Her strong words shocked everyone in court. Dying by a thousand cuts, not even a man could say this with conviction and a little girl said it. This shows her confidence, and everyone anticipates what the goddess could do.
Ling Xuan immediately got to work. When Imperial Consort Su placed the poison inside the water, Ling Xuan already knows because of the dark arts in every single corner of the Imperial Harem. But she allowed it to happen.
If Imperial Consort Su wants to commit suicide, why should Ling Xuan stop her?
She quickly gathered all the required medical herbs in the capital using the Lan family name and asked servants to prepare the medicines before she personally delivered the medicine to the people. Madame Lan and Lord Lan also helped in delivering the medicine to people while the Eighth Prince and the Seventh Prince aided in the logistics. The sick quickly recovered after drinking medicine, their temperatures lowered, and they recovered quickly.
It was not a strong poison to begin with. Ling Xuan worked quickly and managed to cure everyone in a short span of time. This was due to the fact that she spent quite some time in the town outside the capital and everyone trusted her. Only those people ate the porridge from the charity event, and it was quick to save everyone because Ling Xuan knows them well.
After saving all of them, the Emperor received a report that the poison has been cured and the people are well again. When he asked where Ling Xuan is, the shadow guards replied that Miss Ling Xuan did not sleep for the past few days and collapsed. The Emperor immediately went to Imperial Concubine Mother Ling's Palace to visit her. Seeing her pale form sleeping with a troubled frown, the Emperor's heart ached.
Imperial Concubine Mother Ling approached the Emperor and gave him a piece of paper and some words.
"If you are unable to protect her, then this marriage can be forgotten." Imperial Concubine Mother Ling left after saying those words and her words shook the Emperor. Opening the piece of paper, he could see the contents were asking for some fever inducing powder. What made the Emperor narrow his eyes was the fact that he recognized the handwriting. Fuming with anger, the Emperor left and ordered the secret guards to summon the Imperial Investigator to investigate this incident.
A day later, Ling Xuan woke up feeling weak, but she attended morning court. Kneeling before the Emperor, she asked for her punishment, but the Emperor refused.
"Miss Ling Xuan will have to wait for Imperial Investigator Lee to finish up his work before this Emperor can hand out the punishment."
Ling Xuan frowned as if she does not understand what the Emperor meant, and the Emperor sent her back with a reassuring smile. When Ling Xuan returned to Imperial Concubine Mother Ling's Palace, she exchanged glances with her.
"The Emperor sent Imperial Investigator Lee to investigate, do you think he will execute her?" Ling Xuan asked, worried that if this sends Imperial Consort Su to death row, it would be too easy on her.
"No, because the attempt to kill off people who are not in the capital is not enough for the Emperor to cut off the support of his right-prime minister." Imperial Concubine Mother Ling was confident about this, which is why she interfered and gave the Emperor that letter as evidence. She only wants the deepen the crack that Ling Xuan made, and this is also why she does not approve of that child being the Emperor.
"Hearing Imperial Concubine Mother saying this makes Ling Xuan feels reassured," Ling Xuan relaxed her frown and smiled.
A servant came in and reported the arrival of Duke Fei and Imperial Concubine Mother Ling nodded at her. Ling Xuan stood up from her seat and went to stand behind Imperial Concubine Mother Ling as this is the palace rules embedded into her. Duke Fei entered the main hall and greeted both of them before taking a seat.
"Imperial Concubine Mother, this son has just returned from the inspection. All people outside the capital are doing fine now and their hearts remained the same. They asked me to pass their regards to Ling Xuan and to tell her not to worry about them."
Imperial Concubine Mother Ling smiled at the news. Their enemies underestimated Ling Xuan's reputation among the people and now, their plan is starting to backfire on them.
"Ling Xuan has received their kindness, many thanks to the Seventh Prince." Ling Xuan bowed as she replied but her pale face caused him to frown.
"Are you feeling better? I know you intentionally made yourself collapse but now that our plan is mostly finished up by Imperial Investigator Lee, you should take good care of yourself."
"This is on purpose too. Your Highness, you really don't know a woman's heart." Ling Xuan smirked at him cheekily.
Since they were in a private setting and they are inside Imperial Concubine Mother Ling's Palace where all the servants are their own people, there is no need to be cautious and Ling Xuan addresses Duke Fei as the Seventh Prince just as he wanted in the first place. If she were to say that outside, other people will start to get suspicious of why she is calling him his previous title instead of the title the Emperor bestowed upon him. She might get called out for ignoring the Emperor's decree which she does not want.
The Seventh Prince snorted at her words. "This prince is at least a decade older than you and you say that I don't know a woman's heart?"
"Age doesn't have anything to do with it. You don't have a wife or concubines so how would you know?" Ling Xuan talked back without restraint while laughing.
"You, little brat. Imperial Concubine Mother, look at how bold she is." The Seventh Prince knew he cannot win her in this argument because her words are the truth but he could not take it lying down and so he turned towards his Imperial Concubine Mother, hoping that she will save him some face.
"Pipe down, Ye-er. What Ling Xuan said is indeed the truth so this Imperial Concubine Mother can't help you."
The Seventh Prince stared at his mother in disbelief before turning back to Ling Xuan. "Even Imperial Concubine Mother Ling is on your side, this Prince shall take this lost." The Seventh Prince bit his lips bitterly as he snapped open his fan and hid his face behind his fan while averting his eyes from Ling Xuan who was chuckling.
