These imperial physicians were all highly respected practitioners from the Imperial Hospital, and they were not entirely unaware of the Emperor's condition. However, they were unable to find a solution at the moment, which caused them to panic.
Now that they had calmed down, the eldest among them slowly knelt and spoke in a low voice.
"Your Majesty has been drugged again. It is a medicine that dissolves male function, which is why Your Majesty... why..."
The imperial physician dared not continue. However, Shangguan Yao already understood the general meaning. Killing intent erupted instantly, and he unleashed a punch.
The gauze curtain lifted, swaying gently. The palm wind struck like a heavy hammer, leaving another scene of devastation wherever it landed. The imperial chamber could only be described as indescribably tragic.
On the ground, the imperial physicians knelt, striving to maintain their composure. Their bodies were faintly visible in the palace lanterns, trembling uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, the woman on the large bed finally, and belatedly, understood what had happened. Her beautiful eyes met the Emperor's in disbelief. One jade hand instinctively covered her mouth, preventing her from making any sound.
Despite this, Shangguan Yao's wolf-like eyes shot towards her, fiercely locked onto her, a fleeting killing intent flashing within them.
He said in a cold, thin voice, "Guards, throw Concubine Liu into the lake."
Cold and ruthless. Moments ago, she had been embraced in his arms, warm and soft as jade. Now, he turned his face away without a trace of affection.
The imperial family is truly the most ruthless. The woman, beautiful as a flower, on the bed turned deathly pale, her pupils dilating. To her dying moment, she could not comprehend what she had done wrong to suffer such a disaster.
She had thought she was flying high to become a phoenix, but in a single thought, her fate turned for the worse. She had ended up with a tragic life, and could no longer suppress her pleas.
"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!"
Alas, in the vast imperial chamber, the wind howled, the palace lanterns burned, and a deathly silence prevailed. Who dared to say another word?
With their own lives at stake, who would dare to plead for her?
Wolf-like imperial guards rushed in, disregarding the concubine's state of undress. They quickly seized Concubine Liu, who was desperately clinging to the thin silk quilt, and within moments, they retreated from the imperial chamber.
Within the imperial chamber, everyone was sweating cold, their hearts filled only with dread. Who would be next?
However, Shangguan Yao was not in a hurry to punish others. He slightly raised his eyebrows, contemplating when he had been drugged. This had never happened before.
His every aspect of life, from food and clothing to his daily movements, was managed by his personal eunuch, Xiao Tingzi. For years, nothing had gone wrong. If there was anything different today...
A cold glint flashed in Shangguan Yao's pupils. Could it be that Concubine Zhao had tampered with things?
Today, she had been admiring flowers in the Imperial Garden, deliberately arranged to "accidentally" meet him, and then lured him to Zhongde Palace. It was in Zhongde Palace that he had drunk a cup of Yunshe tea, which led to this situation.
Shangguan Yao thought back and forth, his face turning dark and chilling. He coldly commanded to the side.
"Xiao Tingzi, immediately take people to Zhongde Palace, confine that Concubine Zhao to the cold palace, and interrogate her rigorously to find out who ordered her to harm me."
Never did they expect that the second unfortunate one would be Concubine Zhao. The imperial physicians immediately guessed that the Emperor's incident must have been related to Concubine Zhao.
They never imagined that a mere concubine would be so audacious and daring as to drug the Emperor. With the Emperor currently without heirs, her actions were not only self-destructive but deserved the annihilation of her entire clan.
Xiao Tingzi received the order and flashed out of the imperial chamber, leading a group of guards waiting outside the palace doors, heading straight for Zhongde Palace.
Inside the chamber, Shangguan Yao stared grimly at the kneeling imperial physicians and spoke in a cold tone.
"I order you to devise a solution as soon as possible. And regarding today's events, if they are leaked?"
He didn't finish his sentence, but they all understood. The Emperor, the Son of Heaven, would lose face if such a matter were to spread – a majestic emperor suffering from impotence.
This was unbearable for ordinary men, let alone the young and handsome Emperor. It was precisely for this reason that the Emperor had Concubine Liu thrown into the lake, not wanting a woman to look at him with peculiar eyes. How noble was he?
"Yes, your subjects obey your command." They knew this implicitly. Who would dare to leak it? Their priority now was to quickly find a way to resolve the Emperor's trouble, or they would surely invite disaster upon themselves.
The next day, the entire Imperial Palace was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere. The events of the previous night were known to all the consorts in the various palaces.
Although they did not understand the full details, the Emperor's furious rage had struck terror into everyone. With two consorts punished consecutively, Concubine Liu was directly thrown into the lake, and Concubine Zhao was confined to the cold palace.
This was the first time the new Emperor had been so brutal since his ascension, and he had punished women. In the vast palace, everyone was cautious and vigilant, fearing they would be next.
Even Consort De and Consort Shu dared not act rashly. They secretly sent people to Jingfu Palace to inquire about what had happened last night, but they could not obtain any information.
In Changxin Palace, the Empress Dowager, upon hearing the report from the head eunuch Lin An, displayed a heavy cloud of suspicion on her exquisitely beautiful face. Her peach blossom eyes narrowed, a dark gleam flashing within them.
What exactly happened last night? she murmured, her lips parting slightly.
"Lin An, immediately bring Zhang Zhaode from the Imperial Hospital to me in secret."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Lin An respectfully accepted the order, then flashed out to summon Zhang Zhaode. The chief imperial physician was still someone the Empress Dowager had personally promoted.
In the main hall, incense wafted. The Empress Dowager slightly raised her eyebrows, recalling the events of the past two days in the palace. The shimmering lights were complex, and it seemed an unsettling factor lurked in the shadows. What could it be? Her pupils were as black as lacquer, shining with a bright gleam.
At the palace doors, a person rushed in, a young eunuch on duty at Changxin Palace.
"Reporting to Her Highness the Empress Dowager, Consort De has come to pay her respects."
"Announce her presence," the Empress Dowager's charming face darkened instantly, her lips pursed tightly, exuding a chilling aura. She waved her delicate fingers.
The young eunuch accepted the order and quickly retreated. Soon, at the palace doors, a graceful and delicate figure emerged, followed by several richly dressed palace maids.
However, the person leading the way raised her hand to stop the maids behind her from entering as soon as she stepped in. Those individuals retreated in an orderly fashion, guarding the palace doors.
Consort De, Ye Suxue, with a light, charming smile, slowly entered the main hall and respectfully paid her respects to the Empress Dowager.
"This consort pays her respects to Mother Empress."
The Empress Dowager appraised her calmly, remaining silent for a long time, allowing her to maintain a certain angle of standing while she leisurely sipped her tea.
Sometimes, even though she was her niece, she could not break the rules.
In this palace, with her here, no one was allowed to climb higher. And she still dared to make small moves behind her back. This was merely a minor punishment.
If she did not realize her mistake, then next time, she would make her understand what she had lost. Compared to her niece before her, she thought that
Consort Xian, Ye Yuyun, was more suited to be the Empress – enduring, far-sighted, and always reporting to her before doing anything, which pleased her.
"You may rise."
Ye Suxue's heart trembled, her eyebrows twitched. Unease enveloped her entire being. Her aunt's tone was very cold and frigid. What had she done to displease her?
"Thank you, Mother Empress."