Chapter Thirty-Six: The Night of Cold Poison Attack
After Ximen Yourong and You Kouyi said goodbye to Concubine Hou Yi together, they did not disperse separately, because as soon as they left the Shouning Hall, You Kouyi took the initiative and said to Ximen Yourong:
"Empress, I didn't sleep all night because I misjudged Your Majesty's holy will last night. Your Majesty came here this morning to let me catch up on my sleep first. I didn't want to miss the time when I woke up to formally offer tea to the Empress.
I hope the Queen will understand my concubine’s inconsideration.”
You Kouyi's gentle and ladylike demeanor was neither arrogant nor arrogant, and her tone was sincere. At least Ximen Yourong couldn't tell that she meant any disrespect. Therefore, she smiled back and said:
"Don't worry, Concubine You. I'm not that particular. Besides, it's good that you didn't come today. Even if you did, I'd probably have to neglect you."
"What do you mean by this...?"
"Don't get me wrong, Concubine You. I just took another nap after Your Majesty got up in the morning, and it was already past noon when I woke up."
"That's it...!" You Kouyi smiled gently and didn't ask too much about anything. She continued:
"Then I will not disturb the Queen anymore. I will go to pay my respects to the Queen tomorrow morning."
"Okay, Concubine, please go back early and have a good rest!" Ximen Yourong left no one behind.
After watching You Kouyi bow out and leave, Ximen Yourong also turned around and walked back to the "Leng Yue Palace" in the opposite direction.
Xiang Qing was probably holding back a lot of words. After returning to Lengyue Palace, she couldn't wait to say while helping Ximen Yourong remove the few hair accessories on his head:
"Miss, when I saw Concubine You today, I was wondering if the person who drugged you might be..."
"Don't talk nonsense without evidence."
Ximen Yourong knew what Xiang Qing wanted to say. If you just looked at the motives, You Kouyi was indeed the most suspicious person.
However, being suspicious doesn't prove anything, and You Kouyi doesn't seem to be such a hasty person.
Unless she is good at hiding things, then even if she does something, she can perfectly show her "calmness".
If this was the case, Ximen Yourong had to admire You Kouyi's calmness. At least she couldn't see anything wrong with You Kouyi today!
To be honest, Ximen Yourong hopes that You Kouyi is as gentle and harmless as he seems on the surface. On the contrary, Ximen Yourong feels tired if he has to guard against such a person.
Xiang Qing was used to being arrogant towards Ximen Yourong. Listening to Ximen Yourong's scolding, she still muttered:
"I'm not as arrogant as you, Miss. They are just giving you sleeping pills. What if they poison you one day? Don't you drink it in one gulp, Miss? If you ask me, I should investigate what should be investigated. Anyway, Miss, you
He is a victim. Is it possible that we want an explanation? Can His Majesty still cover it up?"
"I am the victim, but where is the perpetrator?"
Ximen Yourong said calmly. If Dongling Yuanyong was willing to investigate thoroughly, how could there be no news about this matter?
There was no movement, which proved that Dongling Yuanyong was already turning a blind eye. He deliberately suppressed it to prevent unnecessary people from knowing that she was drugged, and he probably had an ulterior motive...
Ximen Yourong couldn't calm down when she was awake that day. She propped herself up on the dressing table in silence, closed her eyes and rubbed her swollen temples.
Although Xiang Qing still wanted to say something, she knew her master, and if Ximen Yourong didn't want to say more, it proved that she no longer cared about it.
In addition, seeing Ximen Yourong's frown, Xiang Qing also saw the opportunity and stopped mentioning the sleeping pills.
However, when she saw the phoenix hairpin that Princess Yi had just given to Ximen Yourong, she picked it up and gestured to Ximen Yourong's head and said:
"Miss, look at how beautiful these pair of phoenix hairpins are. They will look great on you. I didn't expect that we were so poor that we could only send some flowers and pickled camellias to Concubine Yi as a meeting gift, but Concubine Yi gave the lady a pair of such expensive ones.
Jin Chai. It seems that Concubine Yi doesn’t hate the young lady as much as she thought!"
Ximen Yourong opened her eyes and looked at the golden phoenix hairpin held by Xiang Qing. She didn't say much, she just said:
"Keep it well, I'll go check on Ruozun."
She has no desire to pursue gold, silver, jewelry, silk, or satin.
She didn't have anything valuable to begin with, so she came into the Lengyue Palace empty-handed, and she didn't have any valuable gifts to give to Concubine Yi.
If she can't afford to give something expensive, she can only give her true feelings as much as she can...!
When it got dark, Ximen Yourong was still playing with his little nephew in the side hall. Xiang Qing walked in while rubbing his hands and asked:
"Miss, I have prepared a cold-repelling bath for you. You should go and take a bath quickly, otherwise you will feel uncomfortable again tonight."
When Xiang Qing said this, Ximen Yourong remembered that today is the Great Cold, the coldest time of winter. After dark, it is also the most painful time for her...!
But tonight she may have to face Dongling Yuanyong. If she can't bear to appear too abnormal, she may cause more trouble.
Ximen Yourong looked at the sky. She thought that even if Dongling Yuanyong was coming, it wouldn't be that early. If she wanted to get through it safely, it would be safer to take a bath and adjust her breathing to be prepared.
However, God seemed to be planning not to let her feel better. Although she soaked in the hot water with medicine added, the medicinal effect in the hot water failed to penetrate into her meridians, and she did not have time to inject herself with acupuncture to adjust her breathing and suppress the poison.
