Chapter 178 Your Majesty, Please Spare Me

Everyone looked at the food on the table and fell into a brief silence.

The emperor glanced indifferently at the dishes on the table, then raised his eyebrows and looked at the few people who were staring at the table, and slowly said, "Why, do you have any objections to today's breakfast?"

How dare people say that it’s because they didn’t see the porridge that was poisoned!

Concubine Yin came back to her senses first, and said with an embarrassed smile, "Your Majesty, no, I like it very much."

Concubine Liu also echoed, "I like it very much, too."

The two people looked at each other with ulterior motives.

Or it was that Concubine Yin couldn't help herself. She was impatient and impatient. She hesitated and said nervously, "It's just... Your Majesty, do you think, um, just saying this is a bit dry?"

The emperor raised his eyebrows and said, "So that's how it is."

Concubine Yin was overjoyed, thinking that the emperor understood what she meant.

The emperor ordered the servant in the kitchen beside him, "Go and bring a cup of tea to Lady Yin."

The servant said, "Yes."

Noble Lady Yin: "...Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it is not necessary, I think it is just right."

Concubine Liu was sweating profusely. She still had the task of playing the heroine in the plot. No matter how scared she was, she could only bite the bullet and say with a smile, "I think it would be better to have some porridge for breakfast. Your Majesty has been busy all night and it's just right for some nourishment."

The emperor raised his eyelids and looked at him, his eyes unfathomable: "It seems that Lady Liu also wants to drink porridge?"

When Lady Liu met his gaze, her skin inexplicably tightened. She suddenly thought of those people who were skinned and had their tendons pulled out because of opposing the new emperor. Moreover, she was the one who pointed out that the porridge was poisonous. Now she proposed it. Wouldn't people suspect that she arranged it herself? !

Think of this.

Concubine Liu coughed and said quickly, "I don't think I want to drink that much anymore."

The words fell.

The person from the kitchen finally arrived. He slowly brought the porridge over and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother said that you have been tired all night, so she asked the servants to stew yam porridge for you. The Imperial Master thought that Your Majesty had just recovered from a serious illness, so he specially asked the kitchen to send you jujube paste porridge, and..."

Three or four bowls of porridge were delivered, all of which were sent by people from various palaces.

When Jian Yue, Manager Zhao and the others turned around, they were almost devastated by the sight of the mess of bowls.

Depend on!

Which bowl of porridge did this poison come from?

Huangfu Chengyu took a look and said, "It's just right that you are all here, so let's share the porridge."

Concubine Liu and Concubine Yin were surprised and asked, "What?!"

According to the original plan, this porridge was for Her Majesty to drink, but suddenly so many of them appeared and they had no idea what to do with them. The most important thing was that they had no idea which bowl was the poisonous one!

Manager Zhao's expression was also uncertain.

Huangfu Chengyu glanced at the two people calmly: "Why, you two don't want to eat my meal?"

Even if Concubine Liu and Concubine Yin were given eight hundred courages, they would not dare to say this. The two of them were almost devastated. No one knew what kind of medicine the damn Butler Zhao had given them. They would be in big trouble soon!

Concubine Liu and Concubine Yin smiled awkwardly and said, "Of course not. Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

The porridge arrived in the bowl.

Neither of them wanted to drink. Concubine Liu looked at Concubine Yin with a smile and said, "Sister, you have worked hard, so you should drink first."

Yin Guiren thought to herself, "You little bitch, are you trying to harm me?" She smiled and said, "I am also worried about Your Majesty. You have worked hard to take care of His Majesty these days. Let me drink too."

Concubine Liu thought to herself that I was not stupid. She said, "Let my sister go first..."

Yin Guiren immediately said: "Sister first..."

“Pah.”

The sound of putting down chopsticks interrupted the argument between the two people.

Huangfu Chengyu's cold face showed no emotion. He just looked at the two people with a faint smile, but there was no smile in his dark eyes. His tone was cold: "If you don't understand what you are eating, why don't you just not eat it?"

