Chapter 26

Chapter 26

A thorough search of Weiyang Palace... Consort Ning was momentarily stunned. She abruptly looked at the eunuch who had gone to report, while Bi Zhu, under the guise of comforting her, stayed by her side. Other informants remained planted in Weiyang Palace; when news of the incident in the Imperial Gardens spread, the sharp ones would catch on. Once they caught on, they would know to cover their tracks...

But before she could collect herself, a young man's voice suddenly spoke beside her.

Several members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard stood there. The leader had cold, sharp brows and eyes, and those around him instinctively gave him a wide berth.

Qi Hanzhou reported, "When the incense ash was collected, I had the palace guards seal off the palace."

Bi Zhu’s expression stiffened. Consort Ning, seeing the python-embroidered robe (marking the Embroidered Uniform Guard), was stunned. Why were the Embroidered Uniform Guard here!?

Today's events had been too sudden; no one else had anticipated this, least of all Consort Ning. When poisoning within the palace was involved, there was no need for the Emperor to give orders—this matter would inevitably be thoroughly investigated. Since the calming incense had shown no issues, it was highly likely that poison had been administered through other means. Consort Ning had been so adamant in asserting that someone was poisoning her that she could not possibly now stop the palace staff from searching... and those conducting the search were the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Qi Hanzhou did not look at Consort Ning. His gaze was entirely fixed on Ying Fusheng. The latter had changed out of his wet clothes and was now sitting wrapped in a thick garment, looking at Consort Ning with deep concern, as if he were truly worried about her well-being. If not for the palace attendants holding him back, he would have already gone to her side.

As if noticing his scrutiny, Ying Fusheng turned his head to look back.

The others were all surprised by the arrival of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but Ying Fusheng seemed as if he had known they would come all along.

Qi Hanzhou frowned slightly.

This man had likely already laid out his chessboard, waiting for everyone to walk into the trap.

Having pushed the Ministry of Rites into the storm, and now Consort Ning, a member of his maternal clan, was in trouble... What was this man's next move? What was in Weiyang Palace?

Soon enough, the Embroidered Uniform Guard worked with great efficiency. With the Emperor's special decree, within less than half an hour, a guard came forward to report.

"Your Majesty, after thoroughly searching Weiyang Palace, we found two palace attendants attempting to flee." The guard ordered the two attendants brought forward, while others presented the items discovered during the search. "Additionally, no obvious poisons were found in Consort Ning's chambers, but some suspicious objects were discovered. The medical officers within the Embroidered Uniform Guard have performed a preliminary examination but cannot identify their medicinal properties; they need the Imperial Physicians to determine what they are."

The guard presented the confiscated substances. The Emperor glanced at Chu Taiyi. "Examine them."

Chu Taiyi immediately moved to the Emperor’s side.

The guard then lifted the brocade cloth covering the tray. When Bi Zhu saw the items presented, her face instantly turned pale.

On the tray were several crushed medicinal herbs, resembling licorice in appearance. Those around murmured and discussed, thinking at first glance these were just common herbs—why would they be considered suspicious?

"These were found in a secret compartment within the pharmacy," the guard explained.

Consort Ning had been taking medicine frequently recently, so the small pharmacy in Weiyang Palace was a key area in the guard's search. The drugs Consort Ning used were unremarkable, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard's inspections were always thorough, turning every stone. And they discovered a hidden compartment in the pharmacy.

The compartment contained nothing else but packets of medicinal herbs wrapped in mulberry paper. They looked like many common herbs, and their smell was no different from ordinary herbs, but being hidden in a secret compartment made them highly suspicious. Moreover, there was no dust near the compartment, and the rough edges had been smoothed from frequent use, indicating it was frequently opened.

Ying Fusheng cast a slight glance at Qi Hanzhou. If the palace staff had conducted the search, they might not have found these. But Qi Hanzhou was different—his keen perception was extraordinary. With the recent uproar in the court over the Ministry of Rites, and the downpour at Huguo Temple earlier, Qi Hanzhou could not have missed it. Not only would he notice, but he would also investigate anything connected to Ying Fusheng.