His hair was interrupted by the arrival of Dongling Yuanyong.
As a last resort, Ximen Yourong could only end his bath and change clothes to meet Dongling Yuanyong.
Seeing that she was only wearing a simple sideburn, and her moist hair was hanging loose behind her, Donglingyuan narrowed his eyes, and he said coldly while suppressing the dissatisfaction in his heart:
"The queen's temperament is so easy-going that people can envy her!"
His words did not sound like accusations, but the look on his face showed obvious dissatisfaction. Ximen Yourong knelt down and confessed without saying anything:
"You can admit your mistakes, Your Majesty, forgive me!" Although she didn't know where she had offended him again.
"Where did you go wrong?"
Knowing that she was wrong, in order to deal with him, she was obviously telling the truth!
Ximen Yourong lowered her head and frowned subconsciously, but she was not frowning because of Dongling Yuanyong's accusation. She was feeling uncomfortable because the cold air that invaded her hands when touching the ground triggered the cold poison in her body that was about to start.
After sighing secretly, Ximen Yourong slowly straightened up and looked up at Dongling Yuanyong and said innocently:
"I don't know where I went wrong, but His Majesty seemed to get angry as soon as he entered the door, so I must be wrong!"
"you……!"
Dongling Yuanyong was choked even more for a moment. She didn't know her fault. She was implying that he was angry.
Ximen Yourong found that he seemed to be really angry, but she really didn't know what he was angry about. She could only kneel down and continue to "please":
"Your Majesty, please calm down. You Rong is short-sighted and ignorant. If Your Majesty feels that You Rong is not in compliance with the rules, please inform You Rong to correct him."
Although Ximen Yourong's attitude seemed "sincere and fearful", Dongling Yuanyong was sure that she was not afraid of his dissatisfaction at this time.
However, she cleverly asked him back, and he answered no, and he didn't answer either.
He couldn't tell him that the reason why he was angry was because he wanted to come to her for no reason as soon as it got dark. When he came in, he saw that she was not well-groomed and had no smile, as if he was an insignificant person and she didn't want to please her.
Same, that's why he gets angry.
There was a stuffy feeling in his stomach that couldn't come out or go down. Dongling Yuanyong gritted his teeth to hold back his anger, but he couldn't bear it. He suddenly threw his sleeves, sat down, and blurted out in an angry tone:
"I am hungry and want to eat."
Ximen Yourong blinked in confusion, but she slowly stood up and ordered Xiang Qing:
"Go and get ready."
"Miss, I'm afraid that the meals we have here are not suitable for Your Majesty? Do you want the Imperial Kitchen to send them over?"
In other palaces, meals are prepared in the imperial dining room, but Lengyue Palace is too far away from the imperial dining room, and sometimes the meals are cold when delivered.
In addition, Ximen Yourong couldn't get used to eating meals prepared by others, so she simply asked Xiang Qing to prepare three meals in Lengyue Palace according to her past habits.
When Xiang Qing asked, of course Ximen Yourong gave Dongling Yuanyong priority, and she said softly:
"Let the imperial dining room deliver it..."
"What do you mean? What do you mean the meals here are not suitable for the poor? Doesn't the imperial dining room send meals here on weekdays?" Dongling Yuanyong interrupted Ximen Yourong's instructions.
"It's not that the imperial dining room doesn't provide food, it's just that I find it troublesome. There happens to be a small kitchen in Lengyue Palace, so I opened a small kitchen in Lengyue Palace for convenience. But I usually eat light food, and I'm afraid His Majesty won't be used to it."
Ximen Yourong explained.
Dongling Yuanyong didn't say anything after hearing her explanation, but when the food came from the imperial kitchen, he would be hungry if not hungry.
So, rarely looking for trouble, he said:
"Then don't waste time, just eat whatever you usually eat."
Ximen Yourong saw his careless expression, so she hesitated for a moment and let Xiang Qing get ready.
Soon, Xiang Qing prepared an extra portion of Ximen Yourong's usual meal and put it on the table.
Dongling Yuanyong looked at the "very light" meal on the table. He frowned, but said nothing. He picked up a steamed bun and ate it one bite at a time.
Ximen Yourong was a little surprised. She thought he should at least pick some thorns. This is not the kind of meal he should eat as an emperor, right?
But he seemed to eat with gusto, and he didn't say a word until he finished eating.
Ximen Yourong ate slowly, and she was gradually feeling unwell, so she had no appetite. She only took a few bites and stopped.
Xiang Qing, who was waiting at the side, had been watching Ximen Yourong carefully. She knew that Ximen Yourong's gradually pale face meant that she was starting to feel uncomfortable. She deliberately said while clearing the dishes:
"Your Majesty, the Queen, it's cold tonight, would you like some warm wine to drive away the cold and have a good rest?"
Ximen Yourong looked at Xiang Qing. She knew that Xiang Qing wanted to help her. Drinking warm wine usually had some effect on the cold poison in her body. But tonight was the cold season, and she didn't have time to adjust her breath and stabilize her meridians in advance.
Even drinking a full stomach of warm wine may not help.
The cold poison in her body has been with her for nearly six years. Because of the cold poison, her body is in a low temperature state all year round.
But on weekdays, apart from being afraid of the cold, she looks just like ordinary people. Only on the Great Cold day of the year, her cold poison is connected with the Great Cold solar term. At midnight, she will be in pain as if she is in hell!
However, if she could, she was not afraid of pain tonight. She only hoped that Dongling Yuanyong would not spend the night in her bedroom, because she did not want him to see her in pain!