Chapter 543 Killing Pastries
Concubine Hui looked at the unfamiliar face in the mirror, and hatred burned in her eyes.
She had been planning for so long and had been carefully protecting her belly, but she was still tricked.
It just so happened that the queen became pregnant less than half a month after she lost her child.
"Heh." Concubine Hui slammed the comb onto the dressing table, making a crisp sound. "She's just a country bitch, but she's so skilled. I underestimated her."
The palace maid knelt on the ground trembling, not daring to breathe.
"Go." Concubine Hui suddenly turned around, a sinister glint in her eyes, "Find out for me when the Empress was pregnant with this child."
"Your Majesty, this." The palace maid looked embarrassed.
"What? You don't dare to investigate?" Concubine Hui looked at her coldly. "Or do you also think that I, a fallen concubine, don't deserve to know this?"
"I dare not! I will check it out right now!"
At the same time, the scene inside Kunning Palace was quite different.
Su Wan was leaning on the couch, her hand gently stroking her still flat belly, with a faint smile on her face.
Her complexion was much better than before, and the gloomy look between her brows was gone.
"Your Majesty, the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo requests to see you." The palace maid came in and reported.
Su Wan's eyes lit up, and she quickly sat up straight. "Please invite Sister Ruohan in."
Soon, Chu Ruohan came in led by a palace maid.
Today she wore a moon-white skirt and a light blue shawl, looking dignified and elegant.
"Your Majesty the Queen, your humble servant pays homage." Chu Ruohan bowed politely.
"Hey, Sister Ruohan, please get up. We sisters shouldn't be so formal with each other." Su Wan quickly stood up and helped her up. "Hurry and sit down and talk."
"Your Majesty is in poor health, etiquette cannot be violated!" Chu Ruohan said this, but she also sat down next to the Queen.
Su Wan held her hand, her eyes full of intimacy. "Sister Ruohan, you came at the perfect time. You are the one who understands me best."
"What's wrong, Your Majesty? Is there something bothering you?" Chu Ruohan looked at her with concern.
Su Wan gently stroked her lower abdomen, with a complicated smile on her face.
"I wouldn't say I'm upset, I just feel like this all happened too suddenly."
"A few days ago, Concubine Hui lost her child. I was still grieving for her, but who knew that in the blink of an eye, I would be pregnant myself."
Chu Ruohan listened quietly without responding.
"The doctor said my baby has been pregnant for over a month, but I didn't even notice it."
Su Wan smiled bitterly, "Sister Ruohan, don't you think this is too weird?"
Chu Ruohan's heart moved, but she didn't show it on her face.
"Your Majesty, you're overthinking it. A woman's pregnancy is not easily noticeable during the first three months, and you've been so preoccupied during this time that it's not uncommon for you to overlook it."
"Really?" Su Wan seemed comforted. "Sis Ruohan, after hearing what she said, I feel more at ease."
Chu Ruohan held her hand and said gently, "The most important thing for you right now, Your Majesty, is to take good care of your pregnancy. Everything else is unimportant."
"Yeah." Su Wan nodded, and suddenly remembered something, "By the way, Sister Ruohan, I heard that something happened in your house recently?"
Chu Ruohan briefly explained the incident of the caravan being robbed, and the queen frowned as she listened.
"How could such a thing happen! Those bandits are so audacious!" Su Wan said indignantly, "Brother, have you caught the murderer?"
"He's been apprehended. He was a private soldier of Zhang Xian, the Minister of War." Chu Ruohan said calmly, "He has committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
Su Wan frowned. She knew nothing about what was happening in the court, so she simply stopped thinking about it.
The two chatted for a while, and when Chu Ruohan saw that the queen looked a little tired, she stood up and said goodbye.
"Are you leaving now?" Su Wan said with some reluctance. "It's rare for Sister Ruohan to come to the palace. I don't even have anyone to talk to in this palace except the Emperor."
"Your Majesty is feeling unwell and needs more rest." Chu Ruohan said gently, "I'll come to the palace to see you in a few days."
Su Wan nodded. "Okay then. Sister Ruohan, thank you so much for coming to see me today. I feel much more at ease with your words."
Chu Ruohan was just about to get up and say goodbye when she heard footsteps outside the hall.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Hui asked me to bring some cakes."
A young eunuch came in carrying an exquisite white porcelain plate with a few brightly colored flower cakes on it.
Su Wan's face showed surprise: "Empress Hui? Why did she think of sending cakes to me?"
The young eunuch bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Concubine Hui said that this cake is freshly made and tastes excellent."
"It's just that Concubine Hui is not feeling well and is still in confinement after giving birth, so she asked me to bring it to the Empress to try."
Su Wan put on airs, her voice calm yet commanding: "Since it is Concubine Hui's sincere intention, I appreciate it."
"Go back and thank Concubine Hui on my behalf, and tell her that I will visit her when I am free."
"Yes, I'll take my leave." The young eunuch retreated respectfully.
Chu Ruohan looked at the plate of exquisite pastries, and a sense of alertness inexplicably arose in her heart.
Concubine Hui had just lost her child and was hating Su Wan, so why would she suddenly be so kind?
When they were the only two left in the hall, Su Wan's expression changed instantly.
She looked at the plate of pastries, her brows furrowed, and her voice lowered to a very low level.
"Sister Ruohan, there's something wrong with this plate of pastries."
Chu Ruohan's heart tightened, and she quickly walked to her side: "Why did your Majesty say that?"
Su Wan pointed at the cake on the plate and said, "This cake looks exquisite, but if you look closely, the red decoration is not red bean paste, but cinnabar powder."
Chu Ruohan took a breath.
Cinnabar is extremely poisonous to pregnant women. At the very least, it can cause miscarriage, and at the worst, it can result in two deaths.
Su Wan sneered: "She doesn't know that I used to make a living by collecting herbs."
"To her, I was just a stupid country woman who didn't understand anything. She just thought I would eat it without knowing what I was doing."
Chu Ruohan looked at Su Wan's face, which instantly froze, and her heart sank.
She stepped forward and lowered her voice: "My Lady, this matter is of no small importance. How do you intend to deal with it?"
Su Wan's gaze shifted away from the plate of exquisite pastries. There was no panic in her eyes, only a chill.
She sat back on the couch, tapping the armrest lightly with her fingertips. The movement was somewhat similar to Gu Junze's.
"Sister Ruohan, tell me, if I tell the emperor about this right now, will he believe me or Concubine Hui who is scheming?" Su Wan's voice was eerily calm.
Chu Ruohan immediately understood her concerns: "If Concubine Hui dared to do this, she must have thought of a perfect escape route. If we attack directly, I'm afraid we will fall into her trap."
"That's right." Su Wan sneered.
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