After the emperor returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he walked into the side hall and saw the princess still crying. He frowned distressedly and quickly picked her up and coaxed her, "Be good, Qianning, don't cry." Then he turned to look at Jiang Meiyu beside him and asked anxiously, "Yu'er, what's wrong with Qianning? Why does she keep crying?"
Jiang Meiyu suspected someone was up to something, but she didn't dare speak up. She only replied cautiously, "Your Majesty, I don't know. Qianning suddenly burst into tears." The emperor's face darkened and a trace of anger flashed in his eyes. "Damn it! If anyone dares to harm my daughter, I will tear her into pieces!"
At this moment, the queen couldn't help but shudder, her heart was in a panic, so she pretended to be weak and said to the queen mother: "Mother, I suddenly feel unwell and want to go back to the palace to rest."
The empress dowager gently comforted her, "Queen, you have worked so hard today. I will ask the emperor to reward you well." The queen quickly burst into tears of gratitude and said, "Thank you, mother. This is all my job. How dare I take credit for it." After saying this, the queen turned around and prepared to leave the Qianqing Palace.
At that moment, the Emperor strode in, trailed by a phalanx of guards. Everyone stood up and saluted, but the Emperor waved his hand to excuse them. The Empress was even more astonished, wondering, "Could it be that Concubine Gu hadn't succeeded..." Her face turned exceedingly pale, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead. The Emperor glanced at the Empress and ignored her, ascending to the main seat and taking a seat.
The emperor's voice was cold and serious: "What? The queen is planning to leave before I come back? Doesn't she take me seriously? Or is she feeling guilty? Sit down! I have something to ask you later!" His eyes were like torches, staring at the queen so intently that no one dared to look directly at him.
The queen's heart tightened and she groaned inwardly, but she knew very well that she could not panic at this moment, so she replied calmly, "Yes, Your Majesty." She slowly stood up and sat gracefully on a chair beside her. Although she looked calm on the surface, she was uneasy in her heart, and her hands unconsciously clenched the corners of her clothes.
At that moment, the Empress stole a glance in the direction of Duke Deng, her eyes pleading for help. Duke Deng, sensing his daughter's gaze, signaled with a calming look, saying he would take care of everything. However, these subtle gestures between father and daughter did not escape the Emperor's sharp eyes. He saw it all.
The emperor raised his glass high and said in a loud voice: "Come on, my dear ministers, continue drinking!" Then everyone raised their glasses, laughter and joy filled the entire hall again, and the atmosphere became extremely lively.
After about an incense stick of time, a guard suddenly hurried into the hall and reported to the emperor: "Your Majesty, Xiao Guizi has confessed."
Qin Huaian's face turned pale upon hearing this. His body trembled uncontrollably, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He felt as if he was enveloped by an invisible pressure. He was so nervous that he didn't know what to do, and his heart was filled with fear and anxiety.
The emperor smiled faintly, his eyes revealing a confidence that he had won. He asked casually, "Oh? Tell me, what's going on?"
At this moment, Jiang Meiyu slowly walked over and gracefully sat beside the emperor. The emperor gently took her hand and patted it tenderly, signaling her to rest assured. Their eyes met, as if conveying a tacit understanding.
Qin Huaian's heartbeat raced with nervousness, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He could almost hear his heartbeat. He clenched his fists tightly, trying to remain calm, but his heart was already a turmoil. If it weren't for the Duke of Qin sitting nearby, he would have collapsed to the ground.
The guard respectfully reported to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Xiao Guizi claims that all of this was done by Consort Gu. She attempted to gain your favor by giving him money to drug your wine. Furthermore, Xiao Guizi claims that this incident had nothing to do with Eunuch Wang; he simply gave him a laxative, which is why he suddenly developed diarrhea before the banquet began."
Hearing this, Qin Huaian finally felt relieved. However, when he realized that Xiang Ling had been found and must be suffering, he became anxious again. He knew he couldn't save her, so he could only pray for her silently, hoping that she would be safe.
"Nonsense, how long has Concubine Gu been in the palace? How did she know Xiao Guizi? Besides, she has a low position, why would Xiao Guizi risk her own life to help her? Have you found out what their relationship is? Continue the interrogation for me." The emperor drank a glass of wine leisurely, as if everything was under control.
At this moment, everyone below realized that something big had happened in the palace. They were all nervous and uneasy, not daring to breathe.
They looked at each other, as if wondering what had happened. Some of them looked worried, while others secretly prayed that everything would be fine.
Half an incense stick of time passed before Imperial Physicians Hu and Wu hurriedly arrived at the main hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Their expressions were solemn, and beads of sweat still hung on their foreheads, indicating that they had been jogging all the way here.
Once inside the hall, they both knelt to report the situation to the emperor. Doctor Hu spoke first, "Your Majesty, we've found the problem with the little princess." His voice was a little nervous, but he managed to remain calm.
When the emperor heard this, his expression immediately became serious and he asked quickly: "Tell me quickly! What is the problem?" His eyes revealed anxiety and worry, and he couldn't help but worry for his daughter.
"Your Majesty, after a detailed examination and diagnosis, Imperial Physician Wu and I discovered that the young princess's nurse had caught a cold a few days ago and had taken some medicine. However, someone deliberately added a poison to the nurse's medicine. This toxin comes from a poisonous flower known as the 'deadly poison oleander.' The fruit, leaves, and roots of this flower are all toxic. However, oleander can also be used as a medicinal herb, with cardiotonic, diuretic, expectorant, analgesic, and blood stasis-removing properties. However, it should be noted that the entire plant and its milky sap are poisonous, so they must be used with caution when used medicinally. It happened that the other nurse's milk was low today, and the young princess drank a small amount of hers. Fortunately, the little princess didn't drink much, and I have already prepared an antidote. The little princess is now out of danger."
The emperor slammed the table in anger and stood up. "This is simply too much! Chenfeng, immediately investigate this matter thoroughly. They actually dared to murder my princess. They must not be let off."
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