Chapter 114 Punishment: "Mother, come with me."

Meng Lingyao felt a chill run through her body, as if she were in a frozen wasteland. The cold air felt like fine needles piercing her bones, making her shiver uncontrollably. She was only wearing a thin spring shirt, walking barefoot across the vast snowfield, each step feeling like walking on a knife's edge. All around her was endless whiteness, and the biting wind howled, whipping up fine snowflakes that lashed at her face and body.

"It's so cold..." she murmured to herself, her voice weak, which was quickly swallowed by the wind and snow.

Abdominal pain intertwined with a bone-chilling cold, slowly swirling within her body; each breath was accompanied by indescribable agony. She was like a fallen leaf about to freeze, poised to shatter and vanish at any moment in this icy wasteland.

She didn't know how long she had walked, nor where she was going. Her consciousness gradually blurred under the combined attack of cold and pain, and her vision began to become hazy. Just when she was about to give up and let herself sink into this icy world, a warm and soft little hand suddenly took her cold fingers.

The touch was so real, carrying the warmth of life, instantly dispelling some of the lingering chill.

"Mother, come with me." A tender, clear voice rang in her ears, like birdsong on a spring branch.

Meng Lingyao strained to open her eyes, trying to make out the figure before her. Everything remained blurry; she could only vaguely make out the outline of a girl with pigtails. The little girl had a round, adorable face with two sweet dimples at the corners of her mouth, and was looking up at her intently.

She walked for an unknown amount of time, until the snowy scenery gradually faded away, replaced by a warm glow. Suddenly, her hand loosened its grip.

"Wait—" Meng Lingyao reached out to stop her, but only grasped at thin air.

She suddenly opened her eyes, and what she saw was no longer a world of ice and snow, but a familiar curtain. The room was warm as spring, and the silver charcoal in the brazier was burning brightly, emitting a faint fragrance.

“Yaoyao…” a familiar voice trembled as it rang out.

Meng Lingyao turned her head and saw her mother sitting by the bed, her eyes red-rimmed and tears still clinging to her eyelashes. Her hair was disheveled, clearly indicating that she had rushed over.

"Mother...don't cry." Meng Lingyao subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to wipe away the tears from her mother's eyes. Her voice was hoarse, revealing the weakness she felt upon waking.

Hearing this long-unheard address, Madam Zhong felt a pang of sadness. Since her daughter's coming-of-age ceremony, she had never called her "Mother" so affectionately, always addressing her respectfully as "Mother." This call made her feel as if she could see her little daughter again, who always loved to snuggle in her arms.

"You're finally awake." Madam Zhong could no longer hold back. She grabbed her daughter's outstretched hand and pressed it tightly against her warm cheek. "You scared your mother to death..." Her voice choked, and tears rolled down her cheeks like broken beads.

Meng Lingyao felt the warmth of her mother's palm, just like the warmth of the little girl in her dream. She blinked her dry eyes and whispered, "Mother...it hurts so much."

Madam Zhong felt a sharp pain in her heart. Her daughter, who had been pampered since childhood and would feel distressed even if she got a small cut on her finger, was now suffering such pain.

"Don't be afraid." Madam Zhong held her daughter's hand tightly, her tone firm. "The imperial physician said that you have a good constitution and there is nothing seriously wrong. You just need to recuperate for a while."

Seeing that her young mistress had woken up, Songlan, who was standing by, quickly brought over some warm ginseng soup. Madam Zhong took the bowl, tested the temperature, and only after confirming that it wasn't too hot did she carefully feed it to her daughter.

"Drink slowly." Madam Zhong fed her the soup while observing her daughter's expression. She knew her daughter's temperament; if she didn't explain things clearly, it would only make her overthink. So, she quickly explained what had happened at the palace banquet.

Meng Lingyao listened quietly, and after her mother finished speaking, her first question was, "Is Consort Jing well?"

Madam Zhong glared at her, feeling both sorry for her and annoyed, "You have the nerve to care about others."

Meng Lingyao tugged at the corner of her lips, "I've suffered so much. If Consort Jing doesn't come out unharmed in the end, wouldn't all this suffering have been for nothing?" She paused, "Besides, she's carrying the emperor's child."

Madam Zhong gently stroked her daughter's hair, her tone softening, "Consort Jing is well, so you can focus on recovering and don't worry about anything else. Yan Xing has already petitioned His Majesty to personally investigate this matter."

Meng Lingyao nodded slightly. She had never doubted Pei Xu's abilities, and she already had some guesses about the ins and outs of this matter. She just wondered who would be pushed forward as a scapegoat this time. And the biggest variable was how far the Emperor was willing to investigate the near-death experience of the imperial fetus.

