Chapter 153 Exposed

Chapter 153: Exposed

Noble Consort Wang's Hatred

The Empress was poisoned?

Su Jiaojiao’s brows lifted slightly, but she showed no surprise when she looked up. She calmly waved a hand, her voice cool and clear: "I’m aware. I’ll go with Noble Consort Shu to Fengyi Palace shortly."

As the attendants left, Noble Consort Shu frowned and said, “The Empress is already four months pregnant, and her pregnancy has left her very weak. If she’s been poisoned now, I fear…”

Su Jiaojiao pressed her hand gently and smiled. “We won’t know how bad it is until we see her. Either way, the poisoning will take a heavier toll on her body.”

“No point spoiling a perfectly good day.”

Inside Fengyi Palace…

As soon as they entered, they saw the bedchamber crowded with people.

The imperial physicians were swamped, working to diagnose and detoxify the Empress. Shen Huai sat by her bedside, holding her hand, his eyes filled with tension and regret.

He leaned down to comfort her, speaking quietly, “I’ll make sure the physicians do everything they can for you. Don’t worry. Imperial Physician Lin already said you only ingested a small amount—the poison isn’t too strong. You’ll be fine.”

Then he turned sharply to the servants and snapped, “This palace is never at peace! How can I govern the realm when there’s no order here? The Empress carries the royal heir—how could you let this happen?”

“The meals served to the Empress are always tasted first! How did she end up poisoned?”

Yu He, the Empress’s personal maid, knelt in tears and pleaded, “Your Majesty, forgive us! The taster did sample the meal and showed no sign of illness for half an hour—only then did we serve it to Her Majesty. But moments after the Empress took two or three sips of the soup, the taster collapsed, turning blue. We panicked and immediately gave Her Majesty one of Imperial Physician Lin’s detox pills, then sent for the physicians right away.”

“But…” Yu He kept bowing and sobbing, “By the time the physicians arrived, the poison had already taken effect. The culprit must have known Her Majesty well—they timed it perfectly! Please, Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly and deliver justice for Her Majesty!”

Shen Huai’s voice turned icy. “Someone dared harm the Empress—I’ll make sure they pay for this.”

“One thing after another—this palace is always in chaos!”

Since Su Jiaojiao nearly drowned on New Year’s Eve, the person responsible had never been caught. All leads had disappeared completely, except for the maid who had lured her to the garden that night—who also vanished without a trace.

The Palace Command had been secretly searching inside and outside the palace, but two months had passed with no results.

He suspected—even if Consort Yu was involved, she had likely been used, a scapegoat pushed forward to take the fall.

And worse still, she hadn’t even faced imperial punishment for her crimes. Instead, she died silently in Tongxin Palace.

Despite all she had done, Xu Qingwu had once been someone he regarded as a younger sister, someone he had even felt grateful toward. That she should die so senselessly was infuriating.

Now, barely two months later, the Empress had become the next target. This corrupt palace was long overdue for cleansing.

Shen Huai’s cold gaze lifted from the weeping Yu He and settled on Su Jiaojiao and Noble Consort Shu as they entered, preparing to bow.

His anger eased slightly at the sight of Su Jiaojiao, and he calmed down. “Rise,” he said.

Su Jiaojiao studied the unconscious Empress—her face pale, her forehead slick with sweat. Clearly poisoned.

Too bad. From what she’d heard, the Empress wouldn’t die this time.

Imperial Physician Lin was using needles to draw out the toxins, and the process seemed nearly finished.

After inserting the final needle, he cleansed a thin blade with strong liquor and heated it over flame. Making a careful cut, he opened a small incision on the Empress’s middle finger, then massaged the area until dark blood dripped steadily into a porcelain jar held by a maid.

After bandaging the finger, Imperial Physician Lin wiped his brow and knelt before the Emperor. “Your Majesty, I’ve expelled most of the toxins from Her Majesty’s body. Fortunately, this poison acts slowly—it had just begun spreading when I arrived. I’ll prepare some safe antidotes suitable for pregnancy. After a few days’ rest, the toxins will be fully cleared.”

