Chapter 123: Drama Unfolds

Chapter 123: Drama Unfolds

"Alright, Father will taste Wanyi and Yanyi's craftsmanship."

The Emperor picked up a piece of oddly-shaped cloud cake with his jade chopsticks, took a bite, swallowed with a peculiar expression, and praised, "Very good!"

Princess Huaiqing, believing him, happily exclaimed, "And the wine Liang brother poured for you!"

The Empress, with a smile, unconsciously stroked the slightly raised embroidery on her sleeve under the table.

"Very well," the Emperor indulgently replied, picking up the cup of wine, pausing for a moment, then drank it in one gulp.

Jiang Hui glanced back at Huayang, who was being held by her nanny amidst a crowd of people, and tightly gripped Nian'er, who had returned to her side, waiting for the play to continue.

"Thud—"

"Crash—"

Someone collapsed onto the table, knocking down porcelain plates and golden goblets, shattering them.

"Your Majesty?! Your Majesty! What's wrong with you?! Summon the imperial physician—” The Empress cried out in alarm, standing up to rush towards the Emperor, but suddenly her face contorted in pain, and she too collapsed to the ground.

Chaos erupted in the hall, with palace servants crying out for the imperial physician, half of them wanting to rush to help their masters, the other half running towards the door.

The troupe, who had been discussing their rewards, and the performers about to exit the hall suddenly drew soft swords from their boots. They charged into the crowd, swiftly dispatching several servants and consorts running towards the Emperor, then guarded the exits, locking the doors and windows to prevent anyone from escaping to raise the alarm.

The screams intensified, mixing with the clatter of cups and dishes, children's cries, chaotic footsteps, the sound of tables and chairs crashing, sobs, and curses. It was like a torrential downpour on a summer roof.

The consorts were pale with fear, no longer concerned with decorum, desperately trying to flee. But inexplicably, their bodies grew weaker as they ran, overwhelmed by a sweet scent, and one by one, they collapsed.

Jiang Hui, following the crowd, slid under a table, holding Nian'er tightly in her arms. She looked towards Huayang, seeing Pomegranate and Hongying doing the same, and felt slightly relieved.

The sweet scent grew stronger. Though Jiang Hui had taken an antidote, she still held her breath, feeling increasingly anxious. Pomegranate and the others wouldn’t withstand the drug. If the Emperor's men didn’t arrive soon, she might have to...

The hall quieted down due to the drug, but outside, the sounds of conflict and clashing swords continued.

Western Qiang’s secret drug; the Empress had indeed used it, creating a scene of collusion with enemy spies... And the culprit? With Nian'er serving wine to the Emperor, it pointed towards Jiang Hui and Ningyuan Marquis Manor – just as they’d planned.

Those who fainted wouldn’t die. When they awoke, what would they tell the ministers? They’d recall the Emperor collapsing after drinking the wine served by the Crown Prince!

Jiang Hui could have prevented this, but she remained still, knowing the Emperor wouldn’t die here. She had to play along with this drama; only then would the Empress proceed as planned. Otherwise, any deviation might have raised the Empress’s suspicion, making the situation even more convoluted.

The performers, unaffected by the drug, were clearly antidote users.

—Who else but real Western Qiang spies would have so much antidote? The Empress’s sudden intent to depose herself, allying with a tiger!

A chill ran through Jiang Hui – if these were Western Qiang spies, not just the Emperor, but the young princes were targets too!

Just as she thought this, a bloodied sword lifted the long tablecloth, and someone bent down, chuckling, “Hey, we’ve got two more here!” followed by a string of unintelligible foreign words.

Jiang Hui was about to draw her dagger when a loud crash sounded – the carved door was forcibly broken open!

“The Emperor! The Emperor— protect the Emperor!”

Finally, the Imperial Guards arrived belatedly. The leader, scanning the scene, shouted, “Seize them!” and led a team inside.

The man about to drag Jiang Hui and Nian'er from under the table halted, speaking darkly, “What now? Has Lord Tan decided to kill us before the rabbit dies?”

"How could I?" The Imperial Guard leader surprisingly engaged in a conversation with the man. "I'm just putting on a show. Others are still outside."

He quickly walked to the Emperor's side, glancing at Sheng An, who lay nearby, and subtly breathed a sigh of relief. Turning around, he tossed a waist token to the man, saying, "Our deal ends here. Time is limited, leave the palace quickly."

"Wait," the man caught the waist token but retorted, "The Empress's promise hasn’t been fulfilled yet."

The Empress, who had just collapsed in pain, miraculously stood up, took out a jade bracelet from her sleeve, and calmly said, "Take it from Fengxian Bank yourself."

The man reached out to take the bracelet, but Tan Daren suddenly lunged at him with a sword, aiming for his back!

However, the attack was deftly blocked!

"Heh, I knew you Central Plains people are treacherous and untrustworthy!"

He backed away and regrouped with his men, snarling, "Thinking of killing us to silence us? It won't be that easy!"

The Empress, appearing shocked, urged urgently, "I didn’t mean that. The blockade outside won’t last long; you better leave now!"

"Why bother talking to him, Empress!" Tan Daren, undeterred, led his Imperial Guards into battle with the opposing group.

The Imperial Guards, powerful in combat, quickly overpowered the troupe, leaving only the leader standing. Though highly skilled, he was struggling against overwhelming odds.

The smooth progression of today's events left the Empress uneasy, and Tan Daren’s actions only intensified her feeling of dread.

Were the Left Valiant Guards this formidable? Were the Western Qiang spies so easily defeated?

If she had let the troupe leave, her jade bracelet would have silenced them without a trace, but now…

The Golden Guards were not to be underestimated. Even though the Emperor hadn’t brought them to Wuyou Palace, they were likely to arrive soon…

As she thought this, Yang Rong'en, the General of the Golden Guards, indeed appeared outside the hall with his men, about to join Tan Daren, dressed in Imperial Guard attire, to subdue the leader.

The Empress quickly thought, relieved as Tan Daren's sword pierced the man's chest. She hurried to the unconscious Jiang Hui, stuffed a pill into her mouth, and shouted, "General Yang! Noble Consort Jiang colluded with foreigners to assassinate His Majesty and drugged the consorts! Capture the assassins quickly!"

Having said that, she seemed unable to sustain herself and collapsed heavily to the ground!