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Translator's note: I would like to give a big shoutout to Stephnora and Anxiousempathx for supporting me. you made me so happy guys. A big thank you to all my dear readers who stayed even with the caotic posting schedule. you all have my heart.
Chapter 139
Lu Yu lifted Gu Han’s hand, only to realize his eyes hadn't deceived him. Her hands had always been pampered, possessing skin as delicate and fair as succulent meat; now, the backs of her hands were flushed red, with faint small red bumps beginning to surface. Like a flaw in a piece of fine jade, the sight was jarringly painful to look at.
His gaze turned icy, and the grip of his hand tightened involuntarily.
Gu Han gasped softly from the pain. She looked at the back of her hand with a face full of daze, and in the next heartbeat, she let out a sharp cry of alarm. Using all her strength, she wrenched her hand away and immediately turned her back to the Emperor. She clutched her hands together, her voice laced with panic "What is happening?! How can this be?!"
Lu Yu knew exactly how much Gu Han prized her beauty. With those red bumps appearing on her hands, she was likely suffering more than anyone. His heart ached at the sound of her voice, and seeing her back turned to him, hiding her hands away, made his forehead throb with anger and worry. He snapped "What time do you think it is? Are you still trying to hide from me?"
Gu Han bit her lip and remained silent, but she refused to turn around.
Lu Yu forcibly turned her body back toward him, then shot a freezing glare at Liu An "What are you standing there for? Are you waiting for me to go fetch the Imperial Physician myself?!"
Liu An shrunk his neck, terrified of being caught in the crossfire. He didn't send anyone else; he personally sprinted toward the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
A minor wave of chaos rippled through Yihe Palace, but with Lu Yu present, things soon settled down. Gu Han was pressed onto the soft couch by him, still acting evasive and trying to tuck her hands away. Lu Yu pulled them out with an exasperated huff, his face full of impatience, yet his movements were meticulously gentle.
He cradled her hand, lightly touching one of the red bumps. Gu Han winced and recoiled. A surge of stifled fury rose in Lu Yu's chest. He turned a cold eye toward the trembling, worried Jiu nian
"What did your mistress touch today?"
Jiu nian racked her brain, shaking her head bitterly "Her Ladyship is always careful and never touches anything of unknown origin. This servant... I cannot think of anything for the moment."
Lu Yu knew Gu Han was cautious, but that was exactly why he directed his anger toward Jiu nian and the others. If the master was this prudent and something still went wrong, whose fault was it if not the servants'?
Enduring the Emperor’s frigid gaze, Jiu nian was so terrified she didn't dare lift her head.
Gu Han gave Lu Yu a gentle push "Jiu nian has always looked after me with complete devotion. Why is Your Majesty blaming her?"
Lu Yu was momentarily choked for words. He was aching for her, yet she was busy aching for her servant. Since the woman's condition wasn't yet clear, Lu Yu couldn't bring himself to scold her. More importantly, he felt a twinge of guilt—he was deathly afraid this was another scheme born from his harem, which left him with very little solid ground to stand on.
Before the physician arrived, Lu Yu asked again with care:
"Think carefully. What have you come into contact with today?"
Gu Han lowered her eyes listlessly. She furrowed her brows in thought for a long while until, suddenly, her gaze landed on the potted magnolias in the hall. Lu Yu followed her line of sight, and as the realization hit him, his face instantly darkened.
Gu Han bit her lip, stealing a glance at him before whispering:
"The physician hasn't arrived yet. It might not necessarily be a problem with the magnolias."
Lu Yu was no fool; he could naturally hear the comfort in her words. He had ordered the Flower Conservatory to cultivate these magnolias for her. Precisely because it was his command, Gu Han wouldn't have been on her guard. If the magnolias truly were the problem, Lu Yu would have no face left to see her.
The physician arrived quickly. After a careful examination, Physician Zhuo spoke:
"The back of Her Ladyship’s hand has been tainted by poison. Fortunately, it was discovered quickly and the amount was shallow; she likely only brushed against it accidentally. Otherwise, not only would the marks be difficult to fade, but her hands could have been permanently ruined."
The blood drained completely from Gu Han’s face.
Lu Yu supported her shoulders, his voice heavy "What poison?"
