Consort Hui was deeply concerned, almost rushing out of the door as if to seize the moment. However, the moment she stepped out of the inner chamber's door and stood in the corridor, her steps came to a sudden halt.
She gazed at the butterflies dancing in the sky, trying to steady her thoughts:
Consort Yao, that foolish woman, might have added some poison to the peach blossom pollen. It seemed she harbored a genuine desire to harm Chengjing, the son of Song Zhao. If that were the case, the powder clinging to the wings of these butterflies could prove fatal to anyone inhaling it, causing a demise similar to bleeding from all seven orifices, just like spring flowers and autumn moons.
Upon closer inspection, she observed that although Chengjing had also fainted, thankfully, Chun Lan had protected him, with her sleeve covering Chengjing's nose and mouth. There seemed to be a glimmer of hope.
Consort Hui took two steps back and shouted at the guards standing anxiously outside the door:
"You! Cover your nose and mouth, then bring Chengjing to me!"
Song Zhao also hurriedly caught up, standing beside Consort Hui in anxious astonishment, asking, "What... what is happening?"
Consort Hui, at this moment, didn't even spare a glance for Song Zhao. She glared at the hesitant guards at the palace gate, growing irritated:
"Can't you hear what I'm saying? If you continue to dawdle, I will report to the Emperor and have your heads chopped off!"
Under her coercion, the guards reluctantly covered their noses and mouths, bravely ran into the courtyard, and brought Chengjing from Chun Lan's embrace. They hurriedly placed him on the warm bed inside.
"Chengjing! My son!"
Consort Hui rushed forward, observing Chengjing's face turning blue, limbs convulsing uncontrollably, and his breath extremely weak. She shook him vigorously, yelling loudly:
"Son, hold on! Mother won't let anything happen to you! Go, fetch the Emperor, summon the imperial physician!"
Song Zhao, unexpectedly faced with this situation, was also deeply frightened. She comforted Consort Hui with a trembling voice, patting her chest:
"Sister, don't panic. Chengjing is the Emperor's son, blessed by heaven. He will be fine. But why would such a calamity occur for no apparent reason..."
The inner chamber was sealed shut, preventing the frenzied butterflies from flying in. However, this measure seemed unnecessary since those butterflies flapped their wings a few times before falling lifeless to the ground, motionless.
Xiao Fuzi, resourceful and courageous, organized the palace attendants to cover their noses and mouths. They gathered the lifeless bodies of the butterflies and covered them with a black cloth.
One palace maid suggested, "Fuzi, the deaths of Chun Hua and Qiu Yue were gruesome. These butterflies seem poisonous. Shouldn't we burn them all to prevent further trouble?"
Xiao Fuzi sternly rejected the idea, "Burning is not an option. These butterflies are raised in Chang Le Palace. If the Emperor investigates, and we burn them, it will only complicate matters. Let's cover them with the black cloth for now. Once the Emperor arrives, we'll follow his decree on how to deal with this."
After about two quarters of an hour, Xiao Jingheng and Judge Guo arrived one after another. The accompanying imperial physician examined the lifeless bodies of Chun Hua, Qiu Yue, and Chun Lan in the courtyard.
All three had succumbed, their orifices bleeding, skin turning blue, and tongues black—a clear sign of poisoning.
Chengjing was only saved because Chun Lan risked her life to protect him when the incident occurred. Fortunately, his poisoning wasn't severe, and he still had a breath left.
Xiao Jingheng immediately led a group of imperial physicians inside to treat him.
Meanwhile, in the main hall, Consort Hui was already in tears.
"Your Majesty! If anything happens to Chengjing, then this humble servant will go with him!"
The sudden crisis had everyone on edge, including Xiao Jingheng, who did his best to console Consort Hui.
"The physicians are here, Chengjing will be fine."
He glanced at Song Zhao, who stood nearby with a pale face, clearly shaken by the events.
