Chapter 386 The Truth Revealed (Two Updates)
The emperor had no idea what the so-called black and white medicines looked like, so he had no choice but to order the Dragon Shadow Guards to bring all the medicines.
He also instructed the Dragon Shadow Guards not to alert anyone.
The Dragon Shadow Guards were incredibly efficient; in no time at all, they brought over all the bottles and jars from Consort Jing's room.
While waiting for the medicine, the emperor was actually pondering whether there were any flaws in Xiao Liulang's words.
Generally speaking, the Dragon Shadow Guards' martial arts skills should be enough to kill Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao. If Consort Jing really gave him the order to assassinate the two, he would never have stopped halfway.
However, the first order of the Dragon Shadow Guards is to protect the emperor and never harm him. They will serve Consort Jing, but they will not die in Consort Jing's mission.
Every Dragon Shadow Guard is invaluable. The late emperor passed them down to his son not so that they would become swords in his son's hands, but rather shields to protect him.
They would only risk their lives if their master were to die instead of them.
They will stop in time when they realize that their lives are in danger, and the broken mask is one of the signals that the Dragon Shadow Guards judge danger.
The emperor was aware of this, which is why he did not doubt Xiao Liulang's words.
Xiao Liulang was also worried that there might be flaws, so he strictly followed the details of Gu Jiao's assassination attempt as described in the article.
The emperor looked at the bottles and jars on the table, then summoned the imperial physician and asked him to identify the medicinal herbs.
"This is a blood-activating pill, this is a wound medicine, this is a bruise liniment, and this is a blood-tonifying pill..." The imperial physician carefully examined the medicinal herbs on the table, but he couldn't give an answer to two bottles of medicine even after looking at them for a long time.
"What's wrong?" the emperor asked, frowning.
The imperial physician put down the white and black bottles in his hands, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, my medical skills are shallow, and I have never seen these two medicines before."
The emperor had a vague suspicion in his mind, but he suppressed it, telling himself to stay calm and to seek solid evidence.
"You may leave," he said to the imperial physician.
"Yes," the imperial physician replied.
"Wait," the emperor suddenly called out to him again, "Do you know in your heart what you should and shouldn't say?"
The imperial physician said in a panic, "I will keep my mouth shut!"
Eunuch Wei personally escorted the imperial physician out of Huaqing Palace. When he returned to his study, he noticed that the tea on the emperor's table had gone cold, so he quickly removed it and replaced it with a new cup: "Your Majesty."
The emperor noticed that the pills in the black bottle and the white bottle looked exactly the same and smelled almost identical. He casually picked up a white pill and asked Eunuch Wei, "I remember the Qinghuo pill that the imperial physician prescribed last time looks similar to this. Go and get it for me."
"Yes." Eunuch Wei took the cooling pills over.
The Qinghuo pills are also brown pills of this size, but they are not as shiny as the black and white pills, and their smells are not very similar. However, if they are mixed together, there is not much of a problem in distinguishing them without careful examination.
The emperor took two pills from the white bottle and two from the black bottle, and put the cooling pill into them.
The emperor actually wanted to take a few more pills, but if he took too many, the smell of the medicine in the bottle would be hard to distinguish from the real thing.
The emperor ordered the Dragon Shadow Guards to return the medicine to the nunnery and summoned the old marquis back to the palace.
This time, he didn't intend to have the old Marquis investigate for him; he decided to go himself.
"Your Majesty... such a place is a melting pot of all sorts of people, and it might be beneath Your Majesty's dignity. It would be best if Your Majesty did not go," the old Marquis advised.
"I'm not going there to play." He's there to solve a case. As things have progressed to this point, his curiosity has been piqued. Of course, he's not just investigating the truth to satisfy his curiosity.
But what he really wanted to know was whether all his feelings and sincerity over the years had been misplaced.
The old Marquis was a military general, not good at the ways of civil officials, and his tongue was not as eloquent as the emperor's. How could he possibly win an argument?
After several more hesitant attempts to persuade him to no avail, the old Marquis reluctantly agreed.
The emperor changed into his travel clothes and came out.
The old marquis looked at him and reminded him, "Your Majesty, please put on a mask so that no one recognizes you."
The emperor said dismissively, "I am the Son of Heaven. Only your court officials have ever seen me. How could I possibly be recognized in a place like that, where all sorts of people go?"
The old marquis thought to himself, "That's not necessarily true."
The emperor eventually put on his travel hat, which was covered with a veil to conceal his face.
