Chapter 231: Chapter 230: Turning PointHe Hongzhao couldn’t have been looking at this medical book for no reason.


    Perhaps even while she was at her side, she was already plotting how to poison the people of Quanzhou City.


    Imperial Doctor Liu took the medical book and closely examined the section about "Zuoyu," his face suddenly lighting up with joy, "Exactly this! Exactly this! Empress, we owe you a great debt this time! Quick, Liang Xin, go check if the pharmacy has this ingredient..."


    What followed was another bout of frenzied activity.


    Until the sky began to lighten at the break of dawn.


    At last, there was good news.


    "Empress, the antidote is ready!"


    It was Imperial Doctor Liu’s voice, ecstatic with excitement.


    Sang Yan was already exhausted, her hands propping up her cheeks as she dozed off on a stool. Hearing the noise, she abruptly opened her eyes.


    Imperial Doctor Liu arrived with the prescription, his face showing no signs of weariness, full of excitement: "Empress, the antidote has been made. I knew it—there couldn’t be an antidote that I, Liu Changxi, couldn’t compound!"


    He had spent most of his life in the palace, obsessively devoted to medicine. These past days, he had been locking horns with He Hongzhao.


    Now that he had concocted the antidote, his entire demeanor was one of extreme exhilaration.


    "Many thanks to Imperial Doctor Liu."


    Sang Yan offered a tight-lipped smile, not daring to delay. She took the prescription and hurriedly took Imperial Doctor Liu to find He Ying.


    He Ying was in the study discussing matters with Gao Wenliang and others. Hearing the news, he personally welcomed Sang Yan and the others in.


    Sang Yan briefly explained the situation regarding the successful formulation of the antidote by Imperial Doctor Liu.


    He Ying was overjoyed.


    The others in the study all relaxed their expressions: the antidote had finally been compounded. Otherwise, they would have been hard pressed to keep their positions.


    He Ying scrutinized the prescription and asked Imperial Doctor Liu, "Have you tested the medicine?"


    "Yes."


    Imperial Doctor Liu replied, "It has been administered to the patients and indeed it is effective."


    "Good!"


    He Ying laughed out loud, "My dear officials, you have worked hard. The Emperor will reward you handsomely!"


    Imperial Doctor Liu didn’t dare take all the credit, bowing with a smile: "Actually, we owe much of the credit to the Empress. It was the Empress who discovered the Zuoyu, which was the crucial ingredient. Zuoyu grows in an extremely cold and hard-to-reach environment; I hadn’t anticipated that He Hongzhao would use it as a drug primer. It seems I underestimated her."


    Saying this, he turned to look at Sang Yan, eyes sparkling: "The Empress has a serendipitous connection with medicine."


    He Ying saw his gaze and alarm bells rang. He quickly stepped forward, interposing himself between Sang Yan and Imperial Doctor Liu.


    Imperial Doctor Liu was a medical fanatic, spending his days with potions and brews.


    He absolutely couldn’t let Sang Yan join him, turning her into a little medical fanatic too!


    Sang Yan’s eyes and heart must only have room for him—that would be best!


    Sang Yan: "..."


    What was with this sudden possessiveness?


    Was he afraid she’d run off with Imperial Doctor Liu?


    Gao Wenliang and the others were also perplexed: What was the Emperor doing? Why this sudden protective gesture? And Imperial Doctor Liu, his excited gaze at the Empress was a little too intense.


    It was as if he was looking at his own daughter.


    Could it be that he had thoughts of becoming the Empress’s adoptive father through the merit of discovering the antidote?


    Only Liang Xin understood Imperial Doctor Liu’s feelings at that moment: having lived to an old age without marrying, without children, and without accepting apprentices, coming across someone with such "fate," he naturally yearned to have the Empress study medicine under him.


    But it could only remain a wish.


    That was the Empress, after all—how could she spend all day in the pharmacy?


    Even if the Empress was willing, the Emperor wouldn’t be pleased.


    Look, he’s displeased now.


    Sang Yan was likewise confused.


    If she knew that by inadvertently coming across Zuoyu and helping to research the prescription, she had given rise to Imperial Doctor Liu’s idea of taking her as an apprentice, she wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry. sea??h thё N?vel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone in the room had their own thoughts.


    He Ying didn’t elaborate further, pulling Sang Yan to sit on his lap and getting down to serious matters: "Now that the antidote has been developed, issue immediate orders for all the medical establishments in Quanzhou City to prepare the antidote and distribute it to the sick citizens."


