Chapter 366 Poisonous

Huo Lin stopped looking at him and slowly swept his gaze over the other ministers who were also eager to make a move.

Those whose gaze fell upon him felt their scalps tingle and lowered their heads in disbelief.

“Minister Chen,” he called out, his tone indifferent, “I have noticed that you do not look well these days. Is it because you have been too busy with official duties? If so, why not put aside the case files you are currently working on and go back to your residence to rest for a while? Once you are well, it will not be too late for you to serve the country again.”

Minister Chen's legs went weak and he almost knelt down on the spot. The job of investigating backlog cases was lucrative and could easily lead to political achievements. He had worked hard to get it, but the emperor was about to take it away with just a word.

"And Wang, the Censor," Huo Lin continued, "I've heard that your in-laws seem to be having some disputes lately, and things aren't going well. Even an upright official can't settle family matters, so you should focus on sorting things out first."

Wang Jishizhong turned ashen-faced. The Emperor was clearly implying that his family was in turmoil and that he was not qualified to discuss state affairs.

Those whose names he called out all turned pale, were drenched in cold sweat, and were inwardly groaning in despair.

The Emperor's words were not merely an accusation; he had clearly and precisely grasped their Achilles' heel.

Huo Lin, seeing that he had done enough and that his goal had been achieved, slowly stood up.

He stood tall and looked down at the silent assembled officials. His voice was not loud, but it clearly carried to every corner of the hall: "I will make my own decisions about my family affairs. I don't need you to worry about them. If anyone dares to put their mind on such matters and encourage me to spread my favors evenly, then don't blame me for not showing any respect for the relationship between ruler and subject!"

The entire Golden Palace was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

All the ministers lowered their heads deeply, not daring to meet the emperor's cold gaze.

Huo Lin flicked his sleeve: "Court adjourned!"

After Huo Lin's attack on the court, things seemed to have calmed down completely on the surface.

The ministers fell silent, and at least in the imperial palace, no one dared to mention the phrase "equal distribution of favors."

But beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging.

One secret letter after another, carrying the family's instructions, were quietly delivered back to the palace.

The content is largely the same, nothing more than to stay calm, not panic, lie low for now, but find a way to consolidate favor and never let Jiang Huan become too powerful.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the harem seemed to become subtle.

The concubines seemed to have become much more well-behaved, still smiling and chatting when they met, but their private actions were becoming more frequent.

That afternoon, Jiang Huan was reclining on a soft couch while the imperial physician took her pulse.

After a careful examination, the imperial physician smiled with relief: "Your Majesty's pulse is steady and strong, the pregnancy is stable, and the imperial heir is healthy."

Jiang Huan smiled and nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Imperial Physician."

Just then, a messenger came from outside the hall, saying that Consort Wen was requesting an audience.

Jiang Huan raised an eyebrow slightly. Wen Yilin? It's been a while since she's actively come to Weiyang Palace.

"Please let her in," Jiang Huan gestured for the imperial physician to step aside.

Wen Yilin wore a light red palace dress today, which made her look beautiful and radiant, but there seemed to be a hint of anxiety between her brows.

"What brings Consort Wen to my palace today?" Jiang Huan asked in a calm tone.

Wen Yilin forced a smile, but her tone was less sharp than usual, and more deliberately ingratiating: "I heard that Your Majesty has been unwell recently, and I was worried about you, so I came to visit you. I also brought some candied plums for Your Majesty, which are very appetizing and refreshing."

As she spoke, she gestured to the palace maid behind her to bring out a delicate little food box.

Jiang Huan looked at her flustered expression and her heart stirred slightly.

Such sudden attentiveness must be suspicious; there's no other reason than treachery.

Just as she was about to speak, the imperial physician who had not yet left suddenly stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, you must be extra careful with your diet now. Everything you eat must be inspected."

This was a death order from Huo Lin, and Jiang Huan was naturally aware of it.

She nodded: "Of course."

The imperial physician stepped forward, opened the food box, and inside was a small jar of tempting-looking candied plums.

The imperial physician took out a silver needle, carefully inserted it into the jar, and examined it thoroughly.

The silver needle was removed, and it remained as bright as ever, without turning black.

The imperial physician nodded slightly, then took out a plum, held it under his nose and sniffed it carefully, seemingly finding nothing unusual.

He was about to take his leave when his gaze inadvertently swept over the sachet that Wen Yilin was wearing at her waist.

The imperial physician frowned. After a moment's hesitation, he cautiously spoke: "May I be so bold as to ask Consort Wen to remove the sachet she always wears so that I may have a look?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Yilin was first taken aback, then, as if offended, her eyebrows furrowed: "What do you mean? This sachet is something I keep close to my body, what's so interesting about it? Does the imperial physician suspect that I've hidden poison in it?"

The imperial physician, neither humble nor arrogant, said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I seemed to smell something unusual just now. To ensure Your Highness's safety, I had to proceed with caution. I beg Your Highness to grant me this favor."

Wen Yilin's face flushed instantly, clearly furious. Her lips trembled as she said, "You're talking nonsense! This sachet was sent from my home. It's made with the finest materials and spices. How could there be a problem? You're insulting me!"

Jiang Huan looked at her shocked and angry expression, and seemed to have something on her mind.

"Consort Wen," Jiang Huan's voice was a little calmer, "it's just a check-up, and the imperial physicians are only doing their duty. Please cooperate, Consort Wen."

Jiang Huan gave the order, and Wen Yilin, despite her reluctance and grievances, could only grimace and stubbornly untie the sachet from her waist and place it heavily on the tray extended by the imperial physician.

The imperial physician picked up the sachet, sniffed it carefully again, and his brows furrowed more and more.

He carefully untied the string of the sachet, slowly poured the spices inside into the tray, and examined them with a silver needle.

At first, there was nothing unusual; they were just ordinary dried flowers and spices.

However, after peeling back the surface, the tip of the silver needle suddenly touched a small, hard object tightly wrapped in layers of silk.

The imperial physician paused, then used tweezers to carefully unfold the layers of silk.

When the last layer of silk was peeled away, a small, dark brown lump with a peculiar texture was revealed, emitting a sweet, fishy smell.

The imperial physician's expression instantly turned serious. He took a cup of water, dipped the tip of a silver needle into a very small amount of powder, dissolved it in the water, and then inserted another silver needle.

A moment later, the silver needle was removed, and the tip of the needle was a strange, eerie blue.

"Your Majesty!" The imperial physician knelt down with a thud. "This is a deadly poison. Even a tiny amount dissolved in food can silently damage the fetus and even endanger the mother if taken over a long period of time."

"What!" Jiang Huan sat up abruptly, her expression changing drastically.

Wen Yilin was struck dumb, frozen in place, her face deathly pale.

"No way, this can't be!" she screamed, her voice shrill. "This isn't mine! I don't know! I don't know anything!"