To everyone's surprise, the emperor was recognized as soon as he entered the underground martial arts arena.
It was none other than Prince Ning, who had once traveled to Jiangnan with the emperor.
The emperor wore this straw hat at that time.
Prince Ning wasn't so foolish as to not recognize his own father. He gently closed the window, leaving only a narrow crack, and asked in confusion, "What's going on? Why would Father come to a place like this?"
"Could they be here to arrest the Crown Prince?" the guard asked.
It's understandable that the emperor would notice the Crown Prince's actions, as he wasn't as meticulous as the Prince of Ning.
Prince Ning shook his head slightly: "No, Father Emperor went to find that pharmacist from Yan."
The guard asked, puzzled, "Why is His Majesty seeking out the Yan Kingdom's pharmacist? Is His Majesty unwell?"
Speaking of this, Prince Ning recalled an incident. His father met a Taoist priest on his way back to the palace. The priest claimed he could concoct an elixir of immortality for his father, who then vowed not to set foot in the inner palace for two years in order to achieve immortality.
He had investigated the Taoist priest and found that his background was somewhat illegitimate. Just as he was pondering how to persuade his father to stay away from the priest, his father suddenly sent the priest out of the palace.
It was as if immortality was just a joke, or perhaps just a passing whim of the emperor.
Prince Ning was unaware that the emperor had suffered from syphilis, so he naturally couldn't guess that the emperor sent the Taoist priest away simply because his syphilis had been cured and he no longer needed the pretense of immortality.
The emperor never got to see the pharmacist from Yan; he was too late, as the pharmacist had already left the city to gather herbs.
There's no set timeframe for when they'll return; it could be as short as three to five days, or as long as ten days to half a month.
The emperor was eager to find out the truth and couldn't wait that long.
He thought of someone.
...
Gu Jiao pretended to be a patient at the clinic for a while, thinking that the emperor probably wouldn't come again. She removed the gauze from her body and took Xiao Sanzi's carriage back to Bishui Hutong.
She had barely stepped into the room when the emperor arrived.
She didn't even bother with the half-dryed herbs, and darted back to her house!
She moved so fast that Yao, who was watering the vegetable garden nearby, didn't even have time to react.
The emperor entered the courtyard.
Madam Yao hurriedly put down the kettle and bowed, addressing him not as "Your Majesty," but as "Lord Chu."
The emperor knew that the young physician had a strained relationship with the Marquis of Ding'an's household, so he sent the old marquis back first. He had come alone, only accompanied by Eunuch Wei.
"Is Jiaojiao there?" he asked.
"Jiaojiao..." Madam Yao was unaware of the young couple's scheme to deceive the emperor. Just as she was about to say that Jiaojiao was inside, Xiao Liulang strolled over from next door, his neck and arms wrapped in gauze.
"Yes, Lord Chu, please follow me." Outside the palace, Xiao Liulang also addressed the emperor as Lord Chu.
When Yao saw that Xiao Liulang had an arm in a sling, she was shocked: "Liulang, you..."
Xiao Liulang looked at her steadily and said, "I'm fine, Mother, don't worry."
Yao was taken aback for a moment, then she understood.
She lowered her eyes and said calmly, "I'll go see if the snacks are ready. You take care of Lord Chu."
With that, she turned and went to the kitchen.
Xiao Liulang led the emperor to the main hall and personally poured him a cup of tea. Now that they were far from the door, Xiao Liulang lowered his voice and changed his tone: "Is Your Majesty here to visit Jiaojiao?"
The emperor asked, "I just went to the clinic, and the manager said she's back. Is she feeling better?"
Xiao Liulang said without changing his expression, "I was indeed awake for a short while, but it didn't last long. I fell asleep again after I got home."
The emperor frowned.
Xiao Liulang then asked, "Did Your Majesty come here specifically to visit Jiaojiao?"
The emperor sighed: "I've come to visit her, and also to ask her something."
Xiao Liulang looked at the emperor: "I wonder... what is it?"
The emperor frowned and said, "It's a medicine that the imperial physicians don't recognize. I want to have her take a look, but since she's still unconscious, I'll come back another day."
Xiao Liulang said, "She's awake!"
emperor:"……"
Since Xiao Liulang said that Gu Jiao had woken up, then Gu Jiao really did "slowly wake up." She lay on the bed, covering her chest, her face full of pain and injury.
