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

Chapter 124 The Crown Prince Regent

The days just dragged on, one after another.

The delay caused everyone in the palace to develop a misconception—

Although His Majesty is somewhat ill, it is not a serious illness.

Until that day, in the Zhangde Hall, half of the sky suddenly collapsed.

Early that morning, Liu Bian went to Zhangde Hall to pay his respects as usual.

It was still cold outside, but the palace was warm. Emperor Ling of Han was in better spirits than he had been a few days ago. When he leaned against the couch and spoke to him, his face even had a long-lost rosy glow.

"Back in Liangzhou, Dong Zhongying has truly saved me a lot of trouble."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed to a newly arrived border report on the table. His breathing was not strong, but it was still steady.

"You've been doing well these days. Zhangde Hall, West Garden, and Tianyaofang are all well organized."

Emperor Ling of Han chuckled, set his teacup aside, and was about to say something when the blush on his face seemed to be abruptly cut off. He froze, then his chest jolted violently. "Pfft!"

A mouthful of blood was sprayed directly onto the table.

The expressions of the people in the hall all changed.

Liu Bian felt a sudden "buzz" in his head, and his mind rushed forward almost instantly.

"Father!"

Emperor Ling of Han leaned back, the blood on his lips shockingly bright. The vitality and rosy complexion he had just possessed seemed to have been completely drained away in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Rang was so frightened his legs went weak, and his voice trembled: "Your Majesty—!"

"What are you all standing there for!" Liu Bian whirled around, his eyes blazing with barely suppressed rage. "Go and fetch Yuanhua!"

"immediately!"

Zhang Rang was then jolted awake as if by a whip, and he scrambled out of the room.

Chaos erupted in the hall.

The palace servants, eunuchs, those in charge of meals, and those who held lamps were all deathly pale and knelt down in a row.

Liu Bian supported Emperor Ling of Han, feeling the body beneath his palm burning hot, yet its breathing was alarmingly erratic. It wasn't the gradual decline of the past few days, but rather as if something had suddenly ignited it.

At this moment, even the composure he had been maintaining was almost overturned by this mouthful of blood.

Before long, Hua Tuo was practically dragged in by Zhang Rang.

As soon as he entered the hall, he saw Emperor Ling of Han, who had been helped to the bedside, and the blood that had not yet been wiped clean. He paused in his tracks.

Liu Bian turned to look at him, his eyes blazing with fury for the first time.

"Yuanhua!"

"Didn't you say before that Father's condition had stabilized?"

"How could it suddenly turn out like this?!"

There was already a hint of barely suppressed anger in his words.

No one in the hall dared to utter a sound.

Hua Tuo did not offer any explanation. Instead, he quickly stepped forward, bowed his head to take the emperor's pulse, examined his complexion, rolled his eyes, and checked the base of his tongue. He even bent down to sniff the trace of blood on Emperor Ling's lips.

He diagnosed the patient extremely quickly this time.

But the faster he went, the darker his expression became.

A moment later, he withdrew his hand, and instead of answering Liu Bian's question, he suddenly turned his head to look at Zhang Rang and the personal maidservant serving him.

"What has Your Majesty been eating these past few days?"

Zhang Rang was taken aback.

The palace maid was also taken aback by the question, and subconsciously replied, "The same as before—just the same congee, side dishes, meat soup, and sweet soup—"

"What about breakfast today?" Hua Tuo interrupted her.

"Is there any left?"

The palace maid nodded quickly: "His Majesty only used a small portion this morning, and there's still some left—"

"Bring it here."

The palace maid went immediately and soon brought up all of Emperor Ling's breakfast that morning. The snacks looked ordinary, the porridge was unremarkable, and even the aroma was mild.

Hua Tuo didn't rush to conclusions. He examined everything one by one, and finally reached out his finger, very lightly pinched a little bit from the edge of the meat soup, and then smelled it.

Then, he even touched it very lightly with the tip of his tongue.

With just this one point, his gaze suddenly darkened.

"I see."

Liu Bian stepped forward: "What's wrong?"

Hua Tuo then looked up.

"It's not a problem with the prescription."

"At least, it's not entirely a problem with the prescription."

He gently placed the bowl of soup back on the table, his face extremely pale.

