Chapter 191 Sword Pointed at the Empress!
There are two days left until the ceremony.
After noticing something amiss, Shui Xian did not immediately report it to Emperor Zhaoheng.
The more Emperor Zhaoheng cares about her now, the more she must remember that Emperor Zhaoheng is the emperor of the world.
Narcissus needs evidence; she needs concrete evidence, enough to destroy "that person"!
She sent out both Yinzhu and Tinglu, whose personalities were different but complemented each other.
Although Yinzhu was taciturn, she made many friends among the palace staff since entering the palace because of her reliable personality.
Tinglu, relying on her photographic memory and the network of connections she had built up over the years, quickly unraveled the mystery.
Within half a day, Tinglu and Yinzhu found the evidence.
They returned to the Qianqing Palace with an old palace maid who had been in the palace for more than twenty years and some letters for exchanging information.
"Your Majesty."
Tinglu stepped forward and reported, "This servant has found out."
"Na Ana, whose real name is Sun Zhigu, is the cousin of the late Granny Sun, a trusted confidante of the Empress! Although the two are quite different in age, they are relatives after all, so it is normal for them to look somewhat similar."
"Before committing suicide, Granny Sun entrusted someone to send a large sum of money and a secret letter out of the palace to this Sun Zhigu. And Sun Zhigu's son, who had committed murder, suddenly got a lucrative job last month, becoming a minor steward at one of the Empress's family estates!"
Thanks to the excellent teamwork between Yinzhu and Tinglu, they were able to find out all of this in less than two days!
Yinzhu then summoned the old palace maid, who was the one who delivered the message for Granny Sun.
She wasn't from Kunning Palace, but rather a fellow villager of Granny Sun. Over the years, she had begged Granny Sun to arrange for her to enter Kunning Palace, but Granny Sun had always brushed her off.
In the end, Granny Sun asked her to deliver a letter to Sun Zhigu. The old palace maid felt that this was a bit strange, so she secretly kept a copy of the letter.
After hearing this, Narcissus's eyes flashed with a cold light, but she wasn't too surprised.
Sure enough, it was Kunning Palace.
She wasn't in a hurry. Instead, after Emperor Zhaoheng finished his court session, she had Tinglu repeat what she had just been told to him in front of Emperor Zhaoheng.
Upon learning that she now held considerable weight in Emperor Zhaoheng's heart, Shui Xian decided to present the evidence directly to him, rather than continue to engage in a battle of wits with him.
Because now she is certain that Emperor Zhaoheng will believe her.
After hearing Lu's report and personally interrogating the old palace maid, Emperor Zhaoheng's face instantly darkened, and a suppressed anger, like a storm brewing, enveloped him.
If the evidence hadn't been presented to him personally, Emperor Zhaoheng would never have imagined that the Empress could be so vicious!
Why did she impersonate Granny Sun's cousin as a master from the Southern Frontier and arrange for her to enter the palace?
It must be for the sake of Narcissus's life, and the child in her womb!
"What a vicious woman! She actually dared to reach under my nose and use such insidious means!"
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was cold and deep, and the hand tightly clenched at his side betrayed his turbulent emotions.
He was deeply shocked to learn that his wife was such a scheming person!
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
Shui Xian remained unusually calm. She took Emperor Zhaoheng's hand, a smile flashing in her eyes.
"Since she has set up this scheme, wouldn't we be letting her down if we didn't join in?"
Emperor Zhaoheng turned to look at her, "You mean..."
"In my humble opinion, if we remain inactive and wait for Sun Zhigu to reveal her true colors..."
She whispered her plans into Emperor Zhaoheng's ear.
Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and finally, holding Shui Xian's soft hand, he said loudly, "Let's do as Xian'er says!"
——
The next day.
The ceremony proceeded as planned, with the altar set up at the highest observatory in the palace, and all items prepared according to Ana's list.
However, in secret, Xiao Lizi's guards had already laid out layers of control, completely surrounding the observatory.
As dusk falls, flags flutter and incense and candles swirl on the observatory.
The altar was arranged solemnly and in accordance with all the regulations required by Ana.
Ana, dressed in elaborate southern Xinjiang attire and with strange face paint, certainly looked like a mysterious and unpredictable foreign witch doctor.
She chanted incantations and danced an exaggerated dance around the altar, even holding a staff carved with the long leg bone of some unknown creature.
Emperor Zhaoheng held Shuixian's hand tightly, standing in front of the altar with a calm expression, but upon closer inspection, one could see that his jawline was extremely taut.
Even though he and Shui Xian had already discussed the plan, Shui Xian was now pregnant and in poor health, and he was afraid that if he wasn't careful, she might actually be putting herself in danger...
Narcissus leaned against him, her face pale and slightly panting, looking genuinely weak and frail.
As the days went by, Narcissus's health was truly failing.
She felt most acutely that this pregnancy had completely drained her, inside and out.
Although her complexion is not particularly ashen yet, her body is already on its last legs.
Below the altar, Feng Shunxiang, Yinzhu, Tinglu, and the others stood with their heads bowed, their hearts pounding in their throats, yet they dared not reveal a word, lest Ana become wary.
