Lan Huier was stunned when she heard the phrase "extermination of nine generations of her family".
She collapsed to the ground, too flustered and unable to even refute.
At this moment, Imperial Physician Lin also spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I have examined all the food on the Empress Dowager's table, and this bowl of yam and hibiscus soup is the cause of her poisoning."
"Where is His Majesty's bowl?" the eldest princess asked hurriedly.
Imperial Physician Lin shook his head, "Your Highness, there is no poison."
The eldest princess slammed her hand on the table, stood up, and roared, "So, Consort Lan only poisoned this bowl of soup she sent to the Empress Dowager! Consort Lan, what else do you have to say for yourself!"
Lan Huier was both shocked and frightened, and could only keep shaking her head.
She hadn't recovered from the shock yet; her mind was still a jumbled mess.
Wasn't it supposed to be a normal medicine to make her and the emperor intimate? How did it turn into poison?
Wasn't this for His Majesty? How did the Empress Dowager drink it?
She was still completely bewildered when she found herself guilty of a heinous crime that could lead to the extermination of her entire family. Things happened so fast that she didn't even have a chance to defend herself.
The eldest princess immediately turned to the emperor and the empress dowager and said:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Consort Lan has dared to poison Your Majesty. She has committed this crime and should be executed immediately as a warning to others!"
The Empress Dowager was about to speak when Gu Jiangli spoke first:
"Your Majesty, although Consort Lan is impulsive, she is not the kind of person who would be so vicious as to poison the Empress Dowager. Besides, the Empress Dowager and Consort Lan are related by blood. If something really happens to the Empress Dowager, it will not benefit Consort Lan at all."
"It's still too early to say whether the real culprit is someone else. It's a bit too hasty to execute Consort Lan so hastily."
"Such a serious matter as poisoning the Empress Dowager should be thoroughly investigated."
"If someone is behind Consort Lan instructing her to do something wrong, then that person is the one who should be executed the most."
The eldest princess was extremely anxious. "What do you know? It's none of your business how the emperor wants to investigate and punish! Consort Lan looks so guilty now, it's obvious that she was the one who poisoned her. What else is there to investigate?"
"Mother, Imperial Brother, don't listen to Consort Chen! Consort Lan's crimes are heinous and she should be executed immediately!"
The Empress Dowager propped herself up. "Guards, arrest Consort Lan immediately. Emperor, you must make her tell the truth. Whoever... committed such a heinous act in the harem, I will punish them severely!"
After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she had exhausted all her strength and collapsed again.
The eldest princess supported the Empress Dowager, her eyes darting around and her breathing rapid.
The emperor, seemingly oblivious to the princess's unusual behavior, nodded and said, "Yes, I will definitely find out the truth and give Mother an explanation."
He turned to Lan Huier and instructed Liu Feng, who was standing beside him, "Drag her out and have her interrogated properly."
Lan Huier was dragged out of the main hall by her arms. As she walked out, she turned back and cried out:
"It wasn't me... I'm innocent, I didn't know, I really didn't know..."
Lan Huier cried sadly, and as her crying subsided, she could no longer be seen at all.
Everyone in the hall fell silent; no one dared to utter a single word.
The Emperor ordered, "Send the Empress Dowager back to Cixi Palace. Tan'er, you stay by her side and take good care of her. Everyone else, you may leave."
The Double Ninth Festival family banquet ended unhappily, with everyone leaving with different thoughts in their hearts.
Before leaving, the princess took another look at Gu Jiangli, and that one look made her feel once again that she had become Gu Jiangli's prey.
She walked unsteadily and left at an extremely fast pace.
Most of the people at the banquet had left, but Gu Jiangli remained seated, and the emperor also stood tall and did not leave.
Lotus was very sensible and followed the other palace maids out.
Only Gu Jiangli and the Emperor remained in the entire hall.
Gu Jiangli couldn't help but ask, "Why did Your Majesty drink it? Didn't I tell you not to drink anything that Consort Lan brought?"
The emperor's expression remained unchanged, and he simply replied, "There is no poison in the soup."
"But His Majesty clearly did not know that the soup was not poisonous."
But the emperor said, "Consort Chen is shrewd. Since she knows Consort Lan's plan, she will certainly not allow the poisoned soup to be served to me."
Gu Jiangli chuckled, but her eyes remained icy: "So that's how it is. Your Majesty has such faith in my abilities."
"If there's nothing else, you should go back now. The banquet is over."
Gu Jiangli took a deep breath, stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and looked up at the emperor on the high throne.
"Your Majesty, it's strange. Your soup is not poisoned, so you seem completely unconcerned. But the Empress Dowager is your birth mother. She was poisoned and bleeding all over the place, yet you remained calm, as if you didn't care at all."
The emperor did not look at her, but instead lowered his eyes to the food in front of him, and said:
"The imperial physician said that the poison will not harm the Empress Dowager's life."
"But you know perfectly well that Consort Lan was used to poison the Empress Dowager. Even if you know who the real culprit is, you can't see any intention of eliminating him."
"The matter of Consort Lan poisoning someone is still under investigation and requires further thorough examination."
Seeing the emperor's indifferent expression, Gu Jiangli felt a surge of inexplicable anger.
She gritted her teeth, took two steps forward, climbed the stairs, walked to his desk, and asked in a trembling voice:
"Your Majesty, do you wish to die?"
The emperor's eyes flickered, and he paused, but he still did not look up to meet her gaze.
"Consort Chen, such a treasonous question will earn you a slap in the face."
Gu Jiangli ignored the emperor's words and continued:
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