Heartstrings Resonance: The Beloved Princess of the Female Power

Baili Zhong frowned and said, "There's nothing wrong with the pulse!"

When Mu Cheng heard this, he quickly asked, "Why?"

Baili Zhong shook his head, expressing his helplessness: "I really don't know why. I'll go back and look through the medical books to see if I can find relevant records."

Mu Cheng was anxious, and suddenly thought of someone. He asked hurriedly, "By the way, where is Xing Laifu? Does he have any solution?"

Lin Feng stepped forward and replied, "Your Excellency, Xing Laifu is imprisoned in the innermost cell. As of now, he seems to be fine."

At this moment, some of the people who were called up showed confusion on their faces, while others were full of worry. One of the old men couldn't help but ask, "Sir, have we been poisoned?"

Mu Cheng quickly reassured them, "Don't worry, it's not poisoning. After all, even Doctor Baili couldn't diagnose the problem."

However, the old man continued, "But Doctor Baili just said he was going back to look up medical books."

Baili Zhong took over and explained, "Don't worry, everyone. It's just that I'm not very skilled yet, and I haven't fully grasped some of the symptoms. That's why I need to go back and consult more medical texts to broaden my knowledge." With that, he shouldered his medicine box, bowed to Mu Cheng, and hurried away.

A few days later, Baili Zhong hurried to Mu Cheng, his face etched with barely concealed excitement. As soon as he saw Mu Cheng, he couldn't wait to say, "Master Mu, I found it! In that precious medical book my master left me, I found a way to cure the Golden Silkworm Gu!"

Mu Cheng's heart moved when he heard this, and he quickly asked: "Really? Tell me quickly, what is your method?"

Baili Zhong nodded and explained in detail: "Medical texts state that drinking a decoction of pomegranate bark and roots can cause a poisoned person to vomit out the poisonous insects. While the process may be somewhat painful, it should be effective."

Mu Cheng was overjoyed upon hearing this. He immediately set about preparing the antidote and gathered everyone together for the experiment. He pulled out the sachet he had taken from Mao Sanqiang and said to them, "I suspect it was this sachet that caused the Gu insects to riot. I didn't try it before because I didn't have the antidote. But now that we have the antidote, I hope everyone will volunteer to give it a try." He then told them that they might have been infected with the Gu.

He paused, then said sincerely, "Of course, I will respect everyone's wishes. I've told you the truth, so make your own choice."

Xu Guohui was the first to step forward. She bravely said, "I'm willing to give it a try."

Mu Cheng nodded gratefully and then had someone take her to a separate room. The sachet was already there. As soon as Xu Guohui entered, she felt her body begin to feel uncomfortable. She frowned, trying to suppress the discomfort.

Baili Zhong, already prepared, quickly fed her the antidote. Xu Guohui initially felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, and a sensation of blood flowing backwards. But after drinking the antidote, she distinctly felt something moving within her body. Then, waves of nausea washed over her.

Finally, after several dozen breaths, she couldn't hold it in any longer and vomited with a "wow!" A squirming insect, covered in saliva, appeared in her vomit. Xu Guohui didn't dare look directly at the insect, fearing she would vomit again.

Seeing this, Baili Zhong immediately took a pair of tongs that resembled chopsticks, carefully picked up the insect, and tossed it into the brazier. The insect quickly burst into flames, dissolving into a wisp of green smoke that drifted into the air. Xu Guohui watched this scene with a sigh of relief.

After it was verified, everyone tried to see if they were poisoned, including Xing Lai Fu, and everyone was poisoned.

After all the poisons were removed, Mu Cheng notified their families and took them away. The Chen family in Roma Village had already left, and Xi Kun returned, cursing.

The Emperor of Kyoto decreed that Mu Cheng's merits and demerits would be equal and no reward would be given. Having lost the clue, Emperor Qing Zhao did not allow him to continue his investigation and specifically sent Jing Ba to tell him not to investigate further but to conduct a thorough investigation of rivers and intersections throughout Youzhou. These people had suffered a great loss this time, with their secret passage destroyed. They would not take any action for the time being, but they would likely make a comeback in next year's Spring Examination. Xing Lai Fu had him guard them until the Duke of Qi's Mansion could rescue them. Emperor Qing Zhao had gathered a lot of evidence of the Duke of Qi's Mansion's crimes from the clues he had obtained from Yongle, and he intended to use the Duke of Qi's Mansion as his first outlet against the aristocratic families.

From the imperial study within the palace, a deep, magnetic voice echoed: "Yin'er, are you sure that person, like you, has been reborn?" This person was none other than the Emperor of Zhao, a man in his forties. He wore a dragon robe embroidered with intricate and exquisite patterns: swirling golden dragons and billowing seas of clouds, symbolizing supreme imperial power and noble status. Every gesture exuded an unmistakable imperial aura, even the subtlest movements possessing a solemn and powerful presence. His face was calm and dignified, the years carving a subtle, unforced awe in his features. His eyes were penetrating, as if they could penetrate the turmoil of the court, piercing the dust of history and gazing into the distant future. Between his brows, a deep concern for the country and its people was revealed, as well as a firm belief in statecraft. Although he has entered middle age, his posture remains upright, as indestructible as a mountain. This is a tenacity forged through extraordinary perseverance in the face of countless difficulties and challenges.

