Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 46 My son suddenly started crying before the baby food was served! A test revealed a deadly poison.

Late at night on the 28th day of the first lunar month.

In the small kitchen of Tangli Palace, the newly arrived palace maid, Xiaolian, was carefully cooking rice porridge.

This is the complementary food that we started adding to Bao'er's diet after she turned two months old—made by grinding high-quality glutinous rice into powder, adding goat milk and a little honey, and cooking it into a thick consistency. It's nutritious and easy to digest.

Xiao Lian entered Tangli Palace three days ago. She was fourteen years old, thin and small, and looked very honest. Jin Shu observed her for two days and found no problems before assigning her some simple tasks, such as cooking rice porridge.

The rice porridge was bubbling away in the pot, and a fragrant aroma wafted out.

Xiaolian stirred it with a spoon to make sure it was cooked before ladling it into a delicate porcelain bowl. She looked around and, seeing no one in the kitchen, quickly pulled a small paper packet from her sleeve.

The paper packet contained white powder, which had almost no smell.

Her hands were shaking.

"Hurry...hurry..." she urged herself in a low voice, pouring the powder into the rice paste and stirring it with a spoon.

After doing all this, her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

She tucked the paper package back into her sleeve, picked up the bowl, took a deep breath, and walked toward the main hall.

---

Inside the main hall, Shen Qingci was playing with Bao'er in his arms.

Bao'er is in a great mood today. Her big, bright eyes are looking around, her little hands are waving in the air, and she is making babbling sounds.

"Your Highness, the rice porridge is ready." Xiao Lian brought in the bowl, her head down, not daring to look at Shen Qingci.

"Just put it there," Shen Qingci said without looking up. "Feed it after it cools down a bit."

"Yes." Xiaolian placed the bowl on the table, but did not leave immediately. Instead, she stood to the side, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers.

Shen Qingci glanced at her: "Is there anything else?"

"No, no." Xiao Lian quickly shook her head. "This servant...this servant takes her leave."

She hurriedly retreated, her steps somewhat flustered.

Shen Qingci stared at her back, his eyes darkening slightly.

Bao'er squirmed in her arms, then suddenly frowned at the bowl of rice cereal on the table.

"Hmm...hmm..." the little guy made a dissatisfied sound, and his little hands started waving around.

Shen Qingci's heart stirred.

She carried Bao'er to the table.

When the bowl was still three feet away, Bao'er suddenly burst into tears!

It wasn't his usual whiny crying, but a terrified, resistant cry. He waved his little hands frantically toward the bowl, not to grab it, but to push it away, and kicked his little feet hard as well.

Shen Qingci's heart sank.

"Jinshu!" she called out.

Jinshu entered from the outer room and was startled to see Bao'er crying so heartbreakingly: "Your Majesty, what's wrong with the young master...?"

"Move the bowl away," Shen Qingci said. "Move it further away."

Jinshu quickly picked up the bowl and placed it in the farthest corner of the room.

Amazingly, as soon as the bowl was removed, Bao'er's crying subsided considerably. But she was still sobbing, her little face buried in her mother's arms, refusing to lift her head.

Shen Qingci, holding her son, walked to the bowl.

She stared at the bowl of rice porridge for a long time, then said to Jinshu, "Go and invite Eunuch Li over. Also, call Xiaolian over and tell her... Bao'er wants her to hold her."

"Yes."

Jinshu left in a hurry.

Soon, Eunuch Li arrived, leaning on his cane. Xiao Lian followed him in, trembling with fear.

"Your Majesty," Xiaolian knelt down, "did you summon me?"

Shen Qingci didn't look at her, but said to Eunuch Li, "Master, please look at this bowl of rice porridge."

Eunuch Li walked to the table, picked up the bowl, and brought it to his nose to smell it.

At first, nothing seemed amiss, but upon closer inspection, his expression changed.

He took a silver needle from his sleeve and inserted it into the rice paste.

The silver needle did not turn black—this indicates that it was not a common arsenic-type poison.

But Eunuch Li's expression became even more serious.

He then took out a small piece of jade used for testing poison—this was reserved for imperial physicians and was effective against dozens of poisons. He soaked the jade in rice paste, and after a few moments, removed it…

Faint blue veins appeared on the surface of the jade.

"Nightmare Powder." Eunuch Li's voice was icy. "This is a rare poison from the Western Regions. A small dose will cause convulsions, and an overdose will result in unconsciousness and death within three days. An infant... will last at most one day."

