Тhе Еmpress said саlmly, "Sister, whу say suсh things? Мiss Zhuаng is уоung, рerhaрs she was just startled." She had sоmе fondnеss for Наn Yаn. Lаst time, this уоung girl hаd dеlightеd her grеatly. Tоdаy, uрon arriving, she nоticed thе Emprеss Dоwаgеr аnd Соnsort Chеn tаrgeting Наn Yаn. Thе harеm аlreadу hаd enоugh troubles, and shе had no desirе tо wаde intо these muddy wаtеrs. Нowеvеr, thеir асtiоns werе nоw toо blatаnt. The Еmpеrоr сherishеd his уоungеr brother Fu Yunxi dеarly, and Fu Yunxi had рublicly deсlared in thе Hаll оf Goldеn Chimes his intention to marry Han Yan, showing he cared for this girl. If something were to happen to her in the palace now, as the mistress of the harem, she would inevitably be implicated. Thus, she spoke to ease the tension: "Was Miss Zhuang frightened? Please drink this cup of wine quickly and do not delay the Empress Dowager's kind intentions."
Han Yan knew she absolutely could not accept this wine. The moment she saw it, she instinctively recalled the tragic fate of her previous life. Suppressing her fear of the wine, she scanned the faces of everyone in the hall, only to sadly realize that there was not a single person here who could save her!
Ji Lan and Shu Hong bit their lips tightly. As Han Yan's personal maids, they also understood that this wine must not be drunk, yet they dared not act rashly. Otherwise, if the Empress Dowager and Consort Chen seized upon their mistakes, it would bring undeserved disaster upon Han Yan.
Han Yan reached out and took the cup of wine, in no hurry to drink it. Instead, she gazed at the clear liquid, her heart gradually settling into calm.
The Empress Dowager and Consort Chen surely had ulterior motives, but they would not dare to be so bold as to kill her in front of the noble ladies of the palace and the Empress. With so many mouths present, if word spread outside, it would certainly lead to grave consequences. Yet, something had undoubtedly been added to this wine.
She lowered her head to examine it. What, exactly, was the extra ingredient in this wine?
They might not be able to kill her here, but that did not mean they would not try later. Whatever was in this wine might not take effect immediately, but if it acted in the future, no one could blame the Empress Dowager. After all, the Empress Dowager bore her no grudge—who would believe such a claim? The extra ingredient in this cup was something that would lead to her death in the future.
She could not refuse to drink it, for that would be defying an imperial decree. If she drank it, perhaps she could still carve out a path to survival.
In truth, there was no choice at all, was there?
So be it. After all, in this life, she had been reborn. She sought nothing for herself, only to make those people pay in blood for their debts. If she were to die... if she were to die... She raised her head and smiled gracefully at the Empress Dowager and Consort Chen. "I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness. Han Yan was merely thinking that since the Empress Dowager has shown me such kindness, I must surely return the favor with a grand gift in the future." She spoke with utmost sincerity, yet her gaze was like a cold, clear spring, chilling to the bone. "When the time comes, I hope Your Majesty will not find it unworthy."
The veiled threat and implication in her words were unsettling. The Empress Dowager smiled kindly. "Your thoughtfulness brings me comfort." She then gestured to Han Yan, urging her to drink the wine quickly.
Only then did Han Yan lower her head and bring the cup to her lips. The cold wine entered her mouth, burning hotly as it passed down her throat. Bitterness filled Han Yan's heart. In this life, one's fate was often beyond one's control. The most sorrowful thing was having to smile and drink what one knew to be a treacherous poison, treating it as an honorable reward.After drinking the wine, the bitter taste lingered on the tip of her tongue. Han Yan smiled brightly as she placed the wine cup back on the saucer, picked up the soft handkerchief on it to wipe her mouth, and then returned to her seat. Seeing her actions, the Empress Dowager nodded with satisfaction and exchanged a knowing smile with Consort Chen. The Empress faintly sensed something amiss but couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong, so she dismissed it as her own overthinking and stopped dwelling on it.
