Chapter 59: The Mist Thickens

Chapter 59: The Mist Thickens

Su Jiaojiao was filled with unease.

Inside Yutang Palace.

Several imperial physicians from the Imperial Physicians' Office were taking turns to diagnose the unconscious eldest prince on the bed. They frowned deeply, whispering among themselves, occasionally shaking their heads.

No one dared to speak loudly in the vast Yilan Palace. Everyone was as silent as cicadas in winter, fearing to provoke Consort Wang, who was red-eyed and guarding the bedside.

She gently caressed the prince's cheek, her eyes red with tears: "Zhou'er, my child..."

Since the beginning of this year, Zhou'er had been frequently ill, each time lasting for a long time, and it always took several days for him to fully recover. He was only four years old, yet he couldn't eat or sleep well, and his little face grew increasingly pale.

After Physician An had examined him last time, he had been recuperating for so many days. Today, she thought of letting him try going to the Imperial Academy, as he couldn't stay confined in Yutang Palace forever.

Who would have thought that he would faint straight after drinking a bowl of medicine at noon! How could this be!

Her son hadn't fully recovered, but he was certainly not so weak as to faint at the slightest breeze. He was born healthy and rarely fell ill before the age of three, growing up lively and adorable. Why did he become like this this year!

Seeing the prince lying unconscious, Consort Wang's heart ached with pain, tears streaming down her face, almost crying herself to unconsciousness.

Her son was the only prince in the palace. Could someone be jealous of her having a son, someone wanted to harm him?!

Consort Wang suddenly looked up, her tear-streaked face now cold and paranoid, shouting at the physicians: "Poison... Has someone poisoned my son!"

She had let Physician An take his pulse so many times before, how could he not detect anything unusual, only saying it was general malaise!

The more Consort Wang thought about it, the more she hated, gripping the blanket tightly, her heart filled with anger and sorrow with nowhere to vent.

It must be Physician An who secretly betrayed the Wang family, betrayed her!

Consort Wang was furious, stood up and walked in front of Physician An, slapped him across the face, then grabbed his collar fiercely, her red eyes filled with sharp hatred: "I placed my trust in you, entrusted the prince's health to you, what have you done! Why is Zhou'er unconscious now? Incompetent!"

"If anything happens to Zhou'er, I will kill you!"

Physician An was so scared that his legs went weak, trembling and begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, please calm down, please calm down! The prince's pulse is irregular, I really couldn't detect anything before, now I am discussing with several physicians, please give me another chance!"

Consort Wang stared at him for a long time without letting go, the people around knew that Consort Wang must be too anxious to listen to any words, no one dared to step forward to dissuade.

When Emperor Shen Huai and Su Jiaojiao arrived at Yutang Palace together, they saw Consort Wang grabbing the physician's collar.

He became even more displeased, commanded, "Enough!"

"You are the prince's birth mother, one of the four consorts, look at what you look like now!"

Consort Wang's hand suddenly let go, turned towards the Emperor and knelt down with a "thud", kowtowed repeatedly. She prostrated on the ground, her voice, usually proud, now helpless and trembling: "Your Majesty, please save Zhou'er, I beg you to save him! He is only four years old, but he is your flesh and blood... Your Majesty!"

She knelt in front of Emperor Shen Huai, tears streaming down: "Zhou'er has been in good health since birth, rarely fell ill, but since the beginning of this year, the time he was ill became longer and longer. I initially thought it was just a cold, caused by physical weakness, didn't dare to think in other directions. But now Zhou'er had just recuperated for several days and went out once, returned to the palace and fainted in front of me, how can I comfort myself that Zhou'er is just frail because he's so young!"

Consort Wang raised her tear-streaked face to look at the Emperor: "Zhou'er must have been poisoned, someone wants to harm my child, I implore Your Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the Empress and Consort Mi's sedan chairs happened to arrive at the gate of Yutang Palace.

Both of them looked serious, were helped down from the sedan chairs, quickly entered the Yilan Palace, the Empress glanced at Consort Wang without showing any expression, bowed to Emperor Shen Huai, frowned slightly: "Now the prince is still on the bed, as a mother, you should calm down, whatever it is, it's not too late to talk about it after the child wakes up."

