Chapter 238
**Chapter 236: Almost Poisoned**
Le You took a small sip.
The warm, bitter medicine hit her tongue, and she suddenly scrunched her little brows. Sticking out her tongue, she said, “Grandmother, today’s medicine seems even more bitter than yesterday’s... Qian Mama, go get some candied fruits for Grandmother. Mother made them yesterday, and they’re really sweet.”
Qian Mama smiled kindly, “This old servant will take care of it right away.”
At that moment, a eunuch from Ci Ning Palace came to report, “Your Highness, Mama Liu from Kun Ning Palace requests an audience to report on the arrangements for the Empress’s upcoming birthday.”
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes and said, “Let her in.”
Mama Liu hurried into the main hall of Ci Ning Palace. Just as she was about to bow respectfully, she suddenly spotted Princess Le You beside the Empress Dowager. Le You was holding a bowl of medicine, preparing to take another sip.
Mama Liu immediately sensed something was wrong. Forgetting her manners, she asked anxiously, “Princess Le You, are you drinking the Empress Dowager’s health tonic?”
Le You tilted her head and sweetly replied, “Yes.”
Mama Liu was taken aback and exclaimed, “No! Absolutely not! Your Highness, there’s something wrong with this tonic!”
Before Mama Liu finished speaking, the Empress Dowager reacted almost instantly. She snatched the bowl of medicine from Le You’s hands and said in a panic, “Call the imperial physician! Le You, dear child, quickly spit out the medicine you’ve swallowed!”
The palace attendants sprang into action.
Some went to summon the imperial physician, others fetched a basin for inducing vomiting, and yet others prepared warm milk and boiled honeysuckle and mung bean water.
The Empress Dowager’s hands trembled with anxiety, her heart racing. She held Le You close, but the little girl’s delicate throat couldn’t expel the medicine. So, the Empress Dowager gently pressed down on the back of Le You’s tongue with a small spoon.
Le You coughed up a couple of mouthfuls of the medicine, her little hands clutching her throat, frowning in discomfort. “Grandmother, what’s wrong?”
The innocent girl’s face flushed from the retching, her clear eyes gazing up at the Empress Dowager. A pang of pain shot through the Empress Dowager’s heart as she gently patted Le You’s back. “This medicine isn’t suitable for children—Le You, do you feel unwell anywhere?”
Le You shook her head obediently, “No.”
Still uneasy, the Empress Dowager ordered the palace maid to bring over the warm milk. The milk could counteract the poison. Although Le You didn’t understand what was happening, she obediently drank half a bowl of milk.
After finishing the milk, the Empress Dowager had Le You lie down on a small soft couch nearby to rest, leaving an elderly maid to watch over her and monitor her condition.
“You will tell me everything that happened, and no lies!” The Empress Dowager’s voice was filled with fury, her gaze sharp as a knife.
Mama Liu knelt on the ground, revealing everything: how the Empress had mistreated Li Wan’er, forced her to take harsh medicine, and poisoned the tonics meant for the Consort and the Empress Dowager.
Silence fell over Ci Ning Palace.
The Empress Dowager’s face darkened, a heavy atmosphere enveloping the room.
She asked, “You are the Empress’s attendant, why are you willing to expose this?”
Mama Liu remained on her knees, “The Empress is stubborn and digging her own grave. I’ve tried to advise her multiple times to no avail, so I can only protect myself. Besides, Consort Chen promised me a safe place to live out my old age.”
The Empress Dowager nodded, “In a few days, find an excuse to leave the palace, and I will reward you with a hundred taels of gold.”
Mama Liu was overjoyed, bowing her head in gratitude, “This servant thanks the Empress Dowager for her generosity. I will keep my mouth shut and not reveal a word.”
With a heart full of joy, Mama Liu went to receive her reward.
She knew she was finally going to escape the mire of the harem and gain a brief respite for the rest of her life.
...
Not long after, the eunuch from Ci Ning Palace returned with six imperial physicians.
