Deposed 6

Chapter 6. Poisoned

The Wei family was a household of loyal and valiant individuals who had served the current Emperor since his days in the Southwest. Old Madam Wei’s husband, her eldest son, and her eldest daughter-in-law all perished on the battlefield protecting the current Emperor. Due to this, after Emperor Changping ascended the throne, he showed particular solicitude and favor to the Wei family. When bestowing grand rewards upon his meritorious subjects, the first to be posthumously honored were the father and son of the Wei family. In addition, Old Madam Wei was conferred the title of First-Rank Imperial Mandated Lady. Her annual rewards during festivals were of the highest standard for titled women, and her esteemed status was akin to that of the Empress Dowager. Wei Zhao, still in his youth, consequently became the youngest Super-Rank Marquis in the current dynasty.

Later, as the court gradually stabilized, even though Wei Zhao held command over hundreds of thousands of troops and was stationed in the northern frontier, Emperor Changping granted him the authority to deploy troops at his discretion and never interfered in the affairs of the northern frontier, pushing Wei Zhao to the pinnacle of power. Although there were often court officials who impeached Wei Zhao for abusing his military power and acting arrogantly, Emperor Changping always dismissed it with a smile. This level of trust and reliance was something that other court officials could only envy.

Even Emperor Changping treated Old Madam Wei with respect, let alone these princes. Therefore, as soon as Old Madam Wei appeared, everyone swarmed up to her. Su Yulin was also among them. Naturally, he wasn’t there out of respect for the elderly, but because he thought that currying favor with Old Madam Wei was equivalent to currying favor with Wei Zhao. Perhaps in the future, Old Madam Wei would say a few good words for him, and Wei Zhao would forgive and forget his past transgressions!

Profitable!

But Old Madam Wei obviously didn’t think so. So many people surrounded her, buzzing in her ears, it was incredibly noisy. The key was that none of them were pleasing to the eye, especially her second son, Wei Hong. He was already in his forties or fifties, yet he always had a dark expression on his face, like the bottom of a pot. Who knows who he would bring bad luck to? It was really a buzzkill.

“Where’s Xiao Yun? Where did Xiao Yun go?”

Old Madam Wei cried out helplessly in the crowd.

Everyone: “…..”

This scene made it seem like they were bullies oppressing an old woman.

Mu Yun promptly supported Old Madam Wei and said with a well-behaved smile, “I’m here, Old Madam, don’t be afraid.”

Everyone: “……………”

Don’t… don’t be afraid??

Old Madam, have you forgotten who almost stabbed your grandson Wei Zhao to death three years ago?

They very much, extremely, and utterly wanted to remind this muddle-headed old lady, but Old Madam Wei looked like she was about to faint from shock at any moment. She let Mu Yun help her to her seat and, with a smile, unabashedly ordered the current Crown Prince to pour her tea, pat her back, and soothe her for a good while before reluctantly letting him go.

Grand Secretary Wei, who was left hanging by his own mother: “…..”

His mother’s body was strong enough to lift a large cauldron with one hand. When did she become so frail?

Mu Yun had someone present the gifts. He only slightly raised his eyelids and very perfunctorily said, “Congratulations to Eldest Brother on his birthday.” Then he went to his seat. It was Old Madam Wei who enthusiastically explained, “Eldest Prince, it was my carriage that broke down on the way here. Xiao Yun was worried and insisted on escorting me here personally. That’s why we’re a little late. You mustn’t blame him.”

Mu Jue smiled gently, “Old Madam, what are you saying? Imperial Father often teaches us to treat Old Madam as our own grandmother, to respect you and honor you. Because of my birthday banquet, Old Madam was almost put in danger. Your subject is already deeply ashamed. Fortunately, His Highness came to the rescue in time, preventing a great mistake. Your subject is grateful and would never blame His Highness.”

“Good, that’s good. I knew you were a sensible child.”

Old Madam Wei said happily.

Flames of anger leaped in Mu Xiao’s eyes. He exchanged a look with Su Yulin. Su Yulin understood and immediately ran to Old Madam Wei with a plate of pastries, coaxing the old lady into eating a couple of pieces. He took the opportunity to say, “Old Madam, you mustn’t forget that three years ago, it was the Crown Prince who stabbed the Marquis of Dingbei in the left chest, almost taking the Marquis’s life. The Crown Prince is deliberately getting close to you now, he must have ulterior motives. You mustn’t be deceived by his appearance.”

“What did you say? I, can’t, hear, you!”

Old Madam Wei cupped her hand to her ear, looking confused.

Su Yulin: “…..”

Was his voice that soft? Could it be that the banquet hall was too noisy?

Determined to accomplish his mission, Su Yulin could only raise his voice a couple of notches and, with deep indignation and heartache, repeat what he had just said, adding more details. It was truly heart-wrenching for those who heard it.