The Yilan Palace was now bustling, with several physicians, palace servants, plus those who had just arrived, there must be twenty or thirty people.

Consort Mi sneered in her heart, also bowed to the Emperor, then sat down in the side seat.

She cast a cold glance at Noble Consort Wang, her eyes showing no trace of sympathy.

In the past, although she and Noble Consort Wang were at odds, she wouldn’t have relished causing chaos in such a situation.

But she had just learned that Noble Consort Wang had harmed her child, bribed her maid, and attempted to kill her child and then herself.

Noble Consort Wang was her mortal enemy, and such a vile woman, even if she died before her eyes now, she would not even blink.

Noble Consort Mi said icily: "Noble Consort Wang failed to take care of the royal heir, and now she is making baseless claims to clear her name. Right and wrong will be known once the imperial physicians come out with the results. Why are you fixated on Imperial Physician An? If the eldest prince wakes up, he might also be disappointed in you as his mother."

The Empress did not expect Noble Consort Mi to follow her lead, and she shot her a surprised look before sitting down beside the Emperor.

Seeing that both the Empress and Noble Consort Mi were pointing fingers at her, Noble Consort Wang became even more convinced that someone had poisoned her child. She was so enraged that her whole body shook. Had the Emperor not been there, she would’ve wanted to claw their faces off!

The more they wanted Noble Consort Wang to fall, the more she had to remain calm.

Noble Consort Wang took a deep breath, suppressing the hatred in her heart. She glared at the Empress and Noble Consort Mi before her, compelling herself to remain composed. She then turned to the Emperor, weeping: "Your Majesty, Zhou'er was born from my womb after ten months of pregnancy, he is a piece of my very being! No one in this world loves him more than I do, but the fact remains, even if it’s ill-timed, I must speak up."

She shook her head in tears, her voice hoarse: "I dare ask Your Majesty, if something were to happen to Zhou'er, who would benefit the most!"

Su Jiaojiao looked around and spoke softly: "Your Majesty, please do not be angry, your health comes first."

"Noble Consort Wang is anxious as a mother, and the Empress and Noble Consort Mi are considering the bigger picture. Jiaojiao believes both sides have merit. But the eldest prince is still lying in bed, and this isn’t the moment to dredge up old grudges."

Since entering, she had been standing by the Emperor's side, not sitting down. After listening for a while, she had a rough grasp of the situation.

Noble Consort Wang suspected that someone had poisoned the eldest prince, causing his prolonged illness, and directly accused the Empress and Noble Consort Mi.

Had these issues not been raised, it would have been fine, but now that they were, the Empress and Noble Consort Mi might temporarily join forces against her.

Although Su Jiaojiao felt that the child was innocent, when it came to Noble Consort Wang, she also wanted her gone.

"What past grievances!" Noble Consort Wang sharply interrupted Su Jiaojiao's words, "You venomous woman! The eldest prince is lying in bed unconscious, and as his mother, I naturally know whether he is ill or poisoned. In today's situation, what right do you have to speak!"

Shen Huai's patience had run out, and he frowned, reprimanding: "How dare you!"

"I’ll let your disrespectful outburst slide in front of the throne out of consideration for your maternal anxiety. If you continue to be ungrateful, the eldest prince should have a more magnanimous and benevolent mother."

The fire in Noble Consort Wang’s eyes died out, and she collapsed to the ground, murmuring: "Your Majesty... you don't believe me..."

"Since I was fifteen years old and became your concubine in the Crown Prince's residence, I have been cautious and devoted, and I risked my life to give birth to the eldest prince... You can say I am harsh, venomous, that I do not understand the way of a consort, but when it comes to Zhou'er's safety, you don't believe me either..."

She stared blankly at the Emperor, tears streaming down her face, murmuring: "Zhou'er... Zhou'er..."

Shen Huai looked steadily at Noble Consort Wang's heartbroken state. Although he was displeased with her outburst in front of the throne, he had to admit that one of the many things she had said was true.

She had said that she was Shen Nanzhou's biological mother, and no one in this world loved the eldest prince more than she did.

That was not wrong.

As a mother, Noble Consort Wang wished for the eldest prince's health and safe growth more than anyone else.

He finally softened his tone, saying: "Zhi Tong, help her up and sit."

