Chapter 38

At this time, Xier, the palace maid serving the queen, brought the "pregnancy-preserving medicine".

In fact, this is not a medicine to preserve pregnancy at all. It is a folk remedy for giving birth to a boy that the prime minister sent from outside the palace. It tastes fishy, ​​but in order to achieve his goal, the queen has to drink it even if she is reluctant.

"vomit--"

Xier dry heaved, and the palace people around her showed panic expressions. After all, this was a serious crime of disrespect in the eyes of the moody queen.

"How dare you!" Eunuch Zhang rebuked preemptively.

"I am terrified, Your Majesty." Xier quickly knelt down and begged for mercy, her voice trembling, the last syllable almost drowned out by the sound of her teeth chattering.

The queen in the main seat suddenly sneered, and the laughter was like ice, which made Xier's back stiffen suddenly.

"Your pious offering of medicine to me is not enough." The queen slowly stood up, the rustle of her phoenix robe distinctly clear in the silence. She walked up to Xi'er, looking down at her dodging eyes. Her voice suddenly turned harsh, "Do you still want me to drink this nauseating medicine?"

The moment the last word fell, she suddenly raised her hand, and fiercely raised the wrist holding the medicine bowl -

"Bang!"

The white porcelain bowl fell heavily on the blue brick floor, and the boiling hot medicine splashed everywhere, soaking Xier's sleeves.

The dark brown medicine mixed with broken porcelain pieces spilled all over the floor, and the strong bitter smell became more pungent.

"Waste!" The queen shook off his hand, her eyes wide open, and the red-gold and kingfisher-embellished hairpins on her temples shook violently because of her uncontrollable anger, making tiny clashes.

Her chest heaved violently, and her face, which had been calm just now, was now covered with frost.

Xi'er was so frightened that her whole body went limp. She prostrated herself on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead hitting the cold tiles with a dull thud. "I dare not! I have no such intention! Please, Majesty, calm down! Please, Majesty, calm down!"

The queen didn't even look at her, but stared at the messy medicine stain on the ground. The anger in her chest seemed to be ignited by the bitter smell, burning more and more vigorously.

She turned around with a flick of her sleeves, her phoenix robe sweeping across the broken porcelain on the ground, making a harsh scraping sound: "Drag him away! Beat him to death!"

The palace servants serving around did not dare to breathe, and no one dared to plead for Xier, so they could only let Xier be dragged away.

When all this happened, Ji Zeming was watching from the side. His eyelids trembled slightly and his gaze fell on the angry figure in the main seat.

Her phoenix robe trailed on the ground, her gold ornaments shone brightly, and her face vaguely bore the outline of the woman who had caringly fed him medicine at home back then. But now, her eyebrows and eyes were filled with a biting coldness, and even her tone of voice when she was angry carried an unquestionable majesty.

Now, she is the queen.

She is a queen who can decide life and death with just one word.

Seeing Xier's frightened look when she held the medicine just now, his throat moved and he wanted to say, "Your Majesty, please calm down. She may not have meant it." The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he was startled and stopped by the loud noise of the queen throwing the bowl.

His Adam's apple rolled heavily, and he finally swallowed back the words of advice that were somewhat selfish.

The tip of his tongue seemed to still retain the warmth of the sweet soup from that year, but the person in front of him was no longer the sister who could share a bowl of sweet soup with him.

He slowly lowered his eyelids, hiding the remaining melancholy in his eyes, leaving only the respectfulness that befitted a subject's status.

The smell of medicine mixed with anger filled the air in the hall. He stood there like a silent stone statue, even his breathing became lighter.

The queen seemed to have just realized that her "brother" was still around, and her expression changed to a cold one. "What brings you to the palace?"

Ji Zeming lowered his eyes, avoiding the still cold gaze from the host seat. He put his hands in his sleeves, but his fingertips quietly tightened - he had clenched them too tightly just now, and there was still a tingling numbness in his fingertips.

"In reply to the Queen," his voice was so steady that not a single wave of emotion could be heard, as if the turmoil in the palace had never disturbed him. "I just happened to be in the palace to visit the Queen."

There was a slight pause at the end of his voice, and when he raised his eyes, there was only the respect of a subject towards his superior.

As he spoke, he bowed slightly, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant. He did not seem embarrassed by the previous conflict, nor was he overly warm and intimate.

The word "visit" was said just right, as if he had come to the palace just for an ordinary greeting and it had nothing to do with the thrilling farce just now.

The queen's seated figure moved, and her phoenix eyes glanced over with a scrutinizing look.

Ji Zeming always kept his body bent, with his neck straight.

After a long pause, she raised her hand to smooth the slightly disheveled hairpins on her temples. The tassels, adorned with red gold and jadeite, shone with tiny arcs of light. Her voice was as calm as a still pool of autumn water: "Now that you've finished, please leave."

There were no superfluous words, no emotional ups and downs. The last syllable fell to the ground, mixed with the lingering smell of medicine, and it actually added a bit of alienation compared to the previous scolding.

Ji Zeming's fingers hanging at his sides curled up almost imperceptibly, and he slowly took two steps back. The hem of his clothes brushed across the floor tiles, making a light friction sound.

