Transmigrating into a book, seducing him to rise to power

Yikun Palace.

An hour later, Ling Yue slowly woke up. Her eyelashes trembled slightly before she slowly opened her eyes.

When Jun Zechen saw that she had woken up, he quickly went to the bedside and sat down.

"How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?" Jun Zechen asked with concern in his eyes.

Ling Yue looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

After a short while, she sat up as if waking from a dream, stretched out her arms, and gently hugged his waist, as if he were her only support.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with me?" Ling Yue's voice carried a hint of doubt and unease.

"You've been poisoned."

Jun Zechen's expression became extremely complicated. He stared straight ahead, his gaze heavy.

Ling Yue's body trembled slightly, her face filled with terror.

"Your Majesty, I am frightened. Is someone trying to harm me?"

Jun Zechen gently patted her back, again and again.

"Don't be afraid, I will find out the truth."

"It's almost time for dinner. You should rest now. I need to go back to the Qianqing Palace to take care of some matters."

As Jun Zechen spoke, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders and slowly helped her out of his embrace.

Ling Yue looked at him with deep reluctance, her eyes filled with a tender affection that was heartbreaking.

But if she were to become empress, she would have to be magnanimous and sensible, and could not be willful in trying to keep him.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off," Ling Yue said softly, bowing her head.

After Jun Zechen returned to Qianqing Palace, An Shun had already respectfully prepared the information he had gathered and was waiting for the report in the main hall of Qianqing Palace.

Jun Zechen walked steadily to the dragon throne and sat down. His expression was serious, and his eyes were full of majesty.

"Speak, what did you find out?" Jun Zechen's voice was deep and powerful.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine had a soup for lunch today, and the imperial physician discovered that aconite powder had been added to that soup."

An Shun lowered his head and continued, "This servant has interrogated all the palace servants who came into contact with the soup from the time it was prepared in the Imperial Kitchen to when it was delivered to Yikun Palace, and there were no problems. This servant suspects that the problem occurred after the soup entered Yikun Palace."

Then, a look of hesitation appeared on Anshun's face, and his lips moved slightly, as if he was unsure whether he should continue speaking.

Seeing this, Jun Zechen frowned slightly, a hint of impatience flashing across his face. "Say what you want to say."

"Your Majesty, I later checked the records of aconite use in the palace. Aconite can alleviate symptoms of wind-cold-dampness syndrome."

"After His Majesty ascended the throne, the Consort went to the Imperial Hospital to collect medicinal herbs for treating wind-cold-dampness syndrome for the old nannies and eunuchs in the palace, including aconite."

When Anshun said this, fine beads of sweat had already begun to appear on his forehead.

Jun Zechen's eyes suddenly darkened, and his face became even more gloomy. "Could it be that the Imperial Concubine poisoned herself?"

Upon hearing this, Anshun immediately knelt down, his knees making a dull thud as they hit the ground.

"Your Majesty, this servant dares not doubt such a thing. The Noble Consort is kind-hearted, and that is why she is considering the health of the servants in the palace."

"This servant suspects that someone in the Consort's palace may have been bribed and taken the medicinal herbs that the Consort gave to the palace servants, thus poisoning the Consort."

"However, if we want to find out who poisoned her, I may need to interrogate the people in the Consort's palace."

Anshun's voice carried a hint of urgency and fear.

After all, he had been by the Crown Prince's side the longest, and he knew very well how much the Crown Prince had doted on Consort Gui when he was in the Eastern Palace.

Even with Consort Chunshu now in power, Anshun can't guarantee that His Majesty won't care about the Imperial Consort anymore.

After pondering quietly for a while, Jun Zechen slowly said, "Yes, be careful. The Imperial Concubine was poisoned today and is already in a state of panic. Don't disturb her rest."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Anshun replied hastily, secretly relieved.

At this moment, Fuquan walked in with slightly hurried steps.

He immediately bowed respectfully upon entering, saying, "This servant greets Your Majesty."

"Get up." Jun Zechen said expressionlessly, his voice calm and undisturbed.

