Chapter 237 From this day forward, I will only have you!
After a long time, Narcissus remained ill.
However, since the Empress Dowager was also infected with the plague, no one in the harem had any doubts about the course of Narcissus's illness.
It was common knowledge in the imperial harem that Narcissus was weak after giving birth.
Moreover, apart from people like Tuoba who genuinely cared about narcissus, most others were simply looking on for the spectacle.
Now, the Imperial Noble Consort seems to be the sole favorite of Emperor Zhaoheng. Only when the Imperial Noble Consort can no longer enjoy his favor will the Emperor's affections be divided among her.
On the first day of the lunar month, inside the Kunning Palace.
Emperor Zhaoheng sat at the head of the table, while the empress sat to his right.
Consort De, Consort Wan, Consort Jing, and other concubines sat on either side.
The lower-ranking concubines stood at the back, some distance from Emperor Zhaoheng, and the occasional glances they gave revealed a hint of expectation towards him.
If it weren't for the fact that it was the first day of the month and the Empress hadn't invited him, Emperor Zhaoheng would not have come to the morning meeting at Kunning Palace.
He had not entered the harem for a long time, and now that the Imperial Noble Consort was seriously ill, everyone in the harem harbored some secret expectations.
As the head of the six palaces, the Empress's gaze swept lightly over the empty seat opposite Consort De, where Narcissus should have been sitting.
She blinked slightly, concealing the smugness in her eyes.
Now that Narcissus is seriously ill and cannot be seen in her presence, the Empress is in a very good mood.
The Empress gave some words of admonition to the concubines, and once she calmed down, the scene also quieted down.
Emperor Zhaoheng didn't even lift his eyelids, clearly not paying attention to what the Empress had just said.
The Empress lightly clenched her hand resting on the phoenix chair beside her, then subtly released it again.
"Your Majesty, I have something important to report."
Emperor Zhaoheng raised his eyes, his gaze indifferent: "Speak."
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Observatory recently observed celestial phenomena and noted that a dark aura lingers near the Purple Star, indicating unrest in the inner palace and an accumulation of illness. Furthermore..."
Emperor Zhaoheng picked up the teacup beside him and took a small sip.
The memorial from the Imperial Observatory was handed to him, but Emperor Zhaoheng rejected it.
Unexpectedly, the Imperial Observatory even reached out to the Empress.
Seemingly oblivious to Emperor Zhaoheng's somewhat cold expression, the Empress continued:
"Furthermore, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's health has suddenly deteriorated due to the recurring epidemic in the palace. I have been unable to sleep at night, deeply fearing that... the source of the illness has not been eradicated, disturbing the peace of the palace, which is why the epidemic is difficult to eradicate and even endangers Her Majesty's health..."
At this point, the Empress glanced at Consort Wan almost imperceptibly, and Consort Wan then naturally continued:
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. I have also heard that at Lihe Palace... the Imperial Noble Consort is seriously ill and has not recovered for a long time."
Consort Wan noticed the cold gaze directed at her by Emperor Zhaoheng, and forced herself to speak:
"For the sake of peace and tranquility in the six palaces, and for the sake of the Empress Dowager's health, should we... should we ask the Imperial Noble Consort to move to the West Garden for quiet recuperation? The environment there is serene and conducive to her recovery, and it will also prevent... prevent her illness from affecting the other concubines."
Consort De frowned slightly, hesitated as if she wanted to say something, and finally just sighed softly without agreeing.
Several other lower-ranking concubines who were dependent on the Empress also spoke out, openly or covertly supporting the idea of moving the palace.
For a time, the hall was filled with accusations against Narcissus and high-sounding words about considering the bigger picture.
Emperor Zhaoheng's face grew increasingly grim, and the veins on the back of his hand gripping the armrest became visibly prominent.
He detested this argument that blamed natural disasters and man-made calamities on a sick person, and he was even more suspicious of the empress's motives.
Just as he was about to speak his rebuttal...
