The head of the Imperial Hospital did not voice the rest of his words.
However, everyone present, including Zhu Yuanzhang, was intelligent.
How could they not know what those unspoken words implied?
At this moment, boundless panic surged into everyone's hearts.
It's over, it's over! How could this happen? The Empress is going to die now?!
Zhu Yuanzhang stared intently at the imperial physicians, his eyes burning with unspeakable fury.
"What do we do now?"
The head of the Imperial Hospital immediately replied, "The true person Qingyunzi has already delayed the spread of the poison with his profound internal energy..."
"The urgent matter is to apprehend the culprit as quickly as possible and ascertain the antidote or the formula for the potent poison from them!"
"Furthermore, Your Majesty, I suggest we summon all the highly skilled physicians in the capital..."
"With my thirty years of medical experience, this should be enough to prolong the Empress's life by half a month. If it exceeds this period, then..."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was so enraged that he genuinely wished to draw his sword and kill someone to vent his hatred.
"Heavens, why are you so unfair to me? Half a month, only half a month!
"Immediately summon all renowned physicians in the capital to the imperial palace. Those who dare to refuse will have their households confiscated and their families exterminated!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Your servants understand, please rest assured, Your Majesty."
Several high-ranking officials immediately went to arrange the summoning of physicians.
The next second, Zhu Yuanzhang turned abruptly and looked at the ministers behind him.
"Now, as the Emperor of the Great Ming Empire, I command you to apprehend the culprit. If you fail, do not dare to see me again!"
...
The high-ranking officials were shocked and quickly bowed in response.
The highest officials of the Central Secretariat, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of History, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works all spoke in reply.
...
"Then, let's take action. Remember, I don't care about the process, only the result!"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction, uttered these final words, and turned to enter the Fengfeng Palace.
At such a critical juncture, he had to be by his wife's side.
Several hours later, orders were dispatched throughout the entire Great Ming Empire.
The capital and the thirteen provinces were profoundly shaken, and the governors of each province sprang into action.
They deployed all their efforts, meticulously investigating every piece of information within their respective provinces.
Which capital? Naturally, it was Nanjing, which is Zhili.
The thirteen provinces refer to Shandong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and then Shanxi, Henan, Huguang, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Shaanxi.
The capital of the Great Ming Empire.
Squads of Imperial Guards patrolled outside, apprehending anyone who appeared suspicious.
At every gate, large and small, and at every road leading outside the capital, armored soldiers wielding swords stood guard, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving.
The city was under lockdown!
The capital, which had never been sealed since its founding, was locked down today!
This was the most unusual day in the history of the Great Ming Empire.
Even when the barbarians from the north descended south in previous years, the security had not been this stringent.
At the city gates, large and small, traffic formed endless queues, packed with people.
Countless commoners angrily cursed the forbidden troops, interspersed with some high-ranking officials who had not yet received news.
However, the order came from the Emperor of the Great Ming Empire, and the forbidden troops were executing this order.
These armored soldiers, armed with swords, ignored the curses and protests, regardless of who it was; no one was allowed to leave the capital today.
Amidst these angry crowds, two well-dressed scions of noble families boldly charged towards the city gate.
They thought the forbidden troops were merely going through the motions, but they were utterly wrong. The price of their miscalculation was their lives.
"Bang!" "Bang!"
These two scions were each struck down by the forbidden troops with a single sword stroke, hacked to death by a flurry of blades.
Witnessing this scene, the crowd fell into absolute silence. Under the threat of death, they began to instinctively retreat.
The government was serious, and these soldiers were serious!
Heavens, why is this happening? What has happened in the capital?
Why aren't people even allowed to leave now?
...
The next day, early in the morning.
Within the capital, all the night watchmen received orders from above, compelling them to extend their shifts by several hours.
They picked up their gongs and walked through streets and alleys, loudly announcing to every household.
"Bad news, bad news! The Empress has been poisoned and is currently in critical condition."
"Under government orders, citizens must provide information about the suspects, even if it's false..."
"These suspects are a group of women dressed in luxurious clothing, all possessing extraordinary bearing..."
...
"You only need to provide clues based on this information. Even if the clues are incorrect in the end, no one will retaliate against you."
"Furthermore, if the clues you provide are valuable, there is a possibility of rewards of ten thousand taels, and even official positions and titles."
