Chapter 605 Shield 15
However, over the generations, some families declined, and fewer and fewer nobles held titles. Even those that still existed did not achieve much, including the Pingnan Marquis's family.
The sons of the family are not very promising. The family, which started as a military family, has descendants who are all afraid of death and do not want to go to the battlefield. They all abandon the military and pursue a career in literature.
But their ancestors were just roughnecks, not the kind of people who were good at studying. Even though their genes had improved for several generations, by the time of Consort Liu, only two people in the family had passed the county-level imperial examinations, and not even one person had passed the provincial-level imperial examinations.
Marquis Pingnan set his sights on the emperor, believing that if his daughter gave birth to a prince, the Liu family could prosper for another three generations.
However, he only had three daughters in his life. His eldest legitimate daughter was already married, his son was five years old, his second illegitimate daughter was Consort Liu, and his youngest daughter was also an illegitimate daughter who was only three years old this year.
So when Consort Liu entered the palace, in order for his daughter to have a better chance of giving birth to a prince as soon as possible, he handed over all his family's secret agents in the palace to Consort Liu.
Coincidentally, Liu Cairen's people overheard the Empress's plot to scheme against the Emperor.
Consort Liu felt that the Empress would be eliminated sooner or later, so she might as well take advantage of her illness to kill her. In any case, none of her consorts had ever served the Emperor, so no one would suspect her if something happened to the Empress.
Besides, all she did was replace the Empress's medicine with a potent aphrodisiac produced by the system. Given the Empress's physical condition, she might have died on the spot. Who would bother to investigate her?
So she gave orders to Sangzi, the spy in Kunning Palace.
In her opinion, there was no need to clean up the mess. Even if the Empress hadn't died, she probably wouldn't have thought to ask why the medicine had become so potent.
However, what she didn't expect was that the Empress was always vicious and vindictive. The first thing she did after waking up was to have her confidants investigate who had switched her medicine. She acted even faster than the Emperor. Before the Emperor could find out, she already knew.
So she immediately gave Hongling the order: she wanted Liu Cairen dead!
Hongling took action after receiving the order.
If Liu Cairen had a child-rearing system, she would be practically invincible. First, the system could detect poisons, and second, the system had antidotes. As long as she didn't die within three seconds, she could cure even the most potent poison.
But the system is gone.
That night, Consort Liu was still having a sweet dream. The Empress was about to die, and when the system returned, she would buy a pill to cause a silent miscarriage for Consort Shu. Then, while Consort Shu was recovering from childbirth, she would seduce the Emperor and become Empress herself.
As he was thinking, he suddenly realized that something was wrong with the food he was eating. "The imperial kitchen is getting more and more perfunctory. This winter melon and pork rib soup isn't fresh at all. How dare they serve it?"
The palace maid hurriedly stepped forward and took the bowl of pork ribs away, saying, "This servant will go to the imperial kitchen to inquire."
"Never mind, I've eaten enough anyway, let's leave it at that."
The Imperial Kitchen is not someone a mere concubine like her can afford to offend.
At the very least, it's not someone she can afford to offend right now.
When she finally rises to a high position, she will definitely get rid of all those parasites.
After dinner, Liu Cairen felt a little tired, so she went to bed early to rest.
The next morning, the palace maid went in to check on her mistress, who was still asleep.
After calling out twice without response, the palace maid lifted the bed curtains, followed by a scream, because the person on the bed was bleeding from all seven orifices, with their eyes wide open, and was already dead beyond any doubt!
"Help! Talented Lady! Talented Lady is dead!"
...
News of Consort Liu's death quickly reached the Empress's ears. She felt relieved. Hongling fed her medicine while advising her, "Your Majesty, you've already avenged yourself. Don't think too much about it now. It's best to focus on taking care of your health."
"It's already been reported? No, not yet!"
A sudden surge of intense hatred flashed in the Empress's eyes. "And Yin Chen, he can't be let off either!"
She was his empress, yet he disregarded all their past affection and made her soak in cold water for four days. If he didn't care about her life or death, then he shouldn't live either!
Hongling said nervously, "Your Majesty, His Majesty must have his reasons. It's all that damned imperial physician's fault. If he hadn't insisted on taking the antidote for three days and three nights, and His Majesty had some reservations, he certainly wouldn't have abandoned you."
Don't drag me into this mess! Murdering the Emperor is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family. The Empress is going to die anyway, so if something happens, it's only two days earlier. She hasn't lived enough yet!
The Empress scoffed inwardly. Before the Emperor ascended the throne, they treated each other with the utmost respect, and she had assumed that this was how the Emperor and Empress should be.
The emperor is indifferent to emotions; as long as she is given enough respect, she will guard the inner courtyard and manage the household for him, becoming the best virtuous wife and loving mother.
But later, when she learned that he would also spend sleepless nights looking at portraits of other women, her thoughts changed.
It turns out he wasn't incapable of tenderness and affection; it's just that the object of his affection wasn't her.
So she changed too. None of the women in the Crown Prince's residence could bear him a child. After the three-year mourning period, all the young ladies-in-waiting were assigned someone to their side.
If she can't have it, no one else can either.
However, she made another mistake. Her husband didn't want other women to have his children, and she herself became the knife in his hand!
She hated it!
"Hongling, the person who arranged this for us..."
The two spoke in extremely low voices, so low that even the most discerning guards with the best hearing couldn't make out what they were saying.
Hongling shuddered when she heard the Empress's plan. If she really followed the Empress's plan, not only would she die, but her entire family would be wiped out!
After helping the Empress to sleep, Hongling arranged for someone to watch over her, and then immediately left Kunning Palace and headed straight for Chaoyang Palace.
The Emperor was indeed still reviewing memorials.
Rongquan's godson, Chengxi, stood guard in front of the palace gate.
Hongling quietly stepped forward and slipped a small silver ingot into the other party's hand. "Brother Chengxi, I have something important to report to the Emperor. Please inform him of this matter, as it is of great importance!"
As the adopted son of a favorite of the emperor, Chengyi was not short of a small ingot of silver. However, the fact that Hongling was willing to spend money just to see the emperor was no small matter.
He thought about it and immediately nodded. If he didn't report it and something went wrong, it would be his problem. If he did report it, whether or not he could see the emperor would be up to him, and the outcome would be none of his business.
"Wait, I'll go in and inform them right away."
"Thank you very much, Brother Chengxi."
Chengxi turned and entered the hall. When Rongquan saw his godson come in, he glanced at the emperor, who was engrossed in reviewing memorials, and quietly moved closer.
"What's up?"
"The red ribbon from Kunning Palace says it has something important to report to His Majesty."
Rong Quan glanced outside and saw Hong Ling pacing anxiously back and forth. It seemed like something really had happened.
"Wait."
"Okay, godfather."
Hongling was quickly brought inside.
As soon as Hongling entered the hall, she knelt down with a thud, looked around, stammered, and remained silent.
The Emperor put down his pen, looked around, and said, "Rongquan, stay. Everyone else, leave."
Once everyone had left, Hongling immediately told them about the Empress's plan and then named seven people.
(End of this chapter)
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