Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 170 Old Case Cleared
A princess held a hairpin to her throat, determined to die to prove her loyalty.

A princess knelt down, demanding an examination in court.

The royal family's dignity was trampled underfoot, and their respectability was shattered.

"How dare you!" The Empress Dowager's voice boomed like a bell, full of authority.

"You've all gone mad! Today is my birthday, do you really need to see blood?"

"Are you all acting so ridiculously? Do you think I'm too old to live and want to drive me to my death?"

In an instant, all the noblewomen in the hall fell silent, trembling with fear.

The air was heavy and oppressive.

Xue Yuechen glanced at Xue Sui subtly while drinking water.

Xue Sui pursed his lips slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" The Grand Princess placed her hands in front of her abdomen, bowed slightly, and gently comforted the Empress Dowager.

"The younger generation is just bickering. No matter how rude they are, they are still blood relatives. A little quarrel will pass quickly. It's really not worth getting angry over it and harming your health..."

Anyone could see that the Grand Princess wanted to use this as a way to make a big deal out of a small one and a small one disappear, so as to avoid further complications, becoming a laughing stock among all the noblewomen, and ruining the reputation of the royal family.

However, Ping Le was not one to settle down easily.

As she watched the sharp hairpin in Wen Jia's hand pierce the skin of her neck, and a drop of bright red blood seeped out, she suddenly slammed her forehead against the ground with a loud thud, causing all the noblewomen in the hall to gasp in shock.

"Ping Le is putting this out there today: if my grandmother doesn't avenge me, I'll kill myself and go to the underworld to seek justice! So that the whole world will know that a royal princess has been humiliated like this, and no one is there to stand up for her!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into an instant silence.

Empress Dowager Chengqing's face was ashen as she stared intently at Princess Ping Le, gripping the carved armrests tightly with both hands, suppressing her anger.

"You belittle yourself like this, throwing a tantrum in my palace. Have you completely disregarded the rules of the royal family?"

The Grand Princess's smile froze slightly, and she looked at Ping Le with reproach in her eyes.

"Ping Le, your words are far too harsh. We're sisters, why should a little misunderstanding escalate to this point?"

Empress Dowager Chengqing then coughed lightly, forced a smile on her face, and took the opportunity to use the donkey to get downhill.

"Did you hear the Grand Princess's reprimand? Wenjia, Pingle, you two, step aside and reflect on your actions!"

"Ping Le, you're exaggerating!" came a coquettish voice.

Like a nightingale emerging from a valley, its clear voice carries a hint of sharpness.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Consort Xiao arriving late, her smile carrying a hidden meaning.

She moved gracefully into the hall, stood still with impeccable poise, and bowed deeply to the Empress Dowager. Then, she slowly glanced at the noblewomen in the hall before speaking unhurriedly.

"Ping Le's grievances are not mere misunderstandings. The humiliation of having her husband stolen and the hatred of being betrayed are far too much to bear. If Wen Jia is allowed to act so recklessly, what will become of the dignity of our Great Liang royal family..."

His words elevated the matter to a higher level.

This brought the already tense atmosphere to a freezing point.

The noblewomen dared not utter a sound, exchanging bewildered glances.

Consort Xiao raised her eyebrows and turned around, calling out loudly, "Imperial Physician Fu!"

Behind her, Fu Qingsong from the Imperial Medical Academy hurriedly stepped forward.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, placed the medicine box he was carrying on the ground, knelt down and performed a grand salute to the Empress Dowager, wishing her a long and healthy life.

The ladies of the court all turned to look, their eyes filled with surprise...

Princess Ping Le and Consort Xiao, did you come prepared?

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Physician Fu gently lifted the corner of his robe, carefully stepped forward, and nervously placed his pale fingers on Princess Ping Le's pulse, his eyes deep and focused as he took her pulse.

After a moment, he said in a slightly trembling voice:
"Her Highness the Princess did indeed...did indeed suffer a miscarriage..."

