Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 372: Indisputable, Ironclad

Chapter 372: Chapter 372: Indisputable, Ironclad

When the little eunuch spoke these words, the Emperor’s furious gaze had already shifted towards Imperial Noble Consort Qin.

Just then, the sound of clashing weapons came from outside, followed by a woman’s scream.

"Sha Ya..."

Imperial Noble Consort Qin’s complexion changed dramatically; she tried to run outside but was stopped by a guard.

The Emperor’s expression grew even more suspicious.

Jun Yuyan brought someone in and said to the Emperor, "Father, this palace maid was trying to escape just now. She’s skilled in martial arts, and a lethal weapon was found on her."

A delicate dagger fell to the ground, its patterns and gems clearly in the style of the Western Regions.

Sha Ya’s throat had been slit, blood spraying everywhere; her eyes widened in convulsions, and she lost her voice in an instant.

A guard examined Sha Ya’s hands and indeed noticed calluses thick on her hands, a sign of a martial arts master.

Enraged, the Emperor slapped Imperial Noble Consort Qin’s face, "Na Keqin! What more do you have to say!"

Imperial Noble Consort Qin’s face turned deathly white, and she knelt in panic:

"Your Majesty! This is framing and slander. Sha Ya was skilled in martial arts, but she was protecting me. She could never do anything so treasonous! Sha Ya being silenced is the best evidence, Your Majesty!"

Jun Yuyan coldly responded, "Imperial Noble Consort speaks amiss. No one silenced this guard; Sha Ya ran into the guard’s sword herself, seeking death, a suicide from fear of punishment! Imperial Noble Consort, what exactly are you trying to do? Better confess the truth!"

The guard held his sword to Imperial Noble Consort Qin’s neck to prevent her from suddenly attacking the Emperor.

"Father, I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and explain it to you!"

The Emperor clutched his chest, feeling unwell, and nodded feebly.

Jun Yuyan helped the Emperor to sit down and immediately called out, "Quickly! Summon the imperial physician!"

And ordered the guards to search the room.

Soon, a guard shouted, "Your Majesty! Your Highness Prince Ling! A small dagger was found under the bed!"

The guard jogged over to present the dagger.

The dagger was very sharp; although it lacked gems, it bore the same patterns, filled with the style of the Western Region Royal Family.

Jun Yuyan picked it up and with a wave of his hand, sliced through iron as if it were mud. Seeing this, the Emperor’s face grew grim, his lips bloodless.

"This isn’t my dagger, Your Majesty, you must believe me! How could I ever think of assassinating you, you are the father of the Young Prince. I couldn’t possibly do such a thing! Your Majesty, it is Prince Ling trying to frame me! The traveling palace was his arrangement; only he has the capability!"

Imperial Noble Consort Qin wept profusely, no longer maintaining her usual graceful demeanor, her eyes also flickering with panic.

She knew this was a setup, but she hadn’t expected Jun Yuyan to prepare so thoroughly. Now, all she could do was to make the Emperor doubt Jun Yuyan, thus trying to exonerate herself and avert the crisis.

But the Emperor had already ceased to hear; he had fainted before the imperial physician arrived.

Once the physician arrived, he urgently applied acupuncture needles to revive him.

"Your Majesty, from your pulse, it seems you’ve been poisoned, and the sudden agitation caused your collapse. We must detoxify you immediately!"

"Poison? What poison?" the Emperor asked, his complexion turning ashen.

"It seems to be a poison from the Western Regions. I can faintly smell a unique aroma, but exactly what it is, I am not sure. More knowledgeable physicians in poisons need to make that determination. I suggest that we immediately set out for the palace to avoid delaying the antidote!"

The Emperor looked toward Imperial Noble Consort Qin, who was still kneeling on the ground, continuously defending herself. With a stern face, he commanded Jun Yuyan, "Bring Murong Jiu to me immediately! Prepare to return to the capital!"

Murong Jiu, carrying her medicine chest, rushed over. Seeing her with sleepy eyes and disheveled hair, the Emperor realized she was likely unaware of the situation. This matter might not be Jun Yuyan’s doing, but his suspicions remained.

Murong Jiu’s hand, which had been stung by a bee, had healed considerably, and she was able to take the Emperor’s pulse.

Meanwhile, Jun Yuyan had his men search the room meticulously, only to discover two bags of powder wrapped in thin sheepskin papers hidden in a garment removed by a palace maid named Sha Ya. The Imperial Physician confirmed them as poison, specifically a deadly poison from the Western Regions.

Murong Jiu, upon examining the Emperor’s condition and awoken by the shock, exclaimed, "How has the poison spread so rapidly? His Majesty’s tongue has already turned dark blue! Imperial Doctor Li, do you have these herbs?"

After she mentioned the names of the herbs, Imperial Doctor Li, well-prepared, started to prepare a concoction for the Emperor’s preliminary detoxification, while Murong Jiu administered acupuncture and bloodletting to control the spread of the toxins.

Jun Yuyan ordered the torture of Imperial Noble Consort Qin to force her to reveal the antidote’s location.

The captured Imperial Guard Zheng Min loudly proclaimed his innocence. However, during other guards’ search for the poison, a man’s jade ring was found inside a secret compartment within the deepest layer of Imperial Noble Consort Qin’s makeup box. It was confirmed by witnesses to be the same ring Zheng Min had worn a year ago, which he had not been seen wearing since.

What does this indicate?

It indicates that Zheng Min had an unspeakable affair with Imperial Noble Consort Qin a year ago!

Otherwise, how could a jade ring that disappeared a year ago be neatly hidden in a secret compartment at the bottom of her makeup box?

To suggest it was a setup, others wouldn’t know there was a secret compartment inside her makeup box.

It was only discovered when a guard picked it up and heard a noise, prompting him to find the secret compartment.

Thus, the Emperor came to firmly believe in the illicit relationship between Imperial Noble Consort Qin and the guard, wanting to scold but unable to, as he was weak and still bleeding from his ten fingers.

Hearing Imperial Noble Consort Qin crying and pleading in defense, he ordered her mouth to be sealed. The male guards were gagged as well, and suddenly the world quieted down, but the fury in the Emperor’s heart blazed fiercely.

After the Emperor drank the medicine, he felt a slight return of strength.

He immediately ordered, "Bring this pair of deceitful lovers to the palace. I want to interrogate them personally!"

Imperial Noble Consort Qin’s face turned pale in horror, and she shook her head frantically at the Emperor while making muffled noises.

But the Emperor had no thoughts of mercy or compassion.

He valued his life; he had almost died this time. Had it not been for his desire to investigate thoroughly, he would have personally beheaded this wanton woman with a sword.

They had been involved since a year ago; who knows whether the Young Prince she bore is his seed!

Luckily, Murong Jiu was here today; otherwise, even if he hadn’t been assassinated, he might have died at the hands of this poisonous woman!

No wonder she danced unusually tonight; it was intended to claim his life!

The more the Emperor thought, the more he hated. He immediately wanted to return to the palace, where nowhere is safer than within its walls.

Murong Jiu and the Imperial Physician stayed close to the Emperor’s side, constantly monitoring his condition.

She advised the Emperor, "Your Majesty, you must not get agitated again. There’s still residual poison in your body; getting angry could complicate matters. I know you are very angry, but your health is most important. If the toxicity spreads again, it would play right into their hands."

"Ah Jiu, I know you mean well. Tell me, in these past few days, have you noticed anything unusual about Yu Yan?"