Chapter 321: Chapter 318: Incompetence

Sang Yan clutched her lower abdomen and took a few steps back, distancing herself from him.

Qi Wuya didn’t care and scoffed as he walked out of the Phoenix Palace.

But after leaving the palace, he was still worried about the person inside.

Experiencing morning sickness.

She won’t be able to eat dinner, will she?

She was already weak, and if she didn’t eat dinner…

It might be better if she didn’t eat.

Better starve that brat out!

His heart harbored cruelty, yet he commanded, “Go ask your mistress what she wants to eat. Make sure to coax her into eating something.”

“Yes.”

The palace maid complied and hurried into the palace, conveying the Emperor’s words to You Ran.

Upon hearing this, You Ran said with envy on her face, “Miss, you see, the Emperor just has a tough exterior but a soft heart; he really does care about you.”

She was genuinely envious.

The Emperor didn’t pamper Miss Hong Zhao like this, not with such considerate patience.

Sang Yan was indifferent.

She didn’t need Qi Wuya’s care at all.

His care was even a nightmare for her.

You Ran wanted to speak well of the Emperor, but seeing her icy demeanor, she couldn’t find the words and instead asked, “Miss, what would you like to eat? You must not treat yourself poorly, especially not for the child’s sake.”

She vaguely knew the woman’s identity was far from simple.

And the child in her belly.

Definitely not the Emperor’s seed.

But the Emperor had kept him regardless.

How much must one like someone to raise another man’s child?

Yet, this woman remained ungrateful.

Truly unaware of her own good fortune!

Sang Yan didn’t know what You Ran was thinking. Hearing her mention the child, she also spoke up, “Something light will do.”

“Alright.”

You Ran smiled and went to arrange for the meal to be prepared.

It didn’t take long before a series of light dishes were served on the table.

Perhaps it was the absence of unpleasant company, but as she ate, she felt not an ounce of nausea and soon found her appetite wide open, nearly polishing off the entire table of food.

The news quickly reached Taian Palace.

Inside Taian Palace,

Qi Wuya was having his meal, slamming the table in anger, “She must be deceiving me! How despicable!”

To think she would play with his affections like this!

He was infuriated and abruptly stood up, ready to go to the Phoenix Palace to settle the score with her.

But as he reached the door of Taian Palace, he held back: she didn’t love him. She harbored feelings for another man. Naturally, she wouldn’t acknowledge his kindness.

So the crux of the problem lay with that damned man.

He had to be eliminated.

But how could he eliminate him?

Erasing memories was Hong Zhao’s forte.

A general Imperial Physician–

At that thought, the name Wu Youzhi flashed into his mind.

“Summon someone!”

“What can I do for the Emperor?”

“Send for Imperial Physician Wu Youzhi to come here.”

“Yes.”

The eunuch hurried off to follow the command.

In less than half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Wu Youzhi was escorted in.

“This commoner pays his respects to the Emperor–”

Wu Youzhi knelt down to salute.

He had just entered the palace and wasn’t used to calling himself ‘this humble subject’.

Qi Wuya motioned for him to rise and then waved off everyone present.

The hall fell quiet.

The warm air clouded one’s mind.

Feeling dizzy, Wu Youzhi cautiously looked up, only to see the Emperor beckoning him, immediately getting a bad feeling, “Emperor, Your Majesty?”

Qi Wuya sat on the soft couch, beckoning and saying, “Come here.”

Wu Youzhi had no choice but to go over, while displaying a flattering smile, “Your Majesty, please command as you will. This commoner will do his utmost.”

Hearing this, Qi Wuya nodded and smiled, “Good. You must indeed do your utmost because, if not, I’ll have your whole family executed.”

Wu Youzhi, though a civilian physician, came from a reputable medical family.

In such an environment, maintaining health was nothing extraordinary.

Both his parents were still alive, even past eighty.

And all three of his sons had taken wives and had children.

One could say that eliminating his entire family would mean dozens of lives lost.

Where would Wu Youzhi dare to gamble with the lives of his entire family?