Xiao Liulang went inside first to check on her. It was fortunate that he did, otherwise her acting skills, which were so awkward they were off the charts, would have given her away in no time.
"Your Majesty," Xiao Liulang stepped forward, coughed lightly, and said to the emperor, "She is somewhat weak. Perhaps I should go in and ask her."
The emperor, thinking that Gu Jiao was injured and wrapped in bandages and it was really inconvenient for her to see people, asked Eunuch Wei to take out two medicine bottles he carried with him and handed them to Xiao Liulang: "Go and ask Jiao Jiao what medicine is in these?"
He paused for a moment, then asked Eunuch Wei, "Which one is the medicine in the white bottle, and which one is the medicine in the black bottle?"
"Ah...this, this..." Eunuch Wei looked embarrassed. "I remembered it on the way here, but suddenly, suddenly I forgot."
These are a pair of jade vases, but the patterns on their bodies are different.
Eunuch Wei thought he could remember everything, but he overestimated his own memory.
The emperor waved his hand: "Never mind, the little divine physician is a doctor, he should be able to tell the difference."
As it turns out, the emperor overestimated people.
Gu Jiao could indeed smell the subtle difference in the scent of the two pills, and knew that the two medicines were different and would not be mixed in the same bottle, but she couldn't remember which one was the white medicine and which one was the black medicine.
Then all we can do is live life like a play and rely entirely on our words.
Xiao Liulang sat in the east room for a while, then took out two bottles of medicine and pointed at them, saying, "Your Majesty, these two medicines are not ordinary. The one on the left is white medicine, and the one on the right is black medicine. They are a kind of long-lost drug, originally from the Tang Clan. It is said that the formula was stolen and gradually spread among the six kingdoms. However, because the medicinal materials are extremely rare and the process is very complicated and cumbersome, only the pharmacists of the Yan Kingdom can refine them."
Gu Chao did indeed learn about these two medicines from a pharmacist in the Yan Kingdom.
The emperor's expression darkened slightly; he felt he was getting close to the truth: "Then... what kind of sleeping potions are they?"
Xiao Liulang said, "Jiaojiao said it's a drug that can confuse people's minds. The white drug makes people feel good, while the black drug makes people feel disgusted."
Emperor: "Is it the person who poisoned you?"
Xiao Liulang: "It may not be the person who administered the drug, but rather the person who saw it when the drug took effect."
Emperor: "How long after taking the medicine will the symptoms appear?"
Xiao Liulang: "Soon."
This wasn't entirely consistent with what Gu Chao had found out, but it wasn't contradictory either. If the drug took effect quickly, there was a high probability that he would see the person who administered the drug.
As the truth unfolded, the emperor felt as if his breath was being choked. He struggled to break free of the blockage in his throat: "What happens when the drug takes effect?"
"Well... it varies from person to person. Some people don't even have a reaction." This was Xiao Liulang's own speculation. Nan Shi Niang hadn't explained it in detail to Gu Jiao, but Xiao Liulang felt that if the emperor had a strong reaction after taking the medicine, he would have noticed it long ago.
At most, this kind of drug will make you sleepy; it won't be any stronger.
The emperor clenched his fingers, closed his eyes, and asked, "How long will the effects of this medicine last?" If they didn't last long, then his kindness towards Consort Jing and his cruelty towards Empress Dowager Zhuang might have nothing to do with them.
Xiao Liulang's words shattered his hopes: "With the medicinal ingredient, it can last for many years."
The emperor was taken aback: "Medicine...guide?"
Xiao Liulang said, "It is a medicinal powder with a floral fragrance. It can be made into a calming incense or dried flowers and put into a brocade pouch."
Calming incense!
Over the years, he has been using the calming incense that Consort Jing gave him!
"Go...go and bring me the calming incense that Consort Jing sent..."
“Your Majesty, those calming incense sticks were useless, I disposed of them all,” Eunuch Wei said with difficulty. Then, as if remembering something, his eyes lit up. “A while ago… Granny Cai gave me a money pouch, and the scent… was somewhat similar to calming incense…”
Actually, they don't look alike.
However, people have a tendency to make associations, and if they keep thinking about it, they might actually start to believe it themselves.
The purse had been damaged by Nan Shi Niang, but Gu Jiao sewed it back up for Wei Gong Gong, leaving the dried flowers inside untouched.
He took the money pouch off.
