allendalepharm Chapter 63 Searching the Palace
Chapter 63 Searching the Palace
The people inside the hall fell silent, trembling with fear.
Consort Qing could not believe it; she had never seen Li Yuanke so furious.
Is it for the sake of the imperial heir or for someone else?
"Rise, all of you!"
Shen Shixi rose with his help and threw herself into his arms, sobbing, "Consort Qing said that so many concubines went and so many people were injured, so why are Your Majesty and I safe and sound? Why didn't we die outside? Waaah, Your Majesty, why does Consort Qing despise me so much?"
[This woman is like a shrew, always acting like a mad dog, biting me whenever she sees me. Today I'll make her suffer! If Li Yuanke dares not stand up for me, I'll burn down his entire harem!]
The emperor's face turned ashen, and his gaze shot towards Consort Qing like a cold arrow.
Consort Qing was terrified. "No, Your Majesty! How could I dare to say such treasonous words? I wouldn't dare! Your Majesty, please see the truth!"
"Your Majesty, she hit me and pushed me. I bumped into a chair, and Consort Song happened to be sitting right next to me. Consort Song miscarried because of the impact. It wasn't me who caused her miscarriage. Consort Qing is so strong! My arms and face hurt so much!"
Li Yuanke exuded a strong aura of hostility. He touched Shen Shixi's face with one hand and rubbed her arm with the other. He knew everything that had happened, and he also knew that Consort Qing liked to make things difficult for Shen Shixi every day.
No matter how bold she is, she is still just a young girl. She was frightened yesterday and was even accused of being a demon concubine by Li Yuanjian. She was already worried that the court would make things difficult for her.
Li Yuanke sat down in the seat of honor, and Shen Shixi was pressed onto his lap.
She was initially a little embarrassed, but then she thought, "I'm a concubine now, what's the point of maintaining a good image?" She was quite agitated at that moment.
He simply lay down and comfortably leaned on Li Yuanke's shoulder.
"Your Majesty, I acted impulsively. Please forgive me! You didn't hear how horrible Consort Zhao's words were. She actually... she actually slandered me, saying I wanted to become Empress Dowager! I would rather die a thousand deaths than have such a treasonous thought!"
"I see you have quite the audacity! You probably wish I wouldn't come back either, then you'd be the Empress Dowager! You fool, your delusions are utterly unrealistic!"
"Your Majesty, I dare not! If Your Majesty says so, I will die without a burial place!" Consort Qing cried, her face streaked with tears, yet she still possessed a certain beauty.
It must be said that all the women in Li Yuanke's harem were beautiful, each with their own unique charm, from plump to slender.
Consort De said, "Consort Zhao is right about one thing: His Majesty only has two sons. The eldest prince is no longer useful, so there's only the second prince left, isn't there?"
Consort Qing retorted angrily, "Consort De, you're hoping for the Emperor's downfall! What are your intentions?"
"Your Majesty, I am carrying a child in my belly. Apart from Consort Qing, no one in the entire harem wishes for Your Majesty's misfortune. Consort Qing, it seems only you have different thoughts from the others!"
The Empress had medicine brought to Shen Shixi, but Li Yuanke refused.
Li Fude brought the medicine, and Li Yuanke scooped out a little, applying a thick layer to Shen Shixi's face. He then rolled up her sleeves, revealing bruises on her arms. After applying the medicine, he said...
"Consort Qing has harmed me without cause; she is vicious and unfit to raise the Second Prince. She is demoted to the rank of Zhaoyuan. The Second Prince will be temporarily raised by the Empress."
The Empress was furious inside, but she couldn't refuse, nor could she politely decline. "Your Majesty, I obey!"
Consort Qing wept uncontrollably, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince is still young; he cannot be without me!"
The Emperor said coldly, "With a fool like you as his mother, I'm afraid you'll corrupt the Second Prince. He's four years old, can't read a single word, and yet he dares to dream of becoming the Crown Prince! I think you've lost your mind!"
Consort De breathed a sigh of relief. With the Emperor's words, it was impossible for the Second Prince to be made Crown Prince in the short term.
Although the emperor is young and it is too early to establish a crown prince, we should be prepared for any eventuality.
