in2ebook Chapter 281: The Concubine's Skills
Chapter 281: The Concubine's Skills
As expected, Emperor Xuanhe woke up early the next morning, and the first thing he knew after waking up was what happened in Linzhou. He was still weak while lying on the dragon bed, and the cabinet officials should not have disturbed him from recuperating with trivial matters.
However, since it was a matter of national territory, some ministers advocated war, and some advocated peace, and the argument was intense. After learning that Emperor Xuanhe had woken up and was not seriously injured, they reported it to Emperor Xuanhe as soon as possible.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuanhe was furious. He immediately ordered Ye Zijin, who was stationed in Cangzhou, to lead the Ningyuan Army to support Linzhou and drive the southern border bandits out of Dayu. At the same time, he also ordered King De, who had collaborated with the enemy and committed treason, to be brought back to Yudu and beheaded in front of the royal ancestral temple as a public display to comfort the ancestors and appease the people of the world.
At the same time, the three clans of King De's lineage were exterminated, and anyone who had a close relationship with King De was arrested and brought to justice. Regardless of gender, age or status, they were all imprisoned. After King De caught them and took them back to Yudu, they were all tried according to the law.
As for Meng's lawsuit, it was temporarily suppressed by Emperor Xuanhe. He ordered people to put Meng and Feng Gui under custody, and announced to the outside world that Meng had falsely accused the court official. Considering that he was eager to find out the truth about the tragic deaths of the Meng family members, he would not pursue the case for the time being and would deal with it after everything was settled.
This matter seemed inexplicably strange given Emperor Xuanhe's usual character. Of course, it could also be explained as him perfunctorily protecting Concubine Xian and her son.
However, if it happened to a husband and father who loved his wife dearly and loved his son deeply, it would be completely explainable. But when it happened to a selfish and cold-hearted Xuan Hedi, it seemed wrong no matter how you looked at it.
As for who Meng Yaling was accusing in the Golden Palace that day and what evidence she had, the eunuchs and female officials on duty that day all kept their mouths shut, so for the time being, neither Concubine Xian nor Prince Yi received any news.
The main reason was that Concubine Xian was too confident about the poisonous insects. After all, she had killed many concubines and children in the harem with poisonous insects, and no clues were ever detected. She became more and more courageous afterwards.
Of course, Mu Jiaojiao and Jiang Jin knew the specific process of this matter. Even after He Zhouyun returned to Prince Jin's Mansion from the palace, his suspicion that Xuan and Emperor were poisoned was confirmed.
In the main hall of Tingxue Hall.
"According to Daddy, this poisonous insect is probably parasitic in Emperor Xuan He's heart, and if his emotions fluctuate too much, it will cause the infected person to experience excruciating heartache and even vomit blood."
Mu Jiaojiao sat on a thickly cushioned chair with her pregnant belly, pondered for a while, and then guessed.
"That's right. And after Emperor Xuanhe woke up, his pulse returned to normal, though a little weak. So even the highly skilled imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital could only diagnose that Emperor Xuanhe was suffering from a heart attack caused by anger, which led to his vomiting blood."
"If we investigate the cause, I'm afraid they won't be able to find it!"
He Zhouyun nodded slightly, agreeing with Mu Jiaojiao's words, and then explained in detail the strange feeling of Xuan Hedi's pulse after he woke up.
"According to the books I've read about poisonous insects, the symptoms of the Heart-Eating Gu are similar to the one Emperor Xuan He was infected with. However, once the Heart-Eating Gu is planted in the heart, it remains dormant. After it grows up and awakens, it will devour the host's heart in about half a month.
It's been several months since Emperor Xuan He vomited blood, and he's still alive and well, which is completely different from the symptoms of the Heart-Eating Gu.
Mu Jiaojiao carefully reviewed the memories related to the poisonous insects she had seen in her past and present lives, and indeed found that the poison that Xuan Hedi was infected with was generally not commonly seen. She was also very confused about his symptoms.
After listening to what his precious daughter said, He Zhouyun did not say anything else, but stroked the teacup carefully. It was obvious that he did not fully understand the strange symptoms of the poisonous insect that Xuan and Di were infected with.
At this moment, Jiang Jin, who had just entered the main hall and sat quietly, listening carefully to the discussion between Mu Jiaojiao and He Zhouyun, asked a question that neither Mu Jiaojiao nor He Zhouyun had thought deeply about.
"My dear wife, father-in-law, I haven't done much with poisonous insects, but there is one thing I find extremely strange."
"Given my father's suspicious and heartless nature, how could he be so partial to the virtuous concubine and her son, not even suspecting or pursuing the matter?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Jiaojiao paused slightly with the hand holding the teacup. After a moment, she seemed to understand something. This poison was most likely created by Concubine Xian at the request of Nanny Qing, and Emperor Xuanhe, whether intentionally or unintentionally, always trusted and favored Concubine Xian unconditionally.
Could there be any connection?
No, there must be a connection, otherwise why would Concubine Xian go to so much trouble to give Emperor Xuan and Emperor such a useless poison at this critical moment?
If you want Xuan Hedi to die without knowing it, a heart-eating insect at the right time will be more effective than the current one.
From the perspective of Concubine Xian, it would be best if she didn't want Emperor Xuanhe to die now, but also wanted him to be obedient.
But how can we make him completely obedient? Isn't it better to control him?
Yes, control him!
But as far as she knew, the poisonous insects that controlled a person did not seem to be planted only in the heart. Usually, the poisonous insects parasitized in the brain and subconsciously conveyed instructions to the person who was poisoned.
Heart, brain, heart, brain...
Mu Jiaojiao seemed to have thought of something, her eyes suddenly lit up, and then a smile of understanding appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"The virtuous concubine's methods are truly brilliant!"
After Mu Jiaojiao figured it out, she couldn't help but sigh, and at the same time she admired the methods of this ancient palace fighting woman, which were insidious and vicious.
Jiang Jin had been paying attention to Mu Jiaojiao. He saw that Mu Jiaojiao's expression changed from confusion to deep thought, then to sudden realization, and finally she couldn't help but sigh.
With his understanding of his wife, he naturally realized that she might have figured out the key point, so a look of curiosity and appreciation appeared on his face.
"Could it be that the lady discovered something?"
He Zhou Yunye heard Mu Jiaojiao's tone as if she understood everything, and looked at Mu Jiaojiao intently, with a hint of urgency in his tone.
"Does Jiaojiao already know the reason?"
Mu Jiaojiao looked at Jiang Jin and He Zhouyun, whose eyes were full of curiosity and who were seeking answers from her. Her lazy face was filled with a knowing smile, and her whole body exuded a sense of brilliance.
"Yes, if my guess is correct, I think I may have figured out what kind of poison Xuan and Di were infected with!"
As a doctor, He Zhouyun knew from Mu Jiaojiao's words that his daughter really knew the origin of the poisonous insect that infected Xuan and Di. His warm and kind face revealed a bit of interest.
"Oh! Could it be that it's not the Heart-Eating Gu, but some other, rarer kind of Gu?"