Yuqiongyin

In the past, even if Lu Daixi held the power of the palace, the empress dowager was still able to hold the power of the harem.

Now in the eyes of the Queen Mother, the Queen of the Xie family is becoming increasingly favored and is pregnant, which is a huge threat to her.

Once Xie Chenning gave birth to a prince, her status and family would become more stable and unshakable, and her influence in the court would be further weakened.

When the Queen Dowager learned that the Queen was pregnant, she secretly summoned her confidants in the Cining Palace.

She sat upright on the gorgeous phoenix chair, her eyes full of indifference, "The queen is pregnant now, so we must not let her give birth to a child smoothly. Eunuch Zhao, please follow the previous method."

The confidants looked at each other in bewilderment. One of the old eunuchs rolled his eyes and suggested, "I have a plan. We can put a slow-acting poison in the Queen's diet, so that the fetus will be gradually damaged and it will be difficult for others to detect."

"That's right. Ming'er has already lost Mingfei's child, so the Queen will naturally be extremely cautious. Let's do it this way." The Queen Mother nodded slightly, with an imperceptible sneer on her lips.

"Yes."

*

Ever since the Queen became pregnant with the prince, the Emperor changed his previous attitude and has been caring and protective of her. The entire harem knows that the Queen is now the apple of the Emperor's eye and he will not tolerate any mistakes.

In order to ensure Xie Chenning's safety and the health of the fetus, Wei Ming specially arranged for trusted palace maids and eunuchs to take care of the queen's daily life.

The imperial kitchen was also given strict orders, and every meal sent to the Queen's palace had to undergo strict inspection.

However, even under such strict protection, the people arranged by the Queen Mother still took action, and the danger was still approaching quietly like a poisonous snake in the dark.

The young eunuch in charge of the Queen's meals had been bribed by the Queen Mother's confidants, and every day he would cautiously mix ingredients containing trace amounts of poison into the Queen's meals.

On this day, Nanny Lu brought the medicinal food. Xie Chenning stirred the thick medicinal juice and found that the taste of the medicine smelled a little strange.

She was a person with a delicate mind, so she remained calm at the moment, but secretly kept it in mind.

After consuming the medicinal meal, Xie Chenning pretended to be unwell, dismissed everyone, and ordered Nanny Lu to pass a message to Wei Lu.

Afterwards, he ordered his personal maid Xiang'er to quietly put away the remaining medicinal food for inspection, and sent people to pay more attention to the maids and eunuchs arranged by Wei Ming.

In the following days, Xie Chenning pretended to be ignorant and observed secretly.

She found that every time after consuming the medicinal food, she would ask everyone to leave and then induce vomiting.

Unexpectedly, even with such thorough protection, the Queen Mother still couldn't help but take action.

Xie Chenning lazily leaned on the couch to bask in the sun, while the imperial physician Yang, who was regarded as one of their own in the Imperial Hospital, was concentrating on taking her pulse.

Nanny Lu, who was standing at the side, seemed a little nervous. She couldn't help but ask, "Doctor Yang, how is the young lady's health? I hope there is nothing serious."

Doctor Yang gently released Xie Chenning's wrist and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Madam Lu. Madam is in good health and there is nothing wrong."

Hearing this, Nanny Lu felt a little relieved.

Xie Chenning suddenly said, "Doctor Yang, please go and tell the emperor that I am feeling a little unwell today and need to be taken care of. Also, take this opportunity to quietly let him know that there is something wrong with the diet."

Doctor Yang nodded in understanding and replied, "Yes, I understand."

He then packed up his medicine box and was personally escorted out of Kunning Palace by Nanny Lu.

Not long after, Nanny Lu returned to the palace with a bouquet of beautiful flowers in her hands.

Seeing this, Xie Chenning slowly sat up from the couch, took the bouquet of flowers, stretched out her slender hands and gently untied the ribbon that bound the flowers.

There was a line of small words embroidered on the ribbon, written by Wei Ke. It read: "I have released the news as planned, and Concubine Ming has fallen into the trap."

After Xie Chenning finished reading it, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and there was some deep meaning in his smile.

She gracefully picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip, her movements showing her elegance and grace.

*

Night fell over the palace. The lights flickered in the night wind, as if they were trembling with fear for the coming storm.

The emperor sat alone in the imperial study, his brows furrowed, a secret letter tightly clenched in his hands. The contents of the letter were like a sharp blade piercing his heart.

After Imperial Physician Yang informed Wei Ming about the tampering of the meals, the emperor was furious and immediately ordered a thorough investigation.

All the staff in the imperial kitchen were detained and interrogated one by one.

He never imagined that the person who tried to poison the fetus in the queen's womb was his beloved concubine, Concubine Ming.

Ming Fei, the woman with a beautiful face and gentle smile, once made him feel a different kind of warmth in this palace full of intrigue.

He doted on her, gave her endless treasures, and spent countless tender and sweet moments with her.

Memories came flooding back, but now it all seemed like a cruel joke.

Wei Ming stood up and paced back and forth in the study, struggling deeply in his heart. He didn't want to believe that this was true, but the news from the spy was undoubtedly true.

He seemed to be able to see the horrified face of the Queen when she learned the truth. The Queen had always been virtuous and now that she had a child, it was a great joy, but she almost met with such a misfortune.

He decided to ask Ming Fei in person.

When he stepped into Minghua Palace, Concubine Ming was dressing herself in front of the mirror as usual. When she saw the emperor suddenly coming, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly returned to her usual coquettish look.

"Your Majesty, why are you here? You didn't even inform me in advance."

Wei Ming looked at her with cold eyes: "Ni'er, do you know why I am here?"

Ming Fei's hands trembled slightly, and the pearls on her head made a slight clattering sound: "Your Majesty, Ni'er doesn't know."

Wei Ming's eyes were full of disappointment. He threw the secret letter in front of her. When Ming Fei picked it up and saw it, her face turned pale instantly.

"Your Majesty, Ni'er...Ni'er was forced."

She knelt down, tears welling up in her eyes.

The emperor had mixed feelings. His love for Concubine Ming still existed, but what she had done was unforgivable.

"Ni'er, I think you just lost your child and haven't regained your sanity yet. Do you know that the Queen's belly is also my child? How can I tolerate you for acting like this?"

Ming Fei fell down at Wei Ming's feet and begged bitterly: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I also miss our child in my heart."

"Child..." Wei Ming closed his eyes and took a deep breath: "I cannot ignore the national law and the royal bloodline because of personal feelings. You... take care of yourself."

After saying this, he turned and left, leaving Ming Fei collapsed on the ground and crying in despair.

Tonight, the moonlight in the palace seemed particularly cold and clear. Wei Ming was walking alone on the way back to the palace. He knew that from now on, there was an unspeakable sadness in the palace.

The love between him and Ming Fei was completely shattered in the entanglement of conspiracy and interests.