It seems that if I don’t understand things anymore, I will never have to eat again in this life.

Concubine Liu and Concubine Yin instantly recalled the fear of being dragged away and beheaded.

The two men became obedient and were about to eat hesitantly. But before they could even drink, Manager Zhao said, "Wait."

Everyone looked at him.

Manager Zhao coughed lightly and said, "We should let the servants who are tasting the food try it first, for the sake of the health of the nobles."

Yin Guiren quickly put down her chopsticks and said with a smile: "Yes, yes, yes, look at my memory."

Concubine Liu also quickly put it down.

The emperor didn't like being served by others, and the maids around the two concubines weren't there for that either. For a moment, everyone stood quietly and looked over.

Jian Yue was still watching the show.

Jian Yue, who was standing by the pillar, was stunned for a moment, met everyone's gaze, blinked, and pointed at himself.

ah?

Me...me?

Manager Zhao shouted, "Little Prince! What are you still standing there for? Come here! The masters value you and let you taste the food. This is your blessing!"

Jian Yue: “…”

Do you want this blessing given to you?

No one told him that this job was so dangerous. Not only did he have to work, but he also had to test for poisons!

He gritted his teeth and walked over to the table, looking at the large bowls of porridge in front of him, all of which were steaming hot. It felt like he was in the Werewolf game, and a lucky winner was randomly picked.

Everyone looked at him.

Huangfu Chengyu sat there leisurely and lazily, as if he was watching an opera.

Jian Yue tremblingly picked up the special spoon and put them into the bowl. Just when he was about to put the porridge into his mouth, he didn't know whether it was because his hands were shaking too much or because he was really too scared, but the whole bowl slipped from his hands before it even reached his mouth.

I only heard——

"Pah"

A crisp sound.

Everyone looked over and saw the bowl of porridge smashing to the ground, emitting bursts of steam and different colors.

Lady Liu pointed at the porridge on the ground and shouted, "It's poisonous!"

Everyone looked at her sideways.

Concubine Liu thought it was finally her turn, and she immediately said, "This color is wrong, this porridge is poisonous!"

Yin Guiren thought that she was talking about my words, but she knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, this porridge is poisonous. This must be an attempt to harm Your Majesty. Your Majesty must investigate it thoroughly!"

Manager Zhao said nervously, "The people in the kitchen actually dared to poison the porridge. This is a heinous crime. Your Majesty must not let the criminals go!"

Jian Yue had not expected these people to be so complete in their acting. Their speed of getting into the role was beyond reach. He had to admit defeat and could only kneel down and say, "Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly."

Huangfu Chengyu glanced at the group of people kneeling on the ground and slowly said, "Investigate."

soon.

All the people from the kitchen were brought in.

Many people were delivering porridge today, and the imperial physician who was testing for poison checked every bowl. Finally, he said, "Your Majesty, the poison is in this bowl of yam porridge."

The eunuch who was in charge of delivering the porridge knelt on the ground in fear and said, "It's all my fault, Your Majesty, please spare my life."

Huangfu Chengyu glanced at him and said, "Who ordered you to do that?"

The young eunuch said, "No one ordered me to do this. I made the decision on my own. I beg Your Majesty to grant me death."

Quite tough.

Jian Yue and others thought that Huangfu Chengyu would send people to take him away and torture him.

Huangfu Chengyu said calmly: "It's too easy for you to be sentenced to death. Take him away and send him to the cold prison."

The young eunuch's face turned pale with fright.

Jian Yue remembered that the plot of the original copy that he unlocked seemed to mention the place called Hanyu, an extremely bitter and cold place, where Daqian buried the dead souls. The people responsible for digging and guarding there often had to face some large wild beasts. Basically, the people who had lived there were death row prisoners, and only the most vicious death row prisoners would go there, because the life there was really inhuman and their lifespan was not long.

Everyone else was still frightened.

