The Black Chamber Dream: Daiyu's Revenge

"Granny Yuan, I have always treated you well. Why are you trying to frame me? Did you take bribes from someone?" Consort Wu stared at Granny Yuan, her eyes practically spitting fire.

At this moment, Granny Yuan took out a silver note from her sleeve: "This is from the Imperial Concubine. She asked me to bribe Zijuan, the girl by the Crown Princess's side. This silver note from Tongbao Money Exchange was sent by the Imperial Concubine's own brother."

Upon hearing this, the emperor gestured for Hu Delu to bring up the silver notes.

As expected, these were silver notes from Tongbao Money Shop. The Emperor coldly looked at Consort Wu: "What else do you have to say?"

Consort Wu quickly denied it: "Your Majesty, it's not only I who can have the bank notes. Any customer of the bank can have them. Granny Yuan, quickly tell me honestly, who forced you? His Majesty is wise and will surely stand up for you."

At this point, Consort Wu even began to subtly pressure Granny Yuan: "Granny, think about your grandsons, and make sure they don't fall into the trap of treacherous people."

Upon hearing about her descendants, Granny Yuan was even less likely to side with Consort Wu. She kowtowed several more times and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, please understand. This old servant takes full responsibility for her actions. It was Consort Wu who instigated this, and I, as her accomplice, caused the death of Consort Qiao. Now, I am unwilling to continue aiding and abetting evil."

"You, you're talking nonsense! Your words have no proof!" Consort Wu hadn't expected this outcome, and in her panic, she stammered.

“Every word I have said is true.” Granny Yuan was determined.

Consort Wu had a sudden inspiration: "Since you say that I bribed Imperial Physician Lan, then Your Majesty, let Imperial Physician Lan come and confront me. I absolutely do not believe that Imperial Physician Lan would talk nonsense."

“The other day, Your Highness asked me to send someone to inquire, and it turns out that Physician Lan has passed away, so he can no longer testify against Your Highness,” Granny Yuan immediately retorted.

"You, you... how much money did you take from others to harm me? I've always treated you like family... Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please don't believe her, I've never done such a thing..."

As Consort Wu spoke, she pondered how to console herself. Should she blame the Crown Prince or the Empress? Should she try to distract herself?

Then she suddenly pointed at the Empress and said, "Empress, it's you, it must be you! You're trying to sow discord between the second and third sons, aren't you?"

The Empress remained silent, simply observing Consort Wu calmly.

"Enough, Granny Yuan. Words are no proof. Do you have any other evidence?" The Emperor kept a close eye on the expressions and even the changes in the eyes of those present. He felt that things were still too strange.

Granny Yuan kowtowed again: "This servant has no evidence. It was all just verbal communication between this servant and Physician Lan."

But just as Consort Wu was secretly pleased, since Granny Yuan couldn't produce any evidence anyway, Granny Yuan suddenly said, "But there's one more thing, and I have evidence."

Consort Wu immediately understood what Granny Yuan wanted to say and spoke first: "Don't change the subject. His Majesty is asking you for evidence, so you should be honest. If anyone is forcing you, Granny Yuan, His Majesty will definitely stand up for you."

"This old servant recalls that in the treasure pavilion of the Imperial Concubine's palace, there is an exquisite, palm-sized mechanical box. Its surface is inlaid with various colored beads, shaped like a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) plate, which can be turned back and forth..."

"Shut up!!" Consort Wu panicked completely.

"No need to say anything more!" The emperor's words stunned everyone present. However, the emperor then ordered, "Hu Delu, take Granny Yuan and go fetch that mechanism box."

Consort Wu was terrified and quickly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, it must be a frame-up by her. She planted the trap box when I wasn't paying attention. I was completely unaware of it..."

She was already speechless and knew nothing about it; otherwise, she wouldn't have stopped Granny Yuan from continuing.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Hu Delu brought Yuan Mama with him and brought out the mechanism box. In front of the emperor, Yuan Mama began to move the beads on the box back and forth. The box had hidden layers inside. If the beads were not moved correctly, only the first layer could be opened. Only when the patterns matched could the second layer be pulled out.

