Chapter 197 A Servant Should Not Serve Two Masters
"Oleander juice?" Zhu Hanyu's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Xiao Jingfan. "Your Majesty, this box of Jade Cream was given to me by Concubine Dou. I never even opened the lid, thinking that Cai Baolin needed it more than I did, so I gave it to him. I have absolutely no intention of harming Cai Baolin. I beg Your Majesty to understand."
"Your Majesty, Concubine Zhu has been forbidden to touch almonds since she was a child. When she first entered the palace, she almost ruined her face by accidentally eating almonds. Cai Baolin, however, has no such taboo. If Concubine Zhu really tampered with the Jade Cream, there shouldn't be almond powder in it." Empress Zhong defended Zhu Hanyu and suggested, "Why not summon Concubine Dou to question her, so as to avoid wrongfully accusing an innocent person?"
Consort Chun said, "I remember that Concubine Dou was also harmed by oleander juice before and was nearly disfigured. Her symptoms were very similar to Cai Baolin's."
Hearing this, Xiao Jingfan glanced at her and ordered, "Send the message to Concubine Dou."
At this moment, Doukou came out from the inner room and reported: "Your Majesty, Cai Baolin has woken up."
"Yeah." Xiao Jingfan responded, but did not get up to visit.
Doukou pursed her lips. "The master has suffered such a great crime, why doesn't His Majesty go in to take a look? It's in vain that the master is still waiting."
Empress Zhong said, "I'll go in and take a look."
As she spoke, Qiu Sui stepped forward to help her up. Concubine Shu hurriedly spoke to stop her, "Your Majesty, you are still pregnant. You can't neglect it. I'd better go."
She stood up, and Chun Zhaoyi followed suit, saying, "I'll accompany you, sister."
Seeing this, Empress Zhong stopped moving and nodded to the two of them: "Thank you for your help, my two sisters."
"It's my duty." Concubine Chun Zhaoyi bowed to the emperor and the empress, and went into the inner room with Concubine Shu to visit them.
Cai Luoyu was looking forward to the emperor coming in to visit her and offer some words of comfort. To prevent the emperor from seeing her red rash, she even had the gauze curtains lowered.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, the word "Your Majesty" was on the tip of his tongue, but when he turned around, he saw that the person coming was not the emperor. He was suddenly in a dilemma, neither spitting it out nor swallowing it.
Qingyi walked forward and lifted the gauze curtain, revealing the person on the bed.
Cai Luoyu instinctively turned her head away, but Concubine Shu and Concubine Chun still saw that her skin was red and swollen and covered with rashes.
The rash was densely packed, like the sesame seeds covering the candied fruit, except that one was white and the other was red.
It was truly horrifying to watch. Concubine Chun was so frightened that she covered her mouth with a piece of silk and took a half step back.
Concubine Shu endured the discomfort and stepped forward, asking softly, "Are you feeling better?"
Cai Luoyu nodded, knowing that she looked ugly at the moment, and turned her face even more inward.
Seeing this, Concubine Shu reached out and patted her gently through the quilt: "You should have a good rest. His Majesty will find out the truth and make a decision for you."
Cai Luoyu responded sullenly.
Chun Zhaoyi reached out and pulled Shufei, and the two of them walked out of the gauze curtain.
Qingyi let go, and the gauze curtain fell, covering the figure on the bed.
Concubine Shu and Concubine Chun looked at each other and turned to leave.
Hearing the noise, Queen Zhong looked at the two of them, and they nodded at her.
Queen Zhong immediately understood that Cai Baolin had indeed been poisoned, and the situation was not optimistic.
It's not her fault for being suspicious. There are just too many women pretending to be sick in the harem, so she, as the queen, has to be more careful, otherwise she won't know who is stabbing her.
Xiao Jingfan ignored the three people's eye contact and continued to think about his own affairs while twisting his bodhi beads.
Xiao Anzi left quickly and came back quickly, but behind him was only a haggard-looking Xianglu, but no sign of Concubine Dou.
Xiao Jingfan asked: "Where are the people?"
Xiao Anzi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Dou has been bedridden for several days and cannot get up. Would you like to send someone to carry Concubine Dou here?"
