Chapter 93: Chapter 67: You Are Not the Emperor! (3)

“Replying to Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is overly worried, experiencing palpitations and shortness of breath, leading to restlessness and causing her internal organs to burn. Now having suffered severe injuries, I fear…”

“Fear what?”

“I fear she will need to recuperate quietly for years, unable to bear fatigue and worry anymore.”

Zheng Yi said, “Could the Empress Dowager have been poisoned by a Gu toxin?”

“Poisoned by a Gu toxin?”

The Imperial Physician exclaimed in surprise, “Your Majesty, how is the Empress Dowager?”

Seeing Zheng Yi’s cold gaze, the Imperial Physician realized immediately and quickly corrected himself:

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Today, the Empress Dowager was assassinated by a killer, poisoned with Gu toxin, and rendered unconscious.”

“I, I will prepare the decoction for the Empress Dowager immediately.”

“Very well.”

Zheng Yi nodded and said, “The Empress Dowager has been harmed by an assassin, making all attendants of Cining Palace complicit!”

“Cheng’en.”

“This servant is here!”

Liu Cheng’en rushed in and said, “Your Majesty, how should these palace attendants be dealt with?”

“The Empress Dowager was assassinated; no one in Cining Palace is without fault.”

“Although Aunt Huazhi, the mastermind, is dead, I suspect there are accomplices among the palace attendants.”

“Send them to the Internal Criminal Justice Department for thorough questioning. Without my order, none are to be released! No one is to visit them!”

“Yes!”

No sooner had the words been spoken than the eunuchs and palace maids present burst into tears.

“Spare us, Your Majesty, spare us!”

“Your Majesty! This servant reports! This servant!”

“Empress Dowager, save us!”

Cries of anguish rang out as these palace maids and eunuchs wailed not to be sent to the Internal Criminal Justice Department.

But unfortunately, guards were already waiting outside to take all the eunuchs and palace maids away.

The Internal Criminal Justice Department.

It’s the institution overseeing punishments of harem palace maids and eunuchs, notorious for its terrifying punishments and instruments, from which no palace maid or eunuch ever emerged unharmed.

One could say the Internal Criminal Justice Department is like a Celestial Prison for the eunuchs and palace maids!

Soon, Cining Palace was emptied of its eunuchs and palace maids.

Zheng Yi continued, “Cheng’en, have the Imperial Household send another group of palace attendants to reside in Cining Palace, to take good care of the Empress Dowager.”

“Yes!”

In the harem, only the Cining Palace, under the Empress Dowager’s control, was as secure as a sealed bucket.

Usually, he had no way of placing the Shadow Guard inside.

This time, taking advantage of the Zhai Fang incident, he could clear out Cining Palace and replace all the palace attendants with his people.

Then infiltrate the Shadow Guard, so the entire harem would be under Zheng Yi’s control.

Zheng Yi re-entered the sleeping quarters, where the Empress Dowager was being served water by an aunt.

“Greetings to the Empress Mother.”

Zheng Yi greeted and asked, “How is the Empress Mother feeling?”

The Empress Dowager looked somewhat depleted but still struggled to sit up.

“Emperor, what happened to the assassin?”

“Empress Mother, rest assured, the assassin has been executed. Empress Mother, your health is not good, you need to rest more.”

Zheng Yi said, “Just now the Imperial Physician explained that the Empress Mother was poisoned by the assassin’s Gu toxin, causing recent overthinking and nightmares. Empress Mother, you must be cautious in the future, not to be harmed by those with ill intentions.”

“Sigh…”

The Empress Dowager smiled bitterly, “I understand.”

“Originally, I was already experiencing insomnia and nightmares these past days. Aunt Huazhi said she knew someone remarkable, whose talisman water could cure ailments instantly. I saw that the Imperial Hospital’s prescriptions were ineffective, which is why I allowed Huazhi to bring the person into the palace.”

“Unexpectedly, it was an assassin!”

Zheng Yi comforted, “The Empress Mother is blessed, as the Gu toxin is just an ordinary poison, which the Imperial Physician can completely resolve.”

“For the next few days, the Empress Dowager should rest in Cining Palace. Consort Duann will handle all harem matters, so the Empress Mother can relax.”

