Chapter 55: Ice Dumplings

Golden goblets of fine wine, exquisite delicacies fill the table, and the sound of silk and bamboo instruments fills the ears.

Wan Tang sits upright at the table, a smile at the corner of her lips, her fair hand holding a cup, sipping the clear wine lightly.

Opposite her, Xu Luoyan wears a light jade palace robe, her fingertips lightly tapping the table, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Xu Qinghuan sits shyly within Chu Yunzheng's line of sight, occasionally raising her eyes, her gaze flickering, exchanging glances with the Emperor.

Those eyes are incredibly captivating.

They resemble Wan Tang's, yet understand teasing even better than Bai Qingran.

The northern desert war is gradually calming, the Xu family's eldest son boasts brilliant battle achievements, unrivaled in court.

Xu Luoyan, though still is Answering, everyone knows that with Xu Qinghuan present, her reinstatement as Noble Consort is only a matter of time.

Wan Tang's fingertips gently caress the cup rim, a cold chill evident in her eyes.

She will never allow herself to be sacrificed in vain.

The vengeance for her mother, her own hatred, she will settle each one!

Wan Tang's face still bears a gentle smile, but her mind races with calculations.

Opposite, Xu Luoyan's red lips curl slightly, exchanging a glance with the nearby Wang Jingyi.

They also contemplate how to make Wan Tang die.

Xu Qinghuan suddenly lets out a coquettish laugh, raises her cup, her voice sweetly cloying: "Emperor, the concubine offers you a drink."

Chu Yunzheng raises an eyebrow, lifts his cup in response, his gaze flickering over Wan Tang.

Wan Tang lowers her eyes, masking the chill in her gaze.

Lady Qi suddenly leans in, a round fan covering her lips, whispering: "Sister, the beauty Xu is so favored, aren't you anxious?"

Wan Tang smiles lightly, her voice gentle: "What's there to hurry about? Whom the Emperor likes is his freedom."

She lifts her gaze, looking at Xu Luoyan's cold stare opposite, the smile at her lips deepening.

It is they who should be in a hurry.

Goblets clink, and the silk-and-bamboo music continues.

Xu Qinghuan suddenly stands, bows demurely, her voice sweet and soft: "Emperor, the concubine feels a bit unwell and wishes to step out for fresh air."

Chu Yunzheng nods lightly, yet his gaze does not leave Wan Tang.

A hint of gloom flashes in Xu Qinghuan's eyes, but she quickly returns to her delicate, harmless demeanor, gliding away with graceful steps.

About a quarter of an hour later, Xu Qinghuan returns, a faint pink flush on her face, as if brushed by the night wind.

She just sits down when a retinue of palace maids enters, carrying jade‑green bowls in a line.

The bowls hold crystal‑clear ice dumplings, the broth scented faintly with osmanthus, glistening like jade in the candlelight.

"The weather is scorching; the concubine has specially instructed the Imperial Kitchen to prepare ice dumplings for the sisters to cool off," Consort Shun is today's host.

As the host, she speaks softly, arranging everything.

The ice dumplings before Chu Yunzheng are especially exquisite, adorned with gold leaf, reflecting imperial grandeur.

Xiao Mingshu lowers her gaze, taps the bowl rim lightly with her fingertip, and does not eat immediately.

Xu Luoyan's red lips curl slightly, leisurely stirring the dumplings in the bowl, her eyes never leaving Wan Tang.

Wan Tang watches the ice dumplings before her, her fingertip pausing briefly.

The moment Xu Qinghuan left the seat is too coincidental.

This bowl of ice dumplings is overly deliberate.

She lifts her gaze, meeting Xu Qinghuan's innocent eyes.

"Sister, why aren't you eating? Is it not to your taste?" Xu Qinghuan blinks, her tone plaintive.

She then looks provocatively at Consort Shun: "Is it that sister doesn't like what Consort Shun prepared?"

Consort Shun lightly coughs, pushes her bowl before Wan Tang: "If sister dislikes the osmanthus flavor, perhaps try my bowl infused with rose?"

After all, it is Wan Tang's existence that gave her child a name and support.

Consort Shun naturally does not get angry; on the contrary, she defends Wan Tang.

