Chapter 51: Poisoning

Chapter 51 Emotional Turmoil

Wuya Shi felt that at this moment, the Emperor only needed her to sit quietly on his lap, so she held him in silence.

"Do you think I am heartless?" Kangxi asked. When he had gone to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility earlier to console the Empress, she had said this, accusing him of not grieving for Yin An's death.

To be honest, Yin An was still too young and always sick. Kangxi truly had little emotional attachment to the child. A one-year-old couldn't even speak yet. When Yin An was still alive, Kangxi had only gone to see him a few times.

Children in the palace had often died young in the past. He wasn't particularly heartbroken—there were too many losses to grieve deeply each time.

Wuya Shi glanced at him. Could it be that the Empress had accused the Emperor of being heartless? The Empress dared to say such things, but Wuya Shi didn't. After all, the Emperor treated her quite well. But among so many women in the inner court, few truly gained the Emperor's favor. Many spent their entire lives in the inner court without ever catching his attention.

Just from the perspective of childbirth: when she gave birth, the Emperor would come to see her and wait outside until the child was born. But when others like Constant Attendant Zhang or Noble Lady Qin gave birth, the Emperor wouldn’t bother to visit personally. He would only send an attendant to check on them and have the Imperial Household Department bestow some rewards afterward. He didn’t care much about these women who had gone through life-and-death struggles. Even when Ying Shan had a miscarriage back then, he didn’t come to see her.

These were women who had conceived after sharing his bed—they still had some favor. Those without any favor were simply forgotten in the inner court. He probably didn’t even remember them. How many women’s youth faded away in this vast palace?

Of course, she couldn’t say these things. The Emperor was in a bad mood now. If she spoke such truths, he might take his anger out on her. Even a tiger must be stroked the right way.

"Your Majesty, you are not heartless at all. You are very good to me and to Yin Zhen and the others. Your Majesty is the most generous person I have ever met. I know I am willful and often make mistakes or say the wrong things, but no matter what I do or say, Your Majesty always forgives me. Your Majesty is broad-minded, tolerant, wise, and intelligent—not a heartless person."

"In your eyes, I am that good?"

Wuya Shi nodded emphatically. Pleasing him was what mattered now; truth or lies didn’t matter. "Your Majesty is exactly that good. I must have done many good deeds in my past life and burned plenty of incense to have the fortune of meeting you in this lifetime."

Kangxi’s mood improved, and he laughed. "Your mouth is so silver-tongued, sweet as honey. How do I know if you truly mean it or are just saying this to please me?"

"Of course, I mean it. If you don’t believe me, feel it—my heart is right here."

She grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest. He didn’t feel her heart but her soft breasts. He fondled them, then slipped his hand inside.

Wuya Shi was stunned. How did it come to this again? Weren’t you in a bad mood just now? How do you have the mind for this now? She wanted to say something, but her mouth was covered, and all her words were swallowed.

Kangxi didn’t move to the bed. He lifted her robes and took her right there on the heated bed, pressing down on Wuya Shi while covering her mouth with one hand to keep the servants outside from hearing.

After finding release, he finally let her go and helped straighten her disheveled clothes.

"Your Majesty, you… you… I hate you."

Kangxi wiped away the tear stains at the corners of her eyes—left there from the earlier stimulation. The way she said she hated him was both delicate and charming. He pulled her up. "You were clinging to me tightly just now, not letting me go. Clearly, you liked it very much. How could you hate it?"

"Who was clinging to you? Don’t be shameless."

Kangxi leaned in and kissed her, holding her for a long while before letting go. He whispered in her ear, "It was me clinging to you. It is I who cannot leave you."

Hearing this, Wuya Shi didn’t know how to respond. Since he had said that, what else could she say? She changed the subject, saying she was hungry.

"I am not hungry yet. I will return to the Qianqing Palace first."

Wuya Shi gestured for him to leave quickly, lest she be subjected to another round.

By the time of the Shen hour (3–5 p.m.), Yin Zhu returned from the study hall alone. When Wuya Shi asked, she learned that Yin Zhen had been summoned to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility by the Empress’s servants. Little Zheng added that the people from the Palace of Earthly Tranquility had been waiting for Yin Zhen at the study hall and took him away as soon as classes ended.