“Furthermore, that Huazhi has already committed suicide in fear of her crime.”

“What? Huazhi committed suicide?”

“Alas.”

The Empress Dowager shook her head and suddenly asked, “By the way, Emperor, why did you suddenly come to Cining Palace today?”

“Empress Mother, Consort Duann has completed the selection of consorts, with only the final selection process remaining.”

Zheng Yi said, “I came to Cining Palace to invite the Empress Mother to oversee the selection ceremony in the Imperial Garden after the Lantern Festival, to ensure it is conducted properly.”

Speaking of this matter, the Empress Dowager’s eyes lit up slightly.

“This is something I must do, and I will certainly attend then.”

“Thank you, Empress Mother.”

Zheng Yi said, “Empress Mother, please rest more. When the Imperial Physician brings the medicine later, I will personally see to it that it is given to the Empress Mother.”

“Hmm.”

The Empress Dowager nodded, and Zheng Yi walked out.

Soon, the entire sleeping quarters became quiet.

“Help me up.”

After a while, the Empress Dowager spoke, and the aunt beside her quickly helped her up.

“Empress Dowager, your health?”

The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, “Help me up!”

“Yes!”

The Empress Dowager, trembling slightly, approached the desk, closed her eyes in thought, and said, “Grind the ink.”

“Yes!”

The aunt ground the ink, and after a few moments of contemplation, the Empress Dowager began to write, “To my virtuous brother, written personally, our Great Yu has stood for three hundred and fifty-eight years, with our ancestors above, the state and land are even more imperative.”

“His Majesty is wise, a young Emperor, punishing treason and shaking the world, truly a ruler of restoration.”

“However, there have been sudden rumors recently about the anomaly of the current Emperor’s physique.”

At the end of writing, the Empress Dowager paused, but gritted her teeth and continued writing.

“I hope my virtuous brother will investigate outside, to protect our Great Yu Realm, preventing it from falling into the hands of those with malicious intentions!”

After finishing, the Empress Dowager breathed heavily, finally folding the letter carefully and handing it to the aunt.

“Huacao, take my decree, leave the palace under the cover of night, and deliver it to Prince Xian’s hands, understand?”

Huacao paused, unable to see what the Empress Dowager had written but still nodded and said, “Yes!”

“Remember, be sure to hand it directly to Prince Xian. No one else is allowed to see it!”

“Yes!”

A few hours later, until early morning, Huacao took the Empress Dowager’s decree and quietly left the palace.

Just stepping out of Cining Palace, she was suddenly stopped by a shadowy figure.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a trusted Imperial Guard by the Emperor’s side!

Huacao’s eyebrows shot up, and she sternly rebuked, “Who are you? How dare you block my way?”

“Do you know who I am?”

Tang City sneered, “Of course, I know who you are, but His Majesty has ordered that all palace attendants of Cining Palace are involved in the assassination of the Empress Dowager.”

“For the safety of the Empress Dowager, all Cining Palace attendants are to be handled by the Internal Criminal Justice Department!”

“What? How dare you!”

“Seize her!”

“Insolence! I am serving the Empress Dowager, ah! Someone, help!”

“Cover her mouth! Seize her! Quickly seize her!”

Two Imperial Guards rushed up, subduing Huacao in just two or three moves, pressing her to the ground.

Tang City also retrieved a letter sealed with wax from her waist.

He dared not make a decision on his own and quickly brought it to Qiankun Hall, handing it over.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, just as you predicted, a palace attendant from Cining Palace attempted to secretly leave the palace at dawn, specifically Huacao who serves closely by the Empress Dowager.”

Tang City respectfully said, “Moreover, I found a secret letter on her!”

Taking the secret letter, observing the wax-sealed envelope, Zheng Yi nodded and opened it.

He swiftly read through the contents of the letter at a glance.

“Attempting to contact Prince Xian?”

“What a pity, no such opportunity exists.”

Saying this, he held the letter over a candle, allowing it to catch fire, the flames quickly reducing it to ashes.

“Tang City, you’ve done well, I will reward you.”

“Keep a close watch on Cining Palace!”

“Yes! I obey, Your Majesty!”

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