Suihe and Ju Yi had just left when Yang Xue hurried into the hall.
"Your Highness, Consort An has gone to the Chengqian Palace." The palace maid who served Consort Shu had long been bribed by them, so as soon as Consort An went over, Yang Xue received the news.
Yang Xue whispered, "Consort Shu may not be reliable. If she exposes you... His Majesty will be returning to the palace soon."
They had taken advantage of the Emperor and Doctor Xia's absence from the palace to accomplish many things. Once the Emperor returned, they would no longer have such convenience.
"Yes, His Majesty will be returning soon," Consort Ning sighed. "Therefore, we must make certain people step forward on their own and take responsibility for the matters." She pondered for only a moment. "Do you still have the item I asked you to keep?"
Yang Xue nodded, "Of course, it is still here."
"Then deliver it." Since the poison has been made, it must have a place to be used.
Yang Xue was startled, "Your Highness?"
Consort Ning looked at her. "What? The one in the Kunning Palace dared to take action, but you dare not when it's the Chengqian Palace?"
Yang Xue thought about it and realized it was true. Having come this far, what was there left to fear?
"This servant understands. I will ensure the matter is handled properly."
If at first, Yang Xue and Suihe were trembling with fear, after experiencing more and more events and having more blood on their hands, the two of them were no longer so afraid. If Consort Ning achieves her wish, it would mean immense wealth and honor; if not... they were already long past the point of no return.
The next day, Kunning Palace.
Worried about the Empress, Qi Daiyu rushed over early in the morning.
Other consorts and concubines also arrived one after another. With the central palace in trouble, they naturally could not pretend to know nothing. Even coming to express a few words of concern was a show of care for the Empress; otherwise, when the Emperor returned, wouldn't he think them heartless?
Moreover, the Empress Dowager was also coming to the Kunning Palace, so shouldn't they put on a good show as well?
Indeed, when the Empress Dowager saw the consorts and concubines, a look of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
As the mistress of the inner palace, regardless of her current condition, these consorts and concubines must respect and honor the Empress. That was the rule.
Qi Daiyu paid no mind to the scene in the hall, feeling only a momentary sadness. How many people in this palace were genuinely worried about Her Majesty the Empress's safety?
There were probably even those hoping for the Empress to die quickly.
Just then, some commotion came from the bedchamber.
The Empress was awakened by sheer pain, her entire heart feeling as if it were being sliced and shredded by sharp blades. The intense agony made it almost impossible for her to breathe.
All the imperial physicians were summoned to the Kunning Palace. The Empress Dowager lost her temper, but the physicians remained helpless. They could only prescribe a pain-relieving formula, instructing it to be decocted and given to the Empress first—she had to hold on until Doctor Xia returned.
After taking the medicine, the Empress managed to suppress the pain somewhat. The Empress Dowager said pityingly, "The Emperor and Doctor Xia are already on their way back."
She then mentioned Lu Wei, who had been taken to the Palace of Stern Justice. "She has confessed, saying she was enticed by Xi from Consort An's side. What a vicious scheme Consort An harbored! This grieving mother will not let her off!" As she spoke, she had already sent someone to the Yanxi Palace.
Unexpectedly, Consort An came to the Kunning Palace herself, with someone tied up behind her—it was Xi.
Qi Daiyu's heart skipped a beat. What was Consort An doing? Turning herself in? Or playing the victim?
Consort An was dressed in plain clothes, with only a simple hairpin in her hair. She knelt as soon as she entered the Kunning Palace.
"This consort failed in supervision, unaware that the palace maid by my side had secretly pledged allegiance to another master, harboring malice and poisoning Her Majesty the Empress. I beg the Empress Dowager for punishment!"
The Empress Dowager's face was dark. "You say Xi secretly pledged allegiance to another master, meaning the Empress's poisoning has nothing to do with you, and you were also implicated?"
