Chapter 212

Chapter 212 Who would have thought—when she looked up, she noticed Concubine Liang on the other side also secretly scratching her hands. Xie Run was about to offer a word of warning, but they had already reached the palace gates. A burst of lively commotion sounded, and only then did Xie Run see that at some point, animal trainers had led four monkeys into the hall to perform. People surrounded her on all sides, so she had no choice but to return to her seat and sit down. Just as she sat down, Concubine Liang also sensed something amiss and turned to look at Xie Run. "Sister Xie, are you—" Before she could finish her sentence, a sudden cry of alarm rang out. "Assassin!" "Assassin!" A crowd of people instantly surged toward the Emperor and Noble Consort Chen. Xie Run instinctively grabbed Prince Jing's arm. "Prince, let's hide behind the pillars at the back!" She had already mentally mapped out where to take cover in case of danger the moment she entered the hall. Prince Jing was also startled, still caught in the shock of hearing the word "assassin." Only when he suddenly heard Xie Run's words did he snap back to attention. He rose and drew the sword from the guard behind him. A flash of cold steel swept past Xie Run's eyes. Prince Jing instructed, "Take the maids and hide. Don't wander off unless necessary!" With that, he strode out. Xie Run could tell Prince Jing had martial arts training, so she stopped worrying about him and, without a second thought, lifted her skirts and hurried toward the back to take cover. Through the chaos, she vaguely saw a man charging at the Emperor with a blade. Only to be blocked by a long sword that swung out from the side... The crowd was too chaotic. Xie Run hid in a corner and secretly scratched her hands. So itchy! Before long, she heard the Emperor's voice, laced with grief and fury: "Call the imperial physician! Quickly, call the imperial physician!" "Sangsang, you must not let anything happen. If something happens to you, how could I go on living?" ... Xie Run thought to herself from the side—the Emperor's voice sounded full of vigor. She estimated he could live another ten or twenty years at least. Dantao listened and said nervously, "Mistress, could this assassination have been aimed at Noble Consort Chen?" Noble Consort Chen's name was Jin Caisang, with the childhood name Sangsang. Xie Run quietly shook her head and waited calmly for this farce to end. Zihu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke: "Mistress, Concubine Consort Wu smells of Thousand Snow Incense." Xie Run was startled and glanced at her. "Are you certain?" "I am certain!" "I actually caught the scent the first time, but it was faint and I wasn't sure. Just now, amid the confusion, I deliberately bumped into Concubine Consort Wu and confirmed she carries the scent of Thousand Snow Incense." Xie Run said, "So it's Prince An..." Somewhat surprising, yet within expectations. Princess Consort Su's move against Prince Jing's offspring was essentially a warning to the other princes as well. As long as one could manipulate Prince Jing's offspring, one could cut off his path in the struggle for succession. Xie Run's concern was not unfounded. Now it was the child in Concubine Lian's belly, and next would be her own son. The Emperor was unharmed, so the commotion in the palace was only temporary. Only Noble Consort Chen had been harmed. Poisoned! By the time the imperial physician arrived, it was already too late. Noble Consort Chen collapsed miserably in the Emperor's arms in her final moments. Before dying, she clutched the Emperor's hand, speaking of her longing for the Eighth Prince and her unborn child—full of unwillingness and regret. In truth, she wanted the Emperor to avenge her. The first person that came to Xie Run's mind was the Empress. Only the Empress could so easily reach into the banquet and tamper with Noble Consort Chen's food and drink, and only the Empress would want to see Noble Consort Chen die so miserably. The Son of Heaven flew into a rage. Prince Jing, Prince An, and the others knelt prostrate on the ground. The Emperor snatched the sword from Prince Jing's hand and roared, "I will kill that wretch with my own hands!" Xie Run's heart pounded wildly. Prince Jing and Prince An rose together to dissuade the Emperor. "Imperial Father, Noble Consort Chen's poisoning is one matter, but the assassins lying in ambush to kill you is another!" "The priority is to hunt down the assassins, then slowly investigate who administered the poison!" The Emperor threw a fit for a while, then heeded his two sons' advice. After all, his own life mattered more than Noble Consort Chen's. "Fine, fine! I'll listen to you!" "Fifth! I'm entrusting the poisoning investigation to you! If you find out which wretch did it, I'll make sure she's buried alive with her!" The Emperor's words were gritted through his teeth, as though he had already concluded it was the Empress—only he could not say so outright. "Sixth! Take your men to investigate the assassins. I want to know who dares to want my life?!" Both princes accepted their orders simultaneously. The Emperor withdrew under the protection of his guards. Before leaving, he glanced at the Third Prince kneeling to the side and couldn't resist kicking him in the shoulder. "Useless thing!" Prince Wei fell to the ground, head lowered, his expression unreadable. But Prince Wei's fall revealed Noble Consort Rou, who had been kneeling behind him. Xie Run happened to catch the smile Noble Consort Rou couldn't suppress at the corner of her mouth—aimed precisely in the direction Noble Consort Chen had been taken. She had been wrong. In truth, many women in the harem had wished for Noble Consort Chen's death. This play at the imperial palace was truly spectacular. In comparison, Prince Jing's estate was far less dramatic. It wasn't until nearly the end of the hai hour that Xie Run finally saw Prince Jing. Prince Jing hurried over, expecting to find Xie Run pale with fright, but instead found her quite composed. She even had the leisure to warm herself by the brazier. It was only when he drew closer that he noticed Xie Run's hands were red and swollen, and there were even some marks on her face. He frowned. "What happened?" Dantao was on the verge of tears. "Your Highness, after my mistress and Consort Liang returned from changing clothes, her hands suddenly began to itch and wouldn't stop. Only warming them by the fire brings any relief." "Now, in such a short time, the itching has spread to her face... If a scar is left by accident, my mistress's face would be ruined." Xie Run said calmly, "Zihu said there might have been raw lacquer in the water used to wash hands, causing the irritation... I just need to rest and recover." Prince Jing tried to take Xie Run's hand, but she pulled it away. "Your Highness, this substance is quite potent—just a touch and your whole body itches unbearably." Xie Run smiled. "I suspect someone played a deliberate prank, simply wanting to make me suffer a bit." After all, if more raw lacquer had been added to the water, Xie Run's entire body might have broken out in an allergic reaction—that would have been truly miserable. The current level of itching suggested not much had been added to the water. Of course, the substance had a smell, and adding too much would have been easily detected. This method, however, seemed more like someone simply wanting to give Xie Run a bit of trouble—almost playful in nature. Prince Jing patted her shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, I will not let you suffer this injustice in vain." Xie Run then asked, "I heard there was an assassination attempt? Is His Majesty unharmed?" "No harm done." Xie Run pretended to breathe a sigh of relief. Prince Jing smiled as he watched her act. Once they boarded the carriage, Xie Run leaned gently against Prince Jing's shoulder. The carriage fell silent for a long while before Prince Jing slowly spoke: "Does Suisui have nothing she wishes to ask me?" Xie Run: "I do, but I dare not ask recklessly. After all, today's matters touch upon the secrets of the imperial household." "If there is something you can tell me, Your Highness will surely do so. I'd rather not ask foolish questions."