"Ready, Empress Dowager," Eunuch Lin replied respectfully, extending his hand to help the Empress Dowager up. As he carefully assisted her, he spoke, and they walked to stand before Yun Xiao and Wanwan.
"Bring it forth."
"Yes," Eunuch Lin released her hand, took his leave, and scurried out. He soon ordered someone to bring it.
In the center of the great hall, Shangguan Yao looked on, utterly bewildered. His gaze, deep and dark as a cold pool, was fixed on his own mother, wondering what scheme she was hatching.
Yun Xiao knelt on the ground, her head bowed. A quick thought flashed through her eyes: this old hag likely harbored ill intentions. Whatever medicine she was to be given must be poison. Her doing this was merely to force her to reveal her true self; it seemed even the Empress Dowager suspected she was not truly foolish.
When her father was still in the capital, she had feigned normalcy. Now that he was gone, she pounced like a wolf or a tiger. Truly heartless and wicked. But she wouldn't simply await her doom. A chilling coldness crossed Yun Xiao's sweet face.
Beside her, Wanwan, already tense, clutched her hands, her palms slick with cold sweat.
What did the Empress Dowager intend to do? Why force the Empress to take medicine? Without a second thought, she began to plead.
"Mercy, Empress Dowager! Mercy, Empress Dowager! My Empress meant no harm just now. Empress Dowager, please do not be angry."
"Silence, or your mouth will be sewn shut."
The words, cold as ice shards, rang out. Wanwan's face paled, and she closed her mouth. Yet, in her heart, she cursed the Empress Dowager vehemently, thinking, you old hag, you are truly a wicked creature. Knowing my mistress is foolish, you still plot to harm her.
You ancient demon, heaven will surely punish you. May you die a miserable death and be cast into the eighteen levels of hell after you pass.
As Wanwan was enjoying her furious internal monologue, Eunuch Lin, along with other eunuchs, entered. A young eunuch carried a tray, on which sat a celadon porcelain bowl. Inside the bowl was a blackish substance, emitting a strong medicinal odor.
Shangguan Yao raised an eyebrow, puzzled, "Mother, what is this?"
"Genkwa, Fuzi, Jindeng, Huer, Banxia, Langdu, Dafengzi. These are seven poisonous herbs brewed into a potent concoction. It is exceptionally deadly; anyone who consumes it will perish with their insides liquified."
Yingying's cold words, like a ghostly whisper, drifted through the hall.
Everyone in the hall gasped. The Empress Dowager was truly cruel-hearted! How could she treat a foolish person in such a manner?
At this moment, many felt pity for Yun Xiao. Though they had recently found fault with her, the thought of her imminent demise, her insides liquified, stirred their compassion. People were naturally sympathetic towards the weak.
Shangguan Yao also seemed startled and remained silent for a moment. When the Empress Dowager gently lifted the celadon porcelain bowl, he couldn't help but call out.
"Mother, her?"
He struggled to find words. Although he had previously wished to kill this woman, the situation unfolded so suddenly that he found himself unable to adjust his feelings.
Hadn't his mother always opposed him moving against her?
Now, it was she who acted. Yun Mo had just departed the capital, and she immediately moved against this foolish girl. Was she not afraid that Yun Mo had informants in the palace who would relay the news and cause him to return immediately?
The Empress Dowager seemed not to hear the Emperor's words. She bent slightly, her peach-blossom eyes shimmering with a light, affectionate smile, and spoke softly.
"Xiao'er, drink it. Drink it."
Wanwan finally, belatedly, recovered from her shock. She had indeed anticipated that this woman would plot against her mistress, but she had never imagined such extreme malice.
At this critical juncture, she could no longer concern herself with her mouth being sewn shut. She prostrated herself, kowtowing repeatedly: "Empress Dowager, spare her life! Empress Dowager, spare her life! My Empress is foolish and speaks not of anything. Empress Dowager, spare her life."
"Foolish?"
