The Culinary Chronicles of the Court Physician: The Disgraced Princess Consumes Poison to Create Medicine :
The sun, eclipsed and swallowed, returned to the sky after time passed.
However, the hearts of the people, disturbed by the strange celestial phenomenon, did not find peace. The citizens of the capital fretted, suspecting it to be an omen of disaster, and murmurs questioning the Emperor’s governance began to spread. At the court, the shamans offered prayers, fearing the harm of heavenly poison.
The same uneasy atmosphere lingered at the splendid Hua Palace as the Spring Festival approached.
A maiden, adorned with a peacock-shaped hairpin and dressed in fluttering green sleeves, stood on the bridge that connected the imperial court to the inner palace. The guards stationed at the bridge inspected her figure and bowed respectfully.
“Cai Feiling, His Majesty awaits you. You may cross.”
The morning after the solar eclipse, a messenger from the court arrived at Feiling’s residence.
He brought word that the Emperor had been afflicted by a toxic plague.
The imperial physicians had been summoned to examine him, but they could not identify the poison, let alone create an antidote. It was said that the Emperor himself had ordered the summoning of Feiling, a maiden of Bai Ze’s lineage, famed for their wisdom.
How long had it been since she last set foot in the imperial court?
Unlike the dazzling inner palace, the court was adorned with solemn grandeur befitting the Emperor’s rule. Decorations included hanging banners, incense burners, and other items bearing motifs of the qilin, the sacred beast that symbolized the Emperor.
Feiling bit her lip, her nerves taut.
Zhen’s words echoed in her mind: I know who poisoned the late Emperor with forbidden venom.
The mere thought that someone within the imperial court had betrayed the former Emperor made anger flare in her heart. Yet, she suppressed her wrath, refusing to be consumed by bitterness alone.
(Bai Ze must have known. After the late Emperor’s death, the calamity of the Earth’s poison would strike. And only Bai Ze’s wisdom could dispel the toxic plague.)
Zhen’s voice refused to leave her thoughts.
During the eclipse, when the eunuchs and palace maids began to panic, she had lost contact with Zhen. But the suspicion Zhen planted grew, corroding her heart like poison with each passing moment.
Was her mother’s desire for revenge tied to the scourge of the Earth’s poison? If so, had Feiling, her daughter, continued her futile struggle even as a remedy?
(No. I mustn’t let myself think of anything else now. I have to focus solely on His Majesty’s wellbeing.)
Feiling forcibly shut down her thoughts—just as she always had.
The Emperor’s chamber was located on the highest floor of the court.
In the corridor, high-ranking physicians cowered with lowered heads. The reality that even their collective knowledge had failed to cure the Emperor’s poison left them shrunken in shame, unable even to glare at Feiling.
“Cai Feiling, reporting as summoned.”
The Emperor sat in a chair, clutching his head in evident agony. His body leaned against a desk, his labored breaths punctuated by groans of pain. Yet, upon hearing Feiling’s voice, he raised his face.
Feiling gasped as her eyes fell upon him.
(Horns?)
From the Emperor’s forehead extended a grotesque growth that could only be described as antlers. Though it resembled a stag’s branching horns, Feiling’s mind immediately leapt to something else.
(Chi You? No, that’s far too—)
Chi You was a creature of legend, described as a monstrous being with an iron brow. The association stirred an uncomfortable parallel between the Emperor and the infamous rebel of old. Yet the Emperor’s rebellion had not been born of malice or greed. Such a comparison would be excessively disrespectful.
“…The sun has shown strange phenomena, has it not?”
The Emperor’s voice was weak and unsteady.
“At the same time, I was seized by splitting pain, and this… this thing emerged from my forehead. Bai Ze’s wisdom must know what manner of poison this is and how to dispel it.”
“As Your Majesty commands. First, may I check your pulse?”
Feiling assessed his pulse—it was steady. Percussing and examining his organs yielded no irregularities. Finally, she reached the afflicted area and examined the horn. Suspecting a lipoma or hemangioma, she found it to be far too hard. It was indeed a horn.
For animals like rhinos, hardened skin develops into horns. But this horn was not derived from epidermal cells. It was something else entirely.
The Emperor’s horn was made of hardened soil.
(This is Earth’s poison… How troublesome.)
Among all toxins, Earth’s poison was the most complex and potent.
Earth is the foundation of all things. Water veins, wood veins, and metal veins lie embedded within it, while fire, too, returns to earth once extinguished.
The Emperor issued his command:
“Cai Feiling, heed me. You must vanquish this poison and transform it into a remedy.”
The girl of chaos, spared from execution and granted amnesty, had been preserved precisely for this moment. To save the Emperor’s life, she now bore the weight of his very existence.
Feiling knelt deeply, her voice resolute.
“I swear to repay this grace with my life.”
Please ignore this author’s note part (it’s for site’s technical reason)
Author’s Note:
Thank you for reading this chapter! If you’re enjoying the blend of drama, mystery, and slice-of-life elements in this historical fantasy, stay tuned for more twists and turns as Feiling navigates the treacherous waters of the imperial court. Don’t forget to leave a comment or share your thoughts—your support means the world!
Worldbuilding Glossary:
- Bai Ze’s Lineage: A revered family known for their wisdom and ability to dispel calamities. Their knowledge is often sought in times of crisis.
- Earth’s Poison: A mythical toxin derived from the essence of the earth itself, said to be the most complex and dangerous of all poisons.
- Chi You: A legendary rebel figure from ancient lore, often depicted with monstrous features like iron brows or horns.
- Hua Palace: The opulent residence within the imperial court, known for its grandeur and significance during festivals and ceremonies.
- Qilin: A sacred beast symbolizing the Emperor’s divine rule, often depicted in court decorations and motifs.