From the moment Qi Hanzhou showed up today, Ying Fusheng knew victory was in his grasp.

Meanwhile, the guard finished reporting the whole story. The Emperor looked at Consort Ning. "Do you recognize these?"

Consort Ning’s forced calm crumbled into sheer panic. She shook her head fiercely, denying any recognition.

But inwardly, she was stunned. How had the Embroidered Uniform Guard unearthed such a deep, hidden compartment?!

The Emperor’s expression darkened. Beside him, Chu Taiyi frowned deeply and immediately ordered someone to bring certain items from the Imperial Medical Institute. Not only that, but several other Imperial Physicians gathered around. The attending concubines had never witnessed the physicians in such a fluster. After confirming, the physicians determined that the substance was rare. Chu Taiyi deliberated at length, then finally stepped forward to report. "Your Majesty, this substance is likely related to the previous dynasty."

At the mention of the previous dynasty, a sharp glint flashed in the Emperor's eyes. "An object from the previous dynasty?"

"I have heard that there was a secret medicine in the previous dynasty called Suihongzi. This substance resembles common medicinal herbs, especially licorice, and is often confused with it. Its scent and medicinal properties are hard to detect. Ingesting even a little can cause lightheadedness, blurred vision, and bodily weakness, with symptoms like those of a cold. But over long-term use, this drug will poison the body, making it increasingly frail, and eventually leading to damage of the internal organs and death." Chu Taiyi pondered for a moment, then spoke cautiously. "Another point is that this substance can impair mental faculties. In mild cases, it induces confusion; in severe cases, insanity."

At the word 'insanity', everyone looked at Consort Ning. Was this the very poison that had driven Consort Ning mad!?

As the physicians continued to speak, Consort Ning's expression became extremely ugly. Those present only thought she was terrified by the mention of Suihongzi. Ying Fusheng's expression was worried, but his gaze was fixed directly on Consort Ning. Only Consort Ning herself knew that the nature of Suihongzi had been fully revealed by the physicians, and she was now more panicked than anyone.

The Dowager Empress frowned slightly. "Is Consort Ning being harmed by this substance?"

The physicians hesitated. Consort Ning's condition did indeed fit the symptoms of madness, but her pulse was not weak—at most, only a little short of breath, which could be due to lack of rest. The fact that even the physicians couldn’t confirm it made everyone’s face fall. So such a poison existed within the palace, and it was hard to detect.

When Consort Ning heard that the physicians couldn’t prove anything, her initial panic began to dissipate.

"Even you cannot determine it?" the Emperor asked.

Bi Zhu reacted faster than Consort Ning. She looked at the two palace attendants who were trying to flee. At this point, they had to be sacrificed. "Her Majesty has truly been poisoned..."

Consort Ning's rationality returned. She immediately looked at the two attendants being held down by the Embroidered Uniform Guard—they were the couriers for her and her father. They knew what to do. The two attendants met Consort Ning's gaze. One of them suddenly turned pale and opened his mouth slightly.

At that moment, Qi Hanzhou's eyes sharpened. He pinched the attendant’s jaw between two fingers, and with a crack, he instantly dislocated the jaw.

The sudden action startled everyone. The attendant stared at him in terror. Qi Hanzhou, expressionless, handed him to the guard beside him. "Check his molars; he intends to swallow poison."

Consort Ning's face stiffened.

The guard removed the poison from the attendant’s mouth, further chilling the faces of those present.

What had begun as a simple drowning now involved a secret poison from the previous dynasty, palace attendants committing poisonings and then trying to swallow poison to kill themselves!?

Empress Xu, noting the Emperor's expression, immediately said to her attendants, "Investigate. Find out which palace brought these people in."

