bookrandom Chapter 318: Poison or Antidote?
Chapter 318: Poison or Antidote?
"What's the fuss about?"
Just then, Wang Chengbin, the commander of the Imperial Guards, walked over.
"Lord Wang, Consort Jing wants to enter the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but you previously instructed..."
"Lin Li, who is Consort Jing? How dare you, a mere guard, stop her?"
Wang Chengbin looked at Lin Li with a cold expression.
"Why aren't you letting them through yet?"
Lin Li looked at his superior with a somewhat incredulous expression.
Consort Jing watched the interaction between the two people in front of her. Although she had doubts, now was not the time to worry about such things.
Today she must bring the emperor to his senses.
"Granny Sha, let's go!"
Consort Jing looked at Granny Sha who was carrying the ginseng soup, and then went inside with Lin Li's permission.
Inside the palace.
The emperor's face was completely pale, and if it weren't for the fact that he was still breathing, Consort Jing would have thought he was dead.
Looking at the man before her, Consort Jing was filled with a myriad of emotions.
Although Emperor Cheng was incompetent, he treated her fairly well, since she didn't make too many demands on the emperor.
"Granny Sha, go outside and keep watch. If anyone comes in, you know what to do..."
"Yes, Consort Jing."
After Granny Sha left, Consort Jing took out the pills.
She pried open the emperor's mouth, preparing to feed him the medicine, when suddenly Granny Sha's loud voice rang out from outside.
"May the Empress be blessed!"
Granny Sha was terrified.
Unexpectedly, Consort Jing arrived just in time, and the Empress followed right after...
The Empress didn't even glance at Granny Sha, and walked straight past her towards her bedchamber.
Unexpectedly, Granny Sha called out, "Empress, Consort Jing is currently inside helping the Emperor change his clothes. Would you please wait a little longer..."
However, how could the empress possibly stay?
She had just received a report that a palace maid from Hanxiang Palace had met with people from the Marquis of Dingguo's residence.
Not long after that, Consort Jing came to see the Emperor.
There's definitely something fishy going on here.
When the Empress entered, she saw Consort Jing wiping the Emperor's body.
She looked up at the Empress in surprise.
"What brings the Empress here?"
Upon seeing this, the Empress sneered inwardly.
"I never would have guessed that Consort Jing was so deeply in love with the Emperor!"
Even though the emperor is in his current state, she doesn't show the slightest disgust.
"What are you saying, Your Majesty? The Emperor is the husband of all the sisters in the palace, even if he has been cold to me in the past."
But he is the emperor, while I, his concubine, will regard him as my heaven and earth, and will treat him as I did in the beginning…”
Consort Jing's words reminded the Empress of her youth when she entered the palace.
Once, Consort Jing got into a dispute with one of the Emperor's new favorite concubines. At that time, the Emperor sided with that concubine and slapped Consort Jing.
She remembered this matter very clearly because she had only recently ascended to the position of empress, and in the end, it was she who upheld justice for the presiding official.
For this, Consort Jing was extremely grateful to her, and even neglected the Emperor for a period of time.
I never expected her to bring this up today. Is she trying to allude to me?
The Empress's smile faded, and she said coldly, "My sister is right. Back then, the Emperor doted on Consort Ru so much."
He even hit his sister for her sake, a newcomer, and I never expected you would forgive him like this…
Speaking of this, the Empress added, "By the way, speaking of Consort Ru, I went to see her a while ago, and she seems to have gone mad."
But she kept muttering that the Emperor didn't love her at all, and that there was a woman in the Emperor's heart whom she had never seen..."
The Empress looked at Consort Jing with curiosity.
"My sister entered the palace earlier than me. Have you ever heard that the Emperor has a beloved?"
"My dearest love?"
Consort Jing muttered to herself.
"What? Even your younger sister doesn't know about this?"
The empress asked, unwilling to give up.
When pressed by the Empress, Consort Jing's usually calm eyes suddenly flickered.
