sjar Chapter 1315 Shen Zhinian's Struggle
Chapter 1315 Shen Zhinian's Struggle
Yongshou Palace.
The incense is elegant.
Shen Zhinian was leaning on the soft couch by the window, flipping through the expense book of each palace that had just been presented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The sunlight shines through the light blue curtains and softly falls on her charming face.
Fuqiu walked in lightly and reported, "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Tang is outside, requesting an audience. He said he has something important to discuss."
Shen Zhinian raised his eyes slightly when he heard this.
Tang Luochuan usually wouldn't take the initiative to ask for a meeting unless there was something urgent.
She closed the book and said, "Let him in."
"Yes."
After a moment, Tang Luochuan bowed and went inside.
His expression today seemed even more solemn than usual. Deep within those eyes, which always held a hint of gloom, surged an indescribable complex emotion.
"Your humble servant pays respects to Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine. May Your Majesty be blessed with good health and happiness!"
Tang Luochuan bowed according to etiquette, but his voice was not as steady as usual.
"Doctor Tang, there's no need to be so polite."
Shen Zhinian's eyes fell on him: "What's the matter with you coming here at this time?"
Tang Luochuan did not answer immediately, but raised his eyes to look at the palace maids in the hall.
Shen Zhinian understood and was not surprised by Tang Luochuan's caution.
She nodded slightly and said in a calm voice, "All of you should step back. No one is allowed to approach without being summoned."
"The slaves obey."
The palace maids filed out with their heads lowered, and the heavy palace door was gently closed, leaving only the confidants in the room.
Shen Zhinian looked at Tang Luochuan, his tone still calm, but his expression was a little curious: "You can tell me now."
Tang Luochuan took a deep breath, took a step forward, and lowered his voice to a very low level: "Your Highness, I, your Highness, previously asked me to secretly monitor your Majesty's body. I dare not peek into the sacred body without permission."
"But...but recently, while I was sorting through the ancient medical records of the Imperial Hospital, I accidentally discovered a secret from an extremely obscure fragment of a book from the Western Regions..."
His Adam's apple rolled as he continued, "The fragments record that certain tribes in the Western Regions circulated an extremely sinister secret medicine. It was colorless, odorless, and extremely difficult to detect."
"If a man has long-term contact with it... he may appear vigorous and healthy, with no discomfort, and his pulse is barely abnormal. But... he will gradually become extinct without warning!"
Shen Zhinian's hand holding the teacup suddenly paused.
Tang Luochuan's voice trembled slightly. "It occurred to me that since Baharguli was diagnosed with pregnancy last year, it has been more than half a year, and there has been no news of any concubines in the harem being pregnant."
"Even you, the Imperial Noble Consort, who is favored by the Emperor, are the same..."
After he finished speaking, Tang Luochuan didn't dare to say anything more, but everyone understood what he meant.
Handan and Fuqiu gasped in an instant, the blood drained from their faces, and they looked at each other, seeing shock and horror in each other's eyes!
Your Majesty will gradually become extinct?!
A huge wave also rose in Shen Zhinian's heart!
Even though she was a thoughtful person, she was still shocked by this horrifying possibility!
But after being shocked, Shen Zhinian had a feeling that it was as expected.
Behind Baharguli stood the Prince of Jin, who had long coveted the throne. What better way to shake the foundations of the country and create opportunities for him than to quietly and unknowingly kill off the heirs of an emperor in his prime?
In this way, all the irrationalities seem to have an explanation.
In a split second, countless thoughts flashed through Shen Zhinian's mind...
She, Shen Zhinian, never considers herself a good person and has her own ambitions and selfish desires.
She had been so eager to have a second child, not only out of love for the child, but more importantly to consolidate the emperor's favor and position, and to maximize the future for herself and the Fourth Prince.
But if... if Your Majesty really has no descendants...
Although the imperial doctors did not explicitly say what was wrong with the third prince, anyone with a discerning eye could see that he was not a normal child.
The fifth prince was born weak because of injuries sustained during Concubine Hao's pregnancy and was not expected to live past the age of twenty.
Then the only healthy princes left were her Ah Xu and the sixth prince born to Concubine Xuan.
She is now the vice-empress, and in three years, Axu will become the legitimate son with a high status. The possibility of her ascending the throne in the future will be greatly increased!
It can even avoid the brutal struggle for the throne that occurred during the previous emperor's time.
The temptation brought by this idea is not small...
As long as she pretends not to know...
However, not long after this thought appeared, another strong emotion surged in Shen Zhinian's heart.
She recalled every detail of her nearly three years in the palace.
Nangong Xuanyu, that powerful and overbearing man who was well versed in the mind of an emperor. He might be cold to others, but he was truly partial to and indulgent towards her, Shen Zhinian.
He was an emperor who only cared about his country, but slowly began to love her, giving her endless honor, trust, and even dependence.
He shielded her from both open and hidden attacks, made an exception to elevate the Shen family for her, and had already planned for her to become the queen, silently paving the way for her and clearing away obstacles...
He had never done anything wrong to her.
Yes, she likes power and wealth and longs to be at the top.
But after all, she is not the kind of person who can completely lose her conscience and repay kindness with enmity for the sake of profit.
She couldn't just stand by and watch, or even secretly rejoice, as the man who held her in his hands and planned her future was so viciously plotted against and made his family line extinct.
After a violent swing, the balance in Shen Zhinian's heart finally fell heavily to the other side...
Her eyes gradually became clear and firm, and all the turbulent emotions were quickly suppressed, leaving only calm determination.
Shen Zhinian slowly raised her eyes and looked at Tang Luochuan, who was nervously waiting for her reaction. Her voice was so steady that not a single wave of emotion could be heard: "Doctor Tang, this matter concerns the foundation of the country and the health of His Majesty. It also concerns the country and the people of the Great Zhou. It is no joke."
"I'm asking you, how sure are you? Are the records in the ancient books absolutely true?"
Tang Luochuan lowered his head even further, but his voice was remarkably certain as he replied, "Your Majesty, the ancient book containing this secret medicine is indeed a very old, incomplete, and only copy from the Western Regions. It is hidden in an inconspicuous corner of the Imperial Hospital. If I hadn't been ordered recently to sort out old cases from the previous dynasty, it would have been impossible to find it."
"Your humble servant is fully aware of the gravity of this matter. Without sufficient certainty, I would never venture to speculate, much less to disturb the Imperial Noble Consort with such earth-shattering statements."
At this point, he changed the subject, his tone becoming extremely serious. "The medicinal properties, symptoms, and description of the extinction of descendants recorded on the fragment are all well-documented and logically sound, and don't seem fabricated."
"Moreover, the principles of its use of medicine are very different from those of the Central Plains. They are insidious and tricky, exactly in line with the characteristics of certain secret techniques in the Western Regions."
"After repeated scrutiny and investigation, I can conclude that what is recorded in the ancient books is... undoubtedly true!"