Сhарtеr 179: Тhe Antidоtе
“Yоur Ехcellenсу is mistaken!” Lаi Luozhi retоrtеd whilе саutiоusly obsеrving the Empress’s exрrеssion. “Whаt I meаnt wаs thаt mу sister wаs ехесuted аccording tо thе laws оf the Great Тang baсk then. Hеr rеарреаrancе tоdaу is mеrеly а result оf hеr chanсе enсounter with a mirаculous eliхir thаt brоught her bаck to life. Неr рreviоus lifе hаs аlrеаdy bееn reрaid tо the deсeаsеd, аnd this new lifе nееd nоt be offerеd as compensаtion again.
“Мoreоver, mу sistеr has fоrgotten the events of the past. Now, she is wholeheartedly devoted to goodness. As the saying goes, ‘To recognize one’s mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue.’ Why must you persist in dredging up old grievances?”
“Preposterous! You speak of resurrection as if it were commonplace. Who in this world has ever witnessed such a thing?”
Shen Du said coldly,
“Furthermore, my wife was taken into the backyard by Lai Luofu and returned to the residence showing symptoms of poisoning. This matter clearly implicates Lai Luofu. How dare you claim she is ‘wholeheartedly devoted to goodness’?”
“Do you have evidence to prove that the poisoning of Commander Zhu is related to my sister?”
“No, but Lai Luofu committed murder years ago and escaped punishment due to your protection. Yesterday, she was suspected of attempting to harm someone again. This demonstrates her immense danger. I implore Your Majesty to sentence Lai Luofu to death in accordance with the law!” Shen Du took a step back, bent his knees slightly, and knelt upright while holding Zhu Yan.
“I implore Your Majesty to sentence Lai Luofu to death in accordance with the law!” Zhang Xingwei was more than willing to add fuel to the fire if it meant bringing down Lai Luozhi.
As soon as he knelt, Zhu Kuo and those aligned with Zhang Xingwei also knelt.
In addition, officials from Shen Du’s faction, those who disliked Lai Luozhi, or those who simply believed Lai Luofu was guilty, also expressed their stance.
More than half of the court officials knelt.
Lai Luozhi was furious. He secretly glanced at Empress Zhou Zhao on the dragon throne and saw her expression dark and inscrutable. She was rubbing the ring on her finger, her gaze seemingly fixed on the officials, yet appearing to look at no one in particular.
Lai Luozhi decided to test the waters. Kneeling as if suffering a great injustice, he cried out, “My sister’s life has already been repaid to the deceased. She owes no one anything. This endless pursuit must not continue. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!”
“Oh.” The Empress responded without emotion. Just as Lai Luozhi grew uneasy, unable to discern her attitude, she slowly spoke, “Resurrection from death? How was such a miraculous feat accomplished? Minister Lai, enlighten us and broaden our horizons.”
Hearing this, Lai Luozhi felt reassured. After all, the Empress was getting on in years. No matter how wise she was, she could not resist the desire for eternal life. As long as he possessed the secret treasure of resurrection, the Empress would not sentence Lai Luofu to death.
Just as Lai Luozhi was feeling pleased, Shen Du spoke again, “Your Majesty must not be deceived by this villain’s lies. There is absolutely no art of resurrection in this world. Lai Luozhi has deceived Your Majesty in public to protect Lai Luofu. I implore Your Majesty to punish him as well.”
The kneeling officials echoed in unison. Even some impartial censors could no longer stand by and denounced Lai Luozhi’s crimes.
For a moment, Lai Luozhi became a treacherous minister whom everyone wished to eliminate.
Witnessing this scene, Lai Luozhi wished he could grind Shen Du to pieces in his rage. Seeing the situation increasingly turning against him, he had no choice but to clasp his hands and say, “I report to Your Majesty, I still possess the miraculous medicine that resurrected my sister back then. If I can revive Commander Zhu on the spot, will that prove my words are true?”"You and your sister administered the poison, so naturally you possess the antidote." Zhang Xingwei seized every opportunity to bring down Lai Luozhi, utterly indifferent to Zhu Yan's fate. Sacrificing one woman to become the unrivaled powerful minister and achieve his long-planned goals was more than worth it.
"Let the imperial physician examine whether this is truly the antidote."
The poison was so rare that even the physicians could not alleviate its effects. Even if examined, there was no way to confirm whether it was the antidote. Lai Luozhi remained unperturbed, glancing at Shen Du's cold expression before scoffing lightly.
"Grand Commander Shen acts with such forcefulness, offending countless people. It is no wonder Commander Zhu has met with such misfortune. Grand Commander Shen should reflect on your own actions and not wrongfully accuse us siblings."
"Is that so?" Shen Du turned to face Lai Luozhi directly. "Perhaps you should first clear yourself of your crimes before concerning yourself with others?"
These seemingly casual words made Lai Luozhi's brow twitch violently—he had fallen into a trap!
Lai Luozhi nearly struck his own head in frustration, his gaze toward Shen Du now venomous.
Shen Du's relentless pressure was not to persuade the Empress to punish them but to obtain the antidote!
Just as Lai Luofu had given Zhu Yan only two options the day before, Shen Du now presented Lai Luozhi with the same choice: either prove that resurrection was real or confess to the crime.
Shen Du knew he possessed the antidote. To protect Lai Luofu, Lai Luozhi had no choice but to prove the authenticity of resurrection. And right there in the grand hall lay a person afflicted with a deadly poison—she was undoubtedly the best subject for proof. If she survived, then Lai Luofu's rebirth could indeed be real.
Shen Du was forcing him, forcing him to produce the antidote to save Zhu Yan.
On the high platform, Empress Zhou Zhao smiled without speaking. Lai Luozhi despised Shen Du to the core but could only force a smile. He retrieved a white porcelain bottle from his robes.
"I have committed no crime, so I have nothing to fear. Here, this is a miraculous medicine capable of bringing the dead back to life. Grand Commander Shen, use it carefully."
Shen Du glanced at Zhu Kuo, who had long been waiting impatiently. Zhu Kuo immediately snatched the white porcelain bottle, pulled out the stopper, and poured out a pill the size of a little finger. "Give it to Liu Niang."
"Wait." Shen Du requested the Empress's permission for Lai Luofu to be brought to the hall, which she granted casually.
After a moment, Lai Luofu was escorted in. The Empress gazed at the face identical to Madam Tang's, her smile carrying an ambiguous meaning.
Shen Du said to Zhu Kuo, "Place one pill into Lai Luofu's mouth and ensure she swallows it."
Lai Luofu was tightly bound and restrained by Jing Lin. She instinctively struggled but, meeting Lai Luozhi's gaze, immediately calmed down, opening her mouth to swallow the pill.
Everyone watched intently, not daring to blink, anxiously observing her reaction. Meanwhile, the imperial physician was summoned to wait outside the hall. After a long while, seeing that she remained unchanged, the Empress ordered the physician to take her pulse.
As expected, there were no abnormalities in her body.
Only after confirming the pill was not poisonous did Shen Du place the antidote into Zhu Yan's mouth. Wrapped in red, she resembled a sleeping beauty, her eyes closed and the corners of her lips slightly upturned, her serenity unsettling.
Shen Du gently tilted Zhu Yan's chin upward. After a moment, he saw her throat move slightly as she successfully swallowed the antidote. He let out a faint sigh of relief and turned to place Zhu Yan into Zhu Kuo's arms.
Still suspicious, he walked over to Lai Luofu, checked her pulse, and discovered something unusual.
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