Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

Bai Bingbing is a natural-born follower of orders, and also a bit dim-witted.

Even the way rumors were spread forced Chen Shao to say: "Spend some money to find a storyteller or a prostitute. Who can find these two kinds of people to tell stories?"

......

......

That night, at the Prime Minister's residence.

All seventeen officials who had been the subject of much speculation appeared at the Prime Minister's residence.

He knelt before Han Cao, trembling with fear.

Heaven have mercy, they turned back home immediately after leaving the Prime Minister's residence.

I would never tell a second person.

Besides, this kind of thing can get you killed... Who the hell would go to a brothel and reveal secrets for no reason?

Han Cao's face was ashen at this moment.

He pointed at the group of people lying down and started cursing.

"Who! Who is it?!"

"You guys are really something! Is this something to be proud of? You're all so old and have been officials for so many years, don't you know that only success in this matter counts as 'following the dragon'?"

"Failure means the extermination of your entire family!"

What a bunch of incompetent teammates, Han Cao can't understand it.

Damn it, do you think this is something to be proud of?

So you're going to drink Daughter's Red wine halfway through the journey!

Everyone hurriedly shook their heads, vying to pledge their loyalty and prove their innocence.

"Your Excellency is wise. This old minister has always acted with prudence and integrity. How could I possibly do such a thing?"

"Your Excellency, there must be a huge misunderstanding!"

"Rumors spread like wildfire overnight; this must be an organized and premeditated frame-up."

"I swear to Heaven that if I harbor any disloyalty, may I be struck by lightning!"

Han Cao looked at them coldly, feeling both angry and helpless.

These are all loyal confidants who have staked their lives on this.

It's impossible to tell anyone.

That was incredibly careless; someone must have caught them red-handed.

They took the opportunity to cause trouble.

Hey!

Just then, two weak coughs came from the bed.

The crowd immediately stopped arguing and swarmed around them.

Chen Yuan woke up.

The doctor's skills were quite superb; this kind of external injury was a piece of cake for him.

Chen Yuan felt that the pain in his lower abdomen had almost completely disappeared.

He's full of energy again.

He still remembers that before he fell into a coma, these officials were asking him to restore the monarchy.

Seeing the anxious faces around him, Chen Yuan felt quite gratified.

Just as I was about to say: This unfilial son is not human, let's do it!

But that old injury suddenly flared up again.

Chen Yuan was overwhelmed by pain again, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted once more.

"Doctor! Doctor, please save him!"

The crowd hurriedly pulled the doctor over.

The old man looked completely bewildered.

What does that mean?

Why am I dizzy again? That shouldn't be happening.

He lifted Chen Yuan's eyelids to look at him, then checked his pulse, his brows gradually furrowing into a deep frown.

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to step back two steps.

He loosened the hem of his robe.

I examined it carefully for a moment.

The expression on the old man's face changed from confusion to shock, and from shock to hesitation.

"This...this...this..."

"The Emperor Emeritus is truly a divine being."

Everyone looked puzzled, and Han Cao glared at him:

"Stop keeping me in suspense, what happened? How did you faint from just a minor injury?"

The old doctor clicked his tongue.

There was even a hint of envy in his tone.

"The retired emperor, that's awesome."

"Speak like a human being!" Han Cao roared in anger!

The doctor quickly began to explain:

"Your Excellency has misunderstood; I meant 'ox'."

"Who would have thought that the Emperor Emeritus, after being captured... no, the Emperor Emeritus, alone in the Northern Barbarian camp, could still bring glory to the country!"

Han Cao grabbed his collar.

"You old scoundrel, if you don't speak like a human being, I'll chop you up!"

"Your Excellency has misunderstood."

The old doctor said solemnly:

"Even when the Emperor Emeritus traveled to the Northern Barbarian Lands, he remained with his female companions. Isn't this a way of bringing glory to the nation?"

"Let those women from Northern Mang experience the might of my Great Yan!"

"only..."

"It doesn't seem very clean over there; the Emperor Emeritus has been poisoned."

"what?"

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Everyone panicked.

Highly toxic substances and knife wounds are not the same thing; they are completely different things.

"How toxic is it?"

"I can't cure it. There are experts in the Northern Wilderness camp who have already used acupuncture to seal off the toxins and prevent their spread."

"But the Emperor Emeritus was too agitated today, and his new injury has reopened, causing the poison to begin spreading..."

"Where!" Han Cao asked patiently in a deep voice.

The old doctor took out a silver needle from his body and pointed it at Chen Yuan.

Everyone understood immediately.

He then let out a long breath.

It should be alright here.

At the very least, it won't be fatal.

The old doctor sighed:

"If the toxins are not detoxified in time, they may spread throughout the body, causing festering sores and death."

"What?!"

Han Cao was greatly alarmed.

If Chen Yuan were to pass away, that would be troublesome.

How can we keep that brat Chen Shao in check?

"The Emperor Emeritus cannot die!"

Chen Shao's voice was almost squeezed out through his clenched teeth.

"You're the expert, surely you know how to detox? Isn't there a way?"

Before he could answer, Han Cao warned:

"If anything happens to the Emperor Emeritus, you will be buried with him!!!"

"There is a solution... but I suffered lung damage in my younger years, which has caused breathing disorders, so I'm afraid it won't work."

"Stop talking nonsense, how does this have anything to do with the lungs?"

The old doctor hesitated, then gritted his teeth.

"This poison is quite potent and cannot be eliminated through medication."

"It can only be eliminated by external force."

"My lords, do you understand what I mean?"

External force... lungs... respiratory disorder...

If you still can't understand this, then all those concubines you've taken have been for nothing.

Everyone's expression changed.

The officials who were just moments ago vying to pledge their loyalty are now all looking down, wishing they could bury their heads in their collars.

"Prime Minister!"

Suddenly, an old minister stepped forward.

"This old minister suddenly remembered that today is my sixtieth birthday, and my guests are still waiting at home. If I do not return soon, I fear I will disappoint them. Therefore, I shall take my leave now and visit the Emperor Emeritus tomorrow!"

His words made everyone else realize the point.

"Prime Minister, my elderly mother has suddenly fallen ill, and I must return home to attend to her and prepare her medicine!"

"My wife is about to give birth, and I must return home to be with her!"

"Prime Minister..."

"Stop right there, all of you!"

Han Cao was furious.

I was so angry I wanted to kill him.

He looked at his trusted confidants with a pained expression.

My hands are trembling:

"You...you are all so loyal!"

"You all talk about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism all the time, saying things like 'If the emperor is humiliated, the subject must die; if the emperor commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die.' But now, the retired emperor is critically poisoned and on the verge of death, and all you're asked to do is to contribute your meager strength."

"They're all making excuses and giving all sorts of bizarre reasons. Do they really think they're as easy to fool as three-year-olds?"

"What do the classic texts teach?"

"Filial piety is the foremost of all virtues!"

"In ancient times, there were those who cut off their own flesh to feed their mothers and those who lay on ice to catch carp. Now, the Emperor Emeritus is your sovereign father! If your sovereign father is in trouble, your subjects should be willing to give their lives without hesitation!"

"You lack even this basic loyalty and filial piety; what face do you have to wear these official robes and stand before me, calling yourselves subjects of the Great Yan!"

The officials were so humiliated by his scolding that they all knelt down on the ground.

They wanted to save them too, even if it meant sacrificing their own flesh.

The key thing is this kind of thing...

It's too embarrassing to talk about!