Chapter 415: Investigating the Truth
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Emperor Jing Xuan lay in a pool of blood in Yongshou Palace. The palace maids and eunuchs were in a mess.
Eunuch Fu also panicked. He had served Emperor Jing Xuan for many years and had never seen such a scene.
Emperor Jing Xuan was in his prime and had always been strong. How could he fall and vomit blood just like that?
The imperial physician arrived very quickly. The Empress, Consort Xian, and the other concubines also arrived.
Emperor Jingxuan lay on the bamboo bed in the Empress Dowager’s bedroom.
Although it was called a bamboo bed, it was actually very soft and luxurious. After all, it was where the Empress Dowager had her treatment.
As soon as Consort Xian entered the house, she tugged at her handkerchief and cried. “Your Majesty…”
The Empress Dowager frowned.
The other concubines also surrounded him, took a handkerchief, and began to wipe their tears.
The only calm person was the Empress.
The Empress glanced around and said to the Empress Dowager, “Mother, we’ve frightened you.”
At this moment, the difference between the Empress and the concubines was obvious.
While everyone was crying and worried about Emperor Jing Xuan, she was the only one who cared about the overall situation and prioritized the Empress Dowager’s phoenix body first.
“I’m fine,” the Empress Dowager said wearily.
The Empress looked at Su Xiaoxiao in front of the phoenix bed and the few imperial physicians in the bedroom and asked, “What happened?” The imperial physicians looked at each other.
Imperial Physician Li said, “Empress, we followed His Majesty to take the
Empress Dowager’s pulse. His Majesty… ate some ointment made by Physician
Su. Not long after, he spat out blood… He fell to the ground and couldn’t get up.
His symptoms… seem to indicate poisoning. ”
“Physician Su?” The Empress looked at Su Xiaoxiao suspiciously.
Su Xiaoxiao spread her hands and looked innocent. “I don’t know what’s going on either.”
“Didn’t you test the poison?” the Empress asked.
These words were clearly directed at the palace maids and eunuchs of the Yongshou Palace.
The eunuch in charge said, “The silver needles were tested but nothing was revealed. Little Hezi tried them, but… but perhaps he ate little and didn’t show it at that time, so he’s a little dizzy now.”
The Empress pondered and said, “In that case, it’s not poisonous.”
If it was poison, Little Hezi would have a serious reaction on the spot. It was not like the silver needles were not effective.
Then the question was, how did His Majesty end up like this since the ointment was not poisonous?
“How much did His Majesty eat?” the Empress asked.
The eunuch in charge fell silent.
Eunuch Fu cleared his throat and said awkwardly, “He… finished… a jar.”
The empress asked, “How big a jar?”
Eunuch Fu silently carried the empty jar over.
The Empress looked at the medicine jar that was almost half the size of her head and her temples throbbed! The little person in her mind quickly fell!
It was fine if he usually snatched Jingning’s snacks in Kunning Palace, but now, he did not even let go of the ointment.
The Empress almost couldn’t maintain her motherly aura.
She took a deep breath and said to Eunuch Fu, “Didn’t you going to persuade him?”
Eunuch Fu cried out in his heart. He also wanted to persuade him. Who would have thought that His Majesty would finish the jar of ointment in the time it took him to go to the imperial kitchen?
He had never realized that His Majesty liked medicine so much!
The empress naturally could not blame the empress dowager.
She looked at Su Xiaoxiao. “Since Physician Su is a doctor, didn’t you tell His Majesty the dosage of the ointment? If His Majesty didn’t eat so much, perhaps the poison wouldn’t be so serious.”
The Empress Dowager said in a low voice, “She went to brew medicine for me.” The Empress bowed and said politely, “Mother, I heard that there’s a doctor who came with Doctor Su. May I know where that doctor is?” The Empress Dowager said calmly, “He’s already gone.”
There were only two doctors in the Number One Hall. Physician Fu immediately returned after performing acupuncture on the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager’s words were very protective of the Number One Hall, so the Empress could not use force.
Moreover, Su Xiaoxiao was Princess Jingning’s friend.
