Chapter 50

At Yikun Palace.

An hour later, Ling Yue slowly woke up.

Her eyelashes fluttered a few times before she opened her eyes.

Seeing this, Jun Zechen immediately moved to sit by the bed.

“How do you feel? Is there any discomfort?” His voice was filled with concern.

Ling Yue looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

After a while, she suddenly seemed to realize what had happened.

She sat up and reached out, gently wrapping her arms around his waist, as if he was her only source of comfort.

“Your Majesty, what happened to me?” she asked, her voice trembling with unease.

“You were poisoned.”

Jun Zechen’s expression turned serious. His eyes darkened with deep thought.

Ling Yue’s body trembled, and fear spread across her face.

“Your Majesty, I’m scared… Is someone trying to kill me?”

Jun Zechen gently stroked her back, comforting her.

“Don’t be afraid. I will find out the truth.”

“It’s almost time for dinner. You should rest first. I need to return to Qianqing Palace to handle some matters.”

He carefully pulled her away and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Ling Yue looked at him with reluctant eyes, her expression full of longing.

But she knew that if she wanted to be empress, she had to be kind, understanding, and not act selfishly.

“I respectfully send off Your Majesty,” she said softly, lowering her head.

When Jun Zechen returned to Qianqing Palace, Eunuch An Shun was already waiting inside, standing respectfully with a report in hand.

Everything had been investigated and was ready to be presented.

Jun Zechen walked steadily to his throne and sat down.

His expression was serious, and his presence filled the hall with authority. “Speak, what have you found?” Jun Zechen’s voice was deep and firm.

“Your Majesty, the imperial concubine had a soup dish for lunch today. The imperial doctors found that the soup contained aconite powder,” An Shun reported with his head lowered.

He continued, “I questioned all the palace servants who handled the soup from the imperial kitchen to Yikun Palace. None of them seemed suspicious. I suspect the poisoning happened after the soup arrived at Yikun Palace.”

An Shun hesitated, his lips moving slightly as if unsure whether to continue.

Jun Zechen frowned impatiently. “Speak your mind.”

An Shun quickly responded, “Your Majesty, I also checked the palace records of aconite usage. Aconite is used to treat cold-related joint pain. After Your Majesty ascended the throne, the imperial concubine requested medicines, including aconite, for elderly palace maids and eunuchs.”

As he spoke, sweat started forming on his forehead.

Jun Zechen’s expression darkened. “Are you saying the imperial concubine poisoned herself?”

An Shun immediately knelt down in fear. “Your Majesty, I dare not assume such a thing. The imperial concubine is kindhearted. She only wished to care for the elderly servants.”

He quickly explained, “I suspect someone in her palace was bribed. They used the aconite meant for the servants to poison her. If we want to find out who did it, I may need to question the servants in her palace.”

An Shun’s voice was filled with nervousness.

He had served the emperor since he was crown prince and knew how much he had loved the imperial concubine. Even with Pure Consort now in favor, he couldn’t be sure the emperor no longer cared for the concubine.

Jun Zechen pondered for a moment before speaking. “Proceed, but keep it discreet. The imperial concubine is already frightened. Do not disturb her rest.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” An Shun replied, relieved.

Just then, Fu Quan hurried into the hall.

He immediately bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“Rise,” Jun Zechen said expressionlessly.

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has summoned you to Cining Palace,” Fu Quan reported.

Jun Zechen frowned but nodded and left for Cining Palace.

—

In Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager and Jun Zechen sat on a couch. She remained poised and graceful, while his expression was serious.

Jinhua, the Empress Dowager’s trusted maid, poured tea for them. The tea streamed elegantly into the cups.

“Your Majesty, I heard that the imperial concubine was poisoned. But since you have restricted visitors to Yikun Palace, I can only ask you about her condition,” the Empress Dowager said calmly after taking a sip of tea.

“Mother, the imperial concubine was poisoned with aconite. I believe someone is targeting her, and I restricted visitors to make the investigation easier,” Jun Zechen explained.

“How is the investigation going?” the Empress Dowager asked, watching him closely.

Jun Zechen frowned. “After I ascended the throne, the imperial concubine requested aconite from the imperial pharmacy to help the elderly servants with joint pain. This makes it harder to track the culprit through the source of the poison.”

He tapped the small table thoughtfully. Finding the poisoner would be difficult, but not impossible. Every crime leaves traces.

The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment before asking, “Today is Pure Consort’s birthday, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I planned to celebrate with her, but with the imperial concubine poisoned, I had to break my promise,” Jun Zechen admitted, looking guilty.

The Empress Dowager’s gaze flickered, but she remained calm.

“Is the imperial concubine feeling better now?” she asked.

“She took the antidote and is fine now,” he replied.

“Then, will Your Majesty still visit Pure Consort tonight?”

The Empress Dowager’s voice was casual, but there was a hint of deeper meaning in her eyes.