Her voice is soft, yet it makes Xu Qinghuan's complexion shift slightly.

【Prayer, prayer, Wan Tang must not eat this thing! It's poisonous!】

【Xu Qinghuan hates you to death; the palace maid the Emperor killed was her dear sister. She originally intended to bring her to the palace to enjoy bliss, but she was mistakenly slain.】

【She dares not hate the Emperor, so she intends to poison you directly!】

Wan Tang listens to the barrage's words, lifts a silver spoon, gently stirring the ice dumplings in the bowl, the crystal spheres bobbing in the osmanthus honey water.

Her gaze inadvertently sweeps over Lady Qi's small table.

The porcelain plate of hawthorn cake is empty, and the dish of sour plum candied fruit holds only a few remnants.

Lady Qi now stares at the ice dumplings, frowning, seemingly uninterested in this overly sweet fare.

Wan Tang's lips curl slightly, suddenly picking up the nearby hawthorn cake, breaking it finely, sprinkling it into her bowl.

She then plucks a few sour plum candied pieces, gently crushes them, mixing them into the broth.

Lady Qi's eyes brighten, leaning forward: "What kind of eating method is this?"

"Sour and sweet, most appetizing," Wan Tang scoops a spoonful, but does not rush to eat, letting the glossy dumpling wobble gently in the spoon.

Lady Qi stares at the altered bowl of ice dumplings, her throat rolling: "We swap."

Wan Tang pretends to hesitate: "But I love eating it this way, besides, you aren't without yours, so why exchange mine?"

"I want this bowl!" Lady Qi, without further discussion, reaches out, swaps the two bowls, raising her chin triumphantly, "You eat mine."

Wan Tang's fingertip trembles, yet she does not resist, slowly withdrawing her hand, her nails digging deep into her palm.

Xiao Mingshu, seeing this, gives the Emperor a meaningful glance and says pointedly: "Look at Lady Qi; these past days she's only been craving sour things."

Chu Yunzheng pays no mind to Lady Qi; lately, for reasons unknown, he's simply become enamored with her body.

Seeing that she liked it, he also ordered, "Prepare some more for Noble Lady Qi."

"Yes." Imperial Concubine Shun replied, and immediately complied.

"Thank you, Emperor." Noble Lady Qi eagerly scooped a spoonful and put it into her mouth, squinting with satisfaction: "Indeed delicious!"

Wan Tang closed her eyes, daring not to watch her swallowing.

The crisp sound of a porcelain spoon striking the rim of a bowl rang in her ears, each clink cutting her conscience like a knife.

Noble Lady Qi will be fine.

If it truly were poison, the head of the Imperial Medical Institute would save her.

She is a follower of Xiao Mingshu; Xiao Mingshu would not allow any mishap to the child in her womb.

And I… must never collapse here.

When she opened her eyes again, Wan Tang's gaze was already clear.

She lifted the bowl of icy glutinous rice balls that Noble Lady Qi had given her and gently placed it in her mouth.

Noble Lady Qi had just swallowed the last bite of the icy glutinous rice balls when her face suddenly turned deathly pale; the jade bowl in her hand "slapped" onto the floor, shattering into several pieces.

She abruptly clutched her abdomen, cold sweat instantly beading at her temples, her lips trembling: "Pain… so painful…"

Before the words finished, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from her corner of the mouth, staining the peach‑red palace robe on her chest.

-Imperial Concubine Shun grabbed the terrified, crying Princess Mingzhu, retreating repeatedly.

Xu Luoyan and Wang Jingyi exchanged a glance, a hidden delight flashing in their eyes.

Noble Lady Qi is a person of the Empress; for them, it would be best if she died.

Xu Qinghuan clutched the handkerchief tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She watched Noble Lady Qi's painful expression, her pupils contracting sharply, her breathing becoming rapid.

She instinctively looked at Wan Tang, a bone‑deep hatred flashing in her eyes, but when she met Wan Tang's worried gaze, she abruptly lowered her head, fearing anyone would notice a clue.

Wan Tang's heart nearly stopped the instant she saw Noble Lady Qi spitting blood.

