Chapter 55 He Even Wanted to Silence a Passing Ant

"Are you sure it was a hornet sting?" Lin Yue asked, looking at the imperial physician who was shrinking back to the side.

Physician Lin wiped his sweat and said, "Yes. It's just that these hornets are extremely ferocious, so this humble subject was helpless."

If the Emperor said it was, then it was. He wasn't lying; he was merely stating facts. Physician Lin comforted himself with this thought, and a look of relief washed over his face.

Seeing this, Lin Yue said, "Then this folk remedy of mine should work."

[Whatever, it definitely wasn't me who hit him! I hit that old geezer Huo Renli; this is just a sheer coincidence.]

[Besides, even if it really was me, a single punch costs thirty thousand merits—wouldn't I be the one losing out even more?]

[Imperial Elder Brother, for your sake, I even took out the Hundred-Toxin Immunity Pill. If you still care about Jingyun, please forgive me.]

The Emperor: "..." The Hundred-Toxin Immunity Pill!!!!

Just hearing the name made it sound like a precious treasure, but... wasn't he suffering from physical trauma caused by fists and kicks?

Would it even be effective?

Ah...

The Emperor actively opened his mouth.

Stretching his swollen jawline and revealing a bloody, ghastly opening, he truly looked like an evil spirit about to devour a child.

Lin Yue's mouth twitched as she handed the medicine over to Physician Lin.

After taking it, Physician Lin sniffed it, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"It smells so fragrant! Can this humble subject have a trial bite first?"

Lin Yue: "No!"

The Empress Dowager: "No!"

The Empress: "No!"

Three stern voices rang out. While Physician Lin was still dazed, the Emperor had already snatched it away and swallowed it.

With a loud gulp, the Emperor swallowed it directly without chewing.

Physician Lin looked at his empty hand, then instinctively brought it up to his nose to sniff again. It still smelled wonderful, feeling sweet and instantly refreshing the mind and spirit.

Could this be... a divine medicine?

The Princess Consort of Ding possessed a divine medicine??

Physician Lin secretly sized up the Princess Consort of Ding, a myriad of thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant.

Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager asked with concern, "How is it?"

The Empress also looked at the Emperor expectantly, "You should be fine now, right?"

Terrified that they would notice any flaws, the Emperor pulled a veil over his head and said, "Mother, Empress, Sister-in-law, you should all go back and rest first. I'm feeling much better."

His face no longer seemed to hurt, and his body felt much lighter. But for some reason, why did his stomach feel a little painful?

Lin Yue said, "That medicine is for detoxification. Imperial Brother has consumed it, and once the toxins are flushed out of his body, he'll be completely fine."

"If Mother and Imperial Sister-in-law are worried, why don't we step outside first?"

[After all, wouldn't it be inappropriate for a sister-in-law to linger in her husband's eldest brother's bedchamber??]

The Empress Dowager felt that Lin Yue made sense and said, "Alright, then let's go wait in the side hall."

The Empress wasn't very willing to leave. Just as she was hesitating, the Emperor suddenly let out a massive, stinky fart!

"Pfft..." A prolonged sound echoed, stunning everyone present!

Immediately afterward, everyone hurriedly covered their noses and mouths. The Emperor felt immensely relieved. Although he was quite embarrassed, he remembered how the Crown Princess hadn't despised the Crown Prince when the latter had a similar incident, so he looked toward the Empress.

To his surprise, not only did the Empress cover her mouth, but she also took three steps back.

The Emperor: "..."

Empress, you better remember this for the rest of your life!!!

"Pfft," came another sound.

Yet this time, it didn't seem to be a mere fart...

The Emperor also felt a wave of warmth between his legs, followed instantly by a foul stench so overpowering that the Empress gagged on the spot.

The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows deeply. This flood of filth was so violent that even a biological mother couldn't handle it!

She grabbed Lin Yue's hand and shouted, "My good daughter-in-law, run!"

Not long after they stepped outside, they heard Zhou Dahai shouting desperately from within, "Somebody come! Quick, someone come and tear down these doors and windows!"

The Empress stumbled out, gagging all the way: *yue, yue, yue!*

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager felt sorry for the Empress and remarked, "That hornet venom is truly vicious."