"Zhao'er? Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Song Zhao regained her composure and said sorrowfully,
"Xiao Lang... How could this happen? Just a moment ago, Spring Flower and the others were playing happily with Chengjing in the courtyard. How did everything change in the blink of an eye?"
As she finished speaking, Xiao Fuzi hurriedly entered and reported to Xiao Jingheng,
"Your Majesty, today's danger seems to have originated from the butterflies in the courtyard. The accompanying physicians have examined them and found traces of a potent poison called Wudu Powder on a few of their wings. Once inhaled, this substance leads to swift death!"
It was evident that someone had maliciously attempted to harm others.
In the past three years, such sinister incidents hadn't occurred in the palace. Xiao Jingheng had believed that under his governance, the murky waters had gradually cleared, and the hidden currents beneath the surface had been stemmed. But after a brief lull, a more intense wave emerged!
His expression darkened, and Consort Hui cried out,
"Your Majesty! Someone intentionally wants to harm Chengjing, this humble servant!"
Song Zhao also covered her face in sorrow,
"Chengjing is not yet three years old, such a lovely child, who could bear to harm him like this?"
As a mother herself, she empathized with Consort Hui's grief.
She embraced Consort Hui's shoulders, tears welling in her eyes as she said,
"Sister, don't worry, Chengjing is a blessed child, he will overcome this misfortune. It was your quick thinking that immediately suspected the butterflies after the incident, and you resisted the urge to rush out to save Chengjing. Otherwise, if you had acted impulsively, you might not have escaped unscathed..."
Upon hearing Song Zhao's words, Xiao Jingheng's gaze briefly fell on Consort Hui, with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
Xiao Fuzi added with concern,
"Fortunately, Consort Guifei took Ruo Xin Princess away today. Otherwise, when the incident happened, it would have been you accompanying the princess in the courtyard."
Song Zhao was struck by a realization, and she collapsed onto a nearby warm seat, looking at Xiao Jingheng in shock and fear,
"Xiao Lang... someone wants to harm me?"
Her shattered gaze tore at Xiao Jingheng's heart.
He quickly stepped forward, taking Song Zhao's hand to reassure her,
"Don't worry, with me here, I'd like to see who dares to hurt you!"
Song Zhao couldn't hold back her tears, not for her own situation but for the sight of the closed door to the inner chamber.
"I, the humble concubine, could endure any misfortune that befalls me, but Chengjing is still so young. He must not face any harm... If anything were to happen to Chengjing in my palace, it would be a fault that I could never rectify in the remaining years of my life."
Though she spoke in this manner, when one delves deeper, what fault did Song Zhao truly commit?
It was Xiao Jingheng who insisted that Consort Hui bring Chengjing to Chang Le Palace. Song Zhao never mentioned this matter from beginning to end.
If there is anyone feeling uneasy, anyone burdened with self-blame, it should be Xiao Jingheng.
How could Xiao Jingheng allow such a malicious incident to happen under his roof?
Therefore, he promptly issued a decree, commanding the eunuch with the imperial seal to thoroughly investigate the six palaces.
After about half an hour, Guo Yuan, the palace judge, emerged from the inner chambers and reported on Chengjing's condition.
"Reporting to the Emperor, this humble official has done his utmost to purge the remaining poison from the Third Prince's body. Though not completely removed, it will not endanger his life at present."
"Chengjing!" Consort Hui, anxious to see her son, rushed into the inner chambers without waiting for Guo Yuan to finish.
Xiao Jingheng had intended to follow, but seeing Guo Yuan's troubled expression, he felt a sense of unease. He spoke in a deep voice, questioning,
"If everything is well, why do you wear such a grim expression? Is there something being concealed?"
Guo Yuan was greatly alarmed, immediately kneeling and lamenting,
"This humble official dare not conceal anything. While the Third Prince's life is preserved, the poisoned blood has affected his spinal cord. It may hinder his ability to stand and walk again in the future..."
