Chapter 49: A Single Sword

Chapter 49: A Single Sword

After finishing, Sheng An prostrated on the ground, not daring to breathe heavily.

"Very good, very good!" Xiao Sheng laughed bitterly, pacing back and forth under the corridor, "Framing the Noble Consort wasn't enough; now there are curses on the Noble Consort and the crown prince, very good indeed!"

Even though he did not believe in ghosts and spirits, such blatant cursing and framing still crossed his line.

Yet, Jiang Hui slowly rose from her chair, approached the emperor, and softly requested, "Your Majesty, may I borrow your sword?"

Without waiting for Xiao Sheng's response, she drew the sword with a "zing" and strode into the rain.

"Hui'er?!" Xiao Sheng, taken aback by her action, hurried after her.

Jiang Hui, heedless of the emperor following her, walked faster, her pale green dress stained with splashed mud.

The decorative sword, with a tassel of red and a few green pine stones at the end of the handle, emitted a cold, dim light under the rain.

Thunder rumbled intermittently in the sky, the sun completely hidden, with thick grey clouds looming over Yao Hua Palace.

Jiang Hui stopped beside Li Mammy, softly asking, "Was it you who cursed my son?"

Li Mammy, unable to speak, shook her head with a "whimper," finally spitting out the indigo cloth in her mouth and exclaimed loudly, "Noble Consort, it wasn't me, I didn't curse the crown prince—!"

"Pfft—"

The sound of the cold sword piercing the chest was lost in the din of the thunderstorm.

Jiang Hui's expression remained cold, her hand gripping the sword hilt so tightly it turned white.

She had been in this palace too long, and many seemed to have forgotten that the Lady of Anning once rode boldly, clad in red.

"Hui'er—" The emperor, following closely behind, rushed over, not even glancing at the mortally wounded Li Mammy. He steadied Jiang Hui, anxiously asking, "How are you?"

Jiang Hui turned, her face still carrying a trace of coldness, before fainting into Xiao Sheng's arms.

*

In the main hall of Cining Palace, the six-legged red-gold dragon incense burner still held half-burned incense sticks. The Empress, personally attending to the Empress Dowager by her bedside, held a medicine bowl, dutifully caring for her illness.

His Majesty had invited Master Hui An from Pulo Temple to recite scriptures and pray for the Empress Dowager's health, but it was heard that today, Master Hui An was accompanied by Steward Sheng An and Li Mammy for a tour around the palace, apparently not engaged in any prayer activities.

The Empress felt puzzled and uneasy, sensing something amiss.

This feeling of unease grew more pronounced after the Empress Dowager suddenly fainted.

What had Palace Maid Qingguo said to the Empress Dowager in just a few words that caused her to faint so abruptly?

After slowly feeding the medicine, the Empress wiped the Empress Dowager's mouth with a silk handkerchief, stood up, and instructed the attendants of Cining Palace to take good care of her, then quietly left the inner chamber with Xia Chan.

Chunyan, waiting in the main hall, saw the Empress emerge, quickly bowed, and approached softly, saying, "Your Majesty, there has been an incident at Yao Hua Palace."

Yao Hua Palace?

The Empress's eyebrows slightly raised, suppressing her confusion. She left Cining Palace and returned to Fengyi Palace before asking, "What happened?"

Chunyan stepped forward, massaging the Empress's shoulders while softly explaining, "Steward Sheng An and Li Mammy took Master Hui An to the outside of Yao Hua Palace. It seems they wanted to enter and have a look, and even the Emperor arrived there."

"The Emperor?" The Empress was startled.

"Yes," Chunyan continued, "His Majesty initially did not want to allow Master Hui An into Yao Hua Palace. Later, Qingguo from Cining Palace also arrived at Yao Hua Palace, and then the Consort herself came out and allowed them in."

"Why didn't His Majesty want Master Hui An to go to Yao Hua Palace?" the Empress inquired.

