Chapter 124
How could this be possible?
At that moment, Quan Xing's inner thoughts were identical to those of Zhang Wei, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, and Minister Yin of the Ministry of Punishments.
How could the Emperor possibly take notice of a mere eunuch like him?
This was impossible.
"Search his belongings to see if he has any old clothes that do not fit his size."
Quan Xing's expression instantly turned pale with fear.
How had he been exposed?
"Are there any bottles or jars containing any substances?"
Xiao Yunzhou frowned and stood at the back, ordering the attendants who went to search to be more thorough.
Soon, the search yielded results.
"Your Majesty, there are indeed some undergarments sized for children!" The attendant shook out all the clothes from the bundle.
They quickly discovered several small underpants and undershirts clearly sized for a five- or six-year-old child.
As these garments were shaken by the attendants, who were fully covered in protective clothing, their tiny size suitable only for a young child became evident.
And Quan Xing was already fourteen or fifteen years old, with a height reaching the shoulders of the attendants, clearly unable to fit into these children's underpants!
"These... these are the clothes of your servant's younger brother. Your servant missed home and dared to bring them into the palace. They are not prohibited items," Quan Xing protested with a pale face.
But the attendants surrounded him in a circle, pinning him to the ground with over a dozen long spears.
They all stood at least one person's distance away from him!
Quan Xing's lips trembled, but he still held a glimmer of hope in his heart.
However, the Emperor's survival without a single scratch made Quan Xing panic.
This was different from what the Vice Leader had told him.
How could the Emperor be unharmed?
Before Quan Xing could ponder further, he heard the attendants' search results that filled him with even greater horror and despair.
"Your Majesty, we indeed found a porcelain box!"
The attendant dug out a flat, palm-sized porcelain container resembling a rouge box from the bundle.
"This... this is ointment for frostbite on your servant's hands during the cold weather..." Quan Xing made excuses.
That was what he had told the palace gate attendants earlier, and they had merely glanced at it before letting him through.
But this time, it wouldn't work!
Soon, a person fully covered from head to toe, including their hands and face, approached with a medicine box.
They opened the porcelain box, carefully sampled a small amount with a silver needle onto a white cloth, and examined it closely while also smelling it. It didn't take long before they lit a taper and burned the sample completely.
"Your Majesty, it is indeed a substance related to pus and sores, very similar to smallpox pustules."
"!"
"...!"
"!!"
Although all the attendants and officials present had their hands, feet, and even mouths and noses covered, they still collectively took a step back.
"Take him to the Ministry of Justice for strict interrogation. Any officials handling this must have had smallpox in their childhood!"
The Earth and Moon Sect is too poisonous.
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Punishments were both stunned.
"Your Majesty, this time, it's thanks to you..." Zhang Wei, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, respectfully looked towards Xiao Yunzhou after Quan Xing was apprehended and he had discarded his protective mask and gloves at the designated burning site.
Just as Xiao Yunzhou was about to speak, he was interrupted.
Zhang Wei wore an 'I understand' expression. "It is due to my incompetence and the incompetence of the Ministry of Justice that Your Majesty had to find an excuse, saying it was an anonymous informant who reported this."
Xiao Yunzhou cleared his throat lightly. "Don't overthink it."
There was indeed an anonymous informant.
Just not someone from the court, but rather Xiao Chuchu, the little Princess~
"Yes, I understand. I will never reveal to others that it was Your Majesty who discovered the smallpox plot yourself."
Zhang Wei was already somewhat moved.
He never expected that at such a young age, Xiao Yunzhou would possess more grace and wisdom than some Emperors recorded in history!
After Zhang Wei withdrew, Minister Yin of the Ministry of Punishments also frequently cast admiring glances towards the Emperor.
They were both nearly fifty years old.
At fifty, one understands the will of Heaven!
How could it be such a coincidence that just last night, they allowed the Ministry of Justice to claim credit for discovering the Earth and Moon Sect, and today, there was already an anonymous informant reporting the matter of the smallpox-infected eunuch?
This must have been arranged by the Emperor himself!
Such a ruse could only fool children, not officials like them who had served for twenty or thirty years.
Minister Yin's expression changed as he deeply gazed at Xiao Yunzhou before withdrawing to investigate the remaining conspirators.
[Ding! You have gained another die-hard follower for your Imperial Father.]