However, this was a serious matter. In front of so many people, she needed to investigate the matter clearly and give everyone an explanation. The Empress said seriously, “Doctor Su, did you personally brew the ointment?”
Su Xiaoxiao said truthfully, “I asked my master to make it.” The Empress was slightly stunned. “Your master?”
Eunuch Fu hurriedly said, “It’s Physician Fu, who just left.” The empress continued, “What illness is the ointment used to treat?”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “Dispel toxins and dissipate heat. Dispel wind.”
The Empress probed “For the Empress Dowager?”
Su Xiaoxiao said, “Yes.”
Imperial Physician Li suddenly pointed at Su Xiaoxiao and complained, “I understand. You must have wanted to harm the Empress Dowager. Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager didn’t use it and instead poisoned His
Majesty by a freak combination of factors!”
Su Xiaoxiao glanced at him strangely. “Why did my master and I want to murder the Empress Dowager? What benefits does this do for us? Privately, we have no grudge against the Empress Dowager. To heal the Empress Dowager is equivalent to building a living signboard for the Number One Hall. I can’t wait for the Empress Dowager to recover, so how can I harm her?”
These words successfully made Imperial Physician Li shut up.
Imperial Physician Wan said, “Then, you want to harm His Majesty!”
Imperial Physician Li was enlightened. “That’s right! You hate His Majesty for being biased towards Qin Jiang’s family time and time again. You were furious, so you thought of a way to take revenge on His Majesty! ”
Su Xiaoxiao said unhurriedly, “This jar of ointment is for the Empress
Dowager. I didn’t press His Majesty’s neck and force him to eat the ointment.”
The Empress Dowager said in a low voice, “I gave it to the emperor. Are you trying to say that I murdered my own son?”
Su Xiaoxiao boiled a large jar and divided it into two small jars. One of them was heated.
The Empress Dowager had just had breakfast and could not eat. Seeing that Emperor Jingxuan had been a little heaty recently, she let him have it first.
The Empress Dowager did not expect Emperor Jingxuan to consume so much.
The Empress said to Su Xiaoxiao, “No matter what, this bottle of medicine was brewed by your First Hall. Everyone who has come into contact with it or has the chance to come into contact with it has to be detained at the Dali Temple for interrogation!”
“Mother!”
“Father!”
It was Princess Jingning and Princess Hui An.
The person who called her mother was Princess Jingning, and the one who called her father Princess Hui An.
When they suddenly heard that Emperor Jing Xuan had been poisoned in class, the two of them immediately skipped class.
The two of them heard the Empress’s last words.
Princess Jingning said seriously, “Mother, forgive me for being blunt. It’s not appropriate to make the matter of Father being poisoned public. I’m afraid it will cause panic among the people. Why don’t we send someone to investigate?”
Princess Hui An pointed at Su Xiaoxiao angrily. “She already poisoned Father, but you’re still speaking up for her!”
Princess Jingning said solemnly, “Don’t spout nonsense without evidence! It’s true that the medicine was brewed in the Number One Hall, but after entering the Yongshou Palace, it’s not like no one else has touched the ointment.”
Princess Hui An’s eyes widened. “Are you suspecting that the people from
Yongshou Palace poisoned Father?”
Princess Jingning looked away. “I didn’t suspect anyone. I just raised all the possibilities. ”
Princess Hui An was furious. “You!”
“Hui An!” Consort Xian stopped her daughter.
“Alright, stop arguing!” The Empress Dowager said in a deep voice. “His Majesty’s dragon body is related to the country and empire. Just do as Jingning says and get someone to come and question those involved. Don’t arrest anyone for no reason!”
The Empress immediately went with the flow. “Mother is right.”
The Empress dowager continued, “Has Third Brother been investigating a case at Dali Temple recently?”
When Consort Xian heard that her son had been called out, she hurriedly stood up and replied, “Yes, Empress Dowager.”
The Empress Dowager waved her hand. “Then we’ll leave it to Third Brother and the Dali Temple to investigate.”
Consort Xian was delighted. “His Highness will definitely live up to your trust. He will definitely get to the bottom of it!”
The Eldest Prince was grounded, and the Second Prince was not in the capital..
The fourth and fifth brothers were not of much use… Now, they could only count on her son!