Physician Zhuo hesitated for a moment:
"To this humble official, it looks quite like the sap of the Oleander."
Oleander could be used as an ornamental flower, but its sap was toxic and not to be touched lightly. At best, it caused an allergic reaction; at worst, it could be fatal.
Lu Yu quickly remembered that Gu Han had suffered an incident involving Oleander before. Back then, she had just entered the palace and was forcibly taken back to the palace by Noble Lady He, where she was coerced into touching Oleander sap. It had taken a long time for her hands to recover.
Fury burned in Lu Yu, a sharp pain sticking in his throat. He said coldly "Check those magnolias. See if there is a problem."
Physician Zhuo was surprised; he hadn't expected the Emperor to lock onto a suspect so quickly. He didn't waste any time. While he had a maid apply medicine to Consort Zhao, he began inspecting the potted magnolias one by one.
By the third pot, Physician Zhuo’s expression changed. However, he didn't report immediately, but continued his inspection. During this time, Gu Han cast an imperceptible glance toward him. Her eyes darkened for a split second, but she withdrew her gaze before anyone could notice.
As the maid applied the ointment, she seemed to feel the sting and let out a low, soft cry.
Once all the pots were checked, Physician Zhuo stood up solemnly and bowed "Your Majesty, most of these pots have issues. The magnolias themselves are fine, but the pots and the soil have been soaked in Oleander sap. If Her Ladyship and the Princes were to stay in this environment for long—especially since the Princes are so young, the consequences would be unthinkable!"
Gu Han looked up abruptly. Her movement was so sudden that she accidentally knocked the medicine bottle to the floor. She seemed about to say something, but the moment she met Lu Yu’s eyes, she bit her lip and forcibly held her peace.
Lu Yu’s face was overcast with gloom. To have his own decree used as a shield to harm his consort and heirs was a supreme humiliation for him!
He saw Gu Han’s reaction and knew she must be suffering inside, yet out of consideration for him, she refrained from speaking out. But the more she considered him, the more bitter Lu Yu felt. He grasped Gu Han’s hand and promised her "Once the culprit is found, I will show absolutely no mercy!"
Gu Han’s eyes were slightly red. With a hint of a sob in her voice, she said sharply:
"Your Majesty heard it too. The person behind this was clearly targeting the Princes. They knew I would never be on guard against Your Majesty's wishes, so they exploited your decree. Ze'er and An'er stay in my palace for a long time every day. If something had truly happened to them because of my negligence, I could never forgive myself, even in death!"
The moment Lu Yu heard her say the word "death," it grated on his ears like a serrated blade. His heart sank a good distance. He wiped away her tears and said firmly:
"I will definitely give you an explanation."
Lu Yu stood up, feeling a fire suppressed in his chest that needed to be unleashed:
"Move all these magnolias out! Summon the people from the Flower Conservatory to see me immediately!"
Gu Han clutched her handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes, letting out two low sobs that made Lu Yu’s heart feel even more stifled. Liu An moved nimbly, following the palace servants to quickly clear the inner hall of the magnolias. They were all lined up in the courtyard—thirty pots in total, half of which had been tampered with.
Liu An was horrified. The person who did this truly hated Consort Zhao with a passion; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so cruel.
The Princes were young and would surely have succumbed before Consort Zhao. This was a move meant to kill the heart, the person behind this didn't want Consort Zhao to have a single day of peace.
If not for the fact that Her Ladyship loved these flowers so much that she couldn't help but touch them several times, who knows when this scheme would have been discovered? After all, hiding poison in the pots and soil was a nearly impossible method to guard against.
The culprit wanted to use Her Ladyship’s love for flowers to harm her, but it was that very love that led to the discovery. Truly, "success and failure both spring from the same source."
Liu An shook his head silently.
As news from Yihe Palace spread, various concubines began hurrying toward the palace one after another. In Yian Palace, Consort Shu’s face darkened as she looked expressionlessly at Aliu "Is this the 'brilliant' method you spoke of? That no one would discover it for a short time?"
Cold sweat poured down Aliu’s face. She felt a deep bitterness in her heart; how could she have known that Consort Zhao was so precious and delicate now? In just half a day, symptoms appeared on her body, allowing the Emperor to find the clue.