Wuya Shi wondered if the Empress was trying to take Yin Zhen back again. Yin Zhen was already eight years old. In another year or two, he would move to the princes' residence. He probably wouldn’t return to live in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.

Yin Zhen was grown and sensible now. He shouldn’t be as easily influenced or swayed by sweet words as he was when he was young.

The Empress wouldn’t harm Yin Zhen either, so Wuya Shi wasn’t too worried. When Yin Zhen returned that evening, the three of them—mother and sons—sat down to eat together. Yin Zhen proactively told her that the Empress wanted him to visit the Palace of Earthly Tranquility more often to pay his respects.

"Yin Zhen, do you want to go?"

Yin Zhen hesitated. He knew that the Empress was grieving the loss of her child. She said that seeing him would make her happy. He genuinely wanted to cheer her up. He could see that the Empress had lost a lot of weight and didn’t look well.

"If you want to go, then go. Your mother won’t stop you."

Yin Zhen looked up. "Mother, will you hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?"

Yin Zhen couldn’t explain. He knew his mother and the Empress didn’t get along well. If he grew closer to the Empress, he was afraid his mother would be hurt and might come to dislike him. But the Empress had been very kind to him in the past—nursing him when he was sick and staying by his side when he had smallpox and was near death. He didn’t want to sadden her either.

Wuya Shi gently touched Yin Zhen’s face. "Yin Zhen, go if you want to. Don’t feel conflicted. Your mother knows you are a filial child."

Yin Zhen still felt guilty toward his mother. She treated him so well, yet he didn’t return the favor as much. He thought that after some time, once the Empress was no longer grieving, he would visit the Palace of Earthly Tranquility less.

"Alright, eat up now. After dinner, take a walk in the courtyard to aid digestion. No reading tonight."

Yin Zhen obediently agreed.

…

On the first day of August, the capital was sweltering, filled with the sound of cicadas.

Niuhulu Yuwan ordered the servants to catch the summer cicadas to avoid being annoyed by the noise. Several blocks of ice were placed in the main hall, keeping it cool.

Yin Zhen was still at the study hall, but she had already instructed the kitchen to prepare his favorite summer desserts, thinking he could have a bowl to cool off after class.

Yin Zhen was a filial child, still remembering her, the Empress. He had been visiting her often lately, which comforted her greatly.

Her own child was gone, and she could no longer have children of her own. Yin Zhen was all she had left, but he still had a birth mother.

Wuya Shi didn’t stop Yin Zhen from visiting her because she knew Yin Zhen’s heart leaned toward her. She felt secure in that.

She deeply regretted letting Yin Zhen move to Jingren Palace a year ago. If he hadn’t moved, he would still be closest to her, not distanced as he was now.

That woman Wuya Shi had always been a hindrance. It was bad enough that she had enjoyed favor for years, but she also competed for Yin Zhen’s affection. As the Empress, she had less status in the inner court than Wuya Shi.

At half-past the Shen hour, Yin Zhen arrived. Niuhulu Yuwan stood at the door to welcome him. The weather was hot, and a servant held an umbrella over him the entire way to shield him from the sun.

"You’re sweating. Let your Empress Mother wipe it for you. It’s cool inside—come in quickly."

Niuhulu Yuwan led Yin Zhen inside. Yin Zhen first paid his respects properly, and she hurriedly had him rise.

"You must be hungry. Have a bowl of mung bean soup to cool off. I added the longan you like."

Niuhulu Yuwan had Yin Zhen sit down and personally fanned him with a round fan.

"Empress Mother, I’m not hot. You don’t need to fan me. Are you feeling better? Does your head still hurt?"

Niuhulu Yuwan gazed at Yin Zhen. This child was truly filial. She had mentioned a headache a few days ago, and he still remembered. In truth, she had only said it to make him worry about her. Why couldn’t such a wonderful child like Yin Zhen have been born to her? If only Yin Zhen were her own. If only Wuya Shi were gone.

"My head doesn’t hurt anymore, Yin Zhen. Don’t worry. I’m much better. What did you learn today? Tell me about it."

Yin Zhen began recounting the lessons his tutor had taught that day.

Niuhulu Yuwan watched as the child repeated what he had learned at the study hall. It was clear he had paid attention and was diligent.

"Yin Zhen, your memory is excellent. You remember everything. Did your Imperial Father check on your studies today?"

