Wei Shu, stunned, realized that if the Emperor wanted to make the Imperial Consort empress, his chances of winning her over would drastically increase.
Noticing his distraction, Qin Zhi reminded him, “Your Highness, with your prolonged presence in Qingqing Palace, any issues should have been discovered by now. Why is this decree only surfacing now?”
Wei Shu frowned, “Are you implying there’s something suspicious?”
“I find it strange,” Qin Zhi said. “Who would benefit most if the Imperial Consort became empress?”
Wei Shu considered this and concluded that only Ruan Ning would gain. As the original empress’s firstborn son, even if Ruan Ning had a son, he would not overshadow Wei Shu. Moreover, given the Emperor’s condition, Ruan Ning could not bear a child. The Prince of Jin’s position as the son of an Imperial Concubine would also weaken significantly with an empress.
Qin Zhi furrowed her eyebrows, “While it seems straightforward, I feel there’s more to this matter.”
The white bubble snail was small and cute. Gu Lianchang took it from Ruan Ning’s lips and threw it to Zhang Jing: “Check what’s inside.”
Ruan Ning was startled, fearing it might be poisoned. The concubines exchanged glances, reluctant to speak; news of her ascension had spread, and now someone had tried to poison her.
Verification results revealed a colorless, tasteless poison in the snail. Consuming it wouldn’t cause immediate death, but victims would gradually lose their sanity, ultimately leading to madness—resulting in death for any woman in the harem.
The concubines gasped. While some envied Yu Fei, the lower-ranking concubines feared for their lives if they accidentally consumed the snail.
“Disperse,” Gu Lianchang commanded. “Do not spread today’s events.”
They scattered, already gossiping as they left the palace. Gu Lianchang didn’t mind; secrets were hard to keep in the harem, and he had wanted to make a show of it.
As he walked out with a stern expression, memories of Ruan Ning’s boldness lingered. Though he was attracted to her, he still held unresolved anger.
Ruan Ning wasn’t going to let him leave.
She needed to ask directly who had poisoned her to prevent him from finding an excuse for late-night dealings.
She quickly blocked his path, saying, “Supervisor, please stop. Can you tell me who is behind this? I need to be prepared.”