"Clang—"

Xiaolian's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, her face as pale as paper.

Shen Qingci carried Bao'er and walked up to her.

"Who ordered you to do this?" Her voice was calm, so calm it was frightening.

"This servant...this servant doesn't know what Your Highness is talking about..." Xiao Lian said, trembling. "The rice porridge...this rice porridge was made by this servant myself, no...no one has touched it..."

"Really?" Shen Qingci bent down and pulled the unprocessed paper package from her sleeve. "What's this?"

When the paper package was opened, there was still a small amount of white powder residue inside.

Xiao Lian collapsed to the ground, her whole body trembling like a leaf.

"Speak." Shen Qingci's voice turned cold. "Who ordered you to poison me? Tell me, and I'll spare your life. Don't speak..."

She didn't finish speaking, but the murderous intent in her eyes said it all.

Xiao Lian was terrified and kowtowed repeatedly, crying, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! It was...it was a maidservant from Consort Hong's side who gave it to me! She said...she said that if it worked out, she would give me one hundred taels of silver and let me leave the palace..."

"Red Consort?" Shen Qingci's eyes sharpened. "The one the Liu family sent in?"

"It was her..." Xiaolian cried, "She said...that the young master is in the way, and that if the young master is gone, His Majesty will forget about the Empress and will favor Consort Hong instead..."

"Good, very good." Shen Qingci smiled, a smile that was icy and chilling. "Liu Ruyan had just calmed down, and now Hongxiao is here. The Liu family... they're like a persistent ghost."

She looked at Eunuch Li: "Master, what are the symptoms after being poisoned by this Nightmare Powder?"

"The baby will suddenly have convulsions, with full-body spasms, foaming at the mouth, and a persistent high fever," said Eunuch Li. "Even when the imperial physicians come, they can only treat it as acute infantile convulsions. If they can't cure it, they say the child is just unlucky."

"Then proceed according to these symptoms." A ruthless glint flashed in Shen Qingci's eyes. "Jinshu, go to the Imperial Hospital and tell them that Bao'er has suddenly fallen ill and request Physician Chen to come immediately."

"Your Majesty, what are you doing...?"

"Let's play along." Shen Qingci said, enunciating each word clearly. "Didn't they want my son to 'die young'? Then let them think they've succeeded."

She looked at Xiaolian, who was slumped on the ground: "As for you... I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Xiao Lian raised her head, hope igniting in her eyes: "Mother, Your Majesty..."

"Take this bowl of rice porridge back, pour out half of it, and the rest..." Shen Qingci leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words.

Xiaolian's face turned even paler after hearing this, but she still nodded vigorously: "This servant will definitely do it well!"

"Go." Shen Qingci waved his hand. "Remember, if you mess things up, you'll die a more horrible death than if you were poisoned."

"Yes! Yes!"

Xiaolian got up, picked up the bowl of rice porridge, and staggered out.

As soon as she left, Shen Qingci immediately said to Jinshu, "Follow her and see if she really disposed of the rice paste. If not..."

"This servant understands." Jinshu understood and quietly followed him out.

Only Shen Qingci, Bao'er, and Eunuch Li remained in the room.

Bao'er has stopped crying, but her little face is still scrunched up, clearly she was frightened.

Shen Qingci kissed her son's forehead tenderly: "Baby, I'm sorry, I scared you. But I have no choice... In this deep palace, it's either you or me who dies."

Eunuch Li sighed, "Your Highness, are you really going to do this? What if you get caught..."

"It won't be discovered," Shen Qingci said. "Imperial Physician Chen is one of our men; he'll cooperate. As for the symptoms..." She looked at Eunuch Li, "Master, you have a way to make Bao'er look like he's having a seizure, but without actually hurting him, right?"

After a moment's thought, Eunuch Li said, "Yes. By sealing a few acupoints with silver needles, the body temperature can be raised and the limbs can twitch slightly. But the time cannot be long, at most half an hour."

"Half an hour is enough," Shen Qingci said. "Once Physician Chen makes a diagnosis and prescribes the medicine, the symptoms will be relieved. Then... it's just a matter of waiting."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Waiting for the fish to bite." Shen Qingci walked to the window, looking in the direction of Chuxiu Palace. "Once Hongxiao gets the news, she'll definitely be eager to come and 'visit.' At that time..."

She didn't finish speaking, but Eunuch Li understood.

This is to lure the snakes out of their holes, and then... catch them all in one fell swoop.

