The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 134 Poisoning
Emperor Yuanwu couldn't help but laugh when he saw her overreaction: "The Empress is so happy to hear that I am going to stay overnight in Kunning Palace."
Shen Qingwan's cough paused.

She cursed under her breath: "Happy my ass!"

Open those lifeless eyes of his and take a good look. Is she happy? What makes her happy? Why is she happy?

Emperor Yuanwu himself was so weak that his face turned pale. He had just eaten some aphrodisiac and kidney tonics, and he was already starting to get aroused.

No wonder emperors throughout history have had short lifespans; they all brought it upon themselves.

Emperor Yuanwu moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something more, but Su Tianhe hurriedly walked in from outside.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, something has happened to the hostage!"

Proton?

Shen Qingwan's eyes darkened. The hostage had only just entered the palace, how could someone be so impatient?

Although the hostage had a special status, Chang Le Palace was located in a remote area. Although it was in the inner palace, Chang Le Palace was located in a corner of the inner palace and was guarded by the Imperial Guards.

Who on earth has such great ability to take action against the proton so quickly under such circumstances?

The harem was inhabited by concubines, princes, and princesses, who had no grudges against the northern deserts and the hostages.

Did it harm the protons?

What's the reason?
Su Tianhe raised his eyes with a solemn expression and glanced at the Empress: "Your Majesty and Your Majesty, the hostage has suddenly developed a rash all over his body, is having difficulty breathing, and is coughing incessantly. It seems like he has been poisoned. Should we summon the imperial physician?"

"The person is in such a state, so naturally we must save him first. What else is there to ask? Quickly go and fetch the imperial physician to examine the hostage!"

After Shen Qingwan finished speaking, she turned around and glanced at Emperor Yuanwu.

"Summon the Imperial Physician." After this incident, Emperor Yuanwu lost his appetite. He casually threw his chopsticks onto the food plate and said, "Wu Jixiang, go and find out what exactly happened."

Although Mo Ganjunyi entered the palace as a hostage, he was still a prince of Mobei, and his status was noble.

If he were truly poisoned on his first day in the palace, it would likely damage his reputation and even displease the Buddha.

The news spread throughout the palace in an instant, and within half an hour, all the concubines had gathered at Kunning Palace.

Wu Jixiang also replied.

"Your Majesty, Physician Zhang said that the hostage's symptoms were caused by emotional distress, external wind-evil, internal damp-heat, spleen deficiency with dampness, blood deficiency with dryness, and other reasons."

When Wu Jixiang replied, he deliberately omitted the phrase "improper diet".

After all, when he first went to Chang Le Palace, there was still a food box that the Empress had given to the Crown Prince in the hostage's palace. When the lid of the food box was opened, there were still some unfinished pastries inside.

"Emotional distress, external wind-evil, internal damp-heat, spleen deficiency with dampness, blood deficiency with dryness? Aren't these symptoms caused by accidentally eating something they shouldn't have?" Consort Xian muttered to herself.

However, at this moment, she suddenly remembered that when she met Mo Gan Junyi in the palace today, he was indeed carrying a food box, and at that time he seemed to have just come out of Kunning Palace.

Could it be that the Empress poisoned the food he was given?
Consort Xian's eyes flickered, and she couldn't help but sit up straight.

Since the Empress fell seriously ill, no one knows what kind of seductive tricks she used, but Emperor Yuanwu has been visiting Kunning Palace more and more frequently. Even when he dined in her palace last time, he was still reminiscing about the bird's nest and duck soup served there.

Although she received the most favor in the harem, she could clearly sense that the emperor's affection for her had diminished considerably.

If this continues, Emperor Yuanwu's soul will be completely bewitched by the Empress. And those concubines who are currently favored in the harem are all those who have had a good relationship with the Empress.

If this continues, the entire harem will no longer belong to Shen Qingwan alone.

Even if this incident fails to bring down the Empress, it can at least create a rift between her and Emperor Yuanwu.

Thinking of this, Consort Xian stood up from the stool: "Your Majesty, I believe this matter concerns the diplomatic relations between our two countries and must be thoroughly investigated. Even if the hostage is unharmed, the harem will never tolerate someone with a vicious heart who poisons food. If we allow this person to cause trouble in the harem, won't all of us sisters living in the harem be living in constant fear?"

Emperor Yuanwu nodded: "The Consort's words make sense. Wu Jixiang, go and investigate what the hostage has eaten and who he has met since entering the palace."

Wu Jixiang looked up at Shen Qingwan with concern: "According to the hostage's attendants, the hostage went to pay his respects to the Empress early this morning, met the Imperial Concubine on the way, ate the pastries sent by the Empress after returning, and has not seen anyone since."

Consort Xian panicked.

How did I end up getting myself into this mess?

She hurriedly got up and knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, I...I am innocent! I have never had any contact with the hostage. When I spoke to the hostage, I was never off the carriage."

Emperor Yuanwu looked at her with a hint of complexity in his eyes. He remained silent, while Consort Xian knelt on the ground with her head down, not daring to get up.

Shen Qingwan was also surprised.

Just as she looked at Emperor Yuanwu, Emperor Yuanwu also looked in her direction.

She was originally sitting next to Emperor Yuanwu, but since this matter was related to her, she naturally couldn't continue sitting there.

Shen Qingwan got up and walked to Emperor Yuanwu's side, then knelt down: "Your Majesty, this morning, when the hostage came to the palace and paid his respects to me, I did give him a food box of pastries. However, those pastries were all made by my own hands. I had asked the envoy from the northern desert before, and the hostage had no dietary restrictions."

As Shen Qingwan's voice fell, Emperor Yuanwu's gaze shifted from Consort Xian to Shen Qingwan.

There are some things that outsiders may not know, but he knows them clearly.

The idea of ​​sending the prince of the northern desert to the palace as a hostage was originally Shen Qingwan's.

Moreover, before the hostage entered the palace, she received a tip-off from someone, and she did not hide anything from him, reporting it all to herself.

Emperor Yuanwu believed that Shen Qingwan understood, just as he did, the importance of the hostage's safety.

Perhaps this is how trust between people works: when someone is willing to be honest with you, you are willing to trust them from the bottom of your heart.

Although Emperor Yuanwu's expression was still grim, he still reached out and helped Shen Qingwan up from the ground.

This scene, witnessed by Consort Xian kneeling before her, caused her to tremble involuntarily.

What exactly did Emperor Yuanwu mean by this? Was he trying to tell everyone that he believed Shen Qingwan was innocent, and that's why he let her get up?

What about her?
She did nothing wrong, yet she's being suspected.

How exactly did Shen Qingwan manage to bewitch Emperor Yuanwu? It seems that apart from Consort Li, she had never seen Emperor Yuanwu treat any other woman in the harem like this.

Shen Qingwan was no ordinary concubine; she was the Empress.

No matter which concubine in the harem is favored, she can still compete for it, but if it is the Empress, wouldn't she have no chance at all?

(End of this chapter)