Perhaps because she had not yet fully recovered, she felt a chill creeping over her again after a moment's thought, and involuntarily shivered.

Madam Zhong quickly stopped her, "Don't think about anything! The most important thing now is to rest well and get back to health before thinking about anything else."

Meng Lingyao nodded obediently, "Okay, I'll listen to my mother."

She lay back down and closed her eyes. Madam Zhong sat down by the bed and gently patted her daughter's arm, just as she had done years ago when she lulled her to sleep. That familiar rhythm made Meng Lingyao feel at ease, and she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

After confirming that her daughter was sleeping soundly, Madam Zhong got up and quietly left the room. She closed the door and turned to beckon Songlan to come over.

"The people who take care of the young lady must be carefully selected, and they must be tight-lipped," Madam Zhong instructed in a low voice. "Remember, you must not reveal a single word that should not be said."

Songlan quickly bowed, "Don't worry, Madam, I understand." She added, "Young Master Pei also specifically instructed that Miss must not hear any gossip about... offspring."

Madam Zhong nodded slightly, her gaze returning to the closed door, her eyes filled with tenderness. "The most important thing for her now is to focus on recovering. Nothing else matters."

In the palace dungeon, dim candlelight flickered, casting distorted and warped shadows.

The prison was unusually lively today. Everyone from the cook to the little palace maids who delivered soup to the side hall was imprisoned there. Pei Xu interrogated them one by one, and the most suspicious one was a little eunuch named Fu Shun from the imperial kitchen.

Fu Shun lowered his head, his body trembling slightly, but he kept his teeth clenched.

Jian Su asked in a deep voice, "Fu Shun, do you know your crime?"

"You lackey, you lackey know what crime you have committed."

"Don't know?" Jian Su sneered. "Dry scutellaria was found in Consort Jing's bird's nest soup, and it turns out you were the one who passed it on. What's your explanation?"

"It was...it was my mistake..." Fu Shun's voice trailed off, "...I took the wrong herbs..."

"You took the wrong one?" Jian Su's tone suddenly turned stern. "The dried scutellaria from the Imperial Pharmacy can only be retrieved with a warrant from the pharmacy, and the processed, aged dried scutellaria is locked deep in the storeroom. How could a lowly eunuch from the Imperial Kitchen 'accidentally' obtain it? And how could you 'accidentally' grind it into a fine powder and mix it perfectly into the bird's nest soup that His Majesty bestowed upon you?"

Fu Shun was speechless when asked the question, and cold sweat slid down his forehead.

Jian Su pressed further, "What grudge do you hold against Consort Jing that would lead you to commit such a heinous act?"

"No! This servant has no grudge against Consort Jing!" Fu Shun hurriedly denied.

"Since there's no enmity between you and the imperial heir, why would you poison the royal heir?" Jian Su pressed on, "Who ordered you to do this?"

Fu Shun bit his lip hard and shook his head, saying, "No one instructed me; it was all done by this servant alone."

"Do you think you can protect the person behind the scenes by taking the blame yourself?" Jian Su's voice was icy. "Plotting against the imperial heir is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family! Your family and clan will all be implicated because of you!"

Fu Shun trembled, fear flashing in his eyes, but he still stubbornly shook his head, "This servant...this servant has nothing to say."

Pei Xu, who had been silent all along, slowly emerged from the shadows. His steps were light, yet they made Fu Shun involuntarily hold his breath.

"If you're unwilling to say, who are you protecting?" Pei Xu asked, his voice low and steady, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Or is someone threatening you with someone important?"

Fu Shun gripped the hem of his robe tightly with his fingers.

Pei Xu took in his reaction and continued in that calm yet unsettling tone, "I've investigated your background. You come from a poor family, your parents died early, and you were raised by your uncle. Your uncle's family is currently farming in the suburbs of Beijing."

Fu Shun's body visibly stiffened.

“You have been in the palace for eight years, working diligently and never making a mistake.” Pei Xu paced slowly, his voice echoing in the empty dungeon. “Why would such a cautious and conscientious person suddenly take such a risk and poison Consort Jing at the Emperor’s birthday banquet?”

He stopped and turned to stare at Fu Shun. “I don’t care about your life. But if you insist on hiding it and the real culprit goes unpunished, then…” He paused, his tone still calm, but the air around him seemed to freeze. “I don’t mind making your uncle’s family pay the price for your choice today.”

Fu Shun suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with terror. "No! Your Honor! Please have mercy! This has nothing to do with them!"

