The Empress and the Crown Prince were not overly worried, but there was always a possibility. What if that medical woman actually discovered something?
Bai Sheng asked a palace maid to bring a white porcelain dish. Under the supervision of all the imperial physicians, she pricked the Emperor's finger with a silver needle.
A drop of vibrant red blood fell onto the pristine white dish, the contrast stark and striking.
"The blood color is very normal, with no signs of poisoning or blackening," remarked an imperial physician, stroking his long beard.
"Indeed, it looks quite normal."
Bai Sheng dipped the silver needle into the blood, testing for poison. The needle did not change color.
The imperial physicians wore expressions of mockery. One directly reprimanded, "We have already examined him countless times, and the Emperor is not poisoned. Now, you puncture the Emperor's royal body with a needle, and the result is still the same?"
"Exactly. I don't know where the Eldest Princess found such a half-baked medical woman, who doesn't even respect us veteran imperial physicians with decades of medical practice."
Bai Sheng paid no mind to the imperial physicians' arrogance born of seniority. After a moment of thought, she called out loudly, "Please, all imperial physicians, follow this commoner outside for a moment!"
Having spoken, Bai Sheng walked out of the hall, carrying the white dish containing the Emperor's blood.
The sunlight outside was bright. Bai Sheng placed the Emperor's blood under the sun, and the vibrant red blood surprisingly emitted a faint green glow!
"Do all you imperial physicians see? The Emperor's blood has turned green! This is a clear sign of being poisoned by a strange toxin!" Bai Sheng deliberately raised her voice.
"It is indeed green!"
The imperial physicians were all greatly astonished. What kind of poison was this? It couldn't be detected by a silver needle, and upon exposure to sunlight, it emitted a green light.
Upon hearing Bai Sheng's words, those waiting outside the hall all stepped forward to watch.
"It really is green; this is certainly not normal blood!"
"My heavens! Someone has poisoned the Emperor?"
"What kind of poison is this? Doesn't blood turn black after being poisoned? Why is it green?"
The Empress and the Crown Prince's expressions shifted slightly. After exchanging glances, they quickly regained their composure. Even if the Eldest Princess found out the Emperor was poisoned, they wouldn't know who administered it. Moreover, the poison was extremely potent, corroding the internal organs, and the Emperor did not have many days left.
Therefore, they would let the Eldest Princess go through the motions. No matter how she struggled, the final outcome would be the same.
The Empress feigned immense anger and sternly ordered, "Someone has poisoned the Emperor! The Minister of the Grand Court of Revision, immediately investigate this case thoroughly!"
The officials of the Grand Court of Revision received the order and began questioning the palace maids and eunuchs serving the Emperor one by one.
The Eldest Princess glanced at the Empress, her gaze unreadable. She turned to Bai Sheng and asked, "Medical woman, can the poison in my father the Emperor's body be completely cleared?"
Bai Sheng raised her voice, "This poison is very peculiar and extremely potent. The Emperor did not expel the poison immediately after being poisoned, and its toxicity has spread throughout his body. Even if this commoner detoxifies him immediately, I fear… it can only buy the Emperor some more time."
Bai Sheng actually had the ability to completely cure the Emperor. However, she did not wish for the Emperor to live. He was partly responsible for the injustice against the Baili family years ago, and with the Emperor in power, they could never overturn the verdict.
Thus, she decided to follow the Eldest Princess's arrangement, only allowing the Emperor to regain consciousness for two days. Afterward, she would wash her hands of the matter.
The Crown Prince's lips curved imperceptibly. He exchanged a look with the Empress.
Let their father live a few more days; he would surely die before the Ten Thousand Dynasties Assembly anyway.
The Eldest Princess's gaze flickered as she looked at Bai Sheng, tears welling up. She cried out loudly, "Then, please, medical woman, do everything you can to save my father the Emperor's life!"
"Yes, Eldest Princess!" Bai Sheng replied respectfully.
Bai Sheng had eunuchs bring a large bathing tub, filled with a concoction for inducing sweat. After pouring in hot water, she immersed the Emperor in it.
Eunuchs continuously scrubbed the Emperor's body with wet towels until his skin turned red.
The toxins in the body would be partially expelled through sweat.
When no one was paying attention, Bai Sheng secretly placed a detoxification pill into the Emperor's mouth. This pill contained extremely fine蛊 worms, which could slowly penetrate the Emperor's body and absorb the toxins.
In the afternoon, the Emperor finally regained consciousness, and his mental state was quite good.
Upon seeing this, the Empress and the Crown Prince cast venomous glances at Bai Sheng. However, the Empress told the Crown Prince not to act rashly for the time being, and to wait two more days. She believed that Black-faced Fox would not lie to her; once Wu Ying Zhen was consumed, there was no possibility of rescue.
Moreover, the medical woman herself had said that the Emperor's internal organs were severely damaged, and there was no possibility of a complete recovery.
The Eldest Princess immediately went to visit the Emperor and whispered something to him.
As the medical woman who treated the Emperor, Bai Sheng was kept in the palace by the Eldest Princess. Therefore, she personally witnessed the Emperor tremble all over with rage and shout loudly after his private conversation with the Eldest Princess, then suddenly vomit a mouthful of blood.
Following this, the Emperor issued a very strange decree, ordering all consorts who had given birth or were currently pregnant to bring their children to see him. These consorts naturally included the Empress and Consort Mei, and even Consort Yu.
He then ordered Prime Minister Dong, Censor Yan, the Minister of the Grand Court of Revision, the General who Pacified the Nation, and five or six esteemed marquises from the court to all come to his sleeping quarters.
The First Prince and the First Prince's eldest son also arrived, pushing a wheelchair. Seated in the wheelchair was a person wearing a veiled hat.
When Bai Sheng saw the woman in the wheelchair, her heart skipped a beat. Her intuition told her that this woman was also closely related to the Emperor.
Then, the Emperor further commanded the Commander of the Imperial Guards to lead thousands of imperial guards to form a formation outside the main gate, prohibiting anyone from entering.
The Empress and the Crown Prince did not understand what was happening, their expressions showing a hint of panic.
The other consorts were also extremely nervous.
Bai Sheng, Consort Mei, and Prince Yu exchanged glances, all of them confused as to why the Emperor was suddenly making such a move.
Zuo Ye, standing outside the hall as a "guard," gripped his saber, prepared to rush in at any moment.
When everyone had assembled, the Emperor first coughed a few times, then said sternly, "I have summoned all my esteemed officials here today to bear witness. From this moment on, I shall abdicate the throne to the First Imperial Grandson, Xia Hongqian!"
What!!!
The Emperor was suddenly going to abdicate the throne to Xia Hongqian?
Everyone present thought they had misheard, their faces filled with disbelief.
The Empress and the Crown Prince's expressions changed drastically. The Empress immediately stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and said with great anguish, "Your Majesty? Why is this? Xian'er has been governing diligently and has performed admirably during this period, committing no misdeeds. Why would you depose him as Crown Prince without any warning and replace him with a庶子 of humble origin?"
The Emperor's face turned ashen with anger upon hearing the Empress's words. He suddenly grabbed an inkstone and threw it at the Empress, shouting, "Bitch! How dare you ask why? Don't you know yourself?!"