Chapter 138 I don’t want her to suffer this
Concubine Zheng has been coming to Yanfu Palace quite often recently. When Nanny Yang came in to deliver the message again, the Empress Dowager became a little impatient.
Nanny Yang observed the Empress Dowager's expression and asked, "If the Empress Dowager doesn't want to see her, I will send her away."
"It's just that she's bringing the eldest prince with her, and it's so hot today. I'm afraid the eldest prince won't be able to withstand the heat all the time."
The Queen Mother saw through Concubine Zheng's thoughts clearly, but unfortunately she was destined to disappoint her. No matter how much she loved the eldest prince, she could not interfere in the matter of choosing a crown prince.
If she is really so confused, I'm afraid the only remaining mother-son relationship will be gone.
"Never mind. It's hot. Let her come in and sit for a while."
Concubine Zheng brought the eldest prince in. The eldest prince's forehead was covered with sweat. The Queen Mother couldn't help but frown: "Why don't you come in a sedan chair?"
Concubine Zheng's face froze. The eldest prince could have a sedan chair, but she was just a small beauty. Her position did not allow her to have a sedan chair, so when she came out of the prince's room, she subconsciously brought the eldest prince with her.
"Cheng'er, come here." The Queen Mother waved to the eldest prince and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
"Madam Yang, take the eldest prince to change his clothes. His clothes are all wet."
"yes."
Concubine Zheng forced a smile and said, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty the Queen Mother. Cheng'er wanted to see you, so he left in a hurry."
The Queen Mother didn't want to pay any attention to Concubine Zheng, but just chatted with her in a light tone.
Concubine Zheng was sitting on a chair. She didn't look very good. She had been feeling uncomfortable in her stomach since she entered Yeonbok Palace.
Beads of sweat dripped down her cheeks one by one. She couldn't help but frown, placing one hand on her abdomen, clutching her clothes tightly.
The Queen Mother noticed: "What's wrong with you?"
Concubine Zheng managed to hold herself together and replied, "I'm fine. It's just that the weather is a little hot and the heat makes me feel a little suffocated."
"You feel hot, doesn't Cheng'er feel hot too?" The Queen Mother said, "Let him rest well in the prince's quarters and avoid going out."
Lady Zheng's lips trembled: "Yes..."
As soon as the words fell, the eldest prince came out trotting and stood beside the Queen Mother: "Grandmother, grandson..."
Before he could finish his words, Concubine Zheng suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
When Nanny Yang saw this, she exclaimed in surprise. The empress dowager also widened her eyes and hurriedly held the eldest prince in her arms to block his sight.
"Quick! Call the imperial physician!"
Yanfu Palace was in chaos, and by the time He Yanchen arrived, the other concubines had already arrived.
Concubine Zheng was carried into the inner hall, the concubines were waiting in the outer hall, and the empress dowager sat on a chair and comforted the eldest prince.
"What's going on?"
Nanny Yang said, "Your Majesty, today Concubine Zheng brought the eldest prince to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, but unexpectedly, Concubine Zheng suddenly vomited blood. The imperial physician is currently treating her."
He Yanchen didn't say anything. He sat at the head of the table, glanced at the concubines standing in the room, and only instructed Ji Ming: "Go tell the Imperial Noble Consort that I will be back later."
"It's hot, so she doesn't have to come."
Everyone felt sour after hearing these words, but no one dared to cause trouble at this time.
Not long after, the imperial physician came out with a heavy face: "Your Majesty, Queen Mother, Concubine Zheng was poisoned and did not survive..."
The Queen Mother felt the eldest prince's body stiffen in her arms, and she hurriedly called the palace servants: "Send the eldest prince down to rest first."
He Yanchen touched his forehead, his eyes expressionless, "What kind of poison did you take?"
"Your Majesty, Concubine Zheng accidentally ingested Mingteng grass. Mingteng grass is colorless and odorless. A small amount can calm the nerves, but excessive amounts are toxic. Large amounts will cause vomiting of blood within two hours."
The Queen Mother thought of the eldest prince's appearance just now, and she couldn't help but feel a little pity for Concubine Zheng: "Go and check, Concubine Zheng is fine, how could she be poisoned?"
He Yanchen did not refute, and the palace servants immediately went to search all the palaces after receiving the order.