With a "crack," the teacup fell to the ground, the crisp sound breaking the deathly silence of Cixi Hall.

Empress Dowager Chengqing's knuckles turned white. After a long pause, she said in a deep voice, "Have you made a correct diagnosis?"

Physician Fu hurriedly bowed and paid his respects, his collar already soaked with cold sweat.

"Your Majesty, I have been practicing medicine for thirty years and would never dare to speak recklessly."

"Your Majesty, please see the truth!" Ping Le knelt on the ground, her forehead pressed against the cold gold brick, sobbing as she pleaded, "I had only recently been diagnosed with pregnancy when the Prince Consort caused me to miscarry, cruelly forcing me to divorce him, causing the royal family to lose face... In reality, he was having an affair with Wen Jia, plotting to make it happen... The shards of that medicine bowl are still in the Princess's residence; I've kept them and never thrown them away. Your Majesty, you can have someone retrieve them for examination..."

Empress Dowager Chengqing's wrinkled face grew increasingly gloomy.

"Do you mean what you said?"

Ping Le: "Absolutely true!"

Wen Jia's face turned pale, and her body swayed precariously as the thin hairpin pierced deeper and deeper.

"Your Majesty knows perfectly well that there is no romantic relationship between me and Prince Consort Lu, so why do you slander my innocence like this?"

"Innocence? That day, Lu You'an disregarded his dignity and rushed to the Xishan Palace to deliver medicine. Who was he going for? The Imperial Son-in-Law has always been proud and aloof. Who in the court and the country doesn't know that? He has never shown concern for others or shown any personal feelings. He only cares about you?"

"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext..." Wen Jia smiled bitterly.

"In the end, my elder sister disregarded our sisterly bond and disrupted Grandmother's birthday banquet, all because she was determined to kill me..."

Ping Le's thin lips curled slightly, and she coldly raised her eyes, "When you seduced my consort and did such despicable things, did you ever think that I was your elder sister, did you ever consider our sisterly relationship?"

Xue Sui suddenly chuckled softly, her fingertips tracing the edge of the teacup, before rising from the quiet seat and gracefully bowing.

"Your Majesty, I have some knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, and I humbly request to examine the princess again."

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Chengqing looked at her, a hint of displeasure showing between her tightly pursed lips.

At this critical moment, no one should step forward and escalate the situation further.

Xue Yuechen saw the reproach in the Empress Dowager's eyes, gently tugged at Xue Sui's sleeve, and whispered, "Matters of the palace are for the Empress Dowager's wise judgment. Although you mean well, sister, please don't say anything more..."

She feared that Xue Sui would get into trouble, and her eyes were full of warning.

Xue Sui gently placed his palm on the back of her hand, gave it a soothing squeeze, and then respectfully bowed to Empress Dowager Chengqing.

"I have studied medicine for many years, and I am particularly skilled in gynecology... Seeing that Princess Ping Le's complexion was dull and slightly swollen, and her lips were cyanotic, and considering her thick, greasy tongue coating, it did not seem like a sign of miscarriage, so I dared to offer my advice..."

The hall fell silent instantly.

Ping Le glared angrily, her almond-shaped eyes wide with fury. "Xue Liu, how dare you!"

Xue Sui raised an eyebrow slightly, a cold smile creeping across her eyes, and continued, "I've heard that the princess has been suffering from strange ailments recently. I suspect it might be due to medication. Perhaps some unscrupulous person is secretly plotting against her. It's best to be cautious..."

"Xue Liu!" Ping Le gritted her teeth and shouted sharply, "When did it become your turn to speak in this Cixi Palace?"

Xue Sui smiled slightly.

She has already said the most important thing.

Whether Ping Le wants her to take her pulse or not has already created a rift, and Empress Dowager Chengqing will probably have to put in a lot of effort to consider the bigger picture.

Then she added, "This humble woman is truly concerned for the princess's health. I fear there are those with ill intentions who are deliberately framing the princess and her husband..."

