Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 7: Poisoned Soup? I Feigned Unconsciousness and Fooled Everyone!

It rained for three days.

The eaves of the Cold Palace leaked even more badly, so Jinshu found two broken earthenware jars to collect water inside the room. The dripping sound was particularly clear in the silence.

Shen Qingci's detoxification process is progressing slowly.

One dose of medicine a day gradually removes toxins from the body.

The warm current of the fetus feeding back became more and more obvious. She could feel her meridians slowly regaining their vitality, and even her complexion was better than before.

But all of this must be kept hidden.

During the day, she still pretended to be weak, coughing occasionally and needing Jinshu's help to walk.

The two eunuchs sent by Wang Fu loitered outside the window all day long, their eyes like hooks, peering inside.

On the morning of the fourth day, the rain stopped.

Just as dawn was breaking, footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard.

It wasn't the arrogant stride of Wang Fu, nor the dragging footsteps of the eunuchs, but rather a light, deliberately restrained movement.

Jinshu was combing Shen Qingci's hair—actually, there wasn't much to comb.

My hair is so dry and brittle, like straw, after three months of neglect.

But Jinshu insisted on combing her hair with a broken wooden comb every day, saying, "Your Majesty cannot lose face."

Upon hearing footsteps, Jinshu's hand froze.

Shen Qingci pressed her hand down and shook her head.

There was a gentle knock on the door three times.

Then, it was pushed open.

Chunxing came in.

She was still wearing that pink palace maid's dress, and still had fresh silk flowers in her hair.

Today, however, he wasn't carrying a tray; instead, he was holding an exquisite red lacquered food box.

"Greetings, Your Highness Shen." Chunxing was much more proper this time, even giving a slight curtsy.

But Shen Qingci could see clearly that beneath the feigned respect in her eyes lay undisguised smugness.

"Is there something you need, Miss Chunxing?" Shen Qingci leaned against the headboard, her voice weak.

She deliberately kept her face pale—she had secretly smeared some stove ash on her face these past few days.

Chunxing placed the food box on the table and opened the lid.

A rich aroma of chicken soup wafted out, mingled with the fragrance of ginseng and astragalus. Inside the food box was a pot of thick, golden-yellow soup, accompanied by a small dish of delicate pastries.

"Her Imperial Concubine felt sorry for Consort Shen suffering in the Cold Palace, so she specially ordered the Imperial Kitchen to stew this 'Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup'."

Chunxing's voice was sickeningly sweet.

"We use a five-year-old hen, along with top-quality Changbai Mountain ginseng, Ningxia wolfberries, and..."

She rattled off a list of expensive medicinal herbs.

Then, she picked up the soup bowl and walked to the bedside: "Her Highness the Imperial Concubine instructed that I must watch Consort Shen drink it with my own eyes before I can be considered to have done my duty."

Jinshu's expression changed: "Her Majesty is frail; I'm afraid she can't handle such a nourishing soup..."

"Oh, is Miss Jinshu doubting the Imperial Concubine's good intentions?" Chunxing glanced at her.

"Or... do you think the Imperial Concubine would poison the soup?"

That's a very blunt statement, which makes it difficult for people to respond.

Shen Qingci sneered inwardly.

That's a brilliant move—a strategic retreat to advance.

"Jinshu, don't be rude," she said weakly, struggling to sit up.

Jinshu quickly helped her up.

Shen Qingci took the soup bowl, lifted the lid, and a wave of steam rushed out.

She lowered her eyes, seemingly blowing warm air, but in reality, she was already quickly analyzing the situation—

The soup is golden in color, with a thin layer of oil floating on the surface, which is normal.

The herbs have a strong aroma, which is normal. But...

She caught a faint, almost imperceptible, sweet, fishy smell, almost completely masked by the aroma of herbs.

It smelled like something burnt and mixed with blood.

This is... "Red Scorpion Powder"?

Shen Qingci searched her memory.

The original owner had read many medical books, including one unorthodox poison manual that mentioned: red scorpion powder.

Originating from the deserts of the Western Regions, it is not inherently toxic, but if it encounters "Crimson Death," it will increase the latter's toxicity tenfold.

It causes the poisoned person to rapidly deteriorate and die within three days.

Moreover, red scorpion powder dissolves instantly when heated, is colorless and odorless, and is extremely difficult to detect.

If her body hadn't already been poisoned by "Crimson Beauty Poison" and hadn't been exceptionally sensitive to related toxins, she probably wouldn't have been able to smell it.

Such a vicious mind.

Liu Ruyan couldn't wait any longer.

They wanted her to "die of natural causes," but thought that was too slow, so they added fuel to the fire.

