Chapter 107: Counter poison with poison!

  The fool's entanglement with Zhao Jun is nothing unusual in the palace.

  What happened at the banquet in Yichun Garden, although many people didn't dare to say it out loud, they all had a lot of guesses in their hearts, and naturally there were also many private discussions. The fool blocking Zhao Zhen's way down the street wasn't just once or twice either. It was just that normally he hadn't been as angry as today, yelling loudly, nor had he ever directly shouted "wife", especially not at the entrance of the city gate where imperial guards came and went...

  These two uncle and nephew fought over a woman, but when others talked about it, it wasn't quite that simple.

  So as soon as she heard him humming, Xia Chuyi's heart felt a little nervous.

  "I'll go tell him..."

  Zhao's eyebrows were furrowed, and he patted her hand to comfort her. He lifted the curtain and looked at the fool blocking the carriage.

  "In short."

  "I don't want to." The fool's mouth was puffed up with anger, "You're going to cheat me again. Last time you had someone send me that big yellow dog, it wasn't fun at all, no wife to play with, you cheated me, cheated me!"

  “……”

  Zhao Zun's face was cold and his lips were pursed, looking very painful.

  The guards at the city gate, with their faces twisted in an effort to suppress their laughter, looked even more distorted. Xia Zhong didn't know what was going on and found the remark both strange and amusing; he couldn't help but steal a glance at Zhao Zhu.

  "Big Yellow Dog?"

  She let out a soft snort, unable to imagine Zhao Jinliu being so bored.

  But this place obviously wasn't a good place to talk, she thought for a moment, then poked half of her head out from beside Zhao Zun's shoulder and beckoned the fool over.

  "Come over."

  Hearing her low voice, the fool stared blankly with his head raised, looking at the girl painted "lips red and teeth white", it took a while to react, this "strangely shaped" woman was actually his grass. His eyes lit up, and he responded with an "ah" sound, he eagerly approached her.

  "Grass, grass, you've finally found your way..."

  "Shut up!" Xia Chuqi glared at him, "If you yell one more sentence, I won't want you anymore."

  Whose words work best on fools? It's Xia Zhiyu.

  Hehe, he smiled foolishly and nodded his head heavily.

  "Oh, I won't shout."

  "Let's just drop it." He gave him a look, and Xia Chuyi put down the curtain.

  The fool was overjoyed, and with his clothes held high, he got into the carriage with Zheng Erbao's support. The carriage didn't stay in place, but instead hurried forward for a while, until it was far away from the city gate and there were no people around, before stopping at the side.

  "Grass, where have you been these days?"

  As soon as he got on the horse cart, the fool shouted loudly.

  On the seventh day of summer, she put her hands on her knees and glanced at him.

  "Sit down and talk to me properly."

  "Oh, okay, I'll sit, I'll sit." The fool happily agreed, but he looked around the car for a position, his head hung low, and then walked over to stand between her and Zhao Zhuo, took a look, and muttered, "Nineteenth Uncle, I want to sit with my wife."

  Zhao Zhuang glanced at him, his head slightly larger, his chin pointing towards the opposite side.

  "Sit there."

  "I won't." The fool was also a stubborn kind, especially after being deceived by Zhao Zun in various situations many times, he already knew that this nineteenth uncle was his greatest enemy. So, he hummed and didn't say another word, directly squeezing between him and Xia Chuqi, and forcibly sat down.

  "I'll just sit here."

  Zhao Zhu's face turned black, but he was an idiot, couldn't beat him up, could he? Looking at his angry and helpless appearance, Xia Chuqi couldn't help but want to laugh.

  "Alright, let him go."

  "Right! My grass said, you have to let me. Even a fool would look up at him with his chin raised, just like a bullied child who has finally found an adult, and cling tightly to Xia Chuqi without letting go."

  Zhao Mianhuan is a fool, Zhao Zun is his uncle, can he afford to quarrel with a fool? A pair of cold and gloomy eyes changed color slightly, colder and cooler, but in the end, he still glared at the fool, turned away with a dark face.

  At the beginning of summer, Qi thought he wanted to laugh but didn't dare to, biting his lower lip tightly. He managed to hold back his laughter with great difficulty and cleared his throat before asking Dumb in a stern tone.

  "What's wrong with you today?"

  The fool pouted, not paying attention to the angry Zhao Zhu, nor answering her questions, but staring at her with a pair of eyes that didn't move away, and only repeating one sentence over and over again.