Concubine Yin didn't expect that this matter could not be traced back to Manager Zhao!

Manager Zhao looked very proud.

It seemed that things were over.

The imperial physician exchanged glances with Huangfu Chengyu and continued, "However, Your Majesty, in my opinion, there are still some problems with these dishes, especially the soup in front of you. If it is paired with these dishes, it is easy to produce medicinal effects. Although this medicinal effect is not very harmful to the body, it is also very easy to cause an infatuation effect."

As soon as he finished speaking, Manager Zhao's face turned pale.

The head of the kitchen was also shocked and said quickly, "Your Majesty, please understand. The kitchen does not dare to change your Majesty's meals at will. These dishes were changed by Chief Steward Zhao and have nothing to do with the meals!"

As the department with the most money in the palace, the kitchen usually gives face to some supervisors of various palaces, but that is when everyone can benefit. When disaster strikes and everyone flees, the kitchen will not shield anyone.

Manager Zhao's expression changed, and he immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I am innocent!"

Huangfu Chengyu said: "You were sent by my mother to serve me, so I naturally trust you."

Manager Zhao was just about to breathe a sigh of relief.

The emperor said calmly, "But because you were sent by my mother, I cannot let you tarnish her reputation. Someone, go check it out."

The guards below withdrew upon receiving the order. No one dared to disobey the emperor's order. Manager Zhao never dreamed that this would be the cause of the investigation. He clearly remembered that the imperial physician on duty today was not this person!

After a while.

Someone searched the room of Manager Zhao and found a lot of embezzled silver and contraband items that had been hidden privately, and even a lot of illegal items that did not belong to eunuchs, including a kind of poison.

The guard said, "These were all found in Chief Steward Zhao's room."

The poison is a black clot.

The doctor examined it and said, "I am not sure what this is for now. I can only see that it is very toxic. I am afraid that long-term consumption will have a significant impact on the human body. I suspect... this may be related to your recent physical weakness."

The crime of regicide!!

Jian Yue was also shocked. He didn't expect Manager Zhao to be so bold!

Huangfu Chengyu looked at Manager Zhao, but he seemed to be the calmest person here. He looked at Manager Zhao and said calmly, "What do you have to say?"

Manager Zhao turned completely pale. He could only make the last effort and said, "Your Majesty, please consider that I was given to you by the Queen Mother and give me a chance to live!"

Naturally, the emperor had to consider bringing up the Empress Dowager.

But Lady Yin was not happy. She wanted to keep Butler Zhao alive because he knew too many of her secrets. As long as he was alive, she would not be able to sleep peacefully. She said, "Your Majesty, although Butler Zhao was given to you by your aunt, he is not loyal to you. What's the point of keeping such a dog servant?"

Manager Zhao never expected that Concubine Yin would dare to abandon her like this!

"You..." Chief Steward Zhao was furious. He said, "You dare to talk about loyalty? What you have done is much better than what I have done. Your Majesty, please don't listen to her. I have my own reasons for doing this. I didn't give you the poison. This is all..."

He was halfway through his words.

"call out!"

A sharp blade came through the air and pierced straight into Manager Zhao's throat.

The splattered blood splashed on the people closest to Manager Zhao, and Jian Yue's face was also splashed. The bright red blood sprayed on his face, and his eyelashes trembled slightly. Manager Zhao slowly fell in front of him.

Someone walked in from outside.

With a strong fragrance and jewels shining as she walked, she said in a deep and powerful voice: "I gave you to the emperor in the hope that you would take good care of him. You actually did something like murdering the emperor. Yin'er is right. I can't keep you!"

Steward Zhao had a sharp blade stuck in his body. He stared at the Queen Mother with wide eyes, blood flowing from his neck. He pointed at the Queen Mother and Concubine Yin with trembling hands, as if he had a lot more to say.

Concubine Yin ran to the Queen Mother's side tremblingly, not looking at him: "Aunt..."