"Your Majesty?" Chunxing urged, "The soup is only effective if it's drunk while it's hot."

Shen Qingci raised her eyes and glanced at Chunxing.

His eyes were weak, blank, and tinged with a mixture of flattery and trepidation.

Then, she picked up the soup bowl and brought it to her lips.

But at the last moment, with a slight twitch of the sleeve—

Inside the wide cuffs, she had already sewed a flat oil paper bag, which she then attached to the inside of her wrist.

This was secretly made by Jinshu a few days ago. It was made with a piece of waterproof oil paper. The stitches were rough, but it was enough.

The soup bowl is tilted.

The warm liquid flowed into my mouth... but only a small portion.

More of it, following the angle she deliberately tilted, flowed into the oil paper bag in her sleeve.

"Cough cough..." She pretended to choke and coughed violently, some soup spilling from the corner of her mouth.

Jinshu quickly patted her back: "Your Highness, slow down!"

Chunxing stared at her, her eyes unblinking.

Shen Qingci coughed until her face turned red, making her look even weaker.

She forced down three or four sips, then put down the soup bowl.

Panting, she said, "I'm so sorry... I really... don't have the fortune to enjoy such a good soup..."

Chunxing glanced at the soup bowl.

The soup inside had decreased by about half.

enough?

That should be enough. A little bit of scorpion powder is enough to be effective, and besides, Shen was already deeply poisoned.

A smile returned to her face: "Your Highness, what are you saying? It's only thanks to the Imperial Concubine's kindness that I can have a few sips. Please keep these snacks for Your Highness; I won't bother you any longer."

After saying that, she packed up the food box, curtsied, and turned to leave.

The door closed.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Shen Qingci immediately sat up in bed, her eyes instantly clearing.

"Jinshu, bring me an empty jar."

Jinshu hadn't quite recovered from the scene she'd just witnessed, and she absentmindedly reached for a broken earthenware jar that she usually used to collect rainwater.

Shen Qingci walked to the corner, her back to the window—a blind spot for surveillance. She carefully unbuttoned her cuffs and took out the oil paper bag.

The bag was already bulging, and the warm soup was sloshing around inside.

She poured the soup into an earthenware pot, then quickly pulled a small porcelain bottle from her bosom—it contained the antidote powder she had prepared over the past few days.

Although it cannot cure "the death of a beautiful woman", it can neutralize most common toxins.

The powdered medicine was sprinkled in, and the soup made a slight "sizzling" sound, with a few small bubbles rising to the surface.

The color changed from golden yellow to a muddy grayish brown.

"Your Majesty, this soup is really..." Jinshu's voice trembled.

"I added something," Shen Qingci said coldly, "something that will make me die faster."

She looked at the discolored soup in the earthenware pot and quickly analyzed the situation in her mind.

Why is Liu Ruyan making her move now?

Logically speaking, she had already been afflicted by the "Beauty Curse" and would die sooner or later.

Why go through all that trouble and risk adding ingredients?

unless……

"Jinshu," Shen Qingci turned her head, "has there been any movement in the palace lately?"

Jinshu thought for a moment: "When I went to collect my meals yesterday, I overheard some of the older women whispering... it seems His Majesty is going to hold a selection of concubines."

Talent show.

Shen Qingci understood.

Even if Liu Ruyan was favored, she still had to be distracted when a new concubine entered the palace.

If she, the deposed empress, were to "die of illness" at this time, it would easily be attributed to "being weak and sickly, and dying of depression," and would not attract much attention.

The timing was perfect.

"And..." Jinshu lowered her voice.

"I've heard that things are a bit unsettled in the Northern Border, with some friction between the Prince of Zhenbei and the imperial court. Master used to serve there, so perhaps..."

Shen Qingci's eyes sharpened.

Yes.

His father, Shen Anbang, served as the Imperial Inspector of the Northern Frontier for three years and was highly respected in the area.

If unrest breaks out in the north, the court may reinstate the father.

Liu Ruyan and Liu Chengzong would never allow such a thing to happen.

Therefore, they need to speed things up and completely extinguish the Shen family's hopes before her father can turn things around—that is, to make her, the legitimate daughter, "die of illness."

"Jinshu," Shen Qingci walked to the table, picked up the half-burnt charcoal pencil, "I want to send a message to my father."

Jinshu immediately nodded: "This servant knows a vegetable delivery woman who delivers rotten vegetable leaves from outside the palace to the Cold Palace every day. We can ask her to help..."

"No," Shen Qingci shook her head. "It's too obvious. Wang Fu is keeping a close eye on things now; anything that enters or leaves the Cold Palace will be investigated."

She thought for a moment, then suddenly looked at the pile of dry hay in the corner.

"Pull back the dry grass at the bottom."

