When Xiao Jingheng chased out, the palace maidens had already stopped Song Zhao.
They followed the rules and did not dare to pull Song Zhao. They only formed a human wall in front of her. Song Zhao was still in a daze, screaming uncontrollably and kept pushing the palace maidens blocking her way.
Xiao Jingheng strode forward and hugged the young girl from behind with his arms wrapped tightly around her, forcibly protecting the young girl in his embrace.
The powerful forearms held Song Zhao tightly. She struggled desperately and cried, "Don’t kill me! No..."
Tears as hot as boiling water dripped onto Xiao Jingheng’s arms, burning his heartache.
He hugged Song Zhao even tighter, and his curling palms gently stroked her arms to soothe her. His magnetic voice was firm and powerful:
"Zhao'er, I am here. Don't be afraid."
His words of comfort were obviously effective.
In his arms, Song Zhao's agitated emotions gradually calmed down.
She looked back with tearful eyes at Xiao Jingheng and weakly called out,
"Your Majesty..."
Before her voice fell, she fainted.
Seeing her haggard appearance, Xiao Jingheng's chest felt more and more stuffy.
He carried Song Zhao in his arms and ordered solemnly, "Go get Judge Chu!"
Judge Chu's residence was very close to Bitong Academy.
By the time Xiao Jingheng carried Song Zhao back to the inner bedroom and placed her on the couch, Judge Chu had rushed over in a panic.
On the way, the palace maidens had told him the general situation.
When Judge Chu took her pulse, he did find that Song Zhao's pulse was beating very fast, but there was no other anomaly.
So he said, "Noble Consort Song most likely fainted from excessive fright, and there is no major issue."
Jiang Deshun said from the side, "Your Majesty and Noble Consort Song had just gone to bed. While soundly asleep, what could have frightened the Noble Consort so much? If it was a nightmare, she shouldn't have had such a big reaction, unable to distinguish reality from dreams."
Jiang Deshun had hit on the key point.
Song Zhao was usually very quiet and gentle, even speaking in a soft voice. Compared to her behavior just now, there was no difference from a shrew in the market, which would make anyone feel strange.
After a short silence, Xiao Jingheng asked solemnly,
"Judge Chu, do you think Song Consort's behavior today is similar to Noble Consort Yang back then?"
When Judge Chu heard this, he was momentarily speechless.
Back then, when Noble Consort Yang was in the height of holy favor, she suddenly went mad for no reason. The entire Imperial Medical Bureau was helpless about her illness. Even after Judge Chu searched through medical books extensively, he could not find the cause.
Later, this incident was characterized by the Empress Dowager as bewitchment. After Yang Consort’s death, the Empress Dowager ordered a grand water and land ritual to be held three times in her palace, and since then no one was allowed to mention this person again.
Now that Xiao Jingheng took the initiative to ask about it, Judge Chu dared to bring up the old incident again.
"Back then, Noble Consort Yang’s madness was truly groundless and inexplicable. I had checked medical knowledge extensively but could not find the root cause. However, a month later, Qi Dynasty completely recovered Miao Territory. Along with it, the witchcraft and poison skills of Miao physicians also entered the Central Plains.
After careful research, I discovered that Miao Territory has a poison called Soul Scattering Powder. Those poisoned show no anomalies in their pulses like ordinary people. At the beginning there would only be manifestations like frightening nightmares, heart palpitations and trembling. But if continuously harmed by this poison over time, they would gradually develop insanity. The symptoms would then be very similar to those displayed by Noble Consort Yang back then."
While listening, Xiao Jingheng kept stroking the ink jade finger ring on his thumb, and he also had some speculations in his mind.
Miao Territory...
The elder brother of Consort Chen who led the imperial campaign to conquer Miao Territory was the Supreme Commander Ning Xiuqi.
And at almost the same time, this filthy stuff entered the palace and was used to harm Noble Consort Yang?
It would be difficult for Xiao Jingheng not to suspect and associate these two incidents.
But speculation alone could not prove anything. Evidence was needed in everything.
So he said angrily,
"Jiang Deshun, take Judge Chu to inspect Noble Consort Song’s residence and investigate whether her food, clothing, shelter, conduct and daily items have been tampered with."
After thinking for a moment, he added another sentence,
"Keep the noise down so as not to disturb the Empress Dowager’s rest."
In other words, Xiao Jingheng asked them to secretly investigate without alerting any masters in the Hot Spring Mountain Villa.
Lying in her feigned unconsciousness, Song Zhao heard their words clearly.
It was time for her act to end, she just had to watch others perform afterwards.
Suddenly,
A warm hand grabbed her hand, the slightly rough fingertips held her even tighter and tighter.
She heard Xiao Jingheng say in an extremely low voice,
"Zhao’er, I won't let anyone hurt you. You must also stay with me at all times and live safely by my side."
As he spoke, a warm kiss landed on the girl's forehead.
Song Zhao remained 'unconscious', but her heartbeat sped up uncontrollably by half a beat.
After about an incense stick of time, Song Zhao finally woke up hazily.
As she opened her eyes, she bumped right into Xiao Jingheng’s handsome face without peer. His previously tightly knitted brows were now relaxed, and the corners of his lips were also raised into a good-looking curve.
"Zhao'er, you woke up."
Song Zhao pretended to rub her sore temples and sat up with Xiao Jingheng’s support, leaning against him blankly and asking,
"What happened to your concubine?"
As she spoke, she lightly hissed, lifted the quilt and took a look at her bare feet.
Running barefoot on the rocky path earlier may not have cut or scraped her feet, but some pain should still be displayed.
She was silent for a moment, then seemed to think of something. She immediately struggled out of Xiao Jingheng’s embrace like a startled cat, got out of bed and was about to kneel down.
Xiao Jingheng grabbed her arm. "You just woke up, what are you doing?"
Song Zhao said in fright, "Your concubine was rude just now... Please forgive this concubine, Your Majesty."
"It doesn't matter, the most important thing is that you are fine." Xiao Jingheng helped her up to sit on the edge of the couch again.
He listened to her say uneasily, "Recently your concubine has been having frequent nightmares, and always feels panicky... It must be that my family’s matters are still troubling your concubine... Your concubine should have told His Majesty about this beforehand, but selfishly missed His Majesty very much, so I hid it. Now I have disturbed His Majesty’s sleep, it is really your concubine’s fault..."
Xiao Jingheng felt distressed for Song Zhao, and hoped in his heart that this matter was really as she said -
She went mad so suddenly because she personally witnessed the tragic death of Jiang and was traumatized.
In fact, deep down, Xiao Jingheng did not want this matter to be truly related to Consort Chen either.
But reality was often contrary to wishes.
Jiang Deshun and Judge Chu came back with solemn expressions. Judge Chu even directly said,
"In reply to Your Majesty, after careful inspection of Noble Consort Song’s belongings, I discovered the welcoming spring flowers placed at the head of her bed had been tampered with. Soul Scattering Powder was mixed into the flower buds, and with the blooming of the flowers, the wind would blow and unconsciously let Noble Consort Song inhale it into her body."
After listening, Xiao Jingheng's brows couldn’t help but frown.
While Song Zhao clutched her chest in horror and lost her voice, "Your Majesty... Someone wants to harm your concubine?"
