Chapter 45: Search for the Cause

Chapter 45

Chu Mingcui felt that her grandfather was worrying too much. She said, "Grandfather, don't worry anymore. Yuan Qingling cannot wash away her crime. The Retired Emperor's condition was already serious to begin with, and now he has been poisoned and is in a coma. Where can he be saved? As long as the Retired Emperor passes away, no matter how he passes away, Yuan Qingling will be accused of secretly treating him and causing the Retired Emperor's condition to deteriorate, let alone being rewarded. "

The inner palace's situation was complicated and unpredictable. She still could not see through it all, let alone Yuan Qingling.

Now that the situation was so complex, Prince Chu was involved and in danger. The Prince's manor was finished.

Thinking of Yuwen Hao, she still felt regretful, but to accomplish great things, one cannot nitpick. That was his fate.

"Don't be so sure. Nothing is certain until the very end. There are always variables," Chief Minister Chu suddenly stared at her. "The Retired Emperor being poisoned was not your doing, was it?"

Chu Mingcui was shocked. "It definitely wasn't us. Even if you gave me the guts of the world, I still wouldn't dare poison the Retired Emperor."

Chief Minister Chu nodded slightly, lowering his aged eyelids. "That's good that it wasn't you. I will investigate why Yuan Qingling knows medicine. You may leave now."

Chu Mingcui bowed and left the study.

Once out of the door, the setting sun spilled across the ground. Thinking of Prince Chu, she still felt all kinds of unwillingness.

She had thought he would always love her, but from their conversation at the Wenchang Tower, she already sensed his indifference and aloofness.

Did he now have feelings for Yuan Qingling? How could that superficial woman be worthy of him?

She guessed that after Yuan Qingling had seen Yuwen Hao's injuries at the Prince's manor, and heard from Prince Qi that Yuan Qingling had controlled Yuwen Hao's injuries, she had pondered and realized that the sudden improvement in the Retired Emperor's condition that day was likely Yuan Qingling's doing.

Back then, she had watched the canopy closely. Yuan Qingling had rushed to the Retired Emperor's side. Based on her usual temperament, if she had not taken action, she would not have approached a dying man.

Getting her aunt to probe had been very dangerous, but now, even at the risk, they had to act. Fortunately, everything she had guessed was right.

She smiled faintly and lightly instructed the palace maid beside her, "Go stop Jinghou. Tell Jinghou to come to the palace to find me."

How could she not understand Jinghou's intentions? She needed Jinghou to arrange people for her. Once the struggle for that position began, Jinghou could also lend a hand.

The palace maid left to pass on the order.

She then instructed the old servant woman, "Go notify Prince Qi to prepare to enter the palace."

The old woman was puzzled. "Didn't you say to return to the manor?"

"When did I ever say to return to the manor?" Chu Mingcui glanced at her lightly.

"Just now, didn't you..."

"May I see the diagnosis notes?"

The imperial physician took them out of the medicine box and handed them to her. "Please review them, Consort."

Yuan Qingling flipped open to last night's account of the Retired Emperor. He had vomited blood twice, then lost consciousness. His pulse was weak and feeble, his lips had turned purple. The initial diagnosis was poisoning.

It did not state what poison though.

The prescribed medication formulas were at the bottom - Chinese medicine formulas for detoxification. But it was also noted below that they did not relieve the condition after being taken.

In other words, the antidote was wrong.

She kept flipping up and saw that the Retired Emperor had been continually taking a medicinal pill called Nine Revolutions Elixir.

"What is this Nine Revolutions Elixir made from?" Yuan Qingling asked.

"The Nine Revolutions Elixir was specially formulated for the Empress Dowager. It dispels wind evil, strengthens the foundation and nourishes the essence. The Empress Dowager took it well, so she decreed that the Retired Emperor take it too. The formula for making the Nine Revolutions Elixir is on the first page..." The imperial physician came over to help flip to the first page and pointed it out to Yuan Qingling.

It was made from medicinal ingredients like atractylodes, cinnabar, jujube kernels, arborvitae seeds, angelica etc, which were indeed calming and stabilizing medicines with nothing suspicious about them.

"May I see this Nine Revolutions Elixir?" Yuan Qingling asked.

Eunuch Chang said, "There is some in the palace, as it is medicine the Retired Emperor takes regularly, so we keep it stocked here."

Eunuch Chang went to fetch a box and brought it over to Yuan Qingling. She opened it - there were twelve compartments, meant to hold twelve pills. Ten had already been taken, with two left.

Eunuch Chang was puzzled. "Eh? There should be three pills left. Why is one missing?"

"One is missing?" Yuan Qingling's heart lurched. "Are you certain?"

"Absolutely. I'm the one who attends the Retired Emperor and gives him his medicine every day. I clearly remember there were three pills left the last time."

Yuan Qingling said gravely, "Eunuch Chang, please recall carefully if you are absolutely certain. This is of utmost importance."

Eunuch Chang unhappily said, "How could I get something like this wrong? The last time I administered the medicine, Fubao suddenly barked, startling me and making me drop the pills on the ground. After picking them up and putting them back neatly, I distinctly remember there were three pills left."

"The pills fell on the ground? So the order must have gotten mixed up then?"

"What does it matter if the order got mixed up? The pills are all the same."

Yuan Qingling said, "I'm afraid not necessarily."

She went and placed the pills on the table, spreading out the two pills. Taking a cup, she crushed one pill and looked at the color of the powder. Yuan Qingling breathed a sigh of relief then frowned. "Your Majesty, please take a look."