Xiao Liulang already knew the contents of the money pouch, but he still took it into the east room to go through the motions. Upon emerging, he truthfully reported, "Your Majesty, this contains the medicinal ingredients. Forgive my impertinence, but why does Your Majesty possess these things? Could it be that Your Majesty—"
The emperor interrupted him: "There are some things you don't need to ask."
"Yes," Xiao Liulang replied, bowing.
By the time the truth was uncovered, even the emperor, if he were slow-witted, would understand what had happened. He was deeply shocked, and he even felt that his faith had collapsed overnight.
He stood up, holding onto the chair, but then his legs trembled and he fell back down.
"His Majesty!"
Eunuch Wei was greatly alarmed!
"I'm fine..." The emperor waved his hand anxiously, stopping Eunuch Wei from helping him up.
He mustered all his strength and stood up shakily. His hands were shaking violently, and he looked like a withered leaf shivering in the cold wind, a pitiful sight.
Eunuch Wei's eyes reddened: "Your Majesty..."
The emperor walked forward step by step: "No need to help me, I can walk... I'm perfectly fine..."
He had barely finished speaking when he coughed up blood, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground unconscious.
When the emperor awoke, he found himself lying in his aunt's room, in a familiar setting with simple furnishings, but his state of mind was no longer the same.
"Your Majesty, you're awake?"
It was the old priest's voice.
The emperor suddenly looked much older, turned his head to look at the old chief priest who was guarding the bedside, and said weakly, "Huo Xian."
"Your Majesty, I am here." The old chief minister took a step forward. "Eunuch Wei is brewing medicine in the kitchen. How is Your Majesty feeling? Is there anything wrong? I will go and call Jiaojiao over to take a look."
The emperor weakly shifted his gaze to the monotonous tent ceiling: "No need, no need to call her, I'm fine."
The old chief minister sighed, "Your Majesty, if you have any worries, you can tell me. I will do my best to share your burdens and solve your problems."
The old chief priest had just learned the whole story from Xiao Liulang. On one hand, he thought Xiao Liulang was incredibly bold to do such a thing, but on the other hand, he was quite proud of his son, thinking he was quite promising, with meticulous planning, thorough arrangements, and both boldness and carefulness...
The main problem is that he's ruthless; no wonder he's his apprentice.
But at the same time, he also felt a pang of sympathy for the emperor.
Having been schemed against by his own mother for so many years, His Majesty must have been in great pain.
The truth is cruel, but if we don't do this, we can't save Zhuang Jinse. So let His Majesty suffer three, four, five, six, seven, or eight cuts in his heart!
The old chief minister decisively abandoned the duty between ruler and subject and smoothly turned the topic to Zhuang Jinse: "Your Majesty, are you resting in Bishui Hutong today, or returning to the palace? The Empress Dowager will be attending the morning court tomorrow, so you don't really need to worry about it."
When Empress Dowager Zhuang was mentioned, the emperor's expression faltered for a moment: "Huo Xian."
The old chief priest cupped his hands and said, "Your subject is here."
The emperor gazed at the roof beams shrouded in shadow, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and said, "Tell me, does she hate me?"
Even the emperor no longer uses the imperial title, which shows that his emotions are so complicated that he can hardly control them.
The old chief minister continued to stab her in the back: "Is Your Majesty referring to the Empress Dowager? You hate her, don't you? After all, Your Majesty has hated her for so many years, and even caused her to contract leprosy, which almost cost her her life... If I were her... Your Majesty, please forgive me, I misspoke."
"No, please continue."
"Forget it, there's no point in talking about this now. The relationship between His Majesty and the Empress Dowager is beyond repair."
"Reconciliation is impossible." For some reason, upon hearing these words, the emperor suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
The emperor did not reveal to Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao that he had been drugged, and the old chief minister also pretended not to know. He sighed and said, "If Your Majesty really cannot tolerate the Empress Dowager, please bear with her. The Empress Dowager is only a few years younger than this old minister, and she is already old and does not have many years left to live. Your Majesty can outlive her."
The emperor felt even worse.
The thought of Empress Dowager Zhuang lying in that cold coffin, just like the late emperor, made him gasp for breath.
He didn't know what was wrong with him.
In fact, putting aside the effects of the drug, his and her positions were absolutely incompatible. Even if he hadn't been drugged into disliking her, he would still have hoped that she would step down as soon as possible, hand over the reins of government, and leave his palace as soon as possible!
But why... do I still feel uncomfortable?
The old chief priest showed no mercy when he started stabbing people in the back.