Zhi Tong curtsied and immediately stepped forward to help Noble Consort Wang, who was slumped on the ground, to her feet and seated her on a chair beside Noble Consort Mi.

At that moment, two imperial physicians emerged from the inner chamber, bowing their heads and kneeling before Shen Huai. They were Imperial Physician Lin and Imperial Physician An.

The leading Imperial Physician Lin wiped the sweat from his forehead, instinctively glanced at the Empress, and then quickly shifted his gaze to the Emperor, saying: "Your Majesty, regarding the eldest prince's condition, I have consulted with my colleagues in the Imperial Hospital. We found that while the eldest prince's pulse appears normal on the surface, internally, he’s depleted, and his overall condition is not good."

"After analyzing the Crown Prince's previous pulse readings, we have discovered that he must have been harmed by a chronic poison that has damaged his constitution. This poison is slow-acting, and its effects only become apparent over a long period. Normally, it is undetectable in pulse readings, and only when symptoms appear can we detect any traces."

Imperial Physician Lin bowed down, not daring to look up: "This chronic poison could be something ingested or something in close contact with his body. We have exhausted all possibilities but cannot identify the poison that could have such a stealthy effect, harming the constitution invisibly, without even showing in pulse readings."

Su Jiaojiao's eyes flickered as she scanned the room.

Who could have administered such a vicious poison to the Crown Prince? Noble Consort Mi doesn’t seem the type, could it be the Empress?

If the Crown Prince's health were to collapse, the one who would benefit the most is the Empress.

She is still young, and if she could bear another child, the status of the central palace’s legitimate heir would be far more advantageous.

If it really is the Empress, Su Jiaojiao couldn’t help but wonder.

Noble Consort Wang had been so wary of the Empress, how did the Empress manage to administer such a chronic poison to the Crown Prince without anyone noticing?

As soon as Imperial Physician Lin finished speaking, Noble Consort Wang wept even more bitterly: "It is indeed poison, I knew that Zhou'er had been poisoned!"

She pulled away from Zhi Tong’s hold, rushed over, and knelt at Shen Huai's feet, pleading desperately: "Your Majesty, I beg you to thoroughly investigate this matter. Someone dared to harm the royal heir, their crime is unforgivable!"

Noble Consort Wang sobbed and wailed, while Shen Huai's expression was dark and he remained silent, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

After a long while, he finally said in a low voice: "Cai Shan."

"Investigate every aspect of the Crown Prince’s daily life. I want to see who dares to harm the royal heir!"

Cai Shan accepted the order and retreated. Only then did the Empress speak softly: "Your Majesty, if the Crown Prince has been poisoned, perhaps Jade Hall Palace is no longer secure. It might be better to move him to my Phoenix Palace. If there are any disloyal people around Noble Consort Wang, it would be better to avoid them."

Before the Emperor could speak, Noble Consort Wang hurriedly said: "No!"

She looked at the Emperor and said: "Your Majesty, absolutely not. Zhou'er is unwell and needs to rest quietly. How can we move him and risk exposing him to illness? Besides, I am Zhou'er's mother, who could take care of him more attentively than I?"

Noble Consort Wang shook her head in tears: "With Zhou'er poisoned, everyone in the palace is a suspect. As his mother, I cannot trust anyone else to take care of him. I must oversee everything myself, I beg Your Majesty to allow it!"

Shen Huai's voice was cold: "The Crown Prince should not be moved, let him stay in the Jade Hall Palace."

He looked at Imperial Physician Lin: "Can the poison be cleared?"

Imperial Physician Lin hesitated for a moment, then knelt down, trembling as he spoke: "We still haven’t identified the poison, so it is difficult to prescribe the right treatment. We can only give the Crown Prince some general detoxification remedies and let him rest and recuperate. If we cannot identify the poison, the Crown Prince’s condition may eventually..."

Noble Consort Wang's heart trembled, and she turned to ask: "Eventually what?!"

Imperial Physician Lin did not dare to look up, he lowered his head and gritted his teeth, struggling to say: "The poison will gradually infiltrate his internal organs, wasting away his body, and he may... not live to reach adulthood."

Noble Consort Wang's pupils dilated, and her eyes widened: "What..."

