Chapter 212 The Emperor's Wrath
Upon reading the secret letter, the emperor was furious and finally made up his mind to eradicate the spies, issuing an edict:
The Li family was confiscated, and all officials and palace servants who colluded with them were arrested. Li was demoted to a low-ranking concubine and banished to the Cold Palace, never to be visited again. Wanpin, having relied on Li and framed others, was demoted to a palace maid and never allowed to leave the palace. Li's family property was confiscated, and its main members were exiled three thousand miles away. The remaining members of the previous dynasty were also investigated and dealt with, ensuring that there was no possibility of them causing trouble again.
The power dynamics within the harem have been reshuffled. Ye Wanning's merits in exposing conspiracies and protecting the Empress Dowager have earned her the deep trust of the Emperor and Empress, making her even more formidable.
When Consort Chen learned that the plot had failed and that the masked man was involved, she was understandably filled with fear and unease. Although the Emperor did not intend to punish her immediately, he became wary of her and no longer showed her the same favor he had before.
Seeing the storm subside, Ye Wanning felt no joy. When would this intrigue and power struggles ever end? Consort Chen had lost power, but no one knew who would be next to suffer.
But she was no longer afraid. With Pei Zhi, her apprentices, her own skills, and the beliefs in her heart, she could face whatever came her way with composure and protect everything she wanted to protect.
That day, Ye Wanning was teaching her apprentices to identify medicinal herbs at the inheritance hall when Chuntao suddenly rushed in, flustered: "Miss, there's news from the palace! Consort Chen has given birth to the eldest prince, and the Emperor is overjoyed. He has promoted her to Imperial Noble Consort and bestowed many gifts upon her! However..."
Chun Tao hesitated for a moment: "I heard that after Consort Chen gave birth to the prince, her health was not good and she often lost her temper. Many palace maids and eunuchs were punished by her!"
Ye Wanning's heart skipped a beat. When she examined Consort Chen before, everything seemed fine. How could she have collapsed after giving birth? There must be something wrong!
"I'm going to visit them!" Ye Wanning put down the Chinese medicinal herbs in her hand, picked up her medicine box, and prepared to enter the palace.
Pei Zhi happened to be at the Heritage Hall. Seeing her about to enter the palace, he rushed over and asked, "What's wrong? What happened in the palace?"
“Consort Chen’s health has been poor since giving birth to the prince. I’ll go and check on her!” Ye Wanning said.
Pei Zhi, worried about her safety, quickly said, "I'll go with you!"
Ye Wanning nodded and did not refuse.
The two entered the palace together, heading directly to Consort Chen's palace. Upon entering, they smelled a strong medicinal odor. Ye Wanning pushed open the door and went inside, where she saw Consort Chen lying on the bed, her face pale and her eyes full of weariness; she was indeed seriously ill.
Upon seeing Ye Wanning and Pei Zhi enter, Consort Chen looked at the two with a mixture of wariness and anger: "Madam Ye, Lord Pei, what are you doing here?"
"Your Highness, I heard you are not feeling well, so I have come to treat you," Ye Wanning said calmly.
"I don't need it!" Consort Chen snorted coldly. "I have imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to treat me. I don't need a commoner like you pretending to be kind!"
Pei Zhi's face darkened: "Your Highness, Ye Wanning is the Emperor and Empress's trusted physician. It is her duty to treat you. If you refuse, and something goes wrong, can you bear the responsibility?"
Consort Chen was filled with fear and dared not refuse again. The Emperor was already somewhat suspicious of her, and further disobedience would only anger him more.
"Alright, since Lord Pei says so, then take a look." She reluctantly stretched out her arm.
Ye Wanning placed her fingertips on her pulse, her brows furrowing instantly. The pulse was erratic, her blood and qi were weak, and it even carried a faint trace of poison—clearly, she had been poisoned!
This poison is special; it is a chronic poison. Long-term use will cause weakness and irritability, eventually leading to death.