He said, "Your Majesty, I am on Your Majesty's side. If Your Majesty really cannot tolerate Empress Dowager Zhuang, then let the Dragon Shadow Guard kill her."
The emperor's expression changed: "How could I possibly..."
The old chief priest seemed not to hear this and continued, "Speaking of which, it's also the fault of Consort Jing for being too impulsive back then. The late emperor clearly left an imperial edict ordering Empress Dowager Xian to be buried alive with him. If she hadn't stolen it and burned it, His Majesty wouldn't be in such trouble, and Empress Dowager Zhuang would have been gone long ago..."
A single word awakened me from my dream!
That's right. The late emperor left an imperial edict ordering Empress Dowager Zhuang to be buried alive with him. One day, Consort Jing was attending to the late emperor in his side hall when she accidentally discovered the edict and risked her life to steal it.
To avoid being discovered, she immediately found a secluded corner and burned the imperial edict.
During that period, his relationship with Empress Dowager Zhuang was not harmonious, and the two of them had several arguments over the late emperor's treatment plan.
Consort Jing said that the doctor from Yan is very skilled. His Majesty will not survive without craniotomy. Why not take a desperate gamble?
Looking back now, I realize how terrifying brain surgery must have been. How could he have thought that Consort Jing's words made so much sense back then?
Empress Dowager Zhuang opposed craniotomy, so he felt that she was deliberately denying the late emperor the last glimmer of hope for a cure...
How could he...?
The emperor pulled his wandering thoughts back and focused his attention on the imperial edict.
He had never actually seen the imperial edict; it was all just the Empress Dowager Jing's side of the story. So, did it really exist?
If it really existed, did Consort Jing really burn it down?
She didn’t understand her thoughts before, but now that the truth is out, how could she possibly let go of an opportunity to execute Empress Dowager Zhuang?
There must be something he doesn't know!
The night was as still as water.
After the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the palace gradually quieted down.
The majestic Golden Palace resembles a sleeping lion, quietly lying dormant under the cover of night.
The emperor did not choose a concubine today, so the concubines gave up their waiting and closed the palace gates with a sigh.
In the secluded nunnery, Consort Jing had just finished reciting a Buddhist scripture. The cool night air fell upon her slender figure, casting a layer of silent light upon her.
"Your Highness, it's time to rest," Granny Cai reminded her from the side.
Consort Jing held the wooden fish drum in her hand and asked softly, "What time is it?"
Granny Cai said, "It's just past 7 PM."
"That must be the hour of Hai (9-11 PM)." Consort Jing placed Jianzhi back on the table. "His Majesty will probably not be coming today."
Granny Cai sighed.
Your Majesty... has not come to pay your respects to Consort Jing for several days.
Granny Cai said earnestly, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is..."
Consort Jing nodded calmly: "I understand. I was confused and gave him the wrong medicine."
Granny Cai looked at Consort Jing with a complicated expression: "Your Highness..."
Consort Jing said calmly, "Rest in peace."
"yes."
Just as Granny Cai helped Consort Jing to her feet, Hui'an cried out in alarm from outside the door: "Your Majesty!"
The light in Consort Jing's dim eyes suddenly returned, and she tightened her grip on Granny Cai's hand.
...
In the tea room, Consort Jing and the Emperor sat facing each other, kneeling on their respective cushions. Between them was a long table with a pot of freshly brewed flower tea and some vegetarian snacks from the temple.
"Have some tea." Consort Jing placed a cup of floral tea in front of the Emperor.
The emperor looked at the cup of tea but didn't reach for it. His gaze fell on the delicate vegetarian snacks: "Does Mother really like vegetarian food?"
Consort Jing looked at him with slight confusion.
Granny Cai tiptoed out and said to the young nuns outside the door, "You can all go and rest. We don't need you here."
The young nuns returned to their respective meditation rooms.
Granny Cai closed the door for the two of them and quietly stood guard in the corridor.
Consort Jing poured herself a cup of flower tea. Despite her age, her well-maintained fingers gently lifted the teacup, and she smiled nonchalantly: "Is Your Majesty asking if I like vegetarian food? At first, I was indeed not used to it, but after eating it for so many years, even if I dislike it, I should get used to it."
"So it turns out Mother Consort dislikes going to nunneries." The Emperor astutely grasped the meaning behind her words.
Consort Jing was slightly taken aback, put down her teacup and said, "That's not what I meant. I was just using an analogy. I don't dislike vegetarian food."
“But I don’t like it either,” the emperor said.
