Chapter 57
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes were turned to Song Qingyuan, with jealousy, scrutiny, and disdain.
Wen Yue paused slightly while holding the teacup, her smile froze for a moment, then brightened again: "Yes, sister is so lucky. Unlike us vulgar people, who only know needlework and women's needlework, we are not worthy of the prince's attention.
Speaking of which, Sister Song's chrysanthemum tea is also amazing. It clears the liver and brightens the eyes. I heard that after the prince tasted it, he felt that the pent-up anger in his chest was greatly relieved."
Her words seemed to be a compliment, but in fact they contained hidden meanings, pushing Song Qingyuan to the forefront.
The word "pent-up energy" cleverly implies that the prince was upset somewhere else and came to her to seek peace and quiet.
Song Qingyuan seemed not to hear the hidden meaning, and just smiled lightly: "Sister Wen, you are too kind. These are just some rustic things, not worthy of being presented in a refined hall.
"Princess, your 'Drunken Yang Fei' is truly exquisite. I've truly broadened my horizons today." With a lighthearted remark, she brought the conversation back to the flower viewing, neither boasting nor showing weakness.
As they were talking, Cui Jingyue's personal maid brought a bowl of freshly cooked bird's nest and lotus seed soup. "Princess, you are weak, so the kitchen made this especially for you. Please enjoy it while it's hot."
Cui Jingyue took it and stirred it gently with a silver spoon. She smiled and said, "Don't just sit there, everyone, try this snack. This crab roe pastry is made by the new chef in the imperial kitchen. It tastes very good."
The atmosphere at the banquet was seemingly harmonious and harmonious. The women were talking and laughing, but secretly, no one knew how many glances they exchanged and how many schemes they had hidden.
Song Qingyuan sipped his tea quietly, occasionally answering a word or two, but his eyes were mostly on the blooming chrysanthemums, as if he was really immersed in them.
Suddenly, Cui Jingyue's hand holding the spoon paused, her eyebrows slightly frowned, and a trace of discomfort passed across her face.
"Princess, what's wrong with you?" Wen Yue, who was closest to her, immediately asked with concern.
"It's nothing," Cui Jingyue shook her head, as if trying to suppress the discomfort. "Maybe I got up too hastily this morning and feel a little dizzy." As she spoke, she drank two more sips of the bird's nest soup.
But before long, her face began to turn pale at a visible speed, and fine beads of cold sweat oozed from her forehead. The white jade spoon in her hand fell into the bowl with a "clang" sound, making a crisp sound.
"Princess!" Luzhu was horrified and hurriedly supported her shaky body.
"Someone come...quickly..." Cui Jingyue's voice was weak. She covered her heart with her hands, her eyes were full of pain, and her lips gradually turned purple.
Before she could finish her words, her head tilted and she completely lost consciousness and fainted in Luzhu's arms.
The whole garden erupted in chaos, filled with screams, cries, and chaos.
"Call the doctor quickly! Go and call the prince!" Lu Zhu shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice filled with tears and extreme panic.
Song Qingyuan stood up suddenly, his eyes like lightning quickly scanning the faces of everyone present.
Wen Yue's face showed just the right amount of panic and worry, while the other concubines were filled with fear and helplessness.
In the chaos, no one noticed that Wen Yue quietly dipped a ring that had been hidden in the crevices of her fingernails and was stained with a little white powder into her teacup under the cover of her cuff. Then she picked up the teacup as if nothing had happened and acted anxiously.
The weather in the palace changed suddenly. The chrysanthemum-viewing banquet, just moments earlier, was bathed in a gentle breeze and sunshine, then, in an instant, thick, dark clouds enveloped it. A carefully orchestrated storm finally revealed its ferocious fangs.
The main courtyard suddenly became a mess.
The servants ran around in panic, their cries and hurried footsteps intertwined, completely tearing apart the afternoon tranquility of the palace.
Cui Jingyue was quickly carried back to the inner room. Several doctors stationed in the mansion surrounded the bed, each with a solemn expression and sweat on their foreheads.
This was the scene that Shen Yanzhi saw when he arrived.
He still had a hint of the scent of ink from the study on him, but now it was completely washed away by the strong smell of medicine and the ominous silence in the inner room.
His face was as gloomy as the sky before a rainstorm. As soon as he stepped into the door, the air in the whole room seemed to freeze.
"What's going on?" His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable pressure that silenced the sobbing around him.
Doctor Zhang, the leading doctor, knelt down tremblingly and replied, his voice trembling: "Reply... Reply to Your Majesty, the princess... the princess has been poisoned. The poison is very strong. The old ministers... the old ministers are doing their best to save her, but... but the poison has already entered her internal organs. I'm afraid..."
"Afraid of what?" Shen Yanzhi's eyes suddenly became as sharp as a knife.
"I'm afraid...it's more dangerous than good." After saying these four words, Doctor Zhang knocked his head heavily on the ground, not daring to lift it up again.
Shen Yanzhi clenched his fists suddenly in his sleeves, his knuckles turning white from the force.
He walked to the bedside and looked at Cui Jingyue, whose eyes were closed and lips were purple. A mixture of anger and irritation surged in his chest. Cui Jingyue was not only his princess, but also the bond that maintained his connection with the Cui family's power in the court.
If something happened to her in the palace, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Seal off the main courtyard! No one who attended the chrysanthemum viewing banquet today is allowed to leave! Thoroughly investigate!" He practically squeezed out this order through his teeth, "Start by checking everything the princess takes in!"
The guards immediately took action and the chrysanthemum viewing banquet was surrounded. All the female relatives and servants present were gathered in a side hall. Everyone felt insecure and their faces were pale.
The investigation soon yielded "results." The problem lay with the bowl of bird's nest and lotus seed soup.
After the doctor's examination, it was found that a strange poison called "Qianji" was put into the soup. It was colorless and tasteless, took effect very quickly, and was extremely difficult to detect.
Shen Yanzhi's gaze swept across the terrified faces in the side hall, and finally fell on the kitchen manager who was in charge of the food for today's banquet.
The steward had already collapsed in fear, kneeling on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, "Your Highness, please spare me! Your Highness, please spare me! This bird's nest was prepared specifically for the Princess. From preparing the ingredients to stewing it, to serving it to the table, it was all personally handled by Madam Liu, the Princess's most trusted person. I... I would never dare to be negligent in the slightest!"
Mother Liu was also brought up. She cried so hard that she almost fainted, and swore to the sky that she had no other intentions.
The clues seemed to stop here. Suddenly, everyone became a suspect, but no one had a clear motive or opportunity.
At this moment, Wen Yue, who had been crying silently, suddenly cried out "Ah", as if she remembered something, and a look of fear and hesitation appeared on her face.
"What did you think of?" Shen Yanzhi's eyes immediately locked on her.
Wen Yue glanced at him timidly, then looked at the people around her, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
The maid beside her quickly supported her and said anxiously, "Master, tell me what you have in mind! This is a good opportunity to redress the grievances of the princess!"
Under the gaze of everyone, Wen Yue seemed to have made up her mind, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty dare not speak nonsense, but... but before the princess got into trouble, your Majesty seemed to see... saw Sister Song's maid Caiwei lingering near the tea room for a while.
At that time, everyone was gathered around the princess admiring the flowers, and there were not many people over there. I just happened to catch a glimpse of it, and I wonder…I wonder if it has anything to do with this matter."
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