The second layer contained a small packet of powder.

Chapter 262 Murder of the Eldest Son, Empress Faints

Granny Yuan opened the powder and immediately said to the Emperor and Empress, "This is powder from Tripterygium wilfordii. Back then, the Empress's eldest son did not die from smallpox, but from this Tripterygium wilfordii."

what? !

The Empress nearly lost her balance upon hearing this, but Hu Mama behind her reacted quickly and stepped forward to support her; otherwise, the Empress would have fainted on the spot.

The Emperor's already ashen face turned even colder. Noticing that Consort Wu seemed about to make a move, the Emperor immediately ordered his men to keep an eye on her: "Hold her down and don't let her move!"

Then, the emperor's sharp eyes fixed on Granny Yuan: "Continue!"

"At that time, the eldest son's smallpox was actually almost cured. With a little more care, he could have made a full recovery."

"However, the master said at the time that the eldest son was a legitimate eldest son of the legitimate wife, with an extremely noble status. Moreover, the Empress was always known for her intelligence, and at that time, the position of the Princess Consort in the Prince's Mansion was as stable as Mount Tai. More importantly, the Empress also had the support of her maternal family!"

"Moreover, the eldest son has been clever, witty, and adorable since childhood. Even the late emperor doted on his grandson. In comparison, our master's son is not only nearly three years younger than the eldest son, but also performs slightly worse in all aspects."

"In this way, in the future, no matter how you look at it, the master's son will probably be unable to compete with the eldest son. Therefore, after careful consideration, our master finally hardened his heart and decided to take this opportunity to deal with the eldest son..."

"Smallpox is inherently difficult to cure, and countless people have died from it these days. Inhaling this Tripterygium wilfordii powder produces symptoms similar to those of a smallpox victim."

Suddenly, the Empress burst into tears. She finally understood why, despite the good news that had come, something had gone wrong. Everything made sense now; it was all Wu's doing.

"Your Majesty, I didn't..." Consort Wu tried to argue, but this time, there was irrefutable evidence, leaving her no room for denial.

The emperor immediately summoned Imperial Physician Su and asked him to carefully examine the powder to determine whether it was indeed the powder of Tripterygium wilfordii.

After confirmation by Physician Su, it was indeed Tripterygium wilfordii powder.

The emperor gestured for Imperial Physician Su to leave, then looked at Consort Wu with murderous intent: "What do you have to say now?"

Little did anyone know that Consort Wu disregarded the Emperor and instead had murderous intent in her eyes. She glared fiercely at Granny Yuan, gritting her teeth: "I have always thought I treated you well, so why did you betray me? You lied to me? And you even said you would take full responsibility?"

Granny Yuan didn't dare look at Consort Wu. Since she had made a decision, she was determined to stick to it to the end. Otherwise, she would offend both Consort Wu and the Crown Princess. So, no matter what Consort Wu said, she decided to ignore it.

"It must be you, Crown Princess! You wicked woman, what kind of seductive tricks did you use to make..." Consort Wu suddenly turned her attention to the Crown Princess, glaring at her fiercely.

Even at this point, seeing Consort Wu still trying to implicate others, the Emperor was extremely disappointed.

But at the same time, the emperor quickly realized that matters of the imperial family were private, and if they were to become public, it would be a great loss of face, and in severe cases, could even damage the prestige of the royal family. This matter fell into that category.

So he needs to handle this matter properly.

The Emperor immediately ordered, "Take Granny Yuan down first." Then, turning to the Crown Prince, he said, "Your Highness, Granny Yuan is now in your care!"

Xiao Tingjun immediately accepted the order. Upon hearing the emperor's words, he understood that the emperor wanted to handle the matter secretly and not let more people know about it. After all, the emperor should be a flawless deity high above the clouds so that the people would respect him.

