As for the matter of Noble Consort Su inviting the imperial physician, regardless of whether Li Hong Yuan knew or not, he all didn’t mention. Based on this son’s current level of anger, even if ‘softening up’ and forcing him to lower his head now, the repercussion later afraid will only be even more serious. It was better to wait until his anger died down a little before bringing up again. In other words, Le Cheng Emperor right now simply didn’t consider Noble Consort Su’s feelings, completely not caring whether or not she might feel better after seeing her son. It was obvious, between Noble Consort Su and Li Hong Yuan, Le Cheng Emperor unhesitantly chose his son.
Jing Wan, as an observer, speaking from her feelings, hated that she can’t clap her hands and praise Le Cheng Emperor good job, but speaking from a rational standpoint, tonight, can only say, Le Cheng Emperor really was scummy beyond saving. He already betrayed the feelings so many one after another, yet now further didn’t hesitate to sprinkle salt on another’s wound.
And Li Hong Yuan’s acting skills, although it wasn’t her first time seeing, but every time seeing, she would always exclaim in amazement.
A few people came in from outside the hall. Gong Jiu, Yu Zhong Qing, and Li Su Yan all in a file, “Greetings your Majesty.”
“Quickly rise, this is having discovered something from the investigation?” What Le Cheng Emperor cared about the most was still the matter of Shu Consort Qin’s poisoning. After all, this incident at the same time also might concern his own life.
“Replying to your Majesty, the source of the other half of the poison has already been figured out. It was a fragrant pouch that her Highness Shu Consort used. What was slightly different from the previous prediction was that this fragrant pouch, her Highness didn’t just come in contact with once, but rather, from prior to attending the evening banquet, she just had on her the entire time ever since changing her clothes. The origin of the fragrant pouch has also been clearly investigated. The things her Highness used all came from the Department of Internal Affairs, and for the most part, didn’t let anyone purchase anything extra. The fragrant pouch is also the same. From the Department of Internal Affairs’ records, there was indeed a batch of fragrant pouches that got sent towards the inner palace yesterday. Just, it wasn’t just her Highness Shu Consort alone. All the imperial consorts in the imperial harem with a rank of an Imperial Concubine or higher all received a share. Moreover, for the fragrant pouch, only the cloth used on the outside as well as the embroidered design were different. The ingredients used on the inside however were all the same.” Yu Zhong Qing explained.
Saying it like this, those high ranking consorts all had a share, or perhaps, for the sake of obscuring the facts, it was thus arranged as such, so as to avoid finding the mastermind too quickly by following the specific circumstances? But, things from the Department of Internal Affairs having problems was quite a dangerous sign. After all, in the entire imperial palace, too many things came from the Department of Internal Affairs. With one thing having problems, it was just possible for there to be a second or a third. As such, Le Cheng Emperor’s complexion didn’t improve in the slightest.
“Your Majesty, the Department of Internal Affairs doesn’t have any problems. Just as this commoner previously mentioned, this other half of poison is different from the one fed to the chicken, the effect of the drug unable to last for long. That’s why, although many consorts of the imperial harem all received this fragrant pouch, her Highness Shu Consort’s fragrant pouch should have just been altered prior to using.”
Hearing Gong Jiu’s words, Le Cheng Emperor finally relaxed a little, “This poison, is it easy to obtain?”
“Difficult, concocting into the finished drug, the toxicity is too high, not easy to carry on oneself. If there’s the slightest carelessness, can easily harm oneself. If not someone that is very proficient, one does not dare to rashly come in contact. And separately, even if it’s just having one ingredient separated, the remaining portion, must have that other ingredient together to work. As the saying goes, whether it succeeds or fails, all depends on it. In this poison, there are a few ingredients that’s relatively difficult to obtain. Moreover, once it goes through treatment, it’ll lose its effectiveness very quickly. By inserting that special ingredient, it can extend the drug’s effectiveness, but the time extended isn’t considered much. Afterwards, it’ll lose effectiveness at the same time. At the same time, it’s also this poison’s most important component, because it in itself is just a kind of special poison to begin with, able to cause someone with a weak body to suddenly become invigorated, but once the effect passes, one will become even weaker than before, and the condition will even persist for a very long time. If serious, it might even shorten one’s lifespan. When this commoner was studying medicine with one’s master, one had seen this kind of herb before. My master at the time had warned that this medicine was harmful without benefits, and that one can’t rashly use. This kind of herb mostly grows in the southwest near Southern Qi, and more than ninety percent of the times, grew on overhanging cliffs. However, according to my master’s words, someone ignorant had named this medicine as ‘revive’, and moreover, it started getting grown by people, borrowings its special ‘revival effect’. And for a time, it was being widely used by the locals. Afterwards, learning of its harm, the locals finally stopped using it gradually, but this commoner had once heard of a few cases. There aren’t any special symptoms, but it feels very much to be caused by revive.
