Chaos in the Chu Palace

Chapter 75 Aconite Powder (2)
Zhang Fang, who was newly mentioned as Xiaoyi, suddenly smiled slightly: "Mrs. Liu Guo is poor, and Mrs. Liu Guo is in her prime. Besides, the sisters and sisters are all young, so they are all beauties."

Many newcomers also said timidly: "That's right, the servants and maidservants see that the ladies are all virtuous and talented people."

Mrs. Liu Guo smiled when she saw that everyone said so.Chu Huotian watched Li Mingqian still kneeling and ordered her to take a seat.Li Mingqian raised her head slightly, seeing that Chu Huotian didn't look at her more, she was disappointed and had to sit down on her seat with her head down.

Chu Huotian sat for a while, and went out after drinking with all the concubines. Before he went, he looked at Ouyang Ruo with a slight smile, and suddenly turned his head and said to the queen: "Rou Fangyi is just pregnant, it is not appropriate Take care, I will take her out together." Ouyang Ruo was taken aback, then quickly got up and followed Chu Huotian out of Fengyi Hall.

When they went out, it was like throwing a stone into the heart of a lake, and each stone splashed a thousand layers of waves. The new and old were staring at the backs of Ouyang Ruo and Chu Huotian with hatred, unwilling and unwilling.

Ouyang Ruo followed Chu Huotian's dragon chariot to Ganlu Hall, got off the dragon chariot and Chu Huotian carefully helped her into the hall, then smiled and said, "Does Ruo'er feel bored staying there?"

Ouyang Ruo glanced at him lightly, and said with a smile: "It's because the emperor feels bored, but the concubine thinks it's good. There are dances to watch, and piano to listen to. What's more interesting is that you can watch a play. How about the emperor?" Did you just bring the concubine here?"

Sitting on the dragon chair, Chu Huotian took a sip of a cup of tea, and laughed when he heard the words: "It's my fault if you dare to be affectionate, but I actually dragged you to be my companion."

His smile was slightly teased, which made Ouyang Ruo blush and heartbeat.

"The emperor didn't see so many beauties piled up in front of you, and the emperor didn't even look at them." Ouyang Ruo straightened his face and smiled.

Chu Huotian let out a long sigh, hugged her and sat beside him, touched her smooth and tender face and said with a helpless smile: "How dare I touch those women so easily, what's wrong? Ruo'er is jealous?"

Ouyang Ruo shook his head in a daze, seeing his tired face, she couldn't help leaning into his arms: "Your Majesty..." After thinking for a long time, she couldn't say anything.Whoever can get into his eyes from the women in the harem has never been under her control.He has his difficulties, but she really can't help.

"Ruo'er made things difficult for you." Chu Huotian said suddenly, his star-like eyes stared into her beautiful eyes, like the deep sea, which people couldn't see through or understand.

Ouyang Ruo looked at him with doubts.Chu Huotian smiled slightly, and kissed her face lightly: "I want to use you to see their true faces."

Ouyang Ruo suddenly realized.The reason why he has not favored newcomers for a long time is to see how they behave, whether it is the overt and secret pressure from the court in front, or the collusion of the harem to curry favor.For example, if the queen arranged it today, she told Chu Huotian clearly that she was looking for concubines like Li Mingqian who had no real power in their hands.

The water in Chu Palace is getting deeper and deeper...

Ever since Chu Huotian and Ouyang Ruo left at the Peony Banquet, the entire Chu palace was discussing Ouyang Ruo's special favor, plus Ouyang Ruo had scolded Zhou Yanchun before, gradually the wind direction changed and various rumors came into being .

Ouyang Ruo just smiled when Ming Ying came back to report.Wan Hui said worriedly: "Your Majesty, now everyone in the palace is pointing their fingers at Your Majesty, what if..."

Ouyang Ruo waved his hand, and sighed with a smile: "It's inevitable. This is what the emperor wanted, and I have to make a good bait. The left and right are just rumors, and people can see something from it."

