Chapter 11: Hiding Poison in the Elixir
On the fourth day of Ji Wuchao's obsession with alchemy, outside the alchemy chamber in the Yan Kingdom's imperial palace—
Wu Daxian, dressed in a proper Daoist robe and holding a horsetail whisk in his hand, theatrically threatened the guards standing outside:
"Do you know who I am? I personally taught His Majesty the art of alchemy! It has already been four days, and no smoke has risen from the chamber—this means something must have gone wrong with the alchemy process. Now is exactly the time His Majesty needs me the most! If you continue blocking me, and His Majesty ends up blaming someone for it, who will take responsibility?"
"But... His Majesty has given strict orders: anyone who dares to trespass shall be executed on the spot!" No matter how bold they were, they did not dare to let him in.
"If I say it's fine, then it's fine! You all know His Majesty's temperament—when he gets stubborn, he listens to no one but me! When it comes to alchemy, I am probably the only one in this entire palace who has a say."
With the favor of the emperor, there was nowhere in the palace he could not go. Besides, even if the emperor did blame him later, he could easily talk his way out of it.
However, something about Ji Wuchao's behavior lately puzzled him. Although the emperor was still immersed in alchemy as usual, at first glance nothing seemed different... yet Wu Daxian had a nagging feeling that Ji Wuchao no longer confided in him as he used to.
This was not a good sign. Wu Daxian enjoyed his privileged life in the palace only because of the young emperor's favor. If he were to fall out of favor, the Zhao Kingdom...
Just as the guards hesitated about whether to let him through, a figure clad in bright yellow robes silently emerged from behind a tree. With his hands folded behind his back, Ji Wuchao regarded him with a knowing smirk.
"Wu Daxian, failing to predict my whereabouts? That's unlike you. It seems... you're not as divinely insightful as the rumors claim."
Wu Daxian was startled. He turned around and, upon confirming that it was indeed Ji Wuchao, immediately knelt down and hailed, "Long live Your Majesty!" But inwardly, he was deeply puzzled.
He had been keeping a close watch on Ji Wuchao's movements these past few days, certain he had missed nothing. Yet somehow, the emperor had never been inside the alchemy chamber? Normally, if the emperor had left, his men would have noticed...
"I... I came in a hurry and haven't had time to divine..." He stammered, cautiously observing the young emperor and testing the waters. "Your Majesty, why have you stopped refining elixirs?"
Song Yue her curled h lips in a smirk and cast him a cold glance. "Since when did anyone have the right to question my actions? I got bored of alchemy, so I came out for some fresh air."
Being emperor had its perks. Even if it seemed suspicious for him to be out here, no one dared to question it. The palace servants were all tight-lipped, and as for Wu Daxian... even if he had doubts, he wouldn't dare ask.
Wu Daxian wasn't just in the palace for a free ride—he had been secretly bought off by the Zhao Kingdom and regularly passed along information. However, in Ji Wuchao's previous life, he hadn't done any real damage, as he was kicked out before he had the chance.
According to Ji Wuchao's memories—soon, Xuan Sibei would make his move by sending in a con artist to poison him under the guise of an alchemist, replacing Wu Daxian. That so-called "divine fortune teller" would lace the elixirs with poison over the years, leading to Ji Wuchao's declining health.
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty..." Wu Daxian felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead as Song Yue's sharp gaze bore into him, making him uneasy.
So it wasn't just his imagination—this young emperor no longer trusted him as he once did. At the very least, he was no longer easily manipulated into revealing information.
It seemed he would have to find another way to "re-educate" the emperor.
That day, Song Yue lay on the imperial throne like a lazy salted fish, leisurely watching the graceful dance of the court performers while casually munching on sunflower seeds and idly chatting with the system.
Song Yue: This is the perfect life! If only the young lady fanning me could also give me a back massage and knead my legs…
*[Hey! That would expose your gender! You must be a total tyrant of an emperor!]
Song Yue's gaze subconsciously dropped to her flat chest, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
Honestly… with her petite frame, even if she stripped off her top, no one would probably notice anything…
Song Yue: I wonder if little Beibei has read the Dao De Jing I gave him… Sigh, I miss my son.
*[If you dare call him that to his face, you won't need any martial arts masters—just one strike from him, and your energy levels might instantly skyrocket to 999.]
Song Yue: Ahem… What I meant was, with my care and guidance in this lifetime, maybe after reading those books, he's developed the right values, turned to righteousness, and won't let that so-called divine fortune teller poison me…
*[I think he's just using your books to prop up a wobbly table.]
Song Yue: Tsk!
Because she had taken Xuan Sibei under her wing, her influence on him might have triggered some sort of butterfly effect, causing the sequence of upcoming events to change significantly.
For instance, at this point in her previous life, the fortune teller should have already sent someone to offer her a poisoned elixir. Yet, even today, her life remained peaceful and carefree, and she had heard no reports from her subordinates about the so-called divine fortune teller.
"Sure enough, maybe I've already saved little Bei's twisted worldview…" The corners of her lips slowly curled into a grin, and she unconsciously let out a lovestruck smile. The world suddenly seemed much softer, and even Li Fei—the seductive and ever-diligent concubine by her side—appeared more pleasing to the eye.
At that moment, perhaps noticing her gaze, Li Fei flashed a mesmerizing smile filled with ambition. Her dewy red lips parted slightly, and her curvaceous body leaned closer toward Song Yue, her breath warm as she whispered,
"Your Majesty, this concubine has prepared a surprise for you."
