"What? Consort Shu is awake?" Consort Xian couldn't hold back any longer, swaying slightly in disbelief: "She drank poison and still didn't die?"
She was somewhat skeptical.
"Your Majesty, it's true. All the imperial physicians in Jingyang Palace have been dismissed, except for Physician Li. I personally went to inquire and found out that Consort Shu obtained the secret medicine and has been cured of the poison after taking it. His Majesty was overjoyed and rewarded everyone in Jingyang Palace."
Consort Xian's eyelids twitched violently; she simply couldn't understand how someone could survive after drinking poison.
Is Consort Shu not human?
Seeing is believing, so Consort Xian couldn't sit still any longer and decided to go and see for herself. After a quick wash, she headed toward Jingyang Palace.
Jingyang Palace was indeed not as busy as it had been the previous two days. People from the Imperial Hospital were removing the medicine furnaces, and palace maids were sprinkling water on the ground with tree branches.
"This servant greets Her Highness the Virtuous Consort." The palace servants bowed.
Consort Xian waved her hand, lifted her skirt with one hand and went up the steps. Before she got close, she heard the gentle voice of the Emperor of Dongying: "Take it easy, there's no rush."
“I’m right here, I’m not leaving.”
"Ning'er, you've suffered so much."
Consort Xian's steps suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she couldn't take another step. Having been husband and wife with the Emperor of Dongying for more than ten years, how could she not recognize whose voice it was?
Once, the Emperor of Japan also took great care of her, with a gentle smile on his face, embracing her and picking the first red plum blossom of winter for her.
He even promised to treat her well for the rest of his life.
It's only been a little over a decade.
Through the crack in the door, Consort Xian saw the Emperor of Dongying carefully holding Linghu Ning, sitting on his lap, and gently feeding her medicine.
Linghu Ning took a sip and perhaps noticed the bitterness. She buried her head in the Emperor of Dongying's arms and hummed a few times. The Emperor of Dongying was not annoyed at all. Instead, he became even more gentle: "Good medicine tastes bitter. Just bear with it a little longer."
After being coaxed into taking her medicine by the high and mighty emperor, the Japanese emperor did not let go of her. Instead, he cupped her cheeks and leaned down to kiss her gently, causing Linghu Ning's face to flush red. She said coquettishly, "Your Majesty is bullying your concubine."
"Ning'er, you're finally better. Don't be so willful next time." The Emperor of Dongying held the person he had lost and found again. Even now, thinking back on it, he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine.
The force with which he held Linghu Ning tightened even more.
Linghu Ning leaned wearily against the Emperor of Dongying, rubbing her temples: "Your Majesty, I am so sleepy, I can't remember many things, what's wrong with me, and my heart hurts so much."
The Emperor of Japan lowered his head and kissed her lips: "It was my fault. I will not let you suffer in the future. You should recover quickly."
At this moment, Linghu Ning was like a porcelain doll, and could be lost again if she was not careful. It was extremely lucky that she survived the excessive blood loss and poisoning.
Physician Li said that he could no longer withstand any more torment.
The scene was particularly irritating to the Consort Xian at the door. Since marrying the Emperor of Dongying, she had been deeply loved and envied by everyone.
Compared to Linghu Ning in front of her, she was utterly insignificant.
Those affectionate words from Ning'er were a slap in the face to her. The Emperor of Dongying only called her Consort Xian, Consort Xian, but she had a name too.
Consort Xian turned and left with a cold face.
"Your Highness, why don't you go inside?" the palace maid asked, puzzled.
Consort Xian scoffed, "What would I do inside? Would I be in the way?"
She turned around and went to the Empress's palace, eager to know what the Empress had said to the Emperor of Dongying that day. If it weren't for the Empress, Consort Shu would have surely died.
The Empress was also taken aback when she heard that Consort Shu had survived.
"What exactly did Your Majesty the Empress suggest to the Emperor?" Consort Xian questioned, her tone full of displeasure, blaming the Empress for meddling in other people's business.
The Empress knew that Consort Xian had come to interrogate her, and seeing that Consort Xian's eyes were red and her face was haggard, she did not hold Consort Xian's rudeness against her.
"The matter is over, why should Consort Xian ask any more questions? It won't do you any good." The Empress sighed and said that the situation in the palace was about to change. She comforted Consort Xian by saying, "Consort Shu's life was hard-won. You should be more humble in the future and not provoke her."
Hearing this, Consort Xian's anger flared up: "If it weren't for Her Majesty the Empress's suggestion and her eagerness to please the Emperor, Consort Shu would be dead by now. Why bother with this hypocrisy!"
"You!" The Empress clutched her chest, pointing angrily at Consort Xian.
Consort Xian pouted: "What, does the Empress also want to imitate Consort Shu? I advise you to save your breath. His Majesty is busy with Consort Shu right now and has no time to visit you."
The Empress turned pale with anger at Consort Xian.
"And there's that bottle of poison from Consort Shu. I still wonder where she got it." Consort Xian stared at the Empress with a half-smile: "I swear on my entire clan that this poison has nothing to do with me. Your Majesty, once the Emperor calms down and has the time, he will definitely investigate to the end. I hope you will not regret what you have done today."
Having said that, Consort Xian knelt down, turned around, and left with a flick of her sleeve.
The Empress's eyelids twitched with anger.
"Your Highness, Consort Xian has gone too far. Should we ask the imperial physician to examine you?" a palace maid said.
The Empress shook her head: "No need. I am not as delicate as Consort Shu. She has always been like this all these years. It's just that she stumbled this time. She couldn't stand seeing the Emperor being taken away by someone else, and she lost her mind."
Instead, a strange smile appeared on her lips: "Consort Xian, you've finally met your match!"
Ever since Linghu Ning woke up, the Emperor of Dongying would come to Jingyang Palace to wait for her as soon as he finished court, even if Linghu Ning was asleep.
The Emperor of Japan then ordered someone to bring over the memorials, and while waiting for Linghu Ning to wake up, he reviewed them.
"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince has returned."
The Japanese emperor paused, his vermilion brush still in his hand. He glanced at the sleeping girl on the bed, then got up and left.
Under the long corridor, a hint of anger flickered in Xuan Yuan Chen's eyes: "Royal brother."
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