Since that "verbal battle" in the Imperial Garden, Lin Wanwan's life has been more peaceful than ever before.
Consort Shu, Wang Cai'er, seemed to have had her spine completely broken. She feigned illness and hid in Chengqian Palace, no longer daring to cause trouble. As for the other concubines in the palace who had been restless, after witnessing the Empress's methods and the Emperor's attitude, they all immediately fell silent and became well-behaved, showing utmost respect to the people of Kunning Palace.
Even the usually enigmatic Empress Dowager, upon learning of this, merely sent someone to give Consort Shu a perfunctory reprimand, and then said nothing more. Clearly, she had tacitly accepted the outcome of this power struggle.
In an instant, Lin Wanwan's position as the "bride who brought good fortune" was consolidated like never before.
Her relationship with Xiao Che entered a warm phase that could be described as a "honeymoon period".
The study in Kunning Palace remained their "secret base" where they spent their days together.
However, the atmosphere became more harmonious and natural.
Xiao Che no longer needed to find any excuses; he would appear here on time every day after court. He would hand over the most difficult memorials to Lin Wanwan with utmost ease, listening to her offer some imaginative yet insightful opinions from novel and interesting modern perspectives that he had never heard before.
Lin Wanwan also became increasingly accustomed to playing the roles of his "personal tea room hostess" and "chief masseuse." He drank the jasmine tea she brewed for him every day; he never refused the various snacks she made by hand.
Between the two, a peculiar, silent bond seemed to have formed. He provided her with shelter, allowing her to gain a foothold in the deep palace; she soothed his weariness, allowing him to find a rare moment of ease and comfort in his arduous imperial life.
Everything seemed so peaceful and serene.
However, beneath this calm, a question lingered in Lin Wanwan's mind, growing larger and clearer with each passing day.
This question concerns Xiao Che's "illness".
Everyone in the palace knows that His Majesty has been frail and sickly since childhood, a true "sickly man".
When Lin Wanwan first arrived, she also firmly believed this.
However, as they spent more time together, she keenly discovered a terrifying pattern that everyone else had overlooked.
This pattern is closely related to the bowl of herbal soup he had to take every day.
At first, Lin Wanwan didn't pay much attention. She just thought it was a tonic to help him recover.
But she gradually discovered that Xiao Che's mental state seemed to have a strange, inverse relationship with the bowl of medicine.
Usually, before taking his medication each afternoon, Xiao Che, though sometimes tired or irritable due to the heavy workload of official duties, remained clear-headed, in good spirits, and highly efficient in reviewing memorials. The emojis above his head were mostly normal expressions like "Work is so annoying.gif" or "Want to slack off.jpg".
However, as soon as that bowl of dark, medicinal soup was drunk...
Then something strange happened.
For the first half hour, nothing seemed amiss. But once that half hour had passed, his condition would deteriorate rapidly.
He would become extremely tired, listless, and often lose focus while looking at memorials. His once clear eyes would also be clouded with a lingering weariness.
The emoji above his head will change from various emotional complaints to expressions of physical discomfort, such as "[My body feels completely drained.jpg]" or "[So sleepy, want to sleep.gif]".
Once or twice, it could be considered a coincidence.
If this happens every day without exception, then it is definitely not a coincidence!
A deep sense of unease rose in Lin Wanwan's heart.
She began to observe everything more carefully and discreetly.
That afternoon, the weather was somewhat gloomy, and the dim light in the study added to the oppressive atmosphere.
Xiao Che had just finished his daily bowl of herbal medicine and was frowning as he looked at a memorial concerning the reform of the Grand Canal. The memorial was clearly poorly written and involved many stakeholders, making him increasingly frustrated.
Lin Wanwan noticed that the emoji above his head was a little person scratching his hair, deep in thought [thinking.jpg].
This shows that his mind is still clear at this moment.
Lin Wanwan silently counted the time in her mind.
One incense stick... two incense sticks...
Sure enough, about half an hour later, the unexpected happened.
Xiao Che's brows furrowed even more, and he raised his hand, pressing his temples wearily.
The "thinking.jpg" emoji above his head suddenly flickered a few times, as if there was a poor signal, and then instantly switched to a completely new and alarming animated GIF—
It was a dizzying scene with countless circles and stars in the background, and a little figure was covering his head, feeling disoriented.
[My head is spinning.gif]
Lin Wanwan's heart tightened suddenly!
Just as she was about to ask a question, she saw Xiao Che's body suddenly sway violently.
His hand, which was holding the vermilion brush, suddenly lost its strength. With a "thud," the brush slipped from his fingers, leaving a long, glaring red mark on the bright yellow memorial.
Immediately afterwards, as if all his strength had been drained, he leaned forward and fell straight down silently onto the mountain of dragon-shaped paper, briefly and completely losing consciousness.
"His Majesty!"
Lin Wanwan was so frightened that she jumped up from her chair and rushed over in one stride.
Her mind went blank, with only one thought screaming wildly—something's happened!
However, just as she was about to touch Xiao Che's body and was about to shout for help, the figure lying on the table moved slightly.
Xiao Che slowly, with great difficulty, raised his head.
His face was paler than usual, and his lips were bloodless. His phoenix eyes, which always shone with a sharp light, were now covered with a thick, persistent mist, making them appear unfocused and lifeless.
"I am... fine."
He saw Lin Wanwan rushing up to him, her face filled with shock, and seemed to realize his earlier loss of composure. He forced himself to sit up straight and said in a hoarse voice, "It's just... my old problem flared up again, I'm a little exhausted."
Old ailment?
Losing strength?
No!
No!
If Lin Wanwan were still a native of this era, perhaps she would actually believe this explanation.
But she isn't!
She is a modern soul who has watched countless crime dramas and medical science popularizations!
It is absolutely impossible for a person to experience such precise, timed, and timely symptoms that occur exactly half an hour after taking the medication simply because of "weakness" or "exhaustion"!
This makes absolutely no medical sense!
This is not an illness!
This is not simply a matter of being sickly or weak!
This is... poisoning!
It's a slow, day-to-day poison that can destroy a person's mind and body... chronic poisoning!
An incredibly clear and terrifying thought, like a black lightning bolt, struck Lin Wanwan's brain, leaving her feeling ice-cold and as if she had been struck by lightning.
She looked at Xiao Che's pale and haggard face, which was trying to appear calm, and then thought of the bowl of medicine he had to take every day...
A terrifying and complete logical chain instantly formed in her mind.
Someone...
Someone is using that bowl of soup that everyone drinks every day, which is considered a "tonic" by everyone, in the most hidden and imperceptible way, day after day...
They poisoned the current emperor!
He himself, the entire Imperial Medical Academy, and even the entire palace were kept in the dark, and all of this was attributed to his ridiculous "innate weakness"!
This is not a simple palace intrigue, nor is it a political struggle in the imperial court.
This was a massive, silent conspiracy targeting the emperor himself, which had lasted for countless years!
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