Five days passed in a flash.
The plague in the Southern Frontier had finally
subsided, though the situations across the cities varied greatly.
The first city hit, Pucheng, surprisingly
suffered the least. The people there had been properly taken care of.
Next was Wugang, which, due to its proximity to
Pucheng and the timely intervention of Margaret, was also able to eradicate the
mutated plague after paying a certain price.
In stark contrast, Lincheng and Liyang --- though
they also managed to eliminate the plague --- paid a devastating price.
Tens of thousands of civilians were burned to
death, their corpses piled like mountains.
Despite Li Guanglong and Li Juntang’s efforts
to suppress the truth under the guise of preventing further spread of
infection, the news still leaked out.
For a time, the court and the public were abuzz
with debate.
Some condemned Li Guanglong and Li Juntang for
their brutality, while others believed that extraordinary times called for
extraordinary measures, and saw nothing wrong in their actions.
After the plague ended, Margaret led her team
back to Stonia and sent a confidential report to the Emperor detailing
everything the three princes had done.
…
At that moment, in the Forbidden City ---
The imperial study was thick with a mixture of
dragon incense and strong medicinal herbs, forming a sticky haze in the air.
Li Weimin, clad in a dragon robe, lay reclining
on a couch padded with white fox fur. His emaciated wrist rested on a gilded
pulse pillow, his fingertips tinged a sickly gray-blue.
As Li Dequan brought in the sealed confidential
letter, its wax seal cracked, the Emperor was coughing violently. Dark red
blood bloomed on the brocade handkerchief, looking just like the sappanwood
blossoms once tributed from the Southern Frontier.
"Read it," Li Weimin’s voice was
hoarse like sandpaper scraping wood, each word tugging painfully at his chest.
Li Dequan had just reached the part: “Eight
thousand civilians reduced to ashes,” when Li Weimin suddenly sat bolt upright,
his knuckles digging deep into the carved edge of the couch.
The letter slipped from Li Dequan’s trembling hands
and unfolded on the floor --- its creased paper almost seemed to reflect the
blazing flames of the South.
“Unfilial wretches!”
A beastlike growl escaped Li Weimin’s throat as
a mouthful of blood surged up, splattering across his bright yellow robe like a
vivid crimson plum blossom.
“Your Majesty!” Li Dequan dropped to his knees,
gripping the Emperor’s spasming shoulders. His sharp voice cracked in panic,
“Summon the imperial physicians! Hurry!”
By the time the physicians arrived with their
medicine chests, Li Weimin had already slipped into semi-consciousness.
Silver needles pierced into key acupuncture
points like Baihui and Shanzhong, and only then did he barely open his eyes,
their cloudiness reflecting the flicker of candlelight.
After examining the pulse, Chief Imperial
Physician Qin Henian pulled Li Dequan aside to the corner of the hall,
whispering in a hushed tone, “His Majesty’s body has been consumed to the
marrow. His pulse is like a candle flickering in the wind. I’m afraid…”
“How long does he have?” Li Dequan grabbed his
sleeve, his knuckles pale from strain.
Qin Henian swallowed hard, fingers stroking the
brass lock of the medicine chest for a long while. “At most a month. At best,
no more than three months.”
Suddenly, the ticking of the imperial water
clock sounded --- “kada.” Li Weimin was awake again, staring up at the Big
Dipper lantern hanging from the beam.
“Qin Henian,” Li Weimin spoke with eerie calm,
“I know my own body. But Dragonmarsh cannot go a day without a ruler. If
there’s even a shred of hope, no matter how defiant of Heaven, I will take it.”
Qin Henian fell to his knees with a thud,
forehead pressing against the cold golden tiles. “Your Majesty, please do not
be angry! I… I once read an ancient record. In the Eastern Sea lies the
immortal island of Penglai. It is said to contain an elixir of immortality.
Though King Mu of Zhou failed to achieve eternal life, it is said his life was
extended by three cycles.”
“Penglai?” A faint gleam flickered in the
Emperor’s eyes, but quickly dimmed again. “The sea journey is thousands of
miles, crawling with demons. Who would go for me?”
Li Dequan suddenly interjected, “The three princes
are in their prime, and Princess Anyang is wise and brave. Perhaps --- ”
“Them?” The Emperor let out a cold laugh, his
cough worsening. “Li Guanglong is reckless. Li Juntang is sinister. Li Wenxing
is timid. As for Margaret, though capable, she is still a woman…”
Before he could finish, he broke into a fierce
coughing fit.
Li Dequan rushed to support him, patting his
back gently to ease his breath.
It took a long while before Li Weimin could
breathe steadily again. He sighed. “Forget it. No matter what, we must try. Let
this journey to Penglai be their trial.”
“Immediately issue a decree. Tell Li Guanglong,
Li Juntang, and Li Wenxing to prepare their ships and head for Penglai in the
Eastern Sea to seek the elixir.
Tell them --- whoever retrieves the elixir shall
be the future Crown Prince!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Li Dequan turned to leave, but was suddenly
called back.
“Wait… bring Margaret as well. I won’t feel at
ease leaving this to those three bastards alone.”
“Understood!”
Li Dequan’s heart trembled, though his face
remained calm.
Whoever retrieves the elixir will be the future
Crown Prince. By the Emperor’s word, this wasn’t just a contest among the three
princes --- Princess Anyang would be joining the race as well.
For the various political factions, this was
undoubtedly a major upheaval.
It wouldn’t be long before Stonia was engulfed in a storm. - Ton
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