Le Jianghu de Feng Qingcheng et Mo Xibei

Chapitre 80

Ying was the first to confirm in surprise:

"Xiaojie, are you serious?"

"What? Do you like eating their half-cooked and sticky food?" Leng Jie asked, glaring at her.

"I don't like it, not at all. I almost threw up from that breakfast just now," Ying said, not exaggerating at all.

It was all because Qingfeng had taken them to the best restaurant in the capital that morning, where they had eaten the most unpalatable breakfast ever. Leng Jie considered herself the kind of person who was never picky about food. Whether it was Chinese or Western food, she was a super-eater who could swallow even wild vegetables and raw meat. But when she ate those breakfasts that were supposedly the most exquisite in Beifeng, she couldn't swallow a single bite. She knew then why Qingfeng disliked this place so much.

"Although I really want to eat Xiaojie's cooking, it seems too much of a burden for you to cook for us every meal!" Qingfeng said apologetically. "The chefs here used to be from Jinghe. How about this, I'll have them find a few more chefs from Jinghe."

Leng Jie shook her head to stop her:

"No need. They're deliberately trying to poison us. If they can bribe the first group, why can't they plant spies in the second? And if they only put in small amounts of those metallic elements, we have no way of detecting whether it exceeds the limit. So, for everyone's safety, I'll take on the glorious but arduous task of cooking from now on."

“Xiao Jie is right! We can’t trust those new lackeys either,” Ying nodded in agreement.

He didn't care whether it was poisoned or not, but after eating the wild game that Xiaojie had casually prepared on the road, he felt that it tasted much better than the food he had eaten in the Jinghe Imperial Kitchen. Considering Xiaojie's status, it was highly unlikely that he would ever eat her cooking again. Now that he had such a good opportunity, how could he let it slip by?

"Then I'll have to trouble Xiaojie!" Qingfeng no longer objected.

"It's just cooking for yourself, what's so hard about that?" Leng Jie shrugged dismissively. She said to Qingfeng:

"Senior brother, let's go see your father and mother first! Especially your father's poison, we must get rid of it as soon as possible."

If something were to happen to the old emperor, the three of them alone would be too weak to stop the military cooperation between the two countries. They might not even be able to protect themselves! However, Leng Jie and the others kept these worries to themselves.

"Alright!" Qingfeng agreed with great reluctance.

When the three arrived at the emperor's palace, the empress was also there. The empress looked sickly, as if she might collapse at any moment. However, her eyes were remarkably bright as she looked at Qingfeng.

"Leng Jie (Zi Ying) pays respects to the Emperor and Empress!" Leng Jie and Ying bowed in unison to the Emperor and Empress who were sitting by the bed.

"No need for formalities! Did Miss Leng rest well last night?" the emperor asked with a smile.

"Hehe, thanks to Uncle, Xiao Jie rested very well!" Leng Jie replied with a smile, noticing the Emperor's gaze intentionally or unintentionally sizing up Ying. Knowing Qingfeng wouldn't introduce him, Leng Jie pointed to Ying and introduced him to the Emperor:

“He is my bodyguard Ziying. My father was worried about me leaving home alone, so he sent him to take care of me.”

The emperor nodded to Zi Ying as a greeting. Zi Ying also clasped her hands in a salute to the emperor, then automatically retreated to the doorway.

"You must be my son's junior sister! Your name is Leng Jie, right? Come and sit down!" The Empress waved to Leng Jie warmly.

"Xiaojie greets Auntie!"

After Leng Jie performed the proper greeting to the Empress, she went to her side as the Empress wished. The Empress excitedly grasped Leng Jie's hand, her gaze sweeping over Leng Jie several times before she exclaimed in surprise:

"What a beautiful young lady! I heard from the Emperor that you are also skilled in martial arts and medicine? You are truly talented and beautiful!"

What a loving couple! Even when they're so ill, they still manage to exchange information. No wonder that imperial concubine hates them so much. Leng Jie smiled and replied generously:

"Thank you for the compliment, Aunt! However, the truly remarkable ones are you and His Majesty, Uncle!"