Consort Jing frowned and looked at the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, did you come here so late just to argue with me?"
The Emperor gave a wry smile. "Alright, then I'll ask another question." As he spoke, he raised his eyes and looked intently into Consort Jing's eyes. "Does Mother truly consider me her own son?"
"Your Majesty's words are getting stranger and stranger. What do you mean I really treat you as my own son? I raised you. You were brought to my palace not long after you were born... Although you are not my biological child, in my heart, you and Ning'an are the same! You are both my flesh and blood!"
"When my mother mentioned this, it reminded me of something. When I was about to be born, my mother was also about to give birth, but she gave birth to a stillborn child, which angered the late emperor. If it weren't for this incident, I would actually be my mother's child, wouldn't I?"
Consort Jing's heart skipped a beat!
"you……"
The Emperor didn't miss the fleeting look of guilt in Consort Jing's eyes. His fist, hidden beneath his wide sleeves, suddenly clenched: "It was indeed your doing that the Empress gave birth to a stillborn child! Yes, if the Empress hadn't given birth to a stillborn child, how could a mere concubine have been raised by a prince? I should have been raised under the Empress's name!"
Consort Jing's clenched fingers loosened little by little. She picked up her teacup and took a sip of tea: "Back then, I had only been in the palace for a short time and had not yet befriended the Empress, let alone had the power to cause the Empress to give birth to a stillborn child. It was Consort Liu who did it, whether you believe it or not."
The emperor said solemnly, "Of course I don't believe it. But so many years have passed, Lady Liu is dead, and the palace maid who delivered the Empress Dowager is dead. There's simply nothing more that can be found out."
Consort Jing sneered: "So His Majesty came here to force me to confess under torture?"
The Emperor found this side of Consort Jing unfamiliar: "Mother, you weren't like this before."
Consort Jing sneered repeatedly: "My son never abandoned me before, so of course I don't have to do this!"
"So it was my fault." The emperor's throat tightened. "Why I acted this way, doesn't Mother know better than anyone else?"
Before Consort Jing could ask, "Why do I know this?", the Emperor took out two medicine bottles and poured the pills inside onto the table.
Consort Jing's expression changed, and she suddenly caught her breath!
The emperor did not come to confront Consort Jing, so he did not need to get a definitive confession from her. He simply came to tell her that he knew, that he knew everything.
The feelings they had shared over the years were genuine, and even with the effects of the black medicine, this sudden break still caused him immense pain.
"Mother, there's no need to explain. I won't believe a word you say from now on... I... I won't come to the nunnery again... Mother, please take care of yourself."
The emperor suppressed the pain in his throat and stood up to walk out. He had just opened the door when he suddenly stopped, turned back, and choked out, "The Dragon Shadow Guard... I suppose Mother Consort no longer needs them... I will take them back from today."
Consort Jing clenched her fists tightly, her whole body trembling, her eyes glistening with tears, but she couldn't utter a single word!
"Your Majesty!" Granny Cai knelt down and pleaded.
The emperor left without looking back.
Consort Jing was furious and embarrassed. She swept all the snacks and tea sets off the table!
"Your Majesty!" Granny Cai entered the room, her face pale with shock.
Consort Jing stood up and stepped on the broken porcelain shards, blood flowing down the winding tea broth and onto the floor.
Granny Cai hurriedly said, "Your Highness! You're injured! Please lift your foot so I can take a look!"
Consort Jing ignored Granny Cai and the pain in her foot. She simply stepped on the porcelain shard that was deeply embedded in her sole and ran back to her meditation room in a disheveled state.
She opened the mechanism, found the hidden compartment under the bed, and took out the box inside.
The black medicine and the white medicine had long been stored separately from the imperial edict.
She still has one last trump card, she still has one!
If she were to die, she would take Zhuang Jinse with her!
If she's not having a good time, Zhuang Jinse shouldn't live on alone!
"Is this what Mother is looking for?"
A sound suddenly came from the doorway.
Consort Jing opened the box with a snap. She looked at the empty box, then turned to look at the bright imperial edict in the emperor's hand.
The emperor's heart ached, but his eyes were filled with despair and coldness.
With reddened eyes, he looked at Consort Jing, whose disheveled state was now completely exposed, took the imperial edict, turned around, and walked away!
"No—" Consort Jing suddenly lunged at the Emperor.
However, before she could take a step, she was blocked by the Dragon Shadow Guards who descended from the sky!
Merry Christmas, sending you love!
(End of this chapter)
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