webnovelfull Chapter 421 He only has himself to blame
Chapter 421 He only has himself to blame
Xu Jinxi collapsed to the ground, her forehead hitting the floor repeatedly, yet she still stubbornly insisted, "Your Majesty, please understand! This...this is just spices that I had someone bring back from Lingnan; it's definitely not poison..."
Green Willow took half a step forward, but Bright Moon swiftly shielded her behind her and kicked Xu Jinxi, sending her sprawling backward.
“The Tu people of Lingnan do indeed have a tradition of using star anise, but real star anise is different from what you found in your room.”
Green Willow sneered, "The Compendium of Materia Medica records that 'Illicium lanceolatum is highly poisonous; if a woman takes it, her child will become mentally unstable.' Jin happy, how many heads do you have to chop off for the crime of plotting against the imperial heir?"
Donggua helped Meng Shu sit down again, her round face flushed with anger: "Ever since Her Majesty took over Lingcui Palace, your monthly allowance and rewards have never been lacking. I never expected that you would raise such a heartless and ungrateful person!"
“Your Majesty,” Mingyue turned and cupped her hands, her eyes flashing with cold light, “why not hand this fellow over to Lord Tong of the Yeting Bureau? I’ve heard he’s quite adept at interrogating prisoners.”
Meng Shu raised her hand, looking at Xu Jinxi kneeling on the ground: "I once read a folk tale, in which there was a story, 'If you put shavings of wild grass into soup, a pregnant woman who eats it will give birth to a mentally challenged child.' Jinxi, now that things have come to this, what do you have to say?"
"Do you think that by denying it to the death, the Li family can protect your brother?"
"This servant...this servant was truly forced into this situation!"
Xu Jinxi pointed tremblingly to the severed ear on the ground, "My younger brother works for the Li family's in-laws. If I disobey them, they threaten him with his life..."
Meng Shu suddenly chuckled, "Your brother only lost an ear, but if you dare to utter another lie, the next thing sent to him... might be something else entirely."
Upon hearing this, Xu Jinxi trembled violently and suddenly crawled forward on her knees: "Your Majesty, spare my life! This servant is willing to atone for my sins with merit! That man... that man even made me add lead oxide to the tea room..."
Enraged, Green Willow darted out from behind Bright Moon, swung her arm, and delivered two solid slaps to Xu Jinxi's face. "—So! Such a vicious scheme!"
The sudden noise startled Donggua.
When she came to her senses, she stepped forward with her sturdy gait, swung her thick wrist—the one she'd used to using for years—and delivered a vicious blow to Xu Jinxi's face.
With a muffled "snap," Xu Jinxi immediately coughed up blood from his mouth and nose, and half of his face swelled up at a visible speed.
Mingyue's eyes gleamed as she watched, and she unconsciously licked her lips.
Seeing this, Meng Shu quickly raised her hand to stop him: "Stop it."
She glanced at Mingyue helplessly, "I know your skills. Don't accidentally kill someone and ruin things."
Although Xu Jinxi was not caught poisoning the animals on the spot, the threat of the severed ear and the discovery of highly poisonous herbs in his room led him to confess everything in an instant.
Meng Shu pondered for a long time. No matter how many schemes Rong Jieyu had, now that there was ample evidence and witnesses, she could not escape the charge of plotting to harm the imperial heir.
"Green Willow," she said, raising her head, "go to the Funing Palace and report this to the Emperor." Then she turned to Mingyue and said, "Tie him up tightly and lock him in the side room for now."
Mingyue obeyed the order, drawing a pre-prepared rope from her waist. With practiced skill, she bound Xu Jinxi into a tight knot in just a few swift movements. Xu Jinxi tried to beg for mercy, but Mingyue sneered and with a deft touch, dislocated his right arm joint with a "crack." The pain made him turn ashen, and he dared not utter another sound.
After they left, Xia'er immediately led Chun'er, Hongyu, Dou'er, and a group of palace maids into the room. Some carried new carpets, some held warm water mixed with fragrant dew, and others carried incense burners. In no time, they cleaned up the bloodstains on the floor, leaving not a trace.