The headquarters of the Imperial Guard.
Within a mansion spanning about ten li, people came and went, with various commanders meticulously analyzing the intelligence received from all sides.
Inside a room, a middle-aged man paced back and forth anxiously.
He was the highest-ranking official of the Imperial Guard, the Commander Mao Yifan.
At this moment, he was extremely tense, sweat pouring down his face.
"Has anyone found any clues about Zhang Lihua and her group of wenches?"
"Report: They are temporarily missing..."
"It's likely they had everything prepared beforehand, so we are currently searching every house in the capital to apprehend them..."
"We will catch them sooner or later."
"What about the homes of those wenches?"
"Report: Commander Liu Xue has already led over a hundred Imperial Guards to raid their homes!"
...
The Southern Banquet Hall.
Tonight.
None of the guests had left.
Because the main entrance, the back door, and even the windows of the banquet hall had been sealed.
Forbidden troops and Imperial Guards filled all directions; tonight, not even a fly could escape, let alone a person.
However, even so, they dared not be careless.
Inside the Southern Hall, everyone waited in fear and trepidation for the punishment of the supreme Emperor.
The incident tonight was truly immense, to be frank.
It was so big that no one could bear it alone, and even collectively, they might not be able to withstand it.
To put it more severely, if Empress Ma were to die this time, the Emperor's wrath would engulf the entire capital.
Damn it, our Emperor is the most affectionate emperor in history, especially his relationship with the Empress, which is exceptionally good.
He was assassinated in the imperial palace, the safest place in the entire Great Ming Empire?!
What were the officials doing? Were they incompetent?
Negligence of duty, they must have been negligent!
Execute them, and their nine generations of kin.
...
"Who is Jiang Chenxi? Please stand up!"
At this moment, the main door opened, and a sharp-looking middle-aged man, accompanied by several Imperial Guards, entered.
Upon hearing the question, after a long pause, a voice filled with fear finally rang out.
"It's me, I am Jiang Chenxi, daughter of the Vice Minister of Personnel!"
Jiang Chenxi wiped her tear-streaked face, her body trembling, and her heart already consumed by fear.
Beside her, her so-called good friends seemed to have seen a ghost and quickly distanced themselves from her.
The middle-aged man heard this and strode over.
"Hello, I am the Commander of the Fourth Division of the Imperial Guard. My name is Shen Lian, though you may also call me Lord Shen."
"I need to ask you a few questions. I hope you will answer truthfully. Is that alright?"
Jiang Chenxi nodded repeatedly.
"Very well. First question: How did you get to know the young princess Zhu Xiaoyan?"
"My father is the Vice Minister of Personnel. My father has a very good relationship with the Crown Prince. Once, during a banquet at the Crown Prince's residence, I accompanied my father."
"Then, while admiring the hundred flowers in the garden, I happened to meet the young princess Zhu Xiaoyan, and that's how we became acquainted."
"Second question: You must tell me how much you understand about the personality of the young princess Zhu Xiaoyan."
"My relationship with the young princess Zhu Xiaoyan is ordinary, so I only have a general impression of her personality?"
"Third question..." Shen Lian paused slightly, as if the next question was the focal point.
"Miss Jiang, since you don't know much about the young princess's personality, how did you have the confidence to invite her from the North Hall to the South Hall for entertainment...?"
Upon hearing this question, in the crowd of the Southern Hall, an old woman in her fifties or sixties, leaning on a cane, ignored the gazes of others and burst into laughter.
Behind this matter, someone was indeed the instigator!
At this moment, Shen Lian suddenly turned and looked at her.
"It was the old madam of the Vice Minister of War who made the suggestion. Originally, I dared not offend the young princess Zhu Xiaoyan."
"But old Madam Han came to find me and advised me to invite the young princess Zhu Xiaoyan to try. She said she knew the young princess's personality like the back of her hand, so..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Lian instantly waved his hand.
"Arrest them both!"
Upon hearing this, several Imperial Guards immediately drew their swords and rushed towards Miss Jiang and old Madam Han.
Seeing this, the entire hall was aghast.
She could no longer control her emotions, and piercing screams echoed throughout the hall.
Old Madam Han, upon seeing this, showed no panic. In the past few decades, she had seen all sorts of storms. This time, for her beliefs, she was willing to sacrifice her life and the lives of her family.
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