Among the three thousand beauties in the harem, he had never shown particular favor to any of them. It wasn't that he truly regarded them as identical wooden stakes, but as an emperor, he couldn't show bias. If he favored someone, the court officials would follow suit, and those he favored in such a treacherous place as the harem wouldn't live long.
Yet his impression of Consort Zhen was exceptionally profound. The Empress Dowager had once remarked that Consort Zhen was a rare, clear-sighted woman in the harem.
She knew when to strive and when to retreat, how to protect herself without drawing attention, and how to ensure the emperor remembered her—remembered that she was Sun Qi's only daughter, that the son she bore was not only the Sixth Prince of the Daqing Dynasty but also the sole heir of the Sun family. Through her actions, she demonstrated that the Sun family held no grounds for suspicion.
Her early demise saddened him, but the most he could do was offer incense at her memorial and, through the Empress Dowager, bring the bereaved child to her side for a time. He also had the Empress Dowager bestow occasional gifts, signaling to others that the child enjoyed her favor, so that anyone considering bullying him would think twice.
That was all he could do. Except during festivals and his own birthday, when father and son could glimpse each other from afar, he hardly ever saw this son who never actively sought his presence. Wasn't this precisely why the eldest and fourth princes dared to act against him? Would they have dared if it were the fifth prince?
His hand trembled as he held the memorial. To think it had happened right under his nose, so close to him, yet he had been completely unaware. Were they that capable, or had those around him been largely bought off?
"Yan Xi."
Gu Yanxi straightened and bowed. "Your servant is here."
"Purge those around me. You need not report the outcome—handle it as you see fit."
"Yes." Gu Yanxi straightened up and looked at the emperor, his brow suddenly furrowing. He bypassed the large desk and, familiar with the hidden compartment, opened it to retrieve a medicine bottle. He poured out two pills and brought them to his uncle's lips.
The emperor glanced at him, his expression softening, and took the pills, swallowing them with water offered by Lai Fu.
Gu Yanxi suddenly leaned close to the emperor and sniffed. The emperor's heart tightened. "Yan Xi..."
With a cold expression, Gu Yanxi swiftly retrieved an ornate box from another hidden compartment. Inside lay several round, vermilion elixirs.
Lai Fu stared in disbelief.
"When did this start?"
"How dare you, Yan Xi! You—"
"Uncle, you gave me my name, saved my life, and granted me everything I have. Even if you were to take it all back, I would not utter a word of protest. But this—you must never touch it again."
Gu Yanxi crushed the elixirs in his palm, reducing them to powder when he opened his hand.
He turned to the several men who had knelt at some point. "While you may claim to follow the emperor's orders, your actions have jeopardized His Majesty's health. I cannot tolerate this. Guards."
The door opened silently, revealing members of the Seven Constellation Bureau kneeling outside the imperial study.
"Each of you shall receive one hundred lashes and be demoted from the First Constellation to the Seventh."
One hundred lashes would strip even men of their physique of half their lives, but what pained them most was the demotion from the First to the Seventh Constellation.The Seven Constellation Bureau is divided into seven divisions, with the seventh division serving only as a training ground for reserves. Only those who excel in all aspects can advance to the first division, making it the elite core of the Seven Constellation Guards. Demoting them from the first to the seventh division showed just how furious Gu Yanxi was.
"Yanxi, you're venting your anger unfairly."
"Yes, I am. Because you've done wrong, yet I can do nothing to you!"
The Emperor massaged his temples, utterly helpless against the young man's stubbornness.
The offenders were swiftly taken away. Knowing the matter wasn't over, guards remained on standby outside the imperial study.
"Investigate. I want to know who presented this elixir, who was involved—arrest them all. As for the alchemist, bring both the person and the elixir to me."
"Yanxi..."
"Your Majesty, I will show you the consequences of overdosing on the Golden Elixir."
"I understand. I promise you, I'll comply. I won't touch it again, alright?" The Emperor sighed in resignation, wondering who was truly the ruler and who the subject here. "But leave the others out of this."
"Those who knew it was harmful yet failed to stop you—I'm showing mercy by not having their families executed and properties confiscated!" Gu Yanxi turned and ordered, "Summon Shaoyao."
After everyone withdrew and the doors closed again, Gu Yanxi fixed his gaze on Lai Fu. "I presume Chief Eunuch Lai Fu was unaware of this matter."
Lai Fu knelt with a bitter smile. As the Emperor's personal eunuch, claiming ignorance would convince no one. "I await the Heir's punishment."
"Yanxi, he truly didn't know. If this old fool had known, wouldn't he have confronted me with desperate admonitions?" The Emperor chuckled. Though his nephew had publicly shamed and raged at him, the frustration over his son's incompetence somehow dissipated. His son might disregard him as a father, but his nephew held him dear as an uncle—that's why the young man was so enraged.
And Lai Fu—whatever his faults, his loyalty was unquestionable.
At least he hadn't become completely isolated in this world.
Gu Yanxi's glare softened slightly, but his anger still simmered.
He never imagined the Emperor would consume the Golden Elixir. Hadn't countless emperors throughout history died from it? His Imperial Uncle couldn't possibly be ignorant of this, yet he'd chosen to take it anyway. Someone must have whispered poison in his ear—and he would uncover who.
If this was connected to certain individuals...
Gu Yanxi's eyes turned piercingly cold. This time, he would handle it personally.
"Lai Fu, summon the imperial physician who regularly checks His Majesty's pulse. Have him bring the medical logs from the past six months, along with the Emperor's daily records. I wish to review them."
"At once."
Knowing resistance was futile, the Emperor remained silent. Now even he grew suspicious—when had he started taking the Golden Elixir?
Rubbing his temples, the Emperor found his mind foggy. He vaguely recalled the timing but couldn't pinpoint it. When had his memory deteriorated so badly?
The commotion couldn't be concealed, eventually reaching even the Empress Dowager. The old matriarch, fearing conflict between uncle and nephew, immediately sent Yu Xiang to investigate.
Not daring to let his grandmother learn the truth, Gu Yanxi had Lai Fu explain that spies had been discovered among the Emperor's attendants.Closing the daily records, Gu Yanxi frowned. According to the records, there was nothing unusual—no new faces had appeared around the Emperor. Although the frequency of his visits to the imperial consorts had increased recently, the women remained the same, their backgrounds and origins thoroughly documented. Logically, there should be no room for mischief.
Yet, this matter was undoubtedly connected to the inner palace. Without someone whispering persistently in the Emperor’s ear, he would not have ventured to try such a thing.
The Emperor could not be considered a wise or sagacious ruler—he was stubborn, suspicious, and even capable of turning his back on others without a second thought. Still, he was no fool; he could not be easily deceived with a few sweet words.
So, the problem must lie among the familiar faces.
Setting aside the daily records, Gu Yanxi pondered: if something were to happen to the Emperor, who would stand to gain the most?
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