After Rebirth, the True Eldest Daughter Starts Brewing Green Tea

ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 150

The hall was silent. On either side of the room were two braziers, with red charcoal burning steadily and occasionally emitting soft cracking sounds. The air was filled with a faint, bitter scent of medicine. Emperor Jing Ming lay on the bed, his eyes slightly closed. Beside him sat Consort Rong, speaking to him softly: “Your Majesty, are you feeling any better today?”

The Emperor responded with a faint sound. Just then, a eunuch entered from outside and respectfully reported, “Your Majesty, Consort Chun requests an audience.”

Without opening his eyes, Emperor Jing Ming replied in a calm voice, “Let her in.”

Before long, Consort Chun entered gracefully. She first saluted the Emperor, carefully studied his condition, and exchanged a few words of concern. Then, in a deferential tone, she asked, “Your Majesty, I personally prepared a ginseng soup for you. It is highly beneficial for recovery. Would you like to have some?”

The Emperor glanced at her and replied nonchalantly, “Bring it here.”

Consort Chun personally took the soup bowl from her maid and approached slowly. A eunuch immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Pardon me.” He then opened the lid, tested the soup with a silver needle for poison, and even took a small sip from a separate dish.

After waiting a moment in silence, Consort Chun remained composed, standing quietly by the bed, neither hurried nor idle. Meanwhile, Consort Rong sat nearby, her gaze fixed on Consort Chun’s flat abdomen, scrutinizing it intently, as if trying to discern some hidden detail.

Naturally, Consort Chun noticed this and immediately felt uneasy. She couldn’t help but place a hand over her stomach and turn slightly to avoid the piercing gaze.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Jing Ming suddenly spoke, “Consort Chun, how long have you been in the palace?”

Consort Chun froze for a moment, unsure of his intent, but answered nonetheless, “In response to Your Majesty, I entered the palace at eighteen and have been here for two years now.”

“Ah,” the Emperor said, his eyes half-closed. “Two years. That is quite some time.”

He asked again, “How have you been these past two years in the palace?”

His tone carried a hint of ambiguity, causing Consort Chun’s heart to skip a beat. Feeling uneasy, she replied softly, “Thanks to Your Majesty’s favor, I have been doing well.”

“If you’ve been doing well,” Emperor Jing Ming abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as an arrow as he looked at her. “Then what are you hiding in your sleeve?”

Startled, Consort Chun’s hand trembled, and the bowl she was holding fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. The carefully prepared ginseng soup spilled everywhere. Before she could react, Consort Rong grabbed her sleeve and reached inside, pulling out a peculiar object, only as long as a finger and resembling a small bamboo stick.

Consort Chun’s face turned deathly pale. She was so terrified she almost collapsed. Consort Rong, however, paid her no mind. Instead, she curiously asked, “Your Majesty, what is this?”

Emperor Jing Ming glanced at it and said casually, “Just a little trinket. If you like it, take it.”

Consort Rong smiled and replied, “Then I humbly accept.”

…

Meanwhile, news of the Xiao Wen’s death spread rapidly throughout the palace. When the the Grand Princess went to visit Prince Ning, she found him looking as though he hadn’t slept all night. His face was haggard, his beard unkempt, and his eyes bloodshot, clearly still consumed by grief.

Princess Ning was beside him, crying so hard she could barely catch her breath, on the verge of fainting. Seeing the Grand Princess, she clutched her hand tightly and sobbed, “Aunt, my life is so bitter!”

The Grand Princess, having lost a child herself, couldn’t help but tear up at the sight of such sorrow. She supported the Princess Ning, offering a few words of comfort before saying, “Princess, please restrain your grief. For now, the most important thing is to find the murderer and avenge Wen’er.”

After hearing these words, the Princess Ning froze for a moment, glanced at Prince Ning, and then covered her face, bursting into tears. Suddenly, Prince Ning spoke up, his voice cutting through the air: “I know who the murderer is.”

Prince Ning’s expression was grim, and his bloodshot eyes added a chilling edge that made those around him uneasy. His tone was dark as he said, “Yesterday, Wen’er was ambushed and attacked on the road. I sent people to investigate. Aunt, do you know who was behind it?”

Seeing his demeanor, the Grand Princess felt a sudden sense of foreboding. Alarmed and uncertain, she asked, “Who?”

Prince Ning stared at her, enunciating each word clearly: “It was the Crown Prince.”

The air fell silent in an instant. Nearby officials, who had also overheard, exchanged shocked glances, each seeing the astonishment reflected in the others’ eyes. The Grand Princess immediately stood up abruptly and exclaimed, “Impossible!”

Prince Ning rose as well, saying, “Aunt doesn’t believe me?”

The Grand Princess furrowed her brows and softened her tone with effort, countering, “I know you are grieving the loss of your son, but some things cannot be said carelessly. The Fifth Prince is the Crown Prince and your elder. Why would he hold a grudge against Wen’er? Why would he send someone to harm him? Just listen to what you’re saying—does it make any sense?”

“I know Aunt has always been close to the Crown Prince,” Prince Ning replied with a cold tone, his words carrying an implicit accusation. “It’s natural for you to refuse to believe it. After all, he is the Crown Prince, with a distinguished status, while my son’s life is just a small matter.”

Hearing this, the Grand Princess was both shocked and enraged, her eyes widening slightly. She snapped, “Xiao Chao! You’re in your thirties, not a three-year-old child. When you speak or act, you must rely on evidence. How can you make such wild accusations without proof?”

Prince Ning raised his voice as well, saying, “Rest assured, Aunt, whether it’s a wild accusation or not, I will report it to His Majesty and demand justice!”

His tone grew more impassioned as he continued, “I have already had those bandits captured. The witnesses are all there. It was Xiao Yan who caused my child’s death. He will not escape punishment!”

