The wet nurse rammed her head against a nearby pillar. Blood flowed down her forehead. From the smile on her lips as she fell, it could be seen that having fulfilled her wish, she died in peace.
Now that this matter was settled, the only thing left was to settle the score with Concubine Dowager Shen.
That woman must know how to detoxify.
Shi An pursed her lips and took the initiative to speak.
"I'll go back and mobilize all my forces to try my best to find someone who can help the emperor detoxify."
Everyone present was not a fool. Since Concubine Dowager Shen had planned to poison the emperor, she surely wouldn't hand over the antidote easily. Maybe she had even destroyed it directly.
Cui Qizhou knew he couldn't participate in what was to come, so he left the palace with Shi An.
As they walked on the road, neither of them liked the other.
Shi An even retorted from time to time, "The national teacher was ordered to go to the south of the Yangtze River with the empress dowager to relieve the disaster. But when the disaster situation there was still unstable, he came back with the empress dowager first. Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
The national teacher glanced at her lightly, "The emperor is in trouble. This is more important than anything. I've already arranged people in the south of the Yangtze River. You don't need to worry about it, Young Master Shi."
"Heh, you just arranged some insignificant people to guard there. Do you really think those people can watch over those two dangerous people?"
At this, the national teacher lost the mood to argue. Although Shi An said this just to oppose him, there was some truth in her words.
The two didn't say another word, each lost in their own thoughts.
...
Shi Muwǎn and the young emperor tidied themselves up after washing and went straight to Concubine Dowager Shen's palace.
Concubine Dowager Shen had already received the news and was about to escape. But as soon as she stepped out of the door, she ran into them.
She tightened the bundle in her hand, "Greetings, elder sister."
Shi Muwǎn casually gave a look. The guards she brought immediately surrounded Concubine Dowager Shen's bedroom.
"Sister, you seem to be in such a hurry. Where are you going?"
"I... I just wanted to go out for a stroll. I've been so bored staying in the palace. If I had known elder sister was coming back, I would have come to pay my respects."
"Really? I see you're in such a hurry. It doesn't look like you're going out for a stroll at all. It seems more like... escaping?"
She deliberately elongated the last word, making cold sweat break out on Concubine Dowager Shen's forehead.
However, nothing was certain until the very end. There might still be some variables.
Concubine Dowager Shen surely wouldn't admit it so easily.
"I don't understand what elder sister is saying at all. Since elder sister is here, please sit down and have a cup of tea in my palace. I've just learned some new tea - making skills."
"Sure, but I'm afraid your tea is poisonous. If I drink it today, I might lose my life in a few years."
Hearing this, the smile on Concubine Dowager Shen's face froze a bit.
"How could elder sister say such a thing? I would never harm you."
Shi Muwǎn didn't know what kind of perseverance those women in the harem had to be able to keep pretending.
She had just pretended with Concubine Dowager Shen for a while and already felt exhausted.
It was still better in modern times. At least many people would speak their minds openly.
She had missed modern times countless times.
Pulling herself back to reality, she waved her hand and the palace door behind her closed.
"It's meaningless to keep pretending like this. First, you opposed me, and then you pretended here. Concubine Dowager Shen, you've really gone to great lengths. Aren't you tired at all? You've set up such a big game and poisoned the emperor. What? Are you tired of living and want to see the sight of hell?"
Concubine Dowager Shen's true face was exposed in public. Her gaze fell on the emperor beside her, and she let out a long sigh of relief.
"Elder sister is right. Let's get everything straight today. Yes, the wet nurse was my person from the very beginning. By the way, elder sister probably doesn't know one thing, right?"
"What?"
"It seems Concubine Dowager Rui didn't tell you much."
Shi Muwǎn couldn't help widening her eyes. She thought of something terrible.
The time when Concubine Dowager Shen knew the news coincided exactly with the time when they discovered Concubine Dowager Rui and Qin Feng. So, could she make a bold guess that Concubine Dowager Shen had arranged someone by her side?
"You're so bold as to place someone by my side."
Concubine Dowager Shen covered her mouth and laughed, "Since elder sister has already discovered that I dared to poison the emperor, what else am I afraid of? Actually, the former emperor also died at the hands of the wet nurse back then."
Sweat appeared on Shi Muwǎn's hands. She protected the young emperor behind her.
"The former emperor never met the wet nurse back then. How could his death be related to the wet nurse?"
"Well, this has to do with an old incident."
Concubine Dowager Shen began to recall that ridiculous memory.
When the former emperor went on an incognito tour, Concubine Dowager Shen went with him. First, she sent the wet nurse to the last destination of the former emperor's incognito tour, and then deliberately arranged a chance encounter for them. The two had a brief affair.
At that time, the wet nurse did her best to make the former emperor miss her. So, the former emperor brought her into the palace when no one was paying attention. Just then, Ji Heng was born. Concubine Dowager Shen deliberately told the former emperor to arrange the wet nurse beside the young Ji Heng.
The two secretly met when no one was watching. If the wet nurse hadn't betrayed her when she died, she might have kept this secret for the rest of her life.
Shi Muwǎn never expected there to be such a story. As the empress dowager, she should have had some feelings about such a thing, but she didn't show any reaction.
It was normal. Neither the original owner nor the time - traveled herself had any feelings for that so - called former emperor.
Instead, she suddenly found that the former emperor was always having affairs. As someone used to the monogamous system, she really felt disgusted.
Shi Muwǎn suppressed all her thoughts. She always remembered the purpose of her visit today.
"Alright, the story is over. Can you hand over the antidote now?"
"Antidote? Does elder sister think too highly of me? I never planned to keep the antidote. I destroyed it from the very beginning."
Hearing this, Shi Muwǎn changed her gentle look. She grabbed Concubine Dowager Shen's neck.
"Say that again?"
Ji Heng had never seen such a mother before. Surprise appeared on his little face.
"Mother..."
Concubine Dowager Shen's face turned red, "Even if elder sister kills me today, I don't have the antidote. I destroyed it back then. Now the poison on the young emperor is incurable. Hahaha."
"You! Someone, lock Concubine Dowager Shen up and torture her severely. I don't believe you know nothing."