An Lingrong's Rebirth: Red

Chapter 481: Defense

"Shut up," Ling Rong knew that this was done by Concubine Wan and Zhen Huan, so she didn't want to listen to her excuses. "Eunuch Su, you were the last one to rush into the emperor's bedroom. Tell me in detail what kind of scene you saw when you entered."

“In reply to the Imperial Concubine, when I heard Lady Qi’s shrill voice, I rushed in with the medicine.

After entering the room, I saw the emperor lying on the couch vomiting, and Concubine Qi was standing beside him, looking at a loss.

The emperor was still conscious at that time. He didn't say anything when he saw the servant come in. He just vomited and convulsed from time to time, and finally fell into a coma.

I asked Xiao Xiazi to find Doctor He to treat the emperor, and I helped clean up the filth myself. I also found a handkerchief for the emperor to hold in his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue accidentally.

"I see that Concubine Qi is not dirty, but what about the Emperor's body or the bed?"

"There is nothing on the emperor's bed, but there are some splashes on the collar. I will bring the emperor's nightgown to the imperial concubine for inspection."

When the clothes were brought over, Ling Rong looked at them carefully and found that they were just as Su Peisheng said, with only a few stains caused by vomiting.

As for other parts except the collar, there is no pollution.

"From this nightgown, we can judge that Concubine Qi did not force-feed the emperor tea. If the emperor could feel the bitter taste, he would definitely struggle, and when he struggled, the tea would enter his mouth and would definitely stain his clothes and bedding.

So according to these evidences, Concubine Qi did not force the emperor to drink tea.

Doctor Wei, has the emperor recently asked you or other doctors in the Imperial Hospital to check his sense of taste?"

"Recently, Imperial Physician He and Imperial Physician Zhou have been guarding the emperor's side to treat him, so I don't know the specific situation.

But I also participated in the discussion, and I didn't hear that the emperor had symptoms of taste disorder. I think this matter still needs to be confirmed by Dr. Zhou and Dr. He."

"Please ask Imperial Doctor Wei to go over there and ask Imperial Doctor He and Imperial Doctor Zhou for me."

Wei Lin nodded and immediately went into the bedroom. Not long after, he came back and told Ling Rong that the emperor's sense of taste was indeed declining.

“Because the emperor used to take medicine in Yongshou Palace every day, his sense of taste and smell has diminished, but during the period of taking the medicine, his reaction ability will be improved.

It is precisely because of this that the emperor insisted on taking the medicine for a long time and asked Doctor He to keep it secret. "

"Then the emperor can't taste the bitterness." Concubine Qi's eyes lit up, and she finally found evidence to prove her innocence. "In this case, Concubine Wan can't say that I forced the emperor to take the medicine, right?"

"In that case, it is more likely that it was done by Concubine Qi," Concubine Wan also looked relaxed. "It is precisely because the emperor cannot taste the bitterness that Concubine Qi can feed him spoonful after spoonful. After all, only Concubine Qi can guarantee that the emperor will drink tea, right?"

"Mrs. Wan means... you have never served the emperor?"

"Yes, Imperial Noble Consort, Noble Qi is jealous and does not allow me to get close to the Emperor.

Therefore, during the times when I came to serve the emperor, I was guarding the main hall, and was asked by Concubine Qi to clean the main hall from time to time.

I, a concubine, am not even allowed to have any contact with the emperor, so how could I have the chance to poison his tea?

At present, the only person who has the opportunity to poison is Concubine Qi, please understand, Your Majesty."

"How dare you, you bitch, slander me." Concubine Qi was so angry that she almost stood up and slapped Concubine Wan in public, "There is no tea in the keys of the emperor's piano. I think someone deliberately took the tea away and put it in the main hall.

When I was serving the Emperor in there, Concubine Wan might have poisoned the tea. This would not only harm the Emperor but also frame me. This shows how vicious her mind is.

My Lady Imperial Concubine, please do not be deceived by these two and wrongly accuse me."

"I have already sent people to check the main hall." Ling Rong saw Zhaoshui and Su Peisheng coming back and immediately called her forward. "What did you find in the main hall?"

"In reply to your Majesty, I found some powder on the table in the main hall. After careful identification, I confirmed that it was oleander powder."

