The Minister of Justice looked at the young Princess Yuan Yao, pondered for a moment, and nodded: "As expected of a princess! You thought of things I hadn't thought of!"
I'll go to the women's quarters in a bit and let them know.
Yuan Yao nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, sir."
She lifted the hem of her skirt and left the main hall.
Danqing was waiting for her outside the hall: "Princess, the women's banquet is about to begin."
"let's go."
When Yuan Yao stepped into the inner palace, the palace servants were serving dishes.
The Empress Dowager seemed to be in a bad mood, sitting listlessly at the head of the table with no appetite.
Following palace etiquette, Yuan Yao first paid her respects to the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Consort Lin, among others.
The Empress Dowager merely lifted her eyelids and glanced at her.
The Empress, however, said gently, "I heard you were helping out in the dessert kitchen again. You must be tired. Please sit down."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yuan Yao stood up obediently.
Huaiyao waved to her: "Come here quickly."
Today's seating arrangement remains the same as yesterday's.
Jiang Lanyue sat in Huairou's seat, Huairou sat in Huaiyao's seat, and Huaiyao sat next to Yuan Yao.
As soon as Yuan Yao sat down, Huai Yao asked, "Why are you so late today?"
Yuan Yao replied, "Because I just went to the men's section."
Behind her, Danqing changed the tea.
Yuan Yao picked up the water, took two sips, and then said, "My father is back. I'm so happy."
Seeing the sparkle in her eyes when she mentioned the Ninth Prince, Huaiyao said with a hint of disdain, "Look at you, so pathetic."
All he knows is the Ninth Prince.
Like a baby who hasn't been weaned and is constantly looking for its mother...
Huairou turned her head to look at him and said softly with a smile, "Your Majesty is back, that's a good thing."
"Yao'er hasn't seen her father for so long, she must miss him."
"Yes," Yuan Yao pursed her lips and said in a childish voice, "I haven't been able to eat or sleep well these days since Daddy left!"
After being victimized so many times, she developed paranoia.
Despite having secret guards and a skilled painter, she was still quite worried without the Ninth Prince present, fearing that someone might harm her...
For example, Jiang Lanyue was poisoned last night.
Huairou smiled faintly: "If I had known you weren't eating or sleeping well, I should have brought you to live with me."
Wow, is there really such a good thing?
Yuan Yao happily said, "Okay, next time, when Daddy isn't at Qianhua Palace, Yao'er will come and sleep with Sister Huairou."
Huaiyao wiped her arm, her tone a little sour: "You two are so sickeningly sweet."
Yuan Yao and Huai Rou exchanged a glance and smiled happily.
On the other side, Jiang Lanyue sat alone in her seat, her face pale, and her already pointed chin became even more pointed as she pursed her lips.
A pair of large, lifeless eyes, with slightly drooping eyelids, held an unreadable expression—was it jealousy or hatred?
At this moment, Huairou asked, "Lan Yue, you were poisoned yesterday, are you feeling better today?"
When suddenly asked, Jiang Lanyue flinched.
She raised her pale face and said with a wronged expression, "Sister Huairou, Yue'er is much better..."
Huairou said with concern, "If you are not feeling well, you don't necessarily have to come to this banquet."
You haven't recovered yet; your health is the most important thing.
Jiang Lanyue opened her mouth.
Her hands, resting flat on her knees, clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white.
What does "pacify" mean?
Is it because they dislike her?
It must be!
How happy Huairou, Huaiyao, and Yuanyao are talking!
The three of them huddled together, not only unwilling to talk to her, but also unwilling to even look at her?
Telling her to rest was just a way of saying I didn't want to see her!
That's outrageous!
Jiang Lanyue lowered her head, tears streaming down her face, soaking her dress...
At this moment, a eunuch said, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty the Empress, the Minister of Justice requests an audience."
"Minister of Justice?" The Empress Dowager gripped her handkerchief, almost standing up from her chaise longue.
Yesterday, Heiji was taken away by the Minister of Justice!
For a moment, the Empress Dowager was restless.
The Empress said to the eunuch, "Let him in."
Soon, the Minister of Justice stepped into the main hall.
