SEC Chapter 80 Poisoning
Chapter 80 Poisoning
Inside the Feixue Palace, the crystal curtains fluttered as a gentle breeze stirred, filling the air with the fragrance of roses.
Second-class palace maid Yulian brought over a prepared nourishing medicinal meal from the imperial kitchen and respectfully handed it to Chu Qingyin: "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Chen instructed that this qi-tonifying and health-nourishing medicinal meal must be drunk while it's hot."
Chu Qingyin nodded slightly, picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and was about to feed it to her mouth when she smelled a faint sour taste that was completely different from before.
She frowned: "When did Physician Chen change the prescription?"
"Is there?" Yu Lian shook her head, puzzled, her face full of worry. "Your Highness, is there something wrong with this medicinal diet?"
Chu Qingyin looked solemnly at Yu Yan beside her and said, "Go and invite Chen Yun over. Remember, don't let anyone else see you."
"This servant understands." After saying that, Yu Yan ran out in a flash.
After she left, Chu Qingyin looked at Yulian beside her and said, "Close the door."
Thinking of Qiu Zhu's experience not long ago, Yu Lian's heart pounded like a drum, but she still suppressed her surprise and doubt, turned around and closed the door.
As soon as the door closed, Yulian immediately knelt down, her expression full of injustice.
"Your Majesty, please understand! This servant truly did nothing!"
Chu Qingyin frowned, told her to get up, and said, "Don't panic, I'm just guessing. Tell me in detail what happened when you went to the Imperial Kitchen to get the medicinal food."
Seeing that her mistress did not suspect her, Yulian quickly told the truth without daring to hide anything, "I just went to the Imperial Kitchen to find Steward Zhao as usual, got the medicinal food, and came back immediately without stopping. I delivered it directly to Your Highness."
"Think carefully again. Was there anything unusual when you received the medicinal meal from Steward Zhao?"
"This servant did not—"
Suddenly, Yulian seemed to remember something and hurriedly said, "When I was getting the medicine, I glanced at it and saw that the person who prepared the medicinal food today was different. It wasn't the previous Xiao Linzi, but a young eunuch with an unfamiliar face."
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin's doubts vanished. She looked at Yulian: "Are you familiar with that Xiao Linzi?"
“This servant spoke with him twice.”
"You call Kang Luhai and have him go find that Xiao Linzi immediately and ask who the little eunuch who replaced him to cook meals is."
Chu Qingyin thought for a moment and then instructed, "Don't alert them. Just find out their names and keep an eye on them. We'll discuss everything after I confirm with Physician Chen."
Yu Lian nodded, got up, and ran outside.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yu Yan led Chen Yun in.
"Was anyone seen when you came in?"
Yu Yan shook her head: "Following Her Majesty's instructions, we avoided people the whole way."
Chu Qingyin then looked at Chen Yun and pointed to the bowl of medicinal soup on the table: "Imperial Physician Chen, could you please examine this bowl of medicinal soup for me?"
Chen Yun learned about the situation on the way and knew that Chu Qingyin had doubts about the medicinal diet. He was also a little worried, fearing that the prescription he wrote was wrong.
Now that he had received the order, he immediately went forward to inspect it.
After carefully smelling the food, Chen Yun's face turned pale with shock. "Your Majesty, this is not the medicinal diet recipe I prescribed for you!"
The imperial kitchen wouldn't make a mistake, so the only possibility is that someone added something to it.
Although Chu Qingyin already had a hunch, hearing Chen Yun's words put her mind at ease, and her face grew even colder: "Then take a look at this bowl of stuff, is it poisoned?"
Chen Yun turned around and took out a silver needle from the medicine box next to him. He probed the medicinal food with the needle and then pulled it out. The silver needle had not turned black.
A hint of surprise flashed in Chu Qingyin's eyes, thinking she had misread it.
Chen Yun was also somewhat puzzled. He picked up the bowl of medicine again, sniffed it carefully, and then suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."
"Doctor Chen, what do you mean by that?"
"Your Majesty, this bowl of medicine is indeed poisoned."
Chen Yun answered respectfully, but in his heart he was secretly wondering who dared to so blatantly plot against Consort Qiao.
Chu Qingyin frowned and looked at Chen Yun: "Imperial Physician Chen, can you determine what this poison is?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yun couldn't help but raise his eyes to examine the Consort Qiao before him.
Previously, I thought she was just another ordinary concubine, and that once the emperor's interest waned, she would be abandoned like any other woman and sent to the cold palace to live out her remaining days.
