise herself as a palace maid and follow Physician Wang in to slip inside.”

Shen Jue smiled at this, looking harmless and gentle.

“She can go, but her safety must be guaranteed.”

The Empress Dowager gave a cold snort, clearly disdainful of Shen Jue’s protectiveness.

“As long as she is not foolish herself, this dowager will naturally ensure her safety.”

The Empress Dowager’s gaze turned sharp again as it swept across Su Hewan and Yu Qing.

She suddenly stood up and walked over to them, looking down at them from above.

“You had better truly be able to cure His Majesty!”

Her voice was very low, but it carried a chilling killing intent.

“This dowager can give you that immunity token, and she can also find a reason to take it back at any time!”

A cruel smile curled at the corner of her lips.

The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.

Shen Jue’s eyes turned sharply cold, and the hand hidden in his sleeve had already quietly grasped his white jade folding fan.

A murderous aura also rose from Lu Yan.

Yet Su Hewan remained unusually calm.

She lowered her head slightly, wearing an extremely gentle and respectful smile.

“Please rest assured, Your Majesty. This subject will do everything within my power and will not fail.”

Both Yu Qing and Su Hewan maintained smiling faces on the surface, as if completely unbothered by the Empress Dowager’s threat.

But in their hearts, they were already cursing loudly.

【That old witch, what are you so arrogant for! Taking back the immunity token? Pah!】

Yu Qing rolled her eyes wildly in her mind.

【If it weren’t for the sake of all living beings (mainly my life and Lu Yan’s), I wouldn’t bother with your rotten mess at all!】

【Once we’ve cured the young emperor, I’m going to rip that fake wig off your head and make you run naked through this palace!】

Although Su Hewan’s inner thoughts weren’t as dramatic as Yu Qing’s, she was still sneering nonstop inside.

【So quick to discard people after use. As expected of royalty—none of them have a heart!】

【In this deep palace of power games, until the very last moment, no one knows who is the hunter and who is the prey.】

Shen Jue and Lu Yan, standing nearby, heard every single thought of these two girls clearly.

Shen Jue’s originally gloomy mood was instantly soothed by Su Hewan’s thoughts.

He slightly raised an eyebrow, the killing intent in his eyes fading away, replaced by a faint, indulgent warmth.

Lu Yan also twitched his lips, barely holding back his laughter.

This living treasure really never loses out, no matter the situation.

“Since Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has made the arrangements, we shall take our leave first.”

Shen Jue didn’t bother looking at the nauseating face of the Empress Dowager anymore. He took Su Hewan’s hand and turned to leave directly.

Lu Yan also scooped up the still-forcing-a-smile Yu Qing and strode after them.

“Don’t be late tomorrow at the hour of the Dragon!”

The Empress Dowager’s furious shout echoed from behind.

The only response she got was the four figures gradually disappearing into the distance.

After leaving Cining Palace, a night wind blew past, and Yu Qing finally realized her back was soaked in cold sweat.

“I’m terrified. That old woman’s gaze could kill!”

Yu Qing patted her chest and let out a long breath.

—

The next day, Su Hewan changed into a pale green palace maid uniform.

She lowered her eyes respectfully, carrying a sandalwood medicine box, following closely behind Imperial Physician Wang from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Outside Taichen Palace, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Layers upon layers of imperial guards stood with halberds in hand, sealing off the entire sleeping palace.

Under the Empress Dowager’s decree, the strict inspection of the guards ultimately still did not dare to stop Imperial Physician Wang by force.

The palace doors were slowly pushed open.

Su Hewan frowned slightly and followed him into the inner chamber.

A golden dragon curtain hung low, blocking most of the light.

The young emperor lay motionless on the large bed.

If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, he would look no different from a corpse.

Imperial Physician Wang knelt trembling beside the bed and placed his fingers on the emperor’s pulse.

Taking advantage of handing over the medicine box, Su Hewan subtly stepped half a pace forward.

She appeared to be lowering her head, but in reality, she was carefully observing the young emperor’s face, lip color, and fingernails.

While Imperial Physician Wang turned around to write the pulse report, Su Hewan quietly took the opportunity to check the emperor’s pulse as well!

【Pulse is intermittent!】

【Breathing is extremely weak, but not failure—more like a deep state of dormancy.】

Su Hewan’s pupils contracted slightly. She already had a preliminary conclusion in her mind!

Two hours later, Su Hewan finally returned from the palace.

In the study of the Yu Garden.

She picked up a cup of hot tea and took a sip.

“Slow down!” Shen Jue gently wiped the water from the corner of her lips.

Yu Qing was so anxious she was practically pacing in circles around Su Hewan.

“Come on, hurry up and tell us! What exactly is the poison in the young emperor’s body?”

Su Hewan shook her head.

“The emperor hasn’t been poisoned by any ordinary toxin.”

“I suspect this is an extremely rare secret medicine that causes deep unconsciousness—so deep that even breathing and heartbeat become barely perceptible.”

Su Hewan took a deep breath and said word by word:

“But the key point is, this medicine is not immediately lethal in the short term.”

As soon as those words fell, the entire study fell into complete silence.