"My apologies, Your Majesty. I did my best. The Thousand Transformations Poison and the poison in the sachet merged, forming a more terrifying venom."
"The known medicinal antidotes are utterly useless. The potent toxin continues to spread."
"Under the current circumstances, internal energy combined with medication can only delay the Empress's condition for a while. However, even at a slower pace, it won't last much longer!"
"Your Majesty, please acquire the antidote or formula for this new potent toxin as soon as possible, otherwise..."
Wu Tao did not finish his sentence. But everyone understood.
Otherwise, once the toxin spreads throughout her body, Her Majesty the Empress will perish.
Just then.
The head eunuch Huang Minghao hurried in from the corridor and reported in a low voice to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, there is news! The Commander of the Imperial Guard, Mao Yifan, requests an audience!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face first lit up with joy, then sank again.
It seems the matter is very troublesome. Otherwise, as the official force of the dark side, Mao Yifan, the uncrowned king, would not need to see him; he could handle it himself.
"National Master, and all the imperial physicians, please stay here and guard. You must preserve the Empress's life. I will also do my utmost to find clues about those heinous criminals!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Everyone responded in unison.
Then, Zhu Yuanzhang, along with the head eunuch Huang Minghao, quickly departed from Fengfeng Palace.
...
Time rewinded half an hour earlier.
East Factory, interrogation room.
"Old Madam Han, speak. What exactly did they make you do?"
A eunuch holding a hot iron asked coldly.
Opposite him, Old Madam Han, already disfigured, spat a mouthful of blood at the eunuch.
Then, a hoarse voice emerged from her mouth.
"The Holy Mother of White Lotus above, long live the Holy Mother of White Lotus, the Holy Mother of White Lotus will punish you..."
Hearing this nonsense, the eunuch could no longer bear it and struck Old Madam Han severely again.
Even when this eunuch became ruthless and killed all her relatives and friends in front of Old Madam Han, it had no effect.
After all, this included nearly a hundred people: her husband, son, daughter, father, mother, sister, elder sister, brother, uncle, aunt, and so on.
Faced with this unyielding individual, the eunuchs were at a loss.
Under such circumstances, let alone eunuchs, even the most ruthless person would have no solution.
Because if a person fears not death and does not care about the lives of their loved ones, no one can deal with them.
Such a thoroughly brainwashed, religious fanatic would give even gods and demons a headache.
Until, one eunuch had a sudden idea. He thought, doesn't this person regard the Holy Mother of White Lotus as heaven?
Then, threatening her with the statue of the Holy Mother of White Lotus might yield unexpected results.
Trying it proved to be successful.
Old Madam Han cared more about the statue of the Holy Mother of White Lotus than her own life or the lives of all her loved ones.
Under the threat of the statue of the Holy Mother of White Lotus, Old Madam Han became remarkably obedient.
Several eunuchs exchanged glances, and the leading eunuch stepped forward to ask.
"How much information do you know?"
After a moment of silence, Old Madam Han replied with difficulty: "In order for them to have me do their bidding, they gave me a copy of the Holy Scripture of the Holy Mother of White Lotus. I saw that person!"
Upon hearing this, the eunuchs were overjoyed.
"Who is he? Where is he from? What does he look like?"
However, Old Madam Han shook her head and said, "I don't know his specific identity or name. I only know that he looked very ordinary..."
More nonsense!
At this moment, the eunuch's face was filled with rage, about to smash the statue of the Holy Mother of White Lotus...
Old Madam Han was greatly alarmed and quickly spoke again: "I could clearly hear his accent. Judging by his accent, I can roughly guess where he is from!"
Hearing this, the eunuchs stared intently at her.
"His accent, it sounds like... a Bashu accent!"
Bashu? Sichuan?
The eunuchs were startled. After a series of further questions, having squeezed all the value from Old Madam Han...
Without further hesitation, they buried her and the statue of the Holy Mother of White Lotus alive together.
...
Meanwhile.
Imperial Guard Headquarters.
Zhang Lihua and others, who were already in a pathetic state, under duress from the Imperial Guards, began to recount how they had the audacity to plot against the young princess Zhu Xiaoyan.
"Half a month ago, I was with friends at the West Lake in Hangzhou when a wealthy merchant approached me, saying he had a way for my younger brother to marry the legitimate daughter of the Crown Prince's mansion."
"I didn't believe him. However, the next day, he showed me his capabilities, such as the preferences of the legitimate daughter, young princess Zhu Xiaoyan, her whereabouts, and her personality."
"'The bold live, the timid starve.' Furthermore, he used his connections to invite young princess Zhu Xiaoyan to the Southern Hall. I thought he genuinely wanted to help me..."
