At dusk, after helping the emperor to sleep, Concubine Wu returned to Jinhua Palace.
The palace maids immediately came forward to serve, massaging Concubine Wu's shoulders and legs. Concubine Wu lay on the couch, looking tired.
"Facing the Emperor's half-dead face every day really makes me sick! I really don't know when these days will end."
The nanny who had served Concubine Wu for many years offered her a cup of tea and consoled her, "The Fifth Prince will soon become the Crown Prince. When he ascends the throne, you will become the Empress Dowager. Good days are yet to come."
Concubine Wu took a sip of tea, kicked the maid who was pinching her leg, and shouted angrily, "Do you want to hurt me to death? Get out!"
The palace maid was dragged out. The sound of beating with a stick was heard at the door, but the maid's screams could not be heard. It was obvious that her mouth was blocked.
The nanny pointed to another palace maid and said, "When it comes to massage skills, Die'er is the best. Master Zhang has not been found yet. Die'er was incompetent and deserved to die. It's just hard for the queen, because she lost someone who cared about her."
Concubine Wu closed her eyes and took a nap. The palace maids and eunuchs in the room held their breath and didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
After a while, the nanny whispered in Concubine Wu's ear, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Liu is here. He wants to see you for something important."
Concubine Wu suddenly opened her eyes. She had not slept well at all and had a bad feeling in her heart.
Liu Xi came alone. He asked Concubine Wu to send her attendants away before he took out a bright yellow imperial edict from his arms.
The imperial edict had not yet been framed. It was soaked in ambergris, which was specially used for Zhengyang Palace, and the imperial seal was printed on the lower right corner.
Concubine Wu stood up in shock and reached out to grab the imperial edict. "This is impossible! His Majesty clearly promised to make my son the crown prince. How could it be the eldest prince?"
Liu Xi took a step back, tucked the imperial edict back into his sleeve, and bowed to Concubine Wu. "I'm already risking my life just to be able to have your Majesty take a look at it. If the imperial edict is destroyed, ten heads of mine wouldn't be enough to chop off."
Concubine Wu also realized that she had lost her composure. She clenched her fists and forced herself to regain her composure. "Why did Your Majesty change his mind? But what did the eldest prince do?"
Liu Xi shook his head. "The eldest prince lives in seclusion and has not participated in the struggle for the throne. How can we, His Majesty, fathom His Majesty's intentions? Perhaps His Majesty wanted to establish the eldest prince from the beginning. When the late emperor was alive, the eldest prince was already the crown prince. Your Majesty cannot disobey the late emperor's will."
"Impossible!" Concubine Wu blurted out, "Your Majesty has always held a grudge against the late emperor, feeling that he looked down upon him, and consequently, he also harbors a great dislike for Xiao Yan. He deposed Xiao Yan three years ago, so how could he possibly reinstate him as Crown Prince?"
"The imperial edict has not yet been issued, so there is still room for maneuver. Your Majesty must be confused and has made a mistake. I will go to Your Majesty now and ask him for the truth!"
Liu Xi stopped in front of Concubine Wu and urged her urgently, "This imperial decree is top secret. If the Empress questions us in person, we will all die!"
"Your Majesty, you are confused! If Your Majesty really wants to make the Fifth Prince the Crown Prince, why not make you the Empress? That way, the Fifth Prince's succession to the throne will be more legitimate."
"Your Majesty did have doubts about the eldest prince, but now that he has changed his mind, Your Majesty will naturally choose the eldest son as the crown prince. The matter is a foregone conclusion. I have risked my life to come here to report the news. The imperial edict will be issued tomorrow. Please make a decision as soon as possible!"
Concubine Wu paced back and forth in the room anxiously. The lamp exploded, making a soft bang, which was infinitely magnified in the silent room, and scared Concubine Wu.
Liu Xi whispered, "Your Majesty has poisoned the First Prince and has been battling Empress Qi for over ten years. The Wu family has been behind the Qi family's rebellion. If the First Prince ascends the throne, will Your Majesty and the Fifth Prince still be alive?"
Concubine Wu's eyes were red as she roared, "You know all this was ordered by His Majesty. I was just a humble noble back then. If it weren't for His Majesty's instructions, I wouldn't have been able to poison the Crown Prince!"
"Is it still useful to say this now? The eldest prince won't believe it. Your Majesty should think about what to do next."
Liu Xi knew that the time was right and his task was completed, so he bowed and walked out.
Concubine Wu was still hesitating. Treason was a capital crime, and even the mere mention of it was terrifying. She really didn't want to take this risky step unless it was absolutely necessary.
The fifth prince suddenly rushed in. He was wearing black and came at night. As soon as he saw Concubine Wu, he knelt down and tears flowed down his face.
"Mother, something terrible has happened! A group of people have broken into the camp outside the capital. I don't know who they are. Our private army has been discovered. If this gets to the emperor's ears, will he think I'm plotting a rebellion? I'm doomed!"
Concubine Wu suddenly calmed down. She helped her son up, wiped the tears from his face, and said gently:
"Peng'er, don't panic. At this point, the only way to survive is to fight to the death. My son should be the crown prince. If the emperor refuses to let my son be the crown prince, mother will kill him and help my son ascend the throne!"
Some of the private soldiers raised by the fifth prince mixed in with the imperial guards and entered the palace during the shift change, while some of them ambushed at the palace gate to prevent anyone from going out to report the news.
Everything went extraordinarily smoothly, as if by divine intervention.
In the middle of the night, the emperor woke up from his sleep and saw Concubine Wu still guarding him. He took Concubine Wu's hand and sighed, "My dear concubine, you have worked hard. Why don't you go and rest? Just let the palace maids keep watch."
Concubine Wu smiled very gently, "No palace maid can be as devoted as I am. I am willing to stay with Your Majesty. Your Majesty has woken up at the perfect time. I have good news to tell Your Majesty."
The emperor became interested. "What's the good news?"
Concubine Wu took out a brocade box and placed it on the couch. When she opened it, there were two pure white pills inside, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.
"This is the elixir that Zhang Tianshi just sent. It is even more effective than before. After taking it, your Majesty's body will be restored to its original state."
The emperor's eyes fell on the two pills. From the appearance, there was no difference between them. He randomly selected one and placed it in Concubine Wu's hand. "My beloved concubine, enjoy it with me."
Concubine Wu took the elixir in both hands, her face showing excitement, "Thank you very much, Your Majesty."
She swallowed the pill without hesitation. After about a cup of tea, seeing that she looked normal, the emperor took away another pill.
After all, it was a new elixir, so the emperor was still a little worried. He ordered Concubine Wu to bring a small silver knife and split the elixir in half. "My beloved concubine and I will each take half. My beloved concubine does not have the protection of dragon energy, so she should take more."
Concubine Wu had already taken the antidote. Half a pill should be enough for the emperor's broken body. Concubine Wu gritted her teeth and swallowed another half pill.
The emperor was finally relieved and took the remaining half of the pill.
After the pill entered his stomach, his whole body felt warm. The emperor breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down with the help of Concubine Wu.
In a daze, the emperor felt his stomach getting hotter and hotter, gradually turning into a burning pain. He widened his eyes in horror and shouted angrily, "The pill... the pill is poisonous! You... poisonous woman! Someone... someone... protect me... protect me!"
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