Her fingernails dug deep into her palm; she forced herself to stay calm, hurried forward to support the staggering Noble Lady Qi, her voice carrying just the right amount of panic:

"Emperor! Noble Lady Qi is unwell! Quickly, quickly summon the Imperial Physician!"

Chu Yunzheng rose abruptly, his dragon robe's wide sleeves and belt flipping over the table, wine cups and dishes crashing to the floor.

"Summon the Imperial Physician!"

The jeweled veil on Xiao Mingshu's phoenix crown swayed violently; disregarding decorum, she leapt down from the phoenix throne and seized the blood‑spitting Noble Lady Qi.

"Noble Lady Qi! You must not have anything happen to you!"

Her fingernails dug into Noble Lady Qi's arm, revealing genuine terror.

Noble Lady Qi clutched the Empress's sleeve as if grasping a lifeline, her breath like a wisp: "Your Majesty… save me…"

The head of the Imperial Medical Institute rolled and crawled over, placed three fingers on her pulse for only a moment, then his complexion shifted: "It's the Hook‑kiss toxin! Quickly fetch duck blood and mung bean soup!"

He turned, bowing heavily: "Emperor, if treatment is timely, this toxin can be cured."

"But… but the Noble Lady has been carrying the dragon heir for over a month; I'm afraid it may affect the fetus, and the dragon embryo might not survive."

Xiao Mingshu's phoenix eyes widened, her fingertips unconsciously digging into her palm: this child must be saved.

Wang Jingyi suddenly clenched her daughter's wrist with a force that nearly crushed the bone.

Xu Qinghuan's face was ashen, her whole body trembling.

Chu Yunzheng's eyebrows twitched slightly, a fleeting daze flashing in his eyes, and he instinctively looked at Noble Lady Qi's ghastly face.

He kicked the dragon‑patterned table, sending wine cups and delicacies scattering across the floor.

"Save me! If you can't, the entire Imperial Medical Institute shall be buried with me!"

While the palace staff rushed to fetch antidotes, Xiao Mingshu had already torn open Noble Lady Qi's collar and personally pierced each of her ten fingers with a silver hairpin to let blood flow.

"What are you all just standing there for?" the Empress barked sharply, clearing the Side Hall! All physicians must convene at once!

Xiao Mingshu's gaze was as sharp as a blade, scraping each person's face inch by inch.

"Everyone stay where you are!"

Her voice was icy, each word measured, bearing an authority that brooked no defiance.

"Anyone who dares to move a cup, a bowl, a table or a chair in this hall—" she raised her hand abruptly, slamming it onto the table, "I will chop off her hand!"

All the concubines in the hall fell silent as cold cicadas, even their breathing became extremely light.

Chu Yunzheng sat high on the main seat, his body tightly bound beneath the dark dragon robe, his fingertips gripping the armrest with a force that nearly crushed the rosewood.

His complexion was terrifyingly grim, thunderous anger roiling in his eyes, yet he remained silent, coldly scanning the crowd.

His thin lips barely opened, uttering a single word.

"Investigate."

The voice was light, yet like ice falling to the ground, it chilled everyone's spine.

The concubines lined up in their positions, none daring to move or speak, even their breathing was extremely light.

Xiao Mingshu stood at the front, phoenix eyes frosted, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the prayer beads on her wrist.

Wan Tang stood quietly behind, her expression calm, only the slight tremor of her fingertips inside her sleeve betraying a hint of unease.

Xu Luoyan stood at the rear, a cold smile at the corner of her lips, a calculating glint flashing in her eyes.

The head of the Imperial Medical Institute, accompanied by the physicians, was inspecting each cup, bowl, and dish, while the chief eunuch Li Defu led people to interrogate palace maids; only the faint sounds of objects being examined could be heard in the hall.

Xu Luoyan watched with cold eyes, feeling immensely satisfied.

"What does it matter if the Empress's side has a child? It may not save both lives."

She swept her gaze over Wan Tang's upright silhouette, a malicious thought surfacing in her mind.

"Since chaos is inevitable, why not make it even more chaotic…"

Suddenly, she stepped out of the line and shouted, "Emperor! Empress! I, the Subject, know who the murderer is!"

The eyes in the hall instantly focused on her.

Xu Luoyan pointed directly at Wan Tang, her voice sharp: "It's Consort Wan!"