Сhарtеr 13: Тhe Favorеd Сonsort Мeets with Мisfоrtunе
“Соnsоrt Rong! Соnsоrt Rоng! Bloоd!”
The terrified сrу pеrsistеd. Маnу pеорle stoоd uр in a рanic, onlу to sеe Consоrt Rong сlutching hеr аbdomen, thе skirt beneath hеr stаinеd with blоod.
Chu Zе’s fасе turned ashеn. Hе stood uр and hurried fоrward, immediаtely ordеring thе imрeriаl рhysicians tо attеnd аnd then having Сonsort Rоng assistеd tо rеst in the Sidе Hall.
“Yоur Majеstу, mу child… my child…” Consort Rong sufferеd frоm agonizing cramрs in hеr abdomen, hеr fоrehead beaded with sweat. Her lips were pale, yet she still clung to the thought of the imperial heir in her womb.
This was her first child with the Emperor!
Chu Ze comforted her, quickly ordering all the food to be seized and initiating a thorough investigation.
“It’s the Empress, it must be the Empress trying to harm me! She has always wanted me dead!” In this moment, Consort Rong could no longer care about propriety or hierarchy. Lying on the bed, she tightly gripped the bedding, tears streaming down her face.
She could feel it—this pregnancy was lost.
Chu Ze stood there as several imperial physicians arrived, some applying acupuncture, others examining for poison.
“Your Majesty, Consort Rong has indeed been poisoned, and with arsenic!” The one reporting was Imperial Physician Sun, the head physician. His expression was tense as he hurried to the Emperor’s side to deliver the news.
This was undoubtedly a deliberate poisoning.
Clearly, the intent was not only to harm the imperial heir but also to take Consort Rong’s life. Whoever was caught would face severe punishment!
Consort Rong had not yet lost consciousness. Writhing in pain, upon hearing it was poison, she mustered her last bit of strength to struggle and plead, “Your Majesty, you must uphold justice for your concubine! Someone is deliberately trying to take my life!”
“Your Majesty, Consort Rong’s life is now in critical danger, and the imperial heir is beyond saving. We can only do our utmost to preserve Consort Rong’s life!”
“You must preserve it, without any mishap!” Chu Ze’s face remained grim. Hua Shu and Empress Dowager Zhao also arrived slowly.
Hearing these words, they understood in their hearts that trouble was brewing in the rear palace.
“Investigate! I want to see who has the audacity to poison and plot murder. I will punish them severely, without leniency!” Chu Ze’s voice sank to its lowest, revealing his fury.
The Emperor’s wrath made hearts tremble.
Consort De paused slightly in her steps before entering as if nothing were amiss, her face feigning panic. “What happened to Sister Rong? Could it be something she ate?”
The maid kneeling beside Consort Rong, Song Shi, seemed to recall something upon hearing this and quickly said, “Your Majesty, Her Ladyship had not yet had time to dine. It must have been someone who plotted this long in advance. I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for Her Ladyship!”
Subsequently, the physicians examining for poison found none in the banquet dishes.
“Did Her Ladyship consume anything before arriving?” Imperial Physician Sun inquired. If it wasn’t accidental ingestion, how could it be so severe?
Song Shi wept, pressed by the physician’s questions, and pondered. “Her Ladyship has had a poor appetite lately. This morning… yes, before coming, she ate some sour jujubes.”
Li Sheng, hearing this, was quick-witted and immediately went to search for the items himself.
Meanwhile, Consort Rong was in such pain she nearly fainted, yet she still muttered the Empress’s name through her agony.
Many people glanced at the Empress, their gazes complex.
Hua Shu, for her part, stayed obediently by Empress Dowager Zhao’s side, neither involving herself nor speaking.
After all, she was now a truly idle Empress, idle to the point of boredom.
Chu Ze sat there, his palm slamming heavily onto the table.
Many were startled, wishing they could flee far away.
Consort De stood to the side, her eyes repeatedly darting toward the Empress. Unconsciously, her hands clenched her handkerchief within her sleeves, dampening it with sweat.Empress, didn’t you want Consort Rong to lose her child? Now you’ve gotten your wish, haven’t you?
But you should also let me have my wish.
She suppressed her fear—after all, there was no way this could be traced back to her.