The Queen Mother looked at Chief Steward Zhao coldly and said to Huangfu Chengyu, "Your Majesty, don't worry about my face. Just deal with it as you should."

Huangfu Chengyu looked at the person who fell in front of him without any emotion, and just asked the Queen Mother: "Why did the Queen Mother come here in person at this time?"

It sounds like concern, but it's actually a hint. How can he be so precise?

The Queen Mother said, "I heard that something had happened to your meal, so I came here immediately."

Huangfu Chengyu smiled, glanced at the people kneeling in the hall and said, "These dogs and slaves really deserve to die. They even bother the queen mother with such a small matter."

Everyone's heart trembled.

The emperor seemed to be scolding his servants, but in fact he was pointing out that the empress dowager had arranged so many spies around him. I wonder who he was scolding.

The Queen Mother's expression also changed, but she was the Queen Mother after all, her eyes were deep, and she said slowly: "The Emperor has just ascended the throne, and his foundation is not stable. Because of the Xue family's affairs, there are many open and covert attacks against you in the court. Naturally, I have to worry more about you, and this is as it should be."

What I mean is that you have just ascended the throne, and you cannot keep your balance without me. You have to wait and see when you have grown strong enough.

Huangfu Chengyu smiled and said, "I understand. Thank you for your concern, mother. I will grow up as soon as possible so that you can rest assured."

The few simple words between the two people seemed as if invisible swords had collided countless times in the air.

Even those with dull brains could tell something was wrong. For a moment, no one in the hall dared to speak. Only Jian Yue's mind was working rapidly.

The emperor has the leverage over him in the hands of the empress dowager.

This matter is related to the Xue family. People in the court and above have a lot of opinions about the Xue family. There is a lot behind this matter.

The more he wants to find out the truth about the extermination of the Xue family, the closer he has to the center of power. The vortex behind this is so huge that it seems unimaginable, and it involves an old case from the previous dynasty.

Jian Yue was sweating in his heart.

The Queen Mother said: "Zhao Zongguan dared to murder the royal family, and I have already executed him in public. What will the emperor do with the others?"

Huangfu Chengyu said: "Since the Queen Mother has dealt with it, I naturally have nothing to say. However, the servants in this palace are restless, so they must be dealt with as well. Chief Eunuch Zhao will be executed, and all the confidants he taught will be exiled to the cold prison."

The Queen Mother's expression changed. People knelt down in the hall and countless voices begging for mercy were heard.

Most of these were spies arranged by the Empress Dowager. She killed Manager Zhao and cut off the clues that the Emperor wanted to continue investigating. The Emperor then cut off the source of the problem and eliminated all the spies she had arranged.

Huangfu Chengyu smiled and said, "What's wrong? Isn't your mother concerned about your son's safety?"

The Queen Mother was unwilling but could not say anything unwilling. After all, she had already said what she wanted to say before. If she went back on her word now, it would be too obvious. So she could only force a smile and said, "Of course I care. Then you will listen to the Emperor. But you can't be without someone to serve you. Tomorrow, your mother will select some capable people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs..."

The emperor said, "Don't worry about such trivial matters, mother. You have been exhausted today. I will take care of other matters naturally."

The Queen Mother said: "I am in good health..."

The emperor looked up at Concubine Yin and said, "Concubine Yin has been frequently asking the imperial physician for help these days. I think she is concerned about the Queen Mother's health. What do you think?"

As soon as these words came out.

Yin Guiren's face turned pale! !

She often consulted the imperial physician because she was pregnant, not because of the empress dowager's illness, but the emperor actually knew it! !

The emperor usually seemed to be completely indifferent to the affairs of the harem, always looking nonchalant, so they acted recklessly. However, they did not expect that the emperor knew everything, and maybe everything had been under his control all along. But if he knew everything, why did he tolerate it until now?

Yin Guiren's brain almost shut down instantly and she couldn't even speak clearly.

The Queen Mother looked at her doubtfully: "Ayin?"