She suddenly remembered an old story, but she absolutely could not let the Empress know about it.
"No, I have never heard of His Majesty having a beloved!"
Ha ha.
Judging from Consort Jing's expression, the Empress was certain that she wasn't telling the truth. It didn't matter if she didn't tell, she would order someone to investigate.
"By the way, now that my sister has helped His Majesty clean himself up, I will take care of the dressing!"
As she spoke, the Empress looked at her nanny.
"Granny Cong, go and bring me the new nightgown that I recently made for His Majesty..."
"Yes, Queen."
After Granny Cong left, Consort Jing stepped forward.
"Empress, since His Majesty fell ill, you have been busy with the complicated affairs of the three palaces and six courtyards every day. Let me do such tiring work as changing clothes for you!"
Although Consort Jing tried her best to remain calm, a hint of unease on her face betrayed her.
The Empress naturally noticed it.
She said calmly:
"I don't find changing His Majesty's clothes a tiring chore. But my sister, you look pale and tired. Are you worried about His Majesty's illness and can't sleep well?"
"His Majesty is ill, doesn't the Empress worry?"
Consort Jing countered with a question.
A short while later, the nanny brought over the emperor's sleeping robe.
Just as the Empress was about to help the Emperor undress, Consort Jing was about to stop her when the Empress suddenly said, "Consort Jing, although we are all the Emperor's women, I think it would be best if you excuse yourself..."
"Return, avoid?"
Consort Jing's gaze, however, was fixed on the slight undulation of the Emperor's lips.
"What? Do you really want to watch me change the Emperor's clothes?"
Seeing her absent-minded appearance, the Empress's face darkened.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now!"
Consort Jing withdrew her gaze.
The Empress was merely changing her clothes; she probably wouldn't notice.
Consort Jing turned to leave when she heard Cong Mama, who was assisting the Empress, suddenly shout, "Empress, there's something in the Emperor's mouth..."
Hearing what Granny Cong said, the Empress quickly pried open the Emperor's mouth.
"Consort Jing, please wait!"
Consort Jing turned around, knowing that she was about to face a fierce battle.
"Consort Jing, I ask you, did you feed this medicine to the Emperor?"
The queen held up the still undissolved pill she had taken out and presented it to her.
"Yes."
Consort Jing's gaze was calm and composed.
Although her actions had been discovered, she was not afraid, because what she had given the emperor was not poison, but a life-saving pill that could wake him up.
"Ha, you're surprisingly honest!"
The Empress looked outside, knowing that the commander of the Imperial Guards, Wang Wenbin, was guarding outside the palace.
"Lord Wang, please come in. Someone here is trying to poison the Emperor..."
From Cong Mama's expression, the Empress couldn't tell what kind of medicine it was.
But it's not exactly a good thing.
After all, any medicine that could bring the emperor back to his senses was not a good thing in her eyes.
The emperor cannot wake up until his son ascends the throne.
Soon, Wang Wenbin led a group of guards in.
"Empress, who is trying to poison the Emperor?"
Wang Wenbin's eyes were sharp and discerning.
The Empress pointed at Consort Jing.
"Consort Jing?"
Watching them put on their act, Consort Jing sneered inwardly.
"Your Majesty, everything must be based on evidence. To accuse me of poisoning His Majesty based on just one pill is unreasonable and illogical!"
Or is it that the Empress and Lord Wang are best at abusing their power for personal gain and enjoy fabricating charges against the concubines?
Consort Jing remained calm and showed no fear whatsoever.
Seeing Consort Jing's dismissive expression, the Empress looked at her and smiled, "Consort Jing, you are wrong. I always believe in persuading people with reason and winning them over with virtue."
Consort Jing, you poisoned the Emperor, so I will give you a chance to prove yourself.
"how?"
Consort Jing glanced sideways at the Empress.
"Of course, we must ask the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital to come and determine whether this pill of mine is an antidote to save the Emperor or a poison to harm him."