The Empress Dowager extended her other hand, gently lifting Yun Xiao's face. She examined her carefully and intently, her eyes filled with suspicion. Truthfully, she had never intended to harm this foolish girl. However, she was overwhelmingly curious: was she truly foolish or merely pretending?
If she wasn't foolish, she believed this person would not be so foolish as to drink a bowl of poison. If she was truly foolish, then the Emperor would give up his obsession with this matter.
Yun Xiao gazed at the woman before her. Her hands were cold, and the touch of her skin sent goosebumps rippling across Yun Xiao's body. A flash of malice flickered in her pupils, and she snorted internally, "Well, you old demoness, you want to test if I'm foolish, don't you?"
"Then let's see."
This bowl of medicine did indeed contain many poisonous ingredients. However, to say it would liquefy the insides was somewhat of an exaggeration. But would she drink it?
Yun Xiao jerked her head, pulling away from the Empress Dowager's hand. She reached out, took the celadon porcelain bowl without hesitation, and tilted it back, drinking it down.
"Empress!"
Wanwan, not understanding, let out a scream that echoed through the entire hall.
Inside the hall, everyone's minds went blank, their souls lost. They all turned their heads, unable to bear witness to the scene of the foolish Empress being persecuted to death.
Even Shangguan Yao, at the last moment, relaxed his guard. Was this woman truly just a simpleton? If not, how could she drink a large bowl of poison so calmly and without changing her expression?
But in the next second, the scene shifted dramatically.
Yun Xiao suddenly leaped up, and with a "噗哧" sound, spewed a large mouthful of the medicine directly at the Empress Dowager's face. She then darted around the hall like a madwoman, shrieking continuously, "It doesn't taste good! It doesn't taste good! Bad person, bad person!"
The Empress Dowager was stunned. The Emperor was stunned. Wanwan was also stunned. Everyone in the hall was stunned.
Eunuch Lin, the grand eunuch of Changxin Palace, was the first to react. He looked up.
The thick, ink-black medicinal juice was already trickling down the Empress Dowager's cheek. Her hair at the temples was damp. The medicine dripped down, and because it was poison, it spread across her skin, causing it to redden and swell in an instant.
Eunuch Lin was startled and hastily offered a brocade cloth, "Empress Dowager, quickly, wipe away the medicine!"
The Empress Dowager came back to her senses. The Emperor also came back to his senses, strode up to the Empress Dowager, took the brocade cloth from Eunuch Lin's hand, and carefully wiped the medicine from his mother. The handsome contours of his face were contorted in extreme displeasure, his brow clouded with icy anger. He roared, "Guards! Summon the Imperial Physicians!"
Changxin Palace immediately descended into chaos. A small eunuch dashed away to summon the imperial physicians.
The Emperor helped the Empress Dowager back to her high seat. The foolish girl who had sprayed medicine all over the Empress Dowager's face continued to leap around the hall, seemingly unaware of the commotion.
Wanwan's chest tightened, and she nearly fainted. Her mistress was far too audacious, spraying poison directly into the Empress Dowager's face! The Empress Dowager's charming and beautiful countenance was now covered in red swellings, looking truly terrifying.
My Empress, you are going to be the death of me.
Wanwan muttered, but did not forget to plead again, "Your Majesty, spare her life! Empress Dowager, spare her life!"
Shangguan Yao, seated on the high throne, had already erupted in fury. He roared towards the hall entrance, "Guards! The Empress is audacious and has attempted to harm the Empress Dowager. Imprison her in the dungeon to await trial!"
As the Emperor's words fell, a group of palace guards rushed in from outside the hall doors, heading directly for Yun Xiao.
Yun Xiao offered no resistance to their attempts to grab her. She ran about wildly, throwing whatever she could get her hands on. The entire hall became a chaotic mess. Eunuchs and palace maids scurried in all directions, fearful of being hit by thrown objects. In an instant, it was a scene of utter pandemonium and disarray.