Wan Hui sighed softly: "Your Majesty, you should also be careful, your Majesty is pregnant with a child now, the Emperor really shouldn't have picked your Majesty to be on the cusp of this storm at this time."

Ouyang Ruo smiled wryly and said, "It's better than seeing him pick other women and let me have a taste of it. Don't worry, aunt, that's fine. In the future, our Yunxiang Palace will be the first in the emperor's heart."

Chu Huotian almost went to Ouyang Ruo's place every other day to have a look and sit, and the rewards continued to flow, and he moved in like flowing water.The harem was calm on the surface, but turbulent in the dark. Gradually, some ministers began to accuse Chu Huotian of favoring Hua's concubine, and some officials accused Ouyang Ruo of deceiving the king's heart, and so on.

In order to win the favor, the new beautiful girls secretly communicated with the empresses of the palaces, saying "three people make a tiger". Gradually, when Ouyang Ruo went to greet the queen, he heard a lot of sour words.The queen remained motionless, as if staying out of the matter, and Mrs. Liu Guo's attitude towards Ouyang Ruo did not change much.Ouyang Ruo is like a touchstone, gradually allowing Chu Huotian to test the depth of the harem.

In the middle of May, Chu Huo picked a few beautiful maids to sleep in, and then distributed them as Li Mingqian, a sixth-rank talent, and Pei Lingling, a regular sixth-rank nobleman.There were only ten people in total.Compared with the hundreds of beautiful women who entered the palace at the beginning, there are really few.

Ouyang Ruo looked coldly at the arrogant Guo Minghong, who was also among them, and Chu Huotian promoted her to be a servant.Ouyang Ruo heard Mingying say that she was very unconvinced, and even smashed a few beauties in her room.

Ming Ying smiled at Ouyang Ruo: "Your Majesty doesn't know, she boasted to everyone before, saying that she is beautiful, and it will definitely make the emperor fall in love with Concubine Feng at a glance."

Ouyang Ruo heard that the tea in his mouth was about to be sprayed.Wan Hui hurriedly stepped forward to beat her back: "Your Majesty, take it easy." Ouyang Ruo raised his head and smiled, "Isn't this Guo Minghong daydreaming?"

Mingying curled her lips and said, "Who knows, there are always some people who don't know how much they are."

Ouyang Ruo just smiled slightly.Ouyang Ruo seldom went out of Yunxiang Palace due to the turmoil in the palace, and often went to pay respects to the empress, or went to Liu's palace to see Liu's second prince and the potbellied Li Yinghong.

Li Yinghong was still worried about whether the queen would raise the child after she had a child. She pulled Ouyang Ruo and said, "Sister Ouyang, look at Xu Xiuyuan's temper. I wonder if he will treat my child well."

Ouyang Ruo comforted her and said: "Ms. Xu can't have a baby and is eager to have a child to raise. Don't worry about your child. I see that although she has a hot temper, she is good to others. Have you told her about it? "

Li Yinghong nodded, but sighed again.The Lin family has the appearance of the second prince, who looks like he has everything to do.Ouyang Ruo watched her teasing the child in her arms with happiness in his eyes.I can't help feeling envious in my heart.

A few days later, it was the Cold Food Festival in Chu. The palace went to worship the ancestors as usual, and burned incense everywhere in the palace to worship the Lord of the Earth.According to this solar term, one must fast for three days.The empress also ordered the palace staff to make some cold food snacks that are often eaten by the people, such as spring rolls and other small pasta.Ouyang Ruo looked at these things, smiled, and asked the palace people to eat them one by one.

Wan Hui looked at these delicately made pasta and said with a smile: "The empress still doesn't like Chudi's pasta, it's a waste of the empress giving so much."

Ouyang Ruo leaned on the couch and said with a smile: "I always feel choked after eating pasta. But the rice in Chudi also has a special taste, and there is still something to eat."