It was quite normal for the Emperor to order him to deal with Granny Yuan, given that Consort Wu was an elder and also the Emperor's concubine. Granny Yuan was also an accomplice in the death of his mother, so having him deal with her was a way of settling accounts with himself and his mother.

Hu Mama immediately led the order's nanny forward and took Yuan Mama away.

After the Crown Prince and Crown Princess left, the Emperor had not yet spoken. Instead, Consort Wu, abandoning her previous attitude of pleading or complaining, coldly looked at the Emperor and said, "Aren't you going to ask me why I did this?"

"Evil people never need a reason to do evil." The emperor's words were equally cold. "You are nothing but jealousy, and you want to help your son, but have you ever thought about whether you are helping him or harming him?"

Consort Wu, whose thoughts had been exposed, immediately burst into laughter. After laughing enough, she said bitterly, "Harm him? If it weren't for me, he would have an elder brother who is the eldest son of the legitimate wife. What would he be fighting for? If it weren't for me, he would also have a younger brother who is the most favored by our mother to compete with him. How could he possibly win?"

"Besides, it was you who killed your son and the woman you loved most."

"If you hadn't been so busy trying to please the late emperor, and your son had smallpox, why would you be far away in Jiangnan?"

"If you hadn't favored the Qiao family so much back then, turning her into a foolish and naive woman, how could I have succeeded so easily?"

Then, Consort Wu pointed at the Empress and said fiercely, "Don't you think you're pathetic? You've spent your whole life revolving around this man, but he only has eyes for that damned woman, Qiao Shi."

"Your son is dead, but her son is now the crown prince. Don't you feel like you're doing all the work for someone else?"

"If you hadn't refused to protect your son yourself, I might not have had the chance to find someone to do it. So who's to blame? Blame yourself for all that hard work for the Prince's mansion, for this man and his beloved woman, and yet you lost your son. Hahahaha..."

The emperor looked at that once round and beautiful face, now filled with a twisted and terrifying expression, and said indifferently, "You've gone mad, you've really gone mad."

“I’ve been crazy for a long time. I went crazy less than a year after I married you, when you got involved with the Qiao family and became infatuated with them.”

"But how many people in your harem truly love you?"

Before Consort Wu could finish speaking, the Empress, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

“Wu, I believe I have never mistreated you over the years, yet you caused the death of my only son. I know that your words just now were meant to sow discord between me and His Majesty, and also between me and the Crown Prince.”

"But I will not do as you wish. I will make you watch as I continue to serve His Majesty, and I will also be a loving mother and son with the Crown Prince."

The empress seemed to be holding on by a thread, and after saying these words, she immediately fainted.

"Summon the imperial physician—!"

Chapter 263 Unforgettable Past Events: The Empress is Seriously Ill

When the Empress fainted, the Emperor immediately ordered that Consort Wu be taken to the Buddhist hall: "Keep her locked up for now. I will deal with her when the Empress recovers."

"Don't give her food or water. Make her kneel before the Guanyin statue and repent properly!"

Hu Delu acted swiftly, quickly ordering his men to take the imperial concubine away.

At this moment, Consort Wu knew she had no hope, so her expression was indifferent with a hint of mockery, as if she didn't believe the Emperor's concern for the Empress at all.

When Consort Wu first entered the Prince's residence, she envied the Princess Consort the most: the principal wife was different. No matter how many times the Prince came to her place or how many gifts he bestowed upon her, on formal days, the Prince would always take the Princess Consort with him when he went out. Not to mention the banquets in the palace, when there were few times when she, as a concubine, could attend, it was almost always the Prince and the Princess Consort who attended.

Moreover, the Princess Consort had the final say on all matters, big and small, within the Prince's residence. Even though I entered the palace late, just by observing the actions of the maids and servants, I could tell that the Princess Consort was an expert at managing the inner quarters.

With a princess like that and a son, I'm afraid I'll have to live at her mercy for the rest of my life.

