The news arrived abruptly, and those in the sleeping quarters fell silent for a moment.
Feng Xiwu spoke slowly, "Earlier, when you were weakened by the mushroom poison, I drove away the ministers to prevent them from disturbing your rest."
Emperor Jingyou quietly picked up the conversation, "There was no grand court meeting the day before yesterday. When they came, I summoned them within the sleeping quarters. Then yesterday, the thing that caused your poisoning was sent by Duke Pei. According to their plan, you should be on the verge of death right now."
Lu Qingwan: "So, they were actually certain that both of you were deeply poisoned and were eager to put their new master in place?"
Emperor Jingyou and Feng Xiwu exchanged a look and nodded silently.
Lu Qingwan let out a dry chuckle, "This is truly a wonderful misunderstanding."
Lian Yu asked helplessly, "Then Your Majesty, Your Highness, what do we do now?"
The fact that an inner attendant dared to break protocol and rush to the sleeping quarters to report to Emperor Jingyou meant that the ministers' attitudes would not be good. Delaying was likely not an option.
"If they are so eager for my brother and me to die, then let it be as they wish," Emperor Jingyou's eyes deepened slightly. "I want to see, if both my imperial brother and I fall, what these loyal subjects who shout 'Ten thousand years' to me daily will do?"
Feng Xiwu, understanding the implication, asked Lian Yu, "Are the nine gates of Shangjing well-guarded?"
Lian Yu nodded, "Your Highness, please rest assured. If any local army tries to enter the city, within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the sixty thousand troops of the Heavenly Command will immediately appear outside Shangjing. Furthermore, Marquis Lu has personally taken charge of the Five City Patrols, and the Imperial Guards have been temporarily placed under Marquis Lu's command by imperial decree. If anyone dares to cause trouble amidst the chaos, they will never return."
Feng Xiwu was then relieved, "Then, may I ask the Consort to help His Highness and I put on a good show?"
Meeting Lu Qingwan's confused gaze, he smiled at Emperor Jingyou, "The Consort's medical skills are superb. It shouldn't be difficult to give His Majesty a sign of impending death, should it?"
"Of course, no problem!" Lu Qingwan was eager, "Your Majesty, when do we begin?"
Emperor Jingyou's brow twitched, and he deliberately put on a stern face, "Someone, move the Regent to the side hall first."
Lu Qingwan froze, her eyes instantly turning unfriendly, "Why move him to the side hall?" Her fierce demeanor was like a protective hen, as if she wanted to pounce on Emperor Jingyou.
Emperor Jingyou was startled by her sudden change of expression. Feng Xiwu quickly soothed her, "Don't misunderstand. This is the imperial bed. If His Imperial Brother lies here, they will believe that neither His Highness nor I are capable."
"Oh, oh," Lu Qingwan came to her senses. Indeed, if the emperor was dying, and someone else was lying on the imperial bed, it would look like Feng Xiwu was attempting to usurp the throne, and the play would go off track. She raised her hand and beckoned to Liyang, "Bring the wheelchair, take the Prince to the side hall. I will apply makeup to His Majesty."
"Ap-apply makeup?" Liyang stuttered in shock. Emperor Jingyou silently retreated, moving further and further away from Lu Qingwan.
Lu Qingwan was speechless, "It's just to make His Majesty appear unwell and on his last breath. What are you thinking?"
Liyang darted off to fetch the wheelchair, preparing to make space for Emperor Jingyou. Emperor Jingyou, touching his nose, felt embarrassed. As one of the few recognized wise rulers of his time, Emperor Jingyou felt that he had lost all the dignity he had accumulated in his lifetime over these past few days.
A moment later, Liyang had moved Feng Xiwu to the side hall. Emperor Jingyou lay on the couch, looking sheepishly at Lu Qingwan, "What do you need me to do?"
"No need, Your Majesty. Leave it to your concubine." Lu Qingwan said, taking out silver needles. "To make it more convincing, after these needles are inserted, Your Majesty will truly feel some discomfort, but do not worry. I will then give you another needle, and you will recover."
Emperor Jingyou, having battled wits with those ministers his entire life, knew how cunning they were. Although he felt a twinge of apprehension looking at the glittering silver needles, he gritted his teeth and agreed.
With Emperor Jingyou's permission, Lu Qingwan skillfully inserted several needles. Before long, Emperor Jingyou's face turned pale, devoid of any color. His breathing became rapid and weak.
Just then, an inner attendant hurried in to report, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Prince Ning, Prince Jing, and Prince Chen, along with Duke Xu, Duke Pei, and several other ministers request an audience. Also, Consort Ye requests an audience with the late Empress Dowager's belongings."
Emperor Jingyou's eyes suddenly tightened. He glanced towards the side hall before saying, "Let them in."
The ministers, upon receiving permission, rushed into Weiyang Palace as one. The spacious Weiyang Palace suddenly felt cramped.
"Long live Emperor Wu, long live, long live!"
The ministers bowed in unison. However, Lu Qingwan clearly saw someone impatiently steal a glance at the imperial bed while performing the grand礼.
Emperor Jingyou was also a good actor. Upon hearing the ministers' greetings, he remained silent for a long moment, making everyone anxious. He then coughed "feebly" twice and rasped, "All rise."
Hearing his weak voice, the ministers' expressions were complex. Feng Qingheng exploded upon seeing Lu Qingwan, "Lu Qingwan, why are you here?"
Lu Qingwan thought to herself, 'Of course I have to be here. If I'm not here, how can I watch the show?' But since Emperor Jingyou was acting so sincerely, how could she, a mere subordinate, not play her part? So, she took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes, sobbing, "The Prince had only been in the palace for a short while yesterday when the guards said he had a relapse. I rushed into the palace, only to find the Prince already unconscious. I don't know what poison he was given. The doctors dared not move him carelessly, so I could only attend to him here. Who knew that His Majesty would also be poisoned? And I dared not let anyone else know..." Before she could finish, she began to sob uncontrollably, as if mourning for the brothers Feng Xiwu.
The ministers, having heard the news that Emperor Jingyou and Feng Xiwu were both poisoned and nearing death, had rushed here to secure positions for their new masters. Seeing Lu Qingwan's mournful appearance, they felt reassured. Duke Xu, especially, smugly lectured Lu Qingwan, "Regent Consort, you are foolish! The Regent is poisoned, and His Majesty is poisoned, yet you didn't immediately seek imperial physicians to cure them? How could you conceal it? You have delayed a major matter!"
Lu Qingwan: ... That old rascal, he really knows how to seize an opportunity! However, "The Prince said that with His Majesty already poisoned and the court in chaos, his own relapse would surely spread the news, causing the barbarians of Xiliang and Beiwei to act. The court would also be thrown into turmoil, so he told me to keep it absolutely secret..."
"He told you to keep it secret, but you couldn't just watch His Majesty and the Prince be poisoned and do nothing!" Consort Ye interjected at the opportune moment, "You are still young! In this world, nothing is more important than the lives of His Majesty and the Regent!"