Chapter 118 The Invisible Battlefield

Nara slowly shook her head, her expression serious and earnest.

“Jiqing, the fact that Physician Li couldn’t find anything doesn’t mean there’s no problem. It just shows that the person who did this is extremely skilled and may have used a secret drug that even the imperial physicians rarely know about.”

Ji Qing turned pale with fright at his master's confident words.

"Then...Master, what should we do? We can't find anything, and it's impossible to prevent..."

Nara suppressed her panic, calmly considered the situation, and analyzed it.

"The only way to harm me is through ingestion, food, medicine, or through inhalation or skin contact, such as with incense or cosmetics. Since Physician Li cannot determine the exact substance, we can only take the simplest and safest approach—cut off all possible avenues for tampering."

She immediately issued a series of instructions, clearly and logically.

"Jiqing, immediately remove all incense, rouge, powder, and jewelry from the palace. Make the sleeping quarters as empty as possible. Open the windows to ventilate and keep the air fresh. Oversee my meals throughout the entire process. Once they are taken from the imperial kitchen, send them back directly. As for tea, for now, I will only drink boiled water. My daily teacups, bowls, and chopsticks must be thoroughly rinsed every day. Finally, personally decoct the calming medicine prescribed by Physician Li, and carefully inspect the herbal packet before use."

Ji Qing nodded quickly, keeping his master's instructions firmly in mind.

"Yes, Master, I have remembered everything and will not make any mistakes."

She immediately took action, first extinguishing the incense in the incense burner and removing it.

Nara watched Jiqing's busy figure.

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the west wing again, his eyes icy cold.

He whispered to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it.

"Wanliuha clan... was all of this your doing? If it was, once I get through this ordeal, I will make you pay a hundredfold price. My Nara clan is not one to be easily manipulated."

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Late at night, the candlelight in the west wing of Yanxi Palace was dim, illuminating Wanliuhashi's gloomy face.

Wang De stood bowing at the lower end, reporting the latest developments in the East Annex Hall in a low voice.

"master."

Wang De spoke in a very low voice.

"As for Consort Nara... things are too tense. Our people report that she has taken precautions without leaving any gaps. The incense has been removed, the rouge and powder have been stopped, and her personal maid, Jiqing, is personally handling all the meals and tea. Even the cups and bowls are scalded with boiling water every day. Our... our previous methods are now completely blocked. We really can't find an opportunity to make a move."

Upon hearing this, Wanliuha frowned deeply.

She had not expected Nara's reaction to be so swift and decisive.

This is not just pregnancy-related paranoia; it's clearly a conviction that someone wants to harm her.

Could it be that... she overheard those rumors by some twist of fate, allowing her to prepare in advance?

This thought made her feel irritated.

But she quickly calmed down, a deeper ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.

Since the covert approach doesn't work, let's try the overt one.

She looked at Wang Deyong, her tone commanding.

"Chief Steward Wang, since the drugging method isn't working, let's try another way. Creating an accident in this Yanxi Palace shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"

A sinister smile curled at the corner of her lips.

“Unless Nara can truly endure the loneliness from now on and never step out of her bedchamber, even if she can really be a coward, we can still find a way to force her out.”

She paused, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, and pointed out an even more ruthless plan.

“That palace maid named Jiqing by her side is her only right arm right now, and she cherishes her like the apple of her eye. Think of a pretext, such as arranging a mistake, to temporarily transfer Jiqing away, or simply put her in confinement for a few days. Without this capable confidante, Nara will be like someone without eyes and hands. A pregnant woman, suddenly losing her support, will inevitably panic and become flustered. When people are anxious, they are prone to making mistakes. At that time, are you afraid that you won't find an opportunity?”

She looked at Wang Deyong, her tone both seductive and pressuring.

"I know you, Chief Eunuch Wang, have been operating in Yanxi Palace for many years and you have some tricks up your sleeve. If we just make her fall accidentally or get a fright, wouldn't that be more direct than a slow-acting drug? After it's done, I will give you everything I promised you before."

Wang De felt a chill run down his spine, secretly marveling at the ruthlessness and precision of Wan Liuha's schemes.

While directly targeting pregnant women to create an accident carries greater risks, if successful, it can indeed solve the problem once and for all.

Moreover, her suggestion to transfer Ji Qing directly targets Nara's current weakness.

He remained expressionless and bowed respectfully in response.

“Your Majesty’s considerations are thorough; I understand. I will act according to the circumstances and seek the appropriate opportunity.”

"Okay, go ahead, and do it cleanly and efficiently."

Wanliuha waved his hand.

After Wang Deyong quietly withdrew, Qingzhu, who had been standing by his side, spoke with concern.

"My lord, is Consort Nara being so wary already suspicious of us?"

Wanliuha scoffed, his face full of disdain and arrogance.

"Suspicion? What good is suspicion? She just got lucky and managed to defend against my first wave of attacks. Unsubstantiated suspicion is worthless in this harem. Now I have instructed Wang Deyong to use a different method. As long as Nala is not careful and something unexpected happens, even if she suspects everything, she can only swallow her anger and suffer in silence. The key is not whether she has suspicions, but whether she can defend against them. I want to see how long she can hide."

Her eyes were filled with a chilling, determined look.

—————————

A few days later, the incense was removed and food intake was strictly controlled.

Nara's symptoms of palpitations and vivid dreams gradually lessened, her spirits improved day by day, and she was able to sleep soundly and peacefully at night.

This made her even more certain of her previous judgment.

Indeed, someone is using extremely covert methods to harm her.

Now that the other party's access has been cut off, the body will naturally recover.

The sun was shining brightly that day, and the weather was lovely.

Empress Nara felt that staying cooped up in her bedchamber was not good for her pregnancy, so she decided to take a walk in the courtyard of Yanxi Palace.

Soak up some sun and stretch your muscles.

"Jiqing, the weather is nice today. Come with me for a walk in the courtyard."

Empress Nara gave instructions to her personal maid.

"Yes, Master."

Jiqing quickly stepped forward and carefully supported Nara's arm.

The master and servant slowly walked out of the gate of the east side hall.

However, just as Nara stepped out of the threshold and onto the bluestone floor of the outer corridor of the palace, a strange change occurred!

She suddenly felt her foot slip, as if she had stepped on something extremely slippery.

He instantly lost his balance, cried out in alarm, and fell backward.

"master!"

Ji Qing reacted quickly, sensing that his master was unsteady.

Her first instinct was not to dodge, but to forcefully pull her master toward her.

At the same time, she herself lost her balance due to the sudden and forceful pull.

Ji Qing staggered, and tried her best to adjust her posture, falling face down behind her master.

Nara, protecting her lower abdomen, sat down on Jiqing, who had already fallen to the ground.

"Ugh!"

Jiqing's waist was slammed hard by the weight of Nara, and he let out a painful groan.

I felt a sharp pain in my lower back, as if my bones were about to break, and my vision blurred.

"Master, are you alright?"

Despite the excruciating pain, Jiqing's first thought was still the safety of his master.

She endured the pain and anxiously asked Nara, who was sitting on her lap.