Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1684: Not Even as Good as a Woman
Previously on Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside...
The five cabinet ministers in the hall saw Emperor Jingyuan angry, so they did not provoke him further, fearing to invite trouble upon themselves.
Emperor Jingyuan snorted coldly, "Why have you all become mute again?"
A group of cowards, afraid to utter a single useful word during critical moments.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Ming has arrived," the Chief Eunuch said to Emperor Jingyuan after listening to the little eunuch’s report.
Emperor Jingyuan showed signs of delight, "Summon him."
"Yes," the Chief Eunuch immediately called out, "Summon Lord Ming into the hall!"
The little eunuch hurried away and shortly returned with Mai Cong.
"This subject greets Your Majesty and brings good news to Your Majesty," Mai Cong said with a smile, speaking of joyful news.
Emperor Jingyuan listened happily and pointed at Mai Cong, addressing the few cabinet ministers, "Learn from Ming Qin, when it’s time to attend to matters, do your jobs well, and when it’s time to rejoice, speak auspicious words instead of ruining my mood!"
The five cabinet ministers responded, bowing their hands, "Yes."
Emperor Jingyuan frowned at the reply, Are you all wooden? Can’t you say something else?
"Mai Cong, take a look at this report," Emperor Jingyuan restrained his anger towards the cabinet ministers and pointed to the Ministry of War’s report on the table.
The Chief Eunuch immediately picked up the report and handed it to Mai Cong.
Mai Cong read it and laughed, "Great Chu has such a talented general; indeed, it is Your Majesty’s joy, and this subject congratulates Your Majesty again."
"Haha, it is truly a great joy," Emperor Jingyuan laughed heartily, suddenly slapped the table, his eyes sharp, voice firm and sinister, "With Xu You and these emerging talents assisting, I am determined to flatten the Rong bandits and massacre all Rong bandits!"
This?
The cabinet ministers heard this and frowned, which Emperor Jingyuan noticed with extreme displeasure, glaring at them and demanding, "You are courtier of Great Chu, and yet you sympathize with Rong bandits? In the land of the Rong bandits, all creatures deserve to die!"
Since Emperor Jingyuan returned from disappearance in Rong Territory, he hated Da Rong deeply, and even before ascending the throne plotted to destroy Da Rong.
But Da Rong had strong soldiers and horses, and even during the prime of the former dynasty could not annihilate Da Rong. Now Great Chu was shaky and crumbling; what ability did it have to destroy Da Rong?
If Emperor Jingyuan could solidify his territory and reclaim the three cities occupied by Da Rong, he would already be a wise ruler recorded in history.
The cabinet ministers dared not speak their true thoughts and glanced at Mai Cong.
Mai Cong said, "Your Majesty is the Emperor, and Great Chu has passed the years of natural disasters. If rulers and subjects unite their efforts, Your Majesty will surely achieve your goals."
However...
He pointed at the report and said, "The poisonous insects mentioned are a major threat. Please summon Duchess Yuan to the palace promptly to discuss the insect attractant formula and expedite the testing to ensure that when the poisonous insects become rampant, there is sufficient insect attractant available in all Great Chu’s residences."
It should be noted that the Rong bandits use birds to convey poisonous insects. Bird catchers can fly, and now it’s the time when birds from the north return south, so the poisonous insect disease can break out at any time.
"Ming Qin’s observation is reasonable," Emperor Jingyuan was very satisfied with Mai Cong as he was capable and obedient, not antagonizing him like the cunning cabinet ministers: "Convey my oral decree for Duchess Yuan to enter the palace and appear before me immediately."
"Yes," the Chief Eunuch promptly went to carry out the order.
But before the eunuch delivering the oral decree left the palace, Duchess Yuan had entered the palace due to there being an auspicious matter. Originally intended to visit the Empress first, but the eunuch, upon knowing, directly delivered Emperor Jingyuan’s oral decree and took Duchess Yuan to Mingwei Palace.
"The Imperial Decree greets Your Majesty." Duchess Yuan, already in her sixties, had been living harshly since the death of the Empress’s son, causing her hair to turn gray.
