jdhmnovel Chapter 58 The Empress Dowager and others take the antidote pill
Chapter 58 The Empress Dowager and others take the antidote pill
Mu Qingling first turned to look at Xiao Han, then turned her gaze to the Empress Dowager, a slight smile appearing on her lips, and said softly, "Mother, your daughter-in-law really likes this porridge. Thank you for your trouble!"
The Empress Dowager reached out and gently stroked the Empress's waterfall-like, jet-black, lustrous hair, her eyes filled with tenderness, and sighed softly, "Silly child, you've really suffered!"
Mu Qingling quickly shook her head gently, indicating that she did not feel wronged. At this moment, the Emperor, who had been silent all along, knew very well that if he did not speak up, the Empress Dowager would probably lash out at him.
So he quickly said, "Mother, please rest assured, I will handle these matters properly as soon as possible and will never let the Empress suffer any more grievances!" After saying this, he seemed a little afraid that the Empress Dowager would continue to nag, so he quickly took something out of his pocket.
He carefully held up an extremely delicate little white bottle, which was quite special.
The upper part is pure white, while the lower part has a slight hint of blue, making the overall design look exceptionally unique and exquisite.
In the 21st century, this color combination would be called a gradient, but the Empress Dowager and Mu Qingling, living in ancient times, were naturally completely unaware of it.
When the Empress Dowager and Mu Qingling saw the bottle, they couldn't help but stare at it curiously.
After a long while, the Empress finally couldn't suppress her doubts any longer. She parted her lips slightly and cautiously asked the Emperor, "Your Majesty, what exactly is this so-called 'immunity to all poisons' that you just mentioned? I am truly baffled. Why would my daughter-in-law so suddenly send us such a bottle of medicine? Does such a medicine truly exist in this world that can make one immune to all poisons? This is simply unbelievable!"
The Empress Dowager looked on with suspicion, clearly doubting the origin of the medicine. At this moment, Xiao Jingchuan, who had been silent all along, seeing that the Empress Dowager did not believe him, slowly explained the whole story: "Mother, in fact, this matter was caused by your son instructing Yu Bai to go to Ningguta to find the Crown Princess."
Upon hearing this, both the Empress and the Empress Dowager looked bewildered, exchanging puzzled glances. Seeing their continued confusion, Xiao Han took a deep breath and explained the situation: "It turns out that Eunuch Fu led the maid Ruoxi to the Imperial Study..."
Before the words were even finished, the Empress and the Empress Dowager were struck dumb, their faces turning pale with shock! Empress Mu Qingling, in particular, was deathly pale and trembling uncontrollably.
She jumped up in alarm, grabbed Xiao Jingchuan, and frantically searched his body with both hands, anxiously asking, "Your Majesty, are you alright?" Her concern was palpable.
Although the Empress Dowager was also extremely anxious, she had experienced countless palace struggles and her mental fortitude was far beyond that of ordinary people.
After a brief moment of panic, she quickly regained her composure and said solemnly, "Son, since Dequan has already harbored rebellious intentions, this man must not be allowed to live any longer! Otherwise, the consequences will be dire!"
The Emperor said confidently, "Don't worry, Mother, I know what I'm doing. I can handle everything properly!" He then quickly took out a delicate porcelain bottle from his robes, carefully opened the cap, and poured out two round, translucent antidote pills that emitted a faint fragrance. He then walked to the Empress Dowager and said softly, "Mother, these are invaluable antidote pills. I've already taken some. You and the others should also take them quickly, just in case." He then handed one of the pills to the Empress Dowager.
Although the Empress Dowager had never met Gu Liuli, for some reason, she felt an inexplicable trust in this stranger. Without hesitation, she took the antidote pill and swallowed it. Seeing this, Xiao Han was quite surprised and quickly asked, "Mother, when did you become so trusting of others? This isn't like you at all!"
Hearing Xiao Han's words, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but roll her eyes at her somewhat dim-witted son, thinking to herself, "How could I have given birth to such a clueless child? How did he even ascend the throne?" Standing beside her, Mu Qingling smiled slightly and explained to the Empress Dowager, "Your Majesty, it's all because Bai Ling and Lan Yi have taken loyalty pills. Therefore, they are absolutely loyal to the Empress and will never have any disloyal intentions."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's face showed a hint of suspicion, clearly still harboring doubts. To dispel the Empress Dowager's doubts, Mu Qingling signaled Bai Ling and Lan Yi to demonstrate the effects of the loyalty pill on the spot. So, Bai Ling and Lan Yi quietly huddled together, whispered their discussion, and decided to prove their loyalty by talking to other maids. Bai Ling and Lan Yi discreetly approached several other maids and began speaking to them in hushed tones.
Recalling what happened that day, it was truly terrifying. First, Zi Yi was executed for committing a grave mistake, and then Bai Ling and Lan Yi were forced to swallow loyalty pills, pledging to be loyal to the Empress to the death.
However, despite Bai Ling and Lan Yi's current unwavering loyalty to the Empress, the Empress Dowager still harbors reservations about loyalty pills and finds it difficult to fully trust them. Therefore, this scene of testing loyalty has arisen, even before the words could be uttered.
Just then, the two maids suddenly seemed to be gripped by an invisible force. Their faces turned deathly pale, and they clutched their necks tightly, trying to gasp for air but unable to inhale a single wisp. The pain and fear caused by extreme oxygen deprivation prevented them from uttering a complete sentence; they could only let out low, hoarse whimpers.
This scene sent a jolt through Mu Qingling, who was standing to the side. Her mind raced back to the words Gu Liuli had once spoken to her. At that time, Gu Liuli had solemnly warned that if anyone dared to harbor thoughts of betrayal, the Loyalty Pill would immediately take effect, first causing shortness of breath, and if the situation continued to worsen, it might even take their life!
Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager, witnessing this scene, was also startled. Her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to her experience on the way back to the palace: "At first, I thought Gu Liuli was a scourge and unworthy of his grandson, and I was very angry. But for some reason, I fell asleep halfway there and had a dream. In the dream, the late Emperor was there. He told her that Chuan'er's Crown Princess was not an ordinary person, and that she must remember to trust Gu Liuli no matter what happens!"
It was because of this dream and the late emperor's instructions that when the Empress Dowager learned that the pill in her hand was a gift from Gu Liuli, she swallowed it without hesitation and did not show even the slightest doubt.
Although the Emperor maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, he was inwardly equally shocked. It seemed the master's words were true; Gu Liuli was indeed Jingchuan's lucky charm and the Nanzhao Kingdom's savior!