Chapter 596: Fortified Again

As Zu'an was worrying, the imperial physician's voice suddenly came from inside: "Hurry and urge them, see if the medicine is ready!"

Soon, a young pharmacy assistant swiftly ran out, heading towards a small hut nearby. The fragrant scent of herbs wafted from that direction, clearly indicating it was where the Imperial Academy of Medicine brewed medicines.

A thought sparked in Zu'an's mind, and he quietly followed him.

The medicine-brewing room was also bustling with people, each focused on the individual medicine stoves before them. Given the numerous concubines in the palace, they clearly had their own specific tasks.

Naturally, the most critical medicine at the moment was for Shi Kun, and many pharmacy assistants gathered around, chattering and offering advice.

Zu'an was speechless. With so many eyes watching, it would be difficult for him to make a move.

"Hurry up, isn't it ready yet?" The person who had come to rush them was growing anxious.

"It's ready, it's ready," the assistant tending the stove poured the medicine from the pot into a bowl.

At this moment, Zu'an secretly communicated with fire elemental power. The fires in the stoves in the pharmacy suddenly flared up.

A group of pharmacy assistants scrambled in a flurry, rushing back to tend to their own stoves. "Oh, why did this fire suddenly get so big?" they exclaimed.

It was crucial to control the heat precisely when brewing medicine; even a slight error could lead to a lack of medicinal potency, or even completely ruin precious ingredients.

While they were flustered, Zu'an flicked his finger, and a tiny drop of liquid silently landed in the bowl of medicine.

The assistant holding the bowl was distracted by the chaos inside, and no one noticed the drop of liquid.

However, he quickly remembered his task and hurried inside with the medicine.

Zu'an stood not far away, listening intently to the commotion inside. Soon, gasps of alarm erupted:

"Ah, why is there suddenly blood gushing like a spring?"

"Quick, get the hemostatic medicine!"

"It won't stop! Young Master Shi seems to be breathing his last!"

"Quick, get the life-restoring pill, see if it can keep him alive for a bit longer."

"No, the bleeding is getting worse!"

...

A strange silence quickly fell over the room. After a long while, someone finally spoke:

"It is well-known that Young Master Shi was a charming philanderer. Who knew that even at such a critical juncture, he would still harbor such amorous thoughts? He truly reaped what he sowed."

"Indeed, doctors don't save those who seek death. It's not that our medical skills are lacking; it's simply that Young Master Shi was too... *sigh*."

"It's normal for accidents to happen with such a vital injury. There's no need for us to blame ourselves too much."

...

Hearing the discussions inside, Zu'an almost burst out laughing. These imperial physicians looked so honest, yet they were so good at deflecting blame.

He had no idea that these imperial physicians, having served in the palace for many years, had long understood the principle of wise self-preservation. Saving lives was secondary; ensuring they weren't held responsible was paramount. Otherwise, with so many noble figures in the palace, if something went wrong and misplaced anger came their way, a few heads wouldn't be enough to spare them from execution.

Zu'an had initially been worried about the aftermath of this incident, but who knew these imperial physicians would so tacitly help him resolve the issue?

So, with a faint smile, he turned and returned to the Eastern Palace.

The liquid he had added to the medicine bowl earlier was not poison, as poison would have been easily detected by the imperial physicians.

Instead, it was "bull's milk," which he had collected in Brightmoon City. He hadn't expected it to come in handy so soon.

This substance was non-toxic to humans, but it was one of the most potent aphrodisiacs in the world. If Shi Kun had taken it on a normal day, it would have been no big deal; he could have simply found a few maids to relieve himself.

But now, his 'thing' had been severed.

Having just been reattached by the imperial physicians with their miraculous medical skills, it was already extremely fragile.

However, under the influence of the "bull's milk," it directly stood at attention. How could his fragile 'thing' withstand such torment? It violently ruptured again, truly and utterly shattered!

Then, naturally, came the massive bleeding. When the imperial physicians gave him the "life-restoring pill" – a powerful tonic – it combined with the restless "bull's milk" in his body, making it impossible for even immortals to save him.

Nevertheless, in the palace, many eunuchs died from severe bleeding each year during castration, no matter how skilled the castrator was. So, when the imperial physicians saw this result, none of them thought much of it.