The attendants quickly set off. Eunuch Rong, seeing this, also dispatched his own people. The two attendants who had tried to swallow poison were quickly dragged aside.

The two attendants were young, making their provenance easier to trace. Orders were given, and the Directorate of Ceremonial pulled their personnel records. It was discovered that they had entered the palace only in recent years. Their former household registrations were nowhere to be found, and they had been assigned directly to Weiyang Palace.

Qi Hanzhou frowned, a strange sensation creeping over him.

He turned slightly and saw Ying Fusheng sitting there, eyes slightly lowered, his expression worried. But deep in his eyes lay a nearly indifferent calm. His eyes swept across the kneeling attendants and Consort Ning off in the distance, as if everything, starting with the calming incense, had gone exactly as he expected—that he had known this change would come.

Suddenly, he noticed Ying Fusheng's pale lips.

Qi Hanzhou’s heart lurched.

The matter was not yet over. While others were still reeling from the attendants’ suicide attempt, noise came from outside.

Several medical apprentices came and went. Chu Taiyi, having just ordered preparations, reported, "Your Majesty, the toxicity of Suihongzi is difficult to detect. After discussion, we can try an old method from the previous dynasty—one that detects toxins in the body."

The apprentices brought in a basin of black medicinal water. When the basin was placed before Consort Ning, her expression turned ugly at the sight of the water. She had thought this matter could be dragged out, but Chu Taiyi had actually brought this.

"This is a secret formula. If one has been poisoned by Suihongzi, contact with it will cause a purple streak to appear on the skin." Chu Taiyi finished speaking and looked at Consort Ning. Seeing her panicked gaze, he quickly added, "Your Highness, this is harmless. Please extend your hand."

Consort Ning stared stiffly at the medicinal water. But with everyone's eyes on her, she had no choice but to stretch out her hand. As it dipped into the water, she felt an icy sensation spread through her, and her hand trembled beyond control.

Seeing her hesitation, Chu Taiyi said, "Your Highness, forgive my impertinence."

He reached out and took Consort Ning's hand out of the water. On her right hand, there was no trace of a purple line—not even a stain from the black water. Consort Ning's hand was clean.

Consort Ning was not poisoned!

"What? How is there nothing?"

"Has the ancient method failed? But didn't the physician say Suihongzi is poisonous?"

The surrounding crowd exchanged bewildered glances—Consort Ning was not poisoned. Then what was the use of the poison Suihongzi found in Weiyang Palace? The imperial guards turned to the detained attendants. If there was no poison, why were they so desperate to take their own lives?

Just then, someone nearby murmured, "Then who was this Suihongzi meant for...?"

Aside from Consort Ning, who else in Weiyang Palace would be worth scheming against?

All eyes immediately fell on the silent Sixth Prince. After being in the water for so long, his face was still pale; neither the hand warmer nor the thick garments seemed to dispel the chill clinging to him. Everyone in the palace knew that the Sixth Prince had been frail and sickly since childhood, often confined to his bed for years. If not for the incident at Wangyue Pavilion last year when he pleaded for his mother, he might still be bedridden and unable to rise... Everyone had been focused on Consort Ning just now, but one of the symptoms of Suihongzi was exactly that—a wasting weakness.

The Dowager Empress's face darkened. She stood abruptly, staring at her bewildered grandson, who did not even know what was happening.

"The Imperial Physician!" the Emperor roared.

The apprentice physicians approached with the medicinal water. Chu Taiyi, drenched in a cold sweat, took the Sixth Prince's hand—it was icy to the touch. He placed the hand into the medicinal water, and within three breaths, a deep purple streak of blood rose starkly across the back of the Sixth Prince's hand, a shocking sight.

Ying Fusheng instinctively tried to withdraw his hand, but everyone around clearly saw the streak of blood on his hand. He caught sight of it himself, froze in place, and stared blankly.

If there had been any doubt about the reliability of the ancient method before, seeing the purple line on the Sixth Prince's hand removed all uncertainty.

