"Your Majesty is beyond saving?" Eunuch Wan asked incredulously. If His Majesty was beyond saving, wouldn't the Prince of Chu make a move?
"I will do my utmost to stabilize His Majesty's condition. With Wan Du Zi gone, perhaps the one from Medicine King Valley can help," Xiao Qin said slowly. "This is our only chance."
The Prince of Chu heard this and commanded, "Guards, immediately go to Medicine King Valley and invite the divine physician Ye Qingti into the palace. By any means necessary, bring the divine physician here to examine Father Emperor."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Your Highness, this matter should not be widely publicized, lest the news leak and cause unrest in the court. A swift journey to Medicine King Valley and back from the imperial capital takes no more than three days by fast horse. Within three days, I can hold on." Xiao Qin advised, "As long as Your Highness can find the divine physician within three days, His Majesty might be saved."
"Three days? No, if it's three days, General Ran will be besieging the city!" the Prince of Chu frowned. "Father Emperor contacts General Ran every fifteen days. Once contact is lost, General Ran will lead the Divine Capital Battalion to stage a rebellion, and then besiege the city. At that time, the imperial capital will be in danger."
Xiao Qin frowned. "His Majesty needs to be saved, and General Ran must be stopped. Can General Ran be told the truth?"
"He will not believe it. Ever since the Xiao siblings rebelled, Father Emperor has been deeply disgusted by betrayal. He gave Ran Sheng a death order. Not only will we be unable to save him, but the entire city will be implicated."
Xiao Qin pondered for a moment. "If we can trap General Ran within the imperial capital, can we resolve the immediate crisis?"
"Trap Ran Sheng within the imperial capital?" A glint flashed in the Prince of Chu's eyes, quickly concealed before anyone could notice. He then said worriedly, "Ran Sheng possesses formidable martial arts skills and is a cautious man. It will not be easy to trap him. If not handled carefully, it might even provoke Ran Sheng."
"Therefore, we need someone whom General Ran absolutely trusts to cooperate with us," Xiao Qin said slowly.
The Prince of Chu nodded. "If such a person cooperates, we can indeed buy ourselves significant time. Once Father Emperor awakens, this matter can be easily explained."
"But who is this person that General Ran absolutely trusts?" Xiao Qin inquired.
The Prince of Chu's gaze fell upon Eunuch Wan. Eunuch Wan was also pondering this question. If General Ran were to be apprehended, and something were to happen in the palace, His Majesty would be left isolated and helpless. But if the Prince of Chu harbored no ill intentions, and General Ran were to lead an army to besiege the city, thus endangering His Majesty's life, that would be a grave sin!
Just as Eunuch Wan was about to object, he saw both the Prince of Chu and Xiao Qin looking at him. He trembled. "Why are you both looking at me?"
"Eunuch Wan, you are His Majesty's personal attendant, and you are loyal to him. If there is anyone Ran Sheng would not suspect, it is you," the Prince of Chu said gently and persuasively. "If you were to invite Ran Sheng into the palace, and then detain him, once our people bring the divine physician back and awaken Father Emperor, we can release him."
"This… this is not appropriate…"
"Eunuch Wan, consider this carefully. In three days, it is the appointed time for Ran Sheng to meet Father Emperor. And Father Emperor has been ill for a long time, not attending court for days. Ran Sheng must know this. If we do not resort to this stratagem, in three days, Ran Sheng will lead his men to besiege the city. My own life is of little consequence, but if it endangers Father Emperor's life, that is a major issue!"
Eunuch Wan was wavering. Indeed, His Majesty's life was paramount. Among two evils, one must choose the lesser. Preserving His Majesty's life was the priority. If Ran Sheng's siege were to endanger His Majesty's life, it would be his fault.
"Your Highness, I do not interact much with General Ran, and I may not be able to gain his trust," Eunuch Wan explained. Ran Sheng might not believe him. Moreover, from his interactions with Ran Sheng, he knew Ran Sheng to be very cautious, especially after the incident with Xiao Man's defection. Ran Sheng might not trust anyone wholeheartedly!
"Eunuch, you can use His Majesty's name to summon Ran Sheng into the palace."
"You want me to forge an imperial decree!" Eunuch Wan's voice rose. "No, absolutely not. Forging an imperial decree is a capital offense!"
"Eunuch Wan, this is for the sake of saving Father Emperor. It is merely a temporary measure. Even if Father Emperor were to know, he would not blame you," the Prince of Chu persuaded. This matter could only be handled by Wan Quan without a hitch. Anyone else would arouse Ran Sheng's suspicion.
"No, absolutely not. Forging an imperial decree is unacceptable!"
"Eunuch Wan, you are a righteous man. This is a time of crisis. Will you adhere to your principles and watch Father Emperor die without treatment, or will you take a gamble and fight for a way out for Father Emperor?"
Eunuch Wan appeared conflicted, his brows furrowed. He was in a predicament and had to choose a path.
"Must it be this way?"
"It must be this way, Eunuch. Make your decision quickly. My men are already on their way to Medicine King Valley to find the divine physician. As long as we find the divine physician, Father Emperor can be saved. The prerequisite is that we can stabilize the situation in the imperial capital until the divine physician returns." The Prince of Chu appealed to his emotions and reason, attempting to persuade Eunuch Wan.
Eunuch Wan was very distressed. Although he was shrewd, in such a situation, he felt lost. His gaze drifted to the emperor lying on the bed. Having served the emperor for so many years, the emperor was not just his master, but also his family.
"Fine. For His Majesty, I shall transgress this once!" Eunuch Wan walked to the emperor's bedside, knelt, and kowtowed. "Your Majesty, I will have to borrow your oral decree to summon General Ran into the palace and buy time for His Highness. As long as the divine physician is found, you will be saved. When you wake, I will certainly confess and beg for punishment."
"Eunuch Wan, do not worry. Father Emperor will not blame you. Not only will he not blame you, he will reward you," the Prince of Chu helped him up. "The immediate priority is to find a way to detain General Ran, the sooner the better. If it is too late, there may be unforeseen circumstances."
Eunuch Wan nodded. "I will personally go to General Ran's residence."
"Thank you, Eunuch."
"While I am away, Mr. Xiao, His Majesty is entrusted to you." Eunuch Wan called for Fu An. "Fu An, you will assist Mr. Xiao and take good care of His Majesty."
"Yes, Eunuch."
The Prince of Chu immediately had Eunuch Wan escorted out of the palace and remained in Chengqian Palace to attend to the emperor.
Since Eunuch Wan was the emperor's personal attendant, a public departure would attract considerable attention. Therefore, Eunuch Wan disguised himself and left the imperial palace through the usual channel for palace requisitions.
As evening approached, the common people hurried home to have dinner with their families. The streets were bustling with people in a hurry.
Eunuch Wan, dressed in plain clothes, was accompanied by a guard. This guard was from the palace guard and was responsible for Eunuch Wan's safety. Eunuch Wan had chosen this man himself; he dared not use anyone from the Prince of Chu's faction. Even at this point, he did not fully trust the Prince of Chu.