Chapter 29: The Point of a Thousand Fingers

Chapter 29: The Point of a Thousand Fingers

The imperial food taster, named Xiao Anzi, arrived promptly.

By the time he arrived, the leftovers from Consort Shu's dinner had already been brought to the main hall, neatly arranged in front of everyone.

Xiao Anzi tasted each of the five dishes,

When he tasted the black chicken ginseng soup, his expression suddenly became grave.

After checking three times, he reported to Xiao Jingheng,

"Your Majesty, there is an issue with this black chicken ginseng soup. Aside from the main ingredients and seasonings, it has been laced with a considerable amount of schisandra, san leng, safflower, aconite, peach kernels, and ageratum grass.

These are all blood-activating and stasis-dissolving substances, and the ageratum grass even maximizes their potency. For Consort Shu, who is currently seven months pregnant, these ingredients are utterly forbidden!"

This statement immediately sparked a tumult among those present, inevitably leading to hushed discussions.

Song Zhao quietly observed Xiao Jingheng’s expression, feeling puzzled:

Who doesn’t know that the most precious entity in the palace right now is Consort Shu's unborn child?

At such a critical juncture, who would dare to blatantly harm her in this manner?

As the murmuring grew louder, the Empress angrily commanded, “Silence, all of you!”

She then glared at Qingyue, “Speak! How did these harmful substances get mixed into Consort Shu's meal?”

"I... I don’t know. But indeed, I supervised the cooking of the soup, and it was not tampered with by outsiders. The black chicken came from the Imperial Kitchen, and the ginseng used was wild ginseng."

Qingyue then looked towards the Empress, “It was... the same wild ginseng that Li Changzai presented to Your Majesty, which was then passed on to Consort Shu..."

Hearing this, the Empress's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Li Changzai, too, was nervously twisting her handkerchief.

Xiao Jingheng coldly ordered, “Investigate.”

The black chicken had been stewed whole, making it impossible to verify if it was contaminated.

As for the wild ginseng Li Changzai had gifted, only a third was used for the soup, with the rest stored in the pantry.

Jiang Deshun retrieved the remaining ginseng, handing it over to Xiao Anzi and Chu Yuanpan for a joint examination.

The investigation immediately revealed something suspicious.

Chu Yuanpan, the court physician, snipped one of the thicker ginseng roots, revealing it to be hollow inside!

When he stood the root up, dark red powder poured out from within.

After examining it, he stated:

"Your Majesty, this powder is made from the blood-activating and stasis-dissolving herbs mentioned by Eunuch An..."

With this discovery, the source of the problem became clear—it was the wild ginseng.

Suddenly, all accusations pointed towards Li Changzai.

She panicked, falling to her knees and protesting her innocence,

"Your Majesty, Your Grace, I swear I'm innocent! I have no quarrel with Consort Shu; why would I do such a thing?

Besides, this wild ginseng was originally intended for the Empress. It was only given to Consort Shu after the Empress declined it. How could I have foreseen this tragedy?"

Although she's known for being impulsive and blunt, her reasoning was clear.

Indeed, the wild ginseng was presented to Consort Shu in front of everyone by the Empress.

Her explanation significantly reduced her suspicions.

In the midst of the silence, Consort Chen sarcastically remarked:

"Hah, everyone knows the Empress suffers from a heart condition and can't use ginseng. Yet, you deliberately chose this as a gift? Who knows if you didn’t plan all along for it to be passed on to Consort Shu? After all, it was you who brought the ginseng. No matter what you say, you can't clear yourself of suspicion."

Song Zhao internally commended Consort Chen’s cunning.

With just a few words, she managed to refocus the suspicions back onto Li Changzai.

Just then, an imperial physician emerged from the inner chamber, assisting Concubine Shu with her miscarriage, holding a tray covered with a red cloth.

A strong smell of blood wafted from beneath the cloth, making it clear what lay beneath.

Kneeling before Xiao Jingheng, the physician cried, "Your Majesty, please grieve with restraint. Concubine Shu gave birth to a prince for you... Alas, the prince was stillborn and could not be saved..."

A look of profound sorrow crossed Xiao Jingheng's face,

Clenching his molars tightly, his temples throbbing visibly, his bloodshot eyes looked terrifying.

The Empress dabbed her tears with a handkerchief, signaling the physician to take 'the prince' away, then tearfully consoled Xiao Jingheng, saying,

"What's done is done, Your Majesty. Please don’t be too heartbroken. This matter..."

'Smash'

Before the Empress could finish, Xiao Jingheng hurled a teacup beside him to the floor, shattering it.

All the consorts immediately knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

Xiao Jingheng, ignoring them, ordered with suppressed fury,

"Jiang Deshun! Take men and thoroughly investigate Yaohua Palace!"

Song Zhao, kneeling amidst the crowd, glanced around with the corner of her eye.

Xiao Jingheng's anger and sorrow did not escape her observation,

Beside her, Lady Li was trembling violently, her face drained of color from fear,

And from the inner chamber, intermittent sobs of Concubine Shu began to be heard.

The harem was indeed a ruthless place, as the saying goes.

Even with all of Concubine Shu's caution, it all ended up being a fleeting dream, resulting in vain joy.

Shortly, in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Jiang Deshun returned with the imperial guards.

In his hand, he held a light cyan silk pouch.

"Your Majesty... this item was found in Yaohua Palace."

Chu Yipan, the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau, opened the silk pouch and confirmed that its contents were indeed responsible for Concubine Shu's miscarriage today.

Xiao Jingheng grabbed the silk pouch and furiously threw it at Lady Li's face,

"Caught red-handed, what more do you have to say!?"

Lady Li, terrified, stared at the silk pouch that had fallen before her and shook her head in disbelief, "Impossible! This can't be possible!"

Just when everyone thought Lady Li would be severely punished by Xiao Jingheng,

Jiang Deshun suddenly explained to Xiao Jingheng:

"Your Majesty, this item was indeed found in Yaohua Palace, but not in the eastern side hall where Lady Li resides, but rather..."

His gaze slowly shifted to Song Zhao, speaking with some difficulty,

"It was found in the western side hall, where Song Zhao resides."

Hearing this, Song Zhao felt a tingling sensation on her scalp and a buzzing sound in her ears.