The Double-Chapter 394 - 134 Exorcism_2

"Yes, when I came to see Your Highness the other day, weren’t you still in good health? How did you come to this state in such a short time?" Ji Shuran also wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

At this moment, Hong Zhu, the close palace maid of Consort Li, knelt before Emperor Hongxiao and said, "Your servant has something to say, and I dare to tell Your Majesty."

Emperor Hongxiao said, "Speak."

"Several years ago, Your Highness had encountered this situation. At that time, Your Highness was in grave danger, and it was... Chongxu Daoist Master who discovered the cause, which allowed Your Highness to escape from disaster. Now, without any reason, Your Highness has again met with this misfortune, yet no solution can be found. Your servant sees that it resembles the incident from years ago, and I boldly plead with Your Majesty, please summon Chongxu Daoist Master to diagnose Your Highness. Could it be that there are evil spirits haunting Your Highness in the palace!"

After saying this, Hong Zhu "bang bang bang" kowtowed several times to Emperor Hongxiao. Seeing this, Luwu also knelt down.

Years ago, Consort Li was envied and hated by other concubines in the palace, who somehow acquired Consort Li’s birth details and used a Warding Technique, causing Consort Li to wither away day by day, almost losing her life. It happened to be the Empress Dowager’s birthday, and Chongxu Daoist Master was invited to perform a ritual in Qing Palace, where he discovered something amiss. He found the placed effigy. The Empress Dowager was enraged that someone dared to do such a thing in the palace, and that concubine was given a cup of poisoned wine, but it was announced to outside parties that she died of illness. Because of this, Consort Li was able to reclaim her life and gradually recovered.

And now, at this moment, Hong Zhu suddenly spoke of the incident from those years ago.

One would expect that after hearing this, Emperor Hongxiao would be immediately pleased to have found a new method. But after a long wait, there was still no response from Emperor Hongxiao. For some reason, Hong Zhu felt uneasy, and cold sweat gradually seeped from her forehead. While she hesitated whether to kowtow a few more times, she heard the voice of Emperor Hongxiao above her head. He said, "Chongxu Daoist Master wanders all over the place, and now his whereabouts are even more unknown..."

"Is Your Majesty speaking of that esteemed Chongxu Daoist Master?" Lady Chen Ji stood up and looked over, saying, "This servant heard three days ago, that in a temple in Yanjing City, a revered individual performed a ritual, seeming to be Chongxu Daoist Master. In this case, Chongxu Daoist Master might still be in Yanjing City."

"Is that so?" Emperor Hongxiao’s voice betrayed no emotion, and he waved his hand, Eunuch Su quickly approached: "Issue our decree, summon Chongxu Daoist Master to the palace immediately, to diagnose Consort Li."

Eunuch Su left to execute the command.

Ji Shuran still knelt in front of the couch, holding Consort Li’s hand, which now slightly tightened, a flash of barely noticeable triumph flickered in her eyes, and then she shed two more tears.

Chongxu Daoist Master arrived at the palace one Shichen Chinese Time later.

This Taoist, having reached the age of destiny, appeared lean and resolute, radiating the aura of a true Taoist sage. He carried a Peach Wood Sword on his back, a duster hanging from his waist, and was attired in Taoist robes and cloth shoes. Upon entering the palace, he greeted Emperor Hongxiao with neither submissiveness nor arrogance.

"After years apart, the Daoist Master looks unchanged," Emperor Hongxiao said, his brows relaxing.

"This humble Daoist is fortunate to be remembered by Your Majesty," Chongxu Daoist Master said. "I have heard Your Majesty summoned this humble Daoist because Consort Li is in need?"

"Indeed," Emperor Hongxiao said. "The palace physicians are at a loss and can’t find the cause. Consort Li’s servant girl earnestly begged me to find you for a try, and it just so happens that I heard you are still in Yanjing. So, I thought to summon you to the palace to take a look at Consort Li."

Emperor Hongxiao didn’t want to make his statement too clear; since ancient times, any ruler who resorted too much to superstition was deemed incompetent, seeking gods and Daoist intervention. Naturally, Emperor Hongxiao didn’t want to be considered one such ruler, nor to give others cause for gossip. However, given the current situation with Consort Li, he had no other choice. Moreover, Chongxu Daoist Master was not an arrogant person and lived incognito, most often wandering and cultivating discretely. Just as when he discovered someone in the palace had used a Suppressing Victory Technique against Consort Li in the past, this matter was also not known to outsiders.

So, he was someone trustworthy.

Chongxu Daoist Master then bowed to Emperor Hongxiao and said, "In that case, this humble Daoist will first diagnose Consort Li."

Hong Zhu and Luwu hurriedly ushered Chongxu Daoist Master inside.

Consort Li was helped to sit on the soft couch, her complexion pale, seemingly struggling to speak. She looked at Chongxu Daoist Master and said, "I have to trouble the Daoist Master to come here personally..."

Chongxu Daoist Master waved his hand: "Your Highness speaks too gravely. It is this humble Daoist’s fortune to alleviate Your Majesty’s worries." After saying this, he frowned, staring around Consort Li as if he saw something else, his gaze unerring. Slowly from his bag, he took out a small bell.

Upon closer inspection, it was a palm-sized drum adorned with a circle of red bells around it. He held the bell in one hand and slowly shook it, then, increasingly faster and faster, the sound of the bell went from an initial gentleness to a piercing, urgent jangle.