If it were someone else, Xiao Anzi would have made the decision himself. But this person was once deeply favored by the emperor. Even if he was now disliked by the emperor, his appearance and family background were there. Who knew he wouldn't be favored again one day?
Xiao Anzi thought about it and didn't dare to make a decision on his own, so he hurriedly brought Xianglu back to ask for instructions.
Xianglu knelt down, crying and saying, "The noble lady hasn't eaten or drunk anything for two days. She's dying. Please, Your Majesty, save her!"
She sobbed, her voice so mournful as if Concubine Dou had passed away.
"How dare you! How can you cry in front of His Majesty? Shut up!" Zhou Yuande glared at Xianglu with a stern voice.
Xianglu quickly covered her mouth, and her voice was gone, but tears fell down in strings, looking so pitiful.
Empress Zhong asked, "He was fine a few days ago. How come he's suddenly so seriously ill? He didn't even send anyone to tell me. Have you asked the imperial physician to see him?"
"To answer your Majesty, the noble lady said she is guilty and cannot be disturbed by such trivial matters. We are not allowed to report to Changchun Palace." Xianglu wiped her tears and said through sobs, "I went to call the imperial physician, but Imperial Physician Liu has returned home to visit relatives. The other imperial physicians are all busy and none of them have time to see your Majesty, so we can only delay this."
Everyone sighed when they heard this.
The once arrogant Concubine Rong has fallen to such a state now. When she is sick, she can't even find a doctor and can only drag on her illness.
"Your Majesty, please save me." Xianglu knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Xiao Jingfan, "I really know my mistake. Please have mercy on me, Your Majesty!"
Xiao Jingfan looked at her expressionlessly without saying a word.
The air in the room seemed to freeze, and only the sound of Xianglu's kowtow could be heard.
Empress Zhong tilted her head to look at the emperor's expression, and was about to speak when a young eunuch hurried in and whispered a few words into Zhou Yuande's ear.
Zhou Yuande's expression froze, and he bent down to whisper in Xiao Jingfan's ear.
Xiao Jingfan raised his eyebrows slightly, the poison has taken effect.
He stood up and said to Queen Zhong, "There is something going on in the front court. Please take care of the arrangements here."
"I obey your command." Queen Zhong stood up and bowed.
"Your Majesty!" Xianglu raised her head, her forehead red and swollen, and shouted hoarsely, "Your Majesty, please, for the sake of our past friendship, have mercy and save me!"
She reached out to grab Xiao Jingfan's clothes, but Zhou Yuande kicked her away.
Xiao Jingfan walked very fast without stopping for a moment.
Everyone in the room said in unison: "Farewell, Your Majesty."
After the emperor was no longer in sight, Qiu Sui helped Empress Zhong to stand up, and the others followed suit.
Empress Zhong glanced at Qiu Sui, who was weeping, and sighed softly. She instructed Imperial Physician Li, "Go to Huaqing Palace and treat Concubine Dou. Be sure to do your best. If there is any mistake, I will hold you accountable!"
By the end of the conversation, his tone had taken on a harsh tone.
"I obey your command." Doctor Li picked up the medicine box again, signaled Xianglu to stop crying, and led the way quickly.
Xianglu was overjoyed. She jumped up and wiped away her tears hastily. "Doctor Li, please come this way."
The two went to Huaqing Palace, and Gao Yongfu followed to see what was going on.
Empress Zhong said to everyone in the room, "When Concubine Dou's condition improves, I will investigate and give Cai Baolin an explanation. Let's all go today."
"Yes!" Concubine Shu and others bowed and said goodbye.
Queen Zhong gave Cai Luoyu some instructions through the screen, telling her to take good care of herself, and then she left.
The room suddenly became quiet.
Doukou turned and walked into the inner room, pulled open the gauze curtain, but before she could see who was there, she was slapped in the face. She turned her head away, her ears buzzed, and her cheeks were burning.
She didn't know what she had done wrong, but she knelt down hurriedly: "Master, please calm down."
Cai Luoyu stared at her coldly for a moment, then lifted her chin with her toes. "Do you know that a servant cannot serve two masters?"
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