Consort An shook her head, her eyes—the only part that could reveal emotion—filled with self-blame and remorse. "This consort cannot escape responsibility. The Qilan leaf that poisoned Her Majesty the Empress came from my hands." Choking up, she explained the origin of the Qilan leaf and how she had once used it.
"This consort took a wrong path back then, causing irreversible consequences, and I still regret it to this day." Consort An touched her stiff face. Everyone couldn't help but stare at her face, imagining what it would be like if their own faces became like that.
Zhaorong shook her head violently, refusing to think further. If her face became like Consort An's, she might as well hang herself.
Consort An continued, "But precisely because I knew the toxicity of the Qilan leaf, I never dared to let this thing be seen by others. Upon hearing that Her Majesty the Empress was poisoned by the Qilan leaf, I immediately realized something was wrong and only then discovered the item was missing."
Consort An pointed at Xi. "Over the past two days, I finally found out that it was she who stole the Qilan leaf pollen from me, so I came immediately to the Kunning Palace to plead for punishment. Your Highness, the Empress Dowager, the toxicity of Qilan leaf pollen and Qilan leaf sap is different, and the consequences are unpredictable. If treated solely as poisoning by Qilan leaf sap, I fear it may not be sufficient."
The Empress Dowager immediately summoned a physician to inquire.
The physician looked as if a light had dawned on him. "No wonder! We, your humble servants, tried to detoxify using the method for Qilan leaf sap, but it didn't work."
He then said with difficulty, "However, this Qilan leaf is a foreign substance, little known in our dynasty. The toxic effects of Qilan leaf pollen are not recorded at all. Even knowing the cause, there is no way to devise an antidote!"
The physician then asked Consort An, "May I ask, Consort An, how did you detoxify back then?"
Consort An smiled bitterly. "If there were an antidote, how could my face remain stiff and numb to this day? Back then, I knew there would be adverse effects after use but took a chance. I used an extremely small amount, yet still suffered such severe consequences. Moreover, once you use this thing, it's as if you can never give it up..."
At that time, she knew she couldn't continue, but it was as if she were possessed, uncontrollably wanting to smear the Qilan leaf pollen mixed with water all over her body. So much so that once such thoughts arose, she would tie herself up and rely on her own willpower to resist. It took several months for those urges to finally fade.
Hearing Consort An's words, Qi Daiyu's heart turned cold. A poison that causes addiction—she thought of opium from her original world. Once touched, that thing made life worse than death even with nine lives. How similar Qilan leaf pollen was to it! The Empress's current symptoms were clearly more severe than Consort An's back then, obviously due to a larger dose. Consort An could quit, but could the Empress?
"This consort cannot shirk responsibility and willingly accepts punishment. But I absolutely never harbored any intention to harm Her Majesty the Empress. I beg the Empress Dowager to uphold justice and find the true culprit!" Consort An kowtowed.
The Empress Dowager's expression was now unreadable—a difficult-to-cure poison, one that even caused addiction.
Thus, her look at Xi was as if she wished to tear her apart.
Without needing the Empress Dowager's order, Nanny Zhao dragged Xi out.
Xi had already secretly received instructions from Consort Shu and did not stubbornly resist. "This servant will speak! It was Consort Ning! Consort Ning ordered this servant to do this! This servant has been Consort Ning's person from the start. Consort Ning harbors great ambition and seeks the position of Empress. Having served by Consort An's side for many years, I knew her secret. To share Consort Ning's burdens, I took the initiative to inform her. After Consort Ning learned that Consort An possessed Qilan leaf pollen, she devised this plan to frame someone else."
Everyone looked at Consort Ning in shock.
Qi Daiyu's heart also stirred upon hearing this.
Mentioned by name, Consort Ning showed only surprise, not panic. She knelt calmly to defend herself. "This consort has never done such a thing. This palace maid's words are full of holes and inconsistencies. Leaving aside that she was never my person, even if it were as she says, if I had known Consort An had Qilan leaves, I would have reported it to His Majesty and the Empress immediately."
