7. Medicine or poison?

Once again, the king and queen, overwhelmed by their son's condition, were preoccupied with shouting the ninth prince's name, "Zimo, Zimo, Zimo." They were entirely focused on his well-being.

The royal physician had yet to arrive, but several guards stationed outside the courtroom had already rushed in to apprehend the princess.

Zhang Mingze, unsure of whether the substance she had given the prince was beneficial or harmful, decided to let the guards surround the princess, just in case it was poisonous. But he didn't give any orders to capture her.

The personal bodyguard of a princess who had entertained the idea of taking advantage of the chaos to assassinate the princess found himself unable to approach her, as she was now surrounded by the Kingdom of Jing's guards.

As the commotion swirled around her, only then did the royal physician arrive, breathless and carrying a wooden box. The middle-aged physician, appearing to be in his fifties, made his way to the unconscious ninth prince. The king, willing to cooperate, rose to his feet to make way for the physician, but the queen continued to support their son, who remained unconscious.

"Please stand up. I will check his pulse and administer treatment," the physician calmly requested, his years of experience evident in his demeanour. He gently laid the prince flat on the ground and began examining his pulse.

The royal physician's worried expression gave way to relief after checking the prince's pulse. He calmly looked up and spoke, "While a significant amount of blood has been lost, the timely administration of medication has prevented any further unnecessary loss of life. The ninth prince is no longer in imminent danger. He can be transported to his bed, where I will treat the wound, bandage it, and prescribe a tonic to aid in increasing his blood levels." A sigh of relief was audible in his voice as he continued speaking. The potential catastrophe had been averted. If anything had happened to the ninth prince, beloved by both kings and queens, the consequences would have been dire.

Eunuchs and guards quickly supported the ninth prince and carried him to his bedroom, followed closely by the king and queen.

The majority of the ministers prepared to follow suit, but Prime Minister Yang Dingbang halted everyone. Only three individuals, Old General Zhang Zhende, the wealthiest minister Zhao Chuanli, and Minister Huang Changpu—loyal, honest, and long-serving advisors to the king—proceeded behind the royal couple.

The prime minister, though eager to accompany the king, remained behind to reassure the other ministers present in the courtroom.

The princess, meanwhile, was still in custody, her fate hanging in the balance. No one had issued orders for her release; instead, the officials were quietly conversing among themselves in hushed tones. If the king and queen decided to prevent her marriage to the ninth prince, they could use this opportunity to detain the princess, framing her for an 'attempted assassination' of the prince. Even those who knew the pill given by the princess wasn't poisonous would refrain from speaking out, understanding that the king's decision could go either way. The matter was entirely at the discretion of the king, and no one present dared to express support or opposition at this critical juncture.

One minister, Song Yongrui, the son of recently appointed Minister Song Huijuan, failed to grasp the situation. Believing that the king and queen would never permit the ninth prince to marry the princess, he anticipated consequences for the princess.

"How dare you offer an unknown substance to the prince? Do you possess no etiquette whatsoever?" he chastised the princess. "You must be exceptionally unattractive, which is why you wear that veil, correct? Ugly and audacious, harbouring fantasies of marrying the incredibly handsome ninth prince of the Kingdom of Jing."

The princess turned her gaze toward the source of the comment, an ordinary-looking man in his twenties. She cast a brief glance at him but subsequently ignored his words. She had been rash in her actions, nearly disclosing her secrets. In the future, she needed to exercise greater caution.

Song Yongrui's anger flared when he observed the princess's disregard for his remarks. He approached her and barked a command. "Remove your veil." He reached out as if to unveil her, while the ministers, who had previously paid him no attention, turned their focus to the impending spectacle, sensing that the king and the others were about to return.

"What do you think you are doing?" The king's booming voice caught Song Yongrui off guard, causing him to take a few steps back in shock.

"I...I..." He stumbled over his words, unable to form a coherent sentence.

The princess's clear and melodious voice broke the tense silence. "Your Majesty, how is the ninth prince faring?"

"He is well. Your timely administration of that pill prevented significant blood loss, and he is not in any immediate danger," the king replied. He walked to his throne, where the ministers had already resumed their positions. The queen remained by the side of the unconscious prince. The king, though he desired to stay with his son, had to return to the courtroom to address the unfolding situation.