  "Grass, where have you gone? I've been looking for you for a long time, always searching, always searching."

  On the seventh day of summer vacation, I saw him acting foolishly, so I glared at him on purpose and said, "What do you want from me? I don't want to see you."

  "Ah!" he exclaimed in surprise, the fool slowly said "oh" again, stiffening his neck as if he hadn't reacted yet, "But you're my wife, how can I not look for you?"

  Xia Chuqi tilted the corner of her mouth, pulled down his arm, and smiled at him with a tilted head, "Fool, I'm asking you, do you still want to see me in the future?"

  The fool nodded honestly, "I think so."

  "That's good." Xia Chuqi curled up the corner of her lips and smiled, "But you know, I hate bad people the most. Now that you've become a bad person, I don't want to see you again."

  The fool stared blankly at her, shaking his head like a rattle drum, "Grass, I'm not a bad person, I'm a good person, a good person."

  After some thought, he was probably afraid she wouldn't believe him, so he took out a greased paper package from his bosom and unwrapped it layer by layer. He excitedly presented the two meat pies inside to her face, "Cao'er, look, I brought these for you, they're delicious, really delicious! Nowadays, I have many delicious foods, every day I can eat meat, Cao'er, I've been keeping delicious food for you every day, but I couldn't find you anywhere. I miss you so much, thinking of you every day..."

  It seemed like he really thought about it, like a child who had found his mother, with a silly look on his face, his voice choked with sobs, and his eyes reddened.

  Looking at him with tears in his eyes, Xia Chuqi's maternal instincts overflowed, and she comforted him with a couple of words. She winked at him and picked up a meat pie from the palm of his hand, taking a bite.

  "Is it delicious?"

  Asking foolishly.

  "Hmm..." Xia Chuqi shook his head, seeing the disappointment all over his face, then licked his lips and nodded heavily, "Not bad."

  The fool was delighted, "You like it, you come with me, I have a lot of food there, you can eat whatever you want." After finishing speaking, he saw Zhao Zun's face full of gloom, looking over coldly, probably also feeling that he had gone too far, and hung his head again, "Okay, grass, I agreed with Nineteen Uncle, the wife is half and half, so you can eat at my place for a few days and then go back to Nineteen Uncle's place."

  He spoke with great grievance and seriousness, but almost choked Xia Chuyi to death. With her eyes wide open, a piece of pancake was stuck in her throat, unable to go up or down, and she stared at Zhao Zhu with a "whooshing" gaze.

  "Zhao Shi Jiu!"

  Zhao Zhuo took advantage of her back and hugged her into his arms, separating that fool, saying in a low voice, "Do you believe what that fool said?"

  He was taken aback by these words.

  "Why can't you believe what I say?"

  At the beginning of summer, she finally swallowed the pancake with a gulp. Seeing Ah-Dai looking at her pitifully with his head tilted, she wanted to squeeze in between them again. However, Zhao Nineteen was clearly not going to fall for that trick again and directly hugged her into his arms, leaving no space even for a needle to be inserted, let alone someone as big as Ah-Dai.

  This situation...

  Like little kids fighting over toys.

  To be honest, it's really funny.

  Coughing twice, Xia QiQi pinched Zhao Zhu's thigh and saw him loosen his arm slightly with a dark face. She sat up straight, looking at the fool with a serious expression.

  "Fool, do you still want to be with me?"

  Zhao Zhu's face turned black again, "Speak properly, what do you mean by 'being good with you'?"

  Xia Zhi Qi smiled secretly and stared at him, "It means getting along well with each other, don't you understand?"

  When Nineteen Uncle "got scolded", the fool was very happy, and eagerly came over, hee-hee smiling foolishly, "I understand, Grass, I understand, I want to be good with you, not with Nineteen Uncle, no, you're not good with Nineteen Uncle, you're good with..."

  "Damn brat!" Yun Danfeng, the elegant and refined Prince of Jin, was threatened and tempted once again after being repeatedly provoked, "Say it one more time, I'll make sure you never lay eyes on her from now on."

  The fool let out an awkward "oh".

  "Alright then, let's just split it in half."

  “……”

  At the beginning of summer, on the seventh day, he looked up at the car beam, and after holding back for a long time, he coughed heavily several times before slapping the fool's arm hard, diverting the topic to serious matters.

