The Mushroom Emperor & His Empress General

Chapter 26

Next day.

The news of the sick Emperor spread within the palace, but no one dare talk about it as they strictly warned them that no one outside the should hear of it as this could trigger some kingdoms to rise against the capitol and put the citizens in panic.

Zhen Shi was still in denial, just yesterday they were laughing and playing, spending their beautiful life together but today no matter how he spoke to Peng Qi he didn't receive an answer.

When it was only them left in the room he would kiss him, call him husband several times and even promised that if Peng Qi could beat this, he promised to never complain of his unusual stomach appetite again and will give it to him anywhere anytime he wishes, all these promises were made yet Peng Qi was still not responding.

Brother Luo came into the inner chambers again and asked.

"Brother Zhen, is there no progress yet?"

Zhen Shi nodded his head feeling lifeless.

"Can you tell me again all that happened yesterday? I don't know but I don't believe his Majesty can just suddenly fall sick and quickly deteriorate to this state"

Zhen Shi paused for a while trying to recall.

"Yesterday evening, he was feeling so alive and well, then we went fishing at the pond and after which we went back to the lotus pavilion to eat the fight we caught. When it served, we were eating and after a a while, he complained of body weakness which was unusual of him, so he asked we retire to bed early and we did...Normally....Normally when we do that thing...(shy)...he would go at least three times but we...we only did it once and he became even more weak and slept off, I was a bit concerned but I didn't except it would lead to this."

They both kept silence for a while and brother Luo again asked.

"Did he eat anything that you didn't eat yesterday? Am suspecting this could be a deadly poison but if it was poison, if you both ate everything together, how come he was the only one affected? Or did he eat or take anything that you didn't take? Brother, please think deeply"

Zhen Shi again started recalling in his mind again, he started from when they woke up till night and realized they ate everything together, then he suddenly turned his head and directly faced brother Luo like he just remember one crucial thing.

"Brother Luo! I remembered something, after we took our first cup of tea, he later requested for another cup of his favourite herbal tea, the female slave who served the tea was looking so pale and sweating, we asked if she was sick and she said yes, so we had to relief her of her duties for the day..Immediately he drank the tea, he frowned and complained that the tea tasted a bit different"

"That its ! I said it, this looks like a deadly poisoning, that servant must have put something in his tea, I need to get to our master and report this immediately, to every poison there is an antidote, let's see if there is a way we can find the antidote. First, get the Minister of Defense to help interrogate that servant and also other slaves and the people in the kitchen, ask the royal physician to test if this is a poison case instead of just assuming that it was a hereditary disease, brother, please stay strong and do as I have told you, make sure the Empress Dowager and others do not hear of this except the royal physician and the Minister of Defense, I will head out immediately."

After he hurried and left, Zhen Shi summoned the Minister of Defense and instructed him to carry out the arrest of the servant who served the tea and also sent for the royal physician.

Zhen Shi also sent messenger to Peng Qi's closest people, he sent for his sister, Princess Yong who married the 4th prince of MengXu and his best friend Xing Bai.