"The Imperial Noble Consort has arrived!"
Outside the palace, the eunuch's long, drawn-out announcement echoed in everyone's hearts, like an unexpected thunderclap in Kunning Palace!
Everyone, including the Empress and Emperor Zhaoheng, was suddenly stunned and looked at the palace entrance in disbelief.
The feigned pity on the empress's face froze instantly, turning into extreme shock.
How could that be? Shouldn't Narcissus be on her deathbed and suffering from severe illness by now?
Consort Wan and the others were even more dumbfounded. They were unaware of the Empress's scheme against Shui Xian, but they all assumed that Shui Xian was seriously ill.
How could someone so seriously ill come to Kunning Palace?!
Amidst countless astonished and suspicious gazes, a beautiful figure appeared at the palace entrance.
Narcissus was dressed in a palace gown embroidered with gold peonies. Although she looked slightly thinner than usual, her steps were steady, making her waist appear even more slender.
She wasn't wearing heavy makeup; her face was only lightly powdered, which made her skin look even more radiant.
Those almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright, with a calm and insightful look in them. There was no trace of the haggardness of someone who was terminally ill.
Her hand rested on the silver pearl beside her, but anyone could see that the Imperial Noble Consort's steps were steady and she did not need to rely on her maid at all.
She walked into the main hall step by step, her jade pendants jingling softly, her demeanor composed, as if she had not just emerged from a perilous epidemic, but had just finished a leisurely morning dressing.
Narcissus's gaze calmly swept across the entire room, finally settling on the Empress, whose pupils suddenly contracted, as she sat on the phoenix throne.
The hall was silent, with only her clear and melodious voice reaching everyone's ears.
"Your Majesty, thanks to His Majesty's good fortune and the careful treatment by the imperial physicians, my illness has improved. There is no need for Your Majesty and Consort Wan to worry about me or go to the trouble of moving to another palace to recuperate."
She paused slightly, her tone still calm, but she revealed the Empress's schemes of the past few days.
"However, among the so-called medicinal materials that Her Majesty sent to Lihe Palace the other day, in addition to the medicine for treating the epidemic, there was also a poisonous substance called 'Heartbreak Powder'."
"Prolonged use can erode the heart and lungs, leading to exhaustion and death... I wonder if Your Highness was misled by your servants when you sent such a potent medicine to Lihe Palace, or... did you have other intentions?"
These words were like pouring cold water into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar in the hall.
The Empress's face turned from white to green. She never expected that Narcissus would discover that she had added something to her medicine!
However, Narcissus had no evidence, and the Queen refused to admit it.
"You...you're spouting nonsense!"
"Slanderous accusations?" Shui Xian interrupted her gently, her eyes confident, a cold smile curving her lips. "If I had no evidence, how dare I speak such nonsense before His Majesty and my sisters?"
She turned her head slightly to look at Tinglu behind her.
Tinglu immediately stepped forward, holding a brocade box in her hands, and opened it in front of everyone.
Inside were several packets of medicinal herb samples and a document with fresh ink.
Shui Xian turned to Emperor Zhaoheng, her tone becoming respectful, with a hint of tenderness still lingering within.
"Your Majesty... these are the 'medicinal herbs' sent to Lihe Palace by Her Majesty the Empress. After being examined by Imperial Physician Pei Jichuan and Imperial Physician Ana, it was found that not only were most of the herbs of inferior quality, but also the insidious 'Qingfeng Powder' was mixed in!"
At Shui Xian's suggestion, Ting Lu presented the document to Emperor Zhao Heng.
Narcissus: "This is a joint document signed by Imperial Physician Pei and Ana, detailing the medicinal properties and dangers of 'Qingfeng Powder.' Furthermore, the palace servant responsible for delivering the medicine has confessed that he was instructed by the head eunuch serving the Empress!"
After reading it, Emperor Zhaoheng's face turned ashen.
He carefully crushed the herbs beside him with his hands, feeling both shocked and angry.