Ana's dance became faster and faster, and her singing became higher and higher.
She approached Narcissus step by step, the carved leg bone staff in her hand reflecting a cold light in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Just as she raised the ritual implements, seemingly to pray for the narcissus, at this important moment...
In reality, with a slight flick of the wrist, she was about to use a dazzling gesture to conceal an extremely fine silver needle hidden at her fingertips as she approached the narcissus.
The needle was coated with a deadly poison; a single prick could be fatal!
Sun Zhigu had already tested it many times; the fineness of the silver needle could minimize the pain. Perhaps Narcissus wouldn't even know she was killed by a needle until she died...
A flash of silver light, and at this critical moment, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the shadows of the altar at an extremely fast speed!
Xiao Lizi moved with lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, he had already accurately grabbed Ana's wrist and twisted it forcefully!
With a teeth-grinding crack, Ana let out a shrill scream, and the silver needle hidden at her fingertips flew out of her hand. Amidst the shouts of "Protect the Emperor!" from the guards, it fell to the ground, glowing with a black fluorescence in the twilight.
That was a highly toxic substance applied to it; it looked extremely abnormal.
"Protect the Emperor!"
Feng Shunxiang shouted as he rushed toward the stage.
The guards rushed forward instantly and pinned Ana down as she tried to struggle.
"ah!"
The palace servants watching from below the stage gasped in surprise. No one had expected that this master from the southern border was actually an assassin!
Emperor Zhaoheng first checked Shui Xian's body and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she had not been harmed or ambushed in any way.
He instructed Tinglu and the others to protect Shuixian, and then strode forward to personally interrogate Sun Zhigu.
"You audacious wretch... Speak! Who ordered you to assassinate the Imperial Concubine?!"
Sun Zhigu's wrist was twisted at an angle that was difficult for an ordinary person to achieve. She was in so much pain that her whole body was trembling and her lips were shaking, but she still tried to argue.
"Your Majesty... I am innocent, it was merely a ceremony..."
Emperor Zhaoheng interrupted with a cold laugh and abruptly waved his hand.
Feng Shunxiang immediately stepped forward and presented the evidence that Tinglu had found: the old palace maid's testimony, a copy of the secret letter, and especially her son's record of his position in Liujiazhuang. He read it aloud one by one.
Upon hearing that even her son was implicated, Sun Zhigu's face finally changed, and she trembled with fear.
Just moments ago, Sun Zhigu had been so brave, as if she would endure any torture and never utter a word, but now she collapsed to the ground, speaking in a hoarse voice.
"It was...it was the Empress. The whole plan was devised by the Empress, all for the purpose of making me kill...kill Consort Jin and the child in her womb."
She was willing to say anything, as long as her son was spared!
At this moment, with the help of Yinzhu, Narcissus slowly took a few steps forward.
She looked at Sun Zhigu, who was lying on the ground, and spoke in a low voice, but her voice was loud enough for the palace servants around her to hear clearly.
"So that's how it is... Your Majesty, is it really so unacceptable for me and the child in my womb?"
Narcissus's face turned pale, and she swayed as if she had suffered some unbearable blow.
"Your Majesty the Empress actually intended to use the pretext of treating my illness to poison me!"
These words shocked the entire audience!
All the palace servants surrounding the platform were filled with shock and disbelief, and whispers immediately arose around them.
Public opinion instantly turned against them!
Emperor Zhaoheng was furious. He looked around at everyone and spoke in a deep and resolute voice.
"That wicked woman, Lady Liu, despite being the Empress, instead of practicing virtue, framed the concubines and plotted to harm the imperial heir..."
"Now they've become even more audacious, sending assassins! Their intentions are despicable, and their crimes deserve to be punished!"
He turned to Narcissus, his gaze firm, a clear indication of his complete protection.
"Xian'er, I will take you to Kunning Palace now so you can confront that poisonous woman face to face!"
"Prepare the carriage for Kunning Palace!"
At Emperor Zhaoheng's command, he set off with Narcissus.
Victory seemed within reach, and all the conflicts converged on Kunning Palace, awaiting only the final, thunderous strike.
However, just when they were about to bring down the queen...
Narcissus suddenly coughed violently. She instinctively covered her mouth with her hand, but she couldn't stop the overwhelming sweet and fishy taste!
"puff--"
A large mouthful of thick, black blood gushed out of her mouth, instantly staining the front of Emperor Zhaoheng's bright yellow dragon robe!
"Xian'er!"
The overwhelming rage on Emperor Zhaoheng's face was instantly replaced by boundless panic!
He watched as the daffodils, which had been perfectly fine just a second ago, suddenly became unfocused.
Her body, like a kite with a broken string, slumped backward!
Almost instinctively, he stretched out his arms and hugged the figure tightly in his arms.
"Summon the imperial physician! Quickly!"
Emperor Zhaoheng roared, his imperial majesty, which had been so powerful when he interrogated the assassin, vanished completely.
At that moment, he seemed like just an ordinary man who was afraid of losing his lover.
The entire observatory instantly descended into chaos...
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