  "Fool, if you want to be on good terms with me, then you must tell me the truth. Otherwise, your nineteenth uncle won't deceive you, and from now on, I really won't see you again."

  "Oh..." The fool felt wronged.

  "Tell me, who told you that I was on the carriage today? Who made you stand at the city gate and loudly shout for your daughter-in-law?"

  The fool looked at Zhao Zun's dark face and handed the remaining piece of door nail meat pie in his palm to Xia Chuqi, "Grass, this is delicious, have another one."

  "Hey!" Xia Chuqi tilted her head, raised an eyebrow, "You silly, learned to talk back now? I'm asking you a question, who told you I was in your 19th uncle's car?"

  The fool scratched his head, muttering to himself, seemingly hesitant to speak. But seeing Xia Chuqi still staring at him with an unyielding gaze, he wouldn't back down easily. He looked away with a hint of grievance, hung his head and said in a sorrowful tone, "Someone told me that you've gotten close with my nineteenth uncle, that you're going to marry him and become the princess, and won't want me anymore... But I miss you, Grass, I really do. I miss you so much that I couldn't sleep at night, and even wet my bed."

  “……”

  There are countless romantic words in the world.

  I haven't heard of the phrase "missing you so much that I peed" since I was seven years old.

  She was left speechless, choked with emotion.

  Zhao's face turned dark and gloomy, looking quite unpleasant.

  "Your aunt is asking you something, get to the point."

  The two words "Queen Aunt" with a strong possessive desire made Xia Chuyi want to laugh and feel sweet, she looked at him for a moment, secretly stretched out her hand to pull his hand, held it tightly, and only then nodded seriously at the fool.

  "Silly, that person was right, I'm going to marry your nineteenth uncle, from now on, I'll be your little aunt, you call me 'little aunt', okay? If you do, I'll be very happy."

  The fool's brain isn't very useful, but he probably also knows that once this "auntie" is called, she'll be gone. He didn't lift his head, and with both hands, he kept rubbing the meat pie back and forth, until the pastry crumbs fell off, then he pouted, and unhappily glanced at her.

  "I'm not calling."

  "Alright then, so tell me, who told you about this?"

  The fool looked at her carefully, "It's a sister, a good-looking sister. She said I'll wait here and can see my wife... but what's the use of seeing her, Nineteen Uncle deceived me, you also deceive me..."

  A pretty older sister?

  In the Eastern Palace, there are many beautiful women as numerous as cattle hair, which one would it be?

  On the seventh day of summer, Xia suddenly said with a determined look, "Cao Er, I want to be with you. You marry Nineteen Uncle, and I'll marry Nineteen Uncle together with you. Anyway, I won't leave you."

  She married her nineteenth uncle?

  Looking at Zhao's increasingly dark face, Xia Chuqi's mouth curved up, and she couldn't help but laugh as she turned sideways, holding onto the fool's arm, her face full of smiles.

  "Fool, you're now in a different position, no longer the same as before. I have no way to take you away anymore. Look, you're in this Eastern Palace, there are people accompanying you, people listening to your orders. You can have as many wives as you want, do whatever you want, eat whatever you want. No one dares to bully you carelessly anymore, isn't this great?"

  "It's no good, it's definitely not good." The fool grasped her hand stubbornly, his eyes red like a rabbit's. "Cao'er, I don't want to be here, I don't want to eat good food anymore. Let's go back to the village together, I have plenty of strength, I can farm, I can help you pick herbs, I can support you. I don't like this place. Everyone here smiles at me, but I know they're not sincere, they're just afraid of my second brother punishing them. They'll mock me behind my back for being a fool. Cao'er, let's go back to Lianyuan Village..."

  "Fool..." Xia Chuqi's voice was somewhat choked.

  "Is it good?" The fool shook her head.

  "You listen to me, we can't go back."

  "No, you said so, I'll go back, I won't be the Crown Prince anymore..."

  Thinking of the days when they relied on each other for survival in Lianyuan Village, Xia Qiushi grasped his hand tightly and said softly, like coaxing a child, "The land in the village is not good for farming, the taxes are high, and there are all kinds of levies. If you go back to Lianyuan Village, you won't even get to eat meat once a year."

  The fool's voice was trembling with a sob, and he sniffled, "Then I won't eat meat."

  "Summer Seventh blinked his eyes, 'If we don't eat meat, at least we should have rice, right?'"

  "As long as I cultivate the land, there will be rice."

