latelenovela Chapter 213 The Art of Witchcraft and Gu
Chapter 213 The Art of Witchcraft and Gu
Three days later, the emperor was moved back to Zhengyuan Palace.
During this period, Prince Zhou Min of Jin worked tirelessly, personally tasting and feeding medicine to the emperor, which won praise from the whole palace.
The virtuous concubine simply closed the palace gates and never left the palace except to attend to the sick. She also refused visits from other concubines.
She also spread the word that she was fasting and chanting Buddhist scriptures every day in the palace, praying for the emperor.
I don’t know whether it was the effect of the imperial physician’s medicine or the sincerity of the virtuous concubine and her son that moved God, but after a few days of taking the medicine, the emperor’s condition finally improved.
Gradually, I was able to sit up.
The emperor looked at Zhou Min's stubbled chin and the dark circles under his eyes, and his heart was filled with emotion. His tone softened a lot, "I feel very tired today. You have been tired for so many days, and you should go back and have a good rest."
Zhou Min's eyes flushed red when he heard this. Although he tried to hold back, his voice still trembled a little, "Father's illness was very severe this time, and I was scared. If you really love me, I will take good care of yourself in the future."
The emperor nodded silently, "Don't worry, I know my own health. I have been suffering from you these days."
Just as Zhou Min was about to leave, he thought of Qin Shu who had been left alone in the back hall for quite some time, so he replied, "Father, during the previous court meeting, your father asked about the planting of new grain in Jin. I was worried that your father would think of this after waking up, so I decided to keep Qin in the palace."
He looked at the emperor and asked softly, "Does the emperor want to summon Qin?"
The emperor said, "Hmm?" "Is Qin still in the palace?"
Zhou Min replied, "Yes, I asked Li Zongguan to find a room for Qin to stay in the palace for a while."
The emperor nodded slightly: This is also a kind of attitude, showing that this son still hopes that his father will get better soon.
Unlike the unfilial son Prince Ning, when he was seriously ill, he was anxious to supervise the government affairs on his behalf, and even sent soldiers from Ningzhou to the southern camp of the capital.
Prince Ning is planning to rebel and force the emperor to abdicate if he cannot become the emperor after his father dies!
The more the emperor thought about it, the angrier he became, and the sadder he felt.
When he looked at Prince Jin again, he felt a little unhappy.
At this moment, there was a commotion outside the palace gate. A young palace servant was running around in panic. The eunuch on duty outside the palace gate grabbed him and shouted angrily, "You little bastard, you are going to die!"
The emperor frowned in displeasure.
Li Dexian saw it and hurried out, lowering his voice and asking, "Who is making a noise here?"
The little palace maid who was running around was shaking all over, kneeling on the ground, trembling, and not saying a word.
Just as Li Dexian was about to open his mouth to reprimand, he heard the emperor's voice coming from inside the palace, "Li Dexian."
Li Dexian shuddered and hurried back to the palace, "I'm here."
"What happened?"
Li Dexian replied, "He is a young child who has just entered the palace and is ignorant. I will have someone take him out and teach him the rules."
The emperor sighed and said, "Forget it, let him in."
Li Dexian waved towards the palace entrance.
The little palace maid came in trembling, crawled on the ground, and shook like a quail that had been caught in the rain.
Li Dexian stepped forward and asked in a friendly manner, "Your Majesty, answer carefully. Why did you run away just now?"
The little palace maid didn't dare to raise her head, and replied in a trembling voice: "Reply, reply to the emperor, I just heard someone say that witchcraft..."
"Wu..." Li Dexian said a word, quickly covered his mouth with his hands, and widened his eyes in shock.
Zhou Min frowned and said, "Witchcraft is simply nonsense. If witchcraft is useful, why would the world need soldiers to guard the country's borders?"
The emperor's face was terribly gloomy, and he asked in a deep voice: "Who is practicing witchcraft in the palace?!"