Xiao Chuchu was watching the scene of Quan Xing the eunuch being caught red-handed with great excitement.
She was just short of munching on some melon seeds when she suddenly received the system notification.
[Oh, just one more, and the Imperial Father can upgrade his attributes.]
Xiao Chuchu was amused.
[It's understandable. In this case with the Earth and Moon Sect, the Imperial Father handled it quite well.]
[One smallpox crisis, eliminated without a trace.]
[Now, there is no more smallpox crisis in the palace.]
Xiao Chuchu breathed a sigh of relief. Otherwise, with her small body, she might not have been able to withstand the ravages of smallpox.
[The mortality rate of smallpox in ancient times was at least one-third, if not higher. I'm still young with weak resistance. I might not have been able to survive it. But now, I'm safe.]
Hearing these words, Concubine Liu and Xiao Yunzhou, who had finished his duties and came to see his daughter, both felt their hearts tighten with anxiety.
That was too close!
Just a little more, and...!
If Quan Xing had brought in substances related to smallpox into the palace, the little Princess's safety would have been in jeopardy!
"Go and inform Consort Li that Quan Xing has been apprehended. All eunuchs and maids on her side must also undergo interrogation and examination!"
Xiao Yunzhou was still not at ease.
He gave Concubine Liu a signal before returning to the study hall.
Xiao Yunzhou looked at the Head Imperial Physician Hu, Liu Wenchang, and Liu Runnian he had summoned, and spoke.
"I have called you here because I want you to quickly research and develop a method to reduce, or even prevent, smallpox infections."
The Head Imperial Physician Hu was dumbfounded.
What?
Smallpox, a contagious disease, could it really be said to be prevented just like that?
"Wei Zheng, have all the other members of the Imperial Physician's Office been summoned?"
Xiao Yunzhou was now in a hurry.
He couldn't help but be urgent.
Just thinking about the little Princess, so small, possibly contracting smallpox, made this Imperial Father's heart shatter.
"Your Majesty, we went to summon them as soon as you left to apprehend Quan Xing. They should be arriving soon."
Wei Zheng did not dare neglect this and hurriedly replied.
It didn't take long before the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard outside the study hall.
Nearly twenty imperial physicians from the Imperial Physician's Office, along with around forty medical assistants, had all been summoned at once.
Everyone gathered outside the study hall door, bumping into each other and exchanging puzzled looks.
Both those on duty and off duty at the Imperial Physician's Office that day had been summoned.
What major event had occurred?
Even when an Emperor passed away, the summons wouldn't be of this scale...
The physicians exchanged glances, trembling in fear.
The more physicians summoned, the harder the illness was to treat!
No one dared to step forward now.
But soon, Xiao Yunzhou spoke up, directly interrupting their idle thoughts.
"I'll get straight to the point. Remnants from the previous dynasty today smuggled smallpox into the palace, intending to infect the princes and princesses."
"!"
"!!"
Apart from Head Imperial Physician Hu, who had just participated in inspecting all the items from Quan Xing, the other imperial physicians were unaware of this. Upon hearing it, they all showed looks of terror.
Smallpox!
Once infected, not to mention the princes and princesses, even the Emperor himself would be difficult to cure.
The Emperor's sons and grandsons, like ordinary citizens, would have half their body in the grave if they contracted smallpox.
Even the most skilled physicians could not necessarily pull someone back from the gates of hell.
Because currently, there was no medical treatment that could guarantee the survival of a smallpox patient!
The imperial physicians immediately became anxious.
They mustn't let the princes suffer from it and have to treat them.
They could not guarantee they could cure the princes even if they risked their heads.
But Xiao Yunzhou coughed lightly, quickly dispelling their worries, "No one in the palace is infected yet."
"Phew." The imperial physicians exhaled a long breath of relief.
But the next moment, they were stunned.
Xiao Yunzhou set down his teacup, "But considering the princes are still young, and the baby princesses are not even a year old, I have summoned you all to put your heads together and devise a way to eradicate smallpox."
"I do not wish to wait. Let's set a limit of ten days."
"......"
"!??"
"???"
In the entire imperial study, apart from Concubine Liu's family and Head Imperial Physician Hu, who had already heard the Emperor make such outrageous claims before—
The other imperial physicians were petrified!
What?
Did the Emperor just say ten days?
Hell, it takes more than ten days to give birth to a child!
Now he wants to eradicate smallpox in ten days?