  "Are you going to farm? The two of us will starve."

  The fool pouted and felt even more heartbroken, "Then I'll save my food for you to eat."

  At the beginning of summer, Qi Zhi smiled slightly at him, "In that case, you will also starve to death. If you die, who will support me?"

  The fool's eyes were red and puffy, his nose was stuffy, but he still couldn't help but shed tears. "Cao'er, I only eat a small mouthful every day, just one small mouthful is fine, I'll leave everything for you to eat. I want to go back to the village, I think you are mine..."

  Xia Qi closed her eyes, and Xia Qi's eyes also turned red.

  She has affection for fools, but that's not love.

  Watching him being heartbroken, she would also feel heartbroken. However, she wouldn't give up her principles just because he's heartbroken. After all, she was still a selfish person at the end of the day. Taking a deep breath, she exchanged a glance with Zhao Zhuo, knowing that it was pointless to reason with a fool.

  This fool looks honest, but in fact he is extremely stubborn and particularly dead-minded. After rolling his eyes, Xia Chuyi looked at him, softly not working can only come hard.

  "Let go, fool."

  "I won't let go." The fool muttered.

  "Are you going to let me go?"

  "Don't let go."

  "Are you going to let me hit you?"

  She suddenly spoke in a fierce tone, stunning the fool for a moment. After staring at her for a while, he suddenly pouted, tears streaming down his face, and knelt down in front of her, embracing her legs with both hands, and stuttered, "Cao'er, don't hate me, what did I do wrong? I'll change. I won't be a bad person anymore, I won't block Nineteenth Uncle's car next time, let me go with you, okay?"

  Summer Seventh silently pulled him, with red eyes.

  "Get up!"

  "You won't answer me, I won't get up!"

  "Who taught you to be so naughty?" Xia Chuqi deliberately pushed him in anger, "I'm telling you, although I let you be a good person, but I'm not a good person myself. Whoever makes me unhappy, even if the king of heaven came, I wouldn't bother with him. Are you listening to me or not?"

  The fool pouted and tears fell down.

  "Listen, grass, I'll listen to whatever you say..."

  "Really?" Xia asked, raising an eyebrow.

  The fool nodded heavily, "Really, I'll listen to you."

  His heart softened, Xia Chuqi looked at Zhao Zun and helped him sit beside her, "Fool, you have to listen to me. You are now the Grandson of the Emperor of Da Yan, the eldest grandson of the Emperor, not Lan Dazhu from Lianyuan Village. So, many people, many eyes are watching you, you can't speak recklessly anymore, can't say that 19th Uncle's wife is your wife, do you understand?"

  Foolish child, with tears in his eyes, nodded and said, "I understand..."

  At the beginning of summer, Qiuzi half-encircled him, comforting, "Fool, don't cry. I'm saying this not because I don't want you, but if you always say such things, others will take advantage of you and then they'll catch me again like last time and lock me up so that you can never see me for the rest of your life. Who knows, those bad people might even kill me. Fool, if I die, who will eat this meat pie?"

  The fool's shoulders shook violently, and tears fell more and more fiercely.

  "I know, I know..."

  Seeing him cry so hard, Xia Chuyi felt uncomfortable too.

  She glanced at Zhao Zhu again, who was wiping away tears with her sleeve, and said softly, "Don't worry, I won't abandon you. After a while, I'll think of a way to get you by my side. Your nineteenth uncle will tell the emperor that I can cure your illness, so you can follow him, and we can be together again, okay?"

  The fool actually had no other request, just wanting to be "together" with her. As soon as she heard this, she burst out laughing and nodded continuously, "I can go ask the Emperor for you, the Emperor is very fond of me..."

  "It's okay. But don't tell anyone about this for now, got it? Let's take things slow... If you do tell others, next time we meet, I won't bother with you either."

  "I understand..."

  On the seventh day of summer, this matter was not discussed with Zhao Zun, so I didn't dare to look at a certain person's face that had turned black as charcoal. Instead, I comforted the silly and crying fool, thinking about how he had been drifting among the common people since childhood, from Lianyuan Village to the Eastern Palace, his environment changing drastically. Now it seems like he is surrounded by attendants, but I didn't think that he was actually not happy, and I couldn't help but feel a little heartache.

  "Alright, fool, I still have something very important to attend to, you go back and wait for news, okay?"

  The fool looked at her, nodded, and then secretly took another look at Zhao Zhu.

