Liu Bian at the start, so you're called Dong Zhuo, right?

Chapter 123 The Storm Is Brewing

Half an hour later, the side hall was filled with people kneeling on the ground.

Those in charge of medicine, those who decocted medicine, those who delivered medicine, those who changed incense, those who lit lamps, those who relayed messages, and those who stood guard at night—everyone's face was deathly pale, and they didn't even dare to lift their heads.

The hall was brightly lit by candles, illuminating every face clearly.

Hua Tuo personally sat to one side to examine the dregs of the medicine.

Xun stood in front of the table organizing the statements.

Liu Bian sat at the head of the table, silently flipping through the names in front of him.

Finally, Hua Tuo spoke first.

"The two extra ingredients in this medicine are not a mistake."

"It was added later."

In short, someone on the ground immediately collapsed on one side.

Liu Bian didn't even look up, only asking calmly, "Who fried this?"

A young eunuch trembled like a leaf, kowtowing repeatedly: "I...I was just preparing the medicine according to the prescription—the prescription was given by the Imperial Pharmacy, I know nothing about it!"

Liu Bian then raised his eyes and looked at Xun Huo.

Xun Huo opened the confession in his hand and said in a calm voice, "The prescription sent by the Imperial Pharmacy tonight is the same as the secondary prescription that Hua Yuanhua left in Zhangde Hall."

"But half an hour was missing during the decoction process."

"In that half hour, besides this young eunuch, there was one other person who touched the medicine cup."

Liu Bian asked, "Who?"

Xun raised his head.

"The junior official on night duty tonight is Zhou Ping."

Where are they?

A guard immediately entered, cupped his fists, and said, "Your Highness, the person is missing."

The hall fell silent.

Ran.

He closed the register on the table, his voice so low it was almost emotionless: "Summon Cao Cao."

"Tell him not to investigate anything else tonight, just investigate Zhou Ping."

"I want to see him alive or dead."

"promise!"

As soon as the guard withdrew, the eunuch who was testing the incense hurriedly stepped forward, holding a small pinch of incense ash in both hands, his face pale.

"Your Highness—there is indeed a problem with the incense."

Hua Tuo took it and smelled it, his expression growing even colder.

"I originally thought it was just a regular fragrance to dispel cold, which is why it caused some heat."

"I didn't expect the ingredients to contain such fiery and dry ingredients."

Now everything became completely clear.

It wasn't a slip of the hand, nor was it a mistake by some idiot.

Liu Bian slowly raised his head, glanced at the kneeling people, and finally spoke: "I'll ask one last time."

"Whose hand was it that touched the medicine and incense in Zhangde Hall first tonight?"

The ground was initially deathly silent.

Immediately afterwards, a young palace servant who was holding the lanterns suddenly trembled all over, as if she could no longer hold on, and burst into tears.

"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me!"

"I...I only changed the incense for someone! I really didn't know it would turn out like this! The person only said that His Majesty was restless tonight, and the old incense wasn't calming enough, so he told me to change it to this new one—"

Xun immediately stepped forward.

"Who is that person?"

The palace maid was crying, her face covered in snot and tears, her voice trembling: "It was...it was Zhou Ping who delivered the nightly report outside Zhangde Hall!"

Liu Bian's eyes suddenly darkened.

It's Zhou Ping again.

Just then, another guard rushed in, knelt on one knee, and cried out urgently, "Your Highness!"

"We have news from Commandant Cao's side."

"Zhou Ping did not leave the palace."

"The person died in the abandoned well on the north side of the West Garden!"

As soon as he said that, even Liu Bian's eyes turned completely cold.

He did not leave the palace.

But he was already dead.

This means that the other side is one step ahead of them.

He did not leave the palace.

But he was already dead.

This means that the other side is one step ahead of them.

The side hall was brightly lit, the stench of medicine and blood mingling together, making it almost impossible to breathe. Liu Bian stood there, the last trace of warmth in his eyes gone, leaving only coldness.

Just as he was about to speak, there was another burst of hurried footsteps outside.

This time, it wasn't the sound of armor leaves from the palace guards.

Instead, it was the sound of women's skirts sweeping the floor, surrounded by palace maids, rushing straight in.

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

"The Empress has arrived!"

Before she finished speaking, Empress Dowager Dong had already stepped into the side hall.

She arrived in a hurry, hastily fastening her cloak, her face extremely cold. Empress He followed her in, her expression seemingly anxious, but her eyes shone brighter than those of the others.

Everyone in the hall prostrated themselves on the ground.

Empress Dowager Dong didn't even look at anyone else. She looked first at Emperor Ling of Han, who was half-reclining on the couch. When she saw that his face was ashen and there was still a trace of blood on his lips, her eyes immediately darkened.

"How is His Majesty?"

Hua Tuo stepped forward and replied in a low voice, "I've stabilized a bit now, but an old ailment in my chest has been aggravated, and this time I've injured my qi."

After hearing this, Empress Dowager Dong lowered her brows even further.

She had thought she would first look at Liu Bian, first think about the Eastern Palace, and first wonder if this was yet another scheme.

But when she actually arrived at the Zhangde Hall, she saw the emperor coughing up blood, the incense being switched, and people daring to commit crimes right there in the hall. The first thought that rose in her chest was not suspicion, but anger.

It's not about Liu Bian.

It was against this audacious black hand that dared to reach into the Zhangde Hall.

"They're getting more and more outrageous."