"This old servant will go and prepare." Eunuch Li walked away, leaning on his cane.

Shen Qingci held Bao'er and slowly paced around the room.

Bao'er nestled on her shoulder, her little hands gripping her collar tightly, as if afraid her mother would leave.

"Don't be afraid, Bao'er," Shen Qingci said softly. "Mother is here. Mother will protect you, definitely."

The moonlight outside the window was bright, shining on her face, half bright and half in shadow.

Like this deep palace.

Just like her heart at this moment.

---

Half an hour later.

Tangli Palace suddenly descended into chaos.

Physician Chen rushed over, and palace maids and eunuchs went in and out, all with solemn expressions.

Soon, the news spread throughout the harem—

Prince Chen has suddenly fallen ill with a high fever and convulsions, and his life is in danger!

Upon hearing the news, Hongxiao dropped her teacup on the ground with a "clatter".

"Really? Really?" Her voice trembled.

"Absolutely true!" the palace maid exclaimed excitedly. "Tangli Palace is in complete chaos! Physician Chen examined her for a long time and diagnosed it as infantile convulsions. He prescribed medicine, but whether she can pull through... depends on tonight!"

Hongxiao stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

Her hands were trembling, and her heart was pounding.

done?

It really worked?

That bastard... is he going to die?

"Miss," the palace maid whispered, "should we... go and see him? You are now a concubine, it is only natural for you to visit the sick prince."

Hongxiao stopped in her tracks.

Yes, she is now a talented woman, a concubine. It is only natural for her to visit the sick prince.

More importantly... she wanted to see it for herself.

Look at how Shen Qingci is grieving the loss of her beloved son.

Watch how that once high and mighty deposed empress crumbles.

"Change your clothes," she said. "Let's go to the Tangli Palace."

"yes!"

The palace maids busied themselves, dressing her in the finest clothes and styling her hair in the most magnificent updo.

Hongxiao looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath.

Success or failure hinges on tonight.

---

Tangli Palace.

Bao'er had already received acupuncture from Eunuch Li; her face was flushed, her temperature was high, and her limbs occasionally twitched slightly. She looked just like someone who was seriously ill.

Shen Qingci stood by the bedside, holding her son's little hand, her eyes red.

It wasn't an act.

It really breaks my heart.

Even though she knew it was fake, seeing Bao'er like this still made her heart ache like it was being cut by a knife.

"Your Highness," Jinshu whispered, "Consort Hong has arrived."

Shen Qingci raised her head, and the sadness in her eyes instantly turned into coldness.

"Let her in."

The door opened.

Hongxiao walked in gracefully, dressed in red with exquisite makeup, a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere that filled the room.

"Sister." She bowed gracefully, but her voice betrayed no respect. "I heard that Prince Chen is ill, so I have come to visit him."

Shen Qingci stared at her for a long time.

Then, he slowly opened his mouth:

"You're so thoughtful, Hongcai. My son just fell ill, and you came right away. Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd been waiting for this news."

Hongxiao's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered: "Sister is joking. I'm just worried about Prince Chen..."

"Worried?" Shen Qingci interrupted her, stood up, and walked step by step to Hongxiao. "Are you worried that he won't die, or that he'll die too slowly?"

Hongxiao's expression changed: "What do you mean by this, sister?"

"What do you mean?" Shen Qingci laughed, his smile full of mockery. "Hongxiao, the daughter of a famous courtesan from Jiangnan, was bought by the Liu family at the age of thirteen and secretly trained for five years. She is proficient in singing and dancing, skilled in seductive arts, and also knows... how to use poison."

With each word she spoke, Hongxiao's face paled a little more.

"The Liu family sent you to the palace to gain favor and to deal with me. But you felt that simply gaining favor wasn't enough; to completely eliminate me, you had to get rid of my son first. So, you bribed Xiaolian to poison the rice porridge."

Shen Qingci stared at her: "Am I right, Consort Hong?"

Hongxiao took a step back, forcing herself to remain calm: "Sister, this is slander! What evidence do you have...?"

"Evidence?" Shen Qingci turned around, picked up the porcelain bowl from the table, and said, "Xiao Lian has already confessed that you gave her the poison in this bowl of rice porridge. And..."

She clapped her hands.

Xiao Lian was brought in by Jin Shu. She collapsed to her knees and cried, "Consort Hong! I've confessed everything! Please save me! You promised to let me leave the palace after this was done..."

Hongxiao's face turned completely pale.