  "Uncle Nineteen..."

  Zhao Zun glanced at him and grunted, his expression unpleasant.

  The silly boy sniffled, thought for a moment, and handed over the door nail meat pie that had been pinched into an unrecognizable shape. His tone was filled with a hint of fawning, "This is for you to eat, delicious meat pie... I, I must marry Grass along with you..."

  Bang!

  Xia Zhong Qi rolled her eyes.

  Zhao Zun's face finally turned completely black.

  At this moment, a clear and beautiful female voice suddenly came from outside the carriage.

  "Is this my nineteenth uncle's car? Is my elder brother in the car?"

  As soon as he heard that, the fool was delighted and his eyes rolled around, saying to Xia Chuyi, "Grass, sister, that's my sister."

  Sister?

  On the seventh day of summer, Xia Shu Qi secretly opened a corner of the curtain with her neck tilted.

  Only a fifteen or sixteen year old girl was seen standing under the eaves with a handkerchief, followed by two maids. The leading girl wore a moon-white skirt with colorful embroidery, tied with a water-wave patterned silk belt, and hung a plain-colored lotus purse on her head, wearing a pair of small cloud-head boots, looking elegant and refined, a standard palace beauty, with a graceful figure, not moving at all, yet showing soft and beautiful curves, with a hint of shyness on her standard melon-seed-shaped face, but still being open-minded, with a scholarly air that added to her charm.

  Just then, on the seventh day of summer, while secretly observing, the guards outside all paid their respects.

  "Her Ladyship of Jinghua County, the Emperor's eldest grandson is currently conversing with His Highness the King of Jin."

  Summer begins on the seventh day of July with a slight blink of an eye.

  So this is the real Xinghua County Princess? The legendary Zhao Runa who was promised to Chen Daniu?

  Wow, looks pretty good!

  If she were with Chen Da Niu, it would be a perfect match between the big wild ox and the little sheep, still a beautiful picture. Almost subconsciously, she suddenly had some expectations for this marriage, thinking of Chen Da Niu's silly self with his "I" and "me", paired with this elegant and refined royal princess, really interesting to think about.

  She was lost in thought with her chin in her hand when the fool shook her.

  "Grass...?"

  It wasn't until the seventh day of summer that he came back to his senses, "Oh? Go ahead and go, your sister is looking for you."

  The fool nodded, took two steps forward, and then turned back to hug her.

  "Grass, I'm leaving, I'll miss you."

  At the beginning of summer, Qiudi nodded and felt a little reluctant, "Did you remember all I said?"

  The fool nodded pitifully, "Understood."

  "Today is the seventh day of summer, and you asked again, 'Who did you see on your nineteenth uncle's car today?'"

  "Stupid mouth flattened, said in a wronged tone: 'Nineteenth Uncle.'"

  Xia Chuqi smiled slightly and asked, "What else?"

  The fool sniffled and almost cried out, "Nineteen Uncle's wife."

  It's not right to bully a fool, Xia Qi heard it and her heart was tight. A woman's love is only one share, she can take care of the fool, spend her whole life thinking of ways to treat him, but she can't pay him the same feelings as Zhao Zhu. She held his hand tightly and said in a low voice, "Go, from now on your nineteenth uncle will often bring you out, and play with me together."

  The fool nodded reluctantly, got off the carriage, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he seemed to think of something again and took a bite of the meat pie in frustration. Only then did he walk up to Zhao Runa's face. I don't know what that girl said to him, but the fool wiped his eyes and squatted down on the ground with his head hung low.

  At the beginning of summer, Xia Qi stealthily looked at him, also looking at Zhao Runa who came down and patted the shoulder of the fool, comfortingly saying a few words, before getting up and lifting the curtain of the horse carriage, Zhao Zun bowed slightly, with a faint smile, his etiquette was impeccable, but in his eyes, there was an inexplicable desolation and loneliness.

  "Uncle Nineteen walks slowly."

  Zhao Zun furrowed his brow slightly, nodded, and lowered the carriage curtain.

  After a long delay, the carriage finally moved slowly again. The two people didn't make a sound for a good while, until they were about to get off, Zhao Zun grasped Xia Chuqi's hand tightly.

  Someone will send you back to your residence soon.

  Summer begins on the seventh day of the seventh month, she glanced at him sideways, her eyes rolling around, "How about you?"