"I didn’t see Imperial Father today. He is troubled by the Yellow River floods and hasn’t checked our lessons for several days."

Summer has heavy rains, and I heard that the Yellow River area is flooding again from heavy rains, flooding several downstream areas. The Emperor has been really worried about this matter these past few days, constantly calling ministers to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to discuss disaster relief.

"Yin Zhen, how do you think the Yellow River rain disaster should be resolved?"

Yin Zhen shook his head, saying he didn’t know, and that he needed to study more.

"You should definitely study more, but you can also ask your Imperial Father when you see him."

"Would he tell me?"

"You won’t know if you don’t ask. If you don’t ask, how will you know whether your Imperial Father wants to tell you or not? It’s fine to ask about things you don’t understand. Your Imperial Father won't blame you."

Yin Zhen nodded and said he understood.

Niuhulu. Yu Wan gestured for Yin Zhen to drink his mung bean soup.

Yin Zhen finished the bowl obediently.

She used a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

"Imperial Mother, if there's nothing else, I’ll head back now."

Niuhulu. Yu Wan was surprised and asked why he was leaving so soon.

"Fifth Brother came to play with us today, and we agreed to fight crickets together."

Niuhulu. Yu Wan frowned. "Cricket fighting? How do you know about that? You should go back and study more. There are still many things you don't understand—you need to study more to learn."

"Consort De said I could play. She said it's important to balance work and play."

It was Wuya Shi again. Yin Zhen mentioned Wuya Shi more and more frequently. The more time he spent at Jingren Palace, the closer he grew to her. Niuhulu. Yu Wan felt this situation was not good for her. Wuya Shi was his birth mother, and she had no effective way to come between them.

Speaking ill of Wuya Shi might make Yin Zhen resentful and raise his suspicions, so she could only put up with it and let Yin Zhen go back.

Niuhulu. Yu Wan sat there deep in thought.

...

Xiao Fangzi directed staff from the Imperial Household Department to bring blocks of ice into the room. Blocks of ice were delivered three times a day. The Consort couldn't handle the heat—he had heard this from others before he began serving her. It was said that she would break out in rashes if she got too hot.

So, every summer, her room always had ice, with several blocks of ice placed inside.

The Consort was kind. As a servant, he was even allowed to stay indoors to avoid the heat.

"Have an orange."

Xiao Fangzi laughed happily. "An orange from Miss Pan Liu has to be extra sweet."

Pan Liu lightly kicked him. "Cut the flattery."

Xiao Fangzi took a step back, still smiling. "I’m just being honest."

The Consort had the three of them attending her, and over the years, they had become close, often joking and laughing.

Pan Liu rolled her eyes at Xiao Fangzi and ignored him, heading into the inner room to see if the Consort needed anything.

Xiao Fangzi stayed in the outer room, sitting on the floor and eating the orange.

Hong Ye also came in from outside to cool off.

"What would the Consort like for lunch today?"

Xiao Fangzi replied that he hadn’t asked yet, as the Consort wasn’t hungry yet—she had just finished a bowl of iced osmanthus lotus seed soup.

"Xiao Fangzi, quick, go get the imperial doctor! The Consort is spitting up blood!"

Xiao Fangzi saw Pan Liu rush out panicking, telling him to summon the imperial doctor. He was stunned for a moment, then hurried out to call for the doctor.

Fang Yu had been reading a storybook during the noon hour when she suddenly felt unwell. A pain spread through her, and soon she spit up blood, which was witnessed by Pan Liu who had just entered.

Fang Yu was in too much pain to talk and spit up several more mouthfuls of blood. Pan Liu was scared and urgently called for Xiao Fangzi to get the imperial doctor.

Meanwhile, at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Emperor was in a meeting with his ministers. Normally, Liang Jiugong wouldn’t dare interrupt, but today was different. He hurried in and whispered a few words to the Emperor, who immediately stood up, dismissed the ministers, and rushed toward Jingren Palace.

"Summon Physicians Yang, Zhao, and all the others into the palace immediately."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Liang Jiugong turned and hurried off to summon them.

Jingren Palace was in chaos. The physicians on duty had already arrived, but none of them knew what was wrong with Consort De. Her symptoms resembled poisoning, but they couldn’t identify the toxin and dared not prescribe treatment recklessly, fearing they might accelerate the poison’s spread.

