Chapter 79: A Sudden Thunderbolt on a Sunny Day

Soon, everyone in the palace had been vaccinated; only a very few experienced minor reactions such as pain, redness, and swelling in their arms, but they recovered quickly. All who received the vaccine successfully developed antibodies, and no one contracted smallpox. The number of smallpox infections in the palace gradually decreased. The gloom over the palace finally began to slowly dissipate. The Seventh Imperial Prince, under the careful care of the Imperial Physicians, was also slowly recovering.

The Emperor was overjoyed and immediately ordered the widespread promotion of smallpox vaccination. When the news spread, the entire Jingcheng was thrown into an uproar. Word of mouth spread that the people now knew only Lady Lady Qingping as the divine physician who had brought them dawn; who could still remember she was once the worthless trash despised by everyone in the Jun family?

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin and the Imperial Physicians, accompanied by assistants and volunteers, set up vaccination points in various bustling districts of Jingcheng. These vaccination points were decorated simply yet warmly, with propaganda posters about vaccine knowledge hanging on the walls, allowing people to understand the function of vaccines and the importance of vaccination more intuitively.

People flocked from all directions, consciously forming long queues. Among them were the elderly, children, and women; on every face shone smiles of expectation and hope. In the line, one could occasionally hear people whispering.

"Look, that is Lady Lady Qingping, truly a living Bodhisattva!" someone praised.

"What do you know? She is not only Lady Lady Qingping, but also our future Crown Princess!" someone said proudly.

Fortunately, the palace controlled the situation in time; the virus had not yet spread outside the palace. Since the people of Jingcheng were vaccinated in time, no infections have been discovered so far. In this battle against the epidemic, the vaccine became the people's most solid shield.

In the Imperial Palace, Xiang Xiang Junzheng summoned the Dragon and Tiger Guard:

"Why was there a smallpox epidemic in the palace? Why did the Seventh Imperial Prince become infected? Has anything been found out?"

The commander of the Dragon and Tiger Guard knelt on one knee and clasped his fists to report:

"Your Majesty, your subordinate investigated and learned that the Seventh Imperial Prince was the first to contract the smallpox virus, subsequently infecting others in the palace. A purchasing eunuch in the palace once handed a virus-laden handkerchief to a small maid in Shuihua Palace. That small maid had previously served Noble Consort Gao; she had nearly been beaten to death by Noble Consort Gao for accidentally stepping on and ruining Noble Consort Gao's favorite dress in the Imperial Garden. The Seventh Imperial Prince happened to pass by, and the maid begged him, so he saved her. After being saved, that maid was assigned to Shuihua Palace. She showed no abnormalities in daily life, and before this incident, no signs of any conspiracy between her and Noble Consort Gao or anyone else were discovered."

Indeed, it was related to her again. The absence of signs this time did not mean there were no connections before. The Emperor's gaze turned sharp; his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon chair, making a "du du" sound that sounded particularly clear in the silent hall.

A hint of coldness flashed in Xiang Xiang Junzheng's eyes. "Quietly execute that maid, making sure no traces are left. Keep the purchasing eunuch for now. Do not make this public yet; I have my own intentions. Continue to secretly investigate the Right Prime Minister's residence; do not let a single thread escape."

On this side, Seeing Jun Jun Zijin and the Imperial Physicians darted through the crowd, their feet never touching the ground, busy beyond measure.

On that side, the Jun residence was a scene of uproar, extremely noisy.

The First Lady was carried into Cuiyu Courtyard by servants, her face pale, seemingly seriously injured. Meanwhile, Jun Jun Yiyi was standing in Anxiang Pavilion, her eyes full of anxiety and unease. Her heart was in a tangle; she paced back and forth. She feared that once Xiang Xiang Junzheng returned, he would demote the First Lady to Zhou Zhou Yiniang, making her a concubine's daughter, causing her status in the residence to plummet, and she would no longer enjoy the nobility and glory of a legitimate daughter. Those servants who had once curried favor with her would probably trample on her.

She did not even go to see the First Lady, only frequently looking towards the direction of Cuiyu Courtyard.

"No, I cannot sit idly by and wait for death," Jun Jun Yiyi thought to herself, deciding to take action.

Jun Jun Yiyi pondered over and over, and a vicious thought in her mind became clearer and clearer.

At this point, it was impossible for her mother to regain her father's favor again. Her father would surely marry again. If her mother died before her father made a decision, her father would surely not divorce a dead person or demote the rank of a dead person; then she would still be a legitimate daughter. Once this thought took root in Jun Jun Yiyi's mind, it grew wildly like weeds, impossible to restrain. Yet she felt some unease of conscience. Not to mention that murder is against the law, that was the biological mother who gave birth to and raised her.

