Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

At this moment. Excitement and anticipation flickered in the Empress’s eyes. Noble Lady Xin, who stood beside Consort Jing, secretly watched her and noticed the Empress’s oddity at once. She quietly nudged Consort Jing.

Consort Jing followed her gaze and also saw the malice and glee flashing in the Empress’s eyes. Hatred surged up in Consort Jing’s chest in an instant, and before she knew it, her eyes were filled with bitter loathing. Noble Lady Xin jumped in fright and hurried to block her line of sight. The Empress did sense that someone was looking at her.

When she turned her head, she did not find anything. Besides, everyone’s attention was on the delivery room, so no one noticed their tiny movements.

“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!” Su Pei Sheng’s voice rang out.

All the consorts immediately turned to greet the emperor.

“This consort (this concubine) pays her respects to Your Majesty.”

“Rise!” The emperor waved his hand, not interested in dealing with these consorts. He strode straight toward the delivery room, as if he meant to go inside.

“Your Majesty.” The Empress hurried to stop him. “It isn’t proper for you to go in. Why not wait here-” “Empress?” The emperor finally noticed her. Seeing her haggard face, he frowned. “Since you’re unwell, go back and rest properly.”

“Replying to Your Majesty, I can still hold on.” Thinking that the emperor was concerned about her, the Empress felt a thrill, and her tone grew even gentler. “Your Majesty, men cannot enter the delivery room-” “Your Majesty!” At that moment, a shout cut her off.

It was Nanny Jiang from Consort Hua’s side, dragging a palace maid out. “This servant pays her respects to Your Majesty. Your Majesty, this wretch dared to harm Her Highness and the little prince.”

“No, this servant didn’t!” The palace maid kowtowed on the ground. “Your Majesty, I’ve been wronged! I truly didn’t!”

“Silence!” the emperor barked, startling the maid so badly that she did not dare speak. He looked at Nanny Jiang and ordered, “Continue.”

“Yes.” Nanny Jiang pointed at the maid. “Le’er used to be a third-rank palace maid in Yi Kun Palace. Her Highness thought that once the little prince was born, he would need people to care for him, so she wanted to train some hands.”

“Le’er looked honest and well-behaved. Her Highness wanted to give her a chance, so she promoted her to second-rank palace maid. If she served well, she could either stay by Her Highness’s side, or be assigned to the little prince.”

“In the past half year, Her Highness saw that she behaved herself, so she let her serve inside the room. With Her Highness about to deliver, there were even more hands needed, so she gave this wretch another chance.”

“She took advantage of a moment when everyone wasn’t paying attention and scraped out the medicinal powder she had hidden in her ear. She deliberately smeared it on her sleeve, trying to seize a chance to harm Her Highness.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Consort Hua’s agonized scream came from the delivery room. “Ah!” At that sound, even the emperor’s hard, cold heart softened a little.

“No, this servant didn’t!” Le’er tried to deny it and kept arguing for herself. “Your Majesty, I truly didn’t!”

“You wretch, you still dare to deny it!” Nanny Jiang was furious. “Your Majesty, you can have an imperial physician examine her. This servant dares to guarantee that this wretch’s ear, her fingernails, and her sleeve are all stained with medicinal powder.”

“Where are the imperial physicians?” the emperor shouted at once. “Su Pei Sheng, hurry and send someone to fetch an imperial physician.”

“Yes!” Su Pei Sheng hurried to send a little eunuch to the Imperial Medical Academy.

“Your Majesty.” The Empress spoke gently. “Whether or not this wretch tried to harm Consort Hua, now is not the time to deal with her. Why not let this consort have someone take her away and keep her under guard first? After Consort Hua gives birth, we can dispose of her then.”

“There’s no need for the Empress to trouble herself.” Nanny Jiang answered without lightening her tone. “Your Majesty will uphold justice for Consort Hua in the matters of Yi Kun Palace.”

“Empress, go back first.” The emperor’s gaze turned colder.

How could someone as sharp as him not see the trick she was playing? He had just called for an imperial physician, and she already wanted to take the person away. If he could not even see that much, what emperor would he be?

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Empress could no longer keep the smile on her face. Her lowered gaze swept over Le’er kneeling on the ground. “For a palace maid to dare harm the imperial fetus is simply a crime that deserves death.”

She did not look again at Le’er, who was trembling uncontrollably at her words. She saluted the emperor. “Your Majesty, this consort’s body is useless. This consort will take her leave first.”

“Mm.” The emperor could not be bothered to look at her.

His gaze fell once more on the doorway of the delivery room. Consort Hua’s cries of agony kept tugging at his heart. The Empress hated it so much that her teeth ached. No matter how unwilling she was, she still had to prepare to leave.

“Your Majesty, the imperial physician has arrived.” Su Pei Sheng’s sharp eyes spotted the person coming in from outside.

The Empress, who was about to leave, stopped in her tracks. Imperial Physician Jiang stepped forward to pay respects to the two masters. “This humble subject pays respects to Your Majesty, and pays respects to the Empress.”

“Rise!” The emperor turned his head back and pointed at the palace maid on the ground. “Examine her ear, her fingernails, and her sleeve. See what powder she used to harm Consort Hua.”

“Yes!” Imperial Physician Jiang answered and walked toward Le’er…

“This servant-this servant didn’t!” Le’er scrambled to her feet and charged at a pillar on the other side, slamming herself into it.

“Not good. She’s trying to kill herself to cover her crime!”

“Quick, stop her!”

Unfortunately, no one reacted in time. It was too late to stop her. They could only stare blankly as she smashed her head open, blood streaming down. When she collapsed, her eyes fixed on the Empress.

Her lips moved a few times, as if she were saying, “Empress, you must save this servant’s parents!” Seeing her like that, everyone understood. But thinking of the grudges between the Empress and Consort Hua, it would have been normal to strike, and abnormal not to. In that moment, all the consorts were silent as cicadas, not daring to draw any attention.

Imperial Physician Jiang still stepped forward, not caring whether the person on the ground was dead or alive. He first dug a tiny bit of white powder from her ear. He also found a little in the cracks of her fingernails. Then he found powder along the folded hem of her sleeve as well.

Imperial Physician Jiang sniffed it first, then put it in his mouth to taste. After spitting it out, he reported to the emperor. “Replying to Your Majesty, the powder on this palace maid’s body can cause a woman in labor to hemorrhage to death.”

“A wretch who dared act so recklessly!” Disgust flashed in the emperor’s eyes. “Men, drag this wretch who tried to harm the imperial fetus out and throw her away. Exterminate her three clans.”

“Yes!” Two guards stepped forward at once, hoisted up Le’er’s corpse, and carried her away.

The emperor turned around and stared at the Empress, whose face had grown worse and worse. He said coldly, “Why is the Empress still here?” What a slap in the face. The Empress of a great nation was being driven away for the third time.

No matter how furious and resentful she felt, she had to lower her head and salute. “Yes. This consort takes her leave.”

“It seems the Empress’s illness has worsened.” The emperor’s icy voice continued. “Remain shut in and recuperate properly. Hand palace authority to Consort Hua, and let Consort Jing and Consort Xin manage it together.”

“Your Majesty, Consort Hua and Consort Xin will both be in confinement, and Consort Jing has never managed the palace affairs-” “The Empress need not say more.” The emperor cut her off without courtesy. “I have decided. The Empress will return to Jing Ren Palace and rest. These matters are none of your concern.”