"Your Majesty, someone from the Empress Dowager's court has come to request your presence," Fuquan reported, slightly raising his head.

Upon hearing this, Jun Zechen frowned, nodded, and then strode towards the Cining Palace without saying anything more.

Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager and Jun Zechen sat together on the couch. The Empress Dowager was dignified and elegant, while Jun Zechen looked slightly solemn.

Aunt Jinhua walked to the side, picked up the teapot, and poured this year's tribute tea for the two of them.

The tea flowed gently from the spout, tracing a graceful arc in the air before falling precisely into the teacup.

"Your Majesty, what happened to the Imperial Concubine? I heard she was poisoned, but you won't let anyone into Yikun Palace to visit her. Now, I can only ask you if I want to know the situation."

After taking a small sip of tea, the Empress Dowager asked softly.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has been poisoned by aconite. I suspect someone is trying to harm her. I don't want any more noisy people to enter Yikun Palace, as it will be difficult for my people to investigate."

When there are many people, it's easy for them to do things secretly.

"How is the emperor's investigation going?"

The Empress Dowager remained calm, her gaze fixed quietly on Jun Zechen, and asked softly.

"After I ascended the throne, the Imperial Concubine showed concern and care for the harem. She obtained medicinal herbs from the Imperial Hospital for the elderly palace women to treat wind-cold-dampness syndrome, including aconite."

"This is a good thing."

Jun Zechen paused, his brows furrowing even more, before continuing.

"Now it's not easy to trace the source of aconite back to find the mastermind."

He fell into deep thought, gently tapping the small table on the couch with one hand.

Investigating whether the imperial concubine was poisoned is indeed a difficult problem, but it's not entirely hopeless.

No matter who it is, there will always be flaws in what they do.

The Empress Dowager did not immediately respond to Jun Zechen's words. Instead, as if suddenly remembering something, she asked, "I remember today is Consort Chunshu's birthday?"

"Yes, I originally planned to celebrate Consort Chunshu's birthday with her today. After all, the late Emperor passed away not long ago, and birthday banquets and the like are reduced or waived. However, the Consort was poisoned today, and I have broken my promise to her."

A hint of guilt flashed across Jun Zechen's face, and his eyes dimmed.

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes. Her eyelashes drooped slightly, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

"Is the Imperial Concubine feeling better now?" the Empress Dowager asked softly again.

"After taking the antidote, the Imperial Concubine is now in good health," Jun Zechen replied.

"Will the Emperor be spending the evening with Consort Chunshu?"

The Empress Dowager asked casually, her expression remaining calm, but there seemed to be a deeper meaning in her eyes.

"Of course, I already had Fuquan inform Consort Chunshu that I will go see her later." Jun Zechen's answer was without hesitation.

Looking at his resolute expression, the Empress Dowager felt a pang of helplessness. Her son was good in every way, except that he couldn't understand women.

No, it's not that I can't understand women, it's just that I no longer doubt women I've already entrusted with my trust, but I have a keen eye for other women.

The Empress Dowager shook her head slightly, a hint of helplessness in her expression.

He then chatted with the emperor for a while.

Not long after, Anshun walked in and immediately bowed respectfully.

"This servant greets Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager."

"Get up, have you found out the truth?"

Jun Zechen's gaze was fixed on Anshun, his face remained calm and expressionless, but his voice carried a hint of urgency.

"Your Majesty, Qin'er, a palace maid in charge of meals in the Consort's palace, said that the Consort's meal today was touched by a palace maid named Guo'er. At the time, Qin'er thought it was unintentional and did not pay any attention to it."

"I only remembered it after being questioned by this servant."

"Afterwards, this servant searched Guo'er's room and found Consort An's pearl earrings, which were part of Consort An's dowry."

Anshun paused slightly at this point.

How could dowry items be casually given to a palace maid?

He continued, "This servant has also reviewed Consort An's medicine collection records from the Imperial Hospital over the past few months and discovered that Consort An also collected aconite when she was in the Eastern Palace, but I heard that it was for a palace maid with rheumatism."