Emperor Jingyuan looked at his mother-in-law, furrowed his brow, and said, "Old Madam, rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Duchess Yuan replied, her outfit weighing down heavily, trembling as she rose.
Emperor Jingyuan saw this and had a chair fetched for her.
After Duchess Yuan sat down, he directly began discussing the insect attractant matter.
Duchess Yuan said, "The Imperial Decree entered the palace exactly for the matter of the formula. Both the formula and finished medicine have been brought, but the medicine was sent to the Imperial Medical Bureau for inspection."
The forbidden grounds of the Imperial Palace prohibit random entry with items; food and medicine must be sent to the Imperial Medical Bureau for examination.
Emperor Jingyuan instructed the Chief Eunuch, "Go to the Imperial Medical Bureau and summon them here with the medicine, the Director, Deputy Director, those highly skilled, and Imperial Physicians experienced with pest control, for me to witness the medicine testing personally in Mingwei Palace."
"Yes," the Chief Eunuch, seeing Emperor Jingyuan’s intense interest in the insect attractant, dared not delay and personally went to the Imperial Medical Bureau to relay the message.
The medicine had just been sent to the Imperial Medical Bureau not long ago, and the Imperial Physicians hadn’t examined it yet. Upon receiving the Imperial Decree, the entire bureau immediately sprang into action; an hour later, half of the bureau’s Imperial Physicians were gathered outside Mingwei Palace.
"Do away with those cumbersome rituals; call them in immediately for testing!" The Chief Eunuch’s announcement hadn’t finished when Emperor Jingyuan, impatient, urged.
"Yes," the Chief Eunuch hurried to call the Imperial Physicians into the hall.
The Imperial Physicians entered, carrying their medicine boxes, following behind the Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, "We subjects greet..."
"No need for greetings, proceed to test the medicine," Emperor Jingyuan eager to know the effect of the insect attractant, disinclined to waste time on the extensive ceremonial greetings.
"Yes," the Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, an experienced elder, saw Emperor Jingyuan’s urgency and didn’t waste words, immediately leading the Imperial Physicians to work, surrounding the box of medicine, conducting a thorough examination, culminating in identifying the utilized ingredients.
However...
"Your Majesty, this medicine is toxic! Many poisons exist in these medicines, including silk cocoon yellow powder, Tong Shuang Grass, Ghost Blood Vine, and snake ointment, all deadly poisons and must not be used."
"Moreover, the medicine contains decayed rotten meat, it truly... nearly breeds insects!"
Adding rotten meat to the medicine is excessive.
Emperor Jingyuan also smelled the stench emitted from the medicine and said, "This is the insect attractant, used to lure and kill the Rong people’s poisonous insects, naturally containing several toxic ingredients."
Emperor Jingyuan turned to the secretary in the hall, "Take the copied formula for them to view."
The formula presented by Duchess Yuan had three pages. Because it was precious, Emperor Jingyuan feared any mishaps and promptly had the secretary copy over ten spare copies.
"Yes," the secretary placed two pages of the formula in the box and then brought the box to the Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
The Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau took it, handed one page of the formula to Doctor Lai, skilled in pest control, and the two were surrounded by numerous Imperial Physicians, meticulously examining the formula.
Hmm, this formula is written particularly, composed of four parts: a description of the poisonous insect disease, detailing what the poisonous insects are, how they harm creatures, and the symptoms upon contracting the disease clearly.
Next is the method of using medicine to lure and kill poisonous insects and prevention.
Then comes the formula and afterward details on how to detoxify the harmful toxins brought by the insect attractant to the patient.
"Did you read the last sentence clearly? A group of Imperial Physicians well-experienced yet not as smart as a single woman," Emperor Jingyuan dissatisfied with the Imperial Physicians’ cautiousness.
If the poisonous insects are truly as terrible, then caution equals death, necessitating bold action by using poison to lure and kill the insects before taking soup medicine to detoxify.
"We are truly ignorant," the Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau humbly accepted blame when scolded by Emperor Jingyuan, immediately admitting fault, then cautiously asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to bring some poisonous insects to the hall for testing?"
Seeing the Emperor’s eagerness, he was sure he wanted to use insects for medicine testing.