The Daily Life of a Concubine

Chapter 21 - The Poisonous Woman

"No, Your Majesty. The fever has subsided, but I am still a bit weak. It's an old ailment; I've been frail since childhood and am naturally weaker than others."

Bai Jingxian's voice was soft and delicate, even more so than when she was healthy, which evoked even more pity from the Emperor.

"You've suffered." Emperor Rui, listening to her, thought of her past life with the Bai family and felt a pang of sympathy. "Now, take good care of yourself. I'll be pleased if you recover."

"Yes, Your Majesty." She raised her eyes to look at him, her gaze reflecting his image. "But, Your Majesty, you seem to have been resting poorly recently; your eyes have darkened."

As she spoke, her small hand reached towards the Emperor's eyes, as if trying to wipe away his fatigue.

Emperor Rui grasped her wandering hand. "I'm fine. I've been resting well."

After sitting down, the Emperor pointed at the porridge on the table. "Is this your dinner at this hour?"

At this moment, Wang Momo stepped forward. "Your Majesty, please persuade the Mistress. These are medicinal porridge made by the royal physician, but the Mistress hasn't eaten a single bite."

Seeing Wang Momo, Emperor Rui personally picked up a bowl of porridge. "Why are you not caring for your own health? If you won't, then I will. Come, let me feed you."

Seeing this, the attendants all withdrew, leaving only Defu and Chun Feng in the room, ready to assist with anything the Mistress might need.

Under the Emperor's feeding, Bai Jingxian finished the bowl of medicinal porridge. "No more, Your Majesty. I truly can't eat anymore." When he tried to serve her more, Bai Jingxian hurriedly stopped him.

Seeing her resistance, Emperor Rui stopped serving her and waved his hand to have the food cleared away.

He took her to the soft couch. "Beloved concubine, you seem to have lost quite a bit of weight."

After accompanying Bai Jingxian in the Luanyue Pavilion for a while, Emperor Rui left.

In Kunning Palace, the Empress was instructing the servants to prepare dinner when she heard the announcement of the Emperor's arrival. She quickly went out to greet him.

"Greetings to Your Majesty." The Empress, seeing him had arrived as scheduled, displayed a genuine smile.

"Yu-er, no need for formalities. We are husband and wife, and such formality can be spared when there are no outsiders." Emperor Rui was quite considerate of his Empress.

He held her hand and led her to the main hall. "Yu-er, accompany me to the Jinxiu Pavilion later," he said after they were seated.

The Empress was momentarily taken aback but quickly responded, "What do you plan to do with He Liangyuan?" She was more displeased with Consort Shu.

Or rather, with the person behind Consort Shu.

"Though she was the instigator, the real culprit is not her. If we handle this too severely, the Empress Dowager and Consort Shu..." The Emperor didn't need her to elaborate; he understood.

Indeed, after hearing the Empress, the Emperor fell silent. After a while, he sighed and said, "Wenke will understand my actions. Over the years, she has refused to see me. If she is willing to come out this time, I would be overjoyed."

However, Emperor Rui did not notice that after saying this, the Empress's face turned ashen.

In her heart, she mourned. The one she had devoted herself to always had that other woman in his heart. She hated and resented it.

She had been a noble daughter before she entered the palace; when had she ever endured such suffering? She knew he did not love her, but was his treatment of her truly heartless?

Then why marry her in the first place?

The Empress was filled with grievances but could not voice them because she was now his wife. She could not only care about her own fate but had to consider her family and friends as well.

She had no intention of agreeing with him. She withdrew her hand and then stood up to arrange for dinner, her warm heart already turned cold.

When the Emperor saw the Empress's back as she walked away, he frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with her reaction.

He retracted his gaze, turning the jade beads in his hand. His thoughts were inscrutable.

After dinner in the Kunning Palace, Emperor Rui took the Empress to the Jinxiu Pavilion.

When He Liangyuan learned of the Emperor and Empress's visit, she was so frightened that she collapsed on the ground.

The Emperor and Empress entered to find He Liangyu in a daze.

"Poisonous woman, now you're afraid?" Seeing her trembling appearance, the Emperor's anger flared.

The Empress sighed. "He Liangyuan, do you know your crime?"

Zhang Wenyu looked up at them, her eyes filled with malice.

"Crime? Haha, what crime do I have? Do you have evidence? Poisoning? I didn't administer the poison."

At this moment, Zhang Wenyu was very arrogant, perhaps knowing what awaited her but unafraid. After all, her aunt would not let her die, no matter what.

The Empress had not expected her to be so bold. "It's because He Liangdi has the Emperor's protection." She didn't want the Emperor to feel better; if he cared so much for that person, let him see how ruthless the Zhang family's daughter could be.

"He Liangdi was excessively frightened. Not to mention her condition being beyond cure, her mental state is damaged. Do you want to truly poison her to death?"

As expected, when these words were spoken, the Emperor's face darkened further. Just as he was about to issue a decree, Zhang Wenyu spoke again, "Of course, Empress, don't pretend to be kind here. I don't believe you don't want her dead. She is a demon, and the ministers do not allow her into the palace. It was the Emperor who insisted on keeping her. Aren't you afraid for your position? But then again, your position was gained by chance, so losing it wouldn't be a loss."

After saying this, Zhang Wenyu laughed out loud.

Emperor Rui's anger erupted. "Zhang Wenyu's heart is cruel and malicious. She has plotted against the consort and is demoted to commoner status, to be imprisoned and made a slave."

He spared her life due to her family name.

Seeing that the Emperor did not take Zhang Liangyuan's life, the Empress bitterly smiled. Indeed, the Emperor's feelings were stronger than anything else, even if it meant losing several lives.

As for the real mastermind behind the scenes, the Emperor likely wouldn't deal with them either.

Soon, someone came to take Zhang Liangyuan away to be a slave. The Empress thought the matter was settled, but someone burst in.

"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."

Upon seeing the newcomer, the Emperor and Empress's expressions changed simultaneously.

One was with excitement and disbelief; the other with disappointment and worry.

The visitor was none other than the wet nurse from the Changchun Palace.

"Did Lady Zhang send you to find me?" The Emperor eagerly asked the wet nurse.

The wet nurse smiled and greeted them, "Greetings to Your Majesty, Greetings to the Empress."

Before the Empress could speak, the Emperor helped the wet nurse up. "No need for formality. Is Miss Ke willing to leave the Buddhist hall?"

The wet nurse's smile faded as she met the Emperor's hopeful gaze. She shook her head. "Replying to Your Majesty, Miss has not come out. She just asked this old servant to come and beg for mercy from Your Majesty." She then looked at Zhang Wenyu, who was being held by the guards.