"Alright, Ling Xuan thanks Prince Ye for worrying. Just like how Prince Ye will worry about Ling Xuan, the Emperor will also worry about Ling Xuan when he sees me. This is a scheme, Your Highness. A woman's scheme to grab hold of a man's heart." Ling Xuan explained after having her fun with the Seventh Prince. She really feels at ease with this person and never had she find someone who she can be herself with. When she is with the Eight Prince, she still dares not joke around with him to this extent but with the Seventh Prince, it is fine. Ling Xuan has always thought that the Seventh Prince is a scary man but after interacting with him, he is not as scary as he seems to be.
After hearing her words, the Seventh Prince eyed her and uttered, "shameless."
Ling Xuan and Imperial Concubine Mother Ling rolled their eyes at him before continuing their small chat for a little longer before the Seventh Prince takes his leave.
Seeing her son leave, Imperial Concubine Mother Ling sighed and told Ling Xuan. "If that accident did not happen, my son would have been Emperor and you would have been wedded to him. Such a twist of fate," Imperial Concubine Mother Ling shook her head wistfully.
"That is all in the past, we can only look towards the future." Ling Xuan's eyes dimmed at Imperial Concubine Mother Ling's words. If she was married to Prince Ye, Ling Xuan feels that she would have been happier but what is the point of saying that now?
After a few days, Imperial Investigator Lee returned to the Emperor with solid proof. During morning court, he revealed his findings to all the ministers.
At the night before the charity event organized by Miss Ling Xuan, a servant was spotted going into the area where the porridge will be prepared. There is a well that the servants would draw water from to cook and that servant emptied a package filled with powder. Investigator Lee checked with the Imperial Physicians to confirm that the powder is a fever inducing powder where the person who ingested it will experience constant high fever which will not allow them to get out of bed. The fever would burn for 3 days to a week before dying down by itself if left untreated. Miss Ling Xuan administered a medicine which will cause the patient's body to get rid of the poison quicker through fluids such as sweat and urine and that medicine has a cooling effect which is a brilliant move that saved the people because if left untreated, the person might suffer some side effects from the brain burning from the fever for too long. The servant contaminated the well and the next day, the workers used that well to cook for people. Investigator Lee checked the area and asked around and he traced the servant back to the Su family.
The servant from the Su family was secretly kidnapped and interrogated and it was exposed that the family head, Lord Su handed him the powder and ordered him to do it if not he will kill his entire family. The servant was forced to ruin the event which will in turn ruin the reputation of Miss Ling Xuan who is about to be married to the Emperor.
The investigator stopped at this point. He glanced at the Emperor as though asking if he should continue talking because everybody knows the rest of the story. The investigator has the servant dragged up to morning court for everyone to see that he is not spinning tales. He has the powder package in his hands and an Imperial Physician verified his words on the spot.
The Emperor clenched his fists together as the result of the investigation had proved his suspicions right. It was the right-prime minister's family, the Su family's trick. Both Imperial Consort Su and right-prime minister Lord Su who went against his Ling Xuan right before the wedding. They are trying to obstruct his and Ling Xuan's marriage.
"What do you have to say for yourself, Lord Su?" The Emperor glared at the trembling minister who fell on his knees.
"This minister… this minister- "the right-prime minister could not even talk properly as he was shocked that the Imperial Investigator would find out about the servant so soon. No wonder that servant disappeared, the investigator knew that they will silence him and acted first. He cannot even say that he has been framed because it was the Imperial Investigator who dug this out. What else can he say?
The Emperor saw his right-prime minister could not speak so he sent for Imperial Consort Su since she is also one of the culprits. When Imperial Consort Su arrived, she was shocked to see her father kneeling. When she turned her head and saw the servant kneeling beside an unknown man, she knew it was over.
"Imperial Consort Su, your actions have made this Emperor extremely disappointed in you." The Emperor glared at her, making her flinched.
"Your Majesty, this Consort knows she has done wrong, but this Consort did not want to do it. This Consort understands, whoever Your Majesty wants to marry, this Consort does not have a say in it but Lord Father did not understand and ordered that servant to sabotage the event. This Consort begs Your Majesty to investigate, this Consort did not do anything. It was all Lord Father who did it, it was all his idea." Imperial Consort Su pushed all the blame and fault onto her father while crying pitifully while Lord Su stared at his daughter blankly.
Imperial Consort Su secretly mouthed to her father, "only if the Emperor still has me in his heart, can this daughter save father."
The right-prime minister bit his lips and decided to trust his daughter. He kowtowed deeply to the Emperor and admitted that it was all his fault for doting on his daughter too much that he cannot stand to see another woman have a grander wedding than his daughter.
The Emperor watched the father and daughter put on a show in front of him and sneered in his heart. He has the letter Imperial Consort Su sent to her Father to express her unhappiness about Ling Xuan and told him to get fever inducing powder to drug the food being handed out, so he knows the truth. But after the incident with Concubine Qi and the garden, the Emperor finds himself hard to trust Imperial Consort Su. This is why he waited to see if she will be honest with him and maintain the beautiful image of her in his heart. Sadly, she did not and the Emperor's vision of the kind and pure Imperial Consort Su has been shattered into pieces for good.
The Emperor sighed and ordered for Lord Su to be fined two years' worth of salary and he is to be confined in his home for 6 months to reflect on his mistakes. Imperial Consort Su was not involved so she will not be punished.
In the end, Imperial Concubine Mother Ling's words were right. The Emperor had only gotten back the Lan house's support, he would not bear to lose the support of his right-prime minister's fraction. That is why he has to agree with what Imperial Consort Su said during morning court or else he will have to punish them with a harsher sentence.