Xi Yu dared not speak further, and tremblingly got up, taking out a thumb-sized, jet-black porcelain bottle from the most hidden compartment of Empress Lin's dressing table. The bottle was icy cold, as if it contained an ominous aura.
She watched as Empress Lin received the porcelain bottle, her expression twisted with resentment, and a chill inexplicably rose in her heart. She had followed Empress Lin in doing too many shady things, and each time she seemed to succeed, she always seemed to suffer an even more terrible backlash… Xi Yu's hands, holding the medicine bottle, grew increasingly cold at the fingertips.
Empress Lin clutched the bottle of "Aphrodisiac Intoxication" as if it were a venomous snake of vengeance. She meticulously planned to slip the drug into a bowl of finely stewed bird's nest, intended as a gesture of "repentance" to Xi Linghao at lunchtime. She reasoned that once Xi Linghao consumed the bird's nest and the drug took effect, she could then appear at the opportune moment to "appease" him, thus regaining his favor while simultaneously pinning the blame for "corrupting the palace" on A Yuan—after all, who would believe the emperor would drug them?
However, plans can never keep up with changes.
At lunchtime, Xi Linghao was in a very bad mood because of the aftermath of the Northern Border military supplies case. He didn't even glance at the bird's nest soup that Empress Lin had been so eager to serve him, and coldly said, "I have no appetite, take it away."
Empress Lin's smile froze instantly, and she forced back her anger: "Your Majesty, this was specially prepared for you by your concubine to nourish your health..."
"I said, withdraw!" Xi Linghao waved his hand impatiently, his tone filled with annoyance.
Empress Lin was rebuffed and dared not anger the Emperor at this moment, so she could only grit her teeth and order the bird's nest to be removed. Back in her chambers, looking at the perfectly intact bowl of blood bird's nest, and thinking of the priceless and extremely rare "Hehuan Zui" (a type of herbal concoction) inside, she was filled with rage! The more she thought about it, the angrier and more humiliated she became. Suddenly, she grabbed the bowl of bird's nest and smashed it to the ground!
"Splash—!"
The delicate porcelain bowl shattered into pieces, and the viscous bird's nest mixed with highly toxic medicinal juices splattered everywhere, leaving a mess.
"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!" Xi Yu and several palace maids were so frightened that they knelt down on the ground.
Empress Lin's chest heaved violently as she looked at the filth on the ground, her eyes filled with boundless hatred and resentment. If one plan failed, she would devise another! Her sinister gaze swept over the several delicate dishes on the table, finally settling on a dish of "Golden Honey-Glazed Ham," which Xi Linghao usually enjoyed but which Empress Lin herself rarely touched due to her preference for bland food.
"Put the medicine...in here!" She pointed to the dish of fire and commanded Xi Yu, her voice hoarse, "Remember! Double the dose! I want her...to be doomed forever!" Her target had now shifted from Xi Linghao to A Yuan.
With a trembling heart, Xi Yu took the medicine bottle and carefully mixed the dark brown powder into the honey sauce, then spread it evenly over the glistening ham. The intense sweet aroma perfectly masked the faint bitterness of the powder.
At dinner, this dish of "golden thread honey-glazed ham" with added ingredients was indeed sent to Qiwu Palace as a "gift" specially bestowed upon the Princess by the Empress.
A-Yuan looked at the tempting-looking, fragrant dish of baked buns, then glanced at the seemingly respectful but actually voyeuristic gaze of the eunuch serving the meal, and sneered inwardly. She thanked him calmly, and after the eunuch left, immediately ordered the head of the shadow guards to secretly inspect the food.
"There is indeed a highly poisonous aphrodisiac, and in extremely large quantities," the Shadow Guard leader quickly reported.
A-Yuan and Xiao Chengkang exchanged a glance, their eyes showing no surprise, only cold mockery. The Lin family, as expected, is still relentless.
“Since she has brought it, we shall ‘enjoy’ it,” Xiao Chengkang said calmly, a calculating glint in his eyes. He summoned his trusted maid and whispered a few instructions.
A moment later, the head maid of Qiwu Palace arrived at Kunning Palace with a food box and a beaming smile. She said to Xiyu, who was guarding the gate, "Sister Xiyu, Her Highness the Princess, grateful for the Empress's kindness, has specially gifted the Golden Silk Honey Feast that the Empress bestowed upon her to the hardworking and meritorious Granny Lin. Her Highness said that Granny Lin has served the Empress for many years and has worked hard. Please be sure to try this little gift."
Xi Yu froze, staring at the untouched dish of baked buns in the food box, alarm bells ringing in her mind! Her instinct was to refuse: "This...this was bestowed upon the Princess by Her Majesty, how could I, the nanny, dare..."
“Oh, Sister Xiyu,” the head maid of Qiwu Palace said with a smile, but her tone left no room for refusal, “His Highness said this is a token of her affection. One cannot refuse a gift from an elder; but if His Highness bestows it upon you, wouldn’t it be disrespectful to His Highness? Besides, this is a delicacy from the Empress’s palace; you should try it too.” Without further ado, she shoved the food box into Xiyu’s hands, curtsied, and turned to leave.
Holding the scalding hot food box as if it were a red-hot iron, Xi Yu's face turned deathly pale. She dared not conceal anything and, steeling herself, reported the contents of the box and her exact words to Empress Lin.
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