"Unrelated?" Pei Xu repeated softly, his eyes filled with a chilling coldness. He wore a long black robe, his face was pale, and only a faint dark circle appeared under his eyes, making him look like a demon who had escaped from the deepest hell.

His wife is still lying in bed, chilled to the bone and in excruciating pain. How innocent she is!

"No, it's not just them who are involved; all your relatives, even your entire clan, are involved. To plot against the imperial heir is a crime punishable by death."

Jian Su lowered his eyelids, secretly alarmed. He had followed Pei Xu for many years and knew him well; he was always calm and composed, and even the most vicious criminal could be persuaded with reason and convicted according to the law. But at this moment, he could clearly hear the undercurrent surging beneath the calm, which was more terrifying than rage.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Fu Shun's psychological defenses finally collapsed completely. He was sobbing and his voice was hoarse. "It was...it was the Third Prince! His Highness the Third Prince ordered me to do it!"

There was a moment of silence in the dungeon.

Pei Xu looked at him expressionlessly. "Tell me in detail."

"Yes, it was a eunuch named Xiao Dezi who relayed the message. He works for the Third Prince's household." Fu Shun dared not conceal anything any longer and confessed in detail. "He gave me a packet of powder, saying that after the deed was done, he would give my uncle's family a hundred acres of fertile land, a hundred taels of gold and silver, and he would also transfer me out of the Imperial Kitchen to a quiet place to work... I, I was blinded by greed. I beg you, Your Excellency, to have mercy and spare my uncle's family!"

"Is there any medicine powder left?"

"No more, no more. Xiao Dezi said this item is precious, so he only gave me that small packet and told me to make sure I succeed on the first try."

Pei Xu asked no further questions and said to Jian Su, "Write it down and sign it."

The confession was quickly compiled. Pei Xu looked at the still-wet ink confession, his eyes showing no emotion, as if the person who had just threatened his family and whose words revealed a chilling murderous intent was not him.

He walked steadily out of the dungeon and personally presented his confession to the emperor.

Inside the hall, the emperor stared at the confession accusing his own son, his face ashen. He looked at Pei Xu, who stood below with his head bowed, his voice filled with suppressed rage, "Yanxing, this matter... I will certainly give you, and the Pei family, an explanation!"

He softened his voice, "You've worked hard these past few days. I have some top-quality ginseng. Take it back and give it to your wife to help her recover. You should also take care of yourself."

Pei Xu's eyelashes fluttered slightly. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

As he left the hall, he encountered the eldest princess entering. The two exchanged a glance but said nothing.

The eldest princess, without makeup and with dark circles under her eyes, entered the palace.

"Your Majesty..." Before the emperor could speak, she knelt down directly, "I am incompetent."

The emperor quickly went to help her up, saying, "Why do you say that, Your Majesty? Please get up."

The eldest princess remained motionless and slowly said, "The Pei family is full of loyal martyrs who have devoted themselves to the country. My husband died for the country and shed his blood on the battlefield, but I have not even left a son or daughter for the Pei family." As she said this, her voice choked slightly and her eyes welled up with tears.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression shifted, and he recalled the valiant general who had died young.

"Your Majesty, I have just returned from Consort Jing's residence. The imperial physician said that she and the imperial fetus are both well, which is a blessing for the royal family and the court. But the Pei family..."

"The old master is getting on in years and only hoped that his son, Yanxing, could have many descendants. Now that he has finally settled down, his wife has suffered a calamity while protecting Consort Jing, which has damaged the family's foundation... If the bloodline of loyal ministers is harmed because of the royal family's struggles, I... I have no face to face the ancestors of the Pei family, and even less face to face my deceased husband..."

She closed her eyes, and two streams of tears flowed down her cheeks. The tears landed on the back of the emperor's hand, which was supporting her, and felt hotter than a branding iron.

She was the emperor's older sister, the eldest sister who had protected him since childhood. Her sadness and worry at this moment truly touched the softest part of the emperor's heart.

He thought of the child he had finally conceived, of Pei Xu's loyalty and dedication over the years, and of the Pei family's generations of bravery. Then he thought of how the Third Prince had done such a vicious and despicable thing for his own selfish desires, harming his own brothers and murdering loyal officials, almost causing a great disaster.

If we let this go lightly, how can we convince the people? How can we reassure the loyal ministers?

The emperor closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with unwavering resolve. He reached for the vermilion brush without further hesitation.

"Draft the imperial edict."

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Author's Note: I'm nearing the end, and things are really choppy! Please forgive me [crying][crying][crying]