The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 34
Qiu Jingxiu knew that Qiu Jingming was not very intelligent, but he didn’t expect that Qiu Jingming would still be so stubborn at this point.
Qiu Jingxiu squatted on the ground, looking at Qiu Jingming who was choking on blood while speaking. He suddenly let out a deep sigh.
“Your Majesty,” he said, “I suppose I now believe what you said.”
“Cough, cough, cough…” Qiu Jingming was gasping for breath due to choking on blood, but still had to muster the energy to respond to Qiu Jingxiu’s words.
“What did you say?”
Qiu Jingxiu gazed at him and shook his head.
“Considering your personality, I would never have imagined you could come up with such a scheme to poison a comb to secretly harm me.”
“Of course not,” Qiu Jingming replied smugly.
When he realized that Qiu Jingxiu was subtly implying that he was not very clever, Qiu Jingming was not only enraged but also shouted:
“Are you indirectly insulting me again?!”
“I’m not,” Qiu Jingxiu said innocently.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
“Stop coughing,” Qiu Jingxiu sighed, patting his elder brother’s head and speaking softly, “I’ll convey your message to Father Emperor.”
He said, “Even if you become foolish, I will come to see you often.”
When Qiu Jingxiu left, Qiu Jingming did not make a sound. Only after Qiu Jingxiu’s voice had faded away from the cell did he exhale deeply and murmur almost inaudibly:
“…It’s a deal.”
When Qiu Jingxiu returned to the Puxiang Hall, Qiu Junyao had not yet returned.
Since Qiu Jingxiu was still young, the day’s exertions had made him somewhat tired. After having an early dinner, he obediently climbed into bed.
Yin Yuan knew that Qiu Jingxiu was usually very attached to Qiu Junyao. Seeing him eat dinner and go to bed without waiting for Qiu Junyao was somewhat unusual, but he did not comment on it.
Before closing his eyes, Qiu Jingxiu’s mind was still occupied with the image of Qiu Jingming’s disheveled and grimy face.
He thought that if Qiu Junyao did not release Qiu Jingming soon, he might only see Qiu Jingming’s corpse in three days.
Due to the heavy burden on his mind, Qiu Jingxiu did not sleep soundly.
In the middle of the night, half-asleep and half-awake, Qiu Jingxiu vaguely opened his eyes and saw a faint flicker of candlelight from the outer hall, illuminating his surroundings.
…Father Emperor has returned?!
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Qiu Jingxiu, who had not spent much time alone with Qiu Junyao that day, was suddenly alert and sprang up from bed.
He rubbed his eyes, struggling against drowsiness, and then slowly got out of bed, put on his slippers, and ran out of the inner chamber, calling out:
“Father Emperor! You’re back!”
Usually, when Qiu Junyao heard Qiu Jingxiu call him, he would immediately respond and come over to pick him up.
But this time, despite calling several times, Qiu Junyao did not make a sound.
At that moment, Qiu Junyao was seated in a chair, frowning as he looked at the left vice-minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs who was kneeling in the hall.
“Are you saying that the Crown Prince suddenly developed a high fever tonight for some unknown reason?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the left vice-minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs replied while kneeling and cupping his hands in respect. “When the jailer who delivered the meal discovered it, the Crown Prince was already unconscious with a high fever and could not speak.”
“….” Qiu Junyao stood up and began pacing back and forth in the hall, seemingly deep in thought.
It was not until Qiu Jingxiu approached, hugging Qiu Junyao’s leg and clingingly calling him “Father Emperor,” that Qiu Junyao snapped out of his thoughts, temporarily setting aside his doubts, and bent down to look at Qiu Jingxiu, then picked him up.
While gently patting his back, Qiu Junyao asked softly:
“Did I disturb you?”
“No,” Qiu Jingxiu said, reaching out his chubby little hands to hold onto Qiu Junyao’s neck, his little face resting on Qiu Junyao’s shoulder. His voice was muffled:
“Father Emperor hasn’t come back, and I missed you.”
“……”
Qiu Junyao chuckled with a hint of affection, then sat back down and let Qiu Jingxiu rest in his arms to continue sleeping.
“Since he can’t speak, let the imperial physician take a look at him.”
Qiu Junyao did not really intend to let Qiu Jingming die. However, Qiu Jingming had been stubbornly denying poisoning Qiu Jingxiu while imprisoned, which made Qiu Junyao very angry, so he had not relented in releasing him.