Caught off guard by her sudden advance, Song Yue tensed up, instinctively shrinking away and shifting slightly to the side.
Did this palace drama-playing consort… actually want to seduce her?
She couldn't help but imagine various palace drama scenarios of concubines competing for favor. Suddenly, she felt a headache coming on—these people would probably come up with all sorts of things to please her, wouldn't they? Being the emperor certainly had its perks, but the things that Ji Wuchao liked…
At that thought, Song Yue's eyelids twitched, and the scene in her mind shattered instantly. Her imagination came to an abrupt halt.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Li Fei noticed the emperor's slightly strange expression and instinctively glanced down at her attire, finding nothing amiss. Her eyes flickered subtly before she let out a charming laugh and turned to the palace maid beside her. "Bring me my brocade box."
A sense of dread crept up Song Yue's spine. Especially when she caught the way Li Fei was looking at her—like a predator eyeing its prey. It was the exact same look that a strategist might have when setting their sights on a target.
Being the emperor meant she enjoyed the highest level of luxury, but it also made her a living target. Every move she made was under constant scrutiny. It wasn't just the scheming Zhao Kingdom or the other rival nations— even those closest to her, like her own consorts, watched her as if she were a fattened lamb ready for slaughter, hoping to gain benefits from her.
The palace maid moved swiftly, clearly having waited with the brocade box for some time. As the familiar silk cloth was lifted, revealing an exquisite red box, the ominous feeling in Song Yue's heart reached its peak.
This box… looked far too familiar. It had appeared in her past life!
"I heard that Your Majesty has been refining pills for days but still hasn't obtained the legendary elixir of immortality," Li Fei said, her voice sweet yet filled with ambition. "Coincidentally, the Divine Fortune Teller has recently gained fame across the land. His miraculous medicines have cured countless commoners of stubborn ailments. He possesses an elixir passed down by his grandmaster. Though it may not grant ascension to godhood, it is more than enough to ensure longevity and eternal youth."
Li Fei sang the praises of the pill she was about to present, fully confident that this time, she would win Ji Wuchao's favor. With a triumphant smile, she gestured for the palace maid to open the box.
Inside lay a single, gleaming golden pill, exuding an extraordinary aura at first glance.
Song Yue let out a long, heavy sigh, her gaze fixed on the pill with a stiff expression and a complicated look in her eyes.
Why had this poisoned pill still appeared?
Even after reliving her life, was she still repeating the same fate?
Hadn't she already done her best to teach little Si Bei not to harm people?!
She had been thinking that if things played out like in her past life—where the Divine Fortune Teller competed in Daoist arts against Wu Daxian, won, and then presented the pill—she could simply claim that Wu Daxian was more skilled and have the fortune teller kicked out. But this time, he had bypassed that entirely, entering the palace directly by leveraging Li Fei's eagerness to please her!
"Your Majesty, you…" Li Fei's flawless smile finally faltered when Ji Wuchao did not show the expected look of greed. "Do you not like it?" Wasn't Ji Wuchao obsessed with these elixirs? Had she flattered the wrong way?
Song Yue was caught in deep internal conflict.
By Ji Wuchao's usual nature, she should be grinning as she accepted the gift, perhaps pulling Li Fei into an embrace for a fragrant kiss—or even flipping her token for tonight.
That was precisely why this was such a dilemma! A mere poisoned pill could be accepted and discreetly passed on to someone else, but accepting Li Fei's favor… This fair-skinned, long-legged beauty—she truly couldn't handle it!
"This…" Song Yue lowered her gaze slightly, and when she looked up again, she had already resumed her usual naïve and sincere expression. "Not bad, you have pleased me. I shall accept this gift. But, my beloved consort, what I am more curious about is this Divine Fortune Teller… If the opportunity arises, I would love to see him meet Wu Daxian."
"I dare not make any hasty judgments," Li Fei said with a delicate smile, covering her lips with her sleeve. Then, she turned to the maid beside her. "Since His Majesty is curious, send someone to invite the Divine Fortune Teller."
Outside the hall, the Divine Fortune Teller, dressed in a black-and-white Daoist robe, stood tall before the palace attendants, exuding an air of mystical dignity. However, out of nowhere, he suddenly sneezed.
When he was finally summoned into the hall, he saw the young emperor Ji Wuchao, dressed in bright yellow, sitting on the golden throne—his arm casually draped around Li Fei. This was his first time seeing Ji Wuchao in person, and he immediately found the emperor's demeanor entirely lacking in imperial bearing.
Just as the rumors said, at such a young age, he already showed signs of decadence and incompetence. Instead of learning proper governance, he only indulged in pleasure.
Song Yue had already taken in his expression, and her smile grew even warmer. "Today, I am most pleased to finally meet the legendary master of the world beyond. Divine Fortune Teller, it is said that this divine pill was passed down from your grandmaster?"
"Indeed, it can—" Driven by the instincts of a seasoned fraudster, he performed a formal bow and then began fabricating exaggerated claims about the pill's miraculous properties with a composed expression. Outwardly respectful, he inwardly looked down on Ji Wuchao even more.
"So, this pill is truly precious…" Song Yue nodded, her smile widening. "Since it is an heirloom from your grandmaster, you must have parted with it reluctantly. I wouldn't want to force you to part with such a treasure, so I shall return it to you instead.
Xiao Bi, why are you still standing there? Serve our esteemed master and
help him take the pill!"