Concubine Yin knelt down with a plop, and was sweating profusely in just a short while. She glanced at the emperor, who was still sitting on the chair with a faint smile on his face, as if he was very tolerant. However, only she knew the danger behind that evil smile, and it meant for her to make a choice.

"Aunt, Aunt, your health has not been very good recently." Yin Guiren trembled and said, "You should rest more."

The Queen Mother frowned, she realized something was wrong, but she was also an old fox, she was stunned for a moment, then sneered, she slowly said: "Well, since you are so filial, I will take a rest during this time."

Sure enough, outsiders came to see.

What a picture of a loving mother and a filial son. The son is filial, the daughter-in-law is caring, and the mother is kind. Only those who know the inside story know how big a drama this is, with many overt and covert attacks and confrontations.

The audience in the live broadcast room said:

"If you don't have some gossip, you won't understand what's going on right now."

"People who don't know that Lady Yin is pregnant just can't understand!"

"Lady Liu just looked confused."

"This is all thanks to our gossip prince!"

Everyone was discussing this here.

The live show is about to end.

The Queen Mother took Concubine Yin away, and the palace maids who came in dragged away the body of Manager Zhao. Jian Yue's legs were numb from kneeling on the ground. Manager Zhao's bloodstains on the ground reminded him all the time that this was a place where human life was worthless and imperial power was supreme.

Xue Family...

Those who could influence the entire court, build the Bailu Temple, and even give birth to the current emperor must have been a prominent family. Why would such a family be exterminated?

Countless thoughts were swirling in Jian Yue's mind.

Until a voice came from above: "Everyone, retreat."

Everyone was about to leave.

The emperor said: "Little prince, please stay."

Jian Yue thought to himself, "Oh, the little prince is staying. What? The little prince is staying? ! Him?"

He looked up in shock and saw the emperor who was sitting up there, looking down at him. The emperor was sitting on the highest chair, with a lazy posture. His face was handsome, with a faint blue color under his eyes. His face was a little pale because of the curse and poison, but his eyes were dark and bright, and when they were slightly raised, they were evil, like a poisonous snake lazily looking at its prey.

Huangfu Chengyu said lazily: "Little Prince..."

Jian Yue's heart trembled: "The servant is here!"

The room was silent for a moment.

Jian Yue was feeling uneasy and hesitantly asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to change clothes?"

Huangfu Chengyu asked, "Why, have you learned how to change clothes for others?"

Jian Yue replied, "I have learned a little bit, and I am not very good at it. Otherwise, I will call someone in for you."

"Really?" Huangfu Chengyu said slowly, "I think you did a great job."

Jian Yue: “Ah?”

His dressing skills are pretty good!

Huangfu Chengyu looked at him and said with a smile: "You can encourage the selfish Concubine Yin to expose the chief steward Zhao with you, and you can also incite the cowardly Concubine Liu to work with you. Isn't this good?"

Jian Yue's face turned pale.

Huangfu Chengyu looked calm. He said, "Why are you shaking? Don't be afraid. I am not a scary person."

Jian Yue: “…”

Your Majesty, please stop laughing! I'm scared! The blood of Manager Zhao is still on the ground! Do you believe what you said?

For the emperor, he had dared to incite the concubines in his harem to do something, which was probably an overstepping of the mark, and it was also used against him, which Huangfu Chengyu absolutely could not tolerate.

Your life is in danger!!!

Risk it all!!

Jian Yue's tears started to fall. He took a few steps forward, hugged Huangfu Chengyu's legs and cried loudly, "I am... born to be trembling. Your Majesty, please listen to my explanation. It was not me who plotted to frame Manager Zhao! What Manager Zhao did was really unjust. I could not tolerate him doing harm to Your Majesty, so I resorted to this desperate measure! Your Majesty, please spare my life. I have old people and young children to take care of, and two 80-year-old people at home to take care of!! Please spare me. I am willing to do anything you ask me to do!!!"