Chapter 224 Save My Child
Half a month later, the palace finally welcomed the first birthday banquet for the twins Qingyan and Qinghe.
This was a grand celebration personally ordered by Emperor Zhaoheng, a national event second only to the emperor's birthday celebration.
The banquet was held in the Taiji Hall, and it was a very large event with many guests.
The imperial princes, high-ranking civil and military officials, and their wives and concubines sat in order, exchanging toasts and creating a scene of peace and prosperity.
Emperor Zhaoheng sat high on the throne, his demeanor composed, exuding a unique imperial majesty, yet his brows revealed the joy and pride of a father.
His gaze would occasionally drift to Shui Xian beside him. Shui Xian was dressed in the auspicious robes of an imperial concubine, sitting slightly below him, adorned with exquisite and luxurious jewels.
Shui Xian sensed Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze and occasionally returned his smile.
However, no matter how much Emperor Zhaoheng cared for her, there was a hint of wariness hidden deep in Shui Xian's eyes.
Shui Xian arranged the entire banquet, placing her men among the guards on the side. She even gave them separate instructions before the banquet began, telling them to pay special attention to Xiao Yirui, the man who had been stripped of his title of Prince Duan and reduced to a commoner.
today.
The Empress Dowager, who has not appeared in public for a long time, actually attended today.
She tried to maintain her former dignity by wearing a grand and elaborate empress dowager's robes, but her forced composure revealed an undeniable decline in her power. She was now half imprisoned and half guarded in the palaces where the empress dowager and imperial concubines mainly lived.
Although she had almost broken ties with Emperor Zhaoheng, today was an important day for the twins, and as their grandmother, she needed to attend.
In some cases, the Empress Dowager even had to perform the rituals.
Although the Empress Dowager disliked Narcissus, she also disliked the two twins by extension.
However, she was a respectable person, and on such an important occasion, she would not let outsiders notice the unrest in the harem.
Shui Xian was surrounded by people. As the Imperial Noble Consort who was now in charge of the Phoenix Seal and the mother of two princes, she was now highly respected by the noblewomen, regardless of her background.
Narcissus did not indulge in the flattery and sycophancy of these people. She knew that if she were to fall from grace one day, all these people who were now fawning over her would leave.
She was still keeping a close eye on the events at the first birthday party; she had already laid a trap.
Pei Jichuan, accompanied by his trusted confidants from the Imperial Hospital, hid in the side of the palace, trying to monitor all the imperial food and drinks presented, especially those sent to Shui Xian and Emperor Zhaoheng.
Xiao Lizi, along with Yinzhu and the others, quietly inspected the incense burners and furnishings in the palace, as well as any objects that the princes and princesses might touch.
Tinglu mobilized all her reliable informants and palace staff, both inside and outside the palace, to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.
At the climax of the banquet, according to palace etiquette, the most respected Empress Dowager must bestow blessings upon the imperial heir to show her benevolence and protection.
The eunuch announced loudly, and the wet nurse, carrying Qingyan and Qinghe wrapped in bright yellow swaddling clothes, respectfully walked to the Empress Dowager's seat.
The Empress Dowager reached out and, with slightly stiff movements, took the two grandsons one after the other, symbolically holding them in her arms and gently patting them.
The twins were as delicate and beautiful as little dumplings. They were originally quiet, but when they came into contact with the Empress Dowager's brand-new palace dress, which was scented with a strong sandalwood fragrance, they seemed a little uncomfortable. Their little eyebrows furrowed slightly, but they did not cry or make a fuss.
The Empress Dowager didn't take it too seriously, thinking it was because she didn't often interact with the two princes, and that today was the first time she had held them in her arms.
After the blessing ceremony was completed, the wet nurse took the child home.
However, just as the banquet continued and everyone was toasting each other, a strange thing happened!
First, Qingyan suddenly vomited up all the milk she had just drunk, and her little face turned an abnormal bluish-purple at a visible speed. Then Qinghe also began to vomit violently, her small body curling up in pain, emitting weak and painful whimpers, and her face also quickly turned blue!
"Your Highness! What's wrong with Your Highness?!"
The wet nurse was terrified and screamed in shock. Instinctively, she grabbed the child and went to find the narcissus sitting in the seat of honor.
"What's wrong?!"
Narcissus had been watching the child closely. Upon seeing this, she felt a sudden darkness engulf her, and her heart seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible hand, instantly stopping its beating!
She suddenly stood up from her seat, disregarding everything else. As the wet nurse rushed over, Narcissus quickly lifted the heavy hem of her wedding dress and headed towards the wet nurse.
Emperor Zhaoheng's smile vanished instantly, and as he realized what had happened, his expression turned to one of shock and rage!
He suddenly stood up, his face contorted with rage, radiating a terrifying aura of ferocity.
"Imperial Physician! Pei Jichuan! Quickly!"
The once peaceful and joyous hall was instantly thrown into chaos!
Exclamations, cries, and the thud of cups and plates falling to the ground mingled together.
Pei Jichuan and his imperial physicians rushed forward immediately, quickly examining the twins' symptoms. Their expressions changed drastically: "Your Majesty! These are signs of poisoning! The poison... is extremely potent!"
Upon hearing his diagnosis, the hall immediately descended into chaos.
The prince was poisoned at his first birthday banquet?!
Ignoring the panic of the crowd, Emperor Zhaoheng revealed his ruthless and decisive side.
"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! Every single person who came into contact with the prince at the banquet, including all the food utensils used, must be investigated!"
Pei Jichuan had already followed the wet nurse into the side hall, attempting to stabilize the condition of the two poisoned princes.
Pei Jichuan's trusted imperial medical apprentices, who were learning from him, spread out to carefully examine the bowls and spoons the prince had just used, as well as the wet nurse's clothes...
