After this commotion, everyone was filled with cold sweat.
Consort Yin couldn't help but sigh, "I've been friends with the Empress for many years, but I never expected her to scheme against me. Truly, it's hard to fathom human hearts."
Noble Consort Chen laughed, "You treated her like a sister, but she treated you as a burden. There is no such thing as deep sisterly affection in this palace. Let's be honest, everyone is here to serve the Emperor. Who would willingly watch the Emperor neglect themselves while favoring others?"
With a sweeping gaze, she arrogantly brushed her temple and said, "When it comes to favor, none of you can surpass me. But look at what happened to the Empress today. Whoever dares to harbor jealousy and commit despicable acts in the future shouldn't blame me for showing no mercy!"
She displayed her authority, but others were accustomed to it and didn't bother engaging with her.
Consort Yin didn't even bid farewell and left in anger.
Consort Hui cried uncontrollably out of fear, while Consort Yao comforted her.
At this moment, Song Zhao advised Noble Consort Chen, "Noble Consort, perhaps we should go in and persuade Concubine Tong first?"
Noble Consort Chen arrogantly replied, "If you want to go, go ahead. Didn't you hear the Emperor just now, entrusting me with the responsibility of the Silk Worm Ceremony? I don't have as much free time as you."
After saying that, she proudly walked away with graceful movements.
Consort Yao said, "Consort Yi, Consort Hui is genuinely frightened. I will accompany her back to her chambers and console her. It's not good if her family sees her crying like this."
Song Zhao nodded in agreement and used a handkerchief to wipe away Consort Hui's tears. "Stop crying. How can your swollen eyes look good? Go with Sister Dai and wash your face. I'll calm Concubine Tong down and join you later."
Consort Hui sobbed and nodded, then followed Consort Yao as they left together.
Song Zhao stood in place, his eyes dark and fixed on Consort Yao's departing figure. He felt a surge of nausea in his chest that he couldn't suppress.
With the commotion subsided, Song Zhao instructed Xiaofuzi and Yunsan, "Guard the door and don't let anyone disturb Concubine Tong's rest."
"We understand, Master."
When Song Zhao entered alone, he saw Rongyue lying on the bed, her face pale, brows lightly furrowed. He felt a pang of heartache.
She sat on the edge of the bed and gently wiped the cold sweat from Rongyue's forehead.
After a short while, Rongyue's trembling eyelids abruptly opened, and she weakly said, "Zhao'er... Did the Emperor punish Consort Hui?"
Song Zhao held her cold hand and said with concern, "As soon as you woke up, you didn't ask about our child's well-being, but only about whether the Emperor punished Consort Hui. I knew my suspicions were correct.
Today, you took the Nine Yin Powder by yourself, wanting to attribute the harm to our imperial successor to Consort Hui."
Rongyue tightened her grip on Song Zhao's hand, not answering her doubts, and urgently asked another question, "Tell me quickly, did the Emperor punish that vile woman!?"
Song Zhao lowered his gaze and shook his head lightly.
Seeing this, the hope in Rongyue's eyes vanished in an instant, and her gaze gradually turned fierce.
"How despicable! The Emperor actually believes that vile woman!"
Song Zhaorou asked her in a gentle voice, "Sister, is it worth it to sacrifice the life of your unborn child to scheme against Consort Hui?"
Rongyue had a cold expression on her face, but her attitude was firm as she said,
"I have no feelings for a man I don't like. Even if he forcefully takes my body, don't expect me to willingly bear children for him.
And even if this child is born, what difference would it make? When I look at him, all I can think about is the ruined remainder of my life. How can I treat him well? It's better not to give birth and spare him from experiencing the trials of this world."
She was indifferent, as if the child's absence brought her relief.
"I drugged myself, I wanted to disrupt Consort Hui's scheme!"
Rongyue tightened her grip on Song Zhao's hand and sincerely said,
"I can't let her harm Cheng Yu, and I can't let her harm you! My path is already destroyed, but I can't let anyone hinder yours!"
Rare sincerity existed within the palace, and Song Zhao thought of Rongyue with deep affection, just as Rongyue did for her.
"It's a pity we weren't able to expose Consort Hui this time!"