"Just..." Imperial Physician Lin hesitated for a long moment before bowing low and kneeling. "But since the autumn hunt, Her Majesty the Empress has remained in poor health. Her pregnancy has further weakened her constitution, and now that she's been poisoned, her condition may worsen, endangering the fetus. As the months progress, I fear..."

Shen Huai fixed him with a stern gaze. "What do you fear?"

"A fetus naturally draws nourishment from its mother. If the mother is healthy, there’s no concern. But if the mother is frail, the risks of labor increase greatly. Though the poison acts slowly, it is extremely potent—it could also harm the Imperial Heir."

Imperial Physician Lin trembled slightly; his back was soaked with sweat. "After discussion among my colleagues, we fear Her Majesty may suffer complications during childbirth. With about six months remaining, even our best efforts at the Imperial Medical Bureau may not be enough to ensure both mother and child survive unharmed."

"Our skills are insufficient. We beg Your Majesty's mercy—"

The atmosphere around Shen Huai turned frigid.

Before he could speak in anger, Su Jiaojiao interjected softly, lifting her eyes to meet his. "Your Majesty."

His words died on his lips.

He looked at her as she continued calmly. "The physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau are already the finest in Chang’an. They are naturally terrified by the Empress’s illness and have done everything they can. If the situation weren’t truly dire, they would never dare speak so plainly. Her Majesty still needs careful care—if you punish the physicians, who will look after her?"

"Instead, Your Majesty should let them focus on detoxifying and stabilizing Her Majesty’s condition. After all, the one who poisoned her wasn’t among the physicians. Punishing the innocent unfairly could draw criticism."

Su Jiaojiao spoke unhurriedly, her tone neither warm nor cold.

Her words, spoken and unspoken, were clearly meant to defend the physicians and urge the Emperor not to blame them for the poisoning.

Her reasoning made sense, but the Emperor had been angry, ready to punish them out of concern for the Empress and her unborn child, showing how deeply he cared.

Yet Consort Zhen’s brief words had swayed him, making it seem as though the poisoned Empress mattered less than her counsel.

Yu He knelt tearfully by the bed, her eyes red from crying. She glared at Consort Zhen, fury rising within her.

Consort Zhen had always been at odds with the Empress. Now that the Empress was pregnant and receiving more attention from the Emperor, she must have been driven to act out of jealousy!

How cruel—that even now, with the Empress lying ill from poison, she still tried to charm the Emperor and divert his concern. What a wicked schemer!

But Yu He had no proof, and the Emperor was right there. She clenched her jaw and said nothing.

Perhaps sensing her glare, Su Jiaojiao lowered her gaze slightly and glanced at Yu He.

Seeing the anger in her eyes, she spoke coolly. "The Empress was poisoned because of her servants' incompetence. Especially Yu He and Le He, the chief palace maids and personal attendants. The Empress has always treated you kindly, yet at such a critical time, you allowed poisoned food to reach her. Such carelessness warrants harsh punishment."

Since recovering her strength, Su Jiaojiao had grown even more aloof. Her beauty was ethereal and breathtaking.

Once delicate and pitiable, she now seemed like an unapproachable ice queen.

Shen Huai found her words reasonable and cooled his temper. "If the physicians restore the Empress’s health, their actions may be forgiven. As for Fengyi Palace’s staff, the head maids will lose a year’s wages, others half a year’s. Once the Empress recovers, they will receive ten cane strokes at the disciplinary office."

Consort Zhen was scheming, trying to get the Emperor to punish them now, clearly aiming to leave the Empress without trusted attendants.

Thankfully, the punishment would only take effect after the Empress recovered, foiling her plan.

Yu He and Le He, who stood nearby, understood Su Jiaojiao’s intentions all too well. But with the Emperor’s decree given, they had no choice but to kneel and hide their resentment. "As you command, Your Majesty."

