Chapter 198 Bad Luck vs. Good Fortune
The emperor felt a lump in his throat as he thought of the past.
He reached out and helped Consort Shu up, then helped her lie down again.
He said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I will definitely give you and your son an explanation for this matter! Tell me the details of today first."
Consort Shu barely managed to stop her tears and said, "After I came out of Zishan Hall, I was vomiting so badly that I took Zhaokang to Suyuxuan to rest nearby."
I sent the palace maid who was serving me back to Lanxun Pavilion to fetch a set of clothes. Another palace maid, seeing that I was not in good spirits, took Zhaokang outside to play.
I was just about to take a short nap when someone suddenly covered my mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
The handkerchief carried a strange, sweet fragrance that made my head ache, and I lost consciousness.
In my dazed state, I felt someone pry open my mouth and feed me something to swallow.
Recalling the fear and panic of that time, Consort Shu trembled, her face drained of color.
"When I woke up again, I found myself lying on the ground here. Just as I was about to get up, I suddenly had a sharp pain in my abdomen."
"I was terrified. I tried to get up and call for help, but I had no strength at all. When I turned around, I saw Miss Li lying not far from me."
Consort Shu raised her finger and pointed to the spot where Li Nanke was lying.
"Miss Li was also unconscious. When she woke up and saw me like this, she wanted to run out and call for help, but the doors and windows of this room were locked from the outside."
The door wouldn't open, the window wouldn't open; I was utterly desperate.
"Miss Li said we couldn't give up, and took out some antidote pills from her body and fed them to me. Not long after I took the medicine, I felt my abdominal pain lessen, and then I fainted again."
Consort Shu raised her head and looked at the Emperor with teary eyes.
"Your Majesty, if it weren't for Miss Li today, you would probably be seeing my corpse."
The emperor gently patted Consort Shu's hand to comfort her.
"Don't be afraid, it's all in the past. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly, find the mastermind behind it, and give you an explanation!"
After saying that, he remembered what Li Nanke had just said and turned to look at him.
"Were you also drugged?"
Li Nanke nodded and recounted the events of that time.
She avoided mentioning that she had taken an antidote pill beforehand, so the sleeping potion had no effect on her. She only said, "Before I fainted, I vaguely saw a eunuch covering my face with a handkerchief."
He wore a dark red eunuch's robe, a leather belt around his waist with a row of brass buckles, and black palace boots.
The emperor's brow furrowed slightly.
Shen Cong said, "The dark red eunuch's robe, the leather belt with copper buckles, and the black palace boots are the lowest-ranking eunuch's attire in the harem."
Do you know how many people in the palace dress like this?
Li Nanke shook his head blankly.
Shen Cong raised his thumb and little finger, making a six gesture.
"Nearly six hundred people!"
Li Nanke's eyes widened in surprise.
Finding one person out of six hundred is incredibly difficult!
Besides, she didn't even see the other person's face!
Li Nanke's face scrunched up.
Empress Xue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, putting her heart, which had been in her throat, back into her stomach.
He put on a serious expression, "No matter what, at least we have a clue. If we follow this clue one by one, we might be able to find out the truth."
The emperor remained silent.
The information Li Nanke provided was too ordinary and lacked any discernible basis. How could we investigate it?
"Ah! I've got it!"
Li Nanke suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
In an instant, everyone in the room turned their attention to her.
The emperor sat up straight excitedly. "Tell me quickly, what did you think of?"
Li Nanke tilted his head, carefully recalling the situation at that time.
"The hand covering my mouth was probably his left hand. When he covered my mouth, I think I saw the area between his thumb and forefinger near his index finger..."
She gestured with her hand to indicate the approximate location.
“There’s a scar there, about the size of a thumbnail, it’s a pinkish lump of flesh!”
Shen Cong narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Sword and knife wounds usually leave pinkish-white scars; only burns will leave pinkish bumps!"
The emperor's eyes brightened, and half of his previous gloom faded.
"With this clue, we can narrow down the search area by more than half."
"Ding Wang, send someone to investigate immediately!"
Ding Wang bowed and replied with a "Yes."
Empress Xue's hands, which were tucked into her sleeves, suddenly clenched, and she gave a barely perceptible wink.
The trusted palace maid standing at the door received the signal and quietly withdrew.
The emperor turned to comfort Consort Shu, "We have a lead. Don't worry, we will find out who is behind this soon."
Consort Shu nodded timidly.
"Your Majesty, we owe a great debt to Miss Li today."
The emperor nodded, his gaze towards Li Nanke now carrying a hint of a smile.
"I understand, Li Nanke. You have rendered meritorious service today. What reward do you desire? Tell me."
Li Nanke's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this.
If she could, she would rather not be Princess Zhaoning's study companion!
But she knew she couldn't say these words aloud. She was a subject's daughter, and only if the princess refused her could she refuse to be the princess's companion.
She raised her head and said crisply, "This humble woman dares not take credit. The antidote pills were given to me by the Prince of Xuan. I only stumbled upon them by chance."
"It is because of His Majesty's boundless blessings that Consort Shu and the imperial heir are safe and sound, protected by Heaven."
Hearing this, the emperor was delighted and nodded repeatedly with a smile.
"You're a young girl, but you're quick-witted and eloquent."
Li Nanke smiled and bowed, "This humble woman thanks Your Majesty for your praise!"
The emperor shook his head and chuckled, then suddenly remembered something that stirred something within him.
Ah Cong said that inspired by Li Nanke, he suddenly found information about immortality after searching for six years without success.
Last time, Zhao Ning and Li Nanke fell into the water together. The two little girls, who were only seven or eight years old, actually returned safely from the turbulent Bian River.
Consort Shu was only saved by encountering Li Nanke.
Could it be that Li Nanke is a very lucky girl?
Thinking about it this way, his gaze towards Li Nanke softened even more.
As Empress Xue watched this scene, she unconsciously gripped the armrest of the grand chair, her veins bulging.
Damn it, another failure!
All our plans for today have been ruined by that brat Li Nanke!
Is it just bad luck for her today, or is that brat just incredibly lucky?
Empress Xue gritted her teeth, secretly pondering her next move.
Suddenly, the emperor laughed and asked Li Nanke, "Li Nanke, would you be willing to enter the palace as a companion to the princess?"
Empress Xue's expression changed, and she gripped the armrests of the chair tightly to keep herself from jumping up.
Li Nanke must not be allowed to be Zhao Ning's study companion, but she must not say this aloud.
She squinted at Li Nanke, intending to see how she would answer.
Li Nanke's grape-like eyes widened in surprise.
Seriously? She was rewarded with the role of a princess's companion for her meritorious service?
She doesn't necessarily have to achieve this merit!
Seemingly sensing her hesitation, the emperor smiled very gently.
"You don't want to be the princess's companion? That's fine, I want to hear your truth!"
Li Nanke chuckled.
To be honest, I don't want to, not at all!
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