20demayo Chapter 188 Ling Huan's Cleverness Saves the Queen Mother from Danger
Chapter 188 Ling Huan's Cleverness Saves the Queen Mother from Danger
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong were sitting opposite each other in the palace, chatting. Zhen Huan took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Lingrong, the palace seems peaceful these days, but I always feel that there are undercurrents."
An Lingrong nodded slightly. "Huan'er, you are very thoughtful. If you have any feelings, they must be true. We need to pay more attention."
As he was speaking, Su Peisheng rushed over, looking panicked: "My two young ladies, this is bad! The Empress Dowager has suddenly been poisoned and is unconscious. The Emperor is furious and has ordered a thorough investigation. The palace is now in chaos."
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong both stood up in shock. Zhen Huan anxiously asked, "The Queen Mother has always been in good health. How could she suddenly be poisoned? Eunuch Su, can you find out what the poison is?"
Su Peisheng shook his head: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Hospital is still investigating and has not yet reached a conclusion. However, the Emperor, in his rage, has detained everyone in the Imperial Kitchen. If the true culprit is not found, I'm afraid their lives will be in danger."
An Lingrong frowned, "Although the Imperial Kitchen is responsible for the Queen Mother's diet, all food entering the palace is subject to multiple levels of inspection. If someone poisoned it, it wouldn't necessarily be the work of the Imperial Kitchen staff."
Zhen Huan pondered for a moment and said, "Lingrong is right. Let's go to the Queen Mother's palace first."
The two rushed to the Empress Dowager's bedroom, only to see the Emperor pacing back and forth in the hall, his face gloomy and terrifying. After Zhen Huan and An Lingrong saluted, Zhen Huan whispered, "Your Majesty, Lingrong and I heard that the Empress Dowager was poisoned. We are extremely worried and have come to visit."
When the Emperor saw them, he angrily said, "I have already ordered that no one is allowed to enter the Empress Dowager's bedroom without permission. What are you doing here?"
An Lingrong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Huan'er and I thought we might be able to do something for the Empress Dowager. After all, she has always been kind and compassionate. We also want to find the person who poisoned her as soon as possible."
The Emperor's expression softened slightly. "Hmph! I will not let the person who poisoned the Empress Dowager go. The Imperial Hospital has investigated for a long time and only says that the poison seems to be caused by an extremely rare poisonous weed, but they have no idea where this poisonous weed came from."
Zhen Huan said, "Your Majesty, I believe the most urgent task is to seal off the entire harem and not allow anyone to enter or leave at will, so as to prevent the murderer from escaping or destroying evidence."
The Emperor nodded and said, "Hanhuan, this plan is very sound. I have instructed the guards to carry it out."
An Lingrong pondered for a moment and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, I have heard of a poisonous weed called 'Shadow Grass'. Its toxicity develops slowly, and the symptoms are very similar to those experienced by the Empress Dowager. This weed grows in extremely dark places, making it difficult for ordinary people to see. However, if anyone in the palace is determined to find it, it may be found."
The emperor's eyes lit up. "An Lingrong, since you know about this herb, do you know where I can find clues?"
An Lingrong said, "Your Majesty, I have read in some ancient books that if this 'Shadow Grass' is made into a poison, it must be mixed with a special spice called 'Agarwood Musk'. This fragrance has a unique scent. If you search carefully, you may find traces of it in the palace."
The emperor immediately ordered: "Su Peisheng, pass on my order. Have all the guards, maids, and eunuchs search the palace carefully for any trace of 'Agarwood Musk'. If you find any, report immediately."
Su Peisheng took the order and left. Zhen Huan said to An Lingrong, "Lingrong, you are so familiar with spices. If you can really find a breakthrough with this 'Agarwood Musk', the Queen Mother will definitely be saved."
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er, I hope so. However, the person behind this poisoning is so vicious and must be found as soon as possible to prevent further trouble."