Before the Emperor arrived, Donggua helped Meng Shu to rest on the soft couch. She said with lingering fear, "Shushu, it's a good thing we knew Jinxi was Rong Jieyu's man, otherwise, looking at his honest appearance, we really wouldn't have noticed anything unusual."
Meng Shu leaned against the pillow and said softly, "Consort Rong also overlooked this move, which is why she dared to act this way. Perhaps she still harbored a glimmer of hope that even if Jin Xi made accusations, she would have a backup plan to deny them. But now..."
"What's going on right now?" Donggua asked.
A meaningful smile appeared on Meng Shu's lips. "Right now...right now, isn't our Emperor worried about the supplies for the border?"
At the beginning of the Emperor's reign, the war in the Northwest was not yet over, and in the middle of the year, there was a severe drought in Hedong and Hebei, followed by a snow disaster in the Guanzhong Plain at the end of the year. In addition, the dredging of the Grand Canal and the construction of river works all required the support of the national treasury. Now, the flames of war have re-emerged in the northern frontier, and the provisions and weapons are already in short supply. No matter how wealthy the Marquis of Lin'an's mansion is, it cannot rely on the Chunfei's maternal family as a source of wealth.
"The crime of murdering the imperial heir is a grave offense that will result in the extermination of nine generations of the family. Within a few days, the Zhao County Li family will be wiped out from the Great Zhou. At that time, their property will be confiscated and used as military funds, which will alleviate the shortage of food and provisions for the soldiers on the border."
Donggua's eyes lit up: "No wonder Shushu chose this time to make a scene! Green Willow and I were thinking of waiting a few more days to catch her in the act." Then he said angrily, "Consort Rong is really hateful. When she first entered the palace, Consort Chun and Shushu helped her."
Now that she herself has made a foolish mistake and miscarried, she can't stand seeing Shushu's pregnancy end up like this. It's...it's..."
"He only has himself to blame."
Meng Shu smiled as she took over the conversation, but there was no smile in her eyes.
Rong Jieyu's most treacherous act lay in her choice of "Illicium verum" and "lead oxide." The former was rare in the north and was often mixed with spices, making it extremely difficult to distinguish unless one was well-versed in pharmacology. As for lead oxide, it was the color of snow and dissolved in water; if Jin Xi hadn't confessed, no one would have noticed anything amiss.
Even more deadly is that taking these two medicines together a few times won't be fatal; it will only affect the fetus in the womb. This is a hundred times more vicious than causing a miscarriage. A concubine who gives birth to a mentally challenged child will not only lose any favor, but she might not even survive...
Suddenly, a thunderclap boomed outside the window, making the windowpanes vibrate and rattle.
Outside Lingcui Palace.
A pale bolt of lightning cleaved the night sky, instantly illuminating the emperor's ashen face and reflecting the murderous intent surging in his eyes.
"Send word to Tong Bo: Seal off Ganlu Palace and interrogate Li Shi overnight."
Jing Ming bowed respectfully and replied, then turned to the eunuch behind him and sternly ordered, "Go to the inner palace immediately and convey the Emperor's decree!"
He then whispered reassurances, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Consort Jin is very fortunate. As Miss Green Willow just said, thankfully it was discovered in time, and Your Majesty's health is unharmed..."
About half an hour later, at Ganlu Palace.
Rong Jieyu, who had already fallen asleep, was awakened by the thunder. Her heart pounded and she broke out in a cold sweat.
"Was Her Majesty startled by the thunder?"
Jixiang, who was standing guard beside the footstool, hurriedly got up and frantically gathered the gauze curtains. "The wind is picking up outside; it looks like a downpour is coming..."
Before Jixiang could finish speaking, another bolt of lightning struck, instantly illuminating the entire bedchamber.
Rong Jieyu subconsciously gripped the brocade quilt tighter.
The rain outside the window came down suddenly, and large raindrops pounded on the glazed tiles, making a sound that made one's heart race.
Rong Jieyu suddenly felt that there seemed to be other sounds mixed in with the sound of the rain, like many hurried footsteps approaching from afar...