The banquet soon began.
The officials took their seats in order, the Emperor raised his cup, and the entire court offered their congratulations.
Because Lu Ningrou was pregnant, Li Jinghuai was eager to show everyone how much he treasured the woman he loved. He had her seat moved to a place directly beside his own.
“My beloved,” he said gently, “I’ve heard from Aunt Liufang that you’ve been waking from nightmares these past few nights. She says it’s most likely because pregnancy has weakened your qi and left you overly anxious.”
“I had a bowl of Guipi Soup specially prepared for you.”
“Come, have some while it’s still warm.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Lu Ningrou gracefully rose to curtsy before sipping the soup in small, delicate mouthfuls under Li Jinghuai’s affectionate gaze.
A short while later, Aunt Liufang, who was attending beside her, suddenly cried out in alarm.
“Lady Zhaorong! You’re bleeding!”
Everyone immediately turned toward her.
A small patch of dark red had begun spreading across the hem of Lu Ningrou’s pale crimson skirt.
It wasn’t particularly noticeable. Had Aunt Liufang not possessed such sharp eyesight, no one would have discovered it so quickly.
Lu Ningrou’s trembling fingers touched the bloodstain.
She looked at Li Jinghuai in panic, her voice already breaking.
“Your Majesty… the baby…”
Li Jinghuai shot to his feet, both shocked and furious.
“Summon the Imperial Physician!”
“At once!”
…
The Imperial Physician arrived without delay.
After checking Lu Ningrou’s pulse, he immediately knelt before the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, Lady Zhaorong is showing signs of miscarriage.”
“She cannot be moved right now.”
“This humble physician must administer acupuncture here immediately.”
“Do whatever is necessary!”
Li Jinghuai waved his hand sharply.
Servants hurriedly brought over folding screens, surrounding Lu Ningrou so the physician could begin treatment in privacy.
Only then did Li Jinghuai turn furiously toward Aunt Liufang.
“Is this how you’ve been taking care of Lady Zhaorong?”
“How did she suddenly begin miscarrying?”
Aunt Liufang immediately dropped to her knees.
“Your Majesty, please investigate!”
“The Imperial Physician examined Lady Zhaorong’s pulse only yesterday.”
“The fetus was perfectly stable.”
“Her Ladyship showed no signs of discomfort whatsoever.”
The Imperial Physician, busy preparing his needles, spoke without looking up.
“Judging from Lady Zhaorong’s pulse…”
“It appears she accidentally consumed something capable of inducing miscarriage.”
“May I ask…”
“What was the last thing she ate?”
“The last thing she consumed…”
Li Jinghuai frowned deeply.
“…was this very bowl of Guipi Soup that I personally ordered prepared for her.”
…
After completing the acupuncture treatment, the physician prescribed a miscarriage-prevention decoction and ordered it to be brewed immediately.
Only then did he pick up the remaining Guipi Soup.
He carefully stirred the bottom of the bowl.
Examined it.
Smelled it.
Then personally tasted a spoonful.
Finally, he spoke with certainty.
“Your Majesty.”
“This soup has been mixed with bitter tea.”
“It was this ingredient that triggered Lady Zhaorong’s miscarriage symptoms.”
Silence instantly fell over the hall.
The soup had been personally ordered by the Emperor himself.
Yet someone had still dared tamper with it.
Li Jinghuai’s expression darkened.
His narrow eyes slowly swept across everyone present.
“Who handled this bowl of soup?”
…
This concerned the imperial heir.
No one dared speak.
Every palace servant immediately dropped to their knees.
“So…”
“No one intends to answer?”
Li Jinghuai’s voice turned icy.
“Very well.”
“Take every last one of them to the Imperial Punishment Bureau.”
“Interrogate them under torture.”
The servants immediately burst into terrified cries.
“Mercy, Your Majesty!”
“Please spare us!”
The guards began dragging them away.
Amid the desperate wailing, someone suddenly shouted,
“It was Zipei!”
“It was Lady Ning’s maid, Zipei!”
The speaker was Si’er, the palace maid from the Imperial Kitchen who had delivered the soup.
The guards immediately forced her to kneel before the Emperor.
Li Jinghuai stared down at her coldly.
“You’re saying…”
“…that Lady Ning’s maid tampered with the soup?”
…
Both Ning Wuyu and Zipei exchanged bewildered looks.
Neither had expected to be implicated.
Ning Wuyu frowned.
“Zipei has been beside me the entire evening.”
“What evidence do you have?”
Si’er trembled as she spoke.
“On my way here, I accidentally bumped into Sister Zipei.”