At that moment, Cai Shan entered with a bow. "Your Majesty, we’ve investigated everyone in Fengyi Palace. Every day, Chief Maid Yu He leads a group to collect the meal samples from the Shangshi Bureau—there was no opportunity to tamper. The meals are served immediately upon return, arranged by Le He, then tested by the taster. From retrieval to serving, the only opportunity for tampering was with the taster."

Shen Huai frowned. "The taster was already poisoned and taken away for treatment. How could she have poisoned the Empress? Would she knowingly eat poison herself?"

Cai Shan paused briefly. "Your Majesty, the taster has since died from the poison. This servant ordered an examination of her body and found traces of poison under her fingernails."

"It’s possible the poison came from her fingertips. Even a trace amount could have been fatal."

"However, since she is already dead, it will take time to uncover who instructed her and where the poison came from," Cai Shan said with his head bowed. "Your Majesty, please give your instructions."

Shen Huai let out a cold laugh and said, "My harem is getting more and more audacious—every last one of them has tricks up their sleeves!"

"Order the Palace Command to investigate this matter thoroughly—leave no stone unturned! The mastermind behind this must be rooted out at all costs!"

Noble Consort Shu, who had remained silent until now, glanced at Su Jiaojiao. Their eyes met briefly before she spoke gently, "All items entering and leaving the palace are recorded. Such poison is not something an ordinary person could obtain. Moreover, to bribe someone from the Empress's palace, the instigator must hold considerable status and influence. With so many empty seats at the top, if Your Majesty considers carefully, among the Imperial Consorts, who wouldn’t want the Empress’s pregnancy to fail? And who possesses the capability to do this?"

"The imperial heirs are already few—currently, there are only two princes and one princess. The Second Prince has just turned one this year—" Noble Consort Shu looked at the Emperor and continued slowly, "I’m not pointing fingers, but since the tasting maid is now dead, we can’t just grope in the dark. With a clear target, perhaps the culprit can be uncovered more swiftly, cleaning up this mess."

Noble Consort Shu curtsied and said, "Your Majesty must weigh this carefully."

At this point, Su Jiaojiao turned to the Emperor and remarked as if casually, "Though I’ve heard the Eldest Prince’s health has been poor again recently. Noble Consort Wang has been tending to him day and night—how would she even have the time to target the Empress? Perhaps the culprit is someone else."

"Hard to say," Noble Consort Shu murmured, lowering her gaze. "The poisoning of the Eldest Prince back then also remained an unsolved mystery. Come to think of it, it’s much like how you were pushed into the water—so flawlessly executed. Who knows if it was the same person..."

Here, she shifted her tone slightly: "As for who poisoned the Eldest Prince, Noble Consort Wang would know, wouldn’t she?"

Noble Consort Shu stopped there, but no one in the room needed it spelled out.

The pinning of blame for the Empress’s poisoning on Noble Consort Wang had been prearranged between Su Jiaojiao and Noble Consort Shu. Regardless of whether the Empress survived, they had agreed to divert suspicion onto Noble Consort Wang, ensuring the Empress could not implicate them.

By bringing up the Eldest Prince’s poisoning and Su Jiaojiao’s near-drowning, they redirected suspicion toward the Empress, planting seeds of doubt in the Emperor’s mind—a payoff that justified Su Jiaojiao’s plotting.

Imperial Physician Liu had executed his role flawlessly.

With the Empress still unconscious from the poisoning, Su Jiaojiao and Noble Consort Shu couldn’t overstay their welcome. After staying a while longer, they left Fengyi Palace.

The Empress, meticulous as she was, had anticipated such a move and prepared an antidote in advance. The slow-acting poison allowed her to cheat death.

Yet the Empress had always been frail, and now, poisoned, she could barely care for herself. Even Imperial Physician Lin had predicted a difficult birth—her weakened constitution made it inevitable.

All the rare medicines in the world couldn’t fix what she had lost.

Part of her almost regretted it.

The Empress, wicked and ruthless, had harmed countless for the sake of her heir and power, even risking the Emperor’s health to achieve her ends.