When Qi Wuya summoned him to the palace to become the Imperial Physician, he immediately obliged and entered the palace.

Now, he obediently responded, “Emperor, rest assured, this humble one will do his utmost.”

After Qi Wuya had knocked him around, he then asked, “Have you ever heard of ‘memory cleansing’?”

“Huh? What?”

Wu Youzhi exhibited a bemused expression.

Qi Wuya didn’t believe a word he said and lacked the patience to waste words on him. He sneered threateningly, “I’ve heard that the palace is in dire need of eunuchs lately, your grandsons–”

“Emperor, Emperor–”

Wu Youzhi’s legs went weak, and he called out in frantic alarm, “Your servant has heard! Has heard!”

Seeing that Wu Youzhi was being honest, Qi Wuya continued, “I want you to erase someone’s memory. You have three days to figure out how.”

“Emperor, have mercy!”

Wu Youzhi’s legs truly went weak, and he fell to his knees with a thud, bowing repeatedly and pleading, “Emperor, have mercy! In three days, your servant cannot do it!”

After learning the He Family’s acupuncture techniques, he grew curious about He Hongzhao and had inquired about her in secret. He knew that her medical skill was extraordinary and nothing was impossible for her.

Something like memory cleansing would be as easy to her as flipping her hand.

But memory cleansing was fraught with risk, and one could easily turn someone into an idiot!

He dared not try or research it.

“Emperor, your servant is inept, truly inept!”

He was both afraid and anxious, tears streaming from his eyes.

This kind of medical research was utterly devoid of conscience!

“Emperor, have mercy–”

He wept with snot and tears, losing all composure.

Qi Wuya frowned with disdain, “Shut up! If you cry any more, those grandsons of yours–”

Before he finished speaking, Wu Youzhi quieted down and ceased crying.

Of course, inwardly he cursed: This tyrant! Heartless! Not only taking others’ wives but also trying to erase their memories! Utterly insane!

Wu Youzhi had guessed the identity of Sang Yan and the tyrant’s intentions.

Qi Wuya had no intention of hiding his purpose: “Listen to me, within half a month, you must find a way to cleanse memories. As for the test subject, I will arrange it.”

Wu Youzhi, being sensible, could only nod, “Yes, Emperor. Your servant obeys.”

Pleased with this, Qi Wuya dismissed him with a smile, “Get up, you are a grandfather yourself. Crying like that–if your grandsons knew, how shameful it would be.”

He was a smiling tiger.

Even his speech was laced with threats.

Wu Youzhi inwardly lamented, yet his face had to show gratitude: “Thank you, Emperor.”

Qi Wuya, having achieved his aim, didn’t look at him further and waved for him to leave.

The hall once again returned to silence.

He sat quietly for a while, then, finding it dull, stood up and went with his entourage to the Phoenix Palace.

Phoenix Palace

The lamps were brightly lit.

After washing up, Sang Yan was preparing to sleep.

Just as she began to undress–

She heard from afar: “The Emperor arrives–”

This plague of a man was coming again!

Sang Yan stopped undressing and slipped back into bed fully clothed, pretending to be asleep with her eyes shut.

But her breathing was clearly uneven.

And Qi Wuya noticed.

Pretending to sleep?

Hiding from him?

Realizing this, he wasn’t angry. He simply ordered the Palace Attendants, “Prepare the bath; tonight I shall stay here–”

“Ugh! Ugh–”

Sang Yan feigned morning sickness, leaning over the bed and starting to retch.

Of course, it was all an act; she vomited nothing.

Qi Wuya, seeing right through her, sarcastically said, “Yanyan, such a trick may work once or twice, but too much and you think I’m a three-year-old?”

As he spoke, he came over and patted her back, putting on a show of utmost tenderness and chuckled, “Yanyan, don’t be so naive, okay?”

No sooner had he finished than Sang Yan lifted her head and vomited all over him.

“Ugh–”

The sensation of warm, sticky wetness accompanied by a strong smell suddenly assaulted his senses.