All her strength seemed to drain away in an instant, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

The Empress’s expression turned grave, and she said in a deep voice: "The Crown Prince is still a young child, and he has rarely been ill before. How could it have come to such a serious state? You must ensure your diagnosis is accurate!"

Imperial Physician Lin, fearing the Emperor's wrath, hurriedly said: "This is the consensus reached after consulting the entire medical bureau, I dare not speak falsely!"

Su Jiaojiao slightly lowered her gaze to look at the Emperor, whose expression was extremely grave, and did not speak.

The Crown Prince is the only prince in the palace, and his value is beyond measure. No matter how much others in the palace may envy or dislike Noble Consort Wang, the Emperor will undoubtedly place the utmost importance on the Crown Prince's safety.

But since the poison could be administered to the Crown Prince so stealthily for so long, it means it will not be easy to trace.

Could it be, as with Noble Consort Mi, that a maid close to Noble Consort Wang has betrayed her?

The Emperor's cold voice rang out, "Leave no stone unturned to find the poison and ensure the Crown Prince’s safety. If anything happens to him, I will not spare you!"

Noble Consort Mi watched Noble Consort Wang's state with a cold gaze and spoke lightly, "The Crown Prince is unconscious. As his mother, Noble Consort Wang should calm down and take good care of him. Crying like this, how can His Majesty trust you to care for the royal heir?"

Noble Consort Wang was too distraught to argue, only shaking her head repeatedly at Imperial Physician Lin, who remained kneeling, "No, Zhou'er will be fine, he will be fine..."

Shen Huai let out a long breath and ordered, "Call for someone."

"Bring all the palace servants of Yutang Palace in for questioning. Search Yutang Palace meticulously—leave no detail unchecked!"

Noble Consort Mi, knowing she was uninvolved, secretly hoped Noble Consort Wang and the poisoned one would suffer, so she spoke up, "Your Majesty, the poison may not necessarily have originated from Yutang Palace. The wet nurse, playmates from the Imperial Academy, his clothes, even the bowl he drank medicine from at noon—everything tied to the Crown Prince must be checked."

Mentioning the Imperial Academy, the Empress's eyes flickered slightly, and she then said, "Noble Consort Mi makes a valid point. Harming the royal heir is a serious offense, and every detail must be examined."

She turned to the Emperor and said, "Perhaps I could help with the investigation to speed things up."

Noble Consort Mi immediately let out a cold laugh, "Your Majesty rules the empire, and there are plenty of people in the palace to handle this. Why would the Empress need to save time for Your Majesty? Everyone in the harem is implicated. Her Majesty the Empress seems to be trying to stay out of this, which isn’t right."

The Empress looked at her calmly and said gently, "I’m just worried and spoke out of turn. I will follow Your Majesty's orders."

"Your Majesty."

Su Jiaojiao spoke softly, taking a cup of tea from the maid beside her, slightly bowing her waist, and presenting it to the Emperor, whispering, "The ladies have shared their thoughts, and Your Majesty must be stressed. Please have some tea to clear your mind."

She smiled gently, bringing comfort to those who saw her, "You are the Son of Heaven, and your judgment is far wiser than ours. The Grand Eunuch is highly skilled, and I’m sure he’ll handle this perfectly."

Shen Huai took the cup and, following her words, nodded slightly, "The Empress doesn’t need to be involved. I’ll have someone take care of it."

Noble Consort Wang, who bore the Crown Prince and once helped manage the harem, had openly and secretly clashed with the Empress. Shen Huai was not unaware of this.

However, the Empress had always been virtuous and tolerant, and the Wang family had not made any mistakes in the court. He’d only scolded her a few times and never punished her.

The Empress had only given birth to a princess, and the main palace lacked a legitimate heir. She resented and feared Noble Consort Wang, which he knew.

But the Crown Prince’s poisoning was a serious matter, involving the royal heir. He’d naturally investigate thoroughly, and the Empress couldn’t be involved.

Ultimately, Noble Consort Wang dared to challenge the Empress because the harem had few heirs, and the Empress feared the Wang family. This was due to the scarcity of heirs in the harem.

If there were more heirs, Noble Consort Wang’s arrogance would wane, and the concubines’ rivalry would lessen.