“Oh, you’re talking about my grandson.” However, Old Madam Wei smiled even more happily, “He’s in very good health. His arms and legs are stronger than an ox’s. He can eat eight bowls of rice in one sitting. This pineapple cake is quite good. Here, you have some too.”

Su Yulin: “…..”

Could this old lady be deaf? He had spoken so much with such heartfelt concern, and she only remembered this?

According to common sense, shouldn’t the old lady have flown into a rage, slammed the table, and rushed over to fight with the Crown Prince? That way, they could fish in troubled waters, make the old lady stumble or fall, and completely stir up the conflict between the Crown Prince’s residence and the Marquis of Dingbei’s residence.

The guests had all arrived. The music started, the drums sounded, and the delicacies were served one after another. The banquet officially began. Not wanting to draw too much attention, Su Yulin could only return to his seat unwillingly and exchanged a frustrated look with Mu Xiao.

The old lady was muddle-headed and hard of hearing. It was truly difficult to deal with her!

“Today, everyone has taken time out of their busy schedules to attend this banquet. Your subject is deeply grateful. This cup, your subject will drink it first as a toast.”

The First Prince, Mu Jue, stood up from the main seat, raised his cup with a smile, and thanked everyone. After all, it was the First Prince’s birthday banquet. With wine and good cheer, everyone quickly forgot the small disturbance from earlier and raised their cups to congratulate Mu Jue.

“For the second cup, your subject toasts his mentor. For all these years, you have not looked down on your subject’s dullness and have taught him with great care.”

After drinking a cup of wine, Mu Jue’s face flushed. He smiled gratefully at Wei Hong, raised his wine cup, stood up, and walked towards Wei Hong.

Wei Hong was slightly moved and was about to stand up with his cup when he heard a startled cry, “Eldest Prince!”

He opened his eyes and saw that the First Prince, Mu Jue, had fallen straight to the ground not far from him.

“Eldest Prince!”

The steward cried out in alarm and rushed forward. Wei Hong’s expression also changed drastically. He threw down his wine cup and shouted, “Quickly summon the imperial physician!”

A young servant immediately ran outside. Wei Hong directed everyone to move Mu Jue to a soft couch in the inner hall. Mu Jue’s eyes were tightly closed, and his arms hung limply. He had obviously fallen into a coma. The situation was critical.

The hall was thrown into complete chaos. Everyone else was at a loss for what to do. They couldn’t leave, nor could they stay. They wanted to go to the inner hall but were afraid of Wei Hong’s terrifying expression.

The imperial physician soon arrived, out of breath. Before he could catch his breath, he was dragged into the inner hall. Not long after, Wei Hong emerged from the inner hall with a dark expression. He coldly scanned the room and said angrily, “The First Prince has been poisoned.”

“What!”

Like a bomb exploding, everyone was shocked and turned pale. The First Prince was poisoned at his own birthday banquet, and all of them who attended… were probably implicated!

Sure enough, Wei Hong continued, “Today, none of you may leave. This official has already ordered the gates to be closed and has informed His Majesty.”

The Second Prince, Mu Xiao, was in a very bad mood.

He could have stayed in his residence under house arrest, but he had specifically requested permission to attend the banquet today, mainly to find an opportunity to frame Old Madam Wei and pin the blame on Mu Yun. In the end, he failed to accomplish his main task and got himself into this mess.

Mu Xiao was annoyed, “Grand Secretary Wei, the First Prince was poisoned at the banquet. The investigation should start with the servants in his residence who were responsible for the wine and food. Why are you implicating us? This prince cannot bear such an accusation.”

“Yes, yes.” Several unlucky fellows from the Supreme Court who had come to the banquet together chimed in.

Wei Hong looked straight ahead with a stern expression, “The innocent will be cleared. Since the Second Prince has a clear conscience, what is the harm in staying to prove your innocence? His Majesty must have received the news by now. We will just wait for His Majesty’s decision. The Second Prince is so anxious, could it be that he is feeling guilty?”

“You…” Mu Xiao almost coughed up blood. Not wanting others to be swayed by Wei Hong, he could only sit back down angrily.

The once noisy hall became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Fear and anxiety gradually wove a dense net, weighing heavily on everyone’s hearts.

Then, the sound of thunderous hoofbeats woke everyone from that oppressive suffocation.

The doors of the hall were violently pushed open, and two rows of soldiers in silver armor holding torches poured in like a tide. The Chief Eunuch of the Inner Palace, Wang Fulai, personally arrived with an imperial decree: “By the Emperor’s decree, the Marquis of Dingbei, Wei Zhao, is to take full charge of the investigation into the poisoning of the First Prince. All involved, regardless of rank, must fully cooperate with the Marquis of Dingbei’s investigation. This is the imperial decree.”

Everyone was in an uproar. Before they could recover, they saw a man in a loose robe enter the hall with his hands behind his back. His cold eyes gleamed under the torchlight, deep and unfathomable. It was none other than the Marquis of Dingbei, Wei Zhao, who had just returned to the capital.