"Your Highness, have you been taking some kind of supplement lately?" Ye Wanning asked softly.
Consort Chen nodded: "The imperial physicians in the palace prescribed me a lot of blood-tonifying and qi-boosting supplements, which I have been taking. Is there something wrong with those supplements?"
“The supplement itself is not the problem,” Ye Wanning said. “It’s just that someone added a slow-acting poison to it. If you take it for a long time, your body will naturally break down.”
"What?!" Consort Chen's expression changed drastically, staring at her in disbelief. "Who? Who wants to harm me?"
"I don't know for now," Ye Wanning said. "I will prescribe an antidote for you. Take it on time, and your health will gradually improve. Everything you eat and use must be tested by someone to make sure it is non-toxic before you use it."
Consort Chen burst into tears: "Thank you, Madam Ye. I blamed you so much before and even wanted to harm you, but in the end, you saved me!"
"Your Highness is too kind. I was merely fulfilling my duty as a doctor," Ye Wanning said. "It's all in the past now. You should focus on recuperating and taking good care of the prince."
She wrote down the antidote prescription, gave a few instructions, and then left the palace with Pei Zhi.
Pei Zhi led her out of the palace and asked, "Can you guess who wants to harm Consort Chen?"
"It's hard to guess." Ye Wanning shook her head. "There are many people in the harem who want to harm her. It could be a concubine who has fallen out of favor, a palace servant, or someone involved in grudges from the previous dynasty..."
"No matter who it is, I will find out." Pei Zhi said, word by word. "I will not allow anyone to hurt you, and I will not allow the harem to cause any more trouble."
Ye Wanning smiled and said, "Thank you. You should also be careful and not put yourself in danger."
Pei Zhi nodded and held her hand tightly.
The smell of medicine grew stronger in Consort Chen's palace. When Ye Wanning entered the palace for the second time to treat her, Consort Chen's spirits had improved somewhat, but her complexion remained unpleasant, and the weariness in her eyes could not be dispelled.
"Madam Ye, why is my health still not improving?" Consort Chen asked anxiously, clutching her handkerchief. "The Imperial Hospital says the antidote has taken effect, but I still feel weak all over and can't help but feel irritable."
Ye Wanning took the pulse again, her brows furrowing even more. The toxicity in the pulse seemed to have lessened, but it hadn't disappeared; instead, it was entangled with the tonic's components, making it difficult to separate.
"Your Majesty, who has been personally preparing your tonics lately?" Ye Wanning raised her eyes, her gaze slowly sweeping over the palace maids in the hall.
Consort Chen subconsciously looked at her personal maid, Jin'er, and said, "It's all Jin'er's fault. She's been with me for so many years and has always taken good care of me."
Jin'er quickly stepped forward, bowed, and knelt down: "Madam Ye, rest assured, I will carefully check the medicinal herbs I prepare each time, and I dare not be careless in the slightest."
Ye Wanning looked at her. Jin'er lowered her head, her eyelashes concealing the emotions in her eyes, but her fingers unconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand tightly.
"Is that so?" Ye Wanning said calmly, "But this poison was put into Consort Chen's tonic. Moreover, this kind of poison needs to be accumulated slowly and the dosage needs to be precisely controlled."
She said to Xiaolian, "Bring me this silver needle that I brought."
Xiao Lian quickly handed it over. Ye Wanning dipped the silver needle into the tonic soup that Consort Chen hadn't finished drinking, and it instantly turned black.
“This is a type of poison called ‘Trapping Poison’.” Ye Wanning’s tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. “The poison is slow-acting and difficult to detect when mixed with herbs that replenish qi and blood. Long-term use will damage internal organs, causing qi and blood deficiency and irritability. Moreover, frequent contact with this poison will leave residues in the fingernails, which can be easily detected with a silver needle.”
Jin'er's face turned deathly pale, and her body began to tremble slightly.
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