For a moment, everyone who witnessed this result felt a chill run through them. Their gazes shifted between Consort Ning and the Sixth Prince.

"Report—" an imperial guard arrived. "We found traces suspected to be Suihongzi residue in the medicinal meal prepared in Weiyang Palace."

The Emperor asked, "Was it Consort Ning's medicinal meal?"

"No." The imperial guard continued, "According to the palace attendants, it was ordered by Consort Ning to be sent to Cining Palace for the Sixth Prince."

Silence fell over the surroundings. Empress Xu glanced at Consort Ning and then asked, "Are you sure it was Consort Ning's order?"

"Yes, this morning Consort Ning's attendant Bi Zhu came specially to give the order and even inspected it personally." The imperial guard looked toward the kneeling palace maid beside Consort Ning to confirm. "The attendants who prepared the medicinal meal all confirmed. Many witnessed Bi Zhu's visit."

Bi Zhu—the trusted personal maid of Consort Ning, who had served her since before she entered the palace. She handled all matters, big and small, in Weiyang Palace and was deeply trusted.

"The toxicity of Suihongzi can only seep in after being boiled." Chu Taiyi examined the residue brought by the imperial guard, picking out several items. "...There is no doubt—it is Suihongzi."

Everyone was shocked. The Dowager Empress rose, glaring angrily at Consort Ning.

The Emperor turned to Consort Ning and asked, word by word, "Was it your order?"

Consort Ning knelt there in a daze.

Bi Zhu's face drained of all color—the end had come.

The Sixth Prince had been highly favored recently and had been staying at Cining Palace to recuperate, gradually improving. But why, if his condition could be treated, had it worsened while he was in Weiyang Palace, to the point where Consort Ning claimed he could not leave his bed and was rarely seen? The Sixth Prince had been bedridden for years, and Consort Ning always attributed it to a condition from birth, frequently sending imperial physicians to examine and prescribe medicine... The medicine was taken, but there was no improvement.

The secret poison from the former dynasty hidden in a secret compartment, the specially ordered medicinal meal... Everyone present, recalling the Sixth Prince's fall into the water in the Imperial Garden earlier, found it hard to believe that Consort Ning had nothing to do with it.

Ill for years—and the Sixth Prince was nearly eleven years old.

Even a tigress would not eat her own cub. How could Consort Ning dare!

Consort Ning stared blankly at the medicinal meal, her sanity slowly returning. A sense of absurdity washed over her. When had things gone wrong? She looked around in confusion. The gazes of those around her were filled with shock, disgust... whispers crept into her ears. The good reputation she had painstakingly built shattered into pieces in an instant. In that moment, she was seen as a poisoner in everyone's eyes.

Then, from afar, she saw Ying Fusheng.

The youth, attended by the imperial physician, was curled up there. While others condemned her, a flicker of scorn flashed in his eyes. That gaze was like a clinging curse. Consort Ning finally understood when things had gone wrong. Ever since that winter night when the bastard fell into the water, nothing had gone smoothly for her. Everything seemed to have spiraled out of control after that day.

Suddenly, the youth being supported by the physician slightly parted his lips, as if smiling at her.

That fleeting smile struck fear into Consort Ning's heart.

"It's you! You are not him—you are an evil spirit! A demon that crawled out of the water!" Consort Ning suddenly lost her mind and lunged at Ying Fusheng, shoving aside the imperial physician.

This sudden development caught everyone off guard.

Qi Hanzhou saw this and stepped forward, blocking her with his arm, and pulled Ying Fusheng back several paces. The imperial guards rushed forward, and the attendants quickly responded, rushing to restrain Consort Ning. She struggled in their grip, glaring hatefully at Ying Fusheng. Then, suddenly, she saw something, and her expression froze—

The youth stood within the protection of the imperial guards, looking at her as if she were a mere ant. His lips moved, mouthing a silent word.

Madman.