Chapter 43: Cunning Argument

  "What the eyes see may not be true?" Zheng Suhui slowly repeated this sentence, looking deeply at Sheng Siyan.

  "This is it. The rabbit that tested the medicine died after drinking it, but Zhou Daguang drank it and nothing happened. Moreover, Zhou Daguang drank a much larger dose than the rabbit did. It can't be that a small dose is highly toxic, while a large dose is actually good for you? Zheng Da Nainai, as my grandfather's fellow disciple, surely you wouldn't have such a muddled idea?" Sheng Siyan also studied Sheng family medicine with Wangshi for five years and was confident in her knowledge.

  It is said that quantitative change leads to qualitative change, and it is impossible for a small amount of poison to be more toxic than a large amount.

  Zheng Suxin was also somewhat uncertain. She looked at the dead rabbit Da Bai, then looked at Zhou Huaixuan standing beside her with his hands behind his back and a cold expression, his lips pursed together, not knowing what to say.

  "What's going on?" Empress Dowager asked curiously. She was now beginning to take an interest in this little girl.

  Sheng Siyan knew that she had caught the attention of the Empress Dowager, and her scalp felt a little numb, but compared to the situation where she was about to be beheaded in front of her eyes, she still chose to stand up. If she retreated now, she wouldn't be "biding her time" but rather brain-dead!

  "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, there is only one explanation: the rabbit that was used to test the 'medicine' did not die from this bowl of 'medicine', but rather from something else." Sheng Siyan pointed out another possibility. Although it was just one possibility, she skillfully turned this "one" into the "only" in her words. Because only by doing so could she clear the name of Sheng Qiye from the crime of "attempting to poison the Emperor with toxic medicine".

  Moreover, she is not making groundless accusations either.

  Because there is a Zhou Huaixuan who drank the 'medicine' in public and is still alive standing in the great hall.

  This fact is more convincing than ten thousand eloquent arguments.

  This is also a hurdle that Zheng Suxin cannot get over.

  She couldn't be certain that the 'medicine' was definitely poisonous.

  But people's perception is always wrong.

  The female official Yao, who was standing beside her, was very knowledgeable and had a strong memory. She also had a hidden rivalry with Zheng Suhui, so she helped Sheng Siyan speak up: "This makes perfect sense. I know that the Supreme Court has tried a similar case before. A young man died, and everyone said it was his aunt who poisoned him because he had eaten at her house before he died. However, the aunt insisted on her innocence until death, even leaving behind a bloody note proclaiming her innocence. The judge, our great Xia Dynasty's famous Judge Bao Zheng, was suspicious after seeing the bloody note and re-investigated the case. It turned out that it wasn't the aunt who killed him, but rather his stepmother. She had given him some 'medicine' before he went to his aunt's house for dinner, which mixed with a dish at his aunt's house and became a deadly poison. The aunt's injustice was finally cleared."

  Sheng Siyan was stunned by what she heard. She didn't want to die and then clear her name! - If you want to clear your name, do it now, what's the use of clearing your name after you're dead?

  The Empress Dowager nodded slowly after hearing this and said, "Indeed, there is such a case, and I also have an impression of it."

  Sheng Siyan's spirit was shaken, and he hastily said: "Madam Yao is indeed one of the Empress Dowager's most trusted and capable officials! Only someone as formidable as the Empress Dowager could have such keen eyesight to recognize talent and choose an official like Madam Yao!"

  These flattering words are like a tide, and with one stroke, two people were praised. Sheng Siyan was young in years and spoke with a simple tone, even if it was flattery, the Empress Dowager and Yao's official still found it very pleasing to hear.

  Zheng Suxin secretly scolded in her heart: Sheng Siyan was indeed a smooth-talking sycophant...

  Zhou Huai Xuan also glanced at Sheng Si Yan with a faint gaze.

  Sheng Qiye and Wang Shi were overjoyed.

  Sheng Qiye said: "Empress Dowager, the cause of this rabbit's death can be investigated by others, but whether this 'medicine' is poisonous or not shouldn't be a problem anymore, should it?"

  To say try 'medicine', rabbits can try it, people can also try it.

  Actually, the Daxia imperial court used to test medicine on humans, but after Zheng Suhui followed Sheng Old Master into the palace several times, she said it was too cruel and that using animals to test medicine would be better.

  Sheng Lao Ye Zi was very appreciative of her kind heart and told Xia Ming Emperor about it, adopting her proposal.

  So the 'medicine' room in the palace started raising rabbits for testing medicine.

  The rabbit that tested the medicine is dead, but the person who tested the medicine - Zhou Huai Xuan, Zhou Da Gong Zi, is standing there unscathed. Whether this medicine is toxic or not has become crystal clear.

  The Empress Dowager nodded slowly and said, "Then let's give it a try for the Emperor."

  Sheng Qiye looked at the bowl and suddenly found that not a single drop of 'medicine' was left, his face turned yellow, and he smiled bitterly at Zhou Huanxuan: "It's just a test of the 'medicine', you don't have to drink the whole bowl, do you?"

  Zhou Huai Xuan turned his head and looked at him, still not speaking. At that time, he couldn't control himself at all, let alone the "medicine" in the bowl, even the bowl with a faint fragrance almost made him swallow it...

  "Since the medicine is gone, just brew another bowl. Don't you have a prescription?" Officer Yao reminded Sheng Qiye with a smile.

