After all

  The imperial physician turned the dregs of the medicine over and sniffed Ming Fei's medicine, only to know that this medicine was indeed not decocted from a pot, but as for what was added, he couldn't discern anything.

  Inside the quiet hall, the sound of a needle falling could be heard. Ming Fei sat quietly in her tent, not making a sound. Pei Huan and several others were already investigating to see who had touched the medicine.

  It was always fine, but Hui Bin and Rong Bin came and something like this happened. The medicine had indeed been touched by the senior palace maid in front of Hui Bin. Ming Fei leaned against the pillow and narrowed her eyes. She was always low-key, but some people took low-key as weakness. Not taking action didn't mean she wasn't brave, it just meant she thought it wasn't necessary. But now, she had to let these people know that not everyone could be easily provoked.

  "Master," Pei Huan said softly, "the imperial physician can't tell what's been added to the medicine."

  Mingfei's voice was fleeting, and there wasn't a hint of warmth: "Put those medicinal dregs away properly, and let the imperial physician write down the results of his pulse diagnosis and the appearance of the medicine, sign his name, and stamp it with his seal before letting him withdraw."

  Pai Huan replied, "Yes."

  Mingfei sat in the sedan chair, her figure blurry and indistinct. Wang's anxiety grew: "Is Master still all right? Should we have the imperial physician prepare some medicine?"

  Mingfei's voice finally softened a bit: "No need, he can't see what's going on anyway. Let someone go and invite another imperial physician to come over."

  The queen mother immediately agreed and ordered the people below to invite the imperial physician.

  Before long, Kangxi arrived in person.

  Mingfei struggled to get out of bed, but her body was numb and weak, and even with the help of two palace maids, she couldn't get out of bed.

  Mingfei's face turned pale, her lips were completely bloodless, and her dark, shiny eyes looked even bigger, looking pitifully watery.

  Kangxi hastily took a few steps to support Mingfei, who was still trying to get out of bed: "What's the point of being so polite at this hour?!" He then scolded Peiyu and the others: "Can't you even help your master lie down properly? What use are you if you can't even serve your master?"

  The people in the palace all knelt down in fright.

  Mingfei weakly pulled on Kangxi's sleeve: "It is I who have taught them poorly, and let the Emperor see their mistakes. Please forgive them."

  Kangxi patted her hand and turned to the people kneeling below, saying: "Today is your master pleading for you, there won't be such good luck in the future, all of you get up!"

  The people in the palace all thanked and stood up.

  The imperial physician, surnamed Xue, who was a medical officer of the Imperial Hospital and already advanced in years, took Minfei's pulse again. After a moment's deliberation, he said: "I have just examined the remaining medicine dregs, which are not problematic, but Her Majesty the Empress Dowager added several other medicines to the original prescription, including a small amount of Huanglian, whose flavor is extremely distinct. There are also two other medicines that I only saw when I was young, which were used to make 'Xiaoqi' pills. I don't know what they're for, but I do know they're not good medicine. Her Majesty's pulse is weak, but there's nothing else wrong with her. It should be because she vomited up the medicine as soon as she took it."

  Kangxi's whole body was under low pressure, his fists clenched and unclenched several times, and when facing Mingfei, he still spoke in a soft voice: "You're weak, go lie down first, after taking the medicine, you can rest early, I will definitely get justice for you."

  Minfei leaned against the headrest and gently shook her head: "Your Majesty is kind, but how can I trouble Your Majesty to manage the affairs of the harem? This matter is my own affair, I should be the one to take action myself. If I always rely on Your Majesty, what will others think of me?"

  Mingfei rarely had such a tough time, Kangxi fixed his eyes on Mingfei, she still lowered her head, under the dim yellow light looking fragile yet obviously stubborn, slender white hands were tearing at the quilt one by one, it was clear that she was still very nervous.

  Mingfei seemed to always know how to make Kangxi feel sorry for her, and Kangxi reached out to hold her hand: "Don't overexert yourself."

  No matter what Mingfei says, Kangxi himself will not give up pursuing this person. As an emperor, their sense of crisis does not allow them to ignore any potential dangers that may harm themselves.

  Mingfei looked up at Kangxi: "There's no need to force it, in whatever position you're in, you have to say what you have to say. As the emperor's noble consort, there are some things that should be done. Besides, I've probably been spoiled by being too soft, and for the sake of Yin Zhen, I should do something."

  Kangxi is not like himself, no matter how he investigates, fundamentally different from Mingfei. Mingfei wants intimidation, while Kangxi has always wanted stability. This time, Mingfei seems to be really enraged. If it were up to Mingfei, who knows what would happen?

  Kangxi patted Mingfei: "It's better to be too late than not enough." He stood up and said, "You go to bed early, I still have to read the memorials for a while."

  Mingfei said softly: "I see off Your Majesty, Your Majesty must take care of your dragon body."

  Kangxi nodded slightly.

  Mingfei's movements became slightly louder, and almost everyone in the palace knew that the noble consort had encountered an accident. Xiaozhuang woke up and couldn't sleep, leaving only Sumo by her side, herself twirling Buddhist beads while talking to Sumo: "They say it's not serious?"