Ping Le nearly crushed his silver teeth.

“Lady Ping An, be careful with your words!” Consort Xiao’s nails clicked slightly, her eyes churning like dark clouds. “I think you’ve lost your composure and are talking nonsense. Aren’t you afraid of offending a noble person?” Xue Sui bowed gracefully, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation. It is only out of a physician's compassion that I have come to this aid. I know there is more to the story than meets the eye. I cannot stand idly by. I beg Your Highness to investigate further."

Before Consort Xiao could speak again, the Grand Princess pushed her wine cup away forcefully and reprimanded her with displeasure.

"All of you, calm down. It's the Empress Dowager's 70th birthday, a joyous occasion. Why say such unlucky things?" She tried to ease the tense atmosphere and mediate, while also gesturing to Consort Xiao.

“Ping Le is not fully recovered and is behaving inappropriately. You should take her back and let her recuperate properly, so she doesn’t embarrass herself in this hall.”

She was of a high generation and could command respect; even the Empress Dowager had to give her some face.

Ping Le looked at the Grand Princess with a face full of grievance.

"Grandmother, Ping Le is truly innocent..."

The Grand Princess suddenly stood up shakily, her crane-patterned shawl sweeping across the wine stains on the table. She gave a slight curtsy to Empress Dowager Chengqing, pointed forcefully at Ping Le, and her full head of silver hair trembled slightly.

"Ping Le, you are so willful and reckless. It seems I must inform His Majesty so that he can properly discipline you..."

"My elder sister is more than just willful and reckless..." Li Zhao's voice suddenly came from the palace gate, his black python robe exuding a cold and austere aura.

"She's even quite adept at faking pregnancy; could it be that she inherited Lady Xiao's skills?"

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

The infighting within the imperial harem was nothing new to the noblewomen.

But they couldn't understand why the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace would interfere.
Li Zhao stood against the light, the black crystal on his jade belt gleaming a deep, dark red under the palace lanterns.

Behind him followed Laifu, who was bowing and serving, holding a sandalwood box in his hands, which faintly carried a hint of autumn dew and chill.

"Wishing the Empress Dowager a long and healthy life, as long as the heavens."

Li Zhao bowed deeply to the ground, his voice clear and melodious.

Then he raised his head and looked directly at Empress Dowager Chengqing, who was sitting at the head of the table.

"Grandson is also here to present a birthday gift to the Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Chengqing's originally somber expression gradually softened.

"Your Highness is too kind. I am so fortunate to have you juniors who are so respectful and obedient to me. I don't know what good deeds I did in my past life to deserve this. Hehe, it's all thanks to the blessings of our ancestors..."

Upon seeing this, everyone praised it.

A chorus of agreement filled the hall.

Empress Dowager Chengqing smiled and gestured to the palace servants to present the birthday gifts offered by the Crown Prince.

Li Zhao walked slowly forward, passing in front of Xue Sui without glancing to the side, and stood directly in front of Empress Dowager Chengqing's desk.

Xue Sui's gaze lingered on him briefly before slowly shifting away.

"Grandson is late in offering birthday greetings, please forgive me, Your Majesty." Li Zhao's bow was elegant and dignified, but his words were somewhat sharp.

"But this birthday gift from my grandson is quite special; Grandmother needs to examine it carefully."

Lai Fu bowed and respectfully presented the sandalwood box.

Empress Dowager Chengqing teased him a few times, then smiled as she watched the palace servants open the sandalwood box.

"Let's see what treasures the Crown Prince has found for me..."

Before the sound faded, the box lid opened, and a mellow, aged medicinal fragrance mixed with a slight coolness wafted out.

The Empress Dowager's expression suddenly changed drastically.

Inside the box, a yellowed medical record lay peacefully, with a celadon medicine bottle standing beside it.

"What is this?"