Zu'an's expression was indifferent. This Shi Kun had tried to kill him repeatedly in Brightmoon City. He had originally escaped back to the capital and should have quietly hidden. With the Shi family's protection, Zu'an might not have been able to do anything to him. But since he insisted on courting death, Zu'an wouldn't be merciful.

He walked quickly all the way back to the Eastern Palace. Just as he was about to enter the door, a woman was about to exit from inside.

Seeing that they were about to collide, Zu'an quickly retreated several steps. He had already recognized the other person as the Crown Princess. He wasn't brain-dead; a public collision and physical contact with the Crown Princess, if it spread, would be a grave offense.

Various factions were watching him closely now, and he didn't want to cause any more trouble.

The Crown Princess instinctively recoiled as well, swaying slightly, evidently losing her balance. As she was about to fall, Zu'an kept his gaze down, showing no intention of helping her.

At that moment, the maid behind the Crown Princess extended a hand and steadied her, then glared fiercely at Zu'an: "So reckless! You almost bumped into the Crown Princess!"

"That's called 'bumping into'?" Zu'an thought, "You clearly don't know the true meaning of the words 'bumping into'."

Zu'an reined in his wandering thoughts and looked at the maid with some surprise. He remembered her; he had seen her by the pond yesterday. Her name seemed to be Rong Mo. He hadn't realized she was also a master.

After regaining her balance, the Crown Princess frowned delicately. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."

Zu'an replied, "I just went to the Imperial Academy of Medicine to inquire about Shi Kun's injuries, to express the Eastern Palace's concern."

Although there had been no physical contact just now, being so close allowed him to smell her delicate fragrance. He had to admit, this Crown Princess was truly a great beauty. It was just a pity she was a bit too fierce and always put on airs. "You're not even the Empress yet," he mused, "putting on a 'mother of the world' demeanor all day, for whom?"

The Crown Princess was also secretly sneering. *You* would be concerned about Shi Kun?

After questioning the eunuchs and palace maids earlier, she naturally knew the sequence of events and had also found out about the prior grudges between the two in Brightmoon City.

However, despite knowing this, she still outwardly acknowledged his gesture: "Well done. You should indeed go visit them. Someone, prepare some more gifts and send them to Young Master Shi."

Zu'an's expression was peculiar. "No need."

"Could it be that you've already sent them?" The Crown Princess was slightly surprised, and a hint of menace flickered in her majestic phoenix eyes. Connecting this to his earlier performance, she had to admit he was a clever servant. However, a servant who was too clever was not necessarily a good thing.

"No," Zu'an paused, then explained, "When I arrived at the Imperial Academy of Medicine just now, I heard the people inside saying that Young Master Shi's wound suddenly ruptured, bleeding profusely and uncontrollably. He has already died."

"Died?" The Crown Princess swayed, her face turning a shade paler. She knew that the knife wound Shi Kun had sustained was one she had pressed down.

Although the Shi family wouldn't blame her, the Shi family was a major clan, and such an incident was still quite troublesome.

She took a deep breath. "Summon everyone who was present earlier. We need to standardize our story."

She acted decisively. To unify their public statement, she naturally had to clear herself and the Crown Prince of any responsibility.

She had initially wanted to push all the blame onto Zu'an, but she worried that he might turn around and reveal that she had forced open the door, leading to Shi Kun's injury. After much thought, she could only temporarily abandon that idea.

The Crown Princess summoned the people from the Eastern Palace one by one, a process that lasted several hours. Zu'an couldn't help but admire how much smarter this Crown Princess was compared to her idiotic husband. According to her narrative, the Eastern Palace's responsibility was almost minimized, and the Shi family's hatred was diverted towards the Imperial Academy of Medicine.

However, she didn't know that the Imperial Academy of Medicine was also full of old foxes who had already prepared their own methods for deflecting blame.

As for how the situation would unfold subsequently, only fate would tell.

After finishing work at the Eastern Palace, Zu'an was about to leave the palace when two young eunuchs stopped him. "Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence."

Zu'an was startled, utterly confused as to why the Empress would summon him. They had no personal ties; the only indirect connection was that he had met her uncle, General Wei Liu Yao.