Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

Xiao Lie grasped Jiang Yueyao's outstretched hand, which she wanted to gently touch his wound.

"I'm fine. When I get back to my residence, Elder He will take care of it for me."

Everyone in the Imperial Medical Academy was filled with unease. If he were to enter or leave the Imperial Medical Academy, the emperor would likely become suspicious of him again.

He's not going to get involved in this mess.

"If you have any minor ailments that the local doctors can't cure, come to my residence and find Elder He." Xiao Lie was also worried that Princess Yuhua would arouse the emperor's suspicion.

After all, Princess Yuhua was very close to him.

Princess Yuhua sighed, "I don't know what's wrong with my royal uncle. It's normal for people to have poor health as they get older."

"My grandmother consulted the Imperial Hospital, and my uncle didn't have any serious illness at all."

"What he really is is paranoia."

This was still under the Crown Prince's command. Xiao Lie gave her a wink, "Be careful what you say and do."

Be careful, lest the emperor, in a fit of rage, rip off her head.

Princess Yuhua shut her mouth, as Xiao Lie had returned to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and she could not follow him.

He could only return to his own residence.

After returning to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Xiao Lie never had a free day.

The Fifth Prince may indeed be acting too hastily, making big and small moves every day.

Especially now that the Fifth Prince is in the Ministry of War, he has seized control of a Vice Minister of War by using underground gambling dens.

With this Vice Minister of War acting as his informant, any movements made by either the Third Prince or the Fifth Prince would reach his ears.

A few days ago, this Vice Minister of War secretly came to inform me that the Fifth Prince intended to place his confidants in his grandfather Xiao Tianze's army.

Xiao Lie ordered his men to send the message over at top speed.

After careful consideration and discussion, Xiao Tianze decided to hold back for now and avoid alerting the enemy.

Let's first see what the Fifth Prince intends to do.

Is it a frame-up, or something else?

Xiao Lie was worried and reminded his grandfather, Xiao Tianze, to be extra careful.

Don't underestimate your enemy, or you'll give the Fifth Prince an opening.

Xiao Tianze wrote to him, telling him to relax.

In the military, what they hate most is a traitor.

Once betrayal is discovered within the military camp, the consequences are simply unbearable.

Xiao Tianze was very curious about who would have such courage.

Even Xiao Lie was puzzled; how could someone dare to betray him right under his grandfather's nose?

"Your Highness, we have found out who was bribed." That Vice Minister of War is really quite capable.

Within a few days, they followed the clues and found out who the other party was.

"Who is it?" Xiao Lie waited for a while, but Seventeen didn't continue.

He looked up and saw that Seventeen's expression was somewhat strange.

"Is it someone you know?"

Seventeen then replied, "It was General Zuo, who once shielded the Duke from a knife."

"He has his own insights into surprise attacks, and the Duke sent him to guard the Xize Gate."

Xizemen, isn't it one of the most crucial fortresses on the flanks of the two sides?

Xiao Lie panicked immediately.

Has the Fifth Prince gone mad?

If a riot were to break out in Xizemen, the enemy country would seize the opportunity and launch an attack.

At that time, with internal and external troubles, the country will likely be in grave danger.

"Send out the signal quickly, make sure the message reaches the frontier before they take action."

Xiao Lie was so anxious that he couldn't sleep all night.

However, while anxiously awaiting a letter from his grandfather Xiao Tianze, a riot broke out in the palace.

The emperor suddenly fainted last night. After waking up from near-death, he publicly ordered the execution of all the palace servants who served him.

Even all the staff on duty at the Imperial Medical Academy were to be executed.

In order to protect themselves, the palace servants and physicians joined forces with a group of guards to resist.

They almost succeeded.

But at the critical moment, someone saved the emperor.

After this ordeal, the emperor was as if possessed by a demon, clinging to Yuan Ajiao all night until dawn.

He almost died because of Yuan Ajiao.

Xiao Lie was puzzled. The emperor had just been saved, so how could he still have the energy to harm Consort Yuan?

Seventeen said, "His Majesty has summoned several alchemists from outside the palace."

"The alchemists presented him with a pill. After taking it, the emperor instantly became energetic and vigorous, claiming that he felt as if he had returned to the age of eighteen when he was at the peak of his vitality."

"Consort Yuan said that the Emperor even boasted that he wanted her to give birth to several more princes for him."

Throughout history, no emperor of any dynasty or generation has ever truly obtained the elixir of immortality and lived forever.

The emperor has been blinded by greed, wanting to live a long and prosperous life.

Xiao Lie worried that the emperor would be bewitched by the sorcerers and ruin the entire country.

However, they are still secretly making preparations, and it is not yet time to raise an army to overthrow the emperor.

"Go find Shen Qinglan and tell her that we need to work on that transportation route as soon as possible; we don't have much time left."

"Also, have that person make arrangements so I can go to the palace to meet the Emperor and then go and meet those alchemists."

In addition, Xiao Lie came up with a foolproof plan.

He could find a fake sorcerer and infiltrate the group.

As long as you have good eloquence and can please the emperor, you don't have to worry about being exposed.

He then urgently sought out Elder He, asking, "Is there any formula that can be refined into a elixir so that the emperor, after taking it, can temporarily regain his vitality without harming his fundamental health?"

Old He shook his head. "There is no medicine in the world that does not harm the body. Every medicine has some degree of toxicity. If you can avoid taking medicine, then do so."

"Your Highness, we are now like sparrows on a silken thread; one wrong move and we will lose everything."

"To drug the emperor is absolutely unacceptable."

Xiao Lie had a terrible headache. "I don't want the emperor to die too soon."

Who knows what kind of medicine those alchemists will present?

He suspected that it might be something that would make him sexually aroused.

That stuff is really bad for your health if you eat too much of it.

After much deliberation, Old He said, "Since the emperor insists on taking elixirs, I do have a prescription that is not too strong, and at least it will allow the emperor to live for a few more months."

"A few months?" Xiao Lie was shocked. "I never intended to poison the emperor."

The emperor already suspected someone of poisoning him, and if something were discovered, he would not wait for them to rebel before they were completely eradicated.

Old Master He only asked, "So, Your Highness, do you still want to use this prescription?"

Xiao Lie temporarily dismissed the idea; it was his oversight that almost led to his own downfall.

"I've ordered someone to find a way to steal some of the pills. I'll have to trouble Elder He to take a look."

Mr. He agreed and went to attend to his work.

Yuan Ajiao did indeed help him get it done, and soon the emperor summoned him to the palace.

When the emperor saw him, he asked mysteriously, "I heard that the Crown Prince has been searching far and wide among the common people for alchemists in order to cure his old illness, seeking an elixir of immortality?"

"I have some here, I can share some with you."

"But once you obtain it, you must keep it a secret for me."