Chapter 186 The Cicada Awaits

"My lord, Consort Yuan has made her move."

Cui Jinxi hurried in from outside the palace, her face grave. Upon hearing this news, Zhen Huan's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stood up: "Let's go, let's go see."

"yes."

When a concubine gives birth, everyone else is expected to be present, and Zhen Huan naturally had no choice but to go as well. However, she had a bad feeling. Judging from the timing, Consort Yuan had gone into labor not long after they parted ways, and she was worried about getting involved. So she left Liu Zhu to watch over things and took the more composed Jinxi with her.

Suiyu Pavilion was remote. When Zhen Huan rushed there, she found that all the concubines in Yanxi Palace had arrived. Upon hearing of her arrival, they all looked at her with a strange expression, which made Zhen Huan's heart sink.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress. I am late, please forgive me."

"Are you late or too guilty to come?" Nian Shilan adjusted her hairpin and looked at Zhen Huan with a sarcastic tone.

Not being summoned by the Empress, Zhen Huan, still half-squatting in a curtsy, dared not move. Hearing Consort Hua's words, she forced herself to remain calm: "This concubine does not understand what Consort Hua means."

"I wonder if Consort Wan... Oh, I almost forgot, now it's Consort Zhen. I wonder if Consort Zhen really doesn't know or is pretending not to know."

Without Cao Qinmo paving the way for her, Rouze stepped forward to mock him, but her mockery was exceptionally direct. This earned her a glare from Nian Shilan: "Is it any of Consort Wan's place to speak here?"

LOL, does she think she only hates Zhen Huan? She clearly hates Ulanara Rouze more.

"I'm just feeling sorry for Consort Yuan." Rou Ze's expression changed repeatedly, but she could only suppress her anger.

"Alright, Zhen Huan, get up." Yi Xiu stopped the two from continuing their conversation. She looked at Zhen Huan, who was still squatting in place, and felt a surge of annoyance. However, in order to ask her a question, she made her get up first.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Hearing Yuan Changzai's not-so-loud cries of pain from the delivery room, Zhen Huan stood there feeling uneasy, as if yesterday was reliving itself, returning to the day Shen Meizhuang gave birth, and she herself would be plunged into despair in the next second.

“Consort Zhen, Consort Yuan’s premature birth was caused by medication, and according to her personal maid, she only had contact with you today…”

Before Yixiu could finish speaking, Zhen Huan knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, please understand that this matter was absolutely not done by me. I can confront the palace maid in court, and Your Majesty can also send someone to search me. I am innocent and have nothing to fear."

Zhen Huan spoke each word with unwavering conviction. Without Huan Bi causing trouble by her side, and having done nothing wrong, she naturally had nothing to fear.

"Search her? We've been separated for so long, who knows if Consort Zhen has destroyed the body or any evidence?" Rouze chuckled, her eyes filled with undisguised malice and mockery as she looked at Zhen Huan.

Meeting that gaze, Zhen Huan felt a chill run down her spine, instantly realizing she had been tricked. Seeing Consort Wan's undisguised expression, was she certain she would never recover?

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, we should send people to search Suiyu Pavilion. The search time is neither too long nor too short, and we might be able to find some clues."

Upon hearing Rouze's words, Zhen Huan closed her eyes. Clearly, something was wrong at Suiyu Pavilion, but who could it be? Who was the spy planted by Consort Wan?

"Jianqiu, take your men to Suiyu Pavilion. Consort Shu, take Consort Zhen and her maids to the side hall for a body search."

"yes."

Zhen Huan and Cui Jinxi were taken to a side hall and, under the supervision of palace maids, changed their clothes from head to toe. Except for their undergarments, all their other clothing, including all their ornaments, was removed.

Zhen Huan felt extremely humiliated, but had no choice but to cooperate with their actions.

"Your Highness, we've been set up." After changing her clothes, Cui Jinxi came to Zhen Huan's side, held her hand tightly, and looked grave.

“Jinxi…” Zhen Huan’s eyes were filled with tears as she looked intently at Cui Jinxi’s face. Seeing the worry and contemplation on her face, she couldn’t quite believe it.

Song Wan'er waited outside the dressing room until Zhen Huan and the other woman had taken out their clothes, then she summoned the imperial physician to examine them carefully.

