Chapter 146 The Truth from Sixteen Years Ago

Yan Yi understood immediately.

The illusion transported her to the day of Empress Wei's birthday banquet sixteen years ago.

Perhaps the murderer who killed Empress Wei is among the female relatives who are attending the banquet in the palace today!

Seizing the opportunity, Yan Yi, now that she had stumbled upon the scene of the palace maid Liu'er being punished by a noblewoman, took advantage of the fact that she was just an invisible wandering soul and immediately stepped forward, finally seeing the other party's face clearly.

Then she gently curled the corners of her lips.

Coincidentally, she had met this lady before.

After all, she was no longer the clueless newcomer she had been when she first arrived. Over the past few years, she had accompanied Meng Wanyin to banquets and palace feasts, and had become somewhat familiar with the faces of the women in the capital.

Although she looks more than ten years younger, her beautiful face is truly outstanding and unforgettable.

This person is the birth mother of Princess Yu, and her maiden name seems to be Chen.

Let's just call her Mrs. Chen for now.

Cai Xing, who was on the other side, saw Madam Chen scolding Liu'er. His expression changed slightly, as if he could not bear it, but in the end he just lowered his head, turned around and left in another direction.

"Alright, get up now."

As soon as Cai Xing left, Madam Chen immediately changed her demeanor. She pulled Liu'er up, gently touched her slightly flushed cheek, and asked in a low voice, "Did it hurt?"

Liu'er stopped crying and quickly shook her head, "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt at all."

Seeing that no one was around, Madam Chen slipped a small porcelain bottle into her hand, holding it tightly around her fingertips. "Good child, I know this is difficult, but you will help me, right?"

She sighed softly, her eyes instantly reddening, and choked out, "My brother was wronged by General Wei. He was merely following orders, and now that we've lost the battle, all the blame is on him. I have no other choice but to beg for your help... If you can mix this powder into the Empress's tea and make her sick, His Majesty will naturally be too preoccupied with the war in the south, and my family can also find someone to petition on my brother's behalf..."

Liu'er looked terrified. "Madam, you flatter me. If I hadn't been lucky enough to meet you, I probably would have died of illness last winter. You found a doctor and medicine for me and even helped me transfer to the Empress's palace, so I no longer have to be bullied by the old eunuchs in the Imperial Garden... You gave me my life. I'm willing to do anything you ask!"

However... Her Majesty the Empress has always been very kind to the palace servants, and even granted them permission to go home to visit their families.

Liu'er gripped the porcelain bottle tightly, her palm slightly aching from the rough edge at the bottom. She asked nervously, "This medicine is only for making Her Majesty the Empress sick, isn't it?"

“Of course, even if you had a hundred lives, I wouldn’t dare to harm the Empress.” Madam Chen said firmly, then pulled her close and promised again, “In a few years, when you’re old enough, I’ll find a way to take you out of the palace, find you a good husband, and buy some land and shops. Then you’ll be able to live a comfortable life.”

Liu'er, lost in the beautiful future the woman had described, nodded almost unconsciously.

Yan Yi stood by and watched the whole thing unfold, then sighed.

Clearly, Liu'er had been deceived by Madam Chen; at that moment, she had no idea what terrifying thing she had received.

Madam Chen had clearly been planning this for a long time. In order to clear herself of any involvement, she even dragged Liu'er into a staged self-inflicted injury. Was she deliberately trying to find an alibi for herself?

Seeing that the two were about to part ways, Yan Yi thought for a moment and followed Liu'er's footsteps.

She had to figure out how Liu'er, a palace maid in the flower room, managed to overcome so many obstacles and poison Empress Wei's tea.

The banquet had started, leaving only Liu'er in the flower room. Yan Yi followed closely beside her, watching as she took out the small porcelain bottle several times, her face showing hesitation, as if she hadn't made up her mind.

Evening arrived quickly, but Liu'er still hadn't made a move, continuing to tend to the flowers and plants.

Just as Yan Yi was contemplating whether to change her perspective to find Empress Wei, the door to the flower room was pushed open, and a strange woman with a gentle and graceful face slowly walked in.

"After a noisy day, it's finally quiet."

"Your Majesty the Empress."

Liu'er seemed unsurprised. She had only squatted down to pay her respects when Empress Wei called her up. She waved her hand and said, "You go about your business. Don't worry about me. I just want to find a quiet place to stay for a while."

Empress Wei went straight to the two-colored peony and quietly admired the unfolding petals.

Liu'er stood behind her, her gaze shifting uncertainly. Finally, she walked to the table, poured out a bowl of tea with a slight tremor, shielded her eyes with her sleeve, and quickly sprinkled a little medicinal powder into it.

She cautiously carried the teacup to Empress Wei's side, and mustered her courage to say, "Your Majesty, this servant wishes you a long and healthy birthday."

Empress Wei smiled and looked over, taking the teacup without any suspicion and taking a sip.

"Thanks to your careful care of this peony these days, all the ladies have been praising it highly during the day."

Liu'er was so nervous she was almost crying. All she could do was shake her head and wave her hands. In Empress Wei's eyes, this made her feel that the little palace maid was taciturn and honest, and she became more and more satisfied.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty has arrived."

A palace maid came to deliver a message from outside the door. Empress Wei frowned slightly, put down her teacup, and hurriedly left.

Liu'er could no longer hold on and staggered to the ground. It took her a while to come to her senses. She immediately poured the remaining tea on the ground and covered it with soil.

Yan Yi followed Empress Wei back to her palace, where she met the young Emperor Qingxi.