Now that Qiu Jingming seemed to be on the brink of death, Qiu Junyao’s heart softened. While comforting Qiu Jingxiu, he said:
“Go and investigate. Report back to me with any findings.”
“………Yes.”
The left vice-minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs accepted the order but hesitated, appearing reluctant to speak, which caused Qiu Junyao to stop comforting Qiu Jingxiu and look up at him with a puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“………Your Majesty,” the left vice-minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs looked up, glanced at Qiu Jingxiu in Qiu Junyao’s arms, then lowered his gaze again, speaking in a low voice:
“I have something else to report.”
“Speak directly,” Qiu Junyao said, showing some impatience since the official was already allowed in due to matters concerning the princes, “No need to be so hesitant.”
“…….Yes.” Hearing Qiu Junyao speak, the left vice-minister stopped hesitating. He cupped his hands again and spoke louder, looking directly at Qiu Jingxiu:
“I received news today that someone witnessed the Seventh Prince coming down to the dungeons, speaking with the Crown Prince, and feeding him something… After that, the Crown Prince developed a high fever and was on the verge of death.”
“……….” Qiu Junyao paused his patting of Qiu Jingxiu’s back, his expression turning from gentle to serious.
“Are you sure?!”
“What I said is absolutely true,” the left vice-minister affirmed firmly. “If Your Majesty does not believe me, I can summon witnesses to confront them.”
“No need.”
During the conversation between Qiu Junyao and the left vice-minister, Qiu Jingxiu had opened his heavy, sleepy eyes at some point.
“I did go to the dungeons and fed big brother something.”
“May I ask, Seventh Prince, what did you feed the Crown Prince?”
The left vice-minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs, Shu Lin, did not change his expression but instead took on a somewhat interrogative demeanor, as if questioning a criminal:
“Why did the Crown Prince develop a high fever after consuming what you gave him? Why do his symptoms now resemble those of the poison you had before, the elderflower poison?”
“Are you interrogating me?” Qiu Jingxiu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Do you suspect that I also poisoned him?”
“……. I dare not.”
Shu Lin cupped his hands and replied, “Though the Crown Prince is a criminal… His Majesty has said that there are state laws and family rules. If the Seventh Prince has violated the rule by entering the dungeons, I must report it to His Majesty.”
“You…”
“Enough of this argument,” Qiu Junyao interjected calmly, “Even I was unaware that the Seventh Prince had gone to the dungeons. Who did you hear this from?”
Qiu Junyao asked, “Moreover, if Jingxiu had really poisoned Jingming, he would have dismissed the servants. Do you have witnesses?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The left vice-minister, Shu Lin, seemed prepared for this and immediately said, “The Emperor’s attendant, Suo Yu, witnessed the Seventh Prince’s actions and specifically sent someone to report it.”
“Oh?” Qiu Junyao looked down at the trembling attendant Suo Yu, who had been mentioned and was now kneeling, and asked meaningfully, “Did you really see it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, I truly saw it,” Suo Yu, a mere eleven-year-old child, was a small, trembling figure on the ground. Nervously, he stumbled over his words: “It was the Seventh, Seventh… Prince himself who made me feed the Crown Prince the elderflower poison.”
“Your Majesty, although the Seventh Prince was originally the victim, secretly poisoning his own brother is a grave offense. Now that the Crown Prince is suffering from a high fever and is in critical condition, we ask for Your Majesty’s judgment!”
After speaking, Shu Lin knocked his head heavily on the ground with a thud.
Shu Lin and Suo Yu’s statements easily put Qiu Junyao in a difficult position. He had imprisoned Qiu Jingming for secretly harming his brother, and now, if he did not deal with Qiu Jingxiu in the same way, it would appear he was favoring Qiu Jingxiu. However, if he did act, Qiu Junyao felt he might be falling into another trap.
After a moment, Qiu Junyao slowly lifted his eyes, looking at the trembling eunuch Suo Yu on the ground, and then spoke in a deep, authoritative tone:
“Since you are the attendant of the Seventh Prince and witnessed these events…”
Just as it seemed Qiu Junyao was about to believe him, Suo Yu was overjoyed. However, Qiu Junyao suddenly changed his tone and began to judge Suo Yu:
“Not only did you fail to protect your master, but you also reported him as a servant. According to palace rules, this is treason.”
