Chapter 169: Candidness
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In Changxin Palace, the Great Empress Dowager woke up from a nightmare and hastily called out, “Ah Shang!”
“How did Your Majesty wake up?” Mu Gugu hurried in from outside the hall, helping her sit up and placing a support pillow behind her, then offering her a cup of warm water.
The Great Empress Dowager drank a few sips of plain water in silence, then rested for a while against the support pillow before speaking softly, “I dreamed of the late emperor just now.”
Mu Gugu sat down and gently held her hand, comforting her, “It’s just a dream. The late emperor has been gone for several years.”
The Great Empress Dowager spoke softly with her eyes closed, “The late emperor asked me how Consort Zhou died. He also said that one day, someone from the Yuwen family will avenge him.”
Mu Gugu asked, “So, how did Your Majesty respond to the late emperor?”
A cold smile appeared on the Great Empress Dowager’s lips, “Of course, I told him that life and death are predestined, and fortune is in the hands of heaven. Consort Zhou didn’t have that blessing, but he insisted on giving her so much fortune, and she couldn’t bear it, so she could only die.”
Mu Gugu comforted her, “Those are things of the past. Your Majesty is living better than anyone else now, so don’t dwell on these matters.”
The Great Empress Dowager covered her eyes with her hand, feeling somewhat sad, “No, I’m not living well. I’m tired, and I miss my son. If he were alive, why would this old woman need to work so hard? A group of orphans and widows… Who wouldn’t want this prosperous land?”
Mu Gugu saw the glistening tears in the Great Empress Dowager’s eyes and sighed softly, advising her, “Your Majesty, please don’t think like this. Many people envy you more than you can imagine…”
Suddenly, a suppressed voice came from outside the hall, “Gugu.”
When someone came to seek her at this time, there must be important matters. Mu Gugu comforted the Great Empress Dowager, patted her hand reassuringly, and went outside. Moments later, she returned hurriedly and whispered softly, “Your Majesty.”
“What’s the matter?” The Great Empress Dowager sat up alertly, having experienced the late emperor’s passing and the sudden death of her only son, nothing could scare her anymore.
“It’s the Miss,” Mu Gugu said, “Ying Wang sent a little eunuch with a seal, saying the Wangfei is critically ill and wants me to go and check.”
“What illness?” The Great Empress Dowager couldn’t believe it and asked again, “The child was lively and energetic during the day. How could she fall ill?”
Mu Gugu, fearing to alarm her, compromised, “They said it’s a sudden heart condition.”
“How has Yuwen Chu been taking care of her?!” The Great Empress Dowager’s lips drooped suddenly, about to get angry, but Mu Gugu hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, please restrain yourself!”
The Great Empress Dowager held back her anger for a while before saying weakly, “Strange things are happening more and more often. Forget it, go and take a look for me. Don’t let anyone bully my child.”
Mu Gugu swiftly packed her belongings and quietly sent someone to inform the most trusted physician, Dr. Jiang. They set off towards the Ying Wang Mansion in a simple and inconspicuous manner.
Yuwen Chu met her outside the Minghui Hall and briefly recounted the situation. The more Mu Gugu listened, the more alarmed she became. “No clues about the poisoning?” She looked up abruptly at Yuwen Chu and whispered, “Yesterday, the Wangfei only drank a bowl of sweet soup for nourishment and blood enrichment at the Empress Dowager’s place. I personally served it to her and even tasted it myself.”
Yuwen Chu nodded, admitting, “She also had plenty to eat in my mother’s palace and after returning home. Frankly, my mother and my household are also implicated in this matter.”
Mu Gugu saw that he handled the situation well and was very frank, which reassured her a lot. “I believe this matter has nothing to do with the Imperial Consort,” she said. Of course, it couldn’t be Yuwen Chu either. He couldn’t have gone to such lengths to marry Mingzhu just to poison her. That wouldn’t be forming a relationship, but rather creating an enemy.
You can really see a person’s capabilities in a critical moment. If someone with less courage or who felt guilty were handling this, they might try to conceal it, which would delay treatment and, by the time the news reached the Great Empress Dowager, it would be distorted. Thanks to Yuwen Chu’s thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and courage, he invited her here immediately to clarify things face to face.
After Dr. Jiang examined Mingzhu and discussed with Tang Chunlai, they came to the same conclusion: “The poison of Ziyanghuang is severe. If ingested orally, it acts quickly and violently, with symptoms appearing within minutes. But according to the maidservants, the princess was still lively before bed last night, indicating that the poison acted slowly, unlike the acute reaction after ingestion. Therefore, I believe it may not necessarily have been ingested through food. It might be better to investigate the utensils used by the princess and the objects she came into contact with in her daily life to find some clues.”
Mu Gugu frowned. “Other matters can wait for now. I’m only concerned about whether she’s in danger and when she’ll wake up.”
Tang Chunlai replied happily, “I just discussed with Dr. Jiang. We both believe that the treatment was timely, and the Wangfei is not in danger. She should wake up tomorrow morning.”
Describing it as timely treatment might seem like he was praising himself shamelessly, but in fact, he was explaining to his master, Ying Wang, how much he cared about the Wangfei. He wanted to reassure the Great Empress Dowager and Fu family.
Mu Gugu understood this very well. She first handed over the precious medicinal materials brought from the palace to the people from the Ying Wang Mansion, and then respectfully asked Yuwen Chu for permission to speak. “This matter cannot be left unresolved. We must investigate thoroughly. Whoever dares to act will have to pay the price.”
Yuwen Chu replied solemnly, “Of course, we must investigate. Even if we don’t owe an explanation to the Great Empress Dowager and Fu Xiang, I owe one to Mingzhu. However, after careful consideration, I think it’s best not to spread this matter any further. Otherwise, it may lead to many undesirable consequences.”
Human nature is the most frightening, especially in a place like the imperial palace. If Mingzhu was poisoned, under the influence of those with ulterior motives, there could be many different versions of events. For example, it could be said that Empress Dowager Min and her son were responsible, or that Imperial Consort Min didn’t like Mingzhu and acted accordingly, or even that the Great Empress Dowager staged the whole thing out of fear. None of these would be what they wanted to hear. The best approach is to act as if nothing happened, leaving the real culprit at a loss.
Mu Gugu greatly admired, “Your Highness is truly wise. I will follow your advice and report back to Her Majesty, suppressing this matter.”
When Yuwen Chu escorted Mu Gugu back, he realized that his attire was disheveled. Not to mention his hair bun, even his inner garment was wrinkled. He casually grabbed a robe to cover himself, which he had worn yesterday.
He couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Even when his father and elder brother passed away, he had never appeared so disheveled. That was because he had known for a long time that his father would pass away sooner or later. Although he was close to his elder brother, he was also wary of him. He had known about his elder brother’s sudden illness and death, but he dared not enter the palace without the summons, nor did he dare to show that he already knew the news.
So, whether in public or in private, he always appeared flawless. Only with her, he took her hand and held it in his palm. Only she made him lose his composure and prematurely expose himself to his adversaries. So, the poison she was afflicted with today, even though it was because of her being Fu’s daughter, it was also because of him. This delicate woman, she must be in great pain.
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