Ziyu helped Li Yunyan to sit down in the pavilion, then squatted down to massage her calves to relieve her fatigue.
Liu Yi stood closely behind Li Yunyan, watching the surrounding movements warily.
Li Yunyan took out a handkerchief and wiped away non-existent sweat. She used the handkerchief as a fan and gently fanned herself, but she still felt a little hot.
"Ziyu, you don't need to rub it anymore. Go get a fan, I'm a little hot!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Ziyu stood up and walked towards Zhaohua Palace. With Liuyi here, no one would dare to bump into her young lady!
When Consort Ji noticed that Li Yunyan was missing someone, she felt that her opportunity had come. She complained of being tired as she walked towards the pavilion.
She casually placed the silver basket containing the butterflies on the stone table, then picked up a pastry and popped it into her mouth, rubbing her back. "Today was so much fun! My back is about to break!"
Li Yunyan rested her chin on one hand, and with the other hand holding a handkerchief, she teased the butterflies through the silk netting, saying casually, "The weather is perfect today! The Imperial Garden is so lively!"
"The weather is nice! It's just a bit hot!"
Consort Ji poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and asked, "Younger sister, you have difficulty moving around. Would you like me to pour you a cup of tea? And perhaps have a couple of pastries?"
Li Yunyan lowered her eyes and smiled, "Okay, thank you very much, Consort Ji!"
With Ziyu absent, Liuyi couldn't serve Li Yunyan as closely as she did, so she kept a close eye on Consort Ji's actions to prevent her from causing any trouble.
Li Yunyan never intended for Consort Ji to take the initiative, as that would put her in a very passive position!
She picked up the cup of tea that Consort Ji had poured for her and drank it without hesitation.
"Little sister, would you like two more pastries?"
"OK!"
While she was getting some snacks, Li Yunyan used the handkerchief in her hand to swirl around in the teacup she had just drunk from.
Liu Yi stood behind her, in her blind spot, and couldn't see what she was doing at all.
Suddenly, Li Yunyan cried out in pain, then clutched her stomach and fell backward.
"Your Majesty!"
Liu Yi caught her with lightning speed, and then heard Li Yunyan say in pain, "The tea is poisoned! My stomach hurts so much!"
Liu Yi said urgently, "Quickly summon the imperial physician!"
Consort Ji was completely bewildered. Hadn't Consort Zhao not touched the butterfly yet?
She hadn't even had a snack yet, and her hands were perfectly clean, so why was she already having a stomachache?
But this is for the best! The most urgent task is to release the butterflies immediately and destroy the evidence!
As for that cup of tea, it wasn't poisoned at all! It must have been Consort Zhao who, in her desperation, was making things up by blaming her!
She winked at Bi'er, who nodded secretly and was about to come over when Li Yunyan pointed at Consort Ji and said:
"Sister Ji! Why did you hurt me?!"
"Oh! My stomach!"
She was in so much pain that she was sweating profusely, and suddenly screamed!
Bright red blood stained her white skirt.
"Your Majesty!"
Liu Yi was going crazy with worry. He wanted to see why the imperial physician hadn't arrived yet, but he couldn't leave this place. Why was he all alone right now?
He glared at Consort Ji with a sinister look on his face. "Consort Ji! If anything were to happen to Consort Zhao, could your Ji family bear the consequences?"
Consort Ji had already taken advantage of the chaos to open the basket, and after watching the butterflies fly away, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you saying, Eunuch Liu Yi? I haven't done anything!"
"Sister Zhaofei, you shouldn't be moving around so carelessly now that you're pregnant. You can't even protect the imperial heir yourself, and you're dragging us all into this mess!"
"If you ask me, it's probably because Consort Zhao is unlucky and can't bear the preciousness of the imperial fetus! She finally got pregnant, and now she's going to lose it! What an unlucky girl!"
The three of them were just gossiping, thinking that since there was no physical evidence left, no matter how much they investigated, they wouldn't be able to trace it back to them!
Besides, Consort Zhao is so favored, yet she is unable to protect her child. If His Majesty and the Empress Dowager knew this, they would be greatly disappointed in her!
It looks like she's about to fall out of favor!
The three of them looked at Li Yunyan with schadenfreude, each with their own ulterior motives.
Tears and sweat streamed down Li Yunyan's face, and blood was flowing from her lower body. None of the three women came to help her! Liu Yi dared not move her, and could only watch helplessly, anxiously hoping the imperial physician would arrive soon!
"His Majesty has arrived!"
Liu Yuan's voice rang out, and Liu Yi's eyes lit up.
He disregarded all formalities and cried out, "Your Majesty! Consort Zhao is bleeding!"
Li Yunyan was relieved to hear that Chu Xingmo was coming. She had sent Ziyu back at the right time, as Chu Xingmo should be arriving soon! If he saw that Ziyu was going to bring her a fan, he would definitely go there himself!
Consort Ji and the other two were surprised that His Majesty would come in person. After all, they had waited for him to come to their doorstep many times before, but His Majesty had never come before!
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"
Chu Xingmo strode over and his pupils widened when he saw Li Yunyan lying on the ground with a deathly pale face.
"Yan Yan!"
He pounced on her and picked her up, but what he touched was a sticky, bloody red substance.
"Brother Mo," Li Yunyan said, tears streaming down her face, her voice barely a whisper, "our child... was taken by Consort Ji..."
She fainted before she could finish speaking.
"Guards! Throw these three men into jail! To be punished!"
"yes!"
"His Majesty?!"
Consort Ji was shocked that Chu Xingmo would throw them into prison without even conducting a trial, and they hadn't even had a chance to use any of their prepared statements!
They never considered that in Chu Xingmo's heart, they were nothing; he wouldn't even bother to say a word to them! Naturally, they had no right to argue with him!
He only regretted not having dismissed the harem sooner!
At this moment, Chu Xingmo was extremely anxious and carried Li Yunyan onto the imperial carriage.
"Summon the imperial physician! Return to Zhaohua Palace!"
"yes!"
The commotion here is so great that even the Empress Dowager has been alerted!
She rushed over, distraught, and stood with Chu Xingmo in Zhaohua Palace, watching the palace maids bring out basins of bloody water.
The Empress Dowager was heartbroken, crying out, "My grandson! My grandson!"
Chu Xingmo's face was clouded with gloom, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he was heartbroken beyond measure.
Unlike the Empress Dowager, he was thinking about his Yanyan. She had lost so much blood; could her body still hold up?
If anything were to happen to her, then he...!
There were imperial physicians inside trying to save lives, and others examining the physical evidence from the scene.
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy came over and reported, "Your Majesty, the tea that Consort Zhao drank just now contained Five Elements Herbs!"
"Five Elements Herb?"
Chu Xingmo raised her bloodshot eyes and looked at him. "What are its effects?"
The head of the academy replied in detail: "Your Majesty, the Five Elements Herb can cause women to miscarry."
A strong killing intent rose in Chu Xingmo's eyes. He was determined to make those people's families pay the price!
"Liu Yuan, hand those three over to the Eastern Depot for interrogation!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
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