    Upon hearing this, everyone turned away and agreed, setting off to handle their respective tasks.


    *


    The antidote concocted by Imperial Doctor Liu proved to be effective.


    On the same day, the medicine was distributed in various sick wards throughout Quanzhou City.


    The next morning,


    Mr. Gao Wenliang brought over some good news.


    As soon as he saw He Ying, he knelt down and reported with a smile, "Emperor, Empress, we’ve received good news from the docks, the East District, and the West District. The epidemic has been brought under control, and patients who were experiencing high fevers are gradually cooling down. Only those who have been vomiting blood still need to take the herbal soup a few more times."


    After finishing, he waited for a while without hearing a response.


    Could it be that the Emperor was not satisfied?


    Or had he done something wrong?


    Gao Wenliang, trembling, lifted his head and saw both his masters sitting in their chairs, looking at him.


    The usually stern Emperor now had a slight smile on his lips, as if he were holding back something.


    Gao Wenliang was startled and quickly started to self-examine: Could it be his hasty arrival, disheveled appearance, that had offended their sight?


    Sang Yan, seeing Gao Wenliang’s fluster, chuckled softly, "You’ve worked hard, Mr. Gao."


    Gao Wenliang hadn’t rested for several days.


    His features were handsome, his gaze still sharp, but his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, and his usually tightly tied hair was now crooked and loose, making him look quite disheveled.


    He wasn’t yet forty, and yet he seemed to have aged significantly.


    During this time, everyone had been extremely worried for the people of Quanzhou.


    Seeing Gao Wenliang’s "sloppy" appearance, He Ying couldn’t bear to scold him any further.


    In the past, hiding information was a capital offense!


    As the parent official of Quanzhou, by preventing the sick from entering the State Mansion, he might have been afraid to offend the Emperor but placing the people in a state of shock and helplessness was also a serious mishandling of affairs, not to be taken lightly!


    Fortunately, the situation still had room for maneuvering.


    Now everything had settled down.


    "This official is ashamed,"


    Gao Wenliang was embarrassed and dared not accept Sang Yan’s words.


    "If this official hadn’t acted on his own, this would not have..."


    "Enough. You’ve already made amends for your actions, and I forgive you. But if there is a next time, beware of the head on your neck!"


    He Ying said this then changed the subject, instructing Pei Muyang, "In three days, the situation should stabilize. Arrange for fifty people to stay in Quanzhou and help Mr. Gao with the aftermath. The rest will follow me back to the Capital City."


    As he finished speaking,


    the expressions on everyone’s faces gradually became somber.


    They had celebrated too soon.


    The matter in Quanzhou might be resolved, but Beiqi was still looming, waiting to strike at any moment.


    The Emperor should return to the Capital City as soon as possible,


    in case Qi Wuya took advantage of his absence in Quanzhou to strike at Da He.


    "I wonder how Marshal Rong’s situation is..."


    Gao Wenliang murmured, still wishing to go to the border to fight the enemy.


    He too had participated in the martial arts examination in the past and had not placed poorly, but he was unexpectedly assigned as an official in Quanzhou.


    He Ying seemed to guess his thoughts and said, "Marshal Rong has been campaigning for many years, brave and skilled in battle, and he has Li Xiangyi by his side, so there’s no need for you to worry."


    After taking power, he had emphasized military over civil affairs, which led to a shortage of civil servants.


    Gao Wenliang had taken part in the martial arts examination and showed some administrative talent, so He Ying had assigned him to Quanzhou.


    Looking back now, he had been slightly rash in his decisions.


    "Just stay in Quanzhou with ease, your future will come in time."


    During his days in Quanzhou, Gao Wenliang had become someone He Ying trusted, and naturally, he would be recalled to the Capital City in the future.


    Gao Wenliang understood the Emperor’s implication and kowtowed excitedly, "This official will surely not fail the imperial command."


    "Stand up and reply,"


    Sang Yan, seeing him still kneeling, couldn’t help but interject.


    "Thank you, Empress,"


    Gao Wenliang thanked her, but didn’t dare to rise.


    After all, the Emperor had not yet spoken.


    He Ying frowned in displeasure when he saw him looking up for direction, "From now on, the words of the Empress are as those of myself; you must not contradict them. Rise."


    He had long shared his authority with Sang Yan, but these people still seemed blind to it.


    The somewhat oblivious Gao Wenliang still sensed something—The Emperor’s words were practically sharing power! Tsk, what favoritism!