Chapter 85 Who Instigated

Hearing this, the concubines who were originally whispering to each other suddenly became quiet, and their eyes all fell on the medicine.

The emperor and empress also looked at the medicine in front of them.

"Let's put the matter of betraying the Queen Mother on hold for now." Empress Cui made a decision. "President Xia, please check first. This is the medicine you prescribed. Is there anything missing?"

Judge Xia opened a dose of medicine, and a bitter aroma filled his nose. He fiddled with the herbs, examining them carefully. After a while, he replied, "Your Majesty and Your Majesty, this is exactly the herbs and dosage I prescribed that day. Nothing is missing."

Empress Cui asked cautiously, "Are there any missing cassia twigs and pinellia tubers?"

Judge Xia replied, "Not less."

Empress Cui said to Xie Chen, "Since the medicine that your mother gave Concubine Pei was not missing anything, what Imperial Physician Gao said just now is completely nonsense and a frame-up."

Xie Chen looked at Doctor Gao lying on the ground with a cold gaze, "Don't you have anything to say to me now?"

Doctor Gao's expression changed several times before he said, "It was Concubine Pei who ordered this humble official to do so."

"It seems you won't cry until you see the coffin." Xie Chen said angrily, "Liang Yao, send him to the Ministry of Punishment and let him suffer a little."

Liang Yao understood and hurriedly dragged Doctor Gao out.

Another reversal occurred, and the concubines became extremely alert, fearing that the fire would burn themselves.

Concubine Xie didn't shy away from the fire, but instead faced it head-on. She glanced at Pei Tingyue and said, "Although Concubine Pei has proven her innocence, I'm very curious why she didn't take the medicine. Could it be that she's afraid that the Empress Dowager will harm you?"

This is a bit aggressive.

Pei Tingyue smiled.

She smiled heartily in her heart.

She had been kneeling for so long and suffered so much injustice, just waiting for these words.

Pei Tingyue bit her lip and looked at Concubine Xie, remaining silent for a long time.

Concubine Xie narrowed her eyes and reminded, "Pei Jieyu, I'm asking you a question."

Pei Tingyue's voice was low and hoarse when she spoke: "Because I am not as lucky as the virtuous concubine."

Concubine Xie found this statement incomprehensible. What did it have to do with her if Concubine Pei refused to drink the medicine sent by the Empress Dowager?

"What do you mean?"

Pei Tingyue quickly glanced at the emperor sitting beside the couch, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Isn’t Concubine Liang good at crying in front of the emperor?

As it happens, she is also quite good at it, and her crying is more pitiful and more heartbreaking than Concubine Liang's.

Her voice was as light as smoke. "The reason I didn't drink it was because I was taking the medicine for pregnancy. There's a herb called Aconite in the medicine, which is warm in nature. The imperial physician said it conflicts with many other herbs, so it's best not to take other medicines while taking the medicine for pregnancy. That's why I didn't take the medicine given by the Empress Dowager."

After hearing this reason, there was silence in the hall.

Concubine Xie also fell silent. She finally understood what "good fortune" meant. It turned out that it meant that she had children.

Xie Chen, who was sitting beside the couch, remained silent for a long time.

He had seen her taking pregnancy-maintaining medicine once. He thought she wouldn't last more than a few days, so he didn't expose her.

Is she still drinking now?

She is such a person who is afraid of suffering...

Xie Chen's heart was gripped tightly, and countless bitterness filled his heart, making him feel suffocated.

Empress Cui sighed and said, "Pei Jieyu, you are still so young, there is no need to rush to have children."

Pei Tingyue's trembling eyelashes were covered with tears, which seemed to be unable to fall off. She looked so pitiful. She smiled bitterly.

"How can I not be anxious? I am in good health and highly favored by the Emperor, but I just can't conceive a dragon heir. I've been drinking this pregnancy-maintaining medicine for a while now, but there's still no sign of pregnancy. It's really useless!"

At the end, Pei Tingyue almost choked with sobs.

These words made many concubines' eyes tear up. Of course, it was not because they felt sorry for Pei Tingyue, but because they felt the same way!

Empress Cui comforted her, "Don't worry, maybe one day you will get it."

Pei Tingyue shook her head with tears in her eyes.

Empress Cui was helpless and handed the handkerchief to the person, "Hurry up and wipe your tears."

"Thank you, Queen."

Pei Tingyue took the handkerchief and wiped her tears. She did not get anxious.

Instead, she looked towards the couch and said, "My Lady Liang Fei, now you believe that I am innocent, right?"

Concubine Shen Liang looked very bad.

She pinched her palms hard with her nails, barely suppressing the gloom in her eyes. She forced out a sentence between her teeth: "It seems that Concubine Pei is indeed innocent."

After hearing her answer, Pei Tingyue stood up and sat back on the pearwood stool.

Halfway through the investigation, it was interrupted again.

There is no record of any concubine in the palace coming into contact with cassia twig or pinellia. The only clue is with Imperial Physician Gao, and we can only wait for him to reveal the person behind the incident.

Time passes by little by little.

Everyone waited more and more anxiously, and the atmosphere in the hall became more and more tense.

Finally, after waiting for over an hour, Liang Yao hurried in, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Gao confessed before he died."

Xie Chen exuded a terrifying chill: "Who?"

Liang Yao said, "Doctor Gao said that the person who ordered him to do so was none other than Concubine Qin."

The whole hall was in uproar.

Concubine Qin was so shocked that she jumped to her feet. She stepped forward, grabbed Liang Yao's collar, and asked sternly, "Who do you think he confessed to?"

Being pulled like that, Liang Yao felt like his waist was about to break. He said with a bitter face, "You confessed it."

"He's talking nonsense!" Concubine Qin was so angry that her face turned red and her neck thickened. She turned around and knelt before the emperor and empress, "This was definitely not my doing."

Empress Cui frowned and asked Liang Yao, "How did Imperial Physician Gao confess?"

Liang Yao slowly replied, "Imperial Physician Gao said that Concubine Qin bribed him with several precious treasures. First, she had him investigate the medicine that the Empress Dowager gave Concubine Pei. She then asked him if any of them were the ones that could cause inflammation in the wound. After learning that they contained cinnamon twigs and pinellia, she ordered him to steal them while on duty at the Imperial Hospital. She then added them to the medicine prepared for Concubine Liang. Finally, she arranged for him to take Concubine Pei's pulse. With this, the plan was completely completed."

"Imperial Physician Gao also said that Concubine Qin was afraid that the truth would be revealed, so she asked him to take the blame. If he refused, the Ding'an Marquis Mansion (the Qin family) would not let his family go."

"All of this is proven by the precious treasures bestowed upon me by Concubine Qin."

"Before he died, Imperial Physician Gao pleaded with the Emperor, saying that this was his fault alone and that he had paid for it with his life. He also asked the Emperor to protect his family."

This time, when everyone in the hall looked at Concubine Qin, their eyes changed subtly.

Concubine Qin was furious: "This is sheer nonsense! He's even protecting his family! If he dares to casually accuse a concubine, he should be prepared to have his entire family executed!"

"Shut up!" Xie Chen scolded her angrily, then looked at Liang Yao and said, "Go search Doctor Gao's house."

Liang Yao whispered, "The reason why I took so long to come here is because I brought people to search the Gao Mansion."

He clapped his hands, and two young eunuchs dragged a brocade tray into the hall.

When Concubine Qin saw clearly what was on the brocade plate, her face turned pale and she collapsed to the ground.

"how so!"