Time passed minute by minute, and Xuanyuan Che always stayed by Chen Xiaoru's bedside, never leaving, as firm as a rock.
From time to time, he would use a soft silk handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, and carefully tidy up her messy hair, his eyes filled with endless tenderness and concern.
About an hour later, Li Dequan returned. His face was solemn, and his steps were hurried, as if the wind was blowing under his feet. He walked quickly to Xuanyuan Che and reported in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, I have checked. Apart from the Imperial Hospital sending pregnancy-maintaining medicine to Consort Chen today, no one else has sent anything."
"Besides these people, who else has come into contact with Concubine Chen?"
Xuanyuan Che's voice was low and hoarse, like frosted rock, with a hint of imperceptible tension.
"Your Majesty, there are still a few palace maids and eunuchs serving Concubine Chen." Li Dequan paused, seemed to have some concerns, and his tone became hesitant.
"Take those who delivered the gifts, as well as the palace maids and eunuchs who served Concubine Chen, and bring them all to the side hall!"
Xuanyuan Che's voice suddenly turned cold, as sharp as a sword drawn from its sheath, carrying a murderous aura.
"Yes!" Li Dequan did not dare to hesitate at all and immediately took the order and left.
Xuanyuan Che once again gazed deeply at the frail Chen Xiaoru lying on the bed, a gleam of determination flashing in his eyes. He gently stroked Chen Xiaoru's cheek and whispered in her ear:
"Xiao Ru, just wait, I will definitely seek justice for you."
After saying this, he slowly stood up, turned around, walked out of the bedroom, and headed towards the side hall. Each step he took was steady and powerful, as if carrying a tremendous force, foreshadowing the coming storm.
In the side hall.
The atmosphere was as heavy as lead, suffocating. Several imperial physicians and pharmacists knelt on the ground, their faces pale as paper, sweat dripping down their cheeks. On the table before them lay the abortion-preserving medicine delivered today, along with the instruments for decoction.
Li Dequan walked in with several palace maids and eunuchs who served the Concubine Chen. The palace maids and eunuchs were so frightened that they were trembling all over, like leaves in the wind. They knelt on the ground and dared not breathe, with their heads buried deep, as if they wanted to bury themselves in the cracks of the ground.
Xuanyuan Che strode into the side hall, his dragon robe rustling behind him. A powerful aura of pressure instantly enveloped the entire hall. He glanced at the people kneeling on the ground, his gaze as sharp as a torch, as if he could see through their hearts.
"Tell me! Who is it! Who poisoned the Concubine Chen?"
Xuanyuan Che roared angrily, like thunder from a clear sky, exploding in the side hall.
The imperial doctors trembled with fear and kowtowed, crying out for justice: "Your Majesty, spare us! We were only following orders to prepare medicine, and we would never dare to poison someone!"
Xuanyuan Che snorted coldly, walked up to a young eunuch, and asked sternly, "Who brewed this medicine? Did you tamper with it?"
The young eunuch was so frightened that his face turned pale. He stammered, "Your Majesty, I…I made the medicine. I…I definitely didn't tamper with it!"
"Really?" Xuanyuan Che's eyes flashed coldly, and he pointed at the young eunuch and said, "Come here, search him carefully for me!"
Several guards immediately stepped forward, surrounded the young eunuch, and began to search him. After a while, one of the guards found a small paper bag from the young eunuch's sleeve.
"Your Majesty, we found it!" The guard presented the small paper bag to Xuanyuan Che.
Xuanyuan Che took the small paper package and opened it. Inside was a powdery substance that emitted a faint fishy smell. He brought the package close to his nose and sniffed it. His expression suddenly changed, and his eyes burned with anger. "How dare you! How dare you poison me right under my nose!"
He suddenly threw the small paper bag at the eunuch's face and roared, "Tell me! What is this thing? Why are you trying to harm the Concubine Chen?"
The young eunuch was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, kowtowed repeatedly, and cried, "Your Majesty, spare my life! This servant... this servant really didn't know... This... this is really not mine... This servant is wronged!"
His whole body was shaking like a sieve, his face was covered with snot and tears, his voice was hoarse, and he was almost on the verge of collapse.
"You still dare to quibble!"
Xuanyuan Che was enraged and kicked the young eunuch away. The young eunuch screamed and hit the corner of the table next to him, curling up in pain. Xuanyuan Che's eyes were like a cold blade, sweeping across the other doctors, palace maids and eunuchs. His voice was icy and piercing, carrying a suffocating pressure:
"I'll give you one last chance! Anyone who dares to conceal this will have his entire clan executed! Tell me! Who did this?"
"Your Majesty, this servant... this servant is wronged!"
The young eunuch struggled to get up and cried in defense, "I boiled the medicine and went to the toilet. When I came back... when I came back, I saw Chunlan in the pharmacy. I saw her take the medicine away. It really wasn't me! Your Majesty, you must be clear-headed!"
As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Chunlan who was standing beside him, with a barely perceptible hint of resentment and fear in his eyes.
"Chunlan, you speak!" Xuanyuan Che's gaze fell on Chunlan, his tone cold.
Chunlan fell to her knees with a thud, her face as pale as paper, her whole body trembling, her voice filled with tears: "Your Majesty, this is unjust! When I went there, there was no one in the pharmacy! I took the medicine for the Concubine Chen and left. I knew nothing about it!"
She tried her best to deny it, avoiding his gaze and not daring to look Xuanyuan Che in the face.
"Yeah?"
Xuanyuan Che sneered and approached Chunlan, his tone aggressive, "No one? Then who gave you the medicine? Did it fly into the medicine jar by itself?!"
Chunlan was so frightened that she trembled all over and uttered incoherently: "This servant... This servant doesn't know... This servant really doesn't know..."
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