When he retreated to the palace gate, he bowed deeply again, then turned around and stepped steadily into the shadow of the corridor.

The palace door slowly closed behind him, blocking out the distant gaze and the lingering bitter smell of medicine in the room.

The queen finally relaxed after Ji Zeming disappeared from view. Yunyue, the maidservant who had been with her since childhood, stepped forward to wipe the sweat from her palms. Her voice was filled with concern and helplessness, "Your Majesty, why do you treat the eldest son like this?"

"Yunyue, you don't understand." There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Forget it. I think the palace maid just now doesn't seem to be... pregnant. You should check carefully to see if someone has defiled the palace." Ji Zelan's voice suddenly became sharp.

"yes."

In the Eunuch Hall, Eunuch Zhang was talking to his colleagues about what happened in the Queen's Palace today.

"The Empress has been in a bad mood recently because of those groundless rumors in the palace, and now she actually..." Eunuch Zhang described the situation while making vomiting gestures, "Oh, I really am..." After saying that, he showed a speechless expression.

Shang Gong happened to hear what happened and was sitting in his seat. When everyone saw Shang Gong coming, they hurriedly saluted.

Lord Shang motioned for them to stand up, took the main seat, and said thoughtfully, "Your Majesty has not visited the palace maids' quarters for several years."

"If it wasn't the emperor's grace, perhaps it was done by the clan members and guards!" Eunuch Sun said from the side.

"You never know, maybe there are some eunuchs who have survived tenaciously!" As he said this, Eunuch Zhang looked down at his lower body in an obscene manner.

"If that's the case," Eunuch Sun said, his eyes half-closed, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyes. His voice was neither loud nor low, with a hint of nonchalant calmness, "those palace maids would be in chaos."

"The Queen has already issued an order that if there are any suspicious people in the Eunuch Palace, they must also be arrested." said Zhang Neiguan.

After listening to Eunuch Zhang's chatter, Lord Shang slowly took a sip of tea. The warm tea slid down his throat, making an almost inaudible sound.

When he put down the teacup, the bottom of the cup touched the rosewood table, making a crisp "ding" sound.

Then, the Minister of the Chancellery announced, "I intend to conduct a new drug test on all eunuchs."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Zhang's eyes lit up and he moved closer to Lord Shang, with a respectful look and a flattering voice: "Your Excellency is wise."

Then, he lowered his voice again, leaned close to Shang Gong's ear, and added a bit of sternness to his tone: "In my opinion, this is a good opportunity to clear up those gossipers in the Eunuch Palace!"

The other eunuchs also nodded in agreement.

Here, Luo Sanrong was accompanying Li Yin. At lunch time, Luo Sanrong still had some things to do, so he planned to go to the inner chamber to eat after finishing his work.

Unexpectedly, after finishing the cleaning, Luo Sanrong found that the food on Li Yin's table was untouched. She asked curiously, "Your Highness, why haven't you eaten yet?"

Li Yin said as if it was a matter of course: "The prince won't eat food that hasn't been tested for poison!"

Luo Sanrong looked around and asked in confusion, "Where are the palace people who tested the poison? I'll call them over!"

Li Yin pretended to be impatient and said, "Just come."

When Luo Sanrong sat down, he said again: "Come closer!"

Luo Sanrong looked at the table full of delicious dishes and couldn't help swallowing his saliva. He asked again to confirm, "Do you want me to test the poison for you?"

Li Yin nodded imperceptibly.

On the silver tray on the dining table, several small dishes were beautifully arranged.

The emerald-colored cold-mixed shepherd's purse is sprinkled with white sesame seeds, and next to it is an amber-colored three-piece sauce. The glossy sauce wraps the duck tongue and lotus root slices. Finally, the dish of braised spare ribs is steaming, and the aroma of meat mixed with the aroma of sauce fills the air.

Luo Sanrong picked up the ivory chopsticks and picked up a piece of shepherd's purse.

The crisp and tender leaves were chewed between her teeth, with a slightly spicy and refreshing taste. She raised her eyebrows slightly, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved upwards, and a faint smile appeared in her eyes, as if she didn't expect that this simple dish would be so delicious.

"This shepherd's purse is fresh." She praised in a low voice, put down her chopsticks and picked up three more dishes.

The soft and glutinous duck tongue is mixed with the crisp and sweet lotus root slices, and the aroma of fermented rice spreads on the tip of the tongue, with a richer aftertaste than that made in ordinary kitchens.

As she swallowed it, her previous faint smile instantly deepened, her eyes stained with genuine surprise, and her voice became brighter: "This sauce is wonderful!"

Finally, she reached for the braised spareribs, choosing one with crispy bones. As her teeth bit through the tender skin, the aroma of the rich, oily sauce instantly exploded in her mouth. The meat was so tender it practically melted in her mouth, even the cracks between the bones were soaked with sauce.

This time, she couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh from her throat. Her brows, which had been slightly furrowed before, completely relaxed, and the arc of her mouth widened much more than before.

After tasting several dishes in turn, her face was filled with surprise. When she wanted to continue eating, she remembered that she was only testing poison for His Highness. She put down her ivory chopsticks awkwardly and whispered to Li Yin, "You can eat now!"