As soon as Han Yan sat down, Deng Chan immediately said, "That really scared me just now. The way you looked, I thought you weren't going to drink the wine bestowed by the Empress Dowager."
Han Yan smiled bitterly. She hadn’t wanted to drink the wine bestowed by the Empress Dowager, but under the watchful eyes of everyone, how could she refuse? She certainly couldn’t tell everyone that she suspected the Empress Dowager of poisoning her—such an accusation would immediately lead to execution for slandering the royal family. This was a matter of violating royal dignity, and a single misstep could cost her her head. Han Yan didn’t want to lose her head, so she had no choice but to drink the wine.
Zhuangshan watched Han Yan’s demeanor and covered her mouth as she giggled softly. "Fourth Sister is truly blessed to receive such special attention from the Empress Dowager. I was really frightened just now, thinking Fourth Sister intended to defy the decree. Hehe." Her tone carried a hint of meaning as she looked at Han Yan. "I wonder how the wine bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager tasted?"
Han Yan smiled and replied, "Does Sister Yu Shan want to know the taste of the wine bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?" Without waiting for Zhuangshan to answer, she continued, "Don’t worry, Sister Yu Shan will surely have plenty of opportunities to taste it in the future."
Upon hearing this, Zhuangshan’s expression shifted several times. She shot Han Yan a resentful glance and whispered, "Don’t get too smug. There will come a day when you’ll be crying!"
Han Yan remained noncommittal. Ji Lan and Shu Hong stood behind Han Yan, not daring to miss any sign of abnormality in her every move. Just moments ago, they had watched helplessly as Han Yan drank that cup of wine, knowing full well it was inappropriate but powerless to intervene. Now, they could only take things one step at a time. If anything were to happen to Han Yan, they too would have no desire to remain in this world.
Unaware of the undercurrents swirling around Han Yan, Deng Chan simply regarded it as a minor disturbance and continued chatting and laughing with her. As the banquet neared its end, the palace would soon set off fireworks to add to the festive atmosphere. The various ladies and young misses began leaving the Colorful Phoenix Hall, following the palace maids who led the way to the imperial garden to watch the colorful fireworks.
Han Yan was in no mood to watch any fireworks. In fact, as the banquet drew to a close, she had already begun to notice changes in her body. The changes were extremely subtle at first, and she hadn’t paid them much attention. But as time passed, she felt herself growing increasingly hot, as if a strange fire was burning inside her that she couldn’t suppress. Soon after, an unfamiliar sense of emptiness washed over her.
She didn’t know what this was, but as the heat intensified, her mind began to grow muddled. This was not a good sign. In her dazed state, she drifted between clarity and confusion, already sensing that something was wrong. Just as they were about to go watch the fireworks together, Deng Chan noticed Han Yan’s flushed cheeks and asked curiously, "Why are your cheeks so red?"
Han Yan shook her head, suppressing the strange palpitations in her heart, and forced a smile. "Perhaps it’s just a bit too hot."
Deng Chan didn’t suspect anything further and simply smiled. "Let’s hurry and go watch the fireworks." With that, she took Han Yan’s hand and stepped out of the hall.As soon as she stepped out of the hall, Han Yan felt the cold wind rush against her face, suppressing the inexplicable restlessness within her by a few degrees, and her mind settled down. It seemed only then that she realized where she was. Reflecting on her strange behavior earlier, Han Yan suddenly understood—it wasn't that she couldn't bear the heat; she had been poisoned with a lust-inducing toxin!
Her mind reeled. In this lifetime, she had never imagined she would fall victim to such a poison. Who would use such a vile method on a young lady who hadn't even reached the age of maturity? No matter how malicious a person's heart might be, such an act that defied human decency would surely shorten one's lifespan.
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