They debated back and forth but could find no solution. When the Emperor arrived, they all knelt to pay their respects.

Kang Xi strode into the inner chamber and asked, "How is she?"

"Her Majesty has lost consciousness."

Hearing that she was unconscious, Kang Xi’s heart tightened. He coldly snapped, "Then why are you all standing around? Save her, now!"

"Your Majesty, we suspect Consort De has been poisoned, but we don’t know what kind of poison it is. We dare not—"

Kang Xi’s eyes turned icy as he glared at the physicians. "I don’t want to hear excuses. If she doesn’t survive, neither will you. Save her now, by any means necessary. I want her safe and sound!"

The physicians rushed forward.

Kang Xi saw two maids kneeling on the ground, weeping uncontrollably. Their crying irritated him, and he ordered them out.

He saw Wuya Shi lying motionless on the bed, blood at the corner of her mouth. His hands trembled slightly beneath his sleeves.

Half an hour later, Jingren Palace was crowded inside and out. Over a dozen physicians were present, but since they couldn’t identify the poison, they could only force Consort De to purge her stomach and expel the poisoned blood.

Meanwhile, all the servants of Jingren Palace had been taken to the Office of Scrutiny for severe interrogation, along with the kitchen staff. Except for the three masters residing there, everyone else from Jingren Palace had been detained.

Yin Zhen and Yin Zhu, upon hearing the news at the study hall, rushed back immediately. Yin Zhu wept bitterly, crying out for his mother between sobs. Yin Zhen, more restrained by nature, still had reddened eyes.

This day was destined to be tumultuous for Jingren Palace.

Fang Yu didn’t know how long she had been asleep. When she woke up, she turned her head and saw the Emperor reading memorials on the daybed.

"Imper—" As soon as she spoke, she realized her voice was weak and breathless.

Hearing the noise, Kang Xi glanced over and quickly called for the physicians. After examination, they confirmed she was no longer in mortal danger but would need quiet recuperation from then on.

"Your... Your Majesty, what happened to me?"

Fang Yu had no idea what had occurred—she only remembered spitting up blood and then nothing else.

"You were poisoned. The poison has been neutralized now."

It dawned on Fang Yu that she had been poisoned. Poisoned? Who had poisoned her? She was usually favored by the emperor—had she offended some consort or imperial concubine in the harem?

She got along with people okay—not great, not terrible. The empress and Noble Consort Tong disliked her, but would they really want her dead?

"Who poisoned me?"

"Rest well for now. I’m still looking into it and will give you an answer."

Fang Yu glanced around and did not see Pan Liu or the others. The servants in the room were all from the Qianqing Palace—she had seen them before.

She looked at the emperor, wanting to ask many questions, but she was too weak. Speaking even a few words felt like it was sapping half her strength. She closed her eyes again to rest for a while.

Kangxi held her hand. Her palm was icy cold, and her face was pale. She had been unconscious for three days before waking up. It was a miracle she had survived and was out of danger.

Fang Yu passed out again shortly after waking up. When she opened her eyes again, it was already dark. The emperor, Yin Zhen, and Yin Zhu were all by her side. She was thirsty and asked for water.

Yin Zhen rushed to get her water.

"Mother, I thought I would never see you again," Yin Zhu cried, clinging to the bedside.

Fang Yu weakly raised her hand, touched Yin Zhu’s face, and managed a weak smile to comfort him. "Mother is fine. Don’t be afraid."

"Mother, drink some water."

Yin Zhen spoon-fed her, as if he’d grown up overnight. Fang Yu shook her head when she had drunk enough.

A little later, the emperor first fed her medicine and then some rice porridge. Only then did Fang Yu feel a bit of strength returning. She propped herself up with effort and directly asked where Pan Liu and the others were.

Yin Zhen looked at his imperial father. Fang Yu also waited for the emperor to speak.

"Don’t worry, they’re not dead. Focus on recovering first."

Fang Yu couldn’t help but say, "Your Majesty, if you want to punish them, you should have consulted me first. They are my servants."

Kangxi’s expression darkened. It was her kindness that led to a servant betraying her. He didn’t think he was wrong, but since she was still too weak, he held back his words and only said, "I know, but don’t worry, they are still alive, just hurt. Once you recover, you can decide how to deal with them. For now, your most important task is to rest well. Don’t worry about other matters."