Emperor Zhaoheng was shocked that Shui Xian had encountered such a vicious scheme during the time he was busy with state affairs!
What angered him was the Empress, who dared to be so blatant, ignoring his warnings and trampling on his bottom line!
"Liu, Si, Min!"
Emperor Zhaoheng slammed his hand on the table and abruptly stood up.
The emperor was furious, his chilling aura causing the temperature in the entire hall to drop several degrees. "Is this how you govern the six palaces?! Is this how you 'guarantee to do everything in your power to save' the Imperial Noble Consort?!"
The empress turned pale and tried to explain herself.
"Your Majesty, I am innocent..."
She never imagined how Narcissus hadn't contracted the disease, or how she had managed to reconnect with Pei Jichuan despite her vigilance.
At this moment, the Empress met Emperor Zhaoheng's extremely disappointed gaze. Without time to think, she could only deny it with tears streaming down her face.
Emperor Zhaoheng had long been disappointed in her. He stepped down from his throne, his gaze piercing the empress who was teetering on the brink of collapse.
"How dare you tamper with the medicinal herbs, attempting to murder the Imperial Noble Consort! You poisonous woman, how dare you sit on the throne?!"
He grew angrier as he spoke, and when he thought of the Empress Dowager, his anger flared even more: "And the Empress Dowager...you poisonous woman, you spend all day attending to her illness in the Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager has been ill for a long time now, and who knows if she has been harmed by your schemes!"
"You keep claiming it's for the sake of the six palaces, for me, for the Empress Dowager, but in reality it's all for your own selfish desires and to eliminate dissidents! Liu Simin, how can someone of your character be worthy of being my Empress?!"
The Empress never imagined that Emperor Zhaoheng would speak to her in such a harsh tone.
Her face was streaked with tears, and she still tried to explain, "Your Majesty! I'm innocent... Someone has framed me, Your Majesty..."
However, her cries seemed so pale and powerless at this moment.
The moment Narcissus caught her off guard and produced irrefutable evidence, the Queen lost!
The Empress's mistake was that she underestimated Narcissus, thinking that Narcissus's infection with the plague would put her in a passive position. Little did she know that from the very beginning, Narcissus had set a trap for the Empress, inviting her into a snare!
Emperor Zhaoheng no longer looked at the heartbroken empress who was crying.
When he turned around and his gaze fell on Narcissus, his raging anger instantly turned into indescribable heartache.
Emperor Zhaoheng did not ask why Shui Xian did not confide in him. He simply stepped forward and, under the gaze of all the concubines, reached out and tightly grasped Shui Xian's hand.
He looked around at everyone and, disregarding the embarrassment of the empress, gave the order.
"Issue my decree!"
"From this day forward, all affairs of the six palaces shall remain under the full control of Imperial Noble Consort Shui Xian! The Phoenix Seal shall be returned to Lihe Palace immediately! Without the written orders of the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort, no one shall interfere in palace affairs for any reason; those who violate this order shall be severely punished!"
He paused, his cold gaze sweeping once more over the pale-faced empress:
"Empress... is wicked and morally corrupt, and has repeatedly refused to change her ways. From this day forward, she is confined to Kunning Palace and is not to step out of the palace gates without my decree!"
"His authority to assist in managing the six palaces is revoked, and all expenses and allowances within the palace shall be provided according to the agreed-upon allowance! He shall not see anyone without an imperial edict!"
This lockdown is more severe than the last one.
Emperor Zhaoheng not only revoked the Empress's actual power and responsibilities, but also reduced her allowance and supplies, even giving her the lowest allowance available to a concubine in the palace.
It's not just a decline in quality of life, it's a complete and utter humiliation!
After saying all this, he looked down at the narcissus beside him, his tone gentler than ever before.
"Xian'er, it was my oversight that caused you to suffer..."
Ignoring the shocked expressions of the other concubines, Emperor Zhaoheng grasped her hand and whispered:
"From this day forward, I will only have you!"
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