"Oh? What makes you say that?" the Empress asked, puzzled.

"Yes, is she related to them?" The emperor looked at Leng Jie with equal suspicion, awaiting her explanation.

After glancing at Qingfeng's family, Leng Jie replied matter-of-factly:

"Because Xiaojie's little skills were all learned from her senior brother. Just think, if it weren't for the excellent bloodlines of the two of them, how could there be such an outstanding and capable senior brother? Without a capable senior brother, of course there wouldn't be an average junior sister like me, who is only third in the country!"

"Haha...Good! What excellent bloodline! What a third place in the country!" the emperor immediately laughed.

The Empress was also amused by Leng Jie's earnest flattery.

Qingfeng and the purple shadow at the door were both inwardly full of admiration for Leng Jie's skill in catering to their tastes!

Knowing when to stop is always Leng Jie's principle. Seeing that they had laughed enough, Leng Jie said seriously:

"Last night, my senior brother told me about your uncle and aunt's poisoning. Based on your symptoms, the poison should be a substance called mercury. It is extracted from a mineral called cinnabar. In terms of physical state, it is the metal closest to water. Liquid mercury at room temperature is as fluid as water, only its color and luster are more attractive. It is highly toxic and has anti-corrosion and gold and silver dissolving properties."

Because it's so rare, in some places, due to a lack of understanding of its properties, it's often used as an ingredient in elixirs of immortality. Those so-called elixirs of eternal youth certainly require it. However, my senior brother said that it seems no one in your country refines this substance? Therefore, we suspect…”

"What? You're saying cinnabar is poison? Golden pills aren't elixirs but poisons?" Before Leng Jie could finish expressing her doubts, the Emperor of Beifeng suddenly exclaimed.

Good heavens! What's going on? Leng Jie and Qing Feng looked at each other in disbelief! The Emperor and Empress's expressions were beyond description.

Qingfeng's face suddenly darkened, and he coldly questioned the emperor:

"You had someone refine that golden elixir? Who was that person?"

The emperor nodded mechanically. He muttered to himself in disbelief:

"How could the Golden Elixir be poisonous? Impossible! How could the Imperial Preceptor possibly harm me? Besides, that's a royal secret recipe passed down for hundreds of years!"

Leng Jie was utterly speechless. They had even suspected his son of plotting against him. Turns out, he was just dreaming of immortality! This made Leng Jie think of the many emperors in history who died from these so-called elixirs of immortality. Sigh, she wondered if they became immortals or ghosts after death.

Suddenly, the Empress rushed towards Qingfeng as if possessed, crying out:

"My son, are you alright? It's all your mother's fault! It's all your mother's fault!"

"Did you put something into the chicken soup that was delivered?" Qingfeng asked coldly. Actually, he didn't need to ask to know. Apart from drinking the chicken soup she delivered, he hadn't tasted anything else she delivered.

The empress sobbed, tearfully recounting her mistakes.

A few months ago, the Empress suddenly went to Qingfeng Palace and happened to find Qingfeng stewing chicken soup. Qingfeng was missing Xiaojie, so he was trying to recreate the steps Lengjie had taken in Wuyou Valley. However, the Empress, unaware of the situation, assumed that her son particularly liked chicken soup. Therefore, she went to great lengths to find someone to teach her how to stew chicken soup and would send Qingfeng a bowl every now and then.

She learned from the eunuch who served Qingfeng that he always finished the chicken soup. Therefore, after the emperor gave her the elixir of immortality, she immediately thought of making her son immortal as well. Knowing that her son wouldn't eat anything other than the chicken soup she sent him, she secretly dissolved something into the soup.

Leng Jie couldn't help but sigh, "Truly, the hearts of mothers are filled with compassion!" Seeing that Qingfeng showed no expression after hearing the story, letting the Empress cry her heart out in regret while the Emperor stood there dumbfounded, Leng Jie couldn't help but go over and pull the Empress away, saying to her:

"Auntie, don't worry, my senior brother's poisoning is not severe, and he will be cured soon."

Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately fell silent, abruptly raising her head. Her gaze was fixed intently on Leng Jie. She confirmed with delight:

"Are you serious? Can the prince's poison really be cured?"

"Really!" Leng Jie nodded solemnly and replied, "Not only is Senior Brother alright, but your and Uncle's poison can also be cured because Senior Brother suppressed the poison in time. Don't cry anymore, just consider it a lesson learned! Never eat anything you don't know about in the future. Not every rare and good thing is worth eating."

"You say my poison can be cured?" The stunned emperor, upon hearing that his life was still in order, immediately came to his senses and asked.

Leng Jie turned to face him, nodded, and said:

"Your and the Empress's poisoning is more severe, and it will take some effort to cure. However, as long as you follow my prescription and adjust your diet, the poison can be cured. But the prerequisite is that you must stop taking that elixir. It would be best to seal up the alchemy furnace as well, because the gas produced during the alchemy process is also poisonous."

For the emperor, nothing was more important than his life. He didn't doubt Leng Jie's words at all just because she was a woman. He immediately said excitedly:

"I'll listen to you, I'll listen to everything you say."

Then, after a moment of thoughtful reflection, he recalled:

“Yesterday, when my son said I had been poisoned, I thought a traitor had poisoned my food! But the imperial physicians insisted that there was no poison in the food. Now that you mention it, I remember. I went to inspect the alchemy furnace that day, and after returning to the palace, I ate a newly refined golden pill. Then dinner was served, and that's when the poison took effect.”

Then, the emperor suddenly made a very solemn promise:

"If you can cure me, the Empress, and the Prince from the poison, you will be a great benefactor of my Xiping Kingdom. At that time, I will grant you whatever you desire!"

Uh! A wry smile involuntarily crept onto Leng Jie's lips. Things seemed much simpler than she had imagined? She had initially thought she was about to be embroiled in their dark palace intrigues! Now it seemed everything was under the old emperor's control? Because she didn't understand the old emperor's intentions, Leng Jie dared not reveal their true purpose. She smiled gently and said:

"Uncle, what are you saying! Not to mention that you are the emperor, blessed with immense fortune, just because you are my senior brother's father, Xiao Jie will definitely do her best!"

The emperor was instantly delighted by Leng Jie's double dose of sweetness. His previous sickly demeanor vanished, and he laughed heartily, his eyes gleaming:

"Hahaha... I'm relieved to hear Xiao Jie say that!"

Leng Jie had to emphasize the effectiveness of psychotherapy! The poison hadn't even been neutralized yet, but the patient was already halfway cured.

Qingfeng gave his father a disdainful look and said to Leng Jie:

"Xiaojie has seen what she needed to see and learned what she needed to know. Let's go back!"

"My sons! Xiao Jie is new to Beifeng, so why don't you stay and have a meal with us today? Besides, you sent all the servants away yesterday, so there will be no one to serve you when you go back. That would be very impolite!" The Empress looked at Qingfeng with expectant eyes and said earnestly.

Qingfeng glanced back at her coldly and replied indifferently, "Your Majesty is too kind. Xiaojie and I are both rough people, used to doing things ourselves. We don't need anyone to serve us, and we're not used to eating things that make people live forever."

"How dare you speak to your mother like that!" Seeing that the Empress had been wronged, the Emperor shouted at Qingfeng.

"Your Majesty, please don't blame my son!" The Empress immediately protected her son. Then, pulling Leng Jie, who stood awkwardly between them, she said:

"Xiao Jie, you go with Huang'er! He will take care of you. We'll have a proper banquet for you when your aunt is feeling better."