  Zhao Zhuo's hand on her knee pinched slightly, neither lightly nor heavily.

  "Go to the Ministry of Justice's prison and take a look at the big shot."

  Xia Chuqi roughly understood what he meant and let out a soft "oh" as she sighed.

  "In such a grand and luxurious palace, everyone is feeling uneasy."

  ……

  ……

  The sky is filled with flocks of flying birds, while the ground is covered with red walls and green tiles that lock up the dreams and loneliness of many palace women. Unlike the grandeur and majesty of the previous dynasty, once inside the imperial city's harem, although the scenery is extremely beautiful, it still appears cold and desolate.

  Emperor Hongtai is getting old, his thoughts are all on the country and the people, his passion for the women in the harem has naturally decreased, as the emperor's passion decreases, the women's desire for favor also becomes less intense than when they were young.

  Kun Ning Palace is every woman's dream in the harem.

  But the Kunning Palace where the queen lived was not as imagined before July 7. The crimson carved wooden window pillars, the faint scent of incense, seemed desolate and cold, except for the more flowers and plants in the courtyard, it was no different from other royal gardens.

  It is said that Empress Zhang had always liked quietness, and since she was ill, the morning and evening visits of the palace concubines were exempted. The old emperor also forbade the concubines from visiting her to disturb her rest, so the Kunning Palace became a deserted place with few visitors.

  She roughly knew she was going, so Empress Zhang got dressed up specially today and looked a lot more spirited, but after all, she was old, stout, with a sickly complexion that looked like wax, apart from the sumptuous empress's palace attire, from head to toe, she was just an ordinary old lady.

  To say differently, her eyes were filled with shrewdness.

  Under imperial power, a woman who has been in charge of the harem for decades is naturally not simple.

  Zhao Zun didn't say much more and just bid farewell before leaving.

  If she had to hand over, she would have done so earlier. In front of Xia Qi, the highest-ranking woman in the empire at that time, she was not afraid, but followed the etiquette she had learned before and asked for peace, then stood by and waited for instructions.

  Empress Zhang did not make things difficult for her.

  Knowing her identity was somewhat special, when they came in, the people in the hall had already been dismissed, leaving only a surname Sun's nurse, and then gave her a seat, and lay down on the carved flower bed made of purple sandalwood, looking her up and down.

  Xia Chuqi sat in front of the low table beside the couch, with a smile on her face.

  "Princess, let Chu Qi take a look at the medical records first, and then he will take your pulse."

  She came today as the female relative of the Imperial Household Department, not as a doctor. However, Hu He, the chief eunuch of Kun Ning Palace, had already prepared Empress Zhang's medical records, which were now placed on the case in front of her.

  Empress Zhang was like most noblewomen of her time, a devout Buddhist who recited scriptures and read sutras every day even when she was ill. She always held a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand. After hearing Xia Chuyu's words, she coughed heavily with a "huh-huh" sound, turning the prayer beads ceaselessly as she smiled weakly.

  "There's no hurry! You have a cup of tea first and moisten your throat."

  Xia Zhichu turned his head and glanced at her, responding with a curved smile.

  "It doesn't matter, Her Majesty's body is more important."

  "Cough, cough!" Another severe coughing fit ensued. After Imperial Concubine Sun handed her a spittoon to spit into and she rinsed her mouth, Empress Zhang smiled wryly and shook her head, "This palace's body this palace knows, at this age, can't compare to you young people's foundation, till now, one day is one day, when the day comes that it can't hold on, then go see King Yan."

  When talking to women in the harem, Xia Zhui always had an extra thought in mind.

  "Empress, what are you saying? You have the virtue of a heavenly queen, accumulated goodness and moral character, and should naturally enjoy great blessings. Even if I were to say so, even Yama, the King of Hell, would be frightened by your presence and wouldn't dare to receive you, retreating three steps back."

  Have to say, Xia Zhiqiu is a bootlicker.

  As long as she is willing, people can also be photographed very comfortably.

  Empress Zhang's voice trembled as she spoke these words, her throat making a sound like a bellows, and then she laughed with a gasp.

  "This girl, she's really good at talking, not only is her appearance beautiful, but she also has a unique air of elegance that others don't have. No wonder Old Nineteen treasures her like a precious gem, and doesn't want any other girl from any family. And to think that she even spoke with Your Majesty... what a virtuous wife she would make! Ah, I see now..."

