The Emperor, having eaten his fill, led everyone to the imperial garden to admire the moon. Not long after, people from Consort Li's palace arrived.
"Your Majesty, something is terribly wrong, terribly wrong. The Fifth Prince... he..."
The young palace maid scrambled to her feet and prostrated herself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. She could barely speak clearly, sobbing uncontrollably.
This was exactly how Consort Li had instructed her: just lure the Emperor over.
At this moment, the people in Consort Li's palace were also extremely anxious. The arrow was nocked, the bowstring was drawn, but the archer had vanished.
A group of them searched every nook and cranny of the palace, yet not a single strand of hair was found.
With no other option, they had to rush to that dilapidated courtyard, thinking they absolutely could not let the eldest daughter of the General's mansion escape, or their heads would surely roll.
The Emperor cast a displeased glance at the eunuch beside him. The head eunuch immediately understood.
Head Eunuch: "Which palace dares to be so ill-mannered? How can one be so presumptuous before His Majesty? Speak clearly, and quickly."
This sharp, shrill voice instantly cleared the young palace maid's mind. She immediately stopped crying, and her speech no longer stammered.
"This servant is from Consort Li's palace. This servant begs for forgiveness for her impoliteness, Your Majesty, please pardon me."
The Emperor was clearly impatient. The young palace maid trembled uncontrollably, regretting her earlier rash actions. Beads of sweat began to form and drip.
Upon receiving the Emperor's command, she continued, "His Highness the Fifth Prince has been drugged and is in critical condition. Consort Li requests Your Majesty to come over."
The Emperor, enraged, threw the teacup in his hand heavily. The cup shattered into pieces, shocking everyone present.
Who dared to poison a prince during a royal banquet? The Emperor rose without a word and walked out. The Empress hurried to follow.
The young palace maid led the way. The ministers and their families were unsure what to do. The Emperor sent word via the head eunuch.
The ladies and madams were to rest here, while the ministers would accompany him. He wanted to see who had the audacity to do such a thing, and also to admonish them.
The Emperor stroked the jade thumb ring in his hand, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts. This Fifth Prince was the most useless; he had disappeared midway through the banquet.
It was normal for him to be targeted, but who among the ministers or consorts had committed this deed? The crowd was mixed tonight. He had taken a cursory glance earlier.
All the young ladies from each household were present. No matter who it was, they would have to pay a price tonight. Thinking of this, he clenched his fists again.
Upon arriving at the entrance, he found people from Consort Li's palace waiting outside. The Emperor sensed something was amiss, his voice betraying no emotion.
"Where is your mistress? Why have you not summoned an imperial physician?"
"Replying... Replying to Your Majesty, this servant... this servant dares not."
The Emperor gave the head eunuch a look. The ministers immediately stayed put. Only the Emperor entered alone, listening to the sounds from within.
The Emperor's face also flushed slightly. Listening for a moment longer, he realized something was wrong. These sounds seemed so familiar. The thought that flashed through his mind almost made him spit blood.
He strode forward and kicked the door open with force. A naked woman lay on the ground; he had never seen her before, and didn't know who she was.
Walking closer, he recognized the two on the bed, lost in their actions. A mouthful of blood was stuck in his throat, and he almost couldn't stand.
He roared, "How dare you!"
Consort Li was conscious but could not break free. She had secretly prayed that if the people in her palace discovered she was missing, they would cancel the plan.
She never expected it to come to this. Seeing the Emperor, her eyes were filled with terror. She knew this time she was utterly ruined.
The Fifth Prince knew nothing. He was still groggy, grabbing at the person in his arms, about to continue his actions.
The Emperor could no longer tolerate it. He stepped forward and kicked him down, then slapped Consort Li fiercely across the face.
Consort Li's face quickly swelled and turned red. She paid no mind to it, scrambling off the bed in disheveled clothing, and knelt at the Emperor's feet.
She reached out to grab the Emperor's leg, but he kicked her in the chest and pushed her away in disgust.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this concubine is framed, this concubine is framed! Someone has set a trap for me, someone wants to harm our mother and son. Your Majesty must deliver justice for me, sob sob sob~"
"Bitch, shut your mouth! You still have the nerve to cry here? The people guarding this courtyard are all from your palace."
Seeing the Emperor's dark face, which seemed capable of dripping ink, Consort Li's heart turned cold. She knew she was doomed this time.
She had wanted to snatch the empress's chosen daughter-in-law, to embarrass that old woman. Even more, she wanted her own son to become emperor. What was wrong with that?
But things had reached this point, and there was no way out. Thinking of this, she closed her eyes in despair and kowtowed forcefully.
"Your Majesty, it was all due to my schemes, but in the end, I have trapped myself. I deserve to die, but the Fifth Prince is innocent. He is Your Majesty's own flesh and blood! I beg Your Majesty to spare his life."
The Emperor said nothing, only staring at her coldly. Consort Li felt a prickling sensation on her scalp. She stood up decisively and dashed towards a nearby pillar, smashing her head against it.
She fell to the ground, her soul returning to the heavens.
This bloody scene finally brought the Fifth Prince to his senses. Without a second thought, he lunged off the bed and rushed towards where Consort Li lay.
The Emperor stepped forward and stomped on his hand. The Fifth Prince gritted his teeth in pain but dared not make a sound. He looked up blankly at his father.
The Emperor lowered his head and patted his face forcefully with his hand, saying without a trace of emotion:
"My son, do you know what happened tonight?"
With the words "My son," the Fifth Prince knew his life was spared. As relief washed over him, his heart was filled with sorrow.
"This son knows. Nothing happened tonight."
"Not entirely foolish. Clean yourselves up."
The Emperor turned and left the courtyard. The banquet ended prematurely, and the ministers and their families returned home.
The Fifth Prince dared not even cry loudly. He dressed Consort Li, tidied up, and escorted her back to her palace.
All of Consort Li's palace servants who had been guarding outside and knew the truth were executed. There was no grand funeral.
Consort Li thus vanished silently from the palace. Everyone knew this was the Emperor's taboo, and no one would foolishly mention it.
Thereafter, the Fifth Prince remained confined to his residence, feigning illness. The Emperor didn't even bother to send an imperial physician to check on him.