"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager! Something terrible has happened!" While everyone in the hall was still lost in their own thoughts, a palace servant rushed in frantically, disregarding all decorum, and knelt on the floor.
"Your Majesty, news from Chengqian Palace! Consort Shu... Consort Shu has hanged herself!"
The servant, terrified, spoke unclearly, her voice trembling, but the meaning of her words was understood by all in the hall. For a moment, there was shock, and also bewilderment.
The bewilderment came mostly from the newer consorts, who couldn't immediately recall who Consort Shu was.
Consort An had the strongest reaction. She turned in disbelief to look at the maid. "Who did you say has hanged herself?"
The maid dared not raise her head. "Cons... Consort Shu..."
The atmosphere in the hall grew strange. For Consort Shu to take her own life at this moment seemed deeply suspicious no matter how one looked at it.
The Empress Dowager's face darkened. "Nanny Zhao, go to Chengqian Palace at once."
The Empress Dowager's eyes swept over Consort An and Consort Ning. Having spent many years immersed in the depths of the palace, even though she had withdrawn from worldly affairs in recent years, she was not yet senile. They had just pulled out the thread concerning A'xi, with both Consort An and Consort Ning under suspicion, and now Consort Shu emerged. The Empress Dowager's intuition told her something was amiss.
Nanny Zhao went and returned quickly, her expression grave. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Consort Shu has indeed died by hanging. According to the maid who attended her, half an hour ago, Consort Shu found an excuse to send her out. When the maid returned, she found Consort Shu already..."
"Furthermore, the maid discovered this in the room. It appears to be Consort Shu's suicide note. The poisoning of Her Majesty the Empress... may have been Consort Shu's doing."
Nanny Zhao presented a letter.
The Empress Dowager took one look and angrily exclaimed, "Outrageous!"
Her furious demeanor made everyone curious about what was written on the letter. Qi Daiyu, who was standing nearby, secretly activated her camera towards the opened letter. Reading the words, a surge of anger also rose within her.
"Jiang Nvying, I'll be waiting for you in hell."
Qi Daiyu forced herself to suppress her emotions and said calmly, "Your Majesty, we must investigate whether this letter was truly written by Consort Shu's own hand." Not just the letter, but Consort Shu's death also needed investigation.
The timing of Consort Shu's death was far too coincidental. Even with this letter, Qi Daiyu couldn't fully believe it.
Consort Ning suddenly spoke. "Why is Consort An so shocked by Consort Shu's death?"
Consort An looked at Consort Ning. "I shared an old friendship with Consort Shu. Naturally, I am shocked to hear of her death. What do you mean by that, Consort Ning?"
"Is that so?" Consort Ning resumed her usual detached demeanor. "It seems Consort An and Consort Shu truly were deeply attached."
Consort An's heart trembled. She realized she had fallen into Consort Ning's verbal trap.
Sure enough, Nie Zhiyu said, "In the past, Consort An was inseparable from Consort Shu. After Consort Shu was confined, you specifically pleaded with the Emperor on her behalf to see her, and since then you have also taken great care of the Eldest Prince. With such profound affection, Consort An, surely you haven't secretly met with Consort Shu at all these past two years?"
Ye Qiong seemed to suddenly understand something. "If the poisoning of Her Majesty the Empress was Consort Shu's doing, and Consort Shu couldn't leave Chengqian Palace, she would necessarily need an accomplice. This accomplice..." She looked at Consort An, the implication in her eyes unmistakable.
In a short time, the situation had changed drastically. Consort An's suspicion skyrocketed.
Consider: the Qilan leaf pollen belonged to Consort An; Consort An was close to Consort Shu; Consort Shu's suicide note was filled with hatred for the Empress. When these conditions were combined, Consort An was far more suspicious than Consort Ning.
Consort An's mind raced. "The order for Consort Shu's confinement was the Emperor's own decree. How would I dare to disobey and meet her in secret?"
Consort Ning spoke again. "Indeed, you wouldn't need to see Consort Shu yourself."
