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墨書 Inktalez
Wei Yanwan walked to the window, her sharp gaze sweeping outside, a hint of coldness in her tone. "Empress Xiaoxian is dead; I am the true mistress of this harem. Those who have ever humiliated me will not be spared!"
Jin Zhong watched Wei Yanwan's back, a sense of awe rising within him. He knew that the once fragile and patient Wei Yanwan was gone. The woman standing before him now was ruthless and cunning, destined to overturn the harem.
"Your Highness, I have learned that the Empress has been unwell these past few days and has been bedridden," Jin Zhong reported in a low voice.
A glint of cold light flashed in Wei Yanwan's eyes as she slowly turned around, a cold smile curling at her lips. "Unwell? Then let her be even more ill!"
Jin Zhong nodded slightly, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. He understood that Wei Yanwan was preparing to take action against the Empress.
Days later, Wei Yanwan arrived at the Empress's palace with carefully prepared tonics.
"Your Majesty, I heard you have not been well, so I specially made some tonics for you. Please drink it while it's warm," Wei Yanwan said with a gentle smile as she presented the bowl to the Empress.
The Empress leaned weakly against the headboard, looking at Wei Yanwan with a flicker of wariness in her eyes.
"Thank you, Sister Ling, for your concern. I am merely suffering from a slight chill; it is nothing serious," the Empress replied lightly.
Yet, Wei Yanwan's smile did not wane. She placed the bowl on the table and spoke with feigned concern. "Your Majesty is joking; as the mother of the nation, your health is crucial to the stability of our realm. You must not take it lightly."
As she spoke, Wei Yanwan picked up a spoonful of tonic and brought it to the Empress's lips. "Come now, Your Majesty, drink this."
The Empress looked into Wei Yanwan's eager eyes and felt increasingly uneasy. She slightly turned her head to avoid Wei Yanwan's hand.
"I said I won't drink!" The Empress's tone carried a hint of impatience.
Wei Yanwan's hand froze in mid-air, her smile gradually fading.
"What does Your Majesty mean? Do you find my tonic unpalatable?" Wei Yanwan asked coldly.
"You..." The Empress was provoked by Wei Yanwan's tone and was about to retort when suddenly she felt dizzy; darkness enveloped her vision as she fainted.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Wei Yanwan feigned panic as she called out, but a glimmer of satisfaction at her scheme's success flashed in her eyes.
She then turned to the palace maids beside her and sternly ordered, "Why are you still standing there? Hurry and summon the imperial physician!"
The maids turned pale with fright and hurriedly ran out in a flurry.
Wei Yanwan approached the unconscious Empress, a cold smile curling at her lips. "Empress, soon this harem will belong to me!"
Wei Yanwan watched the panicked maidens flee, a more pronounced smile curling at the corners of her lips. She elegantly brushed her sleeves and settled onto the embroidered stool beside the queen's bed, her gaze cold as she fixed it on the queen's pale face.
"Someone! The queen has suddenly fainted! Quickly, fetch the imperial physician!" Wei Yanwan raised her voice, feigning urgency.
The eunuch on duty outside the chamber heard the call and hurried in to check on the situation.
"Consort Ling, what... what has happened?" The eunuch's legs trembled at the sight of the unconscious queen.
"I do not know either. The queen was perfectly fine just a moment ago and then suddenly collapsed," Wei Yanwan said, pretending to furrow her brow in concern. "Hurry and summon the physician!"
The eunuch dared not delay, scrambling out to fetch the physician in a panic.
Before long, the physician arrived, breathless and carrying a medicine box.
"I pay my respects to Consort Ling," he said, kneeling on the ground.
"There's no need for formalities. Quickly, see to the queen," Wei Yanwan urged anxiously, pointing to the bed.
The physician wasted no time; he rose and approached the bed to examine the queen's pulse. After a long moment, he withdrew his hand, his expression grave.
"What is the condition of the queen?" Wei Yanwan asked, feigning anxiety.
"Replying to Consort Ling, the queen's pulse is erratic, and her breath is weak; it appears to be a sign of poisoning," the physician said solemnly.
"Poisoned?!" Wei Yanwan gasped, covering her lips with a handkerchief as if in disbelief. "How could this be? The queen has been in the palace all this time; how could she be poisoned?"
"This... I cannot ascertain without further investigation," the physician said, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he spoke cautiously.
"Then I must trouble you to find out the truth and restore justice for the queen!" Wei Yanwan declared indignantly.
"I will obey your command," the physician replied hastily.
He then began to meticulously examine the medications and food consumed by the queen, collecting samples of her blood and vomit to take back for testing. Meanwhile, Wei Yanwan observed coldly from the side, secretly laughing to herself.
She had long since bribed the physician and had mixed a slow-acting poison into the supplements. This poison was colorless and tasteless, difficult to detect but would gradually erode a person's health until it led to death. By the time the physician identified the poison's composition, it would be too late—the queen would have already succumbed. At that point, she could pin the blame on other consorts and completely eliminate this thorn in her side!
As expected, just days later, the physician reported that the poison affecting the queen was identical to that used by a certain disgraced consort from before.
Upon learning of this matter, Qianlong was furious and ordered that the concubine be sent to the Cold Palace and given the death sentence.
After taking the antidote from the imperial physician, the Empress's health did not improve; instead, she grew increasingly weak. Ultimately, on a stormy night, she passed away.
With the Empress gone, no one in the harem could rival Wei Yanwan. She took advantage of the Empress's death to gain Qianlong's sympathy and affection, elevating her status in the harem until she was finally bestowed the title of Imperial Noble Consort, ruling over the Six Palaces.
Meanwhile, Qianlong remained engulfed in grief over his beloved wife's loss, becoming increasingly indifferent to state affairs and handing most of his power over to Wei Yanwan. Little did he know that the woman he loved had unknowingly transformed into a ruthless and cunning figure.
Jin Zhong, who observed everything from the shadows, was filled with concern. He understood that Yanwan's actions were driven by a desire for revenge. However, he worried that she would stray further down this path, ultimately losing herself and falling into endless solitude.
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