Chapter 13
Chunwan trembled with fear as she knelt on the ground, kowtowing frantically.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this servant is innocent! This servant tasted every dish the Empress ate, and I don’t know what happened... Perhaps the food wasn’t poisoned. The Empress saw the consorts today, as well as many candidates for the palace... Oh, and the Prince Regent! They could have poisoned her too!”
Steward Zhao’s expression shifted. She shouted, “How dare you! How can a lowly palace maid like you presume to discuss the affairs of the nobles? Your Majesty, look at how glib this girl is. She’s clearly no good. Have her locked up in the Palace Punishment Court and interrogated. I’m sure she’ll confess something.”
Once someone entered the Palace Punishment Court, even the most upright person would have a layer of skin stripped away. Whether or not she had done it, anyone who feared pain would confess!
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes and looked coldly at Chunwan.
“Has the Empress met the Prince Regent?”
Chunwan replied cautiously, “Yes... After meeting with the consorts, the Empress encountered the Prince Regent in the imperial garden and spoke with him for a little while.”
“Your Majesty, why are you listening to this servant? She’s only changing the subject to avoid punishment.” Steward Zhao was growing anxious, afraid that the longer this went on, the worse it would be for her.
“Smack—”
A trace of coldness flashed in the Empress Dowager’s eyes as she flung her teacup down in front of Steward Zhao.
“And what are you, a servant, shouting about?”
Steward Zhao’s face was splattered with tea. She lowered her head and fell silent.
She had served the Empress Dowager for many years, so she knew the Empress Dowager was truly angry this time.
“Someone, summon Prince Qi. Also, bring everyone the Empress met today to Fengning Palace, one by one.”
“Yes...”
Behind the bed curtains, Sheng Yanhuan’s eyes were dark and profound, and the corner of her lips curled into a cold smile.
Since it was already late, the consorts had yet to arrive. The first to hurry over were, unexpectedly, the daughters of minor officials from outside the palace.
They knelt on the ground, trembling all over.
Everyone said the imperial palace was a place that devoured people. The Empress had sent them out of the palace that afternoon, and now the Empress Dowager had summoned them back at night. It clearly couldn’t be for anything good.
The Empress Dowager rubbed her brow and asked coldly, “Confess what you’ve done.”
The women exchanged glances, thinking she meant their discussion of the Prince Regent.
“I spoke rashly for a moment. I never expected it to lead to such a grave offense...”
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes. “What did you say?”
The women glanced at one another, and finally the daughter of the highest-ranking official among them began to speak.
“Your Majesty...”
But before she could finish, a soft, weak voice suddenly came from the inner room.
“Cough, cough... Mother, it wasn’t them. This consort spoke with them briefly, then started feeling unwell and hurriedly sent them away.”
The Empress Dowager frowned. “Your Majesty, rest properly. Don’t speak anymore.”
“...Yes.”
The Empress Dowager waved her hand. “Have them all escorted back.”
“Yes.” Steward Zhao’s face lit up. She stood, about to make the arrangements.
“You, keep kneeling.”
The Empress Dowager gave her a cold look, clearly with no intention of letting her off.
If anything happened in Fengning Palace, every person in the hall would be held responsible, whether the matter was serious or minor.
But right now, the most important thing was to find out who had poisoned the Empress and root out the threat completely, so it wouldn’t harm her imperial grandson in the future.
“Your Majesty, the consorts are all waiting outside.”
“Let them all in.”
“Yes.”
Everyone who came had met with the Empress that afternoon. Knowing the Empress Dowager had summoned them, none of them dared pretend to be ill.
As soon as she entered, Noble Consort Meng went behind the Empress Dowager and began massaging her head and shoulders.
“Aunt, don’t fret. Whatever happened, we can get to the bottom of it by asking. We sisters will all cooperate with you.”
The Empress Dowager patted the back of her hand. Noble Consort Meng was the only one in the harem who truly cared about her. After all, she was the legitimate daughter of the Empress Dowager’s younger brother and had been cherished since childhood.
“Good. Since you’re here, help me find out who harmed the Empress. I truly have a headache.”
A look of surprise flashed through Meng Siyu’s eyes. She asked in a trembling voice, “The Empress? What happened to the Empress? Is she all right?”
The Empress Dowager shook her head. “Fortunately, it was discovered in time. There’s no serious danger.”
“That’s good. Don’t worry, Aunt. This consort will help you find out who poisoned her.”
“Good, good, good.”
Now that Meng Siyu was there, the Empress Dowager began taking it easy. Tea wasn’t enough; she had the Imperial Kitchen prepare several kinds of pastries, and enjoyed them with her tea to her heart’s content.
Consort Miao kept her eyes lowered amid the crowd and didn’t say a word.
The consorts didn’t know what was going on, but they answered every question Noble Consort Meng asked, and told the truth.
“Mother, this consort has questioned everyone carefully. It’s late now...”
“Your Majesty, someone in the Imperial Kitchen has confessed.”
Meng Siyu froze, then immediately lowered her eyes, hiding her expression.
The Empress Dowager dropped the pastry in her hand, coldness spilling from her eyes.
“Bring the person in.”
“Yes.”
The Empress Dowager’s gaze fell on Chunwan in the corner. “Chunwan, explain why you weren’t poisoned.”
“This servant... really did taste the food...”
Chunwan’s lips had turned black. Her body swayed, then her eyes rolled back and she fainted on the floor.
Steward Zhao was overjoyed, thinking her chance had finally come.
“Your Majesty, look! She’s done this on purpose! I beg Your Majesty to have her tortured. She’ll surely confess the truth!”
“Silence!”
The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table and scolded her coldly.
“One after another, you’ve all gone into open revolt!”
First Wang Fu, and now Zhao Lan!
“Someone, lock Zhao Lan up in the Palace Punishment Court!”
Zhao Lan’s face turned deathly pale, and her voice trembled. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I’m Zhao Lan. I’ve been by your side since I was a child...”