Ye Qiong said, "The Eldest Prince! Consort An, if you had any communication with Consort Shu, you only needed to go through the Eldest Prince!"
Consort Shu was confined, but the Eldest Prince could freely enter and leave Chengqian Palace. This also meant that if Consort Shu had any ideas, she could convey them to Consort An through the Eldest Prince, and Consort An could give anything to Consort Shu through the Eldest Prince as well!
Now, everyone looked at Consort An differently.
It was as if they had already decided Consort An was the accomplice who conspired with Consort Shu to poison the Empress.
Consort An truly felt her breath catch. She couldn't help but look at Consort Ning. Those eyes were abnormally calm, only revealing a trace of mockery when they met hers.
That trace of mockery said: You've lost.
Consort An prided herself on her intelligence and sometimes regretted not being born a man, so she could have studied for the imperial examinations, become an official, and brought glory to her family. Limited by her family background, she had no choice but to attach herself to Consort Shu, offering strategies and plans to receive the meager scraps that fell from Consort Shu's fingers. Although she had received Consort Shu's favors, Consort An somewhat looked down on her in her heart.
Consort An believed Consort Shu's dominance in the harem was due to sheer luck—heaven had given her beauty, family status, and even her arrogant, domineering, and narcissistic personality was favored by the Emperor. Consort An herself had only that bit of cleverness.
Relying on that cleverness, Consort An often felt she was the most clear-sighted person in the harem. But today she realized she was wrong.
In this harem, there was one person who hid deeper than anyone.
Consort An looked quietly at Consort Ning. She had indeed lost. Not because her calculations were flawed, but because she wasn't as ruthless as Consort Ning.
Consort An knew perfectly well that Consort Shu could not have hanged herself. She was absolutely murdered, and the one who wanted to kill Consort Shu was Consort Ning.
Only with Consort Shu dead could Consort Ning extricate herself completely and pin all the crimes on Consort Shu and Consort An.
Consort An's shoulders suddenly slumped. If her face could make a normal expression at that moment, it would have been a bitter smile. She hadn't anticipated that the persona of deep loyalty she had crafted for herself in the past would become ironclad proof today of her inseparable connection to Consort Shu.
If only she could have been as heartless as Consort Ning, directly killing Consort Shu and A'xi, perhaps she would still have a chance to plead her case.
Consort Shu's death disrupted the investigation's rhythm, yet it also brought clarity to the case of the Empress's poisoning. The connection between Consort Shu and A'xi was quickly uncovered. Upon learning of Consort Shu's death, A'xi bit off her own tongue without hesitation and committed suicide. This only further proved the relationship between A'xi and Consort Shu.
Consort An could not prove her ignorance of the theft of the Qilan leaves. Of course, she could continue to deny it, but what judgment she would receive would have to wait for the Emperor's return.
Having all the consorts stay in Kunning Palace was becoming chaotic. The Empress Dowager dismissed everyone. Qi Daiyu requested to stay, using the excuse of caring for the Eldest Princess and the Second Prince. The Empress Dowager agreed.
After everyone left, Qi Daiyu entered the Empress's bedchamber. The imperial physicians were researching a cure for the Qilan leaf pollen poison. The Empress was still unconscious. Mei Yi saw Qi Daiyu enter and moved aside.
Looking at the Empress's pale face, Qi Daiyu felt terrible too. But she knew nothing of medicine; she couldn't even use her special ability to help detoxify the Empress. In fact, she had already used...
The "phone" went through many twists and turns to contact a private doctor. The system would not allow her to reveal the secrets of time travel; what she could send out were all pre-set terminology. Based on these alone, that doctor could not offer any advice.
Qi Daiyu had also wondered if the poison had triggered the Empress's heart condition, and whether she could buy something like heart-saving pills, but she was afraid the medicine might not suit the illness and would instead harm the Empress. Showing it to the imperial physician would also give her no reasonable explanation.
"Why didn't I study medicine back then!" Qi Daiyu murmured. She was starting to think she was too useless. How come the time-traveling heroines in novels were all so capable, while she could only watch helplessly as the people she cared about fell ill or passed away one by one? Clearly, her golden finger wasn't weak either.