The little palace maid raised her head and secretly glanced at Zhou Min, then replied in a lower voice, "Changning Palace, Her Majesty the Consort."
"This is impossible!" Zhou Min quickly knelt in front of the emperor and said anxiously: "Father, you know mother best. How could she do such a despicable thing?"
The emperor raised his hand to stop Zhou Min, and said in a voice as light as dust: "Go and find out where the news came from."
The matter was soon clarified.
A maidservant from Changning Palace was taken into the East Warm Pavilion and made to kneel before the emperor.
As soon as the maid knelt down, she told the whole story in detail, "I saw with my own eyes that Aunt Qingli, who was beside the queen, buried a doll under a blossoming tree. There were words written on it, and two steel needles as long as that."
The maid gestured with her hand and said, "I was very scared, so I couldn't help but say a few words to the maids I knew well."
Zhou Min asked angrily, "Have you seen with your own eyes what is written on the puppet?"
The maid looked bewildered. "I don't know how to read... But when I was at home, I heard an aunt from the same village say that if you want to harm someone, you can make a doll, write the person's date of birth and bury it under a tree. In just one month, then..."
"How outrageous!" Li Dexian quickly stopped the little palace maid and glanced at the emperor.
The emperor slowly sat up and handed his hand to Li Dexian, "Go to Changning Palace."
Li Dexian quickly supported the emperor and said, "Go!"
Zhou Min knelt down a few steps and pleaded, "Father! These days, my mother has been going to Zhengyuan Palace to serve the emperor every other day. My mother once told me that my father was not feeling well. She was worried day and night, and she ate vegetarian food and worshipped Buddha in the palace to pray for my father. Father..."
Is it to be a vegetarian and worship Buddha?
Or is it witchcraft?
It means "fulfilling one's filial piety and responsibilities".
Or tight control?
OK!
that's nice!
All of them are hoping for his death so that they can sit on the throne in his place, right?
The emperor was so angry that his face turned blue. He took two trembling steps, and his chest felt stuffy. A golden light flashed before his eyes. He let out a "wow" and a mouthful of blood spurted out.
Li Dexian screamed, "Your Majesty?"
Zhou Min also jumped up and stepped forward to support the emperor, "Father! Quick, call the imperial physician!"
The emperor shook Zhou Min off with all his strength, closed his eyes and relaxed, then gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "I am not going to die yet! Let's go to Changning Palace!"
The emperor's sedan chair arrived at the gate of Changning Palace.
The gate of Changning Palace was closed tightly. After knocking for a long time, a palace servant came to open the gate.
The emperor was furious. He stepped forward and kicked the palace maid to the ground, then strode in.
Some palace servants tried to report the incident in a panic, but were restrained by the eunuchs around the emperor and pinned to the ground.
Qingli, the maid in charge of Changning Palace, came out upon hearing the noise. She was about to open her mouth to reprimand, but when she saw the emperor suddenly arrive, Li Dexian signaled her to be quiet with his eyes. She had no choice but to kneel at the door of the palace and watch the emperor enter the inner hall.
There is a small Buddhist hall in the inner hall.
As soon as the emperor entered the hall, he saw that there was no one inside, so he walked towards the small Buddhist temple as if he was familiar with the place.
Just as I walked to the door of the Buddhist temple, I suddenly heard the virtuous concubine whispering from inside, "I, Xiao Wenwan, am willing to exchange ten years of my life for the health of your majesty... Bodhisattva, bless my husband, and may he get better soon."
By the end of his speech, his voice was choked with sobs.
The emperor's eyes suddenly became moist.
However, the emperor had seen too many little dramas among the harem people competing for favor, so he was skeptical about what Concubine Xian said.
Although he was somewhat moved, it was still not as shocking and infuriating as when he suddenly heard that Concubine Xian was practicing witchcraft.
The emperor had a gloomy face and raised his hand to push open the door of the small Buddhist hall.