She looked at Shen Qingci, into those icy, knife-like eyes, and suddenly understood something—

She fell for the trap.

This was a setup from the very beginning.

"You...you did it on purpose..." Her voice trembled.

"Yes." Shen Qingci nodded. "I deliberately had my son fake illness, and I deliberately sent you here. Because I wanted you to admit to yourself that you were trying to harm my son."

She walked up to Hongxiao, her voice very low, so that only the two of them could hear her:

"Do you know? In this palace, harming the imperial heir... is a capital offense. No matter who sent you in, no matter how many powerful backers you have, you can't be protected."

Hongxiao's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

She looked at Bao'er, who was "on the verge of death" on the bed, and then at Shen Qingci, and suddenly smiled.

The laughter was harsh and shrill.

"Shen Qingci...you've won," she murmured, "but don't be so smug. The Liu family...the Liu family won't let you off the hook. They still have a backup plan...they still have..."

Before he could finish speaking, a eunuch's shrill voice suddenly came from outside:

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Hongxiao suddenly looked up, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes.

But Shen Qingci just sneered.

"You've come at the perfect time," she said. "How can this show be complete without an audience?"

The door opened.

Nangong Ye strode in, his face ashen.

He looked at the scene inside the room—Hongxiao slumped on the ground, Xiaolian kneeling and crying, and Bao'er lying on the bed, "seriously ill."

Then, his gaze fell on Shen Qingci's face.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice laced with suppressed anger.

Shen Qingci stared at him for a long time.

Then, he slowly knelt down:

"Your Majesty, Consort Hong bribed a palace maid to poison Prince Chen's rice porridge. We have both witnesses and physical evidence. I beg Your Majesty... to do justice for my concubine and my child."

She raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, yet her resolve was unwavering.

At this moment, she was not the vengeful Night Phoenix.

She was just a mother seeking justice for her child.

Nangong Ye looked into her eyes, then at his son who was "on the verge of death" on the bed, and his face gradually darkened.

He walked up to Hongxiao and looked down at her:

"Is what she said true?"

Hongxiao opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Speak," Nangong Ye's voice was as cold as ice.

Hongxiao collapsed to the ground, knowing that everything was over.

She closed her eyes and said resignedly:

"It was...it was made by your concubine."

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Only Bao'er's faint breathing could be heard.

After a long silence, Nangong Ye finally spoke, his voice eerily calm:

"Someone come here."

"Throw Consort Hong into the Cold Palace and hand her over to the Censorate for strict interrogation."

"As for the Liu family..." He paused, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes, "I have my own plans."

Hongxiao was dragged out, crying and screaming all the way.

But no one sympathized with her.

Shen Qingci remained kneeling, head bowed.

Nangong Ye walked up to her, bent down, and helped her up.

His hands were cold, but his grip was tight.

"Qingci," he whispered, "I...I'm sorry."

Shen Qingci raised her head and looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears.

This time, it wasn't an act.

it is true.

The suffering I endured for Bao'er.

For all the grievances I've suffered over the past three years.

"Your Majesty," she said softly, "one 'I'm sorry' isn't enough."

Nangong Ye held her hand tightly.

"I know," he said, "so I will show you."

He turned around and looked at Bao'er on the bed, his eyes filled with pain.

"Imperial Physician Chen," he instructed, "Prince Chen... must be cured."

Physician Chen immediately knelt down: "Your subject... obeys the decree."

Nangong Ye stood there for a while longer before turning to leave.

He stopped at the door without turning back.

"Qingci, give me some time."

"I... will give you an explanation."

The door closed.

Shen Qingci stood there, staring at the closed door for a long time.

Then she turned and walked to the bedside.

Grandpa Li has already removed the needle from Bao'er's body. The little guy's temperature is dropping, and his breathing is much more stable.

"Your Majesty," Eunuch Li said in a low voice, "the play is over."

"No." Shen Qingci picked up her son and patted him gently. "The show... has only just begun."

The moonlight outside the window was still bright.

But the stench of blood was only just beginning to permeate the Tangli Palace.

【End of Chapter 46】

---

Next chapter preview: Chapter 47, "The Tyrant Raids the Liu Family in One Night! The Poisonous Consort Goes Mad in the Cold Palace," Nangong Ye's swift and decisive investigation of the Hongxiao case uncovers even greater evidence against the Liu family. Upon hearing the news in the Cold Palace, Liu Ruyan completely loses her mind and reveals a shocking secret…