Qi Daiyu suddenly felt a pang of hatred for her years of complacency. She felt like a fool sitting on a gold mountain without using it, only regretting it when faced with a predicament.
Mei Yi didn't catch her words clearly. "Consort Hui? Are you alright?"
Qi Daiyu shook her head. "I'm fine. I'm going to see the Eldest Princess."
Mei Yi saw her out and was about to return to the bedchamber when she saw someone hurrying over, who whispered a few words into Mei Yi's ear.
"What did you say?!"
Emperor Jiang Yuan rushed back late that night. Upon returning to the palace, he went straight to Kunning Palace. By then, the Empress had woken up, taken medicine, and fallen asleep again.
Jiang Yuan's stubble was noticeable, clearly showing he had no mind for grooming. He reached out and gently stroked the Empress's pale face for a moment, a storm seeming to brew in his eyes. After a while, Jiang Yuan stepped aside to let Chief Physician Xia examine the Empress's pulse and went to the main hall.
Qi Daiyu, having received the news, also came over from the side hall.
Jiang Yuan's gaze rested on her briefly before he had a chair brought for her.
"Tell me everything that happened, from the beginning," Jiang Yuan's voice was calm, yet Mei Yi, Lan Yi, and the others instinctively knelt.
Mei Yi prostrated herself on the ground and began recounting from when Consort Hui sent the beauty cream to the Empress, all the way to today's events of the Empress Dowager interrogating Consort Ning and Consort An.
And also, Consort Shu's suicide by hanging.
Upon hearing of Consort Shu's suicide, Jiang Yuan clenched his left fist. After a long pause, he said, "Did the Empress have any arrangements?" He knew that even while poisoned, the Empress would have made plans during her moments of clarity.
Mei Yi: "Her Majesty the Empress ordered this servant to investigate the traitor within Kunning Palace..." She paused, closing her eyes. "This afternoon, Ju Yi's body was found in a well in the flower nursery."
As soon as she received the news, Mei Yi understood. Ju Yi was that traitor. Setting aside anger and grief, with Ju Yi's death, the clue to finding the mastermind behind the scenes was cut off.
Jiang Yuan frowned. "Did the Empress know about this?"
Mei Yi: "This servant did not dare not to tell her."
Mei Yi continued, "Your Majesty, Ju Yi could have been bribed by anyone, but that person absolutely could not have been Consort Shu!"
During the years when the Empress and Consort Shu were rivals, Ju Yi had done many things to offend Consort Shu. She had even mocked Consort Shu when she was under house arrest. How could she possibly have been bribed by Consort Shu?
"Your Majesty." Qi Daiyu stood up and curtsied. "The timing of Consort Shu's death is too suspicious. I beg you to issue an edict to have Consort Shu's body examined."
As she said this, Qi Daiyu felt anxious. She didn't know if the Emperor would agree, after all, Consort Shu had truly been deeply favored in the past, and her status in the Emperor's heart was not low.
Moreover, people of this time held great reverence for the deceased. Consort Shu held the noble rank of Consort; conducting an autopsy on her body would likely cause an uproar.
But this request, Qi Daiyu had to make.
She suspected Consort Shu did not die by suicide. Perhaps, by uncovering the truth of Consort Shu's death, they could catch the real culprit.
Silence, a long silence.
Jiang Yuan stared at Qi Daiyu, as if weighing and considering her words.
Then Jiang Yuan said, "While I was away from the palace, the Empress was poisoned, Consort Shu hanged herself, and a maid serving the Empress in Kunning Palace also met a violent end. Good, very good. I had no idea what kind of malicious, poisonous hearts were hidden within my own harem."
"Weren't Consort Shu, Consort Ning, and Consort An all suspected? Quan Fuhai!"
Quan Fuhai bowed. "Your servant is here."
Jiang Yuan said calmly, "Take all the palace servants from Chengqian Palace, Yikun Palace, and Yanxi Palace to the well where Ju Yi's body was found. Kill them, one by one."
He wanted to see how much venom could still be hidden when faced with life and death.