He first bowed before saying, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty the Empress, yesterday, an assassin infiltrated the palace and poisoned the palace, causing considerable panic."
The assassin was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's cell by me, but unexpectedly, he committed suicide half an hour ago.
The palace is safe now; everyone can rest assured.
"Clang..."
The sound of the silver cup hitting the ground was exceptionally loud.
The Empress Dowager, supported by the chaise lounge, slowly rose to her feet: "You just said... what happened to the assassin?"
The Minister of Justice gave the Empress Dowager a strange look and said truthfully, "Your Majesty, the assassin committed suicide by biting his tongue in prison."
Biting one's tongue... committing suicide...
"puff……"
A mouthful of blood spurted from the Empress Dowager's mouth.
Inside the hall, everyone stood up in a panic—
"Empress Dowager!"
"What's wrong with the Empress Dowager?"
"The Empress Dowager has vomited blood..."
"Royal Grandmother!"
"..."
The Empress was only flustered for a moment before she growled at the stunned palace maid, "Quickly! Summon the imperial physician! Also, bring the Emperor and the Ninth Prince here!"
The Empress, trailing her magnificent, floor-length palace gown, walked to the Empress Dowager's side and helped her sit down: "Mother, are you feeling unwell?"
The Empress Dowager's lips were stained with blood.
Her eyes were vacant, her lips trembled slightly: "Black... Ji..."
The Empress didn't hear clearly and asked again, "Mother, what did you say?"
"puff……"
The Empress Dowager coughed up another mouthful of blood.
This time, the blood was vomited directly onto the Empress's skirt.
Jiang Lanyue, her face deathly pale, rushed over and cried, "Grandmother, Grandmother, please don't frighten Yue'er..."
On the men's side, upon hearing that the Empress Dowager had vomited blood, everyone rushed over here.
The Empress Dowager was half-lying down and half-sitting, her gold-embroidered outer robe stained red with blood, the silver threads gleaming with a cold, blood-red light.
The imperial physician knelt on the ground, taking the pulse and administering acupuncture...
The emperor asked in a somber tone, "How is the Empress Dowager?"
The imperial physician glanced at the people inside and outside the hall, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
The Ninth Prince arrived late, waving his jade fan, and glanced at the dying Empress Dowager: "She's like this, shall we continue the birthday banquet?"
With the Empress Dowager on her deathbed, who could possibly eat at the banquet?
The Empress Dowager's 60th birthday banquet was abruptly terminated because she suddenly vomited blood...
The entire capital city was shrouded in a dark cloud.
Huining Palace.
The crown prince led the princes and princesses and stood quietly to one side.
Yuan Yao was held in the arms of the Ninth Prince and sat in a chair drinking tea.
After countless imperial physicians came and went, the emperor finally snapped, "What is wrong with the Empress Dowager?"
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy, with a white beard and trembling hands and feet, said, "The Empress Dowager is old and has suffered a stroke from anger, which has severely damaged her heart meridian. I'm afraid... she won't last much longer."
Severe damage to the heart meridian?
The emperor remained silent.
Why would a perfectly healthy person return to the capital alive only to die in the palace?
unlucky.
Beside him, the Ninth Prince glanced at the Emperor and asked the imperial physician, "How many days are left?"
The judge wiped away a bead of cold sweat: "I'm afraid... it will happen in the next couple of days."
So fast?
Yuan Yao was slightly shocked.
She never imagined that Heiji was so important to the Empress Dowager.
It's probably too late for what she needs to do.
What should we do?
At this moment, the beaded curtain swayed.
Another imperial physician came out, still shaking his head.
The atmosphere was very heavy.
Then, a maid rolled up the beaded curtain, looked around the hall, and said, "Princess Yuan Yao, the Empress Dowager requests your presence."
Yuan Yao asked in surprise, "You called me?"
At this moment, Jiang Lanyue walked over, her pale face streaked with tears: "Granny, are you sure you're not calling the wrong person?"
The person the Empress Dowager summoned... shouldn't it be me?
The old woman raised her voice with a stern face: "Princess Lan Yue, the person the Empress Dowager summoned is Princess Yuan Yao."
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