Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 285: Cut... Cut Down?

Chapter 285: Chapter 285: Cut... Cut Down?

After returning, Jun Yuyan rushed to tell the eager Murong Jiu what had happened in the palace.

From the Empress’s reaction after waking up, their suspicion was correct; the Empress was aware of the Gu poisoning, indicating that Divine Doctor Miao was indeed working for the Second Prince.

The Empress was angry, but since she had already woken up and disrupted their plan, she took the opportunity to ask the Emperor, who was there by her side, to investigate who was trying to harm her by poisoning her.

The reason the Empress did not mention Gu, but rather poisoning, was to avoid making the Emperor suspect Divine Doctor Miao.

The Emperor’s expression naturally wasn’t very pleasant, and upon preliminary investigation, it was discovered that Aunt Bi Xiang had been acting suspiciously in the past few days, often sending other palace maids away and being alone, making her the prime suspect.

A large amount of gold, silver, and jewelry were found in her residence, along with several bags of poison powder.

Aunt Bi Xiang couldn’t explain the origin of these items, only saying they were found under the Empress’s bed, where an ancient chest hidden there from when the Empress Dowager lived in the chambers, insinuating she was merely greedy.

But the Emperor didn’t believe these words, nor did the Empress.

Firstly, they had not found any so-called jewelry chest, and secondly, the Empress’s chambers were cleaned daily, leaving no trace beneath the bed where a previous Empress’s belongings could be hidden.

Moreover, the poison powder found in Aunt Bi Xiang’s room did not appear to be fake, and it was even packed in sachets she had embroidered herself.

She refused to reveal the person behind her actions, continuously declaring her innocence, while the Emperor ordered her to be punished by caning as the Empress watched Aunt Bi Xiang being beaten to death.

"Further still, Father has discovered that Aunt Bi Xiang had been secretly meeting with the eunuch of the Third Prince, but he hasn’t informed the Empress. However, the Empress and the Second Prince will soon learn of this."

Of course, all of this was only a façade, a meticulous scheme.

"So, the poison powder was intended to make the Empress and the Second Prince suspect that Aunt Bi Xiang was bribed by the Third Prince to kill the Empress, but Aunt Bi Xiang had not yet carried out any plans, is that right?"

Jun Yuyan nodded, "Exactly, Father favors the Third Prince and kept this matter hidden, causing the Empress and the Second Prince to harbor even more resentment towards the Third Prince as well as the Emperor, and they wouldn’t suspect that Aunt Bi Xiang was innocent."

"That’s really wonderful, I can almost foresee the dog-eat-dog scenario that’s about to unfold," Murong Jiu said.

In the eyes of the Empress and the Second Prince, of course the Emperor and the Third Prince were in cahoots; not only did they allow the Empress to be drugged into unconsciousness, but they also wanted her palace maid to poison her to death.

But where could the poison powder come from?

It could be obtained from outside the palace, but wasn’t Divine Doctor Miao the closest person recently?

As for curing the Gu, both the Empress and the Second Prince thought it was a fluke, perhaps Divine Doctor Miao’s Gu wasn’t so powerful, otherwise why would someone else go to the trouble of saving the Empress?

Both started to suspect Divine Doctor Miao.

Their trust in Divine Doctor Miao was only because of Zhuo Yinzhu’s relationship, as he was Zhuo Yinzhu’s master.

But with Divine Doctor Miao’s eccentric personality, would he sincerely align with the Second Prince? Doubts started to arise in their minds.

On the other hand, the Emperor also started to suspect Divine Doctor Miao.

He directly ordered for Divine Doctor Miao to be brought to him.

"Was it you who cured the Empress’s Gu poisoning?" the Emperor asked.

Divine Doctor Miao knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, I can swear to heaven that if the sleepy Gu was cured by me, let me die a miserable death!"

The Emperor sneered, "In my early years, I’ve heard countless corrupt officials say such words, cursing themselves a little, as if that would extend their lives. Who couldn’t? Divine Doctor Miao, I trusted you enough to assign you such an important task, and you have greatly disappointed me."