Just as he was talking, Mingying suddenly ran in and said in a panic: "Mother, it's not good, it's not good, something happened to Yu Chonghua!" Ouyang Ruo was surprised when he heard that, and hurriedly got up: "What's going on! Hurry up!" Make it clear!"

Ming Ying also didn't understand very well, just said: "I don't know, my servant saw the little servant of Huanbi Palace rushing to invite the imperial doctor, and then I found out after I caught him and asked him, it seems to be Yu Chong. Huazhong was poisoned, and his face turned white again..."

After hearing this, Ouyang Ruo got up quickly and didn't care about changing clothes. She just adjusted the hairpin on her head, and Wan Hui helped her up, and hurried to Huanbi Palace.On the way, she ordered Dexuan to invite Qin Zhi.Only then did I reach the gate of Huanbi Palace, and I saw many palace people looking panicked at the gate.

When Ouyang Ruo arrived, he said coldly, "What are you all huddled in here for? Hurry up and do your own work." Then all the palace people hurried in.

When Ouyang Ruo arrived in the inner hall, she saw Li Yinghong's maid in the palace was so anxious that she was about to cry, she just took the hot towel in her hand and kept wiping Li Yinghong's face.Ouyang Ruo stepped forward to take a look, and was startled. Li Yinghong's complexion was like snow, her breathing was slow, and there was a pile of vomited filth beside her.

She quickly asked: "Where is Concubine Wan?" What she asked was Concubine Wan Lin.Li Yinghong's personal maid, Chunyan, saw her coming, and cried, "Concubine Wan took the second prince to the Taimiao to pray for blessings in the morning. She hasn't come back yet."

Ouyang Ruo saw that there was no one else around, so it seemed that he was the first to come.Think about it, and settle down: "Go, clean up the things next to you, go and boil some mung bean water, or bring some milk, and pour it for your master! Go!"

Seeing that Chunyan was panicked, she pushed her after speaking.Only then did Chunyan come to her senses, and quickly called the maid to clean up. After a while, she brought a bowl of milk.Ouyang Ruo ordered Wanhui to open her mouth, and poured everything in.Li Yinghong was still in a coma and coughed profusely due to choking.After finally pouring down a little bit, she spit it out again.Ouyang Ruo ordered someone to pour water again, and her face turned bloody.

When everyone was in a hurry, the imperial physician came, and Qin Zhi, who was invited by Dexuan, also came. The two imperial physicians were surprised after the examination: "Yu Chonghua has eaten aconite by mistake. It's really bad!"

Qin Zhi hurriedly took the needles and administered the needles to Li Yinghong, while another imperial physician hurriedly wrote a prescription.Ouyang Ruo looked at Li Yinghong like an unconscious puppet, and couldn't help but feel angry.

She recruited Dexuan, leaving only a few court ladies to wait on it.She said: "Go and call all the palace servants who are serving Yu Chonghua. I have something to ask!"

Seeing the angry look on her face, Wan Hui quickly comforted her: "Your Majesty, you have to take care of your health. She is still pregnant with a dragon's fetus." Ouyang Ruo was stunned for a moment, and then managed to calm her disordered breathing.

When the palace people were all called into the main hall, Crow Crow knelt down on the ground.Ouyang Ruo clicked briefly, and there were more than a dozen people including the maids and servants who made the fire.She glanced at them, only to see that some palaces were looking around, and some were panic-stricken.Ouyang Ruo didn't say a word, let them kneel down for half a cup of tea, and then said coldly: "What happened to your master, do you know?"

The palace people below shook their heads one after another, and some whispered: "It's none of the slaves' business, the slaves are doing rough work..."

Ouyang Ruo stared coldly, his phoenix eyes were raised, and there was an indescribable majesty: "Don't say what kind of work you do, if your master has any good or bad, you will all be dragged out to be buried with him! Over there, are you blind?!"

Only then did the palace servants below cry and say with mournful faces: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, Your Majesty, please forgive me..."

