Chapter 241
**Chapter 239: A Father-Son Conversation**
Lu Xuan held the pink rose in her hand, slowly crushing the petals with a look of regret. “I wanted to use the Empress to eliminate Consort Chen and reap the benefits. But who would have thought the Empress would be so foolish as to plot against the Empress Dowager?”
It was like digging her own grave.
The Dantai family, in their bid to protect the Empress and preserve their century-old glory, had to show enough “sincerity” to the Emperor, which meant a significant sacrifice on their part.
Xiao Qin then informed Lu Xuan, “My lady, Consort Chen has someone in the Imperial Medical Institute—a new physician named Mo.”
Lu Xuan turned her head, a hint of curiosity in her tone. “Is he that young physician in his twenties?”
Xiao Qin replied, “Yes. I’ve heard that Physician Mo and Consort Chen have known each other for years, and his position in the institute is thanks to her backing.”
Lu Xuan narrowed her beautiful eyes, lost in thought.
A young and handsome physician, a newly returned consort—there was a connection between them. If utilized properly, he might just be the key to toppling Consort Chen.
After a moment of scheming in her mind, Lu Xuan instructed Xiao Qin, “Send someone to keep an eye on Physician Mo.”
Xiao Qin understood immediately. “I’ll take care of it right away.”
...
...
In Kun Ning Palace.
Ever since Li Wan'er was taken away by the servants from Ci Ning Palace, the Empress felt as if she had fallen into an ice pit, chilled to the bone.
“Mother must know. She knows everything.” The Empress fidgeted, uncontrollably pulling out her prayer beads, counting them one by one in an attempt to suppress her anxious emotions.
As she rolled the beads over and over, reciting scriptures again and again, time slipped by quietly.
“My lady, Physician Shen and the others have been taken away by the Tiger Guards,” a senior maid rushed in, panic evident in her voice.
With a loud clatter—
The prayer beads fell to the ground, the string snapping, and the smooth beads scattered everywhere.
The Empress’s lips trembled, her head buzzing. She gripped the maid’s hand tightly. “Tiger... Tiger Guards?”
In Yan Jing City, the outermost layer consisted of the city’s protective army; within the imperial city, there were the elite guards maintaining order in the palace; and beside the Emperor, there was the Tiger Guards, acting as his eyes and ears, gathering information from inside and outside the palace.
The fact that the Tiger Guards had taken away Physician Shen and the others meant that the Emperor had already discovered Consort Chen’s poisoning, as well as the near-poisoning of the Empress Dowager and Princess Le You, with the mastermind being the Empress herself.
The Empress’s legs went weak, and she helplessly collapsed to the ground. She couldn’t comprehend how she had fallen from grace so quickly, as if it had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Her plan had been flawless, progressing smoothly—where had it gone wrong?
“The Emperor and the Empress Dowager will surely punish me...” The Empress was lost, her eyes reddening as tears streamed down her face.
The senior maid knelt beside her, head bowed in silence.
A chilly breeze swept into the room, tousling the Empress’s hair.
Seeing the Empress in such a frenzied state, Mama Liu felt a pang of sympathy. She stepped into the inner chamber and gently advised, “My lady, I’ve warned you before not to go against Consort Chen and the Empress Dowager. You cannot win against them.”
The Empress frowned, anger flaring. “I am the Empress! The rightful wife of the Emperor of Da Qing! How can I be oppressed by the Shen family and the Empress Dowager?”
Born into the noble Dantai family, how could she ever be beneath anyone?
The Empress seized Mama Liu’s arm, tears falling as she shouted uncontrollably, “Mama Liu, tell me, how can I save myself? You must tell me, please!”
Mama Liu winced in pain from the grip on her arm and replied, “My lady, you’ve already made a mistake. You should admit your fault. You can remove your jeweled hairpin, wear plain clothes and cloth shoes, go to Ci Ning Palace and Chang An Palace, and bow to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to plead for forgiveness.”
Dressed in plain white, showing a heart of repentance.
Admitting one’s mistakes and promising not to repeat them.