Cold sweat dripped from Divine Doctor Miao’s forehead.

The Emperor said, "The Second Prince can walk now, but the Third Prince is still sitting in a wheelchair. This is not what I wish to see."

Divine Doctor Miao felt a chill at the bottom of his heart, and cold sweat dripped into his eyes.

"You don’t understand me. I hate betrayal the most, but I trust Divine Doctor Miao’s character, believing that you have not committed any act of betrayal against me. However, the Third Prince might not believe in you. You should do something to make the Third Prince also believe that you are not a servant owned by two families."

After speaking, the Emperor left the grand hall, leaving only Divine Doctor Miao kneeling on the ground, trembling.

Staying with the monarch is like staying with a tiger. Had he known it would be like this, he would not have entered the palace!

He was too arrogant and underestimated the most noble man under heaven.

Regarding this, Jun Yuyan also learned of the situation from his informants the next day.

However, a night had passed, and Divine Doctor Miao had yet to make a move.

This was also the reason why the Second Prince could not stay in the palace. If Divine Doctor Miao was to demonstrate his loyalty, as soon as the Second Prince entered the palace today, he would certainly act.

Jun Yuyan went to attend the morning court.

Murong Jiu woke up very early, did some exercise, saw the children, and her days were quite fulfilling.

Speaking of which, Jun Yuyan’s schemes were successful due to the insatiable nature of human hearts.

Aunt Bi Xiang indeed belonged to the Yun Family, but she was just a concubine-born daughter from a collateral branch. Because of the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate branches, the Yun Family had an Empress from the main branch, and she could only be a palace maid beside the Empress. When she wanted to leave the palace to get married due to her age, the Empress hindered her from leaving.

To say she bore no resentment would be false, but she did nothing to wrong the Empress. After all, if one branch of the Yun Family prospered, all prospered; if one suffered, all suffered. She was just a bit greedy, and the lower palace maids and eunuchs often bribed her.

Her love for wealth was her weakness since she believed she would eventually leave the palace to retire.

Although a little money wouldn’t sway her, if the money seemed ownerless and was right under her eyes, how could she not be tempted?

These treasures and jewels enticed her to dismiss her servants and act stealthily, ultimately causing her death.

As for the eunuch beside The Third Prince secretly meeting with her, that was even simpler. By pretending to relay messages in someone else’s name and the eunuch thinking Aunt Bi Xiang wanted to join him in deceit while Aunt Bi Xiang thought the eunuch wanted to commit to the Empress, their meeting was disrupted without a word as they were startled by the patrolling Feathered Forest Army and departed separately.

This made Murong Jiu realize how easy it was to frame and set someone up. As long as a person had weaknesses, they could be exploited.

Therefore, she summoned Chun Tao, Hong Yi, and Chang Chonghai, and instructed them to be more vigilant and careful in the future to prevent others from exploiting any opportunities.

Especially Chang Chonghai, since Xiao Qin was now traveling to and from Duke’s Mansion daily, he must personally pick her up and not delegate this task to others.

"Princess Consort, rest assured, the Prince has already arranged for a maidservant skilled in martial arts to accompany Xiao Qin. Even if something happens, this maidservant can send a message back in time," said the servant.

Murong Jiu didn’t know that Jun Yuyan had prepared so thoroughly, and she felt relieved upon hearing this.

But then again, if Jun Yuyan hadn’t thought of everything so thoroughly, how could Prince Ling’s Mansion be as secure as an iron barrel?

She felt at ease, thinking only of waiting for the good news from the palace.

When Jun Yuyan returned, he brought a piece of good news. The Second Prince was bitten by a venomous snake while he was on his way to pay respects to the Empress. Although he was treated immediately, the poison spread too quickly. To save the Second Prince’s life, half of his lower leg had to be amputated.

Upon hearing this news, Murong Jiu was stunned.

"Cut... cut off?"

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