Chapter 276 Outsider

Just a few days later, news suddenly came from Cining Palace.

It was said that the Empress Dowager was unwell and bedridden, and that her illness was progressing rapidly, with persistent coughing and wheezing at night.

Several imperial physicians came and went, and finally concluded that the patient had liver qi stagnation and had caught a cold. If he did not take good care of himself, his life might be in danger.

Regardless of whether their intentions were genuine or not, all the concubines sent people to Cining Palace to inquire about the emperor's health. For a time, the palace roads were bustling with palace servants visiting the sick.

Although Huo Lin had many grievances against the Empress Dowager, he still needed to maintain appearances.

He issued an edict ordering the concubines of the harem to go to the Buddhist hall in the palace to chant sutras and pray for the Empress Dowager.

When the imperial decree reached Weiyang Palace, Jiang Huan was pondering how to eat a tomato.

"Praying for blessings?" She put down the bright red tomato in her hand, recalling the recent rumors of the Empress Dowager's serious illness.

To be honest, with the forced marriage to the princess and the system warning, the Empress Dowager's illness is as strange as it seems.

But the necessary formalities must be followed, and one can also glean some information along the way.

Thinking of this, Jiang Huan nodded: "I understand, go change your clothes, pick something simple."

The Buddhist temple was located in a secluded palace.

When Jiang Huan arrived, several concubines were already kneeling on prayer cushions, chanting scriptures with their eyes closed and expressions of piety.

Consort Li was among them, dressed in a moon-white palace gown, with her eyes closed and head bowed, appearing quiet and devout.

Jiang Huan quietly found a prayer mat in the back row and knelt down, pretending to pray for blessings while carefully observing everyone.

Amazing.

In the past, on such occasions, Consort Li would have put on a full show, jumping around and causing trouble.

Today, I was unusually well-behaved, as if possessed, and didn't cause any trouble.

They're practically screaming that something's wrong on their faces, aren't they?

After an unknown amount of time, the female official presiding over the prayer announced a short break.

Everyone got up to stretch their numb legs, and Jiang Huan also stood up and breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, a figure flashed past her side.

The elbows collided, and although it didn't hurt much, both of them had been kneeling for a long time, and their legs were inevitably sore and weak, causing them to stumble.

Just as Jiang Huan was about to warn the man to be careful, she turned around and saw, good heavens, it was Consort Li herself!

However, to everyone's surprise, Consort Li neither spoke sarcastically nor raised her voice in anger.

She simply turned away to avoid further contact, without even glancing at Jiang Huan, leaving with such decisiveness and efficiency, as if she were in a hurry to avoid something.

Jiang Huan frowned slightly, somewhat taken aback.

Something unusual is bound to happen, and it's almost certain that Consort Li has a problem.

But what is she plotting? Could it also be related to Princess Mingzhu?

She subconsciously glanced at Consort Li a few more times, only to find that the other woman was facing away from her, her fingertips unconsciously fidgeting with her sleeve, her mind clearly not on her.

In this brief silence, a faint, sweet fragrance, incongruous with the sandalwood incense of the Buddhist hall, drifted to Jiang Huan's nose.

Jiang Huan's gaze followed Consort Li's retreating figure, her doubts deepening.

The fragrance seemed to emanate from Consort Li's sleeve.

When did Li Fei switch to this overly sweet and cloying fragrance?

But with so many people and eyes around in the Buddhist hall, it wasn't convenient to investigate further. I could only suppress my doubts for now and plan to think about it more later.

Meanwhile, inside the Cining Palace.

During her illness, the Empress Dowager issued a special decree to summon Princess Mingzhu to the palace to keep her company.

Mingzhu had been lingering outside the palace for quite some time. Faced with the urging of the palace maid, she finally had no choice but to grit her teeth and step inside.

Ironically, not long ago, this was her safe haven.

"Mingzhu, come to your grandmother." The Empress Dowager's voice was slightly hoarse as she reached out her hand to her.

Mingzhu had no choice but to pretend to be obedient and walk to the edge of the couch to sit down.

"Good child, it's been a while since I've seen you. You seem to have lost some weight. Have you not been eating properly lately?"

The Empress Dowager's voice was hoarse from illness, but her tone was unusually concerned.

In the past, if her grandmother had cared for her daily life in this way, Mingzhu would have felt warm and comforted.

But ever since her grandmother started frequently mentioning her marriage and even forcibly interfering, this concern seemed to have taken a different turn.

The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and she was also somewhat confused and couldn't quite explain it.

The Empress Dowager before me had a kind face and a gentle tone, just as always.

But for some reason, she always felt a chill, as if she wanted to escape far away.

The Empress Dowager seemed oblivious, continuing to hold her hand and chatter on and on.

Ask her about her life outside the palace, what books she has been reading recently, and what snacks she has eaten, as if she were just an ordinary grandmother who cares about her grandchildren.

However, Mingzhu felt more and more uneasy.

The Empress Dowager's grip was incredibly strong; the force with which she held her wrist was unlike that of a patient.

She secretly raised her eyes and carefully examined the Empress Dowager who was standing close by.

Although the Empress Dowager coughed frequently, covering her mouth, and her face was pale, her eyes were unusually bright and spirited, even burning with intense intensity, fixed on her.

At that moment, Mingzhu felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight up to the top of her head.

Perhaps, the Empress Dowager was not as weak as she appeared.

She's just faking illness!

Countless questions and fears surged into Mingzhu's mind. She felt her scalp tingle and cold sweat pour down her back.

She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, but she still tried to maintain a smile on her face, her fingers trembling slightly uncontrollably inside her sleeve.

The Empress Dowager seemed to see through her unease, and tightened her grip, but her voice became even gentler: "Mingzhu, your marriage can't be delayed any longer. Speaking of which, that boy asked me about you the other day. He is both scholarly and martial, and comes from a respectable family. He is a perfect match for you. Why don't you two meet again and have a good talk?"

Mingzhu felt a chill run through her body, and even breathing became difficult.

The Empress Dowager in front of her was smiling, but that smile sent chills down her spine.

She instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but said, "These things can be discussed slowly after Grandmother recovers. You must be thirsty after talking for so long, let me get you a glass of water."

Mingzhu got up, and her eyes inadvertently glanced at the screen behind the bed, where she was suddenly stunned.

Through the gap at the bottom of the screen, a corner of a dark blue man's robe and the tips of a pair of men's boots were visible.

There's a person hiding there, a man!

Why? Why did the Empress Dowager hide a man from outside her in her bedchamber?

Mingzhu abruptly shook off the Empress Dowager's hand, her face ashen.

"Behind the screen! There's someone behind that! Grandmother! What...what are you doing?"

The Empress Dowager's expression changed abruptly, and her mask of sickly kindness shattered instantly.

She glanced sharply at the screen until she confirmed that the man had hurriedly left.

She forced herself to remain calm, even trying to take Mingzhu's hand again, her voice tinged with reprimand: "What nonsense are you spouting? Where did you come from? You must be seeing things. I am ill and need to rest. How could I allow outsiders here? Stop talking nonsense and ruining my reputation."

"I'm not seeing things, I can see it clearly!"

Mingzhu was no longer in the mood to believe it. She backed away repeatedly, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

Her mind, however, was incredibly clear as she pieced together the events leading up to it.

From feigning illness to summoning her, it was all part of a scheme, a conspiracy.

They wanted to create a scandal to force her to comply!

Yes, that must be it. If her innocence is compromised, what other choice does she have but to marry him?

"You're lying to me! You're not sick at all! You called me here to harm me! You want to ruin my reputation!"