mtl008 Chapter 639: Invite others to join the game with your life
Chapter 639: Invite others to join the game with your life
"The Imperial Noble Consort is kind, but Concubine Zhen once sent a sweet-scented osmanthus tree buried with a large amount of musk to her palace. She is so intelligent, how could she not notice something fishy?"
"She's already very generous by not taking her anger out on Longyue. How can I have the nerve to ask her to look after Longyue?"
"That osmanthus tree is now in... ahem... our backyard."
Qingju covered her mouth in shock.
"Master, isn't that tree outside Princess Longyue's bedroom? No wonder you mentioned several times before that the lush osmanthus tree was too shady and wanted to move it, but Concubine Zhen refused."
Shen Meizhuang heard a slight noise coming from under the bed and forced herself to explain.
"I secretly ordered someone to clean the musk at the roots of the tree a long time ago. I'm just worried that any remaining dirt will affect Longyue, so I've been wanting to move the tree."
"It's a pity that my memory is getting worse and worse. I often can't remember this incident."
"Qingju, if I go, please tell the emperor that I loved that osmanthus tree the most when I was alive, and let that tree accompany me."
"Yes, the servant understands."
Qingju responded with sobs, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Master, the imperial physician said that talking consumes Yang energy. Would you like to rest for a while?"
"Okay, when Huan'er comes, please wake me up. I want to give her some advice in person. Longyue is a good child, please be sure to treat her well."
Shen Meizhuang felt unprecedentedly tired and just wanted to have a good rest.
She vaguely thought that with the careful planning and warning from Heaven, the Shen family should be able to escape the disaster she brought?
If something goes wrong one day, even if the backup plan she left behind cannot save the family, it will be enough to make the man who ruined her pay a heavy price!
If time could go back, Shen Meizhuang would most like to go back to that afternoon when she ran away from the house because she couldn't stand the nanny's teachings.
In a daze, she seemed to see Longyue holding her hand, her little mouth opening and closing as she said something.
But she was so tired that she soon fell into darkness.
"Mother! Mother... please don't ignore Longyue!"
Longyue's cries came from the bedroom, and the copper basin in Qingju's hand suddenly fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
She didn't care about the water splashing everywhere and ran quickly towards the bedroom.
Qingju knelt down beside the bed with a plop, and raised her hand but was hesitant to approach her master.
It was the chief eunuch in the palace who saw that no matter how Princess Longyue shook, Concubine Hui did not move at all.
He bravely put his hand under his master's nose, and then his face changed drastically. He exclaimed: "Empress Hui, she...she's dead!"
The imperial physician Wen Shichu poisoned the empress, but this should not implicate the palace maids who served her.
He forced himself to remain calm and helped Qingju, who had fallen to the ground, up.
"Aunt Qingju, the master was a very clean person when she was alive. Please take someone to clean up for her."
"Yes, you are right."
The master suffered so much when she was alive. Now that she is finally freed, she must go in a dignified way.
Qingju picked up Princess Longyue who was lying on the bed and comforted her in a soft voice.
"Princess, the one the master is most reluctant to part with is you. I beg you not to cry in front of the queen, lest she be unable to rest in peace on her journey."
Longyue knew that she was telling the truth and nodded heavily.
"Aunt Qingju, go and clean up for Mother. Longyue will be obedient."
She will be celebrating her sixth birthday this summer, and the nanny who serves her has taught her many lessons.
Longyue was not a child who knew nothing. She remembered everything her mother said in the bedroom just now.
Although she didn't understand most of it, she figured out who had harmed her mother.
Longyue stood in the corner of the main hall, staring at the door of the bedroom without saying a word.
Her tears kept falling like beads from a broken string.
As soon as Zhen Huan hurried over and arrived outside Yonghe Palace, she heard bursts of crying coming from inside.
She suddenly had a bad premonition in her heart. If her master was still alive, how could the palace maid do such an unlucky thing?
Zhen Huan and Cui Jinxi looked at each other and quickened their pace at the same time.
"Eunuch Chen, your master..."
Chen Wufu replied crying.
"Empress Zhenfei, my master has passed away."
After getting the confirmation, Zhen Huan swayed and muttered in confusion.
"How is that possible? Sister Mei...where is the imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital? Did they send for him in time?"
Chen Wufu nodded sadly, "Empress Zhenfei..."
"The Emperor has arrived! The Imperial Concubine has arrived!"
Su Peisheng's singing interrupted Chen Wufu's reply.
The emperor didn't even look at Zhen Huan who was waiting respectfully beside him, and walked straight forward.
An Lingrong nodded to Zhen Huan and hurriedly followed the emperor.
She was secretly amazed in her heart that Shen Meizhuang was so determined. She had just lured Wen Shichu to Yonghe Palace and was so impatient that she used her life to invite others into the game.
Qingju was careful when she sent someone to report the news. The news received by the Yangxin Palace and Yongshou Palace was that Concubine Hui was poisoned, while the news received by Zhongcui Palace was that Concubine Hui was in trouble.
The emperor asked impatiently before he even sat down.
"What happened to Concubine Hui today?"
Qingju, with red and swollen eyes, knelt on the ground with the help of the little palace maid.
"Reply...Reporting to the Emperor, the judge said that the master should not work too hard and it is best to rest every day. Today, the master had not yet risen when the Imperial Physician Wen suddenly came to the door and said he wanted to take the master's pulse."
"The master was frightened by yesterday's fainting, and immediately summoned Doctor Wen."
"Later, I heard my master yelling angrily and rushed in, only to find him spitting black blood..."
When Qingju said this, she burst into tears.
An Lingrong asked quickly.
"Qingju, can you hear clearly what Concubine Hui is shouting?"
"My Lady Imperial Concubine, my master was shouting...was shouting, 'Wen Shichu, I have no grudge against you, why did you do this to me?'"
Qingju replied hatefully.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this is not just what I heard."
Zhen Huan spoke subconsciously.
"How...how is it possible?"
The emperor asked with a dark face.
"What is Concubine Zhen talking about? Is she talking about Concubine Hui? Or is she talking about someone else?"
The pain from behind had already brought Zhen Huan back to her senses, and she replied sadly.
"Your Majesty, I understand Sister Mei's character. She has never held a grudge against anyone, so how could she..."
Zhen Huan seemed unable to accept Shen Meizhuang's departure and was sobbing that she couldn't even utter a word.
The emperor looked at her deeply but did not investigate further.
"Qingju, why weren't you waiting in the room when Doctor Wen took my pulse?"
"Your Majesty, the master has had a poor appetite recently, so I went to the small kitchen to get some medicinal food. When I came back, I saw that the master had something to say to Doctor Wen, so I stood guard at the door."
Qingju kowtowed repeatedly.
"Your Majesty, my master died unjustly. Please help her."
An Lingrong was afraid that she would knock too hard and cause delays, so she reminded her.
"Miss Qingju, the Emperor has always been impartial. Can you tell me what Concubine Hui and Doctor Wen said?"
Qingju tried hard to recall the scene at that time.
"I vaguely heard Doctor Wen say he had brought special pills for the master. Then, for some reason, they seemed to have an argument. Through the door, I heard words like 'five-petal bamboo leaves' and 'bamboo garden'..."