Ouyang Ruo waited until they all begged for mercy, and then asked, "Where did your master go today? Who did you interact with, and I explained everything to this palace."

Immediately, a member of the palace came out and said: "Mrs. Hui, my master didn't go out today, and only walked around the back garden of Huanbi Palace."

"Yes, yes, there are a few young masters who came to see her, and they all talked and laughed for a while before returning, nothing else."

Ouyang Ruo listened to their chatter, and then she came up with a thought. Li Yinghong didn't leave the palace, but walked around the small garden behind the palace. Later, several young masters came to chat and visit.Everything is fine.

At this moment, the queen rushed over, followed by Mrs. Liu Guo.Ouyang Ruo stepped forward to salute.The queen frowned and asked, "What's the situation now?"

Ouyang Ruo said: "Go back to the empress, now the imperial doctor is treating Yu Chonghua inside, it is said to be very dangerous."

The queen sighed: "How could this happen, what about the child in the womb?" Ouyang Ruo shook his head, not knowing.

Mrs. Liu Guo helped the queen to sit down on the main seat in the palace, and comforted her: "Don't worry, empress, the auspicious person and the heavenly appearance, Yu Chonghua will be safe."

Ouyang Ruo is also frowning.After a while, Mrs. Xu also came over, and as soon as she entered the door, she asked, "How is it now?" Ouyang Ruo answered.

After hearing this, Liu Mei raised her eyebrows and said angrily: "Who dares to poison and frame him, he must be found out and severely punished!"

The queen also said after hearing this: "Ask all the servants who serve Yu Chonghua to come here. I have something to ask later." Ouyang Ruo pointed to the palace man kneeling under the hall and said: "That's it, and there are still maids who serve personally. inside."

Mrs. Liu Guo interjected: "Come over to ask questions too." After speaking, she ordered the palace servants to call Chunyan and others out for questioning.

The queen looked at the people below, and asked with a cold face: "Who is serving your master today?"

Chunyan was so frightened that she trembled all over, she walked forward on her knees and said, "Go back to Empress Empress, it's servants who are waiting on the side."

The queen looked at her and asked, "What did your master use today?"

Although Chunyan was trembling with fear, she articulated clearly: "Yu Chonghua ate two bowls of white rice porridge in the morning, a bowl of plain noodles at noon, and spring rolls from the empress. Yu Chonghua said the spring rolls were delicious, how many I ate a few, and later... Later, several young masters came to talk, and the young master Yuchonghua took out the pastries given by the queen to entertain them. After the few young masters left, the young master Yuchonghua felt dizzy and said that he The tongue was numb, and the servant thought it was hot, but I didn't expect the little master to vomit a few times and then fell unconscious..."

Chun Yan couldn't stop kowtowing after finishing speaking: "The Empress, please forgive me, this servant knows this, and this servant really doesn't know when the young master was poisoned..."

The queen didn't say a word, and asked Ouyang Ruo, "What did the imperial doctor say, what kind of poison is it?"

Ouyang Ruo hurriedly said: "I heard from the imperial doctor that it was aconite. I ate aconite!"

Mrs. Liu Guo was startled and said: "This is unbelievable, it is to murder the emperor's heir! Who dares to do this!"

Mrs. Xu snorted coldly at the side: "Didn't Mrs. Liu hear what this servant said? Most of the things that the queen gave you after eating have been brought over for inspection and you'll know."

The queen's expression changed, she slammed the table and said angrily: "Could it be the queen who hurt her!" Ouyang Ruo was startled, and quickly looked at Xu.

Mrs. Xu said in a calm and unhurried manner, "What are you doing angry with the Empress? I don't know how many people have passed through the hands of those gifts. It's not certain who caused the harm."

Only then did the empress restrain her anger, and shouted at Chunyan: "Go, take the things that the empress gave you and ask the imperial physician to examine them."

Chunyan hurriedly kowtowed and went out, and came in with a few dishes after a while.Qin Zhi was still busy with the rescue inside, and another imperial physician outside was ordering how to make medicine for the palace servants.