“She scolded me for not watching where I was going.”
“She even lifted the lid to check the soup.”
“M-Maybe…”
“…maybe she slipped the medicine into it while she was looking.”
Ning Wuyu almost laughed from sheer disbelief.
“Looking inside the bowl is enough to count as poisoning now?”
“What a ridiculous accusation!”
Zipei also knelt before the Emperor.
She remained composed, neither servile nor arrogant.
“Your Majesty.”
“I only checked whether any soup had spilled.”
“I absolutely did not poison Lady Zhaorong or harm the imperial heir.”
“As for this maid…”
“She was walking perfectly fine before somehow crashing directly into me.”
“Who’s to say she wasn’t deliberately trying to frame me?”
…
Li Jinghuai’s brows knitted tightly together.
His cold gaze shifted between the three women.
A fleeting trace of murderous intent flashed through his eyes.
“Guards.”
“Throw both Si’er and Zipei into the Imperial Punishment Bureau.”
“Interrogate them thoroughly.”
“As for Lady Ning…”
“You have failed to discipline your servants.”
“Your stipend will be suspended for three months.”
“You are confined to Changxin Palace.”
“You are not to leave without my decree.”
“Your Majesty!”
Ning Wuyu immediately stood up in anger and strode before the throne.
Only after Zipei desperately tugged at her skirt did she reluctantly kneel.
Even so, her tone remained anything but respectful.
“Your Majesty.”
“I have neither friendship nor enmity with Lady Zhaorong.”
“My maid has served me faithfully all these years.”
“We have absolutely no reason to harm the child in her womb.”
“I ask Your Majesty to judge wisely.”
“Which is precisely why I ordered both maids sent to the Imperial Punishment Bureau.”
Li Jinghuai’s voice was emotionless.
“Once subjected to severe interrogation…”
“…someone will eventually confess.”
Ning Wuyu laughed coldly.
“Instead of ordering a proper investigation…”
“Your Majesty is so eager to imprison my maid.”
“Are you hoping to force a confession through torture?”
“Impudent!”
Li Jinghuai slammed his sleeve onto the table.
“You insist on protecting your servant.”
“Is it because you’re afraid she’ll expose you?”
“Or…”
“Would you like to experience the Imperial Punishment Bureau yourself?”
The threat in his words couldn’t have been more obvious.
Ning Wuyu’s temper had always been fiery.
She had never learned how to lower herself or feign weakness.
She was just about to argue back…
But everyone knew that provoking Li Jinghuai further would only make matters worse.
Wen Zhiyi sighed inwardly.
Then she stepped forward.
“Your Majesty.”
“Please allow this consort to speak.”
Li Jinghuai was already visibly irritated.
“Are you here to plead for them as well?”
…
“This matter concerns someone attempting to murder the imperial heir.”
“It is of the utmost importance.”
“I have no intention of pleading for anyone.”
“On the contrary…”
“I believe Your Majesty’s decision to send both maids to the Imperial Punishment Bureau is entirely correct.”
“Even if neither of them is the mastermind…”
“They were at the very least negligent.”
“They allowed the culprit to seize an opportunity.”
“They deserve severe punishment.”
“Only then can this serve as a warning to everyone else.”
The moment she finished speaking, Ning Wuyu glared furiously at her.
“I think Imperial Noble Consort Wen isn’t trying to make an example of anyone.”
“She’s simply taking the opportunity to kick someone while they’re down.”
Li Jinghuai barked coldly,
“Lady Ning!”
“Your disrespectful conduct suggests you no longer regard me with any respect either.”
“I would never dare.”
Though she answered immediately, the resentment in her eyes remained.
The Emperor’s anger subsided somewhat.
“The Imperial Noble Consort speaks reasonably.”
“Guards…”
“Your Majesty.”
Wen Zhiyi interrupted him at precisely the right moment.
“Please allow me to finish.”
She spoke earnestly while kneeling before the throne.
“Ever since Lady Zhaorong became pregnant, one incident after another has occurred.”
“Today, someone even managed to mix miscarriage medicine into her food…”
“…right before Your Majesty’s own eyes.”
“That is far too suspicious.”
“I’ve considered the matter carefully.”
“I believe the attendants serving Lady Zhaorong simply haven’t been vigilant enough.”
“They’ve repeatedly allowed criminals to exploit opportunities.”
“This consort respectfully requests…”
“…that everyone serving in Yuexian Palace…”
“…with the sole exception of Aunt Liufang…”
“…be arrested and sent to the Imperial Punishment Bureau for severe interrogation…”
“…so that order may be restored within the imperial harem.”