Chapter 1145: Chapter 981: To See Gu Shaoqing
"What? So stringent?" The Crown Prince frowned deeply. From here to the Da Xing Border, even with a fast horse, it wouldnāt take much time.
But that tribe is extremely remote, and the round trip would surely take more than half a month.
Moreover, Father canāt wait until then; thinking about it now is futile.
"Is there no other solution?" The Crown Prince looked at the Emperor on the dragon bed, whose breathing had stabilized, with a mournful expression, full of sorrow.
Doctor Liu seemed to have something to say but hesitated, then sighed and shook his head.
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, "Why does this doctor hesitate? The Emperor is the ruler of a nation, a matter of great importance; I ask the doctor to put aside any concerns and prioritize His Majestyās safety."
The doctor seemed like he had something to say earlier but hesitated. From his perspective, the doctor must have some way, just having concerns.
Doctor Liu furrowed his brows lightly, "Your Highness! If I had a way, I would definitely report it to Your Highness. But at this time, I am at a loss. I beg Your Highness for forgiveness."
Doctor Liu thought about it but decided not to implicate others; that person might not even have the antidote.
Hearing this, the Crown Prince felt immense sorrow, "Is there truly no other way? Father!"
As the Crown Prince approached the bed, he suddenly noticed the Emperorās eyelids moving, seemingly showing signs of awakening.
"Father?" The Crown Prince was overjoyed, grasping the Emperorās hand tightly, not taking his eyes off him.
"Uh..." The Emperor felt as if his eyelids weighed a thousand pounds, a shadow flickering before his eyes.
"Father?"
A voice urgent and insistent reached his ears; was someone calling him?
"Quick! Quickly, come and see, Father should be waking, but why doesnāt he respond to my call?" The Crown Prince, anxious, addressed Doctor Liu.
Director Zhang initially intended to approach, but since His Highness was addressing Doctor Liu, he stopped in his tracks.
"Your Highness, please be at ease, allow me to examine further." Doctor Liu stepped forward, carefully examining the Emperorās face, then produced a silver needle, inserting it into the Emperorās Sibai point.
His expression was grave, "The Emperor is waking; let him quickly settle matters. The condition is worse than I expected; he likely wonāt endure for two days."
Those present were astounded, while Doctor Zhang glared at Doctor Liu, "If not for you, the Emperor could have endured a few more days."
Doctor Liu didnāt turn back, merely snorted coldly, "Sir, having not seen such an illness, you naturally donāt know how perilous it is when the poison flares. Needle as usual, and it hastens deterioration. If not for my re-needling, the Emperor wouldnāt have lasted even half an incenseās time and would have died in his sleep, never awakening."
"Enough, what time is this to argue? Quickly convene a solution; if not satisfactory, donāt blame me for being merciless."
Seeing the two argue, the Crown Prince, frustrated, reprimanded them before turning his gaze back to the Emperor.
The Emperor struggled to open his eyes; first, a blur, then clarity set in.
Seeing the Crown Prince gaze at him with genuine worry, his face engraved with sorrow and concern, the Emperor felt slightly better.
Attempting to speak, the Emperor found himself voiceless, eyes widening in shock, suddenly discovering an inability to muster strength, panic setting in.
"Fa..."
The Crown Prince, seeing the Emperor awake, couldnāt relax before realizing the Emperorās distorted face and inability to speak.
"Whatās happening? Why canāt Father speak?" The Crown Prince asked Doctor Liu, kneeling nearby.
"I mentioned earlier, even if the Emperor wakes, the poison has spread to all limbs, affecting his facial nervesāa normal phenomenon. Moreover, His Majestyās entire body is immobile. But he is conscious, just unable to express it."
Doctor Liu seemed highly knowledgeable about the symptoms of those poisoned by Wolf Moon Poison, and the Crown Prince gave him a deep look before asking, "Then what? If Father wakes unable to settle affairs, how can we know what unfulfilled wishes he might have?"
Having heard Doctor Liu, the Emperor realized his end was near, eyes welling with tears.
Deāan cried uncontrollably, soaking an entire handkerchief with tears. However, he dared not cry out loud, stifling his sobs with the handkerchief.
"Father, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?" The Crown Prince couldnāt help but tear upāwas Father really unable to endure this time?
The Emperor immediately nodded, "Uh, Gu, uh, Gu..."
The Crown Prince saw deep fear and resistance in the Emperorās eyes, "Father, what are you saying?"
The Crown Prince leaned closer, attempting to hear clearer.
"Gu, uh, Cheng..." The Emperor enunciated shakily with great effort.
"Your Majesty, do you wish to see Mr. Gu Shaoqing?" Deāan, seeing the Crown Prince lean closer yet not hearing clearly, immediately approached.
Indeed, those words were clear enoughādid the Crown Prince genuinely not hear due to proximity?
Deāan, at this moment, couldnāt care about much else. The Emperor mustnāt pass without uttering even a word.
Many matters remained unclarified, and Deāan, having served the Emperor for many years, couldnāt let go of their bond.
This was the final thing he could do for the Emperor, ensuring no remaining guilt afterward.
The Emperorās emotions surged, nodding multiple times. The action was already pushing limits, revealing the Emperorās strong resolve.
"Quickly! Summon Junior Minister Gu Chengyu of the Dali Temple for an audience!" The Crown Prince glanced at Deāan before shouting towards the guards waiting nearby.
Suddenly thinking of something, he added, "Send a carriage to fetch him!"
The weather was freezing cold, and Gu Chengyu was buried in a pile of files.
He discovered that this pile of files was several years old, some even a decade or two, with no recent documents.
Sigh! He sighed; should he call Kuang Zhao Ying petty or accuse him of public revenge?
Truth be told, several of these files lacked evidence, with testimonies and material evidence being vague. In his view, most were likely false charges.
However, these cases happened over two decades ago. By now, the world was different. Digging them up for evidence and retrial seemed impractical.
Through handling these files, Gu Chengyu gained some insights into how the Dali Temple adjudicates cases.
"Sir! The Emperorās personal guard has come, summoning you immediately for an audience! The carriage is ready outside."
Wang Zui at this moment admired Gu Chengyu incredibly, understanding why Mr. Gu was called a favored minister.
Look at this, riding a court carriageāan honor typically for those of first and second rankāwas granted to Mr. Gu.
Gu Chengyu stood up hurriedly, How could it be? Heās merely a fourth-rank official; even with the Emperorās favor, the rules wouldnāt break for him.
Not good! Gu Chengyu felt a twinge of dread, quickly striding out of the room.