"In all my years, I've seen power grabs, betrayals, and murders, but this is truly the first time I've seen someone dare to lay a hand on the reigning emperor right here in the Zhangde Hall!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall lowered their heads even further.

Empress He then stepped forward, first glancing at Emperor Ling of Han with red eyes, her voice carrying a mix of urgency and pressure.

"Your Majesty, please refrain from speaking. It is best not to overexert yourself when you are already upset."

Then, she glanced at the situation in the hall and saw that the people who were in charge of medicine, delivering medicine, changing incense, and keeping watch at night were all kneeling on the ground, not daring to lift their heads.

"What's going on?"

Liu Bian stepped forward, first bowing to Empress Dowager Dong and Empress He, and then briefly recounted the events of the night in a very steady voice: "Father Emperor just experienced chest tightness and coughed up blood. I asked Yuanhua to examine his pulse and discovered that two ingredients had been added to the medicine served tonight, and the incense burned in the palace had also been replaced."

"Your Majesty, I have already sealed off Zhangde Hall and kept all those who touched the medicine, incense, and nightly memorials tonight."

"Upon investigation, it was found that Zhou Ping, the minor official on night duty, had handled all the cases. I just ordered someone to arrest him, but he has already died in the abandoned well on the north side of the West Garden."

As he said this, the atmosphere in the hall became even more somber.

Empress He's expression immediately changed upon hearing this.

She first glanced at Emperor Ling of Han on the bed, a hint of shock and anger flashing in her eyes, then looked at Liu Bian, her gaze finally settling on him.

"Luckily, Bian'er reacted quickly."

"If he hadn't sealed off Zhangde Hall first, arrested the person in charge, and immediately invited Yuanhua over, who knows how chaotic things would have become tonight."

These words not only praised Liu Bian but also directly acknowledged the merit in front of Emperor Ling of Han.

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Dong's eyes twitched slightly, but she did not refute it.

Emperor Ling of Han leaned against the couch, his breathing still heavy, but his mind had mostly recovered.

As he watched the scene unfold in the hall, as Empress He gracefully passed the credit, as Empress Dowager Dong remained furious but did not lash out on the spot, and as Liu Bian stood before the table from beginning to end, keeping the Zhangde Hall in perfect order, his gaze softened slightly.

"Bian'er————"

His voice was still hoarse and not loud, but it was enough for everyone in the hall to hear.

"Continue investigating this matter."

"Your subject obeys the decree."

After that night, no one in the palace dared to spread the news of the illness and blood in Zhangde Hall.

But the winds in the palace eventually shifted.

First, the medicine used in Zhangde Hall was completely reformed.

All prescriptions that reached the emperor were no longer passed through several hands by the Imperial Pharmacy, but were instead uniformly prepared, sealed, and inspected by the Imperial Pharmacy, and then personally prescribed by Hua Tuo.

Tianyaofang was originally a pharmacy under the Tianshang Association that specialized in the exchange of medicinal materials, medical clinics, and pharmaceutical associations. Although it had a prestigious reputation, it was ultimately just a means of doing business.

After this incident, Liu Bian forcibly promoted him to the position of head of the medicine road in Zhangde Hall.

Medicinal herbs entering the palace had to pass through the Imperial Pharmacy.

The prescription must be kept on file and passed through the Imperial Pharmacy.

Even the water and fire used for decocting medicine, the timing, and the inspection of the dregs were all recorded in detail.

This effectively transferred the emperor's medicine directly from the hands of the Imperial Hospital and eunuchs into the control of the Eastern Palace.

Anyone with eyes could see that the Crown Prince's act of coughing up blood this time was not just to save the Emperor.

He also took advantage of this dangerous situation to extend his reach even deeper into the emperor's inner circle.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shao's efforts did not stop.

Tiny, trivial matters, like needles, pricked me up densely and annoyingly.

Today, the Tian Chamber of Commerce's newly opened shop in the south of the city was suddenly sued by someone using an old contract.

Tomorrow, Yuan Shu will deliberately provoke the people of the Eastern Palace at the banquet, determined to make a big fuss about a small matter and have it known throughout the city.

The following day, several merchants who had been trading with the Tianshang Association suddenly had their supply lines cut off, causing their accounts to become a mess.

Liu Bian knew that Yuan Shao wanted him to lose his composure first, so he simply handed over all these trivial matters to Xun Yu to handle.

He himself focused all his attention on ensuring that Emperor Ling of Han would not make any further mistakes.

From then on, Emperor Ling's medicines never had the same obvious problems as before.

But she continued to decline day by day.

It didn't collapse all at once.

Instead, his mental state became increasingly short, his cough became more frequent, he became more and more impatient at night, and his mood swings during the day became more unpredictable.

He can still sit in the Deyang Palace.

It can also read battle reports, issue imperial edicts, and control the court officials.

But only those who are close by know—

His tone was different from before.

Another night fell, and a new shift of guards took over outside Zhangde Hall.

The eunuch bowed his head and served the newly prepared supper one by one.

The soup was warm, the porridge was soft, and even the rims of the cups were wiped clean. Two palace maids, following protocol, tested the food before daring to serve it.

A gentle breeze blows outside the curtains, while the lamplight is warm inside.

Everything was the same as usual.

The person delivering the food kept their head down, their hands were extremely steady, and they gently placed the tray down. While tidying up the bowls and dishes, they subtly flicked their fingertips into their sleeve.

A tiny, almost invisible speck of dust silently fell into the steam.

Like snow falling into water.

It vanished in an instant.

No one saw it.

Nobody knows.

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