Even though the Consort isn't a devout Buddhist, there seemed no need for the Emperor himself to block the entry.

"I do not know," replied Chunyan, shaking her head. "At that time, the area was surrounded by the Emperor's people, and I dared not pry. But later, Steward Anjing led the attendants of Yao Hua Palace to gather outside, and many saw it."

The Empress frowned, "Even the Consort's personal attendants were there?"

"Yes," confirmed Chunyan, "Later, Physician Li and Liu Taoyi were summoned into Yao Hua Palace. By the time of You Shi (late afternoon), Steward Anjing took the attendants of Yao Hua Palace to the Punishment Office."

Chunyan speculated, "I guess something happened with the Consort that displeased His Majesty, and all the palace staff were sent to the Punishment Office."

Thinking of the Emperor's usual affection for the Consort, the Empress hesitated for a moment and then confirmed, "Even the Consort's personal attendants were sent to the Punishment Office?"

"Not exactly," Chunyan's smile froze slightly, "Those who were close to the Consort on a daily basis were sent back to Yao Hua Palace."

Hearing this expected answer, the Empress sighed with a hint of regret, "Yao Hua Palace won't fall so easily. Let's just wait and see."

"However..." She recalled the odd events at Cining Palace today and mused to herself, "Perhaps the issues at Yao Hua Palace are related to the Empress Dowager."

But why? The Empress Dowager had always favored this Consort, who she had watched grow up. When Jiang Hui first entered the Eastern Palace, the Empress Dowager even hinted openly and secretly at the Empress to accommodate Jiang Hui and avoid jealousy.

The Empress frowned, lost in thought.

At Yao Hua Palace.

After Physician Li and Liu Taoyi finished taking the pulse, they knelt silently before the tense and soaking wet Emperor.

Imperial Physician Li said, "Your Majesty, the Consort has suffered from internal heat toxicity. The emotional turmoil today, coupled with getting drenched in the rain, has caused her to faint. Physician Liu and I will prescribe some calming and restorative remedies, and she will surely recover."

Hearing this, Xiao Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Imperial Physician Li, you once said that we must not agitate the Consort's mind. Now...?"

Imperial Physician Li bowed and said, "After giving birth, the Consort was already weak. Today's... emotional and physical distress is detrimental to her longevity."

Xiao Sheng, feeling an inner pain, asked urgently, "Is there any remedy?"

Imperial Physician Li and Physician Liu exchanged glances, hesitating before saying, "Recently, while perusing ancient texts, we found a recipe called 'Snow Essence Reversal Elixir'. If taken, the Consort will fully recover. However, in addition to requiring various precious ingredients, it also needs the core of a century-old Tianshan snow lotus, which is extremely rare."

"A century-old Tianshan snow lotus?" Xiao Sheng mused, "The imperial treasury originally had three; one was used during my father's serious illness. Are the remaining two sufficient?"

Physician Liu's face relaxed, and he said, "Two snow lotuses should be enough to prepare about ten doses of the Snow Essence Reversal Elixir. It should be sufficient."

Xiao Sheng was overjoyed and instructed Sheng An, "Send someone to open the imperial treasury and retrieve the Tianshan snow lotuses."

Sheng An, drenched as well, bowed in agreement and then advised, "Your Majesty, you are also wet. Perhaps change your clothes first and let the physician examine you?"

Xiao Sheng nodded and, after giving a few instructions to the silent maids caring for Jiang Hui by the bedside, stepped out of the inner chamber and moved to the warm pavilion on the east side.

"Secure all palace gates. Anyone trying to inquire about the Shenxing Division on their own should be bound and thrown into the prison," Xiao Sheng ordered after changing his clothes, attended by Sheng An.

"Yes," Sheng'an hastily responded, then asked, "Your Majesty, what about Madam Li...?"

A flicker of annoyance crossed Xiao Sheng's brow, and he coldly ordered, "Burn it."

Noticing Sheng'an's drenched clothes, he added, "You should change as well, and accompany me to Cining Palace."