“Of course. I already told Fu Quan to inform her that I will visit later,” Jun Zechen answered without hesitation.

The Empress Dowager sighed inwardly. Her son was intelligent in many ways but blind when it came to women.

He was only suspicious of women he didn’t trust. But once he trusted one, he would never doubt her.

She shook her head slightly in resignation.

—

After some more casual conversation, An Shun entered and bowed.

“Your Majesty, Empress Dowager.”

“Rise. Have you found anything?” Jun Zechen asked urgently.

“Your Majesty, a palace maid named Qiner from the imperial concubine’s palace reported that another maid, Guoer, touched the concubine’s food today. At the time, Qiner thought it was unintentional and didn’t suspect anything,” An Shun said. “The servant thought about it and finally remembered.

Then, the servant searched Guo’er’s room and unexpectedly found Consort An’s pearl earrings. These earrings were part of Consort An’s dowry.”

Anshun paused slightly at this point.

A dowry item wouldn’t just randomly end up in a palace maid’s possession.

He continued, “The servant also checked Consort An’s recent medical records from the Imperial Pharmacy and found that she had taken aconite while she was in the Eastern Palace. However, it was said to be for a palace maid who had rheumatism.”

“The servant has not yet informed Consort An about this matter and has come to report to Your Majesty. Should I interrogate the people in Consort An’s palace?”

Jun Zechen’s eyes were filled with anger and disgust.

“It’s her again. Ever since she entered the Eastern Palace, she has schemed against the Noble Consort multiple times. Now she even dares to use poison. A woman this cunning and ruthless is unworthy of being a consort.”

His tone was ice-cold, like the chilling winds of midwinter.

The Empress Dowager frowned deeply when she heard this.

“Emperor, everything must be based on evidence. There was no proof that Consort An framed the Noble Consort before. Are you blaming me for being unfair and falsely accusing the Noble Consort?”

“This time, even though the evidence currently points to Consort An, you still cannot convict her so easily.”

Her expression was serious as she locked eyes with Jun Zechen, speaking firmly.

Jun Zechen knew that his mother had managed the harem for many years and was always fair when handling conflicts between consorts.

But to him, his time was precious.

In his heart, the Noble Consort and Consort An were already at odds. Since the evidence now pointed to Consort An, punishing her would not only avenge the Noble Consort but also save him from wasting more time and effort on the matter.

Why not just get it over with?

In this entire palace, only Ling Yue and Yaoyao were worth his effort in uncovering the truth. As for the others, whoever needed to investigate them could do so.

“Mother, the affairs of the harem are often full of deception. Even as the emperor, I cannot uncover every single truth. But this is my harem, and how I handle things is up to me.”

Jun Zechen’s gaze was firm, his tone carrying undeniable authority.

Convicting Consort An was easy; all it took was a single word from him, and no one would be able to object.

If he wanted to investigate further, that too would be his decision. But to him, was it even necessary?

The Empress Dowager’s eyes revealed a complex emotion, her expression filled with deep contemplation.

Her son was becoming more and more like the late emperor—decisive and authoritative, unwilling to be questioned.

No wonder the concubines in the palace fought so hard for his favor. Without his favor, they wouldn’t even have the chance to prove their innocence.

“I will have Pure and Virtuous Consort investigate this matter. Since the emperor is busy with state affairs, there is no need for you to handle harem matters personally.”

The Empress Dowager’s face remained stern, her gaze steady as she spoke.

“If Pure and Virtuous Consort cannot prove Consort An’s innocence within three days, then Consort An will be dealt with as you see fit.”

Since the emperor had given Pure and Virtuous Consort a unique title, the Empress Dowager had suspected that she held a special place in his heart.

Today, hearing that he planned to spend her birthday with her only confirmed her suspicions.

Letting Pure and Virtuous Consort investigate was the best choice—it would silence the emperor’s objections and also serve as a test for her.

The Empress Dowager was curious about how she would handle the matter.

Jun Zechen’s expression darkened with displeasure. “Mother…”

Before he could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager interrupted him.

“Do you not trust Pure and Virtuous Consort?” she asked sharply, her eyes filled with scrutiny.

Jun Zechen pressed his lips together, silent.

Yaoyao was kind and fair, and the Su family had raised her well—she was highly intelligent. Of course, he trusted her.

After a moment, seeing his mother’s firm stance, he had no choice but to agree reluctantly.

It was only a matter of waiting a few days, after all.

By the time Jun Zechen left the Empress Dowager’s palace, the sky was already completely dark.

“Your Majesty, where would you like to go now?”

Fu Quan asked softly. Anshun had left to handle other matters, so now Fu Quan was the one attending to Jun Zechen.

“To Zhaochun Palace,” Jun Zechen said, stepping into his sedan chair.

Fu Quan immediately raised his voice and announced, “His Majesty departs for Zhaochun Palace—”