Soon, Li Sheng returned with the sour jujubes. Imperial Physician Sun examined them, his expression shifting, and immediately confirmed that the poison was indeed on the jujubes, though the dosage was relatively light, which was why its effects had been slow to manifest.
The maid Song Shi, kneeling there, hurriedly spoke up, “Your Majesty, the mistress often eats sour jujubes, and they are always tested for poison. How could they be poisoned?”
Indeed, not only did Consort Rong have a delicate condition due to her pregnancy, but even for ordinary concubines, anything they consumed was tested for poison three to five times.
How could she have been poisoned with arsenic unless it was someone close to her?
That was why Song Shi was so anxious—she couldn’t afford to be wrongly accused.
“Yes, the person who delivered the sour jujubes this time was an unfamiliar maid. She had a black mole on her left eyebrow,” Song Shi recalled. If her mistress was in trouble, she, as the closest attendant, would be in danger if she didn’t clear her name.
Chu Ze’s face was cold, his hand resting on the table clenched into a fist, veins bulging. “Investigate! Search the entire palace. Do not overlook any suspicious place.”
He couldn’t believe someone would dare to commit such a brazen act of harm.
Involuntarily, his gaze shifted to the side, lingering on the Empress, who stood with her head bowed and eyes lowered.
She was indeed acting strangely—too quiet.
Hua Shu seemed to sense the Emperor’s gaze and slightly raised her head, meeting his eyes directly.
Her expression was complex, filled with worry and even a hint of accusation.
As if she were blaming the Emperor for suspecting her.
In that instant, Chu Ze averted his gaze, slowly placing his hand on his knee, his mind flooded with thoughts.
It would be best if she had nothing to do with this.
After what had happened today,
he would show no mercy and would not tolerate such behavior.
Soon, the entire palace was under investigation, and everyone was on edge. The imperial guards appeared, their presence suffused with a murderous aura. Some of the more timid ones were even frightened to tears.
Time passed slowly, and those waiting grew increasingly anxious.
Fortunately, thanks to the timely intervention of the imperial physicians, Consort Rong’s life was temporarily saved.
Consort Xian watched from behind, her eyes filled with the anticipation of a spectator.
Meanwhile, Consort Shu, ever considerate, stepped forward to pour tea for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, offering a few words of comfort.
Empress Dowager Zhao glanced back at the Empress beside her, noticing how unusually quiet she was, and felt a pang of worry.
Could it be that this matter…
Just as her thoughts began to wander, she saw Li Sheng hurrying in from outside, his expression grim.
Consort De’s eyes widened in anticipation, hoping to hear the news from his lips.
That it was the Palace of Earthly Tranquility’s doing!
Li Sheng approached the Emperor to report, but his sidelong glance was directed toward Consort De. “Your Majesty, when this servant went to search earlier, I saw Consort De’s personal maid, Hong Ru, in the bamboo grove. She was acting suspiciously and had scratches on her body, likely from a fall due to a guilty conscience. I immediately ordered her to be searched and discovered she was trying to swallow something. After stopping her, we found a packet of arsenic!”
Consort De!
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Consort De.
Consort De’s face turned ashen. She stumbled forward in disbelief, her legs weak, and collapsed to her knees. “Y-Your Majesty, this must be a false accusation against me.”
How could it have ended up with her? It was clearly…
As she thought this, she looked toward the Empress. Hua Shu’s expression was calm, looking at her as if she were already dead.
Trying to plant something in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility? She was far too naive.At that moment, General Song, the leader of the Imperial Guards, escorted two people forward.
One man and one woman. The woman was covered in dust and grime, but a black mole above her left eyebrow was still clearly visible.
Before anyone could speak, Song Shi immediately pointed and identified her, “It’s her. She was the one who delivered the sour dates to Her Ladyship today.”
General Song reported, “Your Majesty, when we found them, this person was trying to drag her into the well to drown her—clearly an attempt to silence her. I have investigated, and this eunuch is a junior attendant from Consort De’s palace.”
As his words fell, the teacup in the Emperor’s hand crashed to the floor, startling everyone.
Consort De was already paralyzed with fear. She stared blankly at the Emperor, muttering incessantly, “How could this happen? How could it?”