After a long while, the door to the side hall was opened, and Song Wan'er led the old imperial physician to the Empress.

"Your Majesty, I just smelled a faint fragrance on Consort Zhen's outer garment. After careful examination, I have determined that it is the smell of the drug that caused Consort Yuan's premature birth."

Are you sure?

"Although the clothes were scented, the strong medicinal properties used, coupled with the short time interval, mean that the residual scent hasn't completely dissipated..."

"Your Majesty," before the imperial physician could finish speaking, Jianqiu rushed over with her entourage, "a packet of medicine has been found under the osmanthus tree in Suiyu Pavilion. Judging from the soil marks, it should have been buried recently."

"Have the imperial physician examine him."

"Yes." Jianqiu handed the dug-out medicine to the imperial physician. The old physician, with his white beard, opened it and his pupils suddenly contracted. He knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty, this is the medicine."

Yixiu sensed something was wrong and noticed the imperial physician's panic: "Imperial Physician Wang, is there something wrong with this medicine?"

"Your Majesty, this is not the first time I've seen this kind of medicine," the imperial physician said, his head bowed low, staring intently at the ground, not daring to look around. "The reason I was able to prescribe the appropriate medicine so quickly is because I have similar experience. However, this time the medicine is even stronger. I didn't dare to make a judgment based solely on my sense of smell until I saw this packet of medicine..."

"What's wrong with this packet of medicine?" Yi Xiu frowned. It was one thing for him to use pedantry when he was seeing patients, but why did he keep going around in circles when he was giving a reply?

"This is a secret medicine from the previous dynasty's palace. The last time I saw this medicine was when the late Emperor was treating Consort Hua, who was then a concubine."

"What did you say?"

Nian Shilan suddenly stood up, her face grim, and pointed at the medicine on the ground, demanding sharply, "Are you saying that this is the medicine that harmed me back then?"

"Yes, this medicine has complex properties and cannot be prepared by ordinary people. Your humble servant is not mistaken."

After the imperial physician finished speaking, the courtyard fell into a deathly silence. No one had expected that Consort Hua would suddenly be involved.

Yi Xiu rubbed her temples. From the moment Consort Hua was involved, Yi Xiu knew this matter wouldn't be simple: "Consort Hua..."

"Smack!"

Before Yixiu could finish speaking, Nian Shilan had already walked up to Rouze and slapped her across the face: "Bitch!"

"Consort Hua!"

Yi Xiu shouted angrily and stood up abruptly from her seat, clearly not expecting Nian Shilan to dare to hit someone in front of her.

"Is the Empress going to speak up for her? Or are you all in cahoots?"

"Consort Hua, how dare you!"

Consort Wan covered her face and wept, while Consort Hua and the Empress confronted each other. Everything was developing too fast, and everyone held their breath, no one daring to step forward and participate.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

"Your Majesty, you must stand up for me..." Nian Shilan burst into tears and ran into Yinzhen's arms.

"What's wrong?" Yinzhen patted Nian Shilan on the shoulder and looked at Yixiu.

Yixiu's face was ashen, her dissatisfaction with Nian Shilan had reached its peak, but she suppressed her anger and explained what had happened clearly.

“Your Majesty, where did Consort Zhen get such precious medicine? It’s clearly Consort Wan who framed her. This isn’t the first time she’s used such a trick.”

It wasn't that Nian Shilan wanted to speak up for Zhen Huan, but the thought of Rouze almost harming her Garuda made her want to tear her to pieces. Last time, it could be said that her personal maid had secretly acted as a tool for Wuya Shi. Now that Wuya Shi was gone, who else could it be but Rouze?

Moreover, after what happened today, Nian Shilan is even less convinced that Rou was completely unaware at the time.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I'm innocent..." Rouze knelt on the ground, deliberately showing the swollen side of her face that had been slapped by Nian Shilan, her face full of grievance. But she was panicking inside, unable to understand why Ulanara would use such a drug, which would only expose her identity.

At this moment, Jianqiu suddenly stepped forward, bowed to the masters, and reported: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, the palace servants who were stationed at Suiyu Pavilion just reported that a plum blossom hairpin with a mark was found in a hidden compartment under the dressing table in the room of Consort Zhen's personal maid, Cui Jinxi..."