Chapter 52

“Your servant has already exposed the evil deeds of the sisters Ling Ziqi and Ling Zixue to everyone, so I have repaid Miss Ling’s kindness. I have no more regrets. I only ask that, for the sake of what your servant has done today, Miss Ling treat my parents kindly.” As Lingxin spoke, she bowed her head toward Ling Jiayue, then threw herself against the table. When the guards saw that Lingxin was attempting suicide, they hurried to stop her, but they were a step too late. Lingxin struck the table and died instantly. At that moment, Ling Taian hurried over after hearing the news, only to see Lingxin dead from suicide. Without time to determine what had happened, Ling Taian removed his official hat, knelt before the Empress Dowager, and kowtowed. “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. This old subject failed to discipline his household properly. Please forgive me.” “Hmph. Prime Minister Ling, you truly have raised a fine group of daughters. Not only did they ruin My plum-blossom banquet, they even dared to plot against a prince. What audacity!” the Empress Dowager said, her voice filled with fury. Ling Taian, Madam Liu, and the others could only plead with the Empress Dowager to calm her anger. Ling Jiayue and Ling Jiaxuan, however, both knew that Ling Ziqi and Ling Zixue would not escape disaster this time. As for their punishment, it would depend on the depth of the Empress Dowager’s anger. Ever since Madam Wan heard Lingxin say that Ling Zixue had also harbored murderous intentions, she found her even more detestable. She knelt farther away from Ling Zixue, afraid that Ling Zixue might try to harm her as well. “Imperial Grandmother, please calm your anger. From what Grandson heard that maid who killed herself say, the entire Ling family are victims. Prime Minister Ling’s poisoning has likely not even fully healed yet. I happened to be there when Young Master Ling captured that maid, and everything was just as she said.” Mu Yuheng paused, then continued, “Still, that maid was far too strong-willed. No matter how great her grievance, could she not have simply explained it? Was it really necessary to pay for it with her life?” When Ling Ziqi heard this, she inwardly realized that things had taken a turn for the worse. She hurriedly kowtowed toward the Empress Dowager. “Your Majesty, I didn’t do it! I didn’t poison anyone, nor did I intend to harm Father. Please believe me!” Mu Yuheng merely smiled when he heard this. “If you truly hadn’t done it, who would risk a life to frame you?” “I… I…” Ling Ziqi was left speechless. When Ling Zixue saw that even Ling Ziqi no longer dared to defend herself, she lowered her head even more in terror. “Your Majesty, your daughter has a way to prove it. Lingxin just said that the poison she used on the Third Prince was the same as the poison used on Father. We will know the truth as soon as an imperial physician examines him.” The Empress Dowager cast a glance at the chief palace matron beside her. The chief palace matron immediately ordered, “Imperial physician, go and examine Prime Minister Ling.” “Yes, Your Majesty. This subject obeys.” The imperial physician acknowledged the order and walked toward Ling Taian. Ling Taian had not yet received permission from the Empress Dowager to rise, so he was still kneeling on the ground. Even when the imperial physician came to examine his pulse, he did not dare stand. Ling Taian extended one hand toward the imperial physician, who placed his fingers against Ling Taian’s pulse and began his pulse diagnosis. Ling Ziqi and Ling Zixue held their breath as they watched the imperial physician examine Ling Taian’s pulse, silently praying again and again: Please, let it not be the same poison. But they had forgotten that the poison Lingxin had given Ling Taian had been found by Ling Jiayue. Naturally, it would be the same poison. Before long, the imperial physician finished his examination and reported, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Ling’s symptoms are consistent with those of the Third Prince. Prime Minister Ling’s symptoms are somewhat milder, but he was poisoned with the same poison.” When Ling Ziqi and Ling Zixue heard this, they collapsed to the ground. “It’s over. It’s all over,” Ling Ziqi murmured. Ling Zixue was also in tears. She could not believe that before she had even avenged her mother and sister, everything had ended just like this. Suddenly, Ling Zixue sprang up and lunged at Ling Jiayue, looking as though she intended to die together with her. “Look out!” Mu Yuheng shouted. He threw out a wine cup, which struck Ling Zixue squarely and sent her staggering backward several steps before she collapsed to the ground. “Yue’er, are you all right?” Ling Jiaxuan, Ling Taian, and Madam Liu asked in unison. Madam Liu even pulled Ling Jiayue directly into her arms, looking her over from side to side for fear that she had suffered even the slightest injury. Ling Jiayue comforted Madam Liu. “Mother, Yue’er is fine. Ling Zixue didn’t touch me.” Ling Jiayue turned toward Mu Yuheng and bowed in thanks. “Thank you, Seventh Prince, for coming to my aid.” “It was nothing. So long as Miss Ling is unharmed, all is well.” Mu Yuheng smiled faintly. Behind him, Feng Yan silently thought, His Highness handled that rather well. It seems Miss Ling will soon become our prince’s consort. “This is bad, Your Majesty. It seems the poison has attacked the Third Prince’s heart,” the imperial physician said. “Then why are you not treating him at once? If anything happens to the Third Prince, I will have you buried with him!” “Your Majesty, this subject does have a method. Prime Minister Ling and the Third Prince were poisoned with the same poison, and Prime Minister Ling’s condition has already begun to improve. He must have obtained the antidote. Why not have Prime Minister Ling lend this subject the antidote prescription?” The Empress Dowager’s phoenix-like eyes swept toward Ling Taian. Ling Taian immediately said, “This subject did indeed bring the antidote with him. I was so flustered just now that I forgot to present it.” As he spoke, Ling Taian took the antidote from his sleeve and handed it to the imperial physician. The imperial physician smelled the medicine and confirmed that it was the antidote. Only then did he mix it with water and give it to the Third Prince. After taking the Third Prince’s pulse again, the imperial physician said, “Your Majesty, the Third Prince’s condition has improved.” The Empress Dowager’s expression eased somewhat upon hearing this. But when she thought of how the plum-blossom banquet she had painstakingly arranged had been ruined, and how the Third Prince had been poisoned at her banquet, her good intentions completely destroyed, her anger still refused to subside. “The Emperor has arrived!” Just then, the Emperor entered. Upon hearing that the Emperor had arrived, everyone left their seats and bowed in salute. “Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long, long live Your Majesty!” “Your Majesty, why have you come?” “I heard that something had gone wrong at Mother’s plum-blossom banquet, so I came especially to take a look.” “Your Majesty, look at this! The plum-blossom banquet I took such care to arrange was ruined by the ‘fine daughters’ Prime Minister Ling raised!” The Empress Dowager was especially furious, biting down hard on the words “fine daughters.” “Mother, please do not be angry. I have already heard some of what happened. In the end, this is still a matter concerning Prime Minister Ling’s household. Let us see how Prime Minister Ling intends to handle it,” the Emperor said. “This subject would not dare. Although Ling Ziqi and Ling Zixue are my daughters, ever since Ling Ziqi married into the Third Prince’s Residence, I can no longer be considered her father. Moreover, the person poisoned this time is a member of the imperial family. This subject has even less right to decide her fate.” “Very well, then let Me play the villain,” the Emperor said. “Ling Ziqi plotted against her legitimate elder sister at home. After marrying into the imperial family, she plotted against her own father, and now she has harmed the Third Prince as well. Execute her. As for Ling Zixue, she is still young, yet her heart is already so vicious. Exile her to the borderlands. Prime Minister Ling, you will not be heartbroken over this, will you?” “This subject would not dare. I respectfully ask Your Majesty to decide the matter,” Ling Taian said.