The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 847 - 847 Possession ( 1)

Chapter 847: Possession (Chapter 1) Chapter 847: Possession (Chapter 1) In the carriage, the Empress Dowager’s reaction was no better than Gu Jiao, Xiao Liulang, and the elderly libationer; especially when she initially sat down, barely steadying herself, she was so frightened that she almost tumbled out of the carriage!

What kind of mischief is this foolish son of mine up to now?

Hadn’t Consort Jing been exposed already? Enough with the acting, acting, acting—this is ludicrous!

Or did he take the wrong medicine, or perhaps his head got squeezed by a door?

The Empress Dowager re-seated herself, feeling as though she was shedding goosebumps all over the floor, so much so that they crunched underfoot without even being stepped on.

“Move it! What are you standing around for?”

She said irritably.

Let him go mad on his own; she had no intention of joining in his lunacy!

The carriage driver was about to crack his whip when the Emperor boldly stepped forward, fearlessly blocking the carriage’s path.

The driver would never dare to drive over the Emperor no matter how much he listened to the Empress Dowager’s commands, and he froze, unsure of how to proceed.

Fortunately, the Emperor did not leave him in this awkward position for long and briskly climbed into the carriage.

His movements were so sudden that eunuch Qin couldn’t block him in time.

When the Empress Dowager saw the Emperor burst in suddenly, her first instinct was to protect the jar of preserved fruits in her embrace. She quickly popped a few more into her mouth—surely her silly son wasn’t coming to snatch them from her, was he?

She frowned, “What are you doing?”

This question left the Emperor dumbfounded. Yes, what was he doing? Who was he? Where was he?

He realized then—it was the effects of the medicine!

Having consumed three antidotes, the overdose was too strong to resist, even for the sovereign of a nation. It was all over—he was done for!

He needed to get out of the carriage!

He needed to salvage his dignity!

“Get out of the carriage,” the Empress Dowager said in a composed voice.

“I won’t!” The Emperor slumped down.

The Empress Dowager couldn’t very well kick him out, mainly because it would hurt her foot to do so; she decided to ignore him, relieved that he wasn’t there to fight over the preserved fruits, and let it be.

Eunuch Wei also seated himself in the outer seat of the carriage.

The two most powerful eunuchs in the Imperial Palace, looked at each other, a flicker of inscrutable meaning in their eyes.

On the way back to the palace, the Empress Dowager rested with her eyes closed, and the Emperor didn’t dare to bother her.

It wasn’t until they reached the palace and got out of the carriage that Feng Nian came forward to greet the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor finally mustered the courage to speak up, “I didn’t want this either, I am…”

Interrupting him mid-sentence, the Empress Dowager said impatiently, “You are what? Did you take the wrong medicine, or did you eat so much you feel bloated?”

The Emperor looked bewildered; he should have known his mother would guess even this!

“Hmph!”

The Empress Dowager sniffed disdainfully as she stepped into Feng Nian.

Then, shamelessly, the Emperor also boarded Feng Nian.

The Empress Dowager stared at him, incomprehensibly, as he coughed lightly, “…I’m tired, I don’t feel like walking.”

She glanced at the Imperial Litter, hurriedly hiding behind a rockery, “…What exactly is the matter with you? Do you have some ulterior motive?”

Confused, the Emperor said, “What motive could I possibly have?”

With a cold tone, the Empress Dowager said, “Which official does the Emperor wish to promote now? Or which one’s position do you want to revoke? You might as well speak plainly; there’s no need for this secretive, roundabout nonsense.”

“Am I that sort of person? I only…” he wanted to say he was simply paying respects to his mother, but the words felt too unbelievable, not only to the Empress Dowager but even to himself.

Eventually, he chose to come clean, “To be honest, I have taken an overdose of antidote, and all of this is the result of the drug’s effect.”

The Empress Dowager: “…”

The medicine was more potent than what Xiao Liulang had described, at least that was what the Emperor believed. Even though he had returned to Huaqing Palace, his heart was adrift towards Renshou Palace.

Despite having dinner in Bishui Alley, his mother didn’t seem to eat much and he wondered if she was hungry at this hour.

“Your Majesty, the midnight snack has arrived.”

Eunuch Wei presented a steaming plate of Duck Soup Noodles.

Looking at the mouth-watering noodles, the Emperor suddenly felt he had no appetite, “I don’t want to eat.”

Eunuch Wei hastily replied, “But Your Majesty ate only a few bites at dinner.”

The main reason was the shock he felt upon learning he had swallowed three antidotes; how could he have an appetite after that?

Now, even though the aroma of the duck soup and spring onions was making him somewhat ravenous, he didn’t want the bowl in front of him.

“The Duck Soup Noodles in Huaqing Palace are not tasty,” he complained.

Err… did that mean the other midnight snacks in Huaqing Palace were tasty, or that Duck Soup Noodles from another palace were better?

Eunuch Wei pondered for a moment and, relying on his sharp intuition, chose the latter, “Then… which palace’s Duck Soup Noodles would His Majesty like to eat?”

“How would I know?” snapped the Emperor.