Looking at the woman before me now, how could she remain calm and composed even in the face of poisoning? She is far beyond the reach of ordinary women. In this harem, with such shrewdness and composure, how could she not rise in rank in the future?
So, the way he looked at her couldn't help but show more respect.
"Your Majesty, someone added an extra ingredient to this medicinal dish, called Buddha's Hand Cinnamon. This medicine was originally a sacred remedy used by folk hunters to treat snake venom, but because my medicinal dish contained a herb called Snow Moon Pine that clashes with it, this bowl of medicinal dish has been turned into poison."
Seeing that Chu Qingyin seemed puzzled, Chen Yun explained, "Your Majesty's body suffers from a cold constitution, so I added Snow Moon Pine, which mainly targets the flow of qi and nourishes the spirit, originally intended to help Your Majesty expel stagnant qi from your body. However, this Buddha's Hand Aconite is naturally potent, known for its heat-clearing and detoxifying properties. With the combined effects of these two medicines, if Your Majesty drinks it for a few meals, I fear that you will become weak and anemic, quickly lose weight, and soon collapse due to your frail body and depleted qi."
"If Your Majesty had not noticed the abnormality in time, I might not have been able to tell the situation when Your Majesty was unwell after drinking this medicinal diet. I would have just thought that Your Majesty was unwell."
It seems that the person behind this was already plotting to kill her when Chen Yun prescribed her the medicinal diet!
Chu Qingyin scoffed inwardly, her beautiful face darkening.
Yu Yan listened from the side, her knees trembling with fear, and she almost fell to the ground. She stared in disbelief and said, "Who on earth is so bold as to plot against Your Highness like this!"
Although Chen Yun guessed that this was the work of a jealous concubine in the harem who was jealous of Consort Qiao's favor, he knew that if he said this, he would surely get himself into trouble.
"Physician Chen, if I accidentally drink a sip of this medicine, do you have any way to cure my illness?"
This sudden question startled Chen Yun. When he looked up, he saw the beautiful woman in palace attire's gaze quietly falling on the bowl of medicine.
Chen Yun immediately understood and concealed his surprise: "If it is only a small amount, I can certainly ensure Your Majesty's safety."
"Then I'll have to trouble Physician Chen."
After Chu Qingyin finished speaking, she instructed Yu Yan to see Chen Yun off.
**
The sun sets and the moon rises, and night falls in the blink of an eye.
Pei Yuanling was reviewing memorials in the Zichen Palace when Chen Zhongliang rushed in to report, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"
"After finishing her lunch, Consort Qiao went to bed to rest, but for some reason, she remains unconscious. Kang Luhai from Feixue Palace is outside, urgently requesting that you come and see the Consort!"
"what?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanling's hand holding the vermilion brush suddenly paused.
A drop of vermilion ink falls onto fine Xuan paper, immediately soaking a patch, resembling the color of blood.
He had been troubled by the poisoning of the imperial concubine for the past few days, and upon hearing this, his face darkened even more. He immediately stood up and strode out.
Chen Xun happened to be leading a patrol outside the Zichen Palace when he saw the emperor hurriedly getting into a sedan chair and heading towards the Feixue Palace. His eyelids twitched.
What happened? Why is His Majesty, who is usually calm and composed, so anxious?
After a moment's thought, he finished his rounds and made an excuse to leave quietly.
Feixue Palace was not far from Zichen Palace. Pei Yuanling was worried about Chu Qingyin's safety and disregarded his imperial demeanor, rushing all the way.
When they arrived at Feixue Palace, Pei Yuanling looked rather disheveled.
Upon seeing this, the palace servants dared not raise their heads, concealing their astonishment, and knelt down to pay their respects, saying, "May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
Pei Yuanling ignored him and strode quickly toward the inner hall.
"This servant greets Your Majesty!" Xianglan was the first to see Pei Yuanling enter and immediately bowed in greeting.
Pei Yuanling walked straight past her to the bedside, but when he saw the woman under the covers, her face pale and her eyes closed, like an unfeeling glass doll, he was instantly enraged: "Where is Chen Yun? Summon him to see me!"
Chen Yun immediately stepped out from the corner, bowed, and said, "Your humble servant is here."
"What exactly happened to Consort Qiao? When will she wake up?" Pei Yuanling asked angrily.
Chen Yun broke out in a cold sweat. He couldn't help but look up at Chu Qingyin, who was "asleep" on the bed, before replying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have already removed the remaining poison from Her Highness's body. She will wake up in a little while."
"Remove residual toxins?"
Pei Yuanling's face darkened instantly, and his voice turned icy cold: "You mean, Consort Qiao has been poisoned?"