“From the sounds of it, that medicine called revive should have been mixed with those ingredients that can easily lose effectiveness in the last moment by someone in the palace prior to the evening banquet?”
“Replying to your Majesty, it’s bound to be like so. This poison’s merits and drawbacks are both very obvious. If used appropriately, its powers are boundless, but if slightly out of place, all one’s efforts will be wasted.”
Le Cheng Emperor relaxed quite a bit, “Going through great lengths to feed a chicken poison, was it necessary?”
“There’s one bit that your Majesty might have actually assumed wrong. Having the drug prepared and combining into the chicken feed, once familiarized, that is just a process in preparing the chicken feed. Chickens that are able to enter the imperial palace should all be specially raised. The process for preparing the chicken feed isn’t easy to begin with, so having an extra step, is it really considered going through great lengths? These drugs are also easy to obtain in itself. Additionally, one is unable to detect anything wrong with the poisoned chicken, even able to easily enter deep into the palace. And the other half of the poison, using its characteristic of losing its effectiveness quickly, one can very easily destroy all traces of it. Just like today, if no one had noticed that the poisoned chicken fell apart easily, or if not for this commoner coincidentally knowing about this, how will one be able to find the source of this poison?”
In other people’s ears, Gong Jiu had the suspicion of self-praising, but one had to admit, his words were very correct.
This poison’s certain ingredients were difficult to obtain, yet wasn’t impossible to obtain, and once gotten a hold of, and carefully handling, the rate of success was very high. Even if unable to succeed, it’s also very easy to erase all evidence.
“What about that poisoned chicken? Where did it come from, has it been investigated clearly? Since it was an extra, then it’s impossible to have been mixed in outside the palace.”
In the imperial palace, every palace’s main hall, side hall, as well as back hall, actually all don’t have a small kitchen, but certain imperial consorts were always able to think of ways to get their hands on special things. Afterwards, it just became a kind of hidden rule. Just, those things, when entering the palace, were strictly inspected, and the imperial consorts also knew not to rashly accept other people’s things. For the most part, it was peaceful without any problems. That’s why, places that had chickens weren’t just limited to the imperial kitchen.
“Replying to your Majesty, it has been investigated clearly. Reportedly, it was brought in from the outside by a small eunuch of the imperial kitchen. According to the statements of the others from the imperial kitchen, that eunuch even complained about how the people in charge of the chickens were this careless, letting one run out. Because it was someone everyone was familiar with, no one thought too much of it. By the time we tracked down this matter, the little eunuch had already been silenced, thus the trail was severed. The inner palace, this subject does not dare to intrude without permission.”
Le Cheng Emperor coldly sneered, “This mastermind is rather crafty, being a step ahead every time. Even if the poisoned chicken really came from the inner palace, at this time, it certainly would be gone already.” And this kind of thing, Le Cheng Emperor actually wasn’t too willing to blame onto his big and small wives either. That way, he will very much lose face, and if unable to find out, he will lose face even more.
An inner court attendant of Le Cheng Emperor’s hurriedly came in, “Your Majesty, someone from Kunyi Palace came, saying that her Highness the Empress had forced herself to attend the evening banquet, catching a cold, her condition worsening, and at this time, has already fainted.”
Le Cheng Emperor suddenly shot up, not because of being concerned for the Empress, but rather, having just learned of the ‘revive’, such a thing just happened.
Everyone looked to one another in dismay. Wasn’t this a bit too coincidental? But, carefully recalling, the Empress’s spirit seemingly was indeed pretty good during the evening banquet. Then, was it her?
Jing Wan’s attention was on another detail. Tonight, of the important members of the imperial family, this was the fourth one collapsing! If another one were to…………
