They exchanged glances, and just then, a servant came to report at the door. “Lin Daren, the Ninth Prince is feeling unwell, please hurry over.”
The face of Physician Lin immediately fell.
Everyone knew that the Ninth Prince was the most difficult to serve. Others would come to the Imperial Medical Courtyard or the imperial physician’s place for a consultation, but Zong Hongjiu would always summon the imperial physician to come over, with as much splendor as Emperor Yuan himself.
Before leaving, the imperial physician earnestly advised, “Such excessive eating and drinking is extremely harmful to the body. Next time, Eight Highness, do not eat too hastily. Take breaks while eating and drink some water to moisten and soften the food before continuing.”
After the imperial physician left with his medical box, Zong Ruichen said with an embarrassed face, “Third Brother, it was my fault for eating too hastily. The banquet food was so delicious that I couldn’t help myself.”
Zong Luo said helplessly, “As long as you’re alright.”
However, for some reason, Zong Luo felt as if he had overlooked something.
He pondered in the back hall for a while, then suddenly asked, “Wait, you said Zong Hongjiu came to drink with you just now?”
Zong Ruichen replied, puzzled, “Yes, he came over with Zong Chengsi, saying they were here to drink with Prime Minister Pei and by the way, also to toast the Crown Prince of Wei Country. Since I was sitting next to them, I naturally had to drink along.”
“But earlier, Third Brother, you warned me not to drink, so I just sat in my seat and didn’t move. Zong Hongjiu was there insisting that as a prince, I must drink a cup, almost as if he would force me to drink if I didn’t. It was embarrassing not to drink in the great hall, but in the end, Ye Linghan blocked a cup for me.”
Zong Ruichen had not realized anything was amiss, but as he spoke, his face gradually took on a strange expression, “Third Brother, do you mean…”
It couldn’t just be a coincidence that right after the toast, Zong Hongjiu happened to feel “unwell.”
This was Zong Chengsi’s specialty, previously in Hui Nan Xiaozhu, wasn’t it a case of the ‘thief shouting catch the thief’, self directed and self performed to create a grand play?
(t/n: thief shouting catch the thief-it is used to describe a bad person who deliberately creates chaos, diverts the target, and calls others bad people in order to escape)
Zong Luo had already stood up, “If you’re feeling unwell, just rest here for now. This is the back hall of the imperial physician, and it would be unreasonable for anyone to find fault with you here. Don’t take a step outside.”
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Zong Ruichen quickly nodded.
He hesitated for a moment, then whispered, “Third Brother, if Ye Linghan really helped me block it, then am I—”
“Don’t overthink it, you rest first. Right now, everything is just our speculation. We’ll talk about it when I come back.”
Although Zong Luo said this to Zong Ruichen, he had already made up his mind.
This matter was most likely as he had speculated.
In the grand hall, under the watchful eyes of all, it would certainly not work as it did in his previous life. It had to be done in secret.
Directly drugging someone would be the most foolish method. This self-harm ruse was most likely offered by Zong Chengsi, and the setup was simple. The ones pouring wine were not necessarily all palace servants, and when the ministers were engrossed in conversation, they might even drink directly from the jade pot.
It could only be said that this method was indeed insidious and not presentable. It’s very much like a trick that these two disgusting people could come up with together.
Just as Zong Luo approached the grand hall, he saw a figure staggering out from inside.
It was Ye Linghan.
His face was covered with an abnormal flush, and his pupils seemed to be veiled with a layer of diffused fog, barely maintaining the integrity of his clothes after enduring for who knew how long.
Hot, so hot, as if his entire body was about to be burned to ashes.
In a haze, Ye Linghan finally saw the white figure in the distance.
A voice as refreshing as a spring sounded above his head. “Grab my hand, let’s go!”
As he approached, Zong Luo already heard different sounds coming from the grand hall behind him.
This side door was originally close to the seating area, so he also heard the surprise of Physician Lin.
“The Ninth Highness’s condition, he seems to be drugged,”
“I can’t quite tell, but why does the effect seem a bit like Mantingchun?”
Hearing the last sentence, Zong Luo’s expression completely turned icy.
Mantingchun was the most vile aphrodisiac from Huailiu Street, and just a little bit could make a person burn with desire. If one’s willpower was not extremely strong, they simply wouldn’t be able to endure it.
No wonder in his previous life, Ruichen behaved improperly in front of the emperor, causing Emperor Yuan to show no mercy.
Zong Luo couldn’t care less, seeing that Ye Linghan had not reached out, he directly grabbed him like a chicken, lifted his energy, leaped over the palace wall, and fled into the night.
Sure enough, not long after he left, the joyous laughter and music in the grand hall suddenly stopped.
A prince had been drugged, and with such a filthy drug, it was naturally a big deal.
Moreover, it was on such a joyous occasion. It felt dirty even to speak of it.
Emperor Yuan was immediately furious, “Where are the generals stationed at the palace tonight?”
Moments later, a general in red and white fur entered the hall, stood firm among a sea of kneeling heads, and said with a smile, “Your Majesty, calm your anger, this subject has arrived late.”
Just then, the eunuch counting the number of people in the hall finally came up with the result.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, everyone in the Imperial Garden has been dismissed and accounted for. Only the Eighth Highness, the Third Highness, and the proton from the Wei Country are no longer in the hall.”