Fang Yu looked at Yin Zhen and Yin Zhu. It was already late at night, so she told them to go get some rest.

After Yin Zhen and Yin Zhu left, Fang Yu asked the emperor who had poisoned her and who wanted her dead.

"I am still investigating."

Fang Yu already had a pretty good idea. The person who most wanted her dead was the empress. Although Noble Consort Tong disliked her, she wouldn’t want her dead. Only the empress wanted her gone. If her biological mother died, Yin Zhen could go back to her side, and the empress could have Yin Zhen to herself.

The empress knew very well that she could no longer have children of her own, so she pinned her hopes on Yin Zhen.

The emperor said he was still investigating, likely because there was no solid evidence pointing to the empress. Fang Yu didn’t even know how she had been poisoned. Some toxins might stay in the system for a day or two before taking effect.

She glanced at the equally exhausted emperor and wondered what he would do if it really was the empress. Would he strip her title? Have her executed? Or do nothing and act as if nothing had happened? Her life probably wasn’t worth as much as the empress’s status. Would the emperor, after weighing the pros and cons, stand up for her?

She wasn’t entirely sure. The emperor was, after all, a rational ruler. His affection for her hadn’t reached the point where he would choose her above all else.

"Your Majesty, you should go rest too."

"I will stay here with you."

"Then lie down here."

Kangxi lay down beside her. He hadn’t slept much in the past three days. Only after confirming she was out of danger did he finally relax and fall asleep.

Fang Yu, having just woken up, was fully awake. With no one like Pan Liu around, she had no one to ask about what had happened.

She sat on the bed and continued reading the unfinished novel she had been engrossed in before. After reading for over an hour, she lay down again.

The next day, when Fang Yu woke up, the emperor was already gone—he had left for court. Yin Zhen and Yin Zhu had also gone to their lessons. She saw Pan Liu limping into the room and couldn’t help but tear up.

"My lady, I am fine. Please don’t worry."

She didn’t look fine at all. Fang Yu couldn’t help but resent the emperor for disciplining her servants without consulting her.

"I knew you would be worried, so I came to see you. These are just minor injuries—they’ll heal in a few days."

"How long was I unconscious?"

"Three days."

Fang Yu hadn’t realized she had been unconscious for so long; she thought it had only been a day. She asked Pan Liu to tell her what had happened during those three days.

Pan Liu recounted everything in detail. The imperial physicians had confirmed she was poisoned but didn’t know what kind. While the physicians treated her, the emperor had all the servants of Jingren Palace and the kitchen staff sent to the Shenxing Office for questioning under torture. Pan Liu, being her personal maid, was treated more leniently and only suffered some surface wounds. The kitchen staff weren’t as fortunate—under severe torture, they revealed some information.

The emperor personally conducted the interrogation. Hong Ye, perhaps out of guilt and fear, the emperor noticed something was off.

The bowl of sweet osmanthus and lotus seed broth that Fang Yu had consumed before falling ill had passed through Hong Ye’s hands. Because of the hot weather, the kitchen had prepared a large pot of the soup, and other consorts, like Noble Lady Wei, had also consumed it. However, only Fang Yu showed signs of poisoning, so it was highly likely that Hong Ye had slipped poison into the bowl after she received it.

Pan Liu never expected it to be Hong Ye. Hong Ye had served Fang Yu for several years, always diligent and dedicated. No one imagined she would betray her.

However, Hong Ye wouldn’t talk even under torture and refused to reveal anything more. In the end, she took her own life.

Both Pan Liu and Xiao Fangzi were injured, but fortunately, their injuries weren’t severe. They would likely recover in ten days to half a month and return to serve Fang Yu.

Fang Yu also never expected it to be Hong Ye. When Hong Ye was first assigned to her, Ying Shan had warned her that Hong Ye and Xiao Fangzi were servants sent by the empress through the Internal Affairs Office—they might be the empress’s eyes and ears. Over the years, however, both had served her faithfully without any suspicious behavior, and Fang Yu had come to regard Hong Ye as one of her own. She never imagined Hong Ye would betray her.

After hearing Pan Liu’s account, Fang Yu became even more certain that the empress had wanted her dead.