Moreover, the Empress’s lack of a son was always a sore spot for her. Though Shen Huai didn’t care for the Empress, for the sake of the empire and harem harmony, he still had to save face for her if she wasn’t involved. Ideally, he could have the Empress bear a legitimate heir—

Shen Huai stepped into the inner chamber and looked at Shen Nanzhou, who lay pale on the bed. He reached out to touch his small hand and tucked him in properly.

He stared at him with a troubled look for a long moment before leaving the room.

Su Jiaojiao looked up at him, not speaking.

Because she clearly knew that the Emperor must be in a heavy mood at this moment.

Although today was her birthday, with such a significant event occurring, if she brought it up again, it would seem as if she didn't understand the situation.

Moreover, she already had everything she needed. A meal, whether eaten or not, seemed less important.

She was now thinking about who had poisoned the Crown Prince, how they had done it, and whether the Emperor would be able to uncover the mastermind behind it.

If it was indeed the Empress who had done it, given her personality, she would have done it very discreetly.

If the Emperor couldn’t uncover the truth, the Crown Prince might slowly succumb to the poison.

But this matter, regardless of the outcome, is considered a good thing for Su Jiaojiao.

She was pleased to see the Empress and Noble Consort Wang turning on each other.

After a brief pause, Shen Huai spoke wearily, "The Empress and Noble Consort Mi, return to your palaces. From this day forward, no one is to enter or leave Yutang Palace."

Su Jiaojiao understood his meaning and, after bowing to the others in the hall, quickly followed the Emperor.

When they reached the entrance of Yutang Palace, Su Jiaojiao looked up at the Emperor and softly asked, "Your Majesty, are you returning to Taiji Hall?"

Shen Huai nodded faintly, "With the turmoil in the palace and the busy state affairs, I will accompany you for a meal another day."

Su Jiaojiao didn’t push the matter, obediently curtsied and said, "Jiaojiao respectfully bids Your Majesty farewell."

After the dragon palanquin had gone far, Su Jiaojiao boarded her own palanquin and whispered, "Let’s hurry back to Pixiang Hall before the Empress does."

Although the person orchestrating this behind the scenes has not yet appeared, the current indications point most suspiciously to the Empress.

Her tactics are hard to anticipate. Su Jiaojiao was not involved in this matter, but if the Empress managed to extract something from her with a few words and then framed her, it would be a huge setback.

The person behind the poisoning must have prepared more than one method. Once exposed, they might push another scapegoat forward.

The Empress had reprimanded her in the Phoenix Palace today, and recently, she had secretly instructed Imperial Physician Lin to change her medicine, causing her prolonged illness, which is deeply suspicious.

Yu Ying, walking beside the palanquin, whispered, "Madam, word of today’s events will likely spread through the palace soon. Since it concerns Noble Consort Wang, should we send someone to invite Consort Shu for a chat?"

Su Jiaojiao leaned on the soft pillow of the palanquin, holding the hand warmer gifted by the Emperor, and said softly without looking up, "No need. In the next few days, instruct everyone in Pixiang Hall to stay secluded and not engage in too much conversation. With such a big event, the Emperor must be watching the movements of the entire palace, and I am uneasy. After returning, make sure no outsiders enter or leave Pixiang Hall, and be extremely careful with everything."

After giving these instructions, Su Jiaojiao felt a sudden wave of dread, her heart racing.

Noble Consort Wang cherishes her son deeply, and every person around him is a carefully selected confidant. How did that person manage to administer a chronic poison to the Crown Prince?

Such a cunning approach is like a venomous snake lying in wait in the palace, ready to strike when least expected.

Su Jiaojiao lowered her lashes in deep thought, staring ahead, lost in thought.

If that person is found out and wants to pin the blame on someone else, the most suitable scapegoats would be Su Jiaojiao and Noble Consort Mi.

Noble Consort Wang had plotted against them, so it would be reasonable for them to act against the Crown Prince. Moreover, as favored consorts, it would be an ideal way to kill two birds with one stone...

The person who wants to eliminate the Crown Prince and frame Noble Consort Mi's faction—

If we continue to think this way, apart from the Empress, no one else could possibly have such cunning and capability.

But why would the Empress make such a scheme so obvious?

Wouldn’t she worry about drawing the Emperor’s suspicion?