Imperial Cultivation

Chu Zhiyuan watched the three of them leave, his extrasensory perception following them as they exited the Ministry of Rites, and then he couldn't help but discuss it.

Chu Zhiyuan pondered what level of merit this matter could achieve while absorbing the Flying Dragon Bone.

He had already absorbed three of the ten Flying Dragon Bones.

As his bones grew larger, the speed of absorbing the Flying Dragon Bone accelerated.

However, the strengthening of his bones and physique made the remaining three layers of the twelve-story Jade Tower even more solid and difficult to break through.

The affairs of the world are truly a combination of yin and yang, with both good and bad.

Despite this, he still resolutely absorbed the Flying Dragon Bone to strengthen his bones.

He vaguely felt that doing so was right, rather than abandoning the Dragon Transformation Art to break through the Jade Tower first and reach a higher realm.

He trusted his intuition.

He also wanted to quickly perfect the third layer and see what wonders the fourth layer of marrow refinement held, which was more interesting than simply breaking through the Jade Tower.

Moreover, he discovered that as his bones became stronger, his meridians also grew stronger, allowing him to condense more Dragon Binding Cords, and the impact strength of his true qi was greater.

"Senior Sister, did you really just drive them away?" Wen Qianqian couldn't help but whisper, lowering her voice and looking around.

The surrounding crowd was surging, and the shops and stalls on both sides were bustling with activity.

The people in the midst of it all only felt that Yujing City was becoming more prosperous and lively, but they didn't realize the danger brewing within.

However, she now understood the Zhenwu Division's confidence.

The Grandmaster's Mansion had promised to take action to suppress them at critical moments, which was why the Zhenwu Division dared to be so lenient in allowing martial arts experts to enter the capital.

"Yes," Huang Shirong nodded slightly.

Xu Mengyu sighed, "I didn't expect the Prince to be so benevolent."

She could feel the benevolence of this action.

If it were another official, they would probably have ordered the Zhenwu Division to suppress the people on this list, even if it meant killing them.

Wen Qianqian said, "But isn't this too indulgent of them? They are so bold and reckless, not taking the Zhenwu Division seriously, yet you just drove them away."

"Perhaps he pities them for bearing blood feuds," Xu Mengyu said.

Wen Qianqian curled her red lips and said, "Junior Sister Xu, I think you think too highly of the Prince. Maybe he's just trying to shirk responsibility by driving them out of Yujing, leaving the remaining trouble to the Imperial Guards."

As she spoke, she looked at Huang Shirong.

Huang Shirong smiled.

"Senior Sister, am I wrong?" Wen Qianqian asked.

Huang Shirong smiled and said, "The Prince is neither as bad as you think nor as good as Junior Sister Xu thinks."

The two girls were curious.

"Senior Sister, tell us what's going on."

"Driving them away is a kind of warning. If they don't appreciate our good intentions, it won't be too late to deal with them then, and it will be more justifiable. If we arrest them now, we will inevitably lose popular support, and we still need to consider the will of the people."

"So that's how it is…"

"Alright, just follow orders."

"Yes."

Chu Zhiyuan returned to the Qing Prince's Mansion for lunch. As soon as he reached the gate, he saw the gate wide open, and Chu Yi was seeing Li Suyue off.

Li Suyue was wearing a green silk dress, graceful and beautiful. When she saw Chu Zhiyuan, she cupped her fist in salute, her fair cheeks flushed, and she looked shy.

"Big Brother!" Chu Yi jumped down the steps cheerfully and came up to grab his arm.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and returned the salute to Li Suyue, "Miss Li, feel free to visit often. You can discuss flower cultivation with my little sister, and also exchange martial arts skills."

"Yes, yes," Chu Yi nodded quickly in agreement, "Sister Li, you must come again tomorrow!"

———” Li Suyue showed a troubled expression.

Her mood was conflicted.

She wanted to come and play with Chu Yi, as they were kindred spirits and felt that time passed too quickly when they were together. Half a day would pass in an instant.

But she was also worried that others would say she was trying to climb the social ladder and was too snobbish.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "I can be considered to have a friendship with Elder Lu, and I also picked your rare flower, the Morning Glow Flower. You're here to help take care of that rare flower."

"…Yes," Li Suyue hesitated and nodded.

Because of the rare Morning Glow Flower and the mention of her master, it was as if she was here on her master's orders, so others really had nothing to gossip about.

This made her breathe a sigh of relief.

Chu Zhiyuan lowered his head and said a few words to Guo Chi and Gao Jiong.

The two nodded with tight faces.

Chu Zhiyuan and Chu Yi entered the mansion together. Chu Yi was in a cheerful mood, full of praise, admiring Li Suyue's abilities.

