Chapter 70: The Empress Smells of Poison
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
How could Eunuch Qin not have thought of this?
He had thought that by helping the empress complete this task, he could live a peaceful life in the palace. Little did he know that the empress would eliminate any loose ends!
He was already halfway to his doom.
Eunuch Qin trembled as the empress left him no room to speak. “Emperor, in my opinion, these two individuals failed to serve Consort Xiang properly and should be executed! It will serve as a warning to others!”
“Is it to serve as a warning, or is the empress trying to silence them?” Su Yingxue’s lips curved into a cold smile.
“A lowly commoner, when do you have the right to question me? How insolent!” The empress shouted, her eyes filled with anger.
She ordered her men to capture Su Yingxue, but Chu Yihan stood by her side, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. When the guards and palace servants saw this, they immediately retreated and shrunk their necks, not daring to have any thoughts of touching Su Yingxue.
“That’s enough, Empress! If you have nothing to hide, why rush to kill these two people?” Chu Mingyuan’s gaze turned cold as he looked at the empress.
He pointed at Eunuch Qin. “Did you poison Xiang’er? Speak up! Otherwise, I will exterminate your entire family!”
Eunuch Qin was trembling. He had anticipated this moment ever since Chu Yihan saved him. But all his family members were in the empress’s grasp!
“Emperor, you are well aware of the empress’s methods. If you want Eunuch Qin to tell the truth, it would be better to release his family first, relieving him of concerns,” Su Yingxue calmly suggested.
Chu Yihan nodded in agreement. “She’s right.”
The empress clenched her fists tightly, wishing she could tear Su Yingxue and Chu Yihan apart. “Emperor, I didn’t do it! Please don’t listen to the slanderous words of this lowly person!”
Consort Xiang leaned against Chu Mingyuan’s embrace, her eyes filled with resentment. “Emperor, I want to know the truth and receive justice.”
“Very well, Xiang’er, I promise you, I will ensure justice for you!” Chu Mingyuan gently caressed her head.
As he looked at Eunuch Qin, the weight of his imperial authority pressed down. “I will spare your family, but you must tell me the truth. What did you do? Who ordered you to do it?”
Eunuch Qin was moved to tears and quickly kowtowed. “Thank you, Emperor! I… I was instructed by the empress to poison Consort Xiang’s medicine. I have served Consort Xiang for many years and would never harm her. However, my family is under the empress’s control, and I had no choice!”
He had no other options!
The hatred in Consort Xiang’s eyes deepened. “Empress, you are so vicious! Using human lives to threaten and poison the lives of concubines! How can you be so ruthless!”
“Consort Xiang, stop spouting nonsense! This matter was framed by this servant! I didn’t do it!” The empress raised her chin defiantly, refusing to admit it.
“Oh? Then let’s invite the court physicians to examine the poison in Consort Xiang’s body and see if the empress has been contaminated.” Su Yingxue produced the handkerchief she used to wipe Consort Xiang’s blood and handed it to the court physicians for analysis.
After confirming the presence of poison on the handkerchief, the court physicians turned their gaze toward the empress.
“What are you looking at? Search her! See if she carries this poison on her body!” Chu Mingyuan waved his hand and shouted.
The empress was caught off guard. The palace servants held her down. The court physicians detected the scent of poison on her body and promptly reported, “Emperor, the empress carries the scent of this poison…”
“No, it can’t be! This is impossible!” The empress vigorously shook her head, unable to believe that she would be so foolish as to allow herself to be tainted with the scent of poison..