Zhaoshui handed the things over. Before Lingrong could check them, Concubine Qi shouted, "Your Highness, look, these powders are the evidence that they poisoned the tea. I have been serving the emperor in the bedroom. How could I poison the tea in the main hall where the two of them stayed?

Therefore, the oleander could only have been put there by the two of them, but in their haste they didn't notice that some powder was left on the table.

Lady Wan, this is solid evidence of guilt, you can no longer quibble!"

"My Lady Imperial Concubine, I think it was Concubine Qi who left the powder intentionally to frame me," Concubine Wan was not afraid, she even had a barely noticeable smile, "After all, when Concubine Qi came out to get tea, she deliberately drove me and my personal maid out to pray for the Emperor.

I don't know which pot of tea Concubine Qi took away, nor do I know when Concubine Qi poisoned it. But at that time, no one could see what Concubine Qi did.

Your Majesty, you should be able to figure out who did this, right? "

Ling Rong didn't say much. She turned to look at Concubine Qi and asked, "How would Concubine Qi interpret this matter?"

"Your Highness, you must believe me. I did not poison the Emperor. This is all slander by Concubine Wan!"

"It's meaningless for you to just ask me to believe you. You have to understand that only evidence can prove your innocence."

Ling Rong didn't care who the real murderer was. As long as they could find enough evidence, she could help convict them and kill one or both of them.

Lingrong didn't want it to be Zhen Huan, so she was biased in her attitude and didn't even try to find loopholes in Wan Guiren's words.

Concubine Qi was confused by the question. She had a clear conscience, but it seemed that she was the only one who believed in herself. She opened her mouth and said, "If I poisoned it, why didn't I feed all the tea to the emperor?

Why leave evidence in the tea so that Doctor He would have the opportunity to know that it was oleander that was poisonous?

Why would you scream and attract the attention of others the moment the emperor started convulsing and vomiting?

Obviously, I could wait until the emperor died of poison, and then clean up everything and bury the evidence of my crime.

But leaving so many loopholes, waiting to be discovered by the Imperial Concubine, isn't this just digging his own grave?

It was obvious that it was a frame-up by Concubine Wan and her servant. They even deliberately provoked me so that I would punish her and send her out to pray for the Emperor. In this way, they could get away with it cleanly.

But the Imperial Concubine, the two of them had been in the main hall for a long time, and they clearly had many opportunities to poison her, so how can you say there were no opportunities at all?"

The more Concubine Qi spoke, the clearer her mind became. She pointed at the powder Zhao Shui had brought back and said, "The person who poisoned put the poison in the teapot. It's a teapot with a wide mouth, so it's not difficult to pour the powder in. If it accidentally fell out, we would be able to find out right away. Why would they leave it there on purpose and not clean it up?"

"I guess Lady Qi was afraid that I would find out, so she was very nervous when she poisoned him, and it just fell on the table. Seeing that there was not much powder, it is possible that she might have overlooked it for a while.

Lady Qi, this is not evidence at all. Among all the people present, you are the only one who had the most time to commit the crime, and you are the only one who can control it. This poison will only be fed into the emperor's mouth.

I have no way of entering the emperor's bedroom, so how can I be sure that the emperor will actually drink this bowl of poisoned tea?

Your Majesty, this noble lady Qi is very good at making excuses, you must not be fooled by her."

Watching the two men fighting, Lingrong almost laughed out loud, but the emperor's life or death was still uncertain, so she couldn't show her smile.

"Since the two of you are at a stalemate, I will follow the source of the oleander to investigate. Since you two haven't returned to the palace, I can just send someone to search the palace. I hope you two sisters don't mind."

"Everything about me..."

"I will obey your Majesty in everything!" Concubine Qi hurriedly interrupted, trying to prove her innocence and fearlessness.

"Zhaoshui and Eunuch Su, please take some time to visit Yongshou Palace and Changchun Palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Su Peisheng agreed. He didn't think he could find out anything, but Concubine Wan and Zhen Huan were too calm. They seemed not to worry at all that they would be suspected.

Su Peisheng didn't dare to think about it, nor did he dare to raise his doubts at this time, but he just felt that it would not be Concubine Qi who harmed the emperor.

After all, when she went to visit the emperor, Concubine Qi's fear and worry didn't seem fake.