The physicians examined Le You.
“Your Highness, Princess Le You was able to induce vomiting in time and is not in serious danger,” an elderly physician reported with cupped hands.
The Empress Dowager felt a little relieved.
Qian Mama brought another unopened package of medicinal herbs from today, allowing the physicians to check the quantities against the prescription. They unwrapped the package and weighed each herb carefully.
After a little more than half an hour, the Empress Dowager coldly questioned, “Are the ingredients of the health tonic correct?”
The physicians exchanged glances.
Within the Imperial Medical Department, everyone knew that the physicians responsible for procuring and packaging the herbs, including Physician Shen, were once guests of the Dantai family and were highly favored by the Empress.
Naturally, the herbs for the health tonic the Empress Dowager consumed were also packaged by Physician Shen and his colleagues.
The palace physicians, quick-witted, had already guessed the power struggle between the Empress Dowager and the Empress. They all lowered their heads, not daring to speak or get involved.
It was a handsome physician, Mo Xun, who slowly stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, there are two herbs in your health tonic that have been weighed heavier than they should be. Long-term consumption could lead to organ failure, and within three years, it would be fatal.”
Mo Xun was indeed Mo Xun.
He was never one to shy away from trouble and added, “Princess Le You only drank a sip of the tonic and induced vomiting in time, so she is not in serious danger. Had she delayed for half an hour, she could have faced severe vomiting and diarrhea, or worse, internal organ damage.”
The Empress Dowager scrutinized Mo Xun, her expression showing approval.
The other physicians were dismissed, leaving only Mo Xun behind.
Before long, the elderly maid brought Li Wan’er into Ci Ning Palace. Li Wan’er timidly lowered her head, her small face tense with anxiety.
Her relationship with the Empress Dowager was not close; the bond between them was quite thin.
Li Wan’er nervously greeted the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager instructed Mo Xun to take Li Wan’er’s pulse.
After a moment, Mo Xun cupped his hands and replied honestly, “Your Highness, this young lady still has lingering wind-cold in her body, masked by excessive harsh medicine. The symptoms of wind-cold have temporarily subsided. At her young age, she should be treated with gentle remedies; otherwise, it could harm her health.”
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes, realizing it was indeed true.
The Empress was cruel, willing to harm the poor Li Wan’er for her own selfish reasons.
The Empress Dowager took Li Wan’er’s hand. The girl was already thirteen but still hadn’t fully matured; her face was fair and delicate. Her eyes resembled those of the late Crown Prince Li Yuanchang, while her nose and lips mirrored those of the late Crown Princess.
The Empress Dowager’s eyes grew misty, her heart heavy with guilt.
She spoke softly, “Good child, you’ve suffered. From now on, you will live in the western garden of Ci Ning Palace. Grandmother will protect you and won’t let any bad people bully you.”
Li Wan’er lowered her head, tears streaming down her cheeks like pearls on a broken string.
The palace maids and attendants who had served Li Wan’er were punished with thirty strokes and then all demoted to the Yeting. Qian Mama led the attendants to Baozhu Hall to bring Li Wan’er’s clothes and belongings back to Ci Ning Palace.
...
Shen Wei, always well-informed, learned that Le You had accidentally consumed the Empress Dowager’s tonic. She was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat and hurried to Ci Ning Palace.
Upon arriving, she heard Le You’s bright, cheerful voice.
Le You was fine.
She was enthusiastically holding Li Wan’er’s hand, showing her around the environment of Ci Ning Palace. Li Wan’er, with her gentle temperament, wore a smile, clearly enjoying the company of this little sister.
“Mother!” Le You spotted Shen Wei and ran over joyfully.
Shen Wei half-squatted down and embraced Le You. The little girl’s face was chubby and rosy from the sun, looking vibrant and healthy, showing no signs of illness.
Shen Wei immediately felt relieved.
She pinched Le You’s chubby cheek, “I heard you ate something wrong, and it scared your mother to death.”
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