Jun Jun Yiyi could not sleep at night. Sitting by the window of Anxiang Pavilion, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down. Yet two voices constantly intertwined in her mind: one told her to protect her status, while the other reminded her not to violate morality and conscience.

After a fierce internal struggle, Jun Jun Yiyi finally opened her eyes.

Last night, Xiang Xiang Junzheng and the ministers had stayed in the palace. Early in the morning, Jun Jun Yiyi crossed the courtyard and arrived before Cuiyu Courtyard. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. Inside, the candlelight flickered. The First Lady lay on the bed, her face pale as paper, her eyes somewhat blurred. Three of her ribs were broken. A Physician had examined her, but while a Physician could still set broken leg or arm bones, broken ribs were something a Physician could not fix.

Jun Jun Yiyi walked to the bedside and called softly, "Mother, how do you feel?"

The First Lady forced a faint smile and said, "Jun Yiyi, you are here. Do not worry; Mother is fine."

Jun Jun Yiyi's eyes darkened: "Mother, I do not want to see you demoted to Zhou Zhou Yiniang, nor do I want to lose my status as a legitimate daughter because of it."

Hearing these words, a flash of surprise and sorrow passed through the First Lady's eyes. "Jun Yiyi, rest assured; Mother will not be demoted to Zhou Zhou Yiniang, and you will not be demoted to a concubine's daughter."

Jun Jun Yiyi cried out:

"But Father will announce your demotion as soon as he returns from the palace!"

A ruthlessness flashed in the First Lady's eyes:

"He has only your brother as a son. If my rank is demoted, he will have only one concubine's son for the rest of his life. The Jun family is also of illustrious standing; they will not let themselves fall into the predicament of family bloodline inheritance."

After hearing the First Lady's words, Jun Jun Yiyi felt slightly more at ease, but still worried.

"Mother, but if Father demotes you and remarries, he will have sons again!"

The First Lady let out a cold sneer. "He will never have a son again in his life. Jun Yiyi, Mother taught you that one must be ruthless; do you remember?"

As soon as the First Lady finished speaking, a loud "peng" sound was heard, and the door was pushed open violently by Xiang Xiang Junzheng.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng stood at the door with a furious expression, his eyes burning with Xiong Xiong rage, and roared:

"Wu Shi, speak clearly! What exactly did you do?"

The First Lady's face turned pale, but she quickly regained her composure. Now that she was in this state, not only was her face ruined, but her father and brothers were said to have been beheaded at will. Now, three of her ribs had been broken by someone, leaving her unable to move. But what had Xiang Xiang Junzheng done? He had locked her in this courtyard to wait for death. The First Lady wished she could pounce on him and bite off the flesh from his body. Her heart was filled with extreme hatred; she spoke without thinking, gritting her teeth and saying:

"Xiang Xiang Junzheng, just as you heard, besides Chengcai, you will never have a son again in this life. Haha... Do you not know yet? Because you drank the Son-Ending Soup! Haha..." The First Lady laughed madly.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng's eyes turned red, veins on his forehead throbbing. He strode over, mounted the First Lady, grabbed her neck with one hand, and with the other hand "pa pa" delivered several slaps, beating her until she spat out fresh blood before stopping.

It was unknown whether the First Lady was beaten into a state of confusion; she did not quiet down but instead laughed even more crazily:

"Xiang Xiang Junzheng, you coward! If you have the guts, kill me and avenge that old dead thing in Jingzhu Courtyard and your two sons! Do you know your son was only just four years old when he died, and the other was not yet born? Do you know why that old dead thing in Jingzhu Courtyard has been paralyzed for so many years? Let me tell you, if not for that cheap girl Seeing Jun Jun Zijin meddling, that old dead thing would have long since met her end in the Yellow Springs. But what good did it do for that cheap girl to perform surgery on her? She still cannot stand! Want to detoxify? Let me tell you, there is no cure!"

The First Lady's mouth was full of blood, her facial wounds grotesque, looking exactly like a fierce ghost crawling out of hell. Xiang Xiang Junzheng's mind felt as if struck by lightning; his eyes were lifeless, his face full of despair. He stepped back step by step, mumbling:

"Poisonous woman, poisonous woman! I, Xiang Xiang Junzheng, actually lived with a poisonous woman like you for over ten years!"

Jun Jun Yiyi stood with her mouth open, unable to make a sound. She was terrified; she thought she was poisonous enough, yet she was not even one-hundredth as poisonous as her mother.

The door was slammed shut again. Inside the room, only the First Lady and Jun Jun Yiyi remained. The First Lady was like a deflated ball, completely collapsed, slumping onto the bed. Jun Jun Yiyi trembled with fear, at a loss for what to do.