  She smiled and coughed, then called Sun Niangniang over to ask Xia Chuqi what reward she wanted. At this moment, Xia Chuqi's heart was in her throat, it would be good if nothing bad happened, how dare she ask for a reward? But Empress Zhang insisted on rewarding her, no matter how hard she tried to decline.

  She had thought it out on her way here.

  The more you say, the more mistakes you make; speak less and speak well, it will never go wrong.

  "Then... thank you, Your Majesty."

  Empress Zhang coughed lightly and smiled, turning her face to look at Nurse Sun.

  "Go get me that phoenix hairpin and give it to Chu Qi."

  "Mother, those are your dowry..."

  "Go! Everyone is going to die anyway, what's the point of keeping these things?"

  "Yes, Your Ladyship." That Sun servant girl was originally a maid in Empress Zhang's household, and had followed her for decades. She naturally knew how to observe her mistress's expression, and seeing that it wasn't good, she didn't need any further signal to retreat and fetch things.

  On the seventh day of summer, he got up and thanked him, but did not show the "honored and surprised" ecstatic mood, but continued to lie on the case and flip through the medical records. The previous imperial physicians' records of Empress Zhang's illness were very concise. But after flipping through them repeatedly, most of them were similar, consistently believing that it was a problem with her lungs.

  "Recurrent wounds from wind evil, prolonged stagnation leads to carbuncles!"

  What melancholy? As an imperial consort, where does this "melancholy" come from?

  "On the seventh day of summer, he sighed inwardly and continued to read, 'Evil heat depresses the lungs, steaming liquid into phlegm, evil obstructs the lung meridians, blood stasis becomes stagnant, leading to phlegm-heat and blood stasis intertwining, brewing into a carbuncle, blood failing flesh rotting into pus, lung damage meridian injury, pus abscess bursting outward..."

  One by one, looking down from the medical records, all the imperial physicians consistently believed that Empress Zhang was suffering from "lung abscess". Xia Chui looked at the medical records and then looked at the prescription, which were basically all symptomatic, but why didn't they take effect after taking medicine for so long? Unless the medicine doesn't match the symptoms.

  She closed the medical case and turned around to pay her respects since Granny Sun had not returned yet.

  "Princess, let Chu Qi take your pulse!"

  Empress Zhang smiled slightly, allowing her to move quietly, and before Xia Chuyi finished taking her pulse, Sun Mama came back with a makeup box. Seeing the situation, she rushed over in shock, wanting to grab a handkerchief to help Empress Zhang, but was stopped by the empress's coughing.

  "No need for that, why be so particular?"

  "Yes, Your Ladyship." Sun Shangxiang lowered her head and backed away.

  At the beginning of summer, on the seventh day, he observed Empress Zhang's complexion, his fingers probing her wrist pulse, quietly pursing his lips, thinking about the illness while wondering what kind of woman this Empress Zhang was.

  Slowly, her complexion changed...

  Empress Zhang seemed to sense something and coughed, looking at her.

  "It doesn't matter if you speak your mind."

  Xia's heart sank a little. According to her diagnosis, she suspected that Empress Zhang had "lung cancer". However, at that time, there was no such term as "cancer", and even with the current technology, it was impossible to make a definitive diagnosis through biopsy. She had only inferred it through symptoms and pulse. Moreover, in cases like Empress Zhang's, where she had already developed "cancer", it was almost impossible to cure.

  After what happened with the prince, she was more cautious.

  Whether she can handle it well or not, she cannot let this matter drag her down. Who knows, she might even cause trouble for Zhao Zun. Rather than letting others scheme against her, why not cut off the path first? Whoever schemes against her will be the one to perish.

  Xia Chuqi had always been a bold person, but she fell silent for a moment and withdrew her hand.

  "Going back to what you said, Miss, this illness of yours doesn't seem like pulmonary abscess..."

  She dragged out her voice, her eyes flickered, and she hesitated to speak. Empress Zhang's dry lips were pursed, and her complexion changed slightly.

  "What's wrong with him? Speak clearly."

  Xia Zhong Qi bit her teeth and knelt heavily in front of the bed.

  "Your Ladyship, Chu Qi doesn't dare say."

  Empress Zhang coughed again and waved her hand to dismiss Nurse Sun, leaving only herself behind.

  "Speak! The palace pardons your crime."

  Slowly raising her head, Xia Chuqi looked at her, enunciating each word clearly.

  "Miss, you must have been poisoned..."