Consort Qing was filled with regret and hated Shen Shixi to the core. If it weren't for her, she wouldn't have been disliked by the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, Consort Song's pregnancy is in danger. It is my fault. I did not expect such a sudden situation and startled Consort Song's pregnancy. It is my dereliction of duty," the Empress said.
[Song Jieyu's pregnancy was already doomed! The women of the harem are truly unpredictable. She herself took the wrong medicine, causing problems for the fetus, and now she's trying every possible way to blame it on her mother. She's also fearless, daring to use acacia seeds as poison—a deadly poison that kills on contact with blood!]
Li Yuanke froze, then ordered, "Summon Imperial Physician Zhang and Physician Jiang! Also, send all the servants of Yixiang Pavilion to the Censorate for rigorous interrogation!"
The Empress was startled. Did the Emperor also know something?
The two arrived quickly. Li Yuanke said, "Consort Song has suffered a miscarriage, and the imperial heir is in danger. Look, she was sitting in that chair, and the chair was slightly bumped, causing the miscarriage. What do you two think is the likelihood of that?"
The Imperial Physician Zhang said, "Your Majesty, Consort Song is already five months pregnant. If the pregnancy is indeed as stable as the medical record says, then such an impact will not cause any serious harm, at least it will not cause an immediate miscarriage."
During the tour of Jiangling, "Zhang Yuanpan's words are reasonable, and I also agree."
"Look at that tea, is there anything wrong with it?" Li Yuanke pointed to the broken teacup on the ground, with less than a mouthful of tea left on the bottom of the half-bowl.
[Li Yuanke is indeed cunning; Song Jieyu's attempt to find a scapegoat is unlikely to succeed. If it were me, I would have used the same trick of falling into the water, but I wouldn't have gotten myself involved. So, it's true, harming others ultimately harms oneself; unfortunately, everyone loves to be self-righteous.]
Imperial Physician Zhang and Jiang Ling swam over to examine the tea, and both were shocked. "Your Majesty, this tea has been poisoned!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress's legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground. "Your Majesty, I didn't! It has nothing to do with me! How could I possibly poison Consort Song?"
The emperor extended his hand to her, saying, "Don't panic, if it wasn't you, it could have been someone else!"
The Empress breathed a sigh of relief and felt like crying. She hadn't expected the Emperor to trust her so much.
Shen Shixi then got off him.
"What kind of poison is it?" Li Yuanke asked.
Jiangling Youdao said, "This is the poison of Abrus precatorius. Abrus precatorius is a kind of bean. Its roots and vines are used in medicine to clear heat, detoxify, and promote urination. Its seed shell is very hard. If swallowed whole, it is not poisonous. However, if the shell is broken and the powder inside is taken out, or if it is chewed and swallowed, even a very small amount can cause poisoning."
Li Yuanke and the others had never even heard of such a thing.
Judge Zhang said, "This poison usually only appears in the south. I don't know why it's in the palace. Your Majesty, this matter is extremely strange. I urge Your Majesty to be extra careful."
[Red beans grow in the south, this is the most evocative symbol of longing! That Consort Song wore such a huge string of them on her arm, enough to poison the entire harem. Other concubines wear gold and silver, but I, as a concubine, have my head constantly on my hands. That bastard Li Yuanke is inhuman!]
Li Yuanke ordered a search, including Song Jieyu's person. Immediately, someone went and took a string of acacia seeds.
Song Jieyu lost her baby. When the acacia seeds were discovered, she immediately fainted.
This acacia bead bracelet is truly beautiful. The bright red beads are adorned with a black dot at the end, their color is smooth and lustrous, and their appearance is gorgeous, but it looks more like a coiled little venomous snake.
"Search the palace!" Li Yuanke ordered. "Except for Qingyan Hall, Peach Blossom Pavilion, Leshou Hall, and the Empress's Qifeng Hall, search every other place. Li Fude, send a message to Cen Yin, instructing him to search the entire palace, digging three feet into the ground, leaving no inch of soil untouched."
"yes!"
Following the poisonous stone, now poisonous beads have appeared. These are things that could endanger Li Yuanke's life. How could he not be afraid!
Let's search for them together.