Half a day later, Su Peisheng returned to report: "Your Majesty, I, along with the others, have searched and found some residue of 'Agarwood' in the residence of a young palace maid."
The emperor was furious: "Where is that little maid? Bring her to me immediately!"
The young maid was brought in and collapsed to the ground in fear. The emperor sternly asked, "You lowly maid, why do you have 'Agarwood'? Did you poison the Queen Mother?"
The little maid cried and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this is unjust! This 'Agarwood Musk' is not mine. A maid gave it to me. She said that this fragrance would make me more favored in the palace. I didn't know that this fragrance was related to the Queen Mother's poisoning."
Zhen Huan asked, "Who is that nanny? Tell me the truth."
The young maid trembled and said, "It's...it's Aunt Liu from Concubine Hua's palace."
When the Emperor heard the name "Hua Fei," his eyes glared. "Hua Fei? She's been dealt with. Could it be that she still has some remnants causing trouble in the palace?"
An Lingrong said, "Your Majesty, please don't be impulsive. Perhaps there's something else going on. We should first call in Nanny Liu and ask her about it."
When Nanny Liu was brought in, she remained calm and composed. After bowing, she said, "Your Majesty, I am innocent. I never gave that young palace maid any 'Agarwood Musk'. Someone must have deliberately framed me and wanted to use me to implicate the deceased Concubine Hua."
Zhen Huan carefully observed Nanny Liu's expression and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, Nanny Liu looks calm and her words are flawless. Could it be that she has really been framed?"
An Lingrong suddenly remembered something and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, I have heard that if this 'Shadow Grass' and 'Agarwood Musk' are mixed to form a poison, a special initiator is required: the 'Ice Glass Bead'. This 'Ice Glass Bead' is extremely rare, and only some foreign nations in the Western Regions offer it as tribute."
The Emperor immediately ordered: "Go to the Imperial Household Department and check if any 'Ice Glass Beads' have entered the palace recently. If so, who received them?"
Not long after, the head of the Imperial Household Department came to report: "Your Majesty, recently some 'Ice Glass Beads' have indeed entered the palace. They were received by Concubine Jing's brother in her name."
The Emperor angrily asked, "Brother Jingfei? Hasn't he been expelled from the palace? How can he still be controlling all this from outside the palace?"
An Lingrong said, "Your Majesty, it seems that although Concubine Jing's brother is not in the palace, he is still colluding with people in the palace, attempting to murder the Empress Dowager and disrupt the harem."
Zhen Huan said, "Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to find the hiding place of Concubine Jing's brother and bring him to justice. Perhaps we can learn the antidote formula from him and save the Queen Mother's life."
The emperor immediately ordered the guards to search for Concubine Jing's brother. After a long search, they finally found Concubine Jing's brother in an abandoned village on the outskirts of the city.
After Concubine Jing's brother was captured, he initially refused to confess. However, unable to withstand the torture, he revealed the truth: "Your Majesty, I was unwilling to be oppressed by Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, so I wanted to use the poisoning of the Empress Dowager to frame the remnants of Concubine Hua, letting them fight among themselves in the palace, so that I could reap the benefits. I bought the poison from a quack. I mixed 'Shadow Grass', 'Musk Agarwood' and 'Ice Glass Beads' to make a poison. I bribed the young palace maids and Madam Liu to put the poison in the Empress Dowager's food. I know I was wrong, and I beg Your Majesty for mercy."
The emperor said angrily: "You are such a heinous criminal, how could I forgive you!"
Afterwards, Concubine Jing's brother was sentenced to death, while the young palace maid and Madam Liu were given lighter sentences because they were exploited. The Imperial Hospital prepared an antidote based on the antidote formula provided by Concubine Jing's brother, and after the Empress Dowager took it, she gradually regained consciousness.
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong once again demonstrated their wisdom and courage in this turmoil, safeguarding the peace of the harem. However, they knew that the struggle in the harem would never stop, and more challenges awaited them in the future.