An hour later, in front of Jianji Hall, which is only used during grand court meetings.
The dragon throne moved from the imperial study in Qianyuan Palace was now placed upright just below the gilded plaque of "Jianji Hall".
Li Wei was still wearing the eye-catching and luxurious phoenix robe, sitting on the dragon throne with a majestic posture.
It faces the vast square in front of the palace and the towering Zhaoming Gate at the end of the square.
A royal sword that was "taken" from the emperor's bedroom lay across his knees.
At this moment, her eyes were slightly closed, her back was straight, and she had the demeanor of a master who was profound and majestic.
Next to Li Wei stood Chuntang, the personal maid who had just been retrieved from the ruins of Fengyi Palace.
The little girl held her breath and skillfully re-combed Li Wei's slightly messy hair.
At Li Wei's strong request, the intricate pearl hairpins and jewelry that symbolized the queen's status were removed one by one.
Chuntang's slender hands cleverly tied her long black hair into a snake bun, securing it with a nine-phoenix golden hairpin, making it look noble yet graceful.
After Chuntang had finished serving and retreated to the side, Li Wei slowly turned her head, her eyes moving, looking towards the other side of the dragon throne.
There, on the soft couch that was also moved from the imperial study, Gu Jinzhi was wrapped in a thick brocade quilt, with only his head exposed.
What’s funny is that he was wearing a cotton hat that was out of place with the season, and his whole body was shrunk like a silkworm cocoon.
"I say," Li Wei said impatiently, "Will the enemy really come over here? They've been stalling for so long. I might as well just go and kill them! Especially the Queen Mother. Isn't she in the palace? Why do we have to wait here?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Jinzhi's pale face lost all color, and his voice became hoarse, accompanied by a few shallow coughs: "Instead of defeating them one by one, why not... cough cough... catch them all in one fell swoop?"
He paused, as if gathering his strength, "It can also... have the best... deterrent effect."
Just a few words exhausted his already limited energy. He was breathing slightly, and fine beads of cold sweat oozed from his forehead.
Li Wei frowned and said no more, turning her gaze to Fuman who was kneeling not far away with a flattering smile on his face.
"Xiao Manzi, come here and tell me what kind of immoral things that old woman has done on a daily basis? Let me help you 'prepare yourself mentally.'"
Although Fuman didn't understand what "psychological construction" meant, his desire to survive prevented him from being negligent in the slightest.
He lowered his already bowed head even lower, and like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube, he revealed all the secrets of the Empress Dowager:
"Reply... reply to the Empress. When the late Emperor was alive, there were many concubines in the harem who became pregnant and gave birth to children. However, the only two who managed to grow up safely were... only Your Majesty and Prince Su..."
"Although I have no solid evidence, it's rumored in the palace that those heirs who failed to be born or died young were...more or less, all orchestrated by the Empress Dowager."
Fu Man lowered his voice, trembling noticeably. "And... Your Majesty's biological mother, Concubine Hui... was secretly poisoned to death by the Empress Dowager. The poison used was... the same poison Your Majesty is suffering from now..."
"And then..."
"Wait!" Li Wei suddenly interrupted Fu Man, piercing him with a sharp gaze. "What did you say? The emperor is not sick, he is poisoned?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fuman was so frightened that his soul was about to leave his body. His forehead hit the cold and hard white marble slab heavily, making a dull sound.
In a flash, he was already in tears, his voice shrill:
"I am guilty! I deserve death! Your Majesty... Your Majesty, the poison you were poisoned with was indeed ordered by the Queen Mother... The Queen Mother!"
He suddenly raised his head, his face covered with tears. "But, but I was forced into this! The Queen Mother's father, the Prime Minister, Lord Wu, he...he ordered people to capture my entire family as a threat! If I...if I don't obey, they will..."
"Shut up!" Li Wei's head hurt from his crying. Her clear shout was like a sudden thunder, which frightened Fuman so much that he shivered and fell to the ground, not daring to say another word.
Li Wei raised her eyebrows and glared at him: "Is there an antidote?"
Fuman's voice was as thin as a mosquito: "No... I don't know..."
Li Wei subconsciously turned her head to look at Gu Jinzhi lying on the couch.
But he still looked calm and composed, as if what Fuman said had nothing to do with him at all.
There was even a faint smile in those deep eyes.
"Hey," Li Wei's curiosity was piqued, "Why don't you have any reaction at all? Could it be... that you have a way to detoxify?"
The smile on Gu Jinzhi's lips deepened a little. Although his voice was weak, it carried a reassuring certainty: "There is no test that will definitely lead to death. Don't worry."
His words were vague, but Li Wei understood instantly.
Yes, if you were to be poisoned by an incurable poison right after entering, then the test of the Sky Mirror would be too much of a joke.
She felt relieved, then looked at Fuman again, and said in a bad tone: "Keep talking!"
Fuman wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and was about to speak when he saw two figures leading a large group of eunuchs running towards him in a hurry from the direction of Zhaoming Gate.
Leading the group were two old eunuchs wearing brown round-necked robes with red edges, followed by dozens of young eunuchs.
They all carried weapons, but mostly sticks.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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