Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable-Chapter 945 - 856: Unwilling to Be a Slave 76

"Whenever a concubine was pregnant with the Emperor’s child, the Xiao Family would administer a secret poison called the demon fetus to the pregnant concubine. Any concubine who took this secret poison would have poor health and low spirits, but the Imperial Physician could find no symptoms from their pulse."

"However, by the time they gave birth, the concubine would inevitably deliver a demon, infuriating the Emperor and bringing punishment upon the whole family. Later, because too many concubines gave birth to demons, the Emperor noticed and discovered the Xiao Family’s manipulations."

"This secret poison was passed down from the previous dynasty, and occasionally concubines and the wives of prominent families would use this secret poison to frame each other, until the Grand Ancestor of our current dynasty broke the increasingly corrupt previous court and ordered the formula to be destroyed, leaving only one copy recorded in the current court’s Book Pavilion."

"It was by the grace of the Emperor that I had the fortune of accessing the Book Pavilion to study medical books and prescriptions, where I saw this very secret poison recipe. Now, Yang Pin’s symptoms match exactly, which is why I am certain that Lady Yang has fallen victim to the demon fetus, a secret poison from the previous dynasty."

The Emperor had indeed heard of this secret poison called the demon fetus, because his tutor had once told him about the Xiao Family’s jealousy during lessons on the ways of Emperors."

"The purpose was to teach the Emperor never to favor a jealous Empress and to distribute his favor evenly among the harem to prevent concubines from developing jealousy."

"The Emperor remembered it well, realizing for the first time the harms of women’s jealousy. Thus, when choosing an Empress, he focused not on beauty or talent, but solely on character, selecting someone gentle, kind, and broad-minded."

"He had his preferences among the concubines, but always favored the high-ranking concubines he promoted. He tried not to marry the daughters of high-ranking officials, as such daughters would naturally rise to high positions in the palace and, with their families’ backing, could cause great harm if jealousy took root."

"If it weren’t for the need to deploy troops to the Northwest and involve the ministers wholeheartedly, the Emperor would not have broken his rule and married a high official’s daughter."

"Filled with anger and complexity over the secret poison incident from the previous dynasty, the Emperor paused for a moment, then suddenly turned to Lady Yang’s personal maid, Lian’er. "Lian’er, you said Lady Yang fainted because she was bumped into by Cheng Mei Ren. How exactly did Cheng Mei Ren bump into Lady Yang?"

Lian’er’s face changed, and she knelt down with a thud, her voice trembling slightly. "Replying to Your Majesty, earlier, Cheng Mei Ren came to greet our lady. I went to the tea room to fetch tea, and when I returned, I found my lady had fainted on the ground, with Cheng Mei Ren standing in front of her."

"At that moment, seeing my lady had fainted, in the heat of the moment, I assumed it was because Cheng Mei Ren bumped into her that she fainted."

"Your Majesty, I was too anxious about my lady’s condition and blurted out it was Cheng Mei Ren who rudely bumped into her. I was too worried about my lady, worried and confused..."

After Nangong Shuangshuang’s diagnosis, Lian’er realized things were going badly and began to explain incoherently, her whole body trembling with fear.

The Emperor was amused and angered by Lian’er’s words, and he threw the teacup at Lian’er’s forehead with great force in his fury. Her forehead was instantly wounded, blood flowing into her eyes, but she dared not wipe it, merely kowtowing continuously to beg for mercy from the Emperor."

"You dare ask for mercy? A servant uses mere speculation to slander my concubine. Who gave you this courage? How dare you ask for forgiveness? Someone, drag her out and execute her with the rod!" The Emperor, already furious, found an outlet in Lian’er, using her to vent his anger.

Hearing the Emperor order her to be executed, Lian’er collapsed to the ground, unable to even shout for mercy, as two eunuchs held her arms and covered her mouth, dragging her out while tears of terror filled her eyes.

When the Emperor had visited Lady Yang during her pregnancy, he had been intercepted twice by Cheng Mei Ren, so Lian’er lied to remove an obstacle for her mistress.

Lian’er had not expected Nangong Shuangshuang to be so skilled, exposing her lie through diagnosis. Since Lady Yang fainted due to the secret poison, it naturally had nothing to do with Cheng Mei Ren.

Once Lian’er was dragged away, the Emperor glanced coldly at everyone in the room. "Everyone, seal your lips about today’s events. If even a whisper gets out, I will not spare you."

The Emperor’s intention was clear: he wanted to investigate who had poisoned Lady Yang and needed to keep the information secret to prevent alerting the hidden perpetrator. Nangong Shuangshuang and the others bowed in agreement.

Although Nangong Shuangshuang’s face was calm, she was actually thrilled inside. She had been contemplating ways to deal with the Empress Dowager, but unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager had walked into her own trap before Nangong could devise a strategy to bring her down.

Now, the Emperor’s capabilities far exceed the Empress Dowager’s hidden forces in the harem. Once the Emperor grew suspicious and initiated an investigation, it wouldn’t take long to uncover the Empress Dowager’s ambitions and plot against his lineage."

"Once discovered, even if the Emperor cared about face or reputation, he would never tolerate attempts against his throne for any reputation’s sake; the throne is far more valuable than face. If the Emperor chooses to break ties, dealing with the Empress Dowager will be straightforward.

After instructing everyone to keep things confidential, the Emperor heaved a deep sigh and first instructed Song Lin, "Have someone escort Cheng Mei Ren back, saying I apologize for her distress. I will compensate her in the future."

The Emperor’s casual tone showed little genuine interest in addressing the grievances of Cheng Mei Ren, whose knees might have been crippled from kneeling.

After casually instructing Song Lin regarding Cheng Mei Ren, the Emperor looked toward Nangong Shuangshuang with a hopeful glance, asking, "Lady Nangong, do you have any way to remove the demon fetus’s poison from Lady Yang while preserving the unborn child?"

Nangong Shuangshuang shook her head, "Forgive me, Your Majesty. The demon fetus is a secret poison that causes the fetus to develop abnormally from the early stages of pregnancy. The child is doomed and cannot be kept. I cannot restore the fetus to normal, but I can help Lady Yang eradicate the demon fetus’s poison, although the fetus will be expelled during detoxification."

The Emperor posed the question with limited expectations of Nangong Shuangshuang being able to resolve the demon fetus’s toxicity. Hearing her confirmation, he was not greatly disappointed but sighed again, saying, "You may withdraw. Oh, and please check if Cheng Mei Ren’s legs were hurt from kneeling for so long."