12dz Chapter 147: Turbulent Clouds and Trouble
Chapter 147: Turbulent Clouds and Trouble
Xiao Yanzi paced back and forth in her palace, her heart filled with worry for Empress Fucha's condition. At that moment, Azhu hurried back and reported to Xiao Yanzi, "Your Majesty, I've heard that several unfamiliar eunuchs have indeed been loitering near the Empress's palace these past few days, acting suspiciously. But before I could ask them any questions, they vanished without a trace!"
Little Swallow frowned and said anxiously, "Oh dear, what should we do! Someone must be up to something! I have to go to the Empress's place again."
Xiao Tao quickly advised, "Your Highness, if you go now and someone with ulterior motives sees you, it will cause gossip. Besides, the Emperor has already sent people to keep an eye on you!"
Little Swallow stamped her foot: "How can I care about those things! Her Majesty the Empress is ill now, how can I stay here in peace? Come on, let's go now."
Upon arriving at the Empress's palace, Empress Fucha was fast asleep, with a worried maidservant guarding her side. Seeing Xiao Yanzi arrive, the maidservant bowed and whispered, "Your Highness, the Empress just took her medicine and finally managed to fall asleep. Her condition has worsened these past few days, and the imperial physicians can't find anything wrong with her!"
Little Swallow looked at the Empress with heartache and said softly, "How could this happen! What are the imperial physicians doing! You must take good care of Her Majesty!"
Just then, Hongli arrived. With a grave expression, he asked the palace maid, "Has the Empress's illness shown any new symptoms?"
The palace maid replied, "Your Majesty, Her Majesty is always in a daze. When she wakes up, she is still listless and has no appetite. She has taken a lot of medicine, but she is not getting better!"
Xiao Yanzi looked at Hongli anxiously and said, "Your Majesty, someone must have secretly tried to harm the Empress! We can't just sit here and wait!"
Hongli held Xiaoyanzi's hand and comforted her, "My dear consort, don't worry. I have already asked Su Peisheng to find several more imperial physicians for consultation. We must find out the cause of the illness and find out who is causing this trouble."
At this moment, Niohuru Zhixi arrived with her maid. She feigned concern and said, "Oh, Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort is here. Her Majesty the Empress's illness is truly worrying! I hope it's not something serious!"
Little Swallow rolled her eyes at her: "Then, Sister Consort, let's not talk about such useless things now. We need to think of a way to make Her Majesty the Empress feel better!"
Zhixi snorted: "Hmph! Of course I want Her Majesty the Empress to get better, but this illness came on suddenly, what can I do? Unlike you, Imperial Noble Consort, who is by the Emperor's side all day long and can speak with him!"
Hongli scolded, "Enough, stop arguing! The most important thing now is the Empress's health. What kind of behavior is this, arguing like this!"
Xiao Yanzi suppressed her anger and said to Hongli, "Your Majesty, I was thinking that we should send someone to carefully examine the food and medicine around the Empress. Maybe we can find some clues."
Hongli nodded: "My beloved consort is right. I will give the order immediately."
Outside the palace, Hongzhou was sitting in the garden drinking tea with Dili Leyao. Hongzhou seemed relaxed, but he was still secretly concerned about the affairs of the palace.
Dilireyao noticed his thoughts and said softly, "Your Highness, you say you're no longer involved in palace affairs, but you're still worried, aren't you? Why don't you send someone into the palace to inquire about the situation?"
Hongzhou picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "Leyao, how could I not want to know? It's just that I'm now far removed from those court intrigues. If I were to intervene rashly, I'm afraid it would bring trouble to everyone!"
Dilire Yao sighed: "Your Highness, I know you are in a difficult position, but you and Xiao Yanzi once had feelings for each other. She is probably in a difficult situation in the palace now. Can you really just stand by and do nothing?"
Hongzhou put down his teacup, stood up, looked into the distance, and said, "Leyao, I believe she can pull through. Besides, with the Emperor here, he will definitely protect her. What I can do now is to safeguard our land and not let those palace affairs disturb our peace."
Back in the palace, Xiao Yanzi personally oversaw the inspection of the Empress's food and medicine, but after checking everything, she found nothing unusual.
Xiao Tao muttered from the side, "Your Majesty, there's nothing wrong with this. So what exactly is wrong with the Empress's illness?"
Xiao Yanzi frowned: "There must be something we haven't found yet. We can't let any clue slip by. Keep investigating, even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we have to find the person behind this!"
Meanwhile, Rong Mama secretly reported to Zhixi: "Your Highness, the Imperial Noble Consort is leading people to conduct a thorough investigation at the Empress's residence. It seems she wants to find out the reason for the Empress's illness."
Zhixi said disdainfully, "Hmph! Let her investigate. I want to see what she can find out. As long as the Empress's illness doesn't get better, the position of host of the palace banquet will be mine sooner or later. Then, I can finally make a name for myself in this palace."
Rong Momo said with some worry, "Your Highness, what if the Imperial Noble Consort really finds out something and it comes back to us?"
Zhixi glared at her: "Granny, what are you afraid of! We are always careful in our work, how could we be discovered so easily? Just keep an eye on things, and report any suspicious activity immediately."
Xiao Yanzi continued her search for clues, saying to Hongli, "Your Majesty, I feel this matter is not so simple. It might be related to the forces behind the murals in the Shadow Pavilion. They want to disrupt the palace so they can take advantage of the situation to plot something wicked!"
Hongli pondered for a moment and said, "My dear consort, what you say makes sense. It seems we need to speed up our search for the secret of the mural. Perhaps only by unraveling that secret can we truly quell the many troubles in the palace."
Within the palace, a turbulent situation unfolds. Empress Fucha's illness, the preparations for the palace banquet, and the secrets of the murals in the Shadow Pavilion all shroud the area in mystery. Xiao Yanzi and Hongli navigate this complex situation with difficulty. Whether they can break through the fog, protect those they must protect, and unravel the mysteries remains to be seen. And will the forces lurking in the shadows strike again, stirring up even greater waves?
This chapter concludes here. Stay tuned for the next chapter.