The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 259 Antidote
what?
Did he slap Consort Song?

When Wu Jixiang saw Emperor Yuanwu's eyes widen in anger upon hearing this, he continued, "If it were any other concubine in the palace, a concubine might slap a Noble Lady for doing something wrong, which wouldn't be a big deal. But Noble Lady Song and Consort Xian have served you for about the same amount of time, and they've always been equals. Although they don't get along, their favor is about the same. Even though the Emperor usually shows a little more favor to Consort Xian, Noble Lady Song has never complained. Now, although both of them have been demoted, Noble Lady Song's rank is indeed lower than Consort Xian's."

"You've said so much over and over again, but I still don't understand what you're trying to say.

Emperor Yuanwu frowned, his face full of indescribable irritation. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Wu Jixiang walked behind him and massaged his temples in circles. While massaging, he also took out his hand and lightly slapped his own mouth. "Look at this servant, so clumsy and tongue-tied. He can't even answer such a simple question."

Emperor Yuanwu raised an eyebrow: "Consort Song just stood there and let her hit her?"

"That's right, Your Majesty. Although Consort Song is angry, she is restrained by palace rules. No matter how angry she is, she doesn't dare to disobey her superiors and lay a hand on a concubine."

As Wu Jixiang spoke, he glanced at Emperor Yuanwu again.

"But Consort Xian was still not satisfied after slapping her, so she put her face in front of Noble Lady Song, slapping her own face while yelling at Noble Lady Song to hit her back. Luckily, Pei'er, who was beside Noble Lady Song, was a reasonable person. She hugged Noble Lady Song tightly from behind and pulled her back to the palace, so that a fight was not really started. So I guess Consort Xian must have known the good news that General Pang was out of danger beforehand. Otherwise, who would have the mood to provoke others and cause trouble in the harem when their own father was on the verge of death?"

Emperor Yuanwu's eyes were filled with complex emotions, mixed with a hint of anger. He slowly opened his eyes, just as Prince Rui walked in from outside.

"Brother Royal."

Emperor Yuanwu waved to Wu Jixiang behind him, and Wu Jixiang bowed to Prince Rui before leaving.

The moment the gates of the Hall of Mental Cultivation closed, Prince Rui spoke with a hint of teasing, "Why is Your Majesty troubled?"

Emperor Yuanwu sighed deeply, "It's all about the harem."

"The affairs of the inner palace have always been handled by my sister-in-law for my brother, so why did this complaint end up in the Hall of Mental Cultivation?" Prince Rui sat opposite Emperor Yuanwu, picked up the teapot in front of him, and poured himself a cup of tea without any ceremony. "The air in Lingnan is really bad. I only stayed in Lingnan for a few days, and I'm still thirsty no matter how much water I drink when I come back. It's still my brother's tea that's refreshing and sweet, and very thirst-quenching."

Emperor Yuanwu chuckled, "If you like this Pu'er tea, I'll have it packed and delivered to your residence later."

"Your Majesty is so reluctant to part with it, which makes me quite embarrassed," Prince Rui said, taking another sip of tea.

"You have rendered meritorious service on this trip to Lingnan. If there is anything you want, just ask, and I will grant it!" Emperor Yuanwu said, picking up his teacup and taking a sip of tea.

"When I first entered the palace, I heard that the person Your Majesty sent me to assassinate was almost cured by the imperial physician Your Majesty dispatched," Prince Rui said with a forced smile. Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanwu's expression, which had just softened slightly, instantly turned serious again.

"Your Majesty, do not worry. The poison I applied to the hidden weapon is no ordinary poison. I obtained it from a wandering sorcerer when I traveled to Jiangnan. This poison is Gelsemium elegans, extracted and refined from a poisonous herb. There is no antidote for this poison. Even if the imperial physicians use all their medical skills to stabilize his condition, it will only prolong his life for a couple more days. Your Majesty, do not worry," Prince Rui comforted him.

"Gelsemium elegans?" Emperor Yuanwu repeated the two words, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Is there such a poison in the world? Could it be even more poisonous than arsenic?"

"This..." Prince Rui's expression changed slightly. "Whether Gelsemium elegans is more poisonous than Arsenic is something I really don't know. Although Arsenic is rare, medical practitioners have been studying its antidote for many years. If the poisoning is not severe, there may be an antidote. Hidden weapons can only be soaked in poisonous water. It is not easy to kill him on the spot with just one wound. General Pang has practiced martial arts for many years and is naturally healthy. It is only because Lingnan has been stable that he was careless for a moment. If he were stationed on the frontier, he would be heavily guarded. Let alone wanting to hurt him, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to get close to him. Gelsemium elegans was made by a wandering sorcerer. Whether the formula for this poison was refined according to the ancient book or whether some poisonous substance was added during the refining process is unknown. It is precisely because we do not know where the poison comes from that it is even more difficult to develop an antidote in a short time."

Emperor Yuanwu nodded, but his gaze towards Prince Rui deepened. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "After all this talk, what is it that you want? If you keep beating around the bush, I won't grant it."

Prince Rui smiled with relief, "If Your Majesty is not sincere in wanting to reward me, then I will not accept it."

"Alright," Emperor Yuanwu snorted, "I've given you the chance."

Seeing that Emperor Yuanwu was really losing patience, Prince Rui smiled and said, "If Your Majesty really wants to reward me, why not reserve a palace for me in the Hall of Mental Cultivation? That way, I won't have to drink with Your Majesty until midnight and then have to leave the palace."

"Heh." Emperor Yuanwu chuckled. "Haven't you been sleeping on the boat in the Imperial Garden all along?"

“Your Majesty is getting older now, and the wind on the lake is biting cold. Whenever I spend the night on the boat, I always feel sore all over the next day. It has been a long time since I have spent the night on that boat,” Prince Rui joked.

"You know you're not young anymore. If it were anyone else your age, they would already have a bunch of wives and concubines and children running all over the place. Look at you, a prince, you don't even have someone to warm your bed. What kind of person are you?" Emperor Yuanwu complained.

“Your Majesty promised to reward me, but how did it turn into a lecture? If that’s how it is, then I don’t want the reward.” Prince Rui pretended to be angry.

"Alright." Emperor Yuanwu thought for a moment. "Since you want to have a place to stay in the palace, it doesn't have to be in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. I usually handle official business in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. If you really stay there, I'm afraid you won't be able to rest during the day because of the noise. How about Qiujiang Pavilion next to Cining Palace?"

Qiujiang Pavilion is very close to Cining Palace, but from entering the palace to here, and then to Yangxin Hall, it perfectly avoids the inner palace.

As a result, he may have very few opportunities to visit the Imperial Garden in the future.

but……