So when Qiao entered the household, Wu was quite pleased: finally, a young concubine more beautiful than herself had arrived, and one who was said to be skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Perhaps in the future, the new concubine and the princess would have a rivalry.

All they need to do is watch from the sidelines and reap the benefits.

Having made up her mind, Madam Wu was incredibly warm towards her newly arrived sister-in-law, visiting her frequently to sit down, invite Madam Qiao to have tea and chat, and discuss making clothes and shoes for the prince.

However, Wu had no idea that Qiao would be so favored.

However, after witnessing Qiao play the zither once, Wu understood completely: That day, Qiao sat in the Half-Moon Pavilion of the Prince's Mansion, and on the rosewood zither table in front of her, carved with lingzhi patterns, lay a Nine Heavens Jade Pendant, recently acquired by the Prince. It was said to be an antique from the Tang Dynasty, worth a thousand gold pieces. The surface was made of paulownia wood, the base of catalpa wood, and the entire piece was lacquered purple.

Qiao's slender fingers rested gently on the strings, as if handling the most precious thing in the world. A gentle breeze blew by, her clothes fluttering, and Qiao resembled a delicate orchid blooming in the wind.

Qiao gently plucked the strings, and melodious music flowed forth like a gentle stream. Listening to the music, a scene unfolded before one's eyes: a spring breeze gently caressed the air, carrying the fragrance of flowers. Peach blossoms covered the branches, like clouds fallen from the sky, their delicate pink petals drifting softly in the wind, carpeting the ground with blossoms. The surface shimmered, as if countless tiny diamonds were sparkling. Weeping willows swayed gracefully, their tender green branches as soft as a maiden's hair, dancing in the wind as if caressing a lake.

Butterflies fluttered among the flowers, their vibrant colors darting lightly between the blossoms, occasionally alighting on the stamens to sip sweet nectar. Bees busied themselves, their buzzing a symphony of spring. In the distance, rolling green hills were shrouded in a hazy green, like a natural ink painting. Birds sang merrily in the branches, their melodious songs seemingly proclaiming the joy of spring.

The music stopped, but the person seemed still immersed in the scene, as if all their troubles had been blown away by the music, leaving only a heart full of peace and joy.

The princess was the first to applaud, and the prince was also very pleased. Only Wu felt bitter inside: a woman like Qiao would naturally receive the prince's most favor, and she was afraid she could never compete with him.

The following year, Wu gave birth to a son, but her joy didn't last long, as Qiao also gave birth to a son shortly after. Wu could clearly sense that the prince preferred Qiao's son. Even the baby's third-day celebration was more lively than her own son's.

Not to mention, the princess's son is three years older than her son, and he is the eldest son of the legitimate wife.

Wu's jealousy intensified, her reason gradually vanished, and eventually, she lost control.

The empress fainted this time and never recovered.

At this moment, the Crown Princess personally guarded the Empress. Granny Hu brought the medicine, and Daiyu took it and personally fed it to the Empress. Seeing that the Empress frowned and seemed unwilling to drink it, Daiyu quickly comforted her.

"It seems that whether you take the medicine or not, it won't make a difference," the Empress sighed, her face still somewhat pale.

"Mother, you mustn't act like a child. Recovery from illness is slow and gradual." Daiyu had an idea, and from then on, she often called Yueyue or Cong'er to her bedside to cheer up the Empress.

So when the Empress didn't want to take her medicine, Yueyue would say in her childish voice, "Grandmother, you need to take your medicine to get better quickly. Yueyue is waiting for Grandmother to get better so we can fly kites together."

Cong'er couldn't speak very fluently at this time, but she was always her sister's little shadow. She held a piece of lion candy in her chubby hand and said, "Grandma, drink your medicine and eat candy, candy."

The Empress's mood gradually improved.

In fact, the Empress has been filled with self-blame and regret lately. If she hadn't been busy managing the Prince's Palace, and if the Prince hadn't been at a critical moment in his struggle for the throne, she would have personally taken care of her son.