Leng Jie grasped the Empress's hand and nodded, saying, "I will make a list of the foods your uncle and aunt want to eat later. I will have my senior brother prepare them for you personally. As for the medicines you need, I will personally oversee their preparation. Once they are ready, I will send them to you both. The most important thing for you now is to maintain a good mindset. This will help with detoxification." After speaking, Leng Jie turned to the Emperor and instructed him:

“Especially my uncle, who is the king, I know you are very busy with state affairs. However, for your health, you must not worry too much before the poison is completely cured. Otherwise, I will be powerless to help you then.”

"Very well! I'll listen to Xiao Jie and ignore everything!" the emperor replied with a smile.

Leng Jie stood up and said, "Then Xiao Jie will go prepare the medicine first. You two should get some rest!"

After saying this, he followed Qingfeng, who had already reached the door, out of the emperor's bedroom.

Upon returning to Qingfeng Palace, Leng Jie couldn't help but laugh:

"Hehe, I never thought that my senior brother's father, the emperor, would also want to live forever! What I didn't expect was that he would actually want the empress to live forever with him."

Ying immediately added:

"The Empress wants her son to live forever, and if her son then makes her grandson live forever, won't the battle for the throne in the palace become even more intense?"

"No way, Brother Ying! You even thought of that. I'm really impressed." Leng Jie said, laughing heartily.

"Have you two finished laughing?" Qingfeng asked with a dark face.

"Hehe, haven't you laughed enough yet!" Leng Jie continued to laugh. "I really feel sorry for those palace slaves who were exiled to the army by you yesterday! You'd better issue an order to revoke the punishment as soon as possible, otherwise you'll create a huge mess of trouble for yourself."

Qingfeng pondered for a moment, then nodded and replied:

"Alright, since Xiaojie has pleaded for them, I'll go find the people from the Imperial Household Department now and have those people from yesterday come back. I believe that after this lesson, they won't dare to do anything rebellious."

“Yes, it’s always better to use someone you know than someone you don’t. But the key is that you can understand it!” Leng Jie nodded and said.

Chapter 112 The Ruthless Royal Family

Half a month has passed since Leng Jie arrived in Beifeng. For the past two weeks, Leng Jie has been personally responsible for detoxifying Qingfeng and his family of three every day using a combination of dietary therapy and medicine. Qingfeng's poison was relatively mild, and he was able to eliminate some of it using his internal energy. Therefore, when Beifeng welcomed its first snow of the year in mid-September, Qingfeng's poison had been completely eliminated. Although the Empress and the Emperor had not been completely eliminated, they were already able to walk.

After most of the toxins were removed, the Emperor and Empress's complexions and health improved considerably, and they gradually revealed their noble bearing and true appearance. Qingfeng's overall profile was remarkably similar to the Emperor's, while his facial features resembled the Empress's even more. It's no exaggeration to say that Qingfeng inherited all the best traits from his parents. Perhaps for this reason, or perhaps because Leng Jie saw that Qingfeng was unhappy, she always tried her best to make him accept them.

The clever Empress, seeing that Qingfeng would inevitably follow Leng Jie wherever she went, did everything she could to keep Leng Jie by her side in order to see her son. With Leng Jie acting as a mediator, Qingfeng seemed less averse to the Emperor and Empress. Apart from not initiating conversations with them, he could now respond properly whenever they asked him questions.

Here they were, Leng Jie and Qing Feng, enjoying the snow with them in a beautifully decorated pavilion in the Imperial Garden. The four of them chatted and laughed, talking about how they hoped for another good year to come. From a distance, it looked like a touching scene of filial piety and harmony between father and son, husband and wife. Hundreds of guards stood in neat rows a few meters away in the snow.

At this moment, across the garden from the pavilion, under the long corridor behind the artificial hill, two pairs of eyes, filled with jealousy and now filled with rage, were fixed on the mother and child in the pavilion, as if they wished they could tear them apart with their gazes.

These two were none other than the Imperial Noble Consort and the Second Prince, mother and son. The Imperial Noble Consort suddenly turned her gaze to the Second Prince beside her, and reprimanded him with a hint of resentment: