Chapter 361 – The Sweet Princess Was Here – Poisoned (06)
Bai Tang sat stiffly beside the Empress, feeling extremely unaccustomed to the kind gazes cast at him by the imperial consorts.
Don’t look at me… the little squirrel cried out inwardly.
The more the consorts looked at Bai Tang, the more pleased they became. People are visual creatures, after all—toward those who are pleasing to the eye, one always feels extra tolerant. What’s more, they had already learned that Bai Tang was betrothed to the Crown Prince and would not enter the harem to compete for favor, which made them find him even more amiable.
The Empress patted Bai Tang’s hand.
“Good child, Chen Yi has already told me everything. From now on, you must visit the palace often to keep me company~”
According to Wu Dynasty customs, once a prince marries, he must move out of the imperial palace to establish his own residence, signifying he has formed his own household.
The topic changed too abruptly. At the mention of marriage, Bai Tang’s cheeks flushed slightly as he nodded.
Wu Chenyi also smiled, his profile gentle and refined like jade, causing Bai Fangxin to stare at him in a daze without realizing it.
“Your Majesty,” the Noble Consort said, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she laughed, “His Majesty has only mentioned the Seventh Prince’s and the Crown Prince’s marriages, but there is still another lovely one here—we mustn’t forget her.”
“Oh, look at me, talking to Tang Tang and forgetting everything else.” The Empress smiled and turned to Bai Fangxin.
“As for the Third Princess, only His Majesty and the King of Huan can make the decision. Rest assured, she will never be treated unfairly…”
The Empress was strict with rules. Though she did not enjoy Emperor Jude’s personal favor, she had the strong support of the imperial clan, and even the Empress Dowager was fond of her. For the sake of harmony between the emperor and empress, Emperor Jude had to maintain the dignity of the central palace.
Bai Fangxin feigned shyness, twisting the handkerchief in her hands as her face reddened.
“Your Majesty…”
Once the King of Huan and Emperor Jude finished their discussions, who could say where the position of Crown Princess would ultimately fall?
Before the gathering in Kunning Palace dispersed, the chief eunuch serving Emperor Jude hurried inside.
“This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince, and all the noble consorts.”
“Rise, Eunuch Gao,” the Empress said.
Eunuch Gao had served Emperor Jude since he was still a prince—even the Empress dared not show him displeasure.
“His Majesty has a decree,” Eunuch Gao said with a squinting smile. “He summons Your Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince for a discussion.”
He then looked at Bai Tang and Bai Fangxin. “The Seventh Prince and the Third Princess are also present. His Majesty said that if they happen to be here, they should come as well.”
Summoning the three of them at once—anyone with half a brain could guess it had to do with marriage alliances.
“Since that’s the case, let’s end our little chat here. You may all disperse,” the Empress said.
The imperial consorts rose one after another and began to leave.
The Empress took Bai Tang’s hand.
“Tang Tang, let’s go.”
“Mm-hmm~” Bai Tang supported the Empress as they stepped down from the platform.
Walking behind them, Bai Fangxin caught sight of Bai Tang’s back, and jealousy flared in her heart.
As they crossed the threshold, the Empress suddenly felt someone shove her from behind. She stumbled, and Bai Tang hurriedly steadied her, his fingers closing around her wrist.
Bai Tang frowned slightly, while the Empress had already regained her footing.
“Thank you, Tang Tang,” she said. She looked back—yet the people behind her were still a fair distance away. Was it just her imagination?
“You’re welcome~” Bai Tang swallowed back the words he almost blurted out. Perhaps he should mention it later instead.
Wu Chenyi glanced at Bai Fangxin, who guiltily averted her eyes.
“Mother, allow your son to support you,” Wu Chenyi said, stepping forward.
Nanny Li respectfully stepped aside to make room on the Empress’s left.
“You’re very thoughtful,” the Empress said, pleased at her son’s filial care.
They arrived at Qian-Kun Hall, where Emperor Jude and the King of Huan were in the middle of a discussion.
After everyone paid their respects, Bai Tang and Bai Fangxin returned to stand beside the King of Huan.
The Empress took her seat next to Emperor Jude.
“I summoned you here to discuss something with the Empress,” Emperor Jude began. He then explained the matter of the marriage alliances, expressing his intention that Bai Tang become the Crown Prince’s primary consort, and Bai Fangxin his secondary consort.
The Empress felt displeased upon hearing this. She was still weighing her words when Wu Chenyi stepped forward and spoke first, expressing his unwillingness to take a secondary consort.
“Father, the Third Princess is wise and graceful. To marry her as a secondary consort would be an insult to her. Your son feels unworthy of such a slight toward Her Highness.” Wu Chenyi refused politely, lifting Bai Fangxin up while preserving her dignity.
“King of Huan, as you can see, it’s not that I’m unwilling…” Emperor Jude said with a faint, ambiguous smile toward the King. Beside him, Bai Fangxin’s face had turned deathly pale.
Between Bai Tang and Bai Fangxin, Bai Tang was the legitimate son, while Bai Fangxin was born of a concubine. And a prince was more valuable than a princess—whichever way one looked at it, Bai Tang was far more suitable to be Crown Princess Consort.
Emperor Jude considered even more: Bai Tang could not bear children. When the emperor eventually passed and Wu Chenyi ascended the throne, there would be no heirs carrying the blood of the Huan Kingdom. The Wu Dynasty would remain the domain of the Wu family.
But Bai Fangxin was different. He definitely didn’t want the future ruler of the Wu Dynasty to have the surname Bai.
“This…” The King of Huan had not been keen on marrying both siblings to the same man either. Family members competing for favor—such internal strife was the last thing he wanted. But he had been swayed by Bai Fangxin’s mention of “bearing heirs.”
Now that Wu Chenyi had refused, his face felt a bit too hot to maintain composure.
“In that case, we shouldn’t force the children,” the King of Huan said.
Bai Tang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the heroine doesn’t marry A-Yi, that’s good.
Wu Chenyi looked at Bai Tang and smiled, silently mouthing, “I only like you.”
Bai Tang pressed his lips together and shyly turned his head away, but the pink tint climbing up his ears betrayed his feelings.
“The children’s marriages shall be settled as such. Empress, make the preparations.”
“I obey,” the Empress replied.
The Empress was the most proper and precise in matters of etiquette—she never made mistakes. With her in charge, Emperor Jude felt completely at ease.
At this, Bai Fangxin’s face grew even paler.
“Is the Third Princess feeling unwell?” the Empress asked with concern.
“N-no… just a little dizzy. I’ll be fine after resting for a moment.”
Bai Fangxin had bribed a palace maid to spread the news that he was about to marry into the imperial family. By now, the rumor had likely spread everywhere. But now he wasn’t going to marry Wu Chenyi after all—what would happen to his reputation?
For the sake of friendly relations between the two nations, the Empress could not allow the Third Princess to fall into trouble while on Wu territory.
She took Bai Fangxin away and summoned the imperial physician.
Inside Qian-Kun Hall, only Emperor Jude, the King of Huan, Wu Chenyi, and Bai Tang remained to discuss the marriage arrangements in detail
…
Kunning Palace
The Empress had sent for him, so the imperial physician arrived quickly. He cupped his hands toward Bai Fangxin.
“Your Highness, forgive the offense.”
He placed a silk handkerchief over Bai Fangxin’s wrist and carefully took his pulse.
Nanny Li—one of the Empress’s trusted attendants—entered from outside the hall, her expression unpleasant as she whispered a few words into the Empress’s ear.
The Empress slapped the table and snapped, “Outrageous! Matters of the court—yet even palace servants dare to gossip? Nanny Li, investigate thoroughly and find the one who spread the rumor!”
If this matter were to spread, it would damage not only the royal family’s reputation—how would people inside and outside the palace view her? They would say she was unable to manage the harem, unfit to be the Mother of the Nation. How would she govern the inner palace in the future?
In just half a day, the rumors grew more and more outrageous. The investigation even revealed that her longtime rival, Noble Consort Liang, had taken part in spreading them. Some versions had even escalated to ridiculous claims like the Seventh Prince and the Third Princess fighting over a husband and coming to blows.
