Ning Zixin was still in a daze when the Empress made her change her seat. Although the seat was moved back a bit, her father and brothers were sitting next to her.
The gloom on his face vanished instantly, and he cheerfully took Ning Hongze's hand.
"Father, you haven't come to the palace to see me this month."
"Didn't I send your brother to the palace?"
"It's not enough, I miss my dad too."
"You silly girl, you're still holding my hand, and you're already starting to dislike me?"
Ning Hong gently pinched Ning Zixin's nose, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.
Qin Mu looked up and felt a slight dissatisfaction.
This is his woman; even his own father and brothers cannot lay a hand on her.
But?
This girl seemed to have never smiled like this in front of him before.
Every time I see him, I'm mostly on guard.
It seemed like whenever she saw him, she would look at him with disdain, as if nothing good was coming.
He'll be going to Wanlan Palace soon. He broke the rules for her today, so she should repay him properly.
"Your Majesty, you must not go to Wanlan Palace during this period of time."
The person who understands the emperor best is always the empress.
The Empress reached out and patted Ning Zixin's hand as the Emperor's gaze occasionally drifted towards him.
Why?
"Your Majesty, come closer."
The Empress whispered two words in the Emperor's ear, so softly that even Liu Fu, who was serving beside her, couldn't hear them clearly. Qin Mu, however, was startled.
"Is this true?" Qin Mu paused abruptly, then asked, "Does she know?"
The Empress shook her head. "She probably doesn't know."
At this point, the Empress couldn't help but look at Ning Zixin with pity.
Ning Zixin has never had any female elders around her, so she lacks many common-sense knowledge that women should know.
Ning Hao and Ning Hong doted on her and loved her, fulfilling all her material desires, but they forgot to hire an experienced nanny for her.
However, most men probably wouldn't think of coming here.
What the Empress wanted, Qin Mu naturally wanted as well.
He couldn't help but feel a little more pity for Ning Zixin.
Well then, considering she's pregnant, let's let her be happy.
"Ding, host, the fruit wine in the target's glass is poisonous and will cause her to miscarry. Please be careful."
A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind.
Before Ning Hong could react, he had already reached out and swept the wine glass out of Ning Zixin's hand.
The wine glass fell to the ground and shattered, making a sharp sound.
"elder brother?"
Ning Zixin stared at him blankly.
What happened?
"Brother? What are you doing?"
Ning Hong herself found it hard to believe.
He underestimated his opponent.
These past few times, because the tasks were completed too easily, he became a little arrogant. This time, if it weren't for the system's reminder, his task might have failed.
"System, thank you."
"No need to be polite. This time, I'm just reminding you; ten points will be deducted. If there's a next time, one hundred points will be deducted." Of course, the system could also choose not to tell him. Once his mission is completely failed and his points are deducted, they will completely erase Ning Hongze's soul.
"Ning Hongze, what are you doing?"
"Your Majesty, it was my mistake. Please forgive me." Ning Zixin hurriedly knelt down. "It was my fault."
"You—" Does he really think he didn't see it?
He had been secretly watching her the whole time, so he naturally saw the moment Ning Hong swept her wine glass away.
However, he knew very well that the Ning family doted on Ning Zixin, so Ning Hongze's actions must mean there was something wrong with the wine. "Could it be that there's something wrong with the wine?"
"Your Majesty, this wine is poisoned."
Ning Hong stepped forward, her expression becoming more composed.
"really?"
Upon hearing that his son was poisoned, the emperor's expression changed drastically.
All the civil and military officials are here. If the wine is poisoned, then he...???
Qin Mu immediately ordered the imperial physician to come and examine him.
Several imperial physicians examined the samples one by one, and all found no poison. This eased Qin Mu's expression slightly and relieved all the civil and military officials present.
Only when Ning Hong threw it out and spilled wine all over the ground, the silver needle immediately turned black as soon as it touched the wine residue.
The imperial physician picked up some soil that had been moistened and sniffed it lightly, then rubbed it between his fingers. "Your Majesty, it's arsenic."
Therefore, it seems that this beverage is specifically targeted at Ning Zixin.
The Empress's face also darkened.
"Absolutely outrageous."
How dare they commit such a heinous act at a palace banquet under her supervision, targeting a concubine she had her eye on? It's utterly outrageous!
"Your Majesty, this matter must be thoroughly investigated."
Whether it was a provocation at a palace banquet or an attempt to harm a royal heir, these were serious crimes that should not be let off easily.
"The Empress is right." Qin Mu nodded in agreement. "Instruct the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Blackwater Bureau to thoroughly investigate this matter."
He was so close, and his girl would have been gone. Qin Mu's chest suddenly clenched, and he couldn't calm down for a while. The thought that he might never see Ning Zixin again made him feel panicked.
"Your Majesty, Consort Jieyu is simple-minded and never makes enemies. These enemies are probably targeting me," the Empress said after a moment's thought.
To outsiders, Ning Zixin was not favored, and no one knew that she had a royal heir. Her family was just an ordinary merchant family, and even though they were called royal merchants, their status was still lower than that of everyone else present.
Therefore, plotting to harm Ning Zixin is pointless; it only disgusts the person who organized the palace banquet.
Of course, this is on the premise that no one knows Ning Zixin is pregnant.
"Ning Hongze, how did you know there was poison in this wine glass?"
At this point, Qin Mu had some doubts in his mind.
Others might not have seen it, but he saw it clearly. Ning Hong suddenly paused, then swept the wine glass away.
It was like his subconscious reaction when he suddenly realized the wine was poisoned.
“Your Majesty, it is this.” Ning Hong suddenly raised her wrist.
He wore a silver bracelet on his wrist.
There was a small silver pendant at the bottom of the bracelet, which was now completely black. "I accidentally dropped my pendant into the cup that Zixin was holding, and it turned black."
A reasonable explanation.
This pendant was urgently exchanged by Ning Hongze with the system; it wasn't expensive, only five points.
Only with this silver pendant could he justify the fact that the wine glass was poisoned.
"That's really fortunate."
Only Ning Zixin looked pale.
"Zixin, don't be afraid, it's all over now." Ning Hong pulled the person to her side.
"No, brother, this cup belongs to the Empress. I just took it directly from her." So this person came for the Empress.
The Empress was stunned upon hearing this.
She looked down and sure enough, one of the cups in front of her seemed to be missing.
So, this person really came for her?
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