Lin Yue replied, "Judging by the sound, it's not just hornet venom; there's also liver toxicity. After all, the Emperor frequently stays up late, and his body must have been overwhelmed. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he can flush it all out thoroughly!"

At that moment, the Empress Dowager no longer felt a shred of envy toward the Emperor for getting the Hundred-Toxin Immunity Pill. That medicine was far too potent; if someone of her age took it, others would mistake her for suffering from fecal and urinary incontinence!

When people helped her walk outside in the future, would they whisper: *Empress Dowager, please leak a little lighter?*

Then she truly wouldn't have enough mouths to explain herself.

Meanwhile, inside the room, the Emperor was well aware of what he had just done, but it was completely beyond his control. When that surge of force arrived, it hadn't even bothered to notify his sphincter—he had been frozen in utter shock!!

Good heavens!

His body felt wonderfully refreshed now!

Yet he felt as though his entire world had collapsed!

Closing his eyes tightly and biting his lip, the Emperor howled inwardly to the heavens!

My dear sister-in-law, ever since I met you, my lifelong reputation has been splattered so effortlessly all over the bed!!!

His face and his dignity were completely lost. He no longer needed to recuperate in bed for seven days to avoid seeing his court officials; right now, he didn't even want to lay eyes on an ant—he wanted to silence every passing ant with his own hands!!!!

As for the young eunuchs who went in to clean up, two of them immediately passed out from the stench.

The Emperor: "..." He suddenly felt much less inclined to blame the Empress.

Half an hour later, the Emperor, now relocated to the side hall, stood looking refreshed before a mirror.

His peerless, handsome face—every single blemish that had previously grown on it was completely gone. Not only that, but the dark circles under his eyes had vanished, and his once-sagging skin was now taut and elastic. He suddenly looked as though he had returned to his twenties.

In particular, when he glanced down at his lower body, a wave of immense smugness washed over him.

This sensation of rebirth and surging vitality—who else could possibly understand it??

Just as he was basking in his self-satisfaction, Zhou Dahai walked in with a pale face, largely because he had vomited so violently earlier that he had brought up bile.

Seeing the high-spirited Emperor, his eyes were filled with sheer disbelief. Yet if he had to endure an ordeal like that himself, he figured he would rather remain half-dead instead.

"Your Majesty, Liu Jian has arrived, saying he has matters to report."

At these words, the Emperor immediately recalled how hard his sister-in-law had beaten him, mistaking him for Huo Renli because she thought he was the old bastard.

Could it be that Liu Jian had found incriminating evidence against Huo Renli?

The Emperor commanded, "Let him enter."

Liu Jian quickly walked in. Unlike his previous swaggering self, the current Liu Jian was timid and cowering. Seeing Zhou Dahai's poor complexion, he even offered a few words of concern at the doorway.

Zhou Dahai had no energy to bicker with him and merely waved his hand, signaling him to enter.

Upon seeing the Emperor, Liu Jian immediately burst into tears, weeping profusely as he cried, "Your Majesty, this slave has missed you so much!"

The Emperor: "..."?

"If you're not going to speak of serious business, get lost!"

Liu Jian hastily wiped his tears and said, "This slave went to the Fourth Prince's palace and only then discovered that Huo Renli holds absolute sway over everything. The junior eunuchs beneath him are all his sworn adopted sons. Originally, the Fourth Prince had four personal maidservants, but they have now all been replaced by elderly wet nurses and matrons. Outwardly, it is claimed the Prince disliked them and had them replaced, but after this slave made inquiries, I learned that those four personal maidservants all mysteriously died within a span of three years."

"Because palace servants' corpses are always transported out of the palace after death, there is currently no way to investigate further. Yet this slave finds it deeply bizarre—how could all four of them die? There must be shady business behind this!"

The Emperor rolled his eyes and displeasure crept into his voice as he asked, "Then why don't you go tell the Fourth Prince? Why tell Us? Do you expect Us to go investigate for you?"

Liu Jian said nervously, "This slave didn't mean that..."

The Emperor snapped impatiently, "You *did* mean that, you idiot! You don't even know the first thing about dealing with people!"

"Zhou Dahai!"

Zhou Dahai hurried inside, shouting, "This slave is here."

The Emperor ordered, "Summon Huo Renli!"