Although it was Bai Fangxin and Bai Tang whose reputations were directly affected, Wu Chenyi was involved as well. The Empress no longer expected the Emperor’s favor—she only wished for her own child to stay safe, remain firmly seated as Crown Prince, and eventually ascend the throne. But now, with such rumors circulating, who could guarantee outsiders wouldn’t develop dangerous ambitions?
Whenever the Empress opposed Noble Consort Liang, Emperor Jude would side with Liang. How could she not be furious?
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” Nanny Li caught hold of the Empress as she fainted from anger.
The imperial physician had barely left Kunning Palace and hadn’t even made it halfway down the corridor when guards grabbed him and dragged him back.
“Imperial Physician! Please, quickly look at Her Majesty!” Nanny Li shouted.
With the mistress unconscious, there was no need for formalities.
Physician Chen hurried forward to take her pulse. Her internal fire was rising—clearly she had fainted from extreme anger.
“Her Majesty is suffering from excessive liver fire…”
Her condition was neither minor nor severe. Physician Chen had already heard rumors about the two fighting over a husband on his way back to the Imperial Medical Bureau. He assumed this must be the cause of her collapse. In the harem’s power struggles, an imperial physician was best kept uninvolved.
Nanny Li listened as he rattled off medical terminology as if reciting a textbook. Her head spun; she couldn’t understand a word.
“Who told you to recite the classics? Speak plainly—will Her Majesty be all right or not?” she demanded.
Physician Chen replied, “Her Majesty’s condition poses no threat to her life.”
Bai Tang and Wu Chenyi had just stepped through the entrance of Kunning Palace when they heard this sentence.
A surge of anger rose in Bai Tang’s chest. What ‘benevolence of a healer’? Her Majesty’s body is in this state, and he still dares to hide the truth?!
“Nonsense! Incompetent fool!” Bai Tang shouted.
His soft, milky voice carried an unexpected sharpness. A-Yi’s mother was his mother as well—she would be his family from now on. Bai Tang already counted the Empress as one of his own.
Now his own was being deceived, perhaps even put in danger of losing her life. How could he not be angry?
“Your servant greets His Highness the Crown Prince,” Physician Chen said, kneeling toward the doorway.
Wu Chenyi strode in with Bai Tang.
“Stand,” he ordered. “Just now you said Imperial Mother was fine, didn’t you? But my consort also knows some medicine, and he says her condition seems to have problems. Hmm?”
The overwhelming pressure of someone born to rule made Physician Chen tremble with nerves. Sweat poured down his face. After a moment to steady himself, he said, “Th-the Empress is physically weak and needs rest.”
“Physical weakness” was the Imperial Medical Bureau’s catch-all diagnosis. As for how weak and in what way—every person’s constitution was different. If something went wrong, they could always avoid blame.
“Oh? So Physician Chen is saying my consort is speaking nonsense?” Wu Chenyi smiled instead of getting angry, which frightened the physician even more.
“Tang Tang, go take a look at Mother,” Wu Chenyi said, his voice unexpectedly gentle.
“Mm-hmm~”
Bai Tang walked to the bedside and carefully took the Empress’s pulse.
Feeling her pulse again, he became even more certain of the abnormality he had noticed during his rushed examination earlier.
The Empress had been poisoned—and not recently.
This type of poison showed no obvious symptoms, but it agitated the mind, making a person irritable and volatile. Over time, it would slowly erode the body. By now, the toxin had already reached her internal organs, each one showing signs of damage.
Bai Tang reported his conclusion, shocking Nanny Li.
“These past few years, Her Majesty’s temper has indeed become more and more…”
Her irritability was exactly why she frequently angered Emperor Jude. Their arguments often ended unpleasantly, leaving the emperor frustrated and resentful. He then favored Noble Consort Liang instead, calling her his “flower of understanding,” someone more gentle and humane than the Empress.
When the Empress heard this, she was furious—and from then on, she and Noble Consort Liang became sworn enemies.
Author’s Note :
Táng Tang is a divine doctor—curing poison is nothing to him.