The Empress froze, abruptly releasing Mama Liu’s arm, shaking her head repeatedly. “I am the Empress! To walk to Ci Ning Palace in plain clothes, with so many eyes watching? I would become a laughingstock for the entire court!”
Such a humiliating act was something the Empress would never do.
Mama Liu, caught off guard by the sudden release, stumbled and fell to the ground, her old bones creaking with the impact.
Disappointment washed over Mama Liu as she struggled to stand, casting one last glance at the lady she had served for many years. “If that’s the case, my lady, you can only write to your family and ask them to intervene.”
The Empress’s eyes lit up, as if she had grasped the last straw of hope in a desperate situation. She immediately instructed a maid to prepare ink.
The Dantai family, a century-old clan, had ancestors who fought alongside the Emperor to establish the Qing nation, earning great military achievements. The Empress thought to herself, surely the Emperor and the Empress Dowager would forgive her for the sake of the Dantai family.
After all, Emperor Li Yuanjing’s ascension to the throne was not without the support of the Dantai family.
The Empress bent over to write her plea for help.
Mama Liu sighed deeply, clasped her hands together, and bowed deeply to the Empress. Turning around, she left Kun Ning Palace without looking back.
...
The Empress’s plea for help quickly reached the Dantai family.
The head of the Dantai family, who was also the Empress’s elder brother, immediately summoned the clan elders to discuss countermeasures, even calling back the elderly Lady Dantai, who was recuperating at Luyue Lake.
Plotting against the Empress Dowager, the consort, and the princess was a grave crime.
If the Dantai family wanted to preserve the Empress Dantai Shuya’s position and ensure the family’s future prosperity, they would have to make significant sacrifices.
Tonight, the Dantai family was destined for a sleepless night.
The movements detected by the Dantai family were relayed to Li Yuanjing by the Tiger Guards.
In Chang An Palace, Li Yuanjing, dressed in dark golden robes, took a sip of warm honeysuckle tea, the delicate fragrance spreading in his mouth.
After a moment, he set down the teacup. “Has Wei Wei’s condition improved?”
The Tiger Guards replied, “Physician Mo’s antidote has worked wonders; Consort Chen’s condition has improved.”
Li Yuanjing felt a slight sense of relief.
As dusk fell, the palace lanterns began to light up one by one, casting a hazy glow in the night. After finishing the last batch of memorials, Li Yuanjing stepped into the night towards Yong Ning Palace.
As the Emperor’s palanquin passed through the Imperial Garden, Li Yuanjing spotted Li Chengtai and an old maid from Ci Ning Palace. The lanterns were bright, and Li Chengtai wore a sullen expression, seemingly sulking.
“Your son pays his respects to Father,” Li Chengtai greeted formally.
The palanquin was lowered.
Li Yuanjing approached his son and asked, “It’s dark; where have you been?”
Li Chengtai pursed his lips, muttering, “I just went to Yong Ning Palace to visit Mother.”
There was a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone towards his father.
Having learned that his mother had been poisoned slowly, he was worried and rushed to see her as soon as it got dark. At that time, Shen Wei had just finished the antidote and repeatedly assured him that she was fine, asking the old maid to take him back to Ci Ning Palace.
On the way back, Li Chengtai was heavy-hearted, feeling distressed.
At night, the flowering crabapple trees in the Imperial Garden bloomed profusely. Li Yuanjing smiled, his voice low. “Come walk with your father.”
Li Chengtai nodded silently.
The palace servants followed at a distance, maintaining space between the Emperor and his son. The night wind rustled, and Li Chengtai held a small silk lantern, trailing behind his father.
Under a flourishing crabapple tree, Li Yuanjing stopped.
Li Chengtai, who had been looking down, didn’t notice his father had halted and bumped into him, nearly dropping the lantern.
Rubbing his head, Li Chengtai looked up with a glum expression.
Li Yuanjing chuckled and asked, “Are you angry with your father?”
Li Chengtai tightened his grip on the lantern, raising his head to look at the tall man before him. Summoning his courage, he spoke:
“Father, if you don’t like Mother... you shouldn’t have brought us back to the palace in the first place.”
Table of Contents
