In the main hall, the Emperor lay on a long couch, with the Empress Dowager seated beside him. Little Six stood at the Emperor's left side, while the other princes were positioned on the right.
The consorts, led by wet nurse Yu Xiang through a side door, entered and were immediately struck by the tense atmosphere, none daring to make a sound.
The Empress Dowager opened her slightly closed eyes and glanced at them, her gaze particularly icy when it fell upon Haoyue. Haoyue's heart tightened, instinctively sensing trouble.
"Miraculous Doctor Yu, awaken the Emperor."
Miraculous Doctor Yu stepped forward as commanded. "I overstep my bounds."
As he spoke, he fully unbuttoned the Emperor's upper garment, exposing his chest. He spread out the golden needles and swiftly inserted several into the Emperor's body. Though the movements appeared effortless, they clearly required great effort, as sweat had already beaded on Miraculous Doctor Yu's forehead within moments.
"It will take about a quarter of an hour."
The Empress Dowager pressed her lips into a thin line, watching as the Emperor slowly regained consciousness. She felt both anger at his recklessness and an overwhelming heartache. This was her eldest son, whom she had fought desperately to protect through countless schemes and hardships. During the most difficult years, they had relied on each other in the depths of the palace. To shield him, she had stained her hands with blood, forcing herself to become ruthless. Though she knew their bond could never be as deep as that of ordinary mother and son, and though she understood the inherent suspicion of an emperor, she never imagined the son she had once protected with her life would end up like this, likely to depart before her.
"Mother," the Emperor called out in confusion. The golden needles had stimulated his last reserves of vitality, and he now felt an unprecedented sense of ease.
Supported by a palace attendant, the Emperor sat up and smiled at the crowd kneeling below. "It was merely a fit of anger. There is no cause for concern. All of you may return. Consort Yue, rise. Do not strain yourself in your pregnant state."
Everyone knew of Haoyue's current favor, and with the Emperor's command, palace attendants stepped forward to assist her. But at that moment, the Empress Dowager spoke. "Consort Yue, kneel properly. The Emperor may care about the child in your womb, but I do not. The imperial lineage is not lacking for the one you carry."
"Mother, she is nearly due..."
The Empress Dowager, utterly disappointed, closed her eyes briefly and decided not to delay any further. Even in death, she would ensure her son understood the truth.
"Miraculous Doctor Yu."
Miraculous Doctor Yu bowed slightly and retrieved the cup that wet nurse Yu Xiang had previously given him from his medicine chest. Facing the Emperor with a stern expression, he asked, "Is this what Your Majesty usually drinks?"
The Emperor's eyes flickered. "What is the issue?"
As a physician, Miraculous Doctor Yu needed no one to tell him what the red substance was. The pungent smell of blood was unmistakable even from a distance. To him, this was nothing but heresy, and as a doctor, he could not accept it. His voice hardened. "Your Majesty, are you aware that this drink contains musk?"
The Emperor nodded. "I am aware. What of it?"
"Does Your Majesty enjoy eating garlic?"
The Emperor frowned. "Speak plainly."
"Then I shall be direct." Miraculous Doctor Yu held back no longer. "Musk can invigorate the spirit, but if consumed with garlic for over three months, it will lead to the failure of the internal organs. After four months, collapse can occur at any moment..."
"Nonsense!" The Emperor sat upright, his face filled with rage. "My health has clearly improved greatly. How could there be any failure as you claim? Guards, remove this quack from the palace!"
"Then, my son, do you believe my words?"
"Mother!"The Empress Dowager stared fixedly at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. "You no longer trust even my words, yet you believe a woman of unknown origins, allowing yourself to be manipulated by her. Emperor, you have wasted these fifty-odd years of your life."
The Emperor looked toward Haoyue. She raised her head to meet his gaze, showing no panic, only a clear, cold stubbornness. This was the demeanor the Emperor loved most about her, and the faint suspicion he had just felt vanished instantly.
"Mother, Haoyue is simply unskilled in dealing with others. I know you dislike her, but she would never do such a thing..."
"Then I shall let Your Majesty see for yourself whether she is capable of it. Bring them in."
The four senior palace maids of Like Moon Hall were pushed into the room, bound tightly. Their faces were unblemished, and even their hair remained perfectly neat, but the way they walked revealed they were far from unharmed.
"Your Majesty should recognize them."
The Emperor was indeed very familiar with them—two of them had even served him in bed.
The Empress Dowager cast him a cold glance and said sternly, "Repeat what you said earlier."
The four maids turned deathly pale, and Haoyue’s face grew even whiter than theirs. She immediately stiffened her neck and interrupted, "If Your Majesty dislikes this humble consort, you may simply order my execution. Why must you torture my maids into false confessions to frame me?"
Hua Zhi, standing in the corner, lowered her gaze. Haoyue had lost. The Emperor had only a quarter of an hour left. If she had remained calm and delayed a little longer, there might still have been a chance. Had she secured even a verbal decree from the Emperor for protection, neither the new ruler nor the Empress Dowager could have touched her. Unfortunately, she was too impatient.
The Empress Dowager had endured a lifetime in the palace. Having uncovered Haoyue’s deeds, she knew exactly where to strike to break through. Though Haoyue might have foresight surpassing others, her experience in the depths of the palace was still far too immature compared to the Empress Dowager’s.
Sure enough, as soon as Haoyue spoke, the Emperor’s expression shifted. The Empress Dowager smiled coldly, lowering her gaze and tucking her hands into her sleeves, unwilling to let anyone see how much self-control it took to restrain herself from rushing forward and strangling Haoyue with her own hands.
Yu Xiang stepped forward, her brows furrowed and her voice sharp. "Speak now! Tell everything you know!"
The maids trembled, and one of them collapsed to the ground. Only today had they truly witnessed the ruthless methods of the deep palace. They now understood what it meant to be trapped between life and death, unable to escape—no one could withstand such torment.
The one on the far left stole a glance at the Fourth Prince. Seeing him expressionless and refusing to even look at her, let alone offer help, she gritted her teeth and spoke. "This humble maid deserves death. Every day, I followed the Consort’s orders to instruct the kitchen to add extra garlic, and I once overheard her say that the more garlic used, the better the effect."
With one person taking the lead, the pressure on the others lessened. Immediately, another continued, "This humble maid deserves death. I once accompanied the Consort to a secret meeting with the Noble Consort."
"This humble maid deserves death. I... I was never favored by Your Majesty. The Consort ordered me to pretend I had been, to make you believe your energy was still abundant."
"This humble maid deserves death. On the third, fifth, and fifteenth days of the month, I would see the Fourth Prince come to Like Moon Hall. The longest time, he stayed alone with the Consort for two hours before leaving...""Cease your wild talk!" The Fourth Prince's countenance changed drastically as he immediately cut him off. Stepping forward to kneel before the couch with an indignant expression, he declared: "Your Majesty, please see clearly! How could I, how could I possibly have a secret meeting with Her Highness!"
The Emperor watched him with an inscrutable expression, but paid him no heed. Instead, he turned his gaze to several palace maids and said, "What else remains to be said? Speak all of it now."
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