Such a reaction seemed more like the result of being poisoned by a gu.
People in the Western Regions more or less knew some gu - poisoning techniques. The maid looked at it and became more and more convinced of this.
She had a rough guess in mind, but it was of no use in the current situation.
She was just a low - ranked maid. The person behind all this who could control the princess consort must not be an ordinary character. How could she possibly help the princess consort get rid of the gu poison?
For a moment, the maid didn't know what to do.
All she knew clearly now was that if the princess consort continued to be controlled like this, the entire Western Regions might fall into the hands of Concubine Rui. By then, small fry like them would surely lose their lives.
No, it definitely wouldn't do. Even for her own life, the little maid decided to take a risk.
She secretly returned to Concubine Ning's side and anxiously asked what to do next.
Concubine Ning didn't expect Concubine Rui to act so quickly. It seemed that she had set her eyes on the Western Regions long ago. Her purpose for coming here in the first place might not have been so simple.
Thinking about all that had happened before, she knew that now her elder brother had also become Concubine Rui's man. So this matter had to be handled with caution.
She must carefully select the most suitable person to save the situation. That person also had to be capable enough to remove the gu poison from the princess consort.
As she thought of this, a light bulb went off in her head, and she really thought of a suitable person.
"Secretly take my token and leave the palace. Elder brother had already greeted the people outside before. Now, no one should stop you."
"Does Your Highness want me to fetch the princess consort's elder brother?"
"Right. He's the only one who can turn the situation around now."
"Okay."
The maid left the palace like this, and Concubine Ning decided to stabilize the situation on her own first.
She came to the princess consort's bedroom. By this time, there were already a lot of people surrounding it.
It was easy to guess who these people were sent by. But she still needed to put on a good show with that woman and couldn't arouse her suspicion.
"Sister, why do you have free time today and suddenly come to visit me?"
"Alas, it's just because I'm worried about you, sister. You haven't eaten properly for several days, so I came to take a look in person."
"In that case, sister is really considerate. How about I go in with you?"
A look of inquiry flashed across Concubine Rui's eyes. Qiao Meng beside her originally wanted to decline on her behalf, but she reached out her hand to stop her.
"Please, sister."
Seeing this, Qiao Meng got a bit anxious. She grabbed Concubine Rui who was about to step forward.
"Your Highness, this woman has been staying with the princess consort all year round. Although she's General Du's younger sister, there's no guarantee that she won't have ulterior motives."
Hearing this, Concubine Rui laughed instead of getting angry: "You're really a ruthless person."
Qiao Meng wasn't a fool and naturally knew what she meant. She thought this remark was a bit redundant.
"Hasn't Your Highness already seen my heartlessness? I can even reject the general. She's just his younger sister. What's wrong with suspecting her?"
"I just need this kind of ruthlessness from you. Don't worry. The general has already promised me that even if his younger sister causes any trouble in this palace, she won't escape my grasp."
Hearing this, Qiao Meng still had a hint of suspicion.
"Your Highness, aren't you being too trusting of these two siblings?"
"No. I just have confidence in myself."
She held her head high and took steps. Her figure looked a bit heartless.
Seeing this, all of Qiao Meng's previous worries vanished.
Wasn't the reason she had taken a fancy to Concubine Rui because of her heartlessness and cruelty?
With this thought in mind, she no longer felt conflicted.
As soon as the two of them walked in, Concubine Ning suddenly got aggressive.
"What's wrong, sister?"
Concubine Rui had already prepared her speech, so she wasn't flustered when facing her questioning.
"The princess consort hasn't been feeling well recently and has been eating less. Didn't I tell you this outside just now? It seems that although you're young, your memory is not very good."
"This doesn't look like an illness at all. Do you think you can fool me like a fool? Almost everyone in our Western Regions knows gu - poisoning techniques. You clearly poisoned sister, and it's a gu poison. Vicious woman, hand over the antidote quickly, or I will never let you go."
Her protective look only made Concubine Rui burst into laughter.
"What are you laughing at? I'm talking to you seriously."
"Well, I just find it a bit funny. Does Concubine Ning still think she's the high - ranking daughter of the grand preceptor? Do you think I can't do anything to you in this palace?"
It was the first time Concubine Ning had seen this woman get angry. She couldn't help but take a scared step back.
Concubine Rui looked really terrifying like this.
The air around them was extremely sharp. Her face was gloomy, and the hair on her forehead fluttered, making her look even more terrifying.
"You! Let me warn you not to mess around. There are Zhao family's informants everywhere in this palace. As long as I'm here, I will never let you hurt sister."
"Fine. Then let me see how you can protect your dear sister."
Concubine Rui leaned against one side and quietly waited for her show, which made Concubine Ning feel like a fool.
After waiting for a while, Concubine Ning didn't do anything. She knew she definitely couldn't fight against this person, and for a moment, she was at a loss.
"I... you promised elder brother that you would never harm me."
"I did say such a thing to your elder brother. But that was on the premise that you would never cause me any trouble. However, I'm still willing to give you one last chance. Let's make a deal. Keep everything you saw today to yourself and act as if you saw nothing. Otherwise, I will make you suffer the same fate as your sister."
"Concubine Rui! Do you know the consequences of what you're doing?"
"Do you think I haven't thought about it?"
Her rhetorical question silenced Concubine Ning.
Yes, such a shrewd woman had laid out the plan from the very beginning, including being brought back by the king. Everything was within her calculations. In contrast, she had been protected in the harem all along. Now she seemed like a useless person who couldn't help at all.
She thought of that maid before. Her only hope now was on that maid. She couldn't give up. After thinking for a while, she made a decision.
"I choose to listen to you. My elder brother has handed over his military power. Now the king is not here, and the princess consort has become like this. Before, she was still a bit useful to me, but now it seems that she's just a burden. I don't want such a person to drag me down. I still want to live well. I know Concubine Rui will give me this chance."