  Sheng Qiye couldn't help but smile wryly, and bowed his hands to the Empress Dowager: "Not deceiving Your Majesty, the whereabouts of Gu Shan Feng are difficult to find. We were lucky to obtain a small amount of Gu Shan Feng's toxic liquid by chance, which was all put into the 'medicine' just now." Then he looked at the dead rabbit Da Bai and Zhou Huai Xuan who stood still.

  The empress stood up and said in surprise: "Is that all? Just a little bit?"

  Sheng Qiye nodded, "The venom of Gu Shan Feng is more precious than gold, it's something that can be encountered but not sought."

  "What's to be done then? Can't it be cured?" The Empress Dowager's disappointment was written all over her face.

  Zheng Suxin bit her lower lip, smiling and saying: "It can't be just this little, right? Sheng Qiye, you'd better take everything out. Otherwise..." Her voice paused, obviously reminding the Empress Dowager.

  The empress dowager understood and also put on a fierce face, saying: "Zheng Yiren is right. Sheng Qi, I warn you, quickly take out all the Gu poison liquids and give them to the emperor to cure his illness! Otherwise, I will behead your entire family!"

  Sheng Qiye was at his wit's end, took a deep breath and said: "Empress Dowager, even if you behead my entire Sheng family, I will still say the same thing. It really is gone."

  The venom of Gu Over Mountain is much more potent than that of ordinary poisonous snakes.

  Sheng Siyan was shocked upon hearing this, she didn't want to die again...

  Hesitating for a moment, Sheng Siyan said in a low voice: "Father, didn't you say that if there's no venom from the Gu mountain snake, we can use venom from other poisonous snakes?"

  The empress dowager was taken aback and subconsciously asked Sheng Qiye, "Is that so?"

  Sheng Qiye nodded. When he brought Fangzi back, he didn't think he could get the venom of the extremely poisonous snake Gu Shanfeng as a 'guide'. The original 'guide' was the venom of a relatively easy-to-catch poisonous snake.

  "It's just not as effective as Gu Shan Feng's poisonous liquid." Sheng Qiye sighed.

  "What's wrong?" Empress Dowager asked carefully.

  "If it's the venom of Gu Shan Feng that serves as the antidote, I can guarantee that Your Majesty will wake up after taking it, and even be able to sit up slowly and speak. However, without the venom of Gu Shan Feng, at most we can only sustain Your Majesty's vital energy, but wanting to awaken, speak, or even move freely is impossible." Sheng Qi Ye said regretfully. What a pity, they were just one step away from clearing their family's name.

  Sheng Qiye believed that the key person in his father's case was actually Xia Mingdi, who was lying motionless on the "bed". As long as he woke up, the truth would be revealed.

  Sheng Qiye couldn't believe it - his father Sheng Lao Yezi would never give the Emperor "the wrong medicine"!

  "Really......" The empress, who had been a bit tense just now, suddenly relaxed. What Sheng Qiye said actually suited her intentions.

  "Then find another snake venom to replace it. It can only be done step by step." The empress made a concession.

  Sheng Qiye then went to decoct the medicine again. Since they didn't need the venom of the Gu mountain wind, the venom of ordinary poisonous snakes was readily available in the imperial pharmacy, so there was no need for him to bring it from outside the palace.

  The medicine was soon ready and Seventh Master brought it over again.

  The Empress Dowager took them directly to the palace where Xia Ming Emperor lived.

  Emperor Xiaoming, since becoming a "living dead man", the Empress Dowager, considering his safety, moved him to live in her own palace, with twelve hours of uninterrupted surveillance by countless people every day, fearing that someone would take advantage of the situation and end Emperor Xiaoming's life.

  To be on the safe side, they tested the 'medicine' with a rabbit. This time, the test rabbit did not die, but instead hopped around more vigorously than usual.

  The Empress Dowager felt at ease and had Sheng Qiye use a reed pipe to feed the "medicine" into Xia Mingdi's nostrils.

  Everyone was waiting outside the hall, quietly waiting.

  Sheng Siyan's gaze kept drifting to the back of Zhou Huaiquan in front. She was very curious, what had happened over the past five years, and why did Zhou Huaiquan become so cold and indifferent?

  Zhou Huai Xuan stood behind General Zhou, only to feel a chill run down his back, as if someone was watching him. He turned around abruptly, just in time to catch Sheng Si Yan's curious gaze before she could look away.

  Zhou Huai Xuan felt another wave of dizziness. His eyebrows furrowed even tighter, and he covered his mouth with his fist, coughing lightly twice.

  General Zhou turned his head and asked with concern: "What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable? Why don't you go back first. After I've dealt with things here, I'll go back."

  Just now Zhou Huai Xuan drank that bowl of 'medicine', although nothing has happened so far, but thinking of the dead rabbit Da Bai, General Zhou's heart still can't shake off the 'shadow'.

  Unlike Yao 's female officials, General Zhou's most trusted person was Zheng Suhuan.

  Zheng Suxin said this 'medicine' has a problem, then it must have a problem.

  Zhou Huai Xuan also wanted to go back and rest, so he cupped his hands and said: "The son will return first, Father will help the son say hello to the Empress Dowager."

  "Go ahead, it's all right." General Zhou said warmly, "Go back and invite Dr. Qi, the doctor our family usually invites, to come and take a look at you, see if there's any problem."

  Zhou Huai Xuan was stunned. He knew his father had misunderstood, he felt uncomfortable, not because of the bowl of "medicine" he ate, but because he was looked at by Sheng Qi Ye's "daughter" in a way that made him feel very uneasy...

  Sweat, the first update is delivered. Found out that new books can't vote for pink tickets without subscription? Asking for pink tickets and recommendation votes~~~ 2 pm second update, 7 pm third update.

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