Gu Wanying pretended not to see those jealous, inquiring or fearful looks. She just stared at the emperor and performed the standard etiquette of a concubine.
Eunuch Feng read out the imperial edict conferring the title of Concubine Wan on Concubine Gu, and the documents confirming her title as Concubine Baoce were placed on the incense table.
Gu Wanying burned incense respectfully according to the procedure, and was stopped by the emperor when she was about to kowtow to the emperor and the empress.
"Yingying is pregnant, so there is no need to kneel." The emperor said softly.
The queen had no choice but to nod with a smile, her eyes falling intentionally or unintentionally on her belly which had not yet bulged.
Gu Wanying bowed gracefully, her waist so soft and flexible that it was like a willow brushing against one's face, which was very pleasing to the eye.
After reading the imperial edict of enthronement, there was another series of tedious procedures. Gu Wanying was so tired that her eyes lost focus. Fortunately, Yuetao and Feicui were there to support her.
It was almost noon when the ceremony was finally over.
The emperor did not lie to her. The enthronement ceremony was indeed held in the season when lotus flowers were in full bloom. When she walked through the lotus pond, the breeze blew across the lotus pond, and the lotus flowers and leaves danced, as if it were a beautiful scene in the Fairyland.
Yue Tao also went down to pick the most beautiful flower, intending to keep it in the palace for Gu Wanying to admire every day.
The conferment ceremony had just ended, and Gu Wanying was concerned about Hu Jie's situation, so she planned to go and see for herself.
Hu Jie was locked up in a dark cell in a palace. After a day and a night, the cartilage powder had lost its effect. There was not a single piece of good flesh on Hu Jie's body. His flesh was scratched to a bloody mess by nails, and only a beast-like breathing sound came from his throat.
Even Gu Wanying was startled by the horrifying scene. Xiao Cheng, who was accompanying her, saw her raise an eyebrow in surprise. He thought a weaker woman like her would at least scream in fear.
But she didn't.
Yue Tao's face turned pale, and she clutched the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands.
"My queen, please stop looking at this place. It's so disgusting and scary." Yue Tao was about to cry. How could their queen be allowed to come to such a place? It was so dirty and unlucky!
Gu Wanying ignored her and just stared at Hu Jie who was slumped in the corner.
"If you tell the truth, I will give you the antidote." Gu Wanying's voice came into Hu Jie's ears with some inquiry.
Hu Jie, who was tortured to the point of being unrecognizable by the itching powder, heard the voice that plunged him into hell, and finally looked at her with difficulty.
That's the kind of woman!
The means are vicious, insidious and cunning!
He fell for it so easily!
"Okay! Ask, ask quickly!" Hu Jie couldn't wait to move a little further outside. The straw under him was soaked with blood and was bright red.
Gu Wanying took a step back in disgust.
"Who sent you to kill Concubine De? What was your purpose in killing me? Do you have any other accomplices?"
Hu Jie's consciousness had already collapsed, and he told everything he knew, including all of Concubine Shu's underwear.
"It was Consort Shu. She used a fake pregnancy to banish Consort De to the cold palace, and killing you was one of her goals." Hu Jie paused. "Originally, the main goal that night was to kill you, but who knew Consort De would escape? So, she killed them all at once."
Gu Wanying listened expressionlessly, threw down a white porcelain bottle, and left with Yuetao.
Xiao Cheng had already recorded all of this and was waiting to show it to the emperor.
After the assassination incident was investigated, Gu Wanying breathed a sigh of relief. At least now she knew that Concubine Shu was the enemy hiding in the dark.
Xiao Cheng was extremely efficient. He investigated everything clearly in the afternoon and presented his confession to the emperor.
After reading it, the emperor was furious and rushed to Concubine Shu's palace with an angry face.
An hour ago, Yue Tao specially invited Imperial Physician Jiang to take Gu Wanying's pulse, and unexpectedly saw the jewelry on her head.
"Your Majesty, you can't wear this jewelry!" Imperial Physician Jiang was startled, shaking his hands in a flash. "I've investigated and found that this jewelry is soaked in poison. It will disfigure you if you wear it for a long time. There are also some other toxins that we haven't found yet."
Gu Wanying turned pale after hearing this. Yuetao and Feicui quickly took off all the jewelry.
"Why does Sister Shufei treat me like this! I must ask clearly!" Gu Wanying's eyes turned red with anger. She asked Yuetao to hold the box containing these jewelry and rush to Shufei's palace.
Imperial Physician Jiang knew that he also had his own business to do, so he followed with gritted teeth.
On their way there, the emperor had already arrived.
He hadn't been here for a long time, and now when he came again, he felt a little strange. Even the woman inside seemed very strange to him.
Perhaps he had never seen this woman clearly.
"Your Majesty, why are you here?" Concubine Shu knew something was wrong when she saw his cold face, but she still had a glimmer of hope.
"You did a great job! Don't tell me you didn't know!" The emperor was furious and threw a letter of confession in front of her, looking at her as if he was looking at something dirty.
When she reached out to touch him, he pushed her away with such force that she fell to the ground. Her hair immediately fell to the ground and she looked a little disheveled.
Concubine Shu was puzzled, but her heart was beating wildly uncontrollably. However, she still pretended to be calm and read the confession in front of her at a glance. Her face became paler and paler until she finally screamed in denial.
"No! Your Majesty! I didn't do those things! I love Your Majesty deeply, how could I do such a dirty thing!" Concubine Shu firmly denied that she had done these things, crying bitterly.
"If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, I am willing to die to prove my innocence!" Concubine Shu came up and grabbed the emperor's clothes, her face full of tears.
If the emperor didn't know that Xiao Cheng would not lie to him, he would have wavered.
"Empress Shufei, why are you harming me like this! This set of jewelry will disfigure me, right? If I wear it for too long, I will have a miscarriage, right?" A shrill voice came from outside, and then a woman ran in.
The emperor looked carefully and saw that it was Gu Wanying.
"Yingying, why are you here? You are pregnant, you can't be so excited." The emperor's mind, which was overwhelmed by anger, finally became clear for a moment when he saw Gu Wanying.
Unexpectedly, Gu Wanying's eyes turned red and she sobbed, "Your Majesty! I just want to ask you in person whether this jewelry is what I said it is."
Yue Tao presented a set of brand new jewelry and head ornaments, and told Imperial Physician Jiang what he had said. With Imperial Physician Jiang coming forward to testify, this set of jewelry became evidence of Concubine Shu's crime of harming Gu Wanying.
The emperor's expression became even colder, and he looked at Concubine Shu with a look as if he wanted to cut her into pieces.
Concubine Shu's body softened and she almost couldn't hold on.
This set of jewelry was indeed given by her personally, but she thought that Gu Wanying would not check these things. Even if she did, it would be impossible to find out without an experienced imperial physician!
But she didn't expect that she couldn't rely on luck in everything, otherwise she would fall flat on her face.
"Empress Shufei, how could you hurt me like this! You hurt my sister Defei and now you are hurting me! Am I the one who blocked your path to favor?" Gu Wanying cried uncontrollably and let the emperor hold her in his arms.
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