"A mild tonic ingredient has been added to this."

"Looking at it alone, it is not poisonous; eating it alone, it may not necessarily cause immediate harm."

"However, if taken daily, it will slowly accumulate dryness and generate internal heat. What's worse—it clashes with the qi-regulating and chest-relieving medicines I prescribed for Your Majesty."

"It might not be noticeable in a day or two on a normal day."

"But as time goes on, the combined effects of medicine and food will gradually push the old ailment that was suppressed to the point of deterioration."

Liu Bian's eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Didn't you notice before?"

This time, his voice was deeper than before, and even carried genuine anger.

But Hua Tuo still didn't say a word in his defense.

He simply lowered his head, looking at the bowl of soup, and slowly said, "I was only worried about the medicine. I never expected that someone could put their hand into the food, and do so so shallowly, so delicately, and for so long."

"This is not a method of killing in a day."

"It's like hiding a needle in your food and putting it in every day."

Upon hearing this, even Zhang Rang's face turned completely pale.

It's not a strong medicine, nor is it an immediate poison.

Someone has quietly taken a bite out of the food we eat every day.

Only now did he truly understand why they had been watching the medicine, the incense, the night music, and every hand entering and leaving the Zhangde Hall in the past few days, thinking they had already suppressed the most dangerous place.

But the other side didn't fight to the death with them in this round at all.

The prescription is just a smokescreen.

Nighttime music and incense offerings are merely a means to an end.

The truly fatal blow was hidden in the most ordinary and least suspicious place.

Food and dishes.

It was delivered every day, served every day, and considered by everyone to be the safest meal ever.

On the couch, Emperor Ling of Han recovered for a while and managed to lift his eyes.

"Your subject is here."

Emperor Ling of Han looked at him, and for the first time, his gaze was no longer that of an emperor scrutinizing him, nor the occasional admiration he had shown recently, but rather a gaze that was extremely weary, extremely heavy, and also extremely clear.

He opened his mouth as if to say something.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside.

Empress Dowager Dong and Empress He arrived almost one after the other.

As soon as the two entered the hall, the first thing they saw was the blood still on Emperor Ling's lips, the breakfast on the table, and the palace servants and eunuchs kneeling in fear.

Empress He's expression changed.

Empress Dowager Dong's eyes grew even colder.

"What exactly happened?"

This time, before Liu Bian could explain further, Hua Tuo stepped forward to bow and recounted his earlier judgment.

When Empress He heard that "the food was unusual," she froze for a moment.

Empress Dowager Dong's face darkened inch by inch, until finally, she could no longer even show her anger, leaving only a chilling coldness.

"This step by step is meant to grind His Majesty to death, bit by bit, in the Zhangde Hall."

Everyone in the hall prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Emperor Ling of Han seemed to have lost interest in hearing any more of this.

He barely managed to raise his hand and beckon to Liu Bian.

"You—come here."

Liu Bian took half a step forward and knelt before the bed.

"I have been thinking about something for the past few years."

"You're so capable."

"He's so capable that sometimes I can't sleep at night and I wonder—is this child getting impatient?"

Liu Bian's throat tightened.

"But I also know that you are truly working for me."

Emperor Ling of Han looked at him for a long time before slowly continuing, "I know my own body."

"From now on, there are some things that I can no longer decide on."

Upon hearing this, Empress He's eyes trembled violently.

Empress Dowager Dong also raised her head.

"Summon the people from the Imperial Secretariat."

Zhang Rang was taken aback, but then he understood, and quickly bowed his head and left.

Before long, the people from the Ministry of Personnel arrived.

Emperor Ling of Han did not look at them, but kept looking at Liu Bian. His voice was weak, but every word was clear: "From this day forward, the Crown Prince shall oversee all matters concerning the capital's military supplies, inspections, audits, grain transport, and the inner court's expenses. He shall have full authority to handle all affairs and need not report to the emperor again."

Empress He's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she prostrated herself on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Empress Dowager Dong stood aside, her face still cold, but she ultimately did not utter a rebuttal.

Because she knew very well—

At this point, even if she wanted to stop it, she couldn't.

"Bian'er".

"Don't disappoint me."

Liu Bian kowtowed deeply.

"Your subject obeys the decree."