"This servant has not yet gone to Consort An's palace to explain this matter, but has come to report to Your Majesty whether you require this servant to interrogate the people in Consort An's palace?"

Jun Zechen's eyes were filled with anger and disgust.

"It's her again. Ever since she entered the Eastern Palace, she has framed the Imperial Concubine multiple times. This time, she actually poisoned her. How can such a scheming and vicious woman be worthy of being a palace concubine?"

His tone was exceptionally cold, as if carrying the chill of the twelfth lunar month.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's brows furrowed immediately.

"Your Majesty, everything must be based on evidence. There is no evidence to prove that Consort An framed the Imperial Concubine. Could it be that Your Majesty is blaming me for being unfair and slandering the Imperial Concubine?"

"Although the evidence now points to Consort An for the poisoning of the Imperial Concubine, the Emperor cannot convict her so easily."

The Empress Dowager looked serious, her gaze fixed on Jun Zechen, and spoke solemnly.

Jun Zechen knew that his mother had managed the harem for many years and had always been fair and impartial in handling matters between the concubines.

But for Jun Zechen, his time is precious.

In his mind, the Imperial Concubine and Consort An were already at odds. Since the evidence pointed to Consort An, convicting her would both punish her and appease the Imperial Concubine, without wasting his time and manpower.

Why not do it.

In the entire palace, the only people he would bother to investigate were Ling Yue and Yao Yao; as for the others, let whoever wanted to investigate them investigate.

"Mother, the affairs of the harem are inherently shrouded in mystery. Even as the emperor, I cannot investigate and understand everything. But the harem is my harem, and how to punish is entirely up to me."

Jun Zechen's eyes were firm, and his tone carried an undeniable authority.

It wouldn't be difficult to convict Consort An of this matter; it would only take a word from him, and no one could find fault with it.

If we were to continue the investigation, it would only take a word from him, but what need would it have for him?

A complex look appeared in the Empress Dowager's eyes, and her expression was tinged with emotion.

His son is becoming more and more like the late emperor, with his autocratic demeanor and unquestionable attitude. Is this what it means to be an emperor?

It's no wonder that the concubines in the harem spared no effort in vying for the emperor's favor, because without it, they would hardly have a chance to seek justice.

"I intend to have Consort Chunshu investigate Consort An's matter. The Emperor is busy with state affairs, so he should not interfere in matters of the inner palace."

The Empress Dowager looked extremely serious. She looked at the Emperor with a firm gaze and then spoke slowly.

"If Consort Chunshu cannot prove Consort An's innocence within three days, Consort An will be dealt with by the Emperor."

Ever since the Emperor bestowed a unique title upon Consort Chunshu, the Empress Dowager had a vague suspicion that Consort Chunshu had probably won the Emperor's heart.

Today, when I heard him say that he was going to celebrate Consort Chunshu's birthday, I became even more certain of my guess.

Having Consort Chunshu investigate this matter was undoubtedly the best choice, as it would effectively silence the emperor.

It would also be good to test Consort Chunshu, as the Empress Dowager was curious about how Consort Chunshu would handle the matter.

Jun Zechen's face showed displeasure, "Mother..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager interrupted him.

"Does the Emperor not trust Consort Chunshu?" the Empress Dowager asked sharply, her eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

Jun Zechen pursed his lips and remained silent.

Yao Yao is kind and fair, and the Su family has raised her so well; she is extremely intelligent, so he naturally trusts her.

After a moment, seeing his mother's resolute attitude and insistence, Jun Zechen had no choice but to agree.

It'll only take a few days.

By the time Jun Zechen left Cining Palace, it was already completely dark.

"Your Majesty, where are you going now?"

Fu Quan asked softly. After An Shunping finished reporting the matter, he went to deal with other matters. At this time, Fu Quan was with Jun Zechen.

"Go to Zhaochun Palace."

After saying this, Jun Zechen stepped directly into the imperial carriage.

Then Fuquan shouted in a high-pitched voice, "His Majesty is departing for Zhaochun Palace—"