Rather than suffer endless torment, it's better to take matters into your own hands first...
After picking up the food from the ground, he frantically licked his poisoned fingers, his eyes reflecting endless fear, even the fingers in his mouth trembling, yet his actions were extremely resolute.
Su Wanyan frowned as she looked at his disheveled appearance. When people are extremely scared, they can indeed be driven to the brink of collapse, and Xu Si was the one who was collapsing right now.
A moment later, Xu Si suddenly clutched his neck in a ferocious manner, his face turning red as if he couldn't breathe, and his lips turned black at a visible speed.
He lay on the ground convulsing, and soon became still.
All of this happened so fast that the expressions on the faces of those in the hall varied.
Consort Lin calmly watched all of this, as if such scenes were commonplace. Consort Xian covered her nose with a handkerchief in disgust, while the young Third Prince had his eyes covered by his aunt.
The Empress watched Emperor Yuanhe's reaction, pursing her lips and remaining silent.
The eldest princess watched coldly from beginning to end, and only spoke coldly when Xu Si died of poisoning: "You filthy dog, drag him away and feed him to the dogs!"
It's better that she's dead, that way no one will know she orchestrated this!
As soon as the order was given, guards entered the hall and dragged Xu Situo's body away.
The eunuchs and maids then stepped forward to clean up the filth on the ground and served Su Wanyan a new set of dishes.
Everything was both swift and orderly.
"Su Wanyan," Emperor Yuanhe said in a deep voice, "Now that Xu Si, who poisoned her, is dead, shouldn't this matter end here?"
This may seem like a question, but it's actually a death sentence for Su Wanyan.
Everyone has seen what happened. How could an emperor possibly need to ask Su Wanyan's opinion?
He could easily decide the course of the whole matter with a single sentence, whether to end it here or to investigate those hypocritical lackeys; it would be an easy thing for him.
But he asked Su Wanyan this question, which was as if he was questioning her: Is she satisfied now?
Should we ask her that?
"Does Your Majesty think this matter should end here?" It wasn't Su Wanyan who spoke, but Yu Nanqing. He had a gentle smile on his face, as if it were an unimportant remark, yet it also seemed like he was subtly mocking something. He looked at Emperor Yuanhe.
Emperor Yuanhe's eyes were already flashing with murderous intent, but Yu Nanqing still smiled and said, "Then let's stop here as Your Majesty wishes."
He casually tossed back the words he had thrown at Su Wanyan.
Consort Xian suddenly spoke in a sarcastic tone: "Prince Gong actually dares to question the Emperor. What audacity! Does this family banquet only have brotherly affection and no respect between ruler and subject? Princess Gong was poisoned. There should have been a better solution, but instead, he made a scene and behaved improperly in front of the Emperor. In the end, he just doesn't respect the Emperor!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Nanqing smiled and said, "What the Noble Consort Xian said is correct."
He didn't argue with Consort Xian, and said, "I have been paralyzed for three years and haven't been to the palace for a long time. I have long forgotten what the rules of the palace are. I didn't even have time to give Yan'er a few words of advice before I entered the palace. Besides, my current condition is not suitable for me to appear in the palace. It is only right that Consort Xian criticizes me for being improper in front of the palace. In that case, I would better leave as soon as possible."
"You..." Consort Xian's eyes widened immediately; that was not what she meant at all!
He was about to explain something when Yu Nanqing, who was sitting in a wheelchair, interrupted him first. Yu Nanqing smiled and bowed to Emperor Yuanhe, saying, "Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now."
Yu Nanqing took Su Wanyan's hand: "Yan'er, let's go."
"Third brother." Emperor Yuanhe narrowed his eyes, but his words were full of concern: "Consort Xian did not mean to blame you, please do not misunderstand."
The incident of disrespect in front of the palace was supposed to be about Su Wanyan, but he took the blame, saying that it was because of his paralysis that he was disrespectful in front of the palace. He claimed that Yu Nanqing was paralyzed because he was fighting for the country. If this got out, people would only think that he was making a mountain out of a molehill and was petty!
Does he still want to maintain his dignity as an emperor? Does he still want to maintain the face of the royal family?
Su Wanyan did behave improperly in front of the palace, but it was because she was poisoned. No need to say anything, everyone knows which is more serious. There is no point in arguing. As for the Consort Xian, she is still a bit lacking in the ability to win an argument with Yu Nanqing.
"What Consort Xian said is all true, how could I possibly have misunderstood?" Yu Nanqing suddenly coughed twice, his face even paler than before. "However, what happened today has truly chilled my heart. The servants in the manor..."
He stopped there, saying, "Enough. Your Majesty need not worry about me, I am a dying man."
"I will order a thorough investigation, Third Brother, please rest assured!" Emperor Yuanhe's anger was already boiling over, but he still had to suppress his temper and said solemnly.
Su Wanyan then spoke up: "If Your Majesty truly wishes for the Prince to recover, it would be better to withdraw all the guards and maids from the Prince Gong's residence. The Prince is in poor health and needs to rest. Too many people in the residence will only worsen his condition."
Emperor Yuanhe's eyebrows twitched, and his gaze suddenly met that of the eldest princess. He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath of anger, and calmed himself down.
After a long silence, he said, "In that case, I will issue an order tomorrow to withdraw all the guards and maids of the Prince's Palace back to the palace."
Su Wanyan's heart skipped a beat.
That simple?
She felt that Emperor Yuanhe would definitely not compromise so quickly, especially since they had just challenged his authority as emperor. In her mind, Emperor Yuanhe should verbally agree to consider it first, and then... nothing would come of it.
Something unusual must be going on, so Su Wanyan could only bow respectfully and say, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
“There’s something Princess Gong said that’s true.” Emperor Yuanhe suddenly called out her name, his tone chillingly calm: “My people are mostly disloyal and treacherous servants. I will do as Princess Gong said and purge them one by one, as a way of giving an explanation to the Prince Gong’s Mansion.”
Su Wanyan felt uneasy under his gaze. She memorized his words, softened her tone, and obediently bowed her head: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
“Cough…cough cough cough…” At this moment, Yu Nanqing suddenly started coughing violently, and it seemed that he could not stop.
Su Wanyan seized the opportunity and said, "Your Majesty, the Prince is unwell and it is really not appropriate for him to stay in the palace for long. I hope Your Majesty will allow me and the Prince to take our leave first."
This time, Emperor Yuanhe did not linger. With a furrowed brow, he waved his hand, and Su Wanyan then pushed Yu Nanqing out.
It was completely dark by then. Not every place in the palace was lit up with palace lanterns. Apart from the brightly lit Fanghua Palace, it was pitch black after descending the long steps.
Yu Nanqing covered his mouth, still coughing intermittently. Su Wanyan frowned when she saw that they were already far away from Fanghua Palace: "That's enough, have you coughed enough?"
Yu Nanqing's health has improved a lot, so how could she suddenly be coughing so badly?
Yu Nanqing's thin lips curved slightly, and she was about to speak when she heard a voice from behind her: "Your Highness, please wait."
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