Chapter 27: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 27

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: The General’s Pampered Little Wife 27

Seeing this, Mother Ji was frantic. She wanted to break free from Ji Xiaosong’s protective hold and step forward to speak up for her daughter.

But Ji Xiaosong held her mother’s hand fast, her grip firm and unyielding.

Mother Ji whispered urgently, "Song, don’t be reckless. Let me handle this."

"Mother, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. Please don’t be impulsive." Ji Xiaosong tilted her head slightly to look at her mother, her gaze firm and reassuring.

Mother Ji started to speak again, but Ji Xiaosong’s grip tightened, holding her in place. All Mother Ji could do was fret anxiously behind her daughter.

Seeing how resolute Ji Xiaosong was, Consort Song’s expression darkened. She scoffed, "Lady Xiao, what is the meaning of this? I am merely concerned for the Empress’s safety and wish to find the culprit as quickly as possible. For you to obstruct me like this... could it be you have something to hide?"

When the Emperor heard this, he shot Consort Song a sharp glare.

"Imperial Concubine, do not speak so recklessly. The Imperial Physician found nothing amiss with Mrs. Ji or Lady Xiao. This matter requires careful consideration. You cannot make baseless accusations."

At this point, the Emperor genuinely wanted to go over and give the Imperial Concubine a good kick.

Liu Zheng had already said the Empress’s pregnancy was mostly stable. He had hoped the Empress could absorb some of Ji Xiaosong’s good fortune in pregnancy, so that she might also give birth to a healthy prince.

He never imagined Consort Song would be so inept, blindly lashing out at the Xiao and Ji families. It was as if she was afraid people *wouldn’t* know she was seeking revenge because Xiao Shen had been targeting the Second Prince since his return from the Northern Land.

Sensing the Emperor’s displeasure, Consort Song’s face went white. She quickly bowed her head. "Your Majesty, please quell your anger. I was simply worried about the Empress’s condition."

Just then, Liu Zheng stepped forward and knelt to report, "Your Majesty, I have recalled something. The fragrance of the Purple Condensation Flower reacts negatively with the herbs in a calming sachet. When the two scents combine, they can induce symptoms of a miscarriage in a pregnant woman. Furthermore, this situation is remarkably similar to the poison that afflicted General Xiao, though the General’s poisoning was far more severe."

The Emperor immediately ordered a search for anyone carrying a calming sachet. Taking advantage of the distraction, Ji Xiaosong secretly used her Space Power to switch the contents of the calming sachet her mother had been wearing with the contents of Consort Song’s sachet.

The guards began to inspect everyone’s sachets one by one, but they found nothing.

Consort Song’s elegant brows furrowed slightly. She gazed at Mother Ji, utterly bewildered.

’She knew for a fact that Mother Ji wore one of those calming sachets every single day. She’d even told her informant to make sure the spices were planted. How could it be missing today?’

"Has everyone been thoroughly checked?"

The Emperor’s brow was deeply furrowed, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd. With his hands clasped behind his back, his voice was filled with both authority and impatience.

Just then, Liu Zheng hurried forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, everyone has been inspected. Only Consort Song remains."

"Since she was here, she must also be inspected."

The Emperor had spoken. Consort Song’s face grew even paler.

’This is a complete humiliation!’

’She was a high and mighty Imperial Concubine, the proper daughter of an aristocratic family. Yet, before the Emperor and Empress, she always had to lower her head!’

Liu Zheng walked over to Consort Song and said respectfully, "Imperial Concubine, please forgive the offense."

He then took the sachet from a palace maid and began to inspect it carefully.

A moment later, the color drained from Liu Zheng’s face. He fell to his knees and reported, "Your Majesty, the herbs inside this sachet are the very ones that react with the Purple Condensation Flower!"

Everyone gasped in shock at his words, turning to one another and breaking into hushed whispers.

The Emperor was livid. He pointed at Consort Song and roared, "You, of the Song Family! How dare you commit such a malicious act!"

At that moment, it dawned on Consort Song. ’Those calming herbs were supposed to be on Mother Ji. How did they end up on me?’

’She didn’t know where things had gone wrong, but now was not the time to figure it out.’

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I’ve been framed! That Purple Condensation Flower is a tribute from a foreign land. How could I possibly know that the calming sachet I wear every day would react with it?"

"I have lived in the palace for a long time, serving only Your Majesty and the Empress with all my heart. I have never had a single thought of harming anyone. This business with the sachet must be a deliberate attempt to frame me and sow discord between me and the Empress!"

"I know nothing of pharmacology, so how could I have known about this peculiar reaction? I only wear the sachet to soothe my nerves. I had no other intention!"

"I implore Your Majesty to investigate this clearly! Do not be deceived by villains and wrongly accuse me. I will stake my life on it—I had absolutely nothing to do with this!"

Consort Song pleaded with heartfelt sincerity, but the Emperor was not listening.

"You had better pray that the Empress is unharmed. If anything happens to the child in her womb, I will make sure your family pays the price!"

At the Emperor’s words, Consort Song collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down her face, but she dared not utter another word.

Just then, one of the Empress’s palace maids hurried over and knelt. "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Empress is out of danger. After taking her medicine, the pregnancy has stabilized."

Hearing this, the Emperor’s expression softened slightly. "Excellent. Go and attend to her at once."

Then, the Emperor scanned the crowd and announced coldly, "I will see that today’s events are investigated thoroughly. All of you may return to your quarters."

Upon hearing this, the crowd bowed and began to disperse.

Ji Xiaosong and Mother Ji also left amidst the throng of people.

On the way back, Mother Ji was still shaken from the ordeal, repeatedly warning Ji Xiaosong to be more careful in the future.

Ji Xiaosong agreed softly, her mind already turning over the conspiracy behind the day’s events.

Back in his palace, the Emperor’s anger had not subsided. He ordered the relevant personnel to continue the investigation.

And so, what was meant to be a lively spring banquet ended abruptly under a cloud of gloom.

*

The moment Ji Xiaosong returned to their estate, she went to find Xiao Shen. The spring banquet had been for female guests only, so he hadn’t attended.

She entered the study with a solemn expression. Seeing that something was amiss, Xiao Shen quickly stood to greet her, asking with concern, "My dear, did something happen at the spring banquet today?"

Ji Xiaosong sat down, took a sip of tea to compose herself, and then recounted every detail of what had occurred at the banquet.

The more Xiao Shen heard, the more tightly his brow furrowed.

"Husband, Doctor Liu mentioned that the poison you suffered from years ago was very similar to what happened today. Can you tell me more about that?"

"Years ago, I was under orders from His Majesty to annex the small border states. During the campaign, I fell for an enemy’s trick. The wine I drank was laced with a poison made primarily from the Purple Condensation Flower. To create the antidote, Doctor Liu worked together with Song Yuxi’s grandmother."

"Song Yuxi’s grandmother?"

Ji Xiaosong was puzzled. ’In her past life, when she had married into the Song Family, Song Yuxi’s grandmother had already passed away.’

’And she had never heard that the grandmother knew anything about medicine.’

"That’s right. She was a disciple of the Divine Doctor Valley. In fact, she was the one who offered to treat my poison."

"That’s very strange. The Song Family is part of the Second Prince’s faction, while the Xiao family has always been loyal only to His Majesty. Why would she offer to save you?"

"It was strange, yes. But she didn’t contribute much at the time; she merely assisted from the sidelines."

Ji Xiaosong’s brow furrowed slightly. She paced back and forth in the room, one hand unconsciously twisting her handkerchief, the other gently cupping her chin in thought.