After falling ill, watching herself age and lose her charm, she felt both angry and anxious. She couldn’t even stand the sight of her own sickly and aged face, let alone the Emperor. Over the years, the Emperor visited Zhao Yang Palace less and less. In an attempt to regain her youth, she tried nurous thods and consud various things, but the effects were minimal.
Hearing that the Divine Pill could improve one’s health and even reverse aging, she hurriedly asked Xie Shi to get it for her. Regardless of whether the Divine Pill was as miraculous as rumored, she had to try it. Unexpectedly, the Divine Pill truly proved to be a miracle dicine; after taking it, her headaches ceased, her health improved significantly, and most importantly, she beca youthful again.
"Luckily, Your Majesty insisted on taking the Divine Pill." With Empress Xie appearing younger, Jiang Chuan felt delighted. "This Divine Pill is truly a miracle dicine." Unfortunately, it was too expensive, otherwise, she would have wanted to buy it for herself.
"Do not speak of the Divine Pill to anyone." Empress Xie reminded Jiang Chuan once more, "Absolutely no one should know that I’ve been consuming the Divine Pill." With its miraculous effects, Empress Xie did not wish for the other concubines in the harem to take it, especially Noble Princess Consort Rong.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, this servant has told no one."
Empress Xie still trusted Jiang Chuan.
"After a while longer, my face will have no more fine lines."
"Your Majesty, have you noticed that after taking the Divine Pill, there’s a faint scent on your body?"
"Is there?" Empress Xie hadn’t noticed, "I thought it was the scent of petals."
Empress Xie enjoyed using petal water for her face, hands, and baths, thus she usually carried a faint floral fragrance.
"No, it’s not the scent of petals. It’s..." Jiang Chuan pondered for a mont and then said, "It’s sowhat like the fragrance of spices, very faint but pleasant." Though the Empress had been consuming Purple River Car daily since falling ill, and used petal water for bathing regularly, the bloody scent of Purple River Car couldn’t be masked, making her body constantly emit a faint sll of blood. Additionally, with the bitter dicinal herbs she consud daily, it resulted in an unpleasant dley of odors.
Empress Xie raised her arm and took a careful sniff, indeed detecting an extrely faint fragrance.
"You have a keen nose, it does resemble agarwood, very faint." If one didn’t get close and sll carefully, it was almost unnoticeable.
"It’s surprising that the Divine Pill even makes one fragrant, how extraordinary."
"I didn’t expect it either." Empress Xie grew increasingly fond of the Divine Pill.
Just then, another palace maid entered and inford Empress Xie that aside from Noble Princess Consort Rong, all the other concubines had arrived.
Learning that Noble Princess Consort Rong had not co, Empress Xie was not surprised. Every ti she was summoned for a greeting, Noble Princess Consort Rong was always the last to arrive and the first to leave.
"Ever since she regained favor, Noble Princess Consort Rong has grown more arrogant and reckless, the Emperor..."
Empress Xie interrupted Jiang Chuan, "The Emperor is not soone you should talk about."
"Your Majesty, this servant just feels the Emperor indulges Noble Princess Consort Rong too much." Jiang Chuan was indignant on behalf of Empress Xie, "Clearly, you are the Empress."
Empress Xie lightly stroked her earring and said with a smile, "No matter how favored that woman is, she is still nothing more than a concubine, while I will always be the Emperor’s wife." As long as she lived well, Noble Princess Consort Rong would remain a concubine.
"Your Majesty speaks truly."
"Co, let us et them."
With Jiang Chuan’s hand for support, Empress Xie slowly walked into the view of the other concubines.
Seeing the now-younger and beautiful Empress Xie, all the concubines were dumbfounded. They could not believe that the woman before them was the Empress, who had been on the brink of death not long ago?!
Noble Princess Consort Ying was briefly taken aback, but she quickly understood why Empress Xie looked so radiant, a hint of mockery crossing her eyes.
Empress Xie was quite pleased with their reaction. She sat down, smilingly observing the stunned concubines.
"Why do you all look as if you don’t recognize ?" Since falling ill, Empress Xie had shut herself off for recuperation, and the concubines were excused from their formal greetings on the first and fifteenth of each month, so it had been so ti since they last saw her. Their impression of Empress Xie remained as old and haggard before her illness worsened. Who would have thought, after a short while apart, Empress Xie’s illness was gone, and she had beco youthful again. Now, she appeared to be under thirty. What miracle dicine could the Empress have taken during her recovery?
The concubines snapped out of it and quickly bowed to Empress Xie individually to pay their respects.
Just as Empress Xie asked the concubines to rise, the Chief Eunuch of Zhao Yang Palace entered to report that Noble Princess Consort Rong was feeling unwell and requested pardon for not attending.
She was seen wandering by the lake in the Imperial Garden just yesterday, so how could she be unwell today? It was clear she was disregarding the Empress, not wishing to attend the greeting.
The concubines acted as if they hadn’t heard a thing, each lowering their heads.
Empress Xie naturally understood that Noble Princess Consort Rong was trying to embarrass her; it certainly wasn’t the first ti. Ever since regaining her forr favor, coupled with Empress Xie’s illness, Noble Princess Consort Rong increasingly disregarded her.
In Noble Princess Consort Rong’s eyes, Empress Xie was as good as dead. Why bother giving attention to soone on the verge of death?
"Since Noble Princess Consort Rong is unwell, as the Empress, it is only right that I should visit her."
Hearing Empress Xie’s words, Noble Princess Consort Ying and the others were astounded, and then they heard Empress Xie continue, "You shall accompany to visit Noble Princess Consort Rong."
The Empress was clearly not visiting for health reasons but to flaunt her position.
This promised to be an interesting spectacle.
The concubines followed the Empress to Yongxin Palace.
Noble Princess Consort Rong was having breakfast when inford of Empress Xie’s and the concubines’ visit; her expression instantly darkened. When she saw the now-young and beautiful Empress Xie, an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.
As Empress Xie was visiting Noble Princess Consort Rong, the Emperor had just finished court and received an urgent confidential letter sent from the Swamp Prefecture.
After the Emperor read the letter, his face imdiately turned grim, instructing Sun Kui to summon Pri Minister He, Grandmaster Liu, and the mbers of the Court Martial.
Shortly after, Pri Minister He and the others arrived at the Imperial Study and, after reading the confidential letter from Zhao Yao to the Emperor, all their expressions turned grave.
"Your Majesty, Prince Han’s concern is that the Divine Pill needs to be strictly investigated and prohibited."
The Emperor decreed that the Imperial Court of Judicial Review thoroughly investigate this matter. Anyone found selling or purchasing the Divine Pill would be arrested and rigorously interrogated to uncover both the extent of its usage in the capital and how much of it was circulating. Most importantly, it was paramount to identify the mastermind behind it all.
In a short ti, the entire court was inford of the Emperor’s decree to investigate and prohibit the Divine Pill. Quickly, the news spread throughout the capital.
Empress Xie had just returned to Zhao Yang Palace when she heard about the decree, and she was utterly astonished.
Wasn’t the Divine Pill supposed to be a miracle dicine? Why did the Emperor decree such strict scrutiny and prohibition?
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