Xi Mama smiled bitterly, "I owe someone a favor, and it must be repaid. I was seriously ill last year, and it was the Princess of Chu who sent good medicine to cure me. Helping her this time repays that favor. I know the Princess of Chu will not be punished, the Retired Emperor still needs her, at most she will be scolded a few times. I don't want to harm anyone."
After she finished speaking, she bowed deeply for a long time. When she raised her head again, her expression was calm, "This old servant has nothing more to say. Your Majesty, please grant this old servant the poisoned wine!"
What I owed in this life, I have repaid.
On the road to the underworld in the future, I will owe him nothing more.
Emperor Ming Yuan's face was uncertain, "If you reveal the person behind you, I will pretend nothing has happened."
Xi Mama was silent, with an expression of detachment from life and death.
Ming Yuan was extremely angry and sad. He naturally could not kill Xi Mama, nor could he tell the Retired Emperor about this. The Retired Emperor is now suffering from heart disease. How could he bear the blow that the person who had accompanied him for decades tried to poison him?
After a long silence, he said lightly, "Since you said you didn't mean to harm the Retired Emperor, I believe you and will not investigate further. But Mama, you are too old to continue serving the Retired Emperor. Since you and the Princess of Chu get along well, let me ask the Retired Emperor to grant you to the Princess to serve her."
After all, Ming Yuan was unwilling to do it himself. He wanted Yuan Qingling to deal with Xi Mama, whom she had harmed Ling.
Yuan Qingling was dumbfounded!
"Xi Mama, you can leave first." Ming Yuan had already restrained his anger and said lightly.
Xi Mama looked at Yuan Qingling complicatedly, then bowed and retreated.
Ming Yuan looked at Chang Gong, "Keep an eye on her, it would be best to advise her not to seek death in the palace."
Xi Mama's eyes were desperate. She was afraid that if the Retired Emperor found out, she would commit suicide in the palace.
"Yes!" Chang Gong obeyed and left.
Yuan Qingling and Ming Yuan stared at each other.
"Couldn't you have told me first?" Ming Yuan said unhappily.
Yuan Qingling knew she had acted rashly. She admitted her mistake sincerely, "Your daughter-in-law was wrong."
Ming Yuan looked at her, "Did you know long ago that Xi Mama took the bead to the Empress?"
"She said she was giving it to the Virtuous Concubine."
"Hmph," Ming Yuan snorted coldly, "Didn't you say she took it privately?"
Yuan Qingling said, "Your daughter-in-law didn't know if she would admit it in the end. If she admitted it, your daughter-in-law would naturally also admit it. If she didn't admit it, your daughter-in-law would insist it was taken by her privately. I couldn't falsely bear the accusation."
A little clever.
Ming Yuan did not pursue it, but was curious, "She told you she was giving it to the Virtuous Concubine. How did you know she would eventually give it to the Empress?"
"If she kindly wanted to maintain the relationship between your daughter-in-law and the Virtuous Concubine, she should have suggested I give it to the Virtuous Concubine myself, rather than delivering it for me. Besides, the Empress hadn't even gotten this bead before, it was inappropriate for her to suggest giving it to the Virtuous Concubine. Xi Mama would not make such a mistake, unless she intended to harm me."
Her mind was very clear. Even at this time, her mind was still so lucid.
Ming Yuan said lightly, "Now I have sent Xi Mama to you. You can deal with her as you see fit, just don't let the Retired Emperor know."
Yuan Qingling said helplessly, "Father, it is really inappropriate to give her to your daughter-in-law. Your daughter-in-law also has no way to deal with her." She didn't want to offend the Retired Emperor, her only backer, by using Xi Mama.
"Anyway, I've given her to you, do whatever you want with her, I won't interfere at all." Ming Yuan said.
Yuan Qingling secretly thought Ming Yuan was sly, but she was powerless since he was the emperor.
Ming Yuan looked at her and said, "If you really don't know what to do, perhaps you can go back and ask your father for advice."
Yuan Qingling was very helpless. Such an obvious test, is it really okay?
"I won't bother my father with it." Yuan Qingling said.
Ming Yuan was very satisfied with this answer. He looked at her for a moment, and suddenly said, "Just now Xi Mama said that the Princess of Qi resented you and tried to harm you. You were in the wrong first by seeking private revenge. Don't do it again, understand?"
"What if she provoked me first?" Yuan Qingling retorted. She couldn't let herself be bullied.
"She won't dare anymore. The Chu family won't let her make trouble again either. There's one more thing," Ming Yuan pondered for a moment, looking at her and said, "The Virtuous Concubine once told me that after all, the Fifth Prince and the Princess of Qi grew up as childhood sweethearts. It was a pity they didn't end up together. The Princess of Qi has a younger sister who looks very similar to her. I also intend to compensate the Fifth Prince and take the second lady of the Chu family as a concubine. Do you have anything to say?"
Yuan Qingling shook her head, "No!"
Ming Yuan was somewhat surprised. So magnanimous?
The second lady of the Chu family was of the main line. Once she entered the palace, even Yuan Qingling as the principal consort would have to make way for her. Didn't she care at all?
Or did she not know the power of the Chu family?
Clearly she was no fool, so she should understand this point.
"You may go." Ming Yuan said lightly.
Yuan Qingling withdrew.
After leaving the hall, she took a deep breath. A concubine? Why not? Marrying a concubine would fulfill his wish. Then they could live in conjugal bliss and stop bothering her.
When she returned to her palace, she saw Xi Mama standing under the pagoda tree, hands hanging, quietly watching her.
Her eyes seemed to show no emotion, as if nothing had happened between them. She was calm in a frightening way.
Yuan Qingling walked over and looked her in the eye.
Xi Mama bowed slightly, "Princess!"
"Were you waiting for me, Mama?"
Xi Mama stared at her, "Since the Princess saw through it early on, why didn't you expose this old servant?"
"I foolishly hoped that Mama would not give the bead to the Empress in the end."
Xi Mama's eyes darkened, and she said mockingly, "Isn't the Princess very disappointed? This old servant did not cherish the chance you gave me, but still delivered the bead to the Empress."
"Yes, very disappointed." Yuan Qingling's expression was unchanged, but her tone was full of exhaustion, "I thought that at least there was someone good to me in the palace and outside. I was wishful thinking."
She looked at the door of the palace. Laughter came from the Prince's palace. Going in, she would see Macheng. She didn't want to see him. For a moment, she felt the world was vast with nowhere to go.
She went to Qian Kun Palace. Although the old man had a bad temper and scolded her at every turn, he knew to coax her after scolding.
On the way there, she was still thinking about who was behind this, instructing Xi Mama to betray the Retired Emperor. Xi Mama was even willing to die rather than reveal this person. It was certainly impossible for it to be Chu Mingcui. Xi Mama would not harm the Retired Emperor's life for Chu Mingcui.
Xi Mama said she didn't know it was poison and had no intention of harming the Retired Emperor. But having been in the palace for many years, could she be so naive as to think the person just wanted her to replace some candies for the Retired Emperor? The Emperor's attitude was also strange. Considering the Retired Emperor's health, there's no way he would just let this go, right? This was attempted murder of the Retired Emperor, an unforgivable crime. As long as the murderer was not found, the Retired Emperor would still be in danger.
Yuan Qingling felt she understood the intrigue in the palace less and less.