For someone like her, dying in childbirth would only earn her the Emperor’s endless heartache and remorse. Posthumous honors and eternal glory would make her a martyr they’d never live down.

Perhaps it was better she survived this time—letting her die quickly would’ve been a kindness.

Su Jiaojiao wanted to strip the Empress of every scrap of dignity she clung to, tear away her facade, and reduce her from the revered mother of the nation to a common criminal. Only when all saw through her hypocrisy, only when she met a wretched end, could Yu Ye’s spirit be at peace.

Three days later, Yutang Palace.

The Eldest Prince lay in bed, swaddled like an infant.

Though it was early spring, the floor heating in Yilan Hall still burned fiercely, the windows and doors tightly shut.

The room was oppressive even to grown men, yet the Eldest Prince’s hands remained icy, as if no amount of covers could warm him. Beads of cold sweat dotted his forehead as Noble Consort Wang wiped them away, her eyes raw from crying.

She sat by the bed, clutching Zhou’er’s small hand beneath the blankets, rubbing it incessantly. "Zhou'er... Zhou'er..."

But the small figure on the bed only slept fitfully, eyes tightly shut.

Seeing her child like this, Noble Consort Wang’s heart twisted in agony.

She had taken such meticulous care of him for so long, finally seeing him improve—why did they have to take all her hope away!

Why does heaven favor that vile Empress so much, letting her hog all the good fortune? Not only did she conceive the legitimate heir, but now she’s doing this to her son.

He’s only five years old—why not come after her instead?! What’s Zhou’er got to do with any of this? Would she ever think of harming Princess Lanying?

Noble Consort Wang covered her eyes and sobbed uncontrollably, her hatred burning hotter by the second.

What a damn shame.

That poison should have killed both the Empress and her unborn child, yet that bitch survived, and the imperial heir remains unharmed.

Zhou’er had just started at the Imperial Academy after regaining some health—she thought life would gradually get better. Why can’t the Empress leave him alone?!

In just half a month, Zhou’er’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and now even the slightest breeze sends him into a high fever.

Imperial Physician Liu was right—this poison is extremely rare, with no antidote. Only the Empress would be bold enough to use it again.

The Empress wants a legitimate heir, but as long as Zhou’er lives, he still holds the position of eldest son. Noble Lady Xiang is no threat—so isn’t Zhou’er the biggest obstacle?!

Vicious, greedy wretch!

The throne, the heir—she’s determined to keep them all for herself!

At least that damn maid from Fengyi Palace is dead—now there’s no evidence left to trace back here. She can strike again.

Zhou’er is her only reason to live. If he doesn’t recover, don’t expect mercy—she’ll take everyone down with her!

Suddenly, heavy, chaotic footsteps echoed from outside, clanking with the sound of armor.

Noble Consort Wang snapped her head up, her sharp eyes bloodshot.

This couldn’t be happening…

A terrible premonition rose in her heart as she turned toward the door and shouted frantically, “Zhi Tong, no matter what happens next, stay here and take care of the Crown Prince!”

Before Zhi Tong could react, the leader strode in with two rows of guards.

“Sorry about this,” the man said coldly, his eyes sweeping the room. “By His Majesty’s order, we are to search Yilan Palace. You’re coming with us too.”

“Search!”

The guards filed in on either side, letting the cold spring air rush into the room.

Noble Consort Wang turned back to the bed in a panic and screamed, “Don’t open the door! The Crown Prince can’t bear the cold wind!”

But now, no one was listening to her.

Inside Fengyi Palace, a eunuch from Yilan Palace knelt before the Emperor, stealing nervous glances at Noble Consort Wang.

Trembling under her furious gaze, he pointed at her and confessed, “Your Majesty, it was Her Ladyship who told this servant to pick something up from the Wang family’s informant outside the palace. I figured it was just money—I never imagined it would be poison…”

“I saw Aunt Zhi Tong bury the remaining poison herself at night under the second osmanthus tree in Yilan Palace’s courtyard. I’m certain of it!”