"Moreover, I had someone examine the contents of that sachet. It was a slow-acting aphrodisiac."
The Imperial Guard holding a whip was furious upon hearing this and said, "You thought? You thought? Do you have any idea that the substance in the sachet you brought, when merged with another potent toxin in Her Majesty the Empress's body, would form a fatal venom!"
"No, no..."
Zhang Lihua cried out in alarm, "I didn't know, I really didn't know, sir. If I had known, I wouldn't have done this even if I were beaten to death! I..."
"Who was that person? What did he look like?"
The cold interrogation interrupted Zhang Lihua's words again.
Zhang Lihua thought for a moment, then bit her lip and gave her answer: "He seemed to be from Hangzhou!"
What? From Hangzhou?
"Are you sure???"
"Yes, I'm sure, sir. I really didn't intend to harm Her Majesty the Empress, truly, I..."
At this moment, these Imperial Guards had lost interest in Zhang Lihua's tearful pleas. They had already made some deductions based on this information and were reporting this significant news.
...
The Imperial Palace.
At this time, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Mao Yifan, and the Director of the East Factory, Zhang Yunlei, were both waiting for Zhu Yuanzhang.
Seeing them, the newly arrived Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.
What's going on? Is the matter truly that thorny?
Both the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Mao Yifan, and the Director of the East Factory, Zhang Yunlei, have come together.
"Your Majesty, the situation is very troublesome. Our authority is not that great, so we had no choice but to come to you!"
Mao Yifan's words were urgent.
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and waited for his explanation.
In front of Zhu Yuanzhang, Mao Yifan began to speak in a serious tone.
"After extensive investigation, we have discovered that behind the White Lotus Sect stands a person and a force that has long since passed away."
"According to our investigations, we suspect that the headquarters of that force is located in Hangzhou."
"And that force is the Caituongtian Merchant Guild."
"Caituongtian Merchant Guild!"
The exclamation of these five words caused shock throughout the hall.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's brow furrowed slightly. He looked up at the sky and sighed, lost in thought.
"Caituongtian Merchant Guild."
It's actually them!
At this instant, information about that merchant guild immediately surfaced in everyone's minds.
Caituongtian Merchant Guild!
Ten years ago, it was the foremost merchant guild of the Great Ming Empire. In its prime, it had hundreds of thousands of members, with branches spread across all thirteen provinces of the Great Ming, and it had even made the government yield to it.
Its former leader was Shen Wansan, the greatest merchant in the land.
After Shen Wansan was killed, they also disappeared.
Now, they have resurfaced, and they have returned with immense hatred.
Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned terrifyingly grim.
It must be said that their actions were fatal. The target of their revenge was well chosen, directly attacking the heart of Zhu Yuanzhang, the culprit of ten years ago.
However, precisely because of this, Zhu Yuanzhang's killing intent was now at the verge of eruption.
Endless rage was brewing in his heart.
A person like Zhu Yuanzhang becomes even more terrifying when angered.
...
"Your Majesty, thirty thousand Imperial Guards have assembled and await your decree!"
Mao Yifan immediately stood up and said loudly.
"Three hundred thousand Imperial Army soldiers have assembled and await your decree!"
"Your Majesty..."
"Your Majesty..."
In an instant, the high-ranking officials of the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Army all had only one request in their words: "Kill."
At this moment, a chilling killing intent swept through the entire hall: "My intention is: dispatch troops globally. Those who do not comply... die!"
This statement shocked everyone.
A dense killing intent filled his face, and he uttered coldly: "I will issue the imperial decree to you!"
"Yes!"
All the high-ranking officials of the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Army responded in unison, their roars shaking the four directions.
...
An emergency court session was convened. All capital officials of the third rank and above attended this morning court.
At the morning court, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an imperial decree to completely exterminate the Caituongtian Merchant Guild.
The pronouncement caused an uproar throughout the hall.
A few minutes later, this proposal was passed with eighty ministers in favor and ten against.
Thus, the Great Ming Empire's government, this behemoth, began to move.
More than a dozen imperial decrees departed from the capital, sent at urgent speed to the governors of the thirteen provinces.
...
A mansion in a certain part of Jiangnan.
At this moment, the leader of the White Lotus Sect branch was furious. Everything breakable in the room had been smashed.
"Damn it! That son of a bitch cult leader, was his head grown by eating shit? How dare he try to assassinate Her Majesty the Empress? How dare he, how dare he?!"
"Who gave him the courage? That's a death warrant, anyone who touches it dies!"
In the room, all the high-ranking officials of the branches remained silent. Everyone's face was filled with fear.
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