Li Zhao bowed respectfully and said, "Back then, Consort Xue served the Empress Dowager diligently in the Cining Palace and was greatly favored by her. Unexpectedly, she died prematurely, along with her unborn son. The Empress Dowager fell seriously ill because of this and has been deeply saddened by her grief ever since..."

He deliberately lowered his voice, which was full of sadness.

The atmosphere inside the hall grew increasingly heavy and oppressive.

The elderly Mrs. Cui, sitting in the room, had reddened eyes, twisted her handkerchief tightly, and looked quite moved.

Consort Xue was her only daughter.

In her youth, she was a well-behaved and clever child, cherished by her parents. For the sake of the Xue family's honor, she entered the palace with tears in her eyes, serving the Emperor and Empress Dowager with utmost devotion. Even while pregnant with the prince, she remained cautious and timid, navigating the delicate relationship between the Xie and Xiao families as if walking on thin ice…

Such a sensible daughter, suddenly struck by tragedy, is now gone forever. How could she not be heartbroken and weep...

"My poor daughter."

When Old Mrs. Cui cried, Xue Yuechen also wiped away her tears with a handkerchief.

Everyone in the hall sighed repeatedly, their faces showing reluctance.

Consort Xiao suddenly stood up, the golden phoenix hairpin at her temple swaying violently: "Your Highness, today is the Empress Dowager's joyous occasion. What are you up to by bringing out these unlucky things?"

Li Zhao glanced at her unhurriedly, as if he hadn't even seen her, and ignored her.

"In the fifth year of Chongzhao, Consort Xue died of postpartum hemorrhage, resulting in the death of both mother and child. The records of the Imperial Hospital at the time stated that the dregs of the medicine contained 'Qianjinteng' and 'Hongshe powder'."

Consort Xiao's expression changed slightly.

Empress Dowager Chengqing's gaze shifted between light and shadow as she stared intently at Li Zhao before her.

"Why does the Crown Prince bring up old matters today?"

Li Zhao smiled slowly, "It just so happens that a few days ago, when I was looking through old files, I came across an old medical case and it reminded me of the late Consort Xue. If I can get justice for her today and clear her name, I think it will bring some joy to my grandmother."

He slowly stepped forward, his fingertips brushing across the brown spots on the medical table, then turned back to look coldly at Fu Qingsong, his voice like shattered jade.

"Does Physician Fu still remember the medical case from back then, and this prescription?"

Physician Fu's face was ashen, his hands unconsciously twisting the hem of his robe, his eyes filled with panic. "This old minister... this old minister is a little confused, I can't remember clearly."

Li Zhao sneered: "Does Physician Fu remember who instructed you to prescribe this medicine?"

Physician Fu glanced at Consort Xiao with a look of alarm, and stammered.

Xue Sui chimed in at the opportune moment: "Coincidentally, the combination of these two herbs is a deadly poison for pregnant women, but a good remedy for regulating menstruation for non-pregnant women. It is completely harmless, but the pulse will be no different from that of a miscarriage."

Li Zhao: "So, Princess Ping Le's miscarriage pulse is somewhat suspiciously related to Consort Xue's sudden death back then?"

Xue Sui: "Your Highness is absolutely right. In my opinion, there must be some hidden story behind this."

"I think he's not simple either."

"Your Highness is wise."

The two, working in unison, almost revealed in court that Consort Xiao had used the same methods to kill Consort Xue years ago...

Erjin: Everyone, the story about Qianjinteng mixed with red musk powder is made up and shouldn't be taken seriously.

Reader: So what is real?

Erjin: I'm writing again after the surgery. It's been a few days since I got back into the flow. The old saying is true, "Practice makes perfect." But this chapter is still quite long. See you tomorrow...

(Finally, thank you to all the readers who care about Erjin. Erjin is recovering well, but she can't push herself too hard yet. It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, so she needs some time to recuperate for a full recovery. Haha, Erjin will update daily, but I can't guarantee the word count; I'll update more as I feel like it… Mwah!)