Although this world was not the Blue Star where Xu Ping’an had lived in his previous life, its development seemed to have a faint connection to the Blue Star’s world.
The most striking similarity lay in the cultural heritage, which bore some resemblance to the history he knew.
This led to a very important point: no matter what one did, there had to be a “justifiable cause.”
Even a rebellion required finding a way to justify itself with these four words; otherwise… the army’s morale would plummet.
Just like the current situation, when Third Prince Li Zhun suddenly realized who Xu Ping’an was and blurted out “Impossible,” all eyes immediately fixed on him.
At that moment, Li Zhun seemed to sense his own flustered words and his face instantly turned pale.
“This gentleman should be the Third Prince, yes? I am a humble commoner, Xu Ping’an, greeting the Third Prince. May I ask if you have some important matter? Do you intend to stop this commoner from diagnosing His Majesty?”
Li Zhun’s face changed repeatedly as he suddenly grasped for an excuse.
“How can a lowly country doctor with no official position or prestige diagnose my father, the Emperor? You must be someone the Zhennan King sent to harm His Majesty. If you are allowed to diagnose him—”
“Wait, Third Prince, may I ask if you have currently led your troops to surround the Hall of Central Harmony?”
“May I ask, Third Prince, if I were to accidentally kill His Majesty in the process of treatment, what benefit would I have? Would I rather be hacked to bits by your blades or torn apart by the Zhennan King? I have few family ties but I do value my life. Why would I risk certain death now to harm His Majesty?”
“You… you…”
Li Zhun was momentarily speechless because every word Xu Ping’an spoke hit the mark.
“Your Highness, leaving aside other matters, just consider the current situation. If I did kill His Majesty, wouldn’t you then have the perfect justification to brand the Zhennan King a traitor and usurper, seize the throne, and ascend as Emperor yourself? Wouldn’t that be exactly what you desire? So why obstruct me like this?”
“You… I…”
Li Zhun pointed at Xu Ping’an, his handsome face twisted into a beast-like snarl. His eyes were bloodshot, yet he could not find any words to counter the reasoning.
How could he?
Who would believe now that Li Zhun led troops into the palace to save the Emperor?
At this moment, the entire square held over five thousand soldiers and generals, plus the troops across from them, along with eunuchs and palace maids.
He certainly could not kill them all.
For a while, he was caught in a predicament with no way out.
Seeing this, Xu Ping’an smiled slightly and stepped into the room.
Witnessing this, the Third Prince’s eyes widened, he clenched his teeth, and made up his mind.
Now, under no circumstances could Xu Ping’an be allowed to save his father.
Otherwise, he might as well consider his life over.
“Smooth talker, this man uses words to mask his treacherous intent to assassinate the Emperor! As a loyal subject, I cannot stand idly by and watch my father be bullied by such a rebel! Soldiers, follow me into the palace! We must save the Son of Heaven, slay the rebels, kill—!”
With a loud shout, the generals following the Third Prince understood clearly that whether they had known beforehand about the prince’s treason or not, they now had no choice but to follow him.
Otherwise, if the Emperor was revived, the soldiers might be spared, but the generals would face certain death.
“Third Prince speaks rightly! The Son of Heaven cannot be bullied by rebels! Brothers, follow me, kill them and save the Emperor!!!”
With a battle cry, a general charged out first, and the soldiers behind him, unable to hesitate, followed orders and rushed forward.
The two armies clashed instantly, armor and weapons colliding, the metallic clangs ringing out. Shouts of battle stained the vermilion hall red!
The Zhennan King’s face was grim as he drew his treasured sword from his waist and pointed it at Li Zhun with fury.
“So filial a son, Li Zhun! I truly misjudged you! Stop him! No matter what, the traitor must never be allowed near the hall!!”
Outside, the two forces had begun fighting fiercely. Fortunately, although the Zhennan King’s Imperial Guards were outnumbered five to one by the Third Prince’s rebels, the Hall of Central Harmony enjoyed a geographical advantage.
The hall stood roughly three meters high, making a swift breakthrough impossible without overwhelming numbers.
But no matter the fighting outside, Xu Ping’an’s mind was elsewhere.
Led by a young eunuch, Xu Ping’an arrived at a room in the back hall of the Hall of Central Harmony.
Without a guide, it would have taken a long time to find the Emperor within this vast hall.
“Master Xu, His Majesty is inside.”
The eunuch led Xu Ping’an into a small room, barely ten square meters, furnished with a bed, a cabinet, and a table.
There was nothing else.
The simplicity of the room was striking.
Xu Ping’an nodded and looked at the middle-aged man lying on the bed.
No, he should be considered elderly now, right?
The Emperor must be close to forty-five years old.
Xu Ping’an wasn’t certain of the exact age, nor did he care much for it.
Though around forty, the Emperor’s face looked like that of a man in his fifties—half-white hair, sunken eyes, deep wrinkles on his temples—clearly someone who had exhausted his innate vitality through overwork.
“Hm, fetch a basin of cold water and another of warm water.”
“Yes, Sir! Didn’t you hear His Majesty’s order? Hurry!”
At the eunuch’s command, several eunuchs hurried out.
There was no need to boil new water; by the Emperor’s side, hot water was always kept ready.
They simply adjusted the temperature and soon brought two wooden basins—one with cold water, the other warm.
“Put the warm water aside, place the cold water here.”
Xu Ping’an set down his medicine box and took out a porcelain bottle.
He stepped forward, gently pried open the Emperor’s mouth, and slipped a pill inside.
“Ah! Master Xu, what are you doing? You can’t just do that! This medicine needs to be tested for poison first!”
The young eunuch, who hadn’t paid attention earlier, now panicked and rushed forward to stop him, but it was too late.
The pill dissolved immediately in the Emperor’s mouth.
Xu Ping’an rolled his eyes at the eunuch.
“What time is this to be fussing over such nonsense? Do you want to save His Majesty or not?”
“Ah, but Master Xu, the palace has rules—”
[At a time like this, rules be damned! If you keep following rules, they’ll have you regulated!]
Ignoring the young eunuch, Xu Ping’an turned and withdrew his Silver Needle from the medicine box.
Without another word, his first needle landed precisely on the philtrum.
Startled, the young eunuch gasped instinctively, but before he could speak, the Emperor, who had not opened his eyes for over a month, suddenly sighed deeply and slowly opened them.
His previously lifeless eyes flickered with a faint glimmer.
“I… I am the Son of Heaven? Where am I?”