  Su Mo sat aside and whispered: "The imperial physician said that the Consort's body was fine, she just vomited after drinking it and there was nothing serious about it. It was only the medicine afterwards that had a problem."

  "Year after year, month after month, the inner palace is always like this... You poison me today, I'll trip you up tomorrow... They call it vying for favor, but I think it's just boredom... Looking around, it's all just the same tricks... The only question is who's behind it all... After all, Consort Tong's Long Spring Palace is still quite secure... But the person behind this does have some meaning... Almost pitting the highest-ranking Na Lashi against Consort Tong... Someone wants to reap the benefits of their conflict..."

  Su Mo slowly massaged Empress Dowager's legs: "I'm watching too, but the noble consort has never suffered such a great loss before, and I don't know what she plans to do this time."

  Xiang Zhuang finally opened her eyes, her hands paused for a moment, and she slowly let out a sigh: "It seems that tomorrow I will have to go to the Changchun Palace to take a look at Tong Guifei... She is Emperor Xian's first cousin... Emperor Xian treats her differently from others, if she really doesn't care about anything..."

  "The imperial concubine doesn't seem like someone who doesn't know her place."

  Xiao Zhuang shook her head: "That also depends on the timing, Tong Guifei is not one to easily take action, but that doesn't mean she won't take action..."

  She paused and motioned to Su Mo not to massage her legs anymore: "Nowadays, the emperor uses the Tong family more often, and the people of the Tong family are also making an effort. Think about it, how many people from their family are officials in the court? And they are also the emperor's maternal relatives, who are also being used by the emperor. Now it seems that it is unclear whether it will be good or bad in the future..."

  The power behind Consort Tong is too great, although she is the emperor's assistant, but just like now when something really happens, every move of Consort Tong affects the nerves of the harem. If she really doesn't care about anything, who can control her? If she really takes action against the crown prince, it's not necessarily clear who will lose in the end.

  Su Mo served Emperor Xiaozhuang as she lay down: "The old ancestor should rest early and not think about these things all the time. Now that the emperor is also experienced, this little thing in the harem can't stump the emperor. You'd better enjoy your clear blessings."

  Xiang Zhuang smiled: "Having been worried for a lifetime, it's not easy to say that I don't think about it just because I want to. Tong Guifei was actually quite good, what a pity..."

  Xiao Zhuang didn't finish speaking, but Su Mo already understood. Xiao Zhuang patted her hand: "You're really something, from now on you don't have to attend to Ah Jia so late at night, there are plenty of people below."

  Su Mo smiled and said, "I'm used to serving the elderly, if this makes me rest early, I may not be able to sleep well either. Please, elder, have mercy on me and don't despise me."

  In a moment, Su Mei extinguished the lights in the inner chamber and quietly retreated.

  Huiban was like sitting on pins and needles, clutching her handkerchief as she paced back and forth in the inner palace: "Who is it that wants to harm me? Who wants to harm me? To use such a method! If something really happens to the Noble Consort today, I'll die a thousand deaths and still not be enough! Is it Liu Xiang? Is she someone else's pawn? If it was really her doing, even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn't wash my hands clean!"

  Muxiang and Chenxiang were also afraid, but they still tried to comfort Hui Bin: "Things may not be as bad as the master thinks, Guifei has always been a person who rewards and punishes clearly, it's not the master's fault, and there's Mingxiang outside, he can..."

  Mu Xiang's words had not finished yet, when he heard Huifeng scolding: "Foolish! Even if there is a Mingxiang, what can be done? If we really offend the noble concubine, it is possible that Mingxiang will abandon us. The emperor has always valued the Tong family, and there is true affection in it, not something that people like us can compare to. Now that Mingxiang is trying to make amends, how could he do so because of our offense against the noble concubine?"

  Muxiang was startled and hastily nodded in agreement.

  "Empress Hui shouted a few times, and suddenly seemed to have used up all her strength, slumping into the chair. After a while, she raised her voice and said: 'Go bring Liu Xiang up here!'"

  The punishment of palace maids in the harem was always invisible, and Liu Xiang's weakness was actually caused by two people dragging her up, but it still couldn't be seen where she was injured.

  Her icy gaze was like a knife, as if she wanted to use her eyes to peel off several pieces of flesh from Liu Xiang: "Today, Rong Pinniang's cherries and you both went to decoct medicine, why did you alone touch the medicine bowl, while the cherry didn't even move?"

  Liu Xiang almost had no hope of living, she lay on the ground and said intermittently: "Master... sent me to follow the imperial concubine's palace maid to watch her make medicine, saying that it was absolutely necessary to be diligent and proactive, cannot let the imperial concubine feel that we are just doing things superficially. I have always remembered Master's words, when the little palace maid was making medicine, I was guarding by her side, saying that I had to hand it over to the imperial concubine. I hurriedly took it in my hands, but the second-class palace maid Sanzhi immediately came over and took the medicine away. Afterwards, I didn't know who touched the bowl of medicine. After a while, when Master left, I followed Master together."