The murmurs of those around had ceased as well, with everyone watching the confrontation between the Grand Princess and the prince without blinking. For a moment, no one dared to speak first. The air seemed to freeze, falling into a deathly silence.

After a while, the Grand Princess strode out from the hall. She no longer argued with Prince Ning, but the anger in her heart burned even hotter, blazing with fury. She felt that the prince was utterly unreasonable!

Xiao Yan was someone she had watched grow up. While the boy could be temperamental at times, he was by no means a cruel or ruthless person, let alone someone who would take a life without reason. Even in the worst-case scenario, if he truly did something, it must have been because the other party was at fault first.

Unless Prince Ning could lay out the facts one by one in front of her, the Grand Princess would never believe that Xiao Yan had harmed Xiao Wen. Besides, evidence could easily be fabricated! It must be thoroughly examined by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review.

The Grand Princess was notoriously protective. Although both Xiao Yan and Xiao Wen were her nephews, her favoritism toward Xiao Yan was evident. How could she stand idly by while Prince Ning spouted such slander against Xiao Yan? So what if his son was dead? Did losing a son give him the moral high ground?

Moreover, she had always been the kind of person who sided with her own rather than upholding impartiality.

And so, in front of numerous officials, the Grand Princess berated Prince Ning in a fiery tirade before angrily storming off. As she descended the steps, she suddenly noticed a group of men standing silently under the corridor. Each held a golden spear, looking like members of the Dragon Guard. But the Dragon Guard was managed by the Five Military Commanders’ Office and only accompanied the emperor during grand ceremonies. Why were they here?

The Grand Princess’s steps halted, and a trace of uncertainty crossed her mind. She keenly sensed a dangerous undercurrent in the air—a feeling not unfamiliar, reminiscent of those few upheavals in the palace over two decades ago.

The more the Grand Princess thought about it, the more questions filled her mind. In hindsight, she realized she had been too impulsive earlier. Now that she reflected on it, Prince Ning’s behavior was indeed odd. He seemed absolutely convinced that Xiao Yan had killed Xiao Wen. Even when the Grand Princess suggested letting the Ministry of Justice investigate to uncover the truth, he refused, insisting on bringing the matter to the Emperor and making Xiao Yan pay the price.

Prince Ning was dead set on accusing Xiao Yan, which had enraged the Grand Princess. However, this was unlike Prince Ning’s usual demeanor. He was typically gentle, courteous, and accommodating—a stark contrast to his current obstinacy.

The Grand Princess glanced at the Dragon Guard stationed there, a foreboding sense rising within her. She quickly made her way back to the Warm Emerald Pavilion. As soon as she entered, she asked the attendants, “Where is Zhizhi?”

“The Princess is in the Flower Hall.”

The Grand Princess quickly crossed the long corridor and arrived at the Flower Hall. Li Zhizhi was speaking with Xiao Yan but immediately stood up upon seeing her arrival. “You’re back.”

The Grand Princess hurriedly instructed, “I will have someone prepare the horses now to take you back to the capital.”

Hearing this sudden statement, Xiao Yan seemed to sense something amiss and asked, “Aunt, has something happened?”

The Grand Princess glanced at him, her brows furrowing deeply. With a grave expression, she said, “I believe Prince Ning is planning something. Something feels off. In any case, it’s best to leave as soon as possible. You both go ahead. I will see the Emperor now.”

“Don’t be anxious, Aunt,” Xiao Yan said, meeting her questioning gaze. After a brief pause, he continued, “Before coming to the autumn hunt, Father gave me an imperial decree.”

…

Even though this was a temporary palace, it was still built grandly and magnificently. Prince Ning stood beneath the palace eaves, gazing at the golden-tiled rooftops in the distance. The weather today was not good; the sky was overcast, as though it was about to pour. The dense, dark clouds seemed to press down from the heavens.

At that moment, a military general approached. His face was slightly tanned, and he had a beard on his chin. If the Eldest Princess were here, she would have recognized him at once—this was Liu Bao, the commander of the Dragon and Tiger Guards. With a frown, he asked Prince Ning, “Your Highness, it’s getting late. How much longer must we wait?”

“What’s the rush?” Prince Ning replied, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the distant palace. His tone was calm as he said, “The time isn’t right yet. Let’s wait a little longer.”

“Wait again?” Liu Bao grew impatient, his voice gruff. “We’ve been waiting since last night. My men are already exhausted. Isn’t the Emperor gravely injured? What’s there to fear? We should just storm in and seize the throne. Didn’t the Emperor do the same back then?”

Hearing this, Prince Ning cursed his stupidity inwardly, but outwardly, he maintained a pleasant demeanor. “Haste makes waste. Timing, geography, and unity are indispensable. Without patience, how can one achieve great things?”

Liu Bao, though anxious, managed to suppress his urgency and said with a smile, “Your Highness is naturally someone destined for great achievements. As for this humble official, just a crude military man, I don’t understand such matters. I’ll simply follow orders. Since we still have to wait, I’ll go rest for a bit, take a quick nap, and when the time comes, Your Highness can send someone to call me.”

Prince Ning: …

If he had any other choice, he absolutely wouldn’t have picked this brainless oaf. But then again, having no brains had its advantages—easy to manipulate and no need to guard against.

Prince Ning waved his hand dismissively. “Go then.”

That wait stretched until evening. As the sky darkened, the rain finally began to fall. At first, just a few drops. Then, raindrops the size of beans started pelting the tiles, producing a muffled sound that gradually intensified into a dense rhythm.

In the dim light, a spark of fire suddenly ignited in the distance, quickly cutting through the curtain of rain. It exploded in the night sky with a loud bang.

The firelight illuminated Prince Ning’s eyes. It was the agreed-upon signal—the time had come.

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