Chapter 629: Deadly Poison
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Mu Gugu urged everyone, “Eat, hurry up and eat while it’s hot.” She then explained to Mingzhu, “There were many things to handle earlier, and I couldn’t attend to you all right away. By the time I had a moment, it was already dark.”
As Mu Gugu spoke, she noticed that no one was willing to pick up their chopsticks, which made her a bit embarrassed. After thinking for a moment, she defiantly took a pair of chopsticks and started to serve herself some food to show everyone. Mingzhu stopped her hand and said softly, “Gugu, there’s no need for this. I trust you.” Then she took the bowl and chopsticks from Mu Gugu, sat down, and took the first bite.
Imperial Consort Min was anxious, “Mingzhu!”
Mingzhu invited Imperial Consort Min and Huayang Wangfei to sit down, “I trust Mu Gugu.” She had known Mu Gugu for many years, and even after the incident with the purple sandalwood tea cup, she was still willing to trust her. Besides, she didn’t believe that the Great Empress Dowager would resort to poisoning them in this manner. If she truly wanted them dead, she would have handed them over to the Empress Dowager Min directly.
Although Imperial Consort Min and Huayang Wangfei sat down, they still didn’t eat. They watched Mingzhu eat instead. Mingzhu finished two bowls of rice before putting down her chopsticks and asked them, “Are you really not going to eat?”
Imperial Consort Min and Huayang Wangfei shook their heads. Mingzhu didn’t press them further and turned to Donghui and the others, “What about you?”
Donghui hesitated for a moment and said, “I’m very hungry. If I don’t eat, I’m afraid I won’t have the strength to do anything.” She implied that if she didn’t eat and something happened, she wouldn’t be able to help them, so she needed to eat.
Xia Yu and Xia Lu also silently picked up their rice bowls, while Su Momo shook her head and stood aside with her hands tied. Su Mei also refused to eat. She whispered to Mingzhu, “I want to keep a breath and tell His Highness everything before I die.” Su Momo nodded, indicating that she agreed with her.
Mingzhu’s eyes suddenly welled with tears as she exclaimed, “Okay, okay.” The people around her, except for Su Mei who had been with her since childhood, Dong Hui who came midway, Su Momo, and Xia Yu and Xia Lu twins who had only followed her recently, were all sincere to her. There was no one who was only greedy for life and afraid of death.
Mu Gugu looked at this scene thoughtfully.
Because Imperial Consort Min and Huayang Wangfei refused to eat, their maidservants, also didn’t dare to eat. Mu Gugu didn’t bother with them. She waited until Dong Hui and the others put down their chopsticks before having someone take away the remaining food.
Once the palace gates closed, Imperial Consort Min anxiously asked Mingzhu, “Are you feeling unwell?”
Mingzhu shook her head.
Huayang Wangfei whispered, “Sixth sister-in-law is too bold.”
Some things were best known only to oneself, and it was impossible to force others. Mingzhu smiled and closed her eyes. “While it’s warm and quiet now, let’s take the opportunity to rest.”
Suddenly, one of Huayang Wangfei’s maids knelt down, clutching her stomach and groaning in pain, which grew louder and more agonized, eventually writhing on the ground. Huayang Wangfei was terrified and asked, “Dingxiang, what’s wrong with you?”
Dingxiang lifted her head, struggling to answer the question, but instead coughed up a mouthful of blood. The sight was horrifying, causing several faint-hearted palace maids to burst into tears. Donghui quickly went over to check on her. Dingxiang clutched her sleeve tightly, trying to pull something out from it, but she was too weak. Blood gushed from her mouth, and soon, the light faded from her eyes.
Dong Hui grabbed her sleeve and found half a steamed bun inside.
Another maid who had been with Dingxiang trembled in fear, “She… she… she secretly hid a steamed bun just now and even shared half with me, but I didn’t have time to eat…”
The steamed buns were poisoned, the same ones brought by Cai Fugui.
Mingzhu shivered and looked at the window she had poked a small hole in. Outside, there were figures moving around, constantly patrolling to prevent anyone like Cai Fugui from coming to deliver messages or items.
She had thought Cai Fugui was sent by her father, but now it seemed that not only was she not, but she also attempted to kill them. She had thought Mei Yuxi was humiliating and harsh on them, but Mei Yuxi had actually saved their lives.
This palace was indeed full of deception, with everyone having their own agenda. The other side knew that Yuwen Chu and the Fu family had people here, and that she would inevitably contact them to coordinate actions. So, they took advantage of this opportunity to arrange for Cai Fugui to impersonate someone from the Fu family, sending them half-true messages and a food box with poisoned steamed buns.
If it weren’t for Mei Yuxi’s timely arrival, she would have ended up like Dingxiang, dying from stomach pains and vomiting blood.
Huayang Wangfei cried out as she pounded on the palace gates, “Help! Help! Someone is dying here!”
The gates were quickly opened, and Mei Yuxi stood at the entrance, looking inside with his hands behind his back, his calm face showing no sign of surprise, as if he had known this would happen.
Huayang Wangfei shouted, “Hurry, save her!”
Mei Yuxi entered without calling for anyone and checked Dingxiang’s nose. Coldly, he said, “She’s already dead, what’s there to save?” Without further ado, he gestured for people to come in and carry Dingxiang out.
Mingzhu stopped him, “Steward Mei!” Coming just in time like this, are you from Ying Wang’s residence or the Fu family?
Mei Yuxi turned to her with a respectful yet distant expression, “What does Ying Wangfei command?”
“Can you provide us with a few sets of bedding?” Mingzhu never asked that question, because it was meaningless. If Mei Yuxi was really on their side, this question would undoubtedly expose their identity, and if not, asking would be pointless.
Mei Yuxi coldly replied, “Her Majesty the Great Empress Dowager did not order it, so I cannot make the decision.”
Huayang Wangfei deeply resented his previous coldness and said loudly, “Why are you talking to this vicious dog? He’s not a human, he doesn’t understand human language.”
Mei Yuxi nodded faintly and withdrew.
The first half of the night passed peacefully, and nothing else happened. At the third watch, someone couldn’t resist their drowsiness. Huayang Wangfei leaned on her maid and whispered, “I can’t hold on anymore. My daughter cried several times last night, and I’m very tired. I need to sleep.”
Mingzhu said, “Go to sleep. If there’s anything, I’ll call you.” Then she asked Imperial Consort Min, “Mother, do you want to rest for a while too?”
Huayang Wangfei murmured, “I don’t want anything else to happen.”
Imperial Consort Min shook her head, “I can’t sleep.”
Mingzhu didn’t persuade her and quietly instructed Dong Hui and the others, “We must rest. Assign one person to stay awake, and the rest can take turns resting. The person on watch must not doze off or be distracted. If there’s any noise, they must wake everyone up immediately.”
Su Mei said, “I’ll stay awake. You all sleep.” After all, she wasn’t very skilled, and even if she rested enough, it wouldn’t help. It was better to let Dong Hui and the others rest properly.
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