The inner monitor who tasted the meal was called Xiao Anzi. He came very quickly.
When he arrived, the leftovers from Consort Shu's evening meal had already been brought to the main hall and neatly placed before everyone.
Xiao Anzi tasted these five dishes one by one.
When he tasted the black chicken ginseng soup, his expression suddenly became heavier.
After repeatedly checking it three times, he said to Xiao Jingheng:
"Your Majesty, there is a problem with this black chicken ginseng soup. In addition to the main ingredients and seasonings, someone has also added a not insignificant amount of five-flavor berry, trichosanthes fruit, safflower, aconite, and peach kernel... as well as epimedium.
These are all blood-activating and stasis-resolving substances, and epimedium will maximize their medicinal effects. Consort Shu is now seven months pregnant, and she absolutely cannot take any of these things!"
As soon as these words came out, they immediately caused a commotion among those present, who inevitably whispered to each other.
Song Zhao silently stood by and observed Xiao Jingheng's expression. She also felt something was wrong:
Who doesn't know that the most precious thing in the harem right now is the baby in Consort Shu's belly?
Yet someone dared to blatantly harm her like this at such a sensitive time?
Later, when the whispers grew louder, the Empress angrily said, "Quiet, all of you!"
Then she glared at Qing Yue and asked, "Speak! How did these dirty things get mixed into Consort Shu's food?"
"I... I don't know. But this soup was indeed prepared under my supervision. No outsiders were allowed to touch it. The ingredients used, the black chicken was delivered from the imperial kitchen, and the ginseng was wild mountain ginseng."
Qing Yue looked at the Empress as she explained, "It was... it was the wild mountain ginseng that Li Changzai had gifted Your Majesty, and then Your Majesty gave it to Consort Shu..."
Upon hearing this, the Empress' eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Li Changzai twisted the handkerchief in her hands even more nervously.
Xiao Jingheng coldly said, "Investigate."
The black chicken had been stewed whole, so there was no way to thoroughly examine it anymore.
But of the wild mountain ginseng Li Changzai had brought, only one third had been used to make the soup. The rest was taken back and stored in the warehouse.
Jiang Deshun brought the wild ginseng and handed it to Xiao Anzi and Judge Chu to examine together.
With just one look, anomalies were discovered immediately.
Judge Chu snapped one of the thicker ginseng roots in half, and everyone saw that the root was actually hollow!
Judge Chu stood the root upright, and a dark red powder immediately spilled out from inside the root.
After examining it, he said:
"Your Majesty, this powder is made by grinding the few blood-activating and stasis-resolving medicinals that Xiao Gonggong mentioned..."
Things immediately became clear. The problem lay with this wild ginseng.
In an instant, all suspicion pointed towards Li Changzai.
She was instantly flustered and knelt on the ground proclaiming her innocence:
"Your Majesty, please see clearly! Your Majesty the Empress, please see clearly! This matter has nothing to do with your concubine. I have no grudge against Consort Shu. Why would I do such a thing?
Besides, I originally wanted to give this wild ginseng to Your Majesty the Empress. It was only because Your Majesty could not use it that you gifted it to Consort Shu! I could not have foreseen this sudden incident!"
Although clumsy with words, her mind was clear.
On that day, it was indeed the Empress who had said in front of everyone that she wanted to gift the wild ginseng to Consort Shu.
With this explanation, much of the suspicion on her was dispelled.
Just then, Consort Chen said insinuatingly:
"Humph. Everyone in the palace knows Her Majesty the Empress has a heart condition and cannot take ginseng to nourish her qi. Yet you deliberately chose this item to give her? Who knows if you had planned all along that Her Majesty would regift it to Consort Shu? In any case, you were the one who brought this item. No matter how much you argue, you can't clear your own suspicion."
Upon hearing Consort Chen's words, Song Zhao thought to herself, how clever.
With just a few words, suspicion was pulled back onto Li Changzai.
Just then, the doctor who had been helping Consort Shu miscarry in the inner chambers brought out a tray covered in red cloth.
The stench coming from under the red cloth let everyone know what was inside.
The doctor knelt before Xiao Jingheng and wept, "Your Majesty, please restrain your sorrow. Consort Shu has given birth to a little prince for Your Majesty... Unfortunately, the prince passed as soon as he was born. There was no way to save him..."
A look of grief appeared on Xiao Jingheng's brow and eyes.
He clenched his back teeth tightly, his temples throbbing visibly, his bloodshot eyes looking frightful.
The Empress waved her handkerchief to wipe her tears, signaling for the doctor to take away the "prince" first. She then consoled Xiao Jingheng tearfully, "Things have come to this. Your Majesty should not grieve too much. This matter..."
Before the Empress could finish speaking, Xiao Jingheng raised the teacup by his side and smashed it on the ground.
The consorts all knelt and said in unison, "Your Majesty, calm your anger."
Xiao Jingheng paid them no heed. Pressing down his rage, he ordered:
"Jiang Deshun! Take people to thoroughly investigate Yao Hua Palace!"
Kneeling among the crowd, Song Zhao swept her eyes around.
She saw Xiao Jingheng's anger and grief.
Li Changzai, kneeling beside her, was shaking badly, her face drained of color from fear.
From the inner chambers, Consort Shu's weeping could also be heard intermittently.
The harem had always been a place where one could be devoured. This saying was not false at all.
Consort Shu had been so careful, yet in the end still lost her pleasant dream.
Not even a whole stick of incense later, Jiang Deshun returned with the imperial guards.
And in his hands was a light green embroidered pouch.
"Your Majesty... we found this in Yao Hua Palace."
Judge Chu examined the pouch and confirmed that it contained the substance that had caused Consort Shu to miscarry today.
Xiao Jingheng took the pouch and forcefully smashed it into Li Changzai's face.
"Caught red-handed, what more can you say!"
Li Changzai looked at the pouch that had fallen before her in shock and confusion, shaking her head dazedly. "Impossible! This is impossible!"
Just as everyone thought Xiao Jingheng would severely punish Li Changzai,
Jiang Deshun suddenly explained to Xiao Jingheng:
"Your Majesty, this item was indeed found in Yao Hua Palace, but not in the east wing where Li Changzai lives. Rather..."
His gaze slowly fell upon Song Zhao, and he said with some difficulty:
"It was found in the west wing where Song Changzai lives."
Upon hearing this, Song Zhao felt her scalp tingle and her ears buzz ceaselessly.
