Chapter Thirty-Four: Poisoning (Revised)

  The queen's appreciative gaze fell upon him, her hand grasping Xia Ziyu's, a faint smile playing on the corners of her lips as she gazed out at the vast expanse of plum blossoms behind them, seemingly lost in thought.

  "This year's snow came early, and it's rare to see this plum blossom"

  The line of sight shifted slightly, and only then did I notice that there was still someone kneeling on the ground, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

  "Mrs. Li was still kneeling on the ground doing what——"

  A soft question drew everyone's attention, and Xia Ziqi's suspicious eyes looked down at the ground. Only after a closer look did she realize it was the woman who had knelt on the ground begging for mercy from her earlier.

  Her eyes widened slightly, and after the empress said "rise", this woman actually remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to get up. What were these people afraid of? Was it just because she was the Princess of Yan? A small princess's words were more intimidating than those of Her Majesty the Empress? Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, just how powerful was her husband?

  so big that she didn't even dare imagine

  Mrs. Li, wearing a cloak with peacock feathers and a cyan ni jacket underneath, stood up straight and knelt on the ground, her hair bun slightly tilted to one side, with a golden hairpin inserted at an angle, looked up at Xia Ziyu with a sincere and fearful expression, her eyes pleading.

  That pleading gaze made Xia Ziyu's heart ache slightly, and she let out a soft sigh. If it was going to end up like this, why bother in the first place?

  No one made a sound, as if afraid of being implicated. The queen's eyes narrowed in suspicion, scanning the two people back and forth, probably guessing something. Her gaze turned sharp.

  "Mrs. Li, what have you done to offend Princess Wang——"

  In an instant, Mrs. Li's face turned pale as a dead fish, her legs knelt on the cold ground, and her body trembled slightly.

  "Replying to Your Majesty, Madame Li did not mean to offend me..." Half a beat later, Xia Ziyu withdrew his hand and bowed slightly towards the empress, continuing in a light tone.

  Her gaze shifted lightly to the silent Ning Wangfei beside her, Ning Wangfei's eyes held a gentle smile, and she nodded slightly, indicating that she understood.

  Mrs. Li immediately cast a grateful glance at him, and Xia Ziyu also smiled slightly at her.

  The palace is full of rumors and gossip, and every word and action can't be known by outsiders. If the Empress today punishes Madame Li because of her, the Li family will inevitably hold a grudge against her. Moreover, it's just a small matter, with light punishment, not worth the trouble, but severe punishment would make outsiders think that she is taking advantage of her status as the Princess of Yan to act arbitrarily and narrow-mindedly, not letting go even when in the right. This would also add more troubles for the low-key and tolerant Princess Ning.

  She is not a person who likes to cause trouble, just like she would never think of hurting anyone.

  The queen's expression softened a lot because of Xia Ziyu's words, but her gaze turned cold again when she looked at Mrs. Li.

  "Since it's like this, don't be in a hurry, what are you kneeling on the ground for?!"

  After being scolded, Mrs. Li stood up with a humble attitude under everyone's gaze.

  The storm has just subsided

  Along the bluestone path, both sides were lined with elegant and white plum blossoms. A curved stream flowed through the artificially created garden landscape among the flowers, with a thick layer of accumulated snow floating on its surface. The queen held Xia Ziyu's hand intimately.

  All the way, admiring flowers and touring gardens, chatting and laughing, it's quite pleasant indeed.

  In the plum garden, there is a pavilion in the middle, exquisite and delicate, cleverly stealing the work of heaven. Early on, eunuchs and palace maids were waiting here.

  The window opens on all four sides, and you can see the resplendent plum blossoms covering the entire tree.

  The table was filled with tea, pastries, fruit, wine cups, and pots. The seats were fully occupied, with the queen sitting in the first place. She wiped her long sleeves on the table, showing a dignified and elegant demeanor.

  "This year, Guan Zhou presented 'Bi Bo Tan' with only three jars, the Emperor rewarded our palace with one jar. This wine is fragrant and rich, sweet and mellow when entering the mouth, everyone please have a taste——"

  The cups were already full, and after a round of polite remarks, someone couldn't wait any longer and raised their cup.

  Xia Zi Li originally didn't drink much, but due to the circumstances, she lightly raised the delicate pale blue jade cup, covered her sleeve, and merely touched it to her lips before putting it down.

  "It's no wonder this wine was bestowed upon Her Majesty alone by the Emperor. This thing, which other families can't even come close to..."

  A faint laugh beside my ear, with underlying meaning in his words

  "Just drink if you're going to drink! Rui Fei, can't all these things shut your mouth?"

  Another female voice beside her, with a slightly dissatisfied tone

  Xia Zi Li listened to these dull disputes, were the women in the palace all so dull? She shifted her gaze, and the empress, who was sitting in the position of honor, seemed to be oblivious to everything around her, her eyes soft and gentle, with a faint smile on her lips, giving off an air of maternal benevolence. Just as she was about to feel moved, a severe cramp suddenly seized her stomach, and in an instant, a bitter sweetness surged up her throat, leaving a salty taste lingering between her lips and teeth.

  Pain... Severe pain...

  Everything went black in front of me, and when I tried to get up, I found that my body was unstable. The shrill screams echoed in my ears, as if everything was chaotic. Only Zi's urgent cries and the soft hands she tightly grasped were real.

  She struggled to open her eyes, looking up at the hand holding hers, and saw a woman's face with an expression of genuine concern. Was it Princess Ning?! Xia Ziyu was puzzled, the concern in her eyes wasn't fake. In fact, Xia Ziyu felt like it had been ages since she'd seen such caring eyes.

  But why?