The Emperor and Empress seemed to still be in a cold war over the punishment of General Wei, and their meetings were always lukewarm.

In the end, Emperor Qingxi gave in first, taking Empress Wei's hand and saying, "Today is your birthday, I didn't come here to make you angry."

Empress Wei curled her lips and reluctantly accepted his advances. The two sat on the edge of the bed and talked.

Putting aside important political affairs, the two chatted like an ordinary middle-aged couple about everyday matters.

Empress Wei also mentioned Princess Tong'an.

“I watched A-Ying and Wei-Shao grow up. They are in love with each other and are a perfect match. Your Majesty, please grant them your blessing.”

Emperor Qingxi feigned displeasure and snorted, "That brat Wei Shao is still too green. Let's wait until he wins a few battles and doesn't tarnish the Wei family's reputation before we talk about it."

The Wei family was an unavoidable topic. Empress Wei hesitated, glancing at Emperor Qingxi's expression several times, but finally couldn't help but speak out.

The atmosphere of casual conversation vanished, and the two raised their voices, arguing amongst themselves.

Emperor Qingxi was furious. He pointed at Empress Wei and hissed, "The women of the inner palace are not allowed to interfere in politics. Don't think that just because you are the Empress you can influence my decisions!"

"This concubine dares not." Empress Wei also lost her temper and said coldly, "It is getting late, Your Majesty, please return."

"you……"

Emperor Qingxi was embarrassed and wanted to apologize but couldn't bring himself to do it. He bluntly said, "Don't forget to come with me to see the crabapple blossoms tomorrow."

Empress Wei turned her face away without saying a word, and Emperor Qingxi stormed off.

Yan Yi stood at the foot of the bed, watching as a tear fell from the corner of Empress Wei's eye, which she quickly wiped away with her hand, and then, as if nothing had happened, she called the palace servants in to make the bed.

Until the early hours of the morning, Empress Wei suddenly frowned in her sleep, her face turned pale, her body curled up in a ball, unconsciously clutching her chest.

...

Yan Yi suddenly came to her senses, only to find herself ejected from the illusion.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Shen Lingyue and Princess Tong'an surrounding her, looking her over nervously.

"Yan Yan, you were like your soul had suddenly left your body just now, you wouldn't respond no matter how I called you."

Shen Lingyue took her hand and asked softly, "Did you...do that again?"

Yan Yi nodded, "Yes, I've returned to the Thousand Autumns Banquet sixteen years ago."

Shen Lingyue's eyes widened: "Then do you know who the murderer is?"

“It’s Princess Yu’s mother, that Madam Chen.” Yan Yi looked at Princess Tong’an. “Your Highness, is her brother the deputy general who implicated General Wei and got impeached back then?”

“That’s right. Both the Chen and Wei families are military families. They fought each other for a long time during the reign of the late emperor. It wasn’t until the emperor chose the empress dowager as the crown princess that the Wei family, as the future imperial family, gradually gained the upper hand.”

"Is this all the reason Madam Chen is plotting against Empress Wei?" Yan Yi frowned slightly. "Sixteen years ago, Prince Yu and Princess Yu were not yet engaged, right? If she is preparing for the succession struggle, isn't it a bit too early?"

Moreover, Empress Wei's eldest son died at the age of eight, and the Empress had no more children after that, so she was not a threat to Prince Yu.

“I understand, there’s another reason.” Princess Tong’an closed her eyes and said in a slightly somber tone, “Madam Chen is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Chen. She and my mother were both candidates for Crown Princess back then.”

However, Emperor Qingxi chose a woman from the Wei family, so Lady Chen had to marry someone else.

After twenty years of twists and turns, she and Emperor Qingxi did not become husband and wife, but their children became in-laws.

"So, Madam Chen's poisoning was a combination of old and new grudges?"

As soon as she heard about gossip, Shen Lingyue's little brain started working at lightning speed.

"Back then, Madam Chen failed to become Empress, and she harbored resentment ever since. At the same time, the Wei and Chen families were locked in a fierce battle in the court. In order to seize power in the military, Madam Chen bribed Liu'er and put her in the Empress's palace, waiting for an opportunity to poison her!"

Princess Tong'an gritted her teeth, "Damn it! Father Emperor was used by the Chen family, causing loyal officials to be wronged and treacherous officials to hold power in the court!"

Now, Duke Chen is considered one of the most outstanding veteran generals in the court, and his family members are spread throughout the army, forming a considerable force.

As the son-in-law of the Chen family, Prince Yu naturally received their strong support.

Shen Lingyue snorted, "Madam Chen didn't become Empress herself, so she wants to push her daughter to the position?"

She clapped her hands, her eyes shining. "Your Highness, this is a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone!"

If they could persuade Emperor Qingxi to reinvestigate the death of Empress Wei, they could not only clear the Wei family's name and bring the real culprit to justice, but also severely weaken the power behind Prince Yu.

Wouldn't that remove another stumbling block from Princess Tong'an's path to the throne?

“But it has been sixteen years since the Empress Dowager passed away. How can we mention it to the Emperor without leaving a trace?” Princess Tong’an noticed Yan Yi’s expression and quickly spoke up before her: “You two are very important to me. Unless absolutely necessary, we must not reveal your supernatural abilities.”

Shen Lingyue snapped her fingers. "Then we can only use the old method and ask the Goddess of Mystery to issue a divine decree."

She rubbed her hands excitedly, hehe, she was best at pretending to be a ghost!

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Author's Note: [doge] I was too busy with important matters. I'm going to see my second brother tomorrow~