Concubine Jin below had a calm expression, but her eyes, looking towards the inner hall, showed a hint of relaxation.
Everyone was waiting for the search team to come back. Concubine Zheng was an unpopular person with no family background. Who would have the time to harm her?
There was a faint smell of incense burning in the hall, and the ice basin emitted cold air, which made people even more sleepy.
Just when everyone was dozing off, Nanny Yang came back with her people.
As she passed by Concubine Jin, she glanced at her and then said, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, a package of Mingteng grass was found in the main hall of Qiongyu Palace."
"Impossible!" Concubine Jin was so shocked when she heard her own name that she stood up immediately.
How could it be possible? No matter how foolish she was, she would never have kept the evidence in her own palace. Furthermore, the Mingteng grass she used was obtained from the Imperial Hospital under the pretext of needing tranquilizers. The quantity was small and had long been used up.
Concubine Jin felt cold all over. No matter how slow she was, she knew that she was being plotted against.
Who is plotting against her?
"Noble Concubine Jin, what explanation do you have for this?" the Queen Mother demanded sharply. "Concubine Zheng is the biological mother of the Emperor's eldest son. How dare you!"
Concubine Jin knelt down hurriedly: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I dare not do this! I really have never done this..."
Nanny Yang interrupted her, "Empress Dowager, someone from the Qiongyu Palace bribed Concubine Zheng's maid, Qing'er, to poison her food. When Qing'er was caught, she confessed even before being tortured."
To be honest, Nanny Yang felt that the investigation was going too smoothly.
But at least this is the fact that has been found at the moment.
"Your Majesty, I didn't do it, I really didn't do it!" Concubine Jin burst into tears, crawled on her knees a few steps and grabbed the hem of He Yanchen's clothes.
He Yanchen, who had been silent the whole time, raised his eyes and finally spoke: "Jin Guipin harmed the concubines and was demoted to Baolin."
Concubine Jin's face suddenly turned pale, but Cui Zhaoyuan frowned.
Just a demotion?
Before she could think about it, He Yanchen called her, "Cui Zhaoyuan."
Cui Zhaoyuan subconsciously looked up, and when their eyes met, she couldn't help but shiver.
"Choi So-won knew about this but failed to report it, aiding and abetting the tyrant. Her crime is even more severe. She will be demoted to a commoner and banished to the cold palace."
Cui Zhaoyuan looked at him in disbelief: "Your Majesty...I didn't know about this!"
"I don't know?" He Yanchen said indifferently, "If you don't want others to know, then don't do it yourself. What did you do that I need to tell you?"
From the day Concubine Zheng fell ill, He Yanchen knew what Concubine Jin had done.
Cui Zhaoyuan was scheming behind the scenes. She wanted to get rid of Concubine Zheng and expose Concubine Jin. He Yanchen was too lazy to investigate her purpose and just let it happen.
Wait until something happens and deal with it together.
Cui Zhaoyuan glanced at the man's cold face and felt a chill in her heart.
He knew this so clearly, did he plan it all in advance?
But no one gave her time to think about it, and Chu Yi brought people to suppress her.
The Queen Mother rubbed her brows tiredly and said, "Everyone, please leave. Your Majesty and I have something to discuss."
The palace door closed. He Yanchen did not stand up and asked calmly, "What does the Queen Mother want to say?"
The Queen Mother came straight to the point: "I have heard that Your Majesty intends to adopt a son from the royal family?"
He Yanchen did not hide his intentions, and the Queen Mother did not care if she knew: "Yes."
The Queen Mother's tone became more urgent: "The adopted one is not your Majesty's bloodline..."
"Why not? All the people in the world are my subjects."
"Your Majesty is in the prime of life, so why worry about not having children? Even if you dote on the Imperial Noble Consort and have her take good care of her, she will eventually become pregnant."
He Yanchen swung the jade pendant at his waist, his tone nonchalant: "Giving birth is not easy for women. The Queen Mother knows this well. When my eighth brother was born, you almost lost your life. Can you forget such pain?"
"I don't want her to suffer this."
She had suffered a lot in her childhood, and he would make her happy every day in the future.
The Queen Mother's expression was very reluctant: "But every woman in this world will go through this."
He Yanchen then raised his eyes and looked at her:
"I am the emperor. I can save her from going through all this."
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