I insist

Chapter 257: Death by Poisoning

The queen fell heavily to the ground, writhing in a disheveled state, her messy hair making her look like a madwoman.

She lay on the ground, her laughter shrilly gradually turning into a weeping expression, "My son..."

The Empress Dowager stood there with a very bad expression. Granny Hua quickly stood in front of the Empress Dowager, reached out to protect her, and looked warily at the Empress who had been thrown to the ground by the guards.

"what--"

A scream came from behind Granny Hua, startling her so much that she shrank back. She quickly looked back and saw the Empress Dowager covering her face.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?!"

The Empress Dowager stared blankly at Granny Hua, then quickly grabbed her arm, asking repeatedly, "Granny Hua, my face! Is my face alright?"

The Empress Dowager released her hand, which was stained with faint blood. She turned her face to the side and showed the area she had just covered with her hand to Granny Hua, feeling extremely flustered.

When Granny Hua saw the Empress Dowager's face, she was so frightened that she covered her mouth, her eyes wide open.

She knew the Empress Dowager loved beauty, and if the Empress Dowager saw her face like this, she would definitely go crazy.

Thinking of this, Granny Hua rolled her eyes. Just as she was wondering how to tell the Empress Dowager about the scar on her face, the Empress Dowager reacted first.

The Empress Dowager's fingers trembled slightly. She looked at the small mirror beside her, quickly grabbed the handle, and looked at her face.

The wound on her face was clearly visible to the Empress Dowager, who screamed in anger.

The Empress Dowager suddenly looked at the Empress lying on the ground, pointed at her, and cursed, "You vile woman! Your son is dead and you're taking your anger out on me!"

"Your son is no longer the crown prince! Let's see where you get your confidence! You're clearly just an unfavored empress! A slut is a slut, always trying to pin everything on others."

When Song Miqiu arrived, she saw this scene. She quickly took her medicine box to the Empress Dowager's side, took out some medicine powder, and wanted to sprinkle it on the Empress Dowager's face.

But the Empress Dowager was furious. She kept moving around, which made it impossible for Song Miqiu to apply the medicine properly. This made Song Miqiu even angrier. Just as he was about to curse, he saw the Empress Dowager suddenly stand up.

Before Granny Hua and Song Miqiu could react, they saw the Empress Dowager forcefully smash the teacup in her hand towards the Empress.

Just as it was about to hit the Empress on the head, it was stopped by the guards.

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager looked coldly at the guard and questioned him sternly, "Why did you stop me!"

"Your Majesty, if this teacup were to hit the Empress on the head, it could be fatal..." The guard glanced at the Empress lying on the ground and finally couldn't bear to say anything more.

This infuriated the Empress. Pointing at the person lying on the ground, she said sarcastically, "What? Does my life not matter? She tried to harm me! Didn't any of you see that?!"

"What's all this noise about!"

A deep voice came, and the Emperor strode in with a frown. He saw the Empress lying on the ground in a sorry state, so he quickly walked over to her side and helped her up.

However, the Queen was so traumatized by the incident involving the Wing King that she seemed to have gone completely mad.

The Empress Dowager saw the Emperor as if she had found a powerful backer. She quickly walked over, grabbed the Emperor's arm, and tearfully accused the Empress of her actions, "Your Majesty, the Empress tried to assassinate me! I've been wronged like this, why did it take you so long to come!"

Hearing the Empress Dowager's words, the Emperor silently glanced at the Empress standing to the side and said in a hoarse voice, "The Empress must be delirious from missing Prince Yi for so long. Your Majesty should understand."

"I forgive you?!" The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor in disbelief, as the Emperor had never asked her to forgive him before.

A sudden panic rose in her heart. The Empress Dowager wanted to reach out and grab the Emperor's sleeve, but before she could, she saw the Emperor lift the Empress up in his arms.

"If the Empress continues to stay here, it will only increase the danger to the Empress Dowager. So I took the Empress away. The Empress Dowager must have been frightened just now, so she should rest more."

With his back to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor spoke these words slowly and deliberately, while striding out of the Cining Palace.

Watching the Emperor's retreating figure, the Empress Dowager was furious. She never expected that the Emperor would treat her like this for the sake of an Empress.

Where has all that youthful affection gone, that she always treated me well?

Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager was so angry that her teeth itched. She was extremely annoyed. Seeing that Song Miqiu was still standing silently to the side, the Empress Dowager irritably sent her away.

"I'm fine now, Physician Song, there's no need for you to stay here any longer," the Empress Dowager said in a deep voice, urging him to leave quickly.

Song Miqiu was too lazy to stay there any longer. She bowed to the Empress Dowager, turned around, and smiled as she prepared to leave.

She had only taken a few steps out of Cining Palace when she heard intermittent crying coming from inside. A smile played on her lips as she strode forward with a cold gaze.

This is nothing; it only saddened the Empress Dowager for a moment before it was over.

The Empress Dowager already had male favorites, and although Song Miqiu doesn't know if she still does, he probably won't be saddened by this for long.

That very night, news arrived that the Empress had been poisoned. Song Miqiu and Ming Taicheng set off from home and rushed to the palace. They hurried into the Empress's bedroom and went to her side.

The two did not speak, but their division of labor was very clear.

Song Miqiu examined the Empress's skin, while also scrutinizing her eyes and tongue.

Ming Taicheng took out a row of silver needles from his sleeve and inserted them into the Empress's body.

The Emperor stood to the side, watching the Empress lying on the bed, who was about to be pricked like a hedgehog. He couldn't help but cover his face with his hand and turn his head away, unwilling to see this scene.

The Empress was poisoned too deeply. Ming Taicheng and Song Miqiu tried to save her for a long time, but they could not save her.

The two men exchanged a glance. Ming Taicheng stepped forward to the emperor, bowed, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. Your humble servant and Physician Song have done our utmost."

"Empress!" Upon hearing the news, the Emperor immediately pushed Ming Taicheng aside, rushed over, sat beside the Empress's bed, bent down and embraced her in his arms, whispering and sobbing, "Wake up and tell me that they were both lying to me, right?"

The Empress kept her eyes tightly closed, her lips pale, and allowed the Emperor to torment her body.

The emperor was heartbroken and declared that he would not see anyone. He also suspended court for several days and appointed the prime minister and the second prince to temporarily handle state affairs.