Consequences of the Secret Elixir
"What is it!?" Gregory Gu Jr.'s voice involuntarily rose, his whole body tensing up.
Looking at Gregory Gu Jr.'s concerned expression, Zhao Mingting instantly understood—turns out Gregory Gu Jr. actually likes Su Li!
Zhao Mingting pressed her lips together and said, "It's nothing much. That Secret Elixir is meant for pregnant women. If a pregnant woman takes it, she herself will be fine, but the child she gives birth to will be mentally disabled. Tsk, this is a Secret Elixir from the Chu Palace, used among concubines to fight for favor. When taken, the mother remains unharmed, but the child becomes a fool—no risk of death to arouse suspicion. And if a concubine gives birth to a foolish child, not only can that child never be Crown Prince, the child's mother will also be despised by the Emperor. Grand Tutor Gu, rest assured, Su Li won't be in any danger—it's just that she and Alexander Hayes's son will be born a fool."
"Good, that's wonderful!" Gregory Gu Jr.'s eyes gleamed with a malice that sent chills down one's spine. "Alexander Hayes, don't you pride yourself on your wisdom? Now your son will be a fool—let's see how smug you can be! You'll be mocked all your life for having a foolish son!"
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Meanwhile, in the Jin Empire's palace, Emperor Leonard the Enlightened, who had just ascended the throne, was discussing affairs with the most trusted Prince Alexander.
"Didn't I order a citywide manhunt? Why hasn't Gregory Gu Jr. been caught yet!? He doesn't have wings—can he really fly away!?" Emperor Leonard the Enlightened snapped at the eunuch reporting to him, clearly agitated.
The eunuch trembled with fear. "Reporting to Your Majesty and Prince Alexander, all guards and soldiers are searching inside and outside the city, but there's still no sign of the fugitive Gregory Gu Jr."
Emperor Leonard the Enlightened, fuming, drove the eunuch away. He turned to Alexander Hayes and said, "Prince Alexander, do you think that Gu fellow really has grown wings and flown away? We've set up a net that covers the sky and earth—how can we still not catch him?"
Alexander Hayes, however, remained calm. He glanced at Emperor Leonard the Enlightened and replied, "Gregory Gu Jr. is cunning, Your Majesty. He must have planned his escape in advance. Even with a sky-high net, there will always be a loophole."
Emperor Leonard the Enlightened sighed and scratched his head in frustration. "That's true. Gregory Gu Jr. is as sly as a fox. He even managed to escape from the imperial prison—he really is quite capable."
"All we can do is keep searching," Alexander Hayes sighed. He knew the longer Gregory Gu Jr. remained at large, the slimmer their chances of ever finding him.
The two men fell silent for a moment, then switched to a lighter topic.
Emperor Leonard the Enlightened drooped his head. "Ah, I really miss the children at the academy. I wonder, if they found out their teacher Muzi is actually the emperor, would they be so shocked they'd wet their pants... By the way, Prince Alexander, do you think I could disguise myself from time to time and go back to teaching? I really miss those kids."
Alexander Hayes shot Emperor Leonard the Enlightened a glance. "You're the emperor now, with a mountain of responsibilities. How could you have the free time to sneak out of the palace and play schoolteacher? For my sake, just stay put in the palace and don't make me worry."
Emperor Leonard the Enlightened's restless heart was instantly doused. He slumped and muttered, "Now I finally understand why you refused to be emperor. What's so good about being emperor, anyway? Every day is exhausting, dealing with all those crafty courtiers. It's enough to wear anyone out! Being a carefree prince is so much better. Why did I ever get myself into this mess? If I were still the heir to Huainan, I could eat, drink, and have fun all I wanted—how great would that be! But now, being emperor is like being in prison, with endless work and piles of memorials to review. It's miserable, truly miserable!"