"Xiao Xiazi, you have been to the Imperial Hospital and checked the register of the Imperial Pharmacy. Has any imperial physician used oleander recently?"

"In reply to the Imperial Concubine, I knew that the Emperor was poisoned, so I took the initiative to bring the registration books of the Imperial Hospital and the Imperial Pharmacy with Doctor Wei. After comparing, I found that there was no record of taking oleander in the registration books."

Xiao Xiazi has been well trained by Su Peisheng. He knows that going to the Imperial Hospital to find the imperial physician is not just a simple matter of finding someone. "Imperial Physician Wei also said that the stock and use of such toxic medicinal materials must be reviewed by the hospital judge. It is almost impossible to steal them."

"In this case, the oleander can only be brought in from outside the palace."

"Your Majesty, I will go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take a look." Xiao Xiazi's brain was quick, and he immediately knew what Ling Rong was thinking, "Let Eunuch Chi go with me."

Ling Rong nodded, and two more people walked out of the Yangxin Palace.

Concubine Qi, Concubine Wan and others were still kneeling. Ling Rong had no intention of asking them to get up. She just kept stroking the mutton-fat jade bracelet on her wrist, wondering whether the emperor could save his life.

Soon, the news that the emperor was out of danger arrived first. Ling Rong also went to the emperor's bedside with He Anming, but the emperor was still unconscious and had no idea who had visited him.

This is good, the emperor is indeed lucky. Lingrong sat on the edge of the couch, and the long armor slowly scratched the emperor's face. Because she didn't use too much force, it only left a shallow mark that disappeared quickly.

"Doctor He, when will the emperor wake up?"

"He should be able to wake up before dinner, but don't hold out too much hope, Your Majesty. The Emperor was poisoned quite badly this time, and his body is no longer strong enough to continue to run the government."

He Anming spoke the last few words very lightly. He knew that such words were too outrageous, but it was the fact. Now, besides the emperor, the imperial concubine had the highest rank in the palace, so he could only state the facts.

"It's okay. The Fifth Prince will be here later. He will stay with you in front of the Emperor's bed." Ling Rong paused and sighed for a while. "Please remind him not to talk nonsense."

"I understand, and I will advise Fifth Prince."

After the emperor was out of danger, Ling Rong told the Fifth Prince and other concubines the news that the emperor was poisoned. A group of people came to the Yangxin Palace and cried in the main hall, making it very lively.

The Fifth Prince came for a while, but before the Emperor woke up, he went to the front court to handle affairs. He also took the opportunity to spread the news that the Emperor was now in good health, so as to avoid unrest in the court.

Ling Rong did not let the news of the emperor's poisoning spread to the front court, but there were many people in the harem, and many officials' daughters were in the palace, so the news could not be concealed for long, so the Fifth Prince handled it himself.

As for what to say and how to say it, Lingrong did not ask. Sooner or later, the Fifth Prince would have to handle his own affairs, and she could not control it.

"Your Majesty, I found something." Zhaoshui hurried to Lingrong. The medicine bag in her hand was the one that Zhen Huan had put into Changchun Palace.

"Let's go and ask Lady Qi what this is."

Ling Rong sighed, and had to go back to the noisy main hall, but she was now in the highest position, so when everyone saw her they immediately quieted down, looking at her with hesitation as if they wanted to say something.

"Your Majesty, there is nothing wrong. The Fifth Prince just visited and left. Now there are only sisters in the palace. You can be as casual as you want."

"Your Majesty, I heard that something was found in Changchun Palace. What is it?" Xinpin spoke hurriedly. She disliked Concubine Qi to the point where she did not even bother to hide it.

"Oleander powder." Ling Rong's voice was faint, but it frightened Concubine Qi so much that she slipped off the chair. She murmured "impossible" and seemed to be terrified.

"This powder was found in Changchun Palace. It was placed in a porcelain bottle on the antique shelf. It was discovered by me and Eunuch Su together."

"Lady Qi, the poison has been found, what are you going to do?" Lady Wan said, adding insult to injury, "You are not going to use such a lame excuse as who would keep the poison around, so that the Imperial Concubine can continue to investigate.

This is not a good trick, and people will think it is just a sophistry. "

"You..." Concubine Qi was extremely anxious, but she really couldn't figure out how this poison could appear in her own palace. Could it be that... there was a traitor in her palace?