Chapter 604 Shield 14
"Your Majesty, please go and see the Empress."
The Emperor scoffed inwardly. Was he being used as an antidote? Where did this old man get the audacity?
"We've already gone to fetch the imperial physician, so please be patient, Granny Zhang."
This sentence means: "I'm not a royal physician, what use would it be for me to read this?"
Zhang Mama didn't dare ask the Emperor to help get the antidote, but she felt that tonight's events were likely to bring disaster upon her mistress and even all the palace servants.
The imperial physician was finally summoned, but unfortunately it wasn't the Empress's usual physician, Dr. Rong, because Dr. Rong had already been arrested on the Emperor's orders.
The imperial physician didn't even need to take the empress's pulse; just by looking at her flushed face and constant groans, he knew she had been drugged, though he didn't know exactly what kind. Nevertheless, he stepped forward to take her pulse.
Afterwards, I was dumbfounded. What was wrong with her? She actually took such a strong drug. I doubt it would take at least ten men to counteract its effects.
The imperial physician hurriedly went to report to the emperor, speaking very frankly, "Your Majesty, the Empress's medicine is too strong; it may take three to five days to cure her."
Compared to the Emperor's health, whether the Empress can cure the disease is completely unimportant, okay?
As if in agreement with the imperial physician, the empress couldn't help but cry out from inside the room.
Granny Zhang knelt and crawled forward two steps, then kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "Your Majesty, please save our Lady! Please have mercy on us!"
The Emperor kicked Zhang Mama aside, "Isn't there any other way? Can't that medicine counteract it?"
The imperial physician said, "That medicine is too strong; the only relief is to soak it in cold water."
He was the emperor's man; otherwise, they wouldn't have summoned him at this time. Moreover, he had received prior hints, so he naturally knew what to say.
As expected, the Emperor showed no anger on his face. "How could the Empress, who is in poor health, soak in cold water? Rongquan, invite all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to quickly develop a prescription. Also, have you found out the source of this aphrodisiac?"
"Physician Wang, please check the food and wine on the table first."
Imperial Physician Wang rose and went to the dining table to examine everything. "Your Majesty," he said, "the Empress's drinking cup tonight has been laced with aphrodisiac, but the wine and food are fine."
Granny Zhang suddenly looked up!
She immediately lowered her head, afraid that the emperor would notice her loss of composure.
The medicine was clearly put in the wine, and the Empress, fearing something might go wrong, even added some to several of the Emperor's favorite dishes.
But now the wine is fine, the food is fine, but the wine glass is the problem. Could it be that someone knows about the Empress's plan and is going along with it?
Granny Zhang broke out in a cold sweat once again.
The emperor's chest, where he had just kicked, was throbbing with pain again.
Who on earth is trying to kill their empress?
In a moment of panic and fear, Zhang Mama fainted.
The eunuch in charge of the investigation then entered to report, "Your Majesty, it has been confirmed. The medicine came from Imperial Physician Rong of the Imperial Hospital. I arrested him and subjected him to severe torture. He confessed that it was ordered by Her Majesty the Empress..."
The dozen or so imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital, along with all the palace servants in Kunning Palace, heard everything clearly: the Empress had given the Emperor medicine, but something went wrong, and the Empress ended up taking the medicine.
Upon learning the truth, the Emperor ignored the Empress's urgent need for the antidote and stormed off. Everyone knew that the Empress was surely cold even without soaking in cold water!
...
The Emperor stormed back to Chaoyang Palace, followed by a line of palace servants who were too scared to even breathe. They hadn't expected that once the Emperor entered the palace, he would immediately shed his icy aura, allowing Rong Quan to help him remove his outer robe. He then sat down in a chair and began drinking tea with an air of self-satisfaction.
He ate his meal in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to drink some tea to soothe his throat. He drank two cups of tea before his mouth felt better.
"Tomorrow, go to my private treasury and pick out a few decent items, then secretly take them to Zhu Yan Palace and deliver them to Consort Xue."
Rong Quan bowed and happily replied, "This servant will certainly handle the matter well and satisfy Consort Xue."
"Heh, as long as Consort Xue is satisfied?"
"If Consort Xue is satisfied, then His Majesty will be satisfied."
The Emperor smiled slightly, thinking to himself that the old man was still as good at reading his mind as ever.
...
The next day, someone spread the news, and the entire harem knew that the Empress had drugged the Emperor, and that the Empress was still soaking in cold water.
Consort Xian felt extremely relieved after hearing this, "Serves her right, she was the one who stole my position as Crown Princess back then, and now she's finally getting her comeuppance!"
Putting aside the fact that she would lose face completely if the Emperor didn't give her the antidote, given her physical condition, who knows if she would even survive soaking in cold water all night?
Her trusted maid said in bewilderment, "The Empress doesn't seem like the type to do something so stupid. There's probably someone involved."
Consort Xian didn't care. "Who cares who did it? As long as the Empress is not doing well, I'm happy."
The trusted palace maid remained silent, lest she say too much and spoil her mistress's mood.
...
In Consort Liang's palace, she always acted very casually in public, but she was a completely different person in her own palace.
"Your Majesty, it seems that what you said is true. Our Consort Shu is not simple at all. It hasn't been long before the Empress has suffered such a great loss again!"
That's what the trusted palace maid said, but she didn't really believe that this matter had anything to do with Consort Shu.
However, Consort Liang saw clearly that the Emperor's harem had been stagnant for years. Although they fought, no one would do it openly. When Consort Shu was still a lowly concubine, she dared to confront the Empress head-on and make such a big scene. The two of them were already mortal enemies.
Now that Consort Shu is pregnant, once she gives birth to a prince, the Empress will be in her way, and it would be strange if she didn't try to get rid of the Empress.
Others assumed that since Consort Xian had a son and was the Emperor's cousin, she would definitely become the next Empress after the Empress's death.
She could see clearly that no one could be the Virtuous Consort.
Looking back now, it's highly likely that Consort Shu would have taken over the position after the Empress's death.
Therefore, this was definitely Consort Shu's doing.
...
The Emperor was determined to punish the Empress this time. Even when the Empress was soaked in cold water until she was on the verge of death, he did not soften his heart in the slightest. If it weren't for the Grand Tutor's sake, he would have already spread the word about what the Empress had done.
After being soaked in cold water for four days, the Empress was barely clinging to life. But the moment she regained consciousness, her first question was: "Who switched my medicine?"
The head palace maid, Hongling, knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, the only maid who touched that pot of wine, Sangzi, is dead."
The Emperor's men couldn't find out who ordered her, but our people discovered that Sangzi had a younger sister who had entered the Pingnan Marquis's household as a concubine of the third son of the Pingnan Marquis. Consort Liu came from the Pingnan Marquis's household.
The ancestors of the Marquis of Pingnan were also meritorious officials who followed the Holy Ancestor in conquering the country. Back then, the Holy Ancestor bestowed many titles upon meritorious officials, including a large number of marquises and dukes.
Thank you, Mo Yanmingxi, for the 100 reading coins.
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