Soon, someone brought in the medicine. Rui'er fed Xiang Fei the medicine spoon by spoon, and after drinking for a while, Xiang Fei's originally pale face had some color to it, and her breathing also gradually became more even.

  At the same time, the over seventy-year-old imperial physician Liang was rushed in by two eunuchs, panting and gasping for breath, with a half-foot long white beard. Without the emperor's instructions, he knelt down beside Empress Sheng's bed according to the rules and took her pulse with a silk handkerchief.

  After a brief examination, his slightly dull eyes stared at the palace maid who was serving Empress Xiang her medicine. After sizing her up for a while, he turned to face the Emperor and reported: "Empress Xiang has been poisoned, the poison is called 'One Inch of Thought'."

  "What is that thing?"

  "It is a rare poison produced in the Western Regions' Xia Kingdom, often used by the royal family to secretly execute concubines who have committed adultery. Not only will it cause miscarriage, but the pregnant woman herself will also die from bleeding. Within several hours after the pregnant woman is poisoned, there are no symptoms, except that her pulse will be slightly stronger than usual. But once the poison takes effect, she will miscarry within a quarter of an hour, and another quarter of an hour later, she will die."

  "What about Xiang Fei now?"

  "Your Majesty needn't worry. The empress dowager took the antidote in time, and for now, it seems both mother and child are unharmed." After finishing speaking, Liang Yuanjun couldn't help but take a glance at the palace maid Rui'er.

  "Ruir!" The Xiang Fei, who had just been on the verge of collapse, was now able to lift her hand and grab onto Ruir, who was attending to her. Ruir comforted her, saying: "Your Highness, you're already fine. You'll just be very weak for the next three days, but with good care, you'll recover."

  "It's indeed a capable palace maid." Tuoba Hong looked at Rui'er and praised her without hesitation, then smiled and asked Liang Yuanbiao: "You have always been the national hand of my Great Qin, but today you seem to have met your match?"

  Liáng Yuàn's face showed no signs of displeasure, but instead smiled brightly and said: "Your Majesty is right, I can barely recognize a single thought, the prescription for the antidote has long been lost, and even Xia Guo doesn't have it. This young lady being able to detoxify shows that she is far more skilled than our physicians."

  Tuoba Hong didn't mean to blame Liang Yuanbiao, and nodded: "Each profession has its own strengths, you doctors can't do what she can do, but that doesn't mean she understands what you're good at."

  She looked at Rui'er with a glance: "You say it is or isn't, Rui'er?"

  Rui'er had already knelt down, and Xiang Fei struggled to sit up, saying to Emperor Taizong of Tang: "Your Majesty..."

  "Lili, don't speak." Taotao Hong pressed down on Xiang Fei and continued to stare at Rui'er: "I know that not everyone who is skilled in medicine is a doctor. Today, Liang Shouchang is also here, what you say may deceive me, but it won't deceive him."

  "I dare not deceive Your Majesty!" Rui'er knocked her head and looked at Xiang Fei who was being held by the Emperor.

  Xiang Fei's fingers were tightly clasped on the edge of the bed, and after a long while, she let out a mouthful of turbid air, without saying a word. Her face was a dull calmness. Rui'er saw her master like this, knowing that today she couldn't cover up the matter either, finally closed her eyes, and with a tone as if confessing a crime, said: "Slave is indeed not a doctor."

  Tuoba Hong was satisfied with this answer: "Good, go on."

  "My surname is Lan." These four words, Rui'er said with a desperate face. She understood the emperor's tactics and knew that it was impossible to deceive him, today exposing one part would make him suspicious and the truth would be revealed.

  Tuoba Hong sneered: "So that's how it is. The Blue Clan's poison-making skills are renowned throughout the land, and they've always relied on their exceptional abilities to refuse serving the imperial family. I didn't expect them to be working for the Shangguan family."

  "Your Majesty, please forgive me..." Xiang Fei hastily said. She understood Tuoba Hong's imperial mind, he didn't dislike the concubines plotting against each other, only those who survived such struggles were qualified to raise his children and stand by his side. But he didn't want to see the imperial consorts possessing too much power that even surpassed the emperor's control.

  A Lan clan's legitimate daughter being loyal only to herself was something the Emperor could not tolerate. The Lan clan's poison-making skills were unmatched, and with Lan Ruoxi in the harem, Empress Sheng would not only be able to protect herself absolutely, but if she wanted to use poison against anyone, that person would have no power to fight back - including the Emperor.

  Three years ago, she let Rui'er enter the palace and had always given her only a second-class palace maid position. On ordinary days, she would not reuse her, and in the eyes of outsiders, Rui'er was just an inconspicuous little palace maid with no background. It was just unexpected that today there would be such a twist, and Rui'er had to expose her identity in front of the emperor in order to save her life.

  "Lili," the Emperor interrupted Xiang Fei: "You have always been perceptive, you should know what I like to see and what I don't like to see."

  "Your Majesty..." Xiang Fei sighed helplessly and smiled bitterly, extending her hand to press against her chest as she coughed twice: "I want this child too much."

  Tuoba Hong remained silent, he didn't want this child.

  However, this child was what he owed to Shangguan Li, and even if his heart was cold, owing too much would still make him feel uneasy. So at this moment, facing Xiang Fei, he didn't know what to say.