The queen called him over and examined the dishes carefully.After a while, the imperial doctor reported: "Go back to the empress, all of them are non-toxic. They can be eaten."

Only then did the queen breathe a sigh of relief: "I just said it, how could this gift be poisonous."

Mrs. Xu looked at the things on the plate, the corners of her mouth curled slightly, and she stopped talking.Ouyang Ruo also looked at the plate of small pastries at the bottom. Since it is not poisonous, how did Yu Chonghua get poisoned?Although she had never eaten the food given by the queen, she felt a little strange looking at it.It stands to reason that if the food is given uniformly, the types of food given by each palace will be the same, but the portion is different and the degree of delicacy is different.

She looked carefully again, and then asked Chunyan: "Are all the things that the queen gave you here?"

Chunyan has calmed down a lot, looked at it, and thought for a while before kowtowing: "Miss Huirou Fangyi, all of them are here, and only one of them was eaten by Yu Chonghua. Ah... No, this servant is watching Yu Chonghua take Going to entertain a few little masters probably ate them all."

Ouyang Ruo frowned and said, "Have you eaten all of it? You should think about it carefully. If you say something wrong, it will be your fault."

Chunyan thought for a while before hesitating and said: "The servant is in the pavilion in the back garden. At that time, Yu Chonghua was drinking tea and chatting with the young masters. The servant did not go up to serve, but just watched from below."

Mrs. Liu Guo was also shrewd, and said hastily: "Hurry up and get them, maybe there are one or two left." Chun Yan hurried down to get them.

The whole hall suddenly became serious.Ouyang Ruo went to Yu Chonghua's inner room and took a look, only to see that she was pale, but her breathing was normal, and she was no longer as breathless as before.

She pulled Qin Zhi and asked, "How?"

Qin Zhi wiped off his sweat and shook his head: "Let's see if I can make it through today. Pregnant women are most jealous of aconite. If it's not good, the baby will be lost."

Ouyang Ruo's heart tightened, and she looked at Li Yinghong's belly, which was seven months pregnant and would soon be eight months. If it was gone, wouldn't it be too miserable?
She grabbed Qin Zhi's sleeve, opened her beautiful eyes and said, "You must bring her back to life!"

Qin Zhiwei said: "If the situation is not good, I have no choice but to take the risk of forcing the fetus, and one of the two must be kept."

Ouyang Ruo was dripping with cold sweat, and the queen also came in. Hearing what he said, she frowned and said, "Why is it so dangerous? Is there no other way?"

Qin Zhi knelt down and said, "I have to look at the situation to make a decision. As the saying goes, 'Seven lives and eight don't live', Yu Chonghua is really very dangerous this time."

The queen looked at it, and after a long time said in a low voice: "If it's really not possible, save the baby." She spoke very softly, but Qin Zhi and Ouyang Ruo could hear clearly.

Qin Zhi raised his head in surprise, the queen took another look at Li Yinghong and went out.Ouyang Ruo's heart was pounding, she pulled Qin Zhi's sleeve and said in a low voice: "Qin Yu doctor, the doctor's parents' heart..."

Before she finished speaking, Qin Zhi interrupted her and said: "I understand." After he finished speaking, he began to perform acupuncture again in front of Li Yinghong's bed.

Ouyang Ruo let out a long sigh and turned around.

Outside the hall, Chunyan came in with an empty plate, and said with a pale face, "Go back to Empress Empress, I really ate all of it."

Ouyang Ruo was disappointed, Xu Shi suddenly said: "Bring it to Bengong to have a look." Chunyan quickly passed the plate over.Xu took a closer look, and suddenly exclaimed: "Yes, what is this white powder?"

The imperial physician at the side hurriedly stepped forward to look, put some in his mouth, licked it and said, "It's aconite powder."

When this statement came out, the whole audience was shocked.

(End of this chapter)