Especially in regards to flowers and plants, she was much more knowledgeable than her, which was truly eye-opening.

Chu Zhiyuan responded with a smile and came to the back garden.

Bai Ning霜 was lying on the Arhat bed in the waterside pavilion, languidly slumped there, not even changing out of her palace attire. Seeing the two of them coming over, she lazily waved her hand.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "How is Mother?"

"She's much better now," Bai Ning霜 sighed and said, "After all, she's getting old, and she's bound to get sick. This illness came at the wrong time."

Consort Rou was unable to attend the palace banquet that night because she had fallen ill.

She inexplicably developed prickly heat. The imperial physicians couldn't find the root cause and could only apply some ointment to relieve the itching. She couldn't eat or sleep well and was in great pain.

When he went to visit her yesterday, the prickly heat had turned into large red bumps, but her condition had improved, and she was gradually able to sleep soundly.

"Didn't they say what kind of illness it was?"

"They said it's an unknown strange disease," Bai Ning霜 shook her head and said, "Imperial physicians aren't omnipotent, and there are times when they are helpless."

Chu Zhiyuan reached out and placed his hand on her fair wrist.

After a moment, his sword-like eyebrows furrowed.

"Am I sick too?" Bai Ning霜 said, "I feel lazy and can't muster any energy. Could it be that I caught the illness from Mother?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "You've been poisoned."

Bai Ning霜 paused.

Chu Zhiyuan turned to look in the direction of the palace, feeling somewhat puzzled.

He checked Bai Ning霜 every few days, seeing through her inside and out, treating any illnesses in advance. He discovered an abnormality in her throat.

Looking at the particles attached to her nasal hairs, they were colorless and transparent, but faintly glowing with a gray light.

This was the poison.

Judging from the fact that the poison was colorless and odorless, it was difficult to guard against, but it couldn't escape his extrasensory perception.

However, he felt that the imperial physicians probably couldn't hide it either.

The imperial physicians should have noticed something.

"Impossible," Bai Ning霜 laughed and said, "How could there be poison in the palace?"

The imperial palace was the most strictly guarded place, and it was difficult for outsiders to enter, so how could there be poison, let alone someone poisoning her.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Zou Fang, bring a detoxification pill."

"Yes," Zou Fang quickly returned and handed over a small porcelain bottle.

The porcelain bottle was exquisite and delicate, carved with a plum blossom design under the moon, with a lustrous sheen. She opened the stopper, took out a snow-white pill, and put it in her mouth.

Chu Zhiyuan held her fair wrist, waiting for the detoxification pill to dissolve and observing the effects of the medicine.

Time slowly passed. Chu Yi's bright eyes stared at Chu Zhiyuan and Bai Ning霜. Bai Ning霜 was already in a semi-dazed state.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded in satisfaction and said, "Alright."

The faint gray light had disappeared as the medicinal power spread, proving that the toxicity had disappeared.

Some detoxification pills worked on the body's liver, allowing the liver to accelerate its function and enhance its ability to detoxify. Some detoxification pills directly eliminated the toxicity.

The Qing Prince's Mansion's detoxification pill directly eliminated the toxicity. It seemed inconspicuous but was extremely precious and had already eliminated the poison.

"Am I better now?" Bai Ning霜 woke up, full of energy.

She had dozed off but felt like she had slept for a long time, and she felt indescribably refreshed and comfortable.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "It was just a mild poison. Even if you didn't detoxify, it wouldn't have been a big deal. You would have just felt uncomfortable for a few days."

"If it was so easy, why were the imperial physicians helpless?" Bai Ning霜 snorted and said, "Are they quacks?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled meaningfully and said, "They are national experts, how could they really be helpless?"

Chu Yi was surprised, "They knew it was poison? They did it on purpose?"

"If it was poison, how much trouble would it cause?" Chu Zhiyuan said, "It's just the way to protect oneself."

This was not a deadly poison. The person who used the poison didn't intend to kill, but only to increase some troubles and grudges in the harem. It was better for the imperial physicians not to intervene, as they couldn't afford to offend anyone.

"Really…" Bai Ning霜 said resentfully, "It's Mother who's suffering!"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Just give Mother a detoxification pill, either in her wine or in her dessert."

"No!" Bai Ning霜 raised her eyebrows and snorted, "I want to see who's playing tricks!"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Mother, tell Grandmother about it and let her be aware of it. As for what to do, you still have to listen to Grandmother."

Consort Rou was not an ordinary person. Her level of palace intrigue was far beyond Bai Ning霜's capabilities.

Bai Ning霜 also knew this and sighed, "Alright."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, got up, and left.