However, after all that effort, nothing was gained!
Everything that might come into contact with the prince in the open showed to be non-toxic!
In the side hall, Shui Xian tightly held the weak, pale-faced child in her arms, her body trembling violently with fear and anger.
She thought she was calm enough, but as a mother, seeing her child poisoned still caused her unbearable heartache.
The feeling... was as if a million needles were piercing her heart at the same time.
Her child! The child she endured so much hardship to give birth to!
Amidst the chaos and despair, Narcissus suddenly looked up, her gaze flashing like lightning as she struck the Empress Dowager, who also looked tense.
A detail she had overlooked flashed through her mind like lightning—the Empress Dowager!
Yes, the child has met the Empress Dowager!
She forced back the unbearable grief welling up in her chest.
Narcissus's voice became slightly hoarse due to extreme repression.
She spoke softly, not wanting to make a big fuss about it, but Pei Jichuan, who was serving her, heard her very clearly.
"Imperial Physician Pei...please immediately examine Her Majesty the Empress Dowager to see if she is poisoned!"
Upon hearing this, although no one in the outer hall heard it, everyone in the inner hall, including the Empress Dowager who was standing at the entrance of the inner hall watching the scene unfold, showed surprise.
The Empress Dowager's surprise instantly turned into anger.
The Empress Dowager looked at Narcissus in disbelief: "You...you dare to do this!"
Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes sharpened. Although he was shocked, his trust in Shui Xian outweighed everything, and he immediately said in a deep voice, "Do as the Imperial Noble Consort says!"
Pei Jichuan looked at Ana, who had come with him. After all, they were both women, and it would be more proper for Ana to inspect the esteemed Empress Dowager.
Ana looked solemn. She first apologized to the Empress Dowager, and then took out a unique set of silver utensils and several small porcelain bottles.
She carefully wiped the Empress Dowager's wrists and neck with a special medicine, especially the collar and cuffs of her brand-new palace dress, which the prince had just touched.
The Empress Dowager wanted to get angry, but when she looked up and saw the bulging veins on Emperor Zhaoheng's forehead, and thought of the increasingly distant atmosphere between herself and the Emperor, she decided to endure it for the time being and blame the Emperor and the others after they could not find out the truth.
In this way, one can occupy the moral high ground.
A moment later, the silver needles remained unchanged, but Ana poured the cleaned medicine into another porcelain bottle.
With a gentle shake, the transparent liquid gradually turned into an eerie, dark blue color!
"Your Majesty! Imperial Noble Consort!"
Ana held up the porcelain bottle, her voice heavy, "The Empress Dowager's clothes and cuffs are stained with an extremely secretive poison powder! This poison is extracted from several rare minerals and plants, and is colorless and odorless, making it difficult to detect with ordinary silver needles."
"For adults, especially the elderly with a healthy constitution, short-term exposure may only cause slight discomfort, but for infants with delicate internal organs, even a small amount absorbed through the skin can be fatal! Does Your Majesty feel dizzy or nauseous at this moment?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager subconsciously touched her forehead. She had indeed felt dizzy and nauseous earlier, but she attributed it to her old age, weakness, and the chaos of the scene. Now that her feelings had been pointed out, her face turned deathly pale!
"No...it's impossible...this clothing..."
The Empress Dowager seemed to have thought of something, and was initially somewhat shocked.
She looked down at the magnificent palace dress she had specially made for this day, and suddenly, she remembered the origin of the dress.
It was her "good son" Xiao Yirui, who was under house arrest, who sent someone to present it to her some time ago, saying that he had asked a famous craftsman to sew it, hoping that she would wear it at her grandson's first birthday banquet and look radiant!
So that's how it is!
He wasn't being filial; he wanted to use her to kill his own grandson!
He wanted to make her, his mother, an accomplice in poisoning the imperial heir!
A profound sense of betrayal, and the betrayal of being used.
The fear of almost killing her grandson with her own hands even overwhelmed the Empress Dowager's already tense nerves!
The Empress Dowager never expected that her beloved youngest son would scheme against her like this.
The Empress Dowager was speechless and unable to refute Emperor Zhaoheng's question.
She stretched out her trembling finger and pointed into the void, as if trying to grasp that rebellious son.
The Empress Dowager's voice was hoarse, "It was that wretched child... He's the one who harmed me! He tried to harm the imperial heir! He's the one who sent this garment! It was him!"
She was so emotional that she shouted in a hoarse voice, without even saying Xiao Yirui's name.
The Empress Dowager couldn't catch her breath, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
"Mother!"
Emperor Zhaoheng was both shocked and furious, and immediately ordered people to support the Empress Dowager and provide emergency treatment.
The truth is so unbearable!
His own brother not only wanted to harm his children, but also plotted against their birth mother!
"Xiao Yirui!"
Emperor Zhaoheng spat out the name through gritted teeth, his overwhelming killing intent almost materializing.
"Feng Shunxiang! Investigate thoroughly! Leave no one alive who is connected to Prince Duan... no, to Xiao Yirui! Dig three feet into the ground, find everyone involved, and have them executed by slow slicing!!"
Narcissus, however, had no time to heed the angry pronouncements.
She held the baby in her arms, whose breath was growing weaker and weaker, while another baby was also dying in the wet nurse's arms.
She bent down and pressed her cheek against the child's cold, bluish face, and hot tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string.
It wasn't until her child was poisoned that she realized the heartache she felt as a mother.
Narcissus's body trembled violently from immense fear and helplessness, and her heart ached so much that she could barely breathe.
That was flesh of her own flesh, her warmest refuge in this cold palace.
But right before her eyes, life was slipping away, bit by bit.
"Save them...save my child..."
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