She didn't dare make excuses and knelt to kowtow "This servant has failed in her duties. Please punish me, Your Ladyship!"
Consort Shu looked at her coldly. Aliu swallowed nervously.
She knew Her Ladyship wouldn't punish her yet, because the little eunuch in the Flower Conservatory who worked for her was her own biological younger brother. Her brother wasn't one of Her Ladyship’s people; he only did this out of concern for his sister. Aliu hadn't wanted to involve him, but Consort Shu had found out about their relationship. As lowly people with no voice, they had no choice.
But once something happened to her, her brother would surely confess everything about Her Ladyship.
Therefore, Aliu had said with certainty that the Consort wouldn't punish her in the short term.
Consort Shu seemed to see through Aliu’s thoughts. She let out a mocking, thin curl of her lip, but before she could speak, Ya luo entered "Your Ladyship, Noble Lady Yao has headed for Yihe Palace."
She and Noble Lady Yao both lived in Yian Palace. If Noble Lady Yao arrived and she was missing for too long, it would inevitably invite gossip.
Consort Shu reined in her emotions and allowed Yabluo to help her up. She gave Aliu a frigid look "It won't be too late to punish you when I return."
Before Aliu could breathe a sigh of relief, Consort Shu whispered "You had better pray your brother left no traces. Otherwise, I won't be able to protect either of you."
Aliu looked at Her Ladyship in terror. Consort Shu didn't look back and walked straight out. Aliu’s face was deathly pale. Only now did she realize that from the moment she was forced to agree to the Consort’s demands, there was never any way back.
Eunuch Zhang, the head of the Flower Conservatory, arrived shortly. He had only been basking in his success for half a day before being told there was a problem with the magnolias. He was so terrified that his legs felt like jelly all the way there. Upon entering Yihe Palace, he spotted Liu An and immediately cast a look for help.
Liu An was the Head Eunuch and had some rapport with these department heads. Seeing Eunuch Zhang like this, he could only give him a subtle, hidden shake of the head and a low warning "Tell the truth, every single detail. Do not hide anything."
Eunuch Zhang was bitter. Even if he were given ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare hide a thing!
As soon as he entered the hall, he sensed the heavy, low atmosphere. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. His legs gave out and he hit the floor with a thud, kneeling as he trembled "This servant pays respects to the Emperor! I pay respects to Consort Zhao!"
Author's Note:
Kunning Palace: Empress
Yi'an Palace: Consort Shu
Xianleng Palace: Imperial Consort De
Zhaoyang Palace → Main Hall: Xiuyi He
Zhaoyang Palace → Side Hall: Rong Baolin
Yihe Palace → Changchun Pavilion: Female Lead
Rongcui Hall: Beauty Miao
Cuizhu Pavilion: Beauty Lin
Changning Courtyard: Zhou Meiren
Hanleng Palace → (Main Hall transferred to Side Hall): Talented Lady Yuan
Also appearing: Noble Lady Lin, Liu Baolin
Here are the ranks of imperial consorts:
- Empress (皇后 Huánghoù) — Head of the Imperial Harem
- Imperial Noble Consort (皇贵妃 Huáng Guìfēi) — Rank 1
- Noble Consort, Pure Consort, Virtuous Consort, Worthy Consort (贵妃、淑妃、德妃、贤妃 Guìfēi, Shūfēi, Défēi, Xiánfēi)** — Senior Rank 1 (The Four Consorts, with Noble Consort as the highest)
- Consort (妃 Fēi) — Junior Rank 2
- Bright Deportment, Bright Countenance (昭仪、昭容 Zhāoyí, Zhāoróng) — Senior Rank 3
- Cultivated Deportment, Cultivated Countenance (修仪、修容 Xiūyí, Xiūróng) — Junior Rank 3
- Noble Lady (贵嫔 Guìpín) — Senior Rank 4
- Imperial Concubine (嫔 Pín) — Junior Rank 4
- Beauty (美人 Měirén) — Senior Rank 5
- Talented Lady (才人 Cáirén) — Junior Rank 5
- Precious Grove (宝林 Bǎolín) — Senior Rank 6
- Imperial Woman (御女 Yùnǚ) — Junior Rank 6
- Palace Maid (宫女子 Gōngnǚzǐ) — Senior Rank 7
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