Although Jinshu was puzzled, she did as instructed. Beneath the dry grass was a layer of loose soil, and below that…

Several loose bricks were exposed.

This was secretly dug by Jinshu at Shen Qingci's request a few days ago—the Cold Palace had been in disrepair for years, and the bricks and stones on the ground had long since loosened.

They chose the most secluded corner, dug a small hole leading directly to a patch of weeds outside the wall.

The entrance to the hole was very small, only wide enough for one mouse to pass through.

But that's enough for sending messages.

Shen Qingci cut a small piece of cloth—torn from her innermost undergarment, plain white, without any pattern. She wrote a few tiny words on it with charcoal:

Peace. Two months pregnant. Her youthful beauty has faded. Lady Liu is anxious. Father, take care.

Then roll the cloth strip into a thin roll and stuff it into a small bamboo tube—which was taken from the broken broom earlier.

"After dark, slip it out through the hole." Shen Qingci handed the bamboo tube to Jinshu. "Dig a shallow hole under the third clump of foxtail grass outside the wall and bury it there. Tomorrow, when the vegetable delivery woman passes by, deliberately cough at the window, and she'll spit into the grass—that was your secret signal, right?"

Jinshu stared wide-eyed in shock: "Mother, how did Your Majesty know...?"

Shen Qingci did not explain.

She had observed over the past few days that the vegetable delivery woman would spit in the same direction every time she passed by the outer wall of the Cold Palace.

Every time Jinshu heard a noise, she would subconsciously look towards the window.

It's too obvious.

But that's good too, as there are readily available channels for communication.

"Be careful," Shen Qingci cautioned. "If you're discovered, swallow the bamboo tube or the cloth strip."

Jinshu nodded vigorously: "This servant understands!"

That evening, Shen Qingci began to "fall ill".

First, his face turned pale, he broke out in a cold sweat, and he lay on the bed unable to move.

Jinshu tearfully begged Wang Fu to summon the imperial physician, but Wang Fu kicked her away, saying, "What imperial physician? That's bad luck!"

At night, she began to talk nonsense, her voice rising and falling, which was particularly eerie in the silent, cold palace.

The two eunuchs watching outside the window felt a chill run down their spines and huddled together, whispering, "Is this really going to be the end of them...?"

"That soup from the Imperial Concubine... it's really amazing."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Are you out of your mind?"

At midnight, Shen Qingci's "illness" reached its peak—she coughed violently, coughed up blood, then her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

Jinshu's cries startled the entire Cold Palace.

Wang Fu finally arrived, stood at the door, and glanced inside.

Seeing the ashen-faced, lifeless figure on the bed, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Go and inform the Imperial Concubine," he whispered to a young eunuch. "Tell her... that Lady Shen is probably doomed."

The young eunuch left in a hurry.

Wang Fu glanced into the room again and clicked his tongue: "The sooner they die, the sooner they'll be free."

After saying that, he walked away with his hands behind his back.

After everyone had left, Jinshu closed the door, rushed to the bedside, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, they're gone..."

Shen Qingci slowly opened her eyes.

His eyes were clear, showing no sign of being unconscious.

"You acted well." She even curled the corners of her mouth into a smile.

Jinshu cried, "This servant...this servant really thought just now..."

"Don't worry." Shen Qingci sat up and wiped the "blood" from the corner of her mouth.

"This play will have to run for two more days."

Starting tomorrow, you will go to the imperial physician once a day and cry your heart out.

Three days later... I was "critically ill."

"And then what?"

"Then," Shen Qingci looked out at the dark night, "waited for Father's reply."

"Waiting for... a chance to turn things around."

Meanwhile, at Chunxi Palace.

After listening to the eunuch's report, Liu Ruyan paused in her work of applying nail polish.

"Did he really cough up blood?"

"It's absolutely true! Eunuch Wang saw it with his own eyes; the bedsheets were stained red!"

Liu Ruyan gently blew on the bright red stain on her fingernail and smiled.

"Then... let's wait three more days."

Three days later, Shen Qingci "passed away due to illness".

The Shen family's last hope was completely extinguished.

She will remain firmly in her position as a Noble Consort, waiting for the newly arrived palace ladies to kneel at her feet one by one.

perfect.

She picked up her teacup and took a sip.

As the aroma of tea wafted through the air, she suddenly recalled the scene from many years ago when she first met Shen Qingci—

At that time, Shen Qingci was still the future empress. Dressed in gorgeous clothes, with stunning beauty, she stood next to Nangong Ye, a perfect match that was almost blinding.

And now...

Liu Ruyan's smile deepened.

Now, that once high and mighty empress is about to rot in the cold palace.

very nice.