After speaking, Qiu Junyao waved his hand as if annoyed and pressed his temple:
“Take him out and execute him.”
“……… Your Majesty, Your Majesty!!!”
Suo Yu was stunned. He had never expected Qiu Junyao to show such favoritism toward Qiu Jingxiu. When the same situation happened with Qiu Jingming, Qiu Junyao had not treated Suo Yu so leniently.
As Suo Yu was dragged away by the palace staff, he almost began to weep, his voice hoarse:
“Your Majesty, please spare me! Your Majesty!”
Seeing that Qiu Junyao did not deal with Suo Yu like he did with the previous loyal servant of Qiu Jingming, but instead was unusually intent on executing him, Shu Lin could not help but speak:
“Your Majesty, you…”
“Sending Jingxiu to the inner prison was actually my order.”
Qiu Junyao said coldly:
“Are you questioning my decision?”
Seeing Qiu Junyao’s cold face, Shu Lin’s heart sank, and he quickly bowed and apologized: “…I would never dare!!”
“Good.” Qiu Junyao’s tone was indifferent. “As for the matter of Jingxiu poisoning Jingming, we cannot rely on the eunuch’s words alone. I will investigate the truth myself and provide an explanation to the officials.”
After speaking, Qiu Junyao did not give Shu Lin a chance to speak further and issued an eviction order: “You may leave.”
Seeing that Qiu Junyao did not wish to say more, Shu Lin reluctantly agreed with a “Yes,” and exited the Puxiang Hall.
Once Shu Lin had left, Yin Yuan emerged from the inner hall.
He was dressed in a black and gold embroidered phoenix robe, and the waist chain swayed gently with his movements:
“Your Majesty.”
“A-Yang, I have a headache.”
As soon as Yin Yuan approached, Qiu Junyao called him over. When Yin Yuan came near and hugged Qiu Junyao, he softly asked:
“What’s wrong?”
“Ask your son what he did,” Qiu Junyao said, rubbing his temples. “Jingxiu, tell your father honestly, did you really poison your elder brother?”
“Replying to Father Emperor, I did not.”
Qiu Jingxiu, sitting in Qiu Junyao’s arms, firmly shook his head:
“I never poisoned him with elderflower poison.”
“Then why does that eunuch insist he saw you poison Jingming?”
Qiu Junyao actually did not believe Qiu Jingxiu would do something so foolish, but he still could not help but ask.
“Because I suspect Suo Yu has ulterior motives and is using this incident to implicate his own master,” Qiu Jingxiu said:
“I suspect he is connected to the person I saw in the library that day.”
“In the library?” Qiu Junyao asked, puzzled. “Who did you see there?”
“A man with purple eyes and white hair,” Qiu Jingxiu said.
“He gave me a bottle of poison and told me it was elderflower poison.”
He continued, “At first, I hid it under my pillow and later found a few fake poisons to mix with it.”
“But when I later sent Suo Yu to retrieve it, I did not tell him which bottle was the real elderflower poison. Yet, Suo Yu managed to find the real one without asking.”
“Since then, I was sure this person must have another master behind the scenes.”
“And when I was in prison, Brother Jingming repeatedly denied poisoning me, so I suspect the true poisoner is the master behind Suo Yu.”
“……..”
Qiu Junyao had not expected the elderflower poison case to involve a mysterious man with purple eyes and white hair. After hearing Qiu Jingxiu’s speculation, his mind was in turmoil. He felt as if all his thoughts were tangled up, unable to find a clear path forward.
Could it be that Qiu Jingming was truly wronged? Why would someone poison him? And who was the mysterious purple-eyed, white-haired man?
Just as Qiu Junyao was overwhelmed with questions, a young imperial physician rushed in to see him.
The young physician, Xiao Qi, trembled nervously as he approached Qiu Junyao, kneeling with almost frantic urgency. Before Qiu Junyao could speak, he stammered:
“Your Majesty!”
His tone was filled with fear and urgency, and he barely dared to look at Qiu Junyao:
“I am inexperienced. Today, when I examined the Crown Prince, I found that… he is likely… already beyond saving.”
“……..” Hearing this, Qiu Junyao stood up abruptly, his voice rising:
“What did you say?!”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
teliae
i dont really like this manipulative kid, and the mc favoritism is so😫