"I'll write down a prescription for recuperation, and we'll start by letting her rest for now!"
Lin Yuxin didn't rule out the possibility of a definitive answer.
Upon hearing Lin Yuxin's words, the Emperor roughly understood. He pursed his lips and after a long while, he finally spoke:
"I understand."
"Your Majesty, now that the Empress's poison has been cured, that's a good thing. As for the rest, don't worry about it anymore. Just take good care of her in the future, and she might live a few more years."
Seeing her son so sad, the Empress Dowager sighed and offered some words of comfort.
She had previously shown some favoritism towards Consort Xiao, and also felt guilty towards the Xiao family. In addition, she also looked down on the Empress's background, as the daughter of a mere seventh-rank official had ascended to the position of Empress, which she found somewhat beneath her dignity.
However, she couldn't resist the emperor's favor, and even though she was biased towards the Xiao family, her son still came first in her heart.
So she agreed, but over the years, she had learned a thing or two about Consort Xiao's actions and had intentionally shown favoritism, which wronged the Empress.
Unexpectedly, he raised a thankless wretch who even wanted to seize his son's throne.
The current Empress Dowager feels guilty towards the Empress. If it weren't for the Empress's favoritism back then, her child wouldn't have been missing for so many years.
That's her grandson too!
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager's eyes welled up with tears. She was also very sad to see her son so heartbroken.
"That's right, Your Majesty, my sister doesn't want you to be so sad either!"
Consort Shu also feigned gentle persuasion.
"I understand! You may all return. The Empress is still unconscious, and your presence here is of no use!"
The Emperor calmed himself down, waved his hand, and dismissed the concubines.
Consort Shu and Consort Zhen exchanged a glance, knowing that staying would only incur the Emperor's displeasure. They bowed to the Emperor and said:
"Then I shall take my leave!"
The other concubines who wanted to stay saw that Consort Shu and Consort Zhen had both left. If they stayed, their desire to compete for the emperor's favor would be too obvious.
So they all bowed and took their leave.
As soon as the concubines reached the door, they saw Li Xiaochen stride in, escorting a eunuch.
"Your Majesty, I have arrested the eunuch who gave Jin Mama the medicine. He is here, but we have not yet interrogated him."
Li Xiaochen bowed solemnly to the Emperor and then spoke.
His main concern was that if Lin Yuxin failed to save the Empress, he would rush back to help plead for mercy and say some kind words. So, after capturing and searching the person, he rushed back.
"Tell me, why did you poison the Empress?"
Upon hearing Li Xiaochen's words, the Emperor didn't think much of it. He turned to look at the trembling eunuch kneeling on the ground and was immediately enraged, coldly shouting.
"Your Majesty, spare my life! This servant did not poison you, please investigate thoroughly!"
The eunuch denied it and knelt on the ground, crying and begging for mercy.
"You mean the Regent arrested the wrong person?"
The emperor looked at the dog servant expressionlessly and asked.
"This servant wouldn't dare!"
The eunuch's heart tightened, and he lowered his head even further!
"Since you won't admit it, men, drag him out and beat him until he confesses!"
"yes!"
The men Li Xiaochen brought outside came in and dragged the eunuch outside.
"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty!"
The eunuch was dragged out, and soon, cries of agony filled the air outside!
The concubines who hadn't yet left trembled all over, but dared not even breathe, for fear that the emperor's anger would be directed at them. However, none of them dared to go any further and could only stand still.
I thought that eunuch was tough, but I didn't expect him to be so weak after only ten strokes of the cane.
"Your Majesty, I confess! I confess everything! Your Majesty, please spare my life!"
The emperor kept a cold face throughout, and even when he heard the pleas for mercy outside, he didn't say a word, as if he wanted to kill him regardless of whether he confessed or not.
Li Xiaochen waved his hand, signaling the people outside to bring the eunuch in!
A short while later, the eunuch who had been beaten bloody and mangled was dragged in and thrown in front of the emperor.
The Emperor's expression was cold and ruthless as he spoke:
"Speak!"
"Your Majesty, it was Chunxiang, the personal maid of Consort Qi. She... gave me one hundred taels of silver and asked me to add something to the Empress's medicine. That thing was also given to me by her. Please investigate, Your Majesty."
The eunuch lay on the ground and stammered out the name of the person behind the scenes. His back injury made his speech difficult, but he dared not hide anything anymore.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this servant didn't! Little Jizi is making baseless accusations; he's talking nonsense!"
Upon hearing this, one of the concubines' expressions changed, and a maid behind her also turned pale and knelt on the ground, crying in fear and denying it to the emperor.
Lin Yuxin looked at the concubine with the ugly expression and then remembered that this woman was the one who had been startled and cried out when she came in earlier.
It seems that the concubine was frightened by the emperor just now. Since this matter is related to her maid, it is also related to Consort Qi.
The Emperor remained silent, his face expressionless as he looked at Chunxiang, who was kneeling on the ground weeping. He then glanced at Consort Qi, who was now feigning composure, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes, but he was not blinded by anger. He turned to the eunuch and asked:
"You say Chunxiang ordered you to do it, what evidence do you have?"
“Your Majesty, I have evidence. Under my bed is a purse given to me by Chunxiang, containing one hundred taels of silver. The purse still has the scent of jasmine from Chunxiang. Chunxiang asked me to give the Empress some medicine, which I did not finish using. I hid it under the table in the Imperial Hospital’s medicine-brewing room.”
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