"Your Majesty, I haven't been able to confirm this yet, but what happened in Youzhou this time didn't happen in my previous life. Furthermore, he must have been reincarnated before me, and in my previous life, he had no contact with the young princess of the Duke of Qi's mansion. I suspect he also suspects that I was reincarnated, which is why he acted this way," Yongle reasoned. After a moment's reflection, Yongle added, "Your Majesty, we can't allow Chen Ruopeng to become involved with the Duke of Qi's mansion again. If this continues, Hua Cheng and Hua Man will be implicated. In our previous lives, my siblings and I didn't turn against each other; it was the outside families who were vying for power. Your Majesty wants to weaken their power, so he's determined to support a blood-related prince."

The emperor nodded, pleased, and said, "Your mother has never failed to manage the harem properly, and she has never been partial to you children. I am able to have so many children because of your mother's kindness. She protects each of my children. I know that no one in the palace, except Concubine Shu, has ever resented your mother." The emperor recalled the various unpleasant experiences in the harem during his childhood, and looking at his own harem now, he was proud to have married such a good wife. It was for this reason that Yongle, the empress's first child, received his favor.

"It is also because my father is so considerate of my mother. In all these years, I have never seen my father or my mother get angry." Yongle said with a smile.

"That's because your mother is so generous and doesn't hold it against me," Emperor Qing Zhao said shamelessly, then a wave of melancholy followed. "Your mother knows my difficulties. The late emperor left a huge mess for me to clean up. Your mother has helped me a lot. I... owe the Empress so much!"

Yongle thought of how in her previous life, Concubine Shu always made sarcastic remarks about her mother at banquets, so she didn't want to comfort Emperor Qingzhao anymore.

He brought the topic back to the previous topic, "Father, I want to get engaged to Chen Ruopeng."

Emperor Qing Zhao was stunned at first, then refused directly: "No."

"Father, please listen to me first," Yongle advised. "Once he gets engaged to me, no one in the Duke of Qi's mansion will trust him anymore."

Emperor Qing Zhao waved his hand and said, "There's no need to do this. There are other ways to make them lose trust in each other."

"But I want to marry him!" Yongle said firmly.

Emperor Qing Zhao was puzzled: "Why?"

Yongle knelt down, bowed deeply, and mustered up the courage to say, "I don't want to marry again in this life. I hope your Majesty will grant my wish." Facing the majesty of Emperor Qing Zhao, Yongle did not dare to look up.

After a long pause, Emperor Qing Zhao finally spoke, "Is it the misfortune of your previous marriage that makes you unwilling to marry again? So in this life, do you intend to silence the gossips of others by marrying Chen Ruopeng?"

Seeing that Yongle seemed determined, he advised, "Yin'er, you are the eldest princess of Zhaoguo, the apple of my eye. You have enjoyed every luxury and love since childhood. Everything in the world has its time, and marriage is a major event in life, so it should not be neglected. But I hope you can find a husband who is both talented and virtuous, to share your joys and hardships. Yin'er, do not be afraid of the constraints of marriage. True love will broaden your world. I hope you can embrace the happiness that belongs to you with an open heart."

Hearing Emperor Qing Zhao's words, Yongle slowly raised her head. Tears had already blurred her eyes, and they slid down her cheeks and dripped onto the cold ground. Her voice trembled, filled with endless self-blame and guilt: "Father, I am an unfilial son! I am an unfilial son!"

Emperor Qing Zhao looked at his daughter with heartache and tried to help her up, but Yongle stubbornly refused. She banged her forehead against the ground with a dull thud. Her voice was filled with pain and struggle: "Father, your son...your son...! If there is nothing else, your son will withdraw first." In the end, she could not muster the courage to confess her deepest secret to Emperor Qing Zhao - her palpitations for Mu Yunxi.

After returning to Kyoto, Yongle wrote a letter to Mu Yunxi, but she regretted it as soon as she sent it. She found that her feelings for Mu Yunxi were much deeper than she had imagined.

However, Emperor Qing Zhao did not allow Yongle to leave. He silently watched her, his eyes revealing a light of insight. After a suffocating silence, Emperor Qing Zhao finally couldn't help but speak: "You can even tell me about your rebirth, is there anything else you can't tell me?"

He pulled Yongle up with force, his eyes fixed on hers, as if he wanted to see the deepest secrets in her heart through her eyes.

Yongle's eyes were red, and he looked at Emperor Qing Zhao timidly, but he muttered softly: "I'm just afraid of angering you..."

Emperor Qing Zhao was not angry when he heard this. Instead, he laughed with interest: "Tell me, besides the time you were abducted, when has anything about you ever made me angry?"