  "The palace maid selection is from good families, poison and witchcraft are the biggest taboos for the imperial family, people with such a background cannot enter the palace." Taohong's hand stroked Xiangfei's cheek, his words were soft and gentle, but they made Xiangfei's heart fall to the bottom of the valley.

  Xiang Fei sighed and closed her eyes. She was still about five months away from giving birth, and if Rui'er were to be expelled from the palace, how would she get through such a long period of time? After losing Rui'er, could she really guarantee that nothing would go wrong?

  Before Xiang Fei could think of a way to change the Emperor's mind, there was a commotion outside and the sound of footsteps grew louder. The eunuch guarding the door rushed over and knelt down, saying: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests an audience."

  "Let her in." Tuoba Hong nodded and instructed Yao Fusheng, "Xiang Fei is fine now. There are too many people here making a racket. Take these unnecessary slaves away." As he spoke, his hand was still pointing at Rui'er.

  Yao Fu Sheng understood the emperor's intention, which was not to let the empress interfere with Rui Er's affairs. He hastily ordered a trusted eunuch to take Rui Er away. Several imperial physicians assessed the situation and also wanted to leave the scene of conflict, but Xiang Fei was still ill on this side and couldn't leave the imperial physician behind, so they all retreated to the side hall to wait. The room suddenly became quiet and peaceful.

  Watching these people leave one by one, Lin Yuan, who had been standing at the door since entering the house, also hurried forward and paid respects to Tuoba Hong: "Concubines will only cause trouble here, Empress came to handle things, Shanggui Fei's body is not good and needs rest, concubine should not disturb, so I'll take my leave..."

  "No need, it's fine if you stay." Yuwen Yong's words shocked Lin Wan.

  Lin Wan was really unwilling to stay, she desperately waved her hand and said: "Your Majesty, the concubine does not understand palace affairs, nor is she familiar with medical knowledge, so she can't help with anything. Moreover, when the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty, as well as Sheng Fei Niangniang are speaking, where is a lowly concubine like me qualified to eavesdrop...”

  "It's good that you're here to serve me, and also take care of Empress Xiang." Emperor Taizong said, not allowing any refusal: "I'm talking with the empress and Empress Xiang, what's so important for you to listen?" As he spoke, he pulled her hand and pointed to a place for her to sit: "Huan'er, in front of me, there's no need to be so cautious."

  At this point, Lin Wan couldn't possibly refute the emperor's words anymore. She was secretly cursing her luck, thinking that if she had known it would turn out like this, she shouldn't have followed the emperor to see Xiang Fei in the first place and should have left this place of trouble earlier... But at that time, she had just been tricked by Xiang Fei and almost lost her life, so when she heard that Xiang Fei was causing more trouble, she felt uneasy, thinking that if it had something to do with herself, she might be killed again. Of course, she had to hurry over to see the situation and be prepared to think on her feet in front of the emperor.

  But now it's getting awkward. Just now, when Yu'er's matter came out, Lin Yuen thought it was not good, the emperor obviously didn't want to make Yu'er's identity public, but she happened to hear it and didn't have a chance to leave. Now the empress has also arrived, clearly wanting to fulfill her duties as the mistress of the harem and thoroughly investigate the matter of Sheng Fei being poisoned. If something is found out, she'll have to be present too?

  I'm just a concubine! How can I be qualified to participate in such royal private matters?! Those who know too much are bound to be silenced. Of course, wanting to live long and climb high in the palace requires knowing some key secrets, but the premise is that you know what others think you don't know!

  Forget it, for now the emperor is forcing her to know. She reckoned that since the emperor didn't intend to kill her at present, he shouldn't force her to listen to secrets and then silence her on that pretext!

  Then he sat down quietly and waited for developments.

  After a moment, the door curtain in front of her was lifted one by one, and the empress had already stepped into the inner hall. She was wearing a lotus green brocade cheongsam with golden embroidery today, which was not a showy color, but only the delicate golden phoenix pattern on the cuff could reveal the unmistakable nobility. She raised her head, and the thumb-sized East Pearl at the end of her hairpin trembled slightly twice. In such a dignified manner, she elegantly bent her knees to pay respects to her husband, and warmly said to his face:

  "Something has happened at Linji Palace. I should have come earlier, but was delayed due to some matters. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

  Today's events have already spread throughout the palace, and the Emperor has lost a child for nothing. Madame Bai also died along with it, and everyone thinks it's an unlucky day. The Empress took off her usual crimson palace attire and wore a lotus green dress instead, which looked pleasing to Tuoba Hong's eyes, so his anger wouldn't be directed at the Empress. He pointed to the seat below him, indicating for the Empress to sit down, and said: "Nothing can be done about it, even if you had come, nothing would have changed."

  The empress did not sit down, but instead walked over to the bed of Sheng Fei.

  Xiang Fei was lying in bed, and Lin Yuan, who was sitting beside her, stood up to pay respects to the Empress. The moment the Empress saw her, she looked startled for a moment, then said calmly: "So, Guifei is also here. I heard that you had a hard time today."

  She also did not expect the emperor to let Lin Wan continue to stay in this place.

  Lin Wan lowered her head and replied, "Compared to the grievances suffered by Xiang Fei Niangniang and Rong Ji, what happened here is nothing, I'm afraid it's troubling the Empress Dowager unnecessarily."