Chapter 454 Beauty Pill
Consort Li absentmindedly accepted the list. She didn't read a single word of what was written on it; all that kept echoing in her mind was the Empress Dowager's words of betraying her master for personal gain.
A wave of immense fear washed over her like ice water, making her teeth chatter.
Yes, even if the Emperor takes pity on her and lets her leave the palace, will that old witch, the Empress Dowager, let her go?
Especially... that beauty pill.
She shivered and returned to her palace in a daze, increasingly frightened and restless.
No, we can't just wait like this.
She gritted her teeth and, disregarding all decorum, rose and staggered toward the Weiyang Palace.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, save me!" Upon entering the inner palace, Consort Li could no longer hold on and collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Her former arrogant demeanor vanished, leaving her as a pitiful person terrified.
Jiang Huan and He Ling were chatting in the hall when they were taken aback by this sudden situation. They exchanged a glance and signaled the maids to step back and stand guard at the door.
"Get up and tell me slowly, what happened?" Jiang Huan got up to help her sit on a stool and handed her a cup of hot tea.
Consort Li held the teacup with trembling hands, tears streaming down her face, mingling with her makeup and leaving several disheveled streaks.
"The Empress Dowager... The Empress Dowager summoned me today. She threatened me, saying that I had betrayed my master and was ungrateful, and that she would never let me go. She also... she even specifically mentioned the beauty pill!"
"Beauty pills?" Jiang Huan keenly grasped this key word, and her eyes immediately sharpened.
"What beauty pill? Explain yourself."
Consort Li seemed to have seized the floodgates of her confession, and no longer caring about losing face, she poured out her heart, sobbing uncontrollably: "It was...it was a kind of pill that the Empress Dowager gave to me in my early years. She said it could keep me young forever and make my skin delicate and rosy. I took it for many years and it was indeed effective. But later I found something wrong. Every time I stopped taking the medicine, I would feel flustered and confused, but as soon as I took the medicine, I would feel comfortable all over again."
Her voice trailed off as she spoke, filled with lingering fear: "I suspect there's something wrong with the medicine, but I dare not stop using it, for fear of ruining my appearance and even more so of the Empress Dowager's wrath. Now that she's bringing this up again, she's clearly warning me."
Jiang Huan felt a chill run down her spine. Using beauty drugs to control people—the Empress Dowager's methods were simply endless!
No wonder Consort Li was so agitated before; besides family interests, the influence of this drug was probably also a factor.
She remained expressionless and asked in a deep voice, "Do you still have any of those beauty-enhancing pills on hand?"
"Yes! Yes!" Consort Li seemed to have just remembered, and hurriedly took out a delicate little porcelain bottle from her purse and presented it with both hands.
Jiang Huan took the porcelain bottle and handed it directly to He Ling, implying, "You've always had some knowledge of these spices and medicines. Take a look and see if there's anything wrong with this."
He Ling immediately understood: [System! Quick! Scan! See what this thing is!]
She screamed inwardly, but outwardly pretended to be profound as she uncorked the bottle, poured out a pill into her palm, brought it close to her nose to smell it, and then used her fingers to break off a small piece as if to examine it.
"Beep! Scan complete. Analysis revealed: contains trace amounts of 'phantom globodhi' extract, which is hallucinogenic and addictive. Long-term use can lead to psychological dependence, impaired judgment, and susceptibility to psychological suggestion."
After hearing the analysis, He Ling gasped and almost dropped the pill in her hand.
She quickly shared the test results: "This medicine is indeed problematic. It contains substances that can confuse the mind. Long-term use will not only harm the body but also cause mental confusion."
Although there had been suspicions, the moment it was confirmed, Consort Li was struck dumb, and her whole body went limp.
The Empress Dowager not only used her as a tool, but also wanted to completely destroy her.
"You poisonous woman, what a vicious heart you have!" Consort Li trembled with hatred, her nails digging deeply into her palms.
Jiang Huan stepped forward, firmly supporting her shoulder, looking into her eyes with a convincing strength.
"Consort Li, since you are willing to hand over this item and tell the truth, the Emperor and I will protect you. The Empress Dowager is so vicious that it is intolerable. What other evidence do you have? Hand it over as well. Only by bringing her down can we eliminate future troubles."
Consort Li seemed to see a glimmer of hope and nodded repeatedly.
"The Empress Dowager has several secret businesses outside the palace, mainly spice shops and medicine shops, which she uses to purchase what she needs. There are also some shady financial transactions. I secretly recorded some accounts and contacts, as well as a list of officials she has won over and controlled in the court through my family. I also secretly made a copy of that list."
However, aside from these, Consort Li still had a backup plan, which she did not tell Jiang Huan.
Jiang Huan was overjoyed upon hearing this.
No wonder she rose to the rank of concubine; she's got some skills. These are all irrefutable pieces of evidence that could put the Empress Dowager to death.
This is like a timely pillow being delivered when you're sleepy; even a helping hand in times of need wouldn't be this timely!
She remained calm and said gently, "Very good. Don't worry, hand over these, and the Emperor and I will ensure your and your family's safety."
Without further delay, she immediately summoned Xiao Zhao and whispered instructions to her to secretly follow Consort Li back to the palace with her men to retrieve the hidden copies of accounts and lists. She was to be extremely careful and not alert anyone.
The item was quickly retrieved and wrapped in ordinary cloth.
Jiang Huan opened it, and inside was a thick stack of papers, the handwriting neat and clear, obviously taken care to organize.
She flipped through the pages quickly, and the more she read, the more shaken she became.
The Empress Dowager had been operating this network for many years, and it was both vast and secretive. Many seemingly insignificant figures were actually her henchmen.
She carefully put away the evidence and gently comforted Consort Li for a long time before letting her go back.
In the evening, Huo Lin returned to Weiyang Palace.
He first went to check on the children sleeping soundly in the cradle, gently touching each of their little faces, and then habitually walked to Jiang Huan's side and pulled her into his arms.
[I spent the whole day reviewing official documents, constantly battling wits with those old foxes. I'm exhausted.]
[It's still so much more joyful to come back and hold my wife; it's so sweet and comforting.]
Jiang Huan leaned against him, smiling broadly: "Your Majesty, after a busy day, there's a surprise waiting for you upon your return to the palace."
Huo Lin raised an eyebrow: "Oh? What surprise?"
Jiang Huan slipped out of his arms, walked briskly to the desk, picked up the stack of results she had sorted out that afternoon, and turned to hand it to him.
"Look here."
Huo Lin took it with a puzzled look. At first, he was a little careless, but after only a few glances, his expression suddenly became serious.
She looked up at Jiang Huan, her eyes filled with disbelief: "Where did you get these things?"
These past two days, I've been in a state of utter distress at court, struggling with insufficient evidence to completely eradicate the Empress Dowager's power.
[But she was in the inner palace, quietly and without a word, presenting me with almost all the irrefutable evidence I wanted most.]
Isn't she a little too capable?
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