Xi, beaten until she could only lie prone on the ground, cried out towards Consort Ning, "Consort Ning, wasn't poisoning the Empress your long-standing scheme? You hated the Empress for taking the Crown Princess position and for bearing the imperial heir and princess. You have long wished for the Empress's death! And Concubine Hui—you were jealous of her beauty and favor. Neither of you have children, yet His Majesty would rather let Concubine Hui raise the Second Princess than give her to you. You ordered me to bribe Hong Tao and Lu Wei from the Changchun Palace, wasn't it precisely to frame Concubine Hui?"
"Hong Tao?" The Empress Dowager frowned and looked at Nanny Zhao. "Wasn't there only a Lu Wei? Who is this Hong Tao?"
By this point, Qi Daiyu dared not conceal anything further. She stepped forward and said, "Empress Dowager, after returning to my palace the other day, I thought it over and felt something was amiss. If someone wanted to frame me, bribing only one low-ranking cleaning maid seemed too simplistic a method. Fearing a follow-up scheme, I thoroughly investigated everyone in the Changchun Palace and discovered something suspicious about Hong Tao, the maid who serves my tea. For the past two days, I kept a close watch on this Hong Tao and finally caught her revealing her hand last night. I originally intended to report this to you today."
After this brief explanation, Qi Daiyu produced the wooden gourd. "This object was dug up from beneath the palace wall behind the rear annex of Changchun Palace after Hong Tao confessed. It should be the Qilan leaf pollen Consort An mentioned. Empress Dowager, Hong Tao has already been apprehended by me and can be summoned at any time."
As soon as Consort An saw the wooden gourd, she said, "That is indeed it!"
The Empress Dowager had someone take the gourd to the imperial physicians, instructing them to continue seeking an antidote.
"Consort Ning, what do you have to say for yourself?"
By now, the corners of Consort Ning's eyes were slightly red, yet her back remained straight, as if she would not compromise her dignity even while suffering an injustice.
"Empress Dowager, since entering the palace, I have always respected the Empress. Everyone in the palace is not blind. I do not understand where these rumors of my dissatisfaction with the Empress come from. Over these years, I have rarely left the Yikun Palace. My relations with the other consorts and concubines, while not close, have never been hostile. I have had very few interactions with Concubine Hui, so why would I harbor such groundless jealousy and hatred towards her?"
"I do not know why Xi claims I instructed her. But if my guilt is to be decided based solely on Xi's words, without a single shred of evidence, I cannot accept it and will never admit to it."
Consort Ning's demeanor led many to believe her.
After all, Consort Ning's character was well-known to all.
Ye Qiong, supporting her round belly and lower back, spoke up, "Indeed, this matter is of great importance. How can we lightly believe the incoherent words of a single palace maid?"
Qi Daiyu, separated from Ye Qiong by two people, glanced at her, a slight frown between her brows. Why did Ye Qiong suddenly jump out to speak in Consort Ning's defense?
Ye Qiong's words seemed to open the floodgates. Another person said, "Rather than Consort Ning, this concubine finds Consort An more suspicious. If Xi was a spy planted by someone else, you, Consort An, had her serving you for so many years—how could you have never suspected? Moreover, Consort Ning and Consort An have had little interaction. What purpose would there be in planting someone by Consort An's side?"
This was indeed the most illogical part of Xi's story.
Consort An remained unmoved by such doubts, sticking to her own account. "If Xi were Consort Ning's person, it's impossible there were no contacts over the years. We need only strictly investigate who Xi has had dealings with these past few years."
This also made sense. The Empress Dowager issued an order to investigate.
The prone Xi on the ground suddenly trembled and looked up at Consort An. She wasn't Consort Ning's person, so nothing would be found there, but her connections to Consort Shu's side might not remain hidden.
Xi finally understood. Consort An wasn't trying to help Consort Shu at all; she was only trying to clear her own name!
If Xi could realize this, Consort Ning naturally could as well. Consort Ning lifted her gaze, her eyes meeting Consort An's.
In both their eyes was nothing but cold indifference.