Rongyue tried to sit up despite her illness, so Song Zhao supported her and placed a cushion against her waist.
"Consort Hui isn't as simple as you think. I can't see through her true intentions," Song Zhao said in a detailed manner.
"What about my miscarriage? Is the Emperor just going to let it go?" Rongyue asked again.
Song Zhao replied, "The blame for your miscarriage ultimately falls on the Empress. The Emperor has issued a decree to confine the Empress within the palace, forbidding her from overseeing any imperial ceremonies. It seems he has entertained the idea of deposing her."
"What did you say?" Rongyue's pupils trembled intensely, expressing shock. "How could it be her?"
Song Zhao recounted the recent incident, recounting every detail to Rongyue.
After listening, Rongyue took a sharp breath. "You said there was something wrong with the plum soup? Yao Consort also showed symptoms of using Jiuyin Powder, and even Yin Consort?"
Song Zhao nodded. "Yes, that's correct. There's one more thing I must tell you. When Xiaofuzi examined your pulse that day, you claimed to have stopped using Jiuyin Powder for nearly three months. However, Xiaofuzi detected symptoms in your pulse that indicated you had used Jiuyin Powder recently."
She paused for a moment and continued, "If you didn't misremember the dates, then someone has been secretly drugging you. This also explains why you've been cautious with your medication dosage, yet your body has still been affected by the cold qi, causing fundamental harm..."
Rongyue murmured, "There are various types of contraceptive medicine, and I used Jiuyin Powder. The Empress also gave me Jiuyin Powder. This can't be a coincidence. Could it be that the Empress knew my intentions from the beginning?"
"It's unlikely," Song Zhao lightly shook her head. "If the Empress had known early on, she would have informed the Emperor and cleared your name much earlier. The person who drugged you must have assumed that you wouldn't willingly conceive the Emperor's child, fearing that it would attract attention and jeopardize their own position."
Therefore, Rongyue decided to turn the tables and add more ingredients to her sister's daily meals, intending to gradually ruin her sister's health without her realizing it. By doing so, her sister would suffer in silence, and Rongyue could also use this matter to her advantage, using it as an opportunity to bring down someone she desired to deal with.
Song Zhao remained silent, simply watching Rongyue quietly as she pondered for a moment before exclaiming, "Consort Hui!?"
Rongyue's analysis continued, "Consort Hui and I live together, and initially, I had no suspicions about her. She grew close to me and was always following my sister around..."
As she spoke, something came to her mind, and she raised her hand to examine her own wrist.
"She often pulled me along to play games with her, holding onto my wrist tightly for a while. If she had some knowledge of medicine, wouldn't she have discovered all the secrets hidden in my pulse? Whether it's the matter of me taking the Nine Yin Powder or the fact that I am unknowingly pregnant, she would know about them all... In other words, today I coincidentally stumbled upon her scheme. Even if I hadn't taken the Nine Yin Powder myself, the medicine she gave me would have been enough to cause a miscarriage..."
Rongyue's analysis aligned with Song Zhao's speculations.
Because Song Zhao had foreseen Consort Hui's intentions in advance, she stood up for Consort Hui when everyone else was criticizing her, speaking up to defend her and resolve the situation.
In any case, it was impossible to bring Consort Hui down with this incident. Song Zhao decided to take this opportunity to "protect" Consort Hui, making her believe that Song Zhao was a foolish person who could be toyed with and letting Consort Hui drop her guard.
After a long silence, Rongyue suddenly looked at Song Zhao with astonishment in her eyes and whispered,
"But what I can't figure out is... If Consort Hui orchestrated this incident to frame the Empress, she must have secretly added the Nine Yin Powder to the plum soup served to the Empress in various places. She also arranged for someone to throw the Nine Yin Powder into the courtyard pond in the Empress's chamber to provide evidence. She even timed it perfectly, bribing the owner of the city's medicine shop and deliberately picking musk for Yan Jiude to choose, ensuring that he unknowingly had traces of musk under his fingernails, further confirming the Empress's involvement."
At this point, Rongyue took a sharp intake of breath and dared not dwell on the matter any further.
"She can orchestrate such a series of events without leaving any evidence. Her calculations are so meticulous that it's truly terrifying... But what benefit does she gain from completely bringing down the Empress?"
