Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 784 - 0737 Chronic Arsenic Poisoning (1)

Li Yuwen led everyone forward. After introducing themselves, they all saluted Empress Cui, "Peace and blessings to Your Majesty."

Empress Cui looked at the four of them and said with a gentle smile, "Please rise." She then called for maids to bring tea and snacks.

Pei Shenyan understood that the reason Empress Cui invited him and Mu Yuanxiu was merely out of courtesy; she primarily wanted to meet the Li Family Sisters.

After sitting for a while, Pei Shenyan expressed a desire to see the peonies outside in the garden.

Empress Cui granted permission and called an eunuch to accompany them.

After they left, Empress Cui’s expression immediately turned melancholic. She stood up, taking Li Yuwen and Li Yuzhu by the hand, "Come with me."

She led the two sisters into the back hall.

There was no one else here; it was very quiet.

Li Yuzhu glanced around; the decor here was cozier than the front hall, with colors leaning towards light apricot or pale yellow, while the front hall’s colors were either dazzling bright yellow or dark purple. There were recliners and small couches in the room.

Behind the heavy curtains was a large bed carved with flying phoenixes.

So this was Empress Cui’s bedroom.

With no one else around, Li Yuwen began to speak frankly.

"Your Majesty does not look well?" Li Yuwen observed Empress Cui’s face, blinking.

Empress Cui sat down on a chair, indicating for them to sit as well. She gave a bitter smile, "Yuwen, you’re asking the obvious. I was sent into the palace by my family, and my life is worse than death."

"Have you been neglected by the Emperor?" Li Yuwen’s eyes slightly narrowed as she asked directly without hesitation.

Empress Cui gave a bitter smile, "From the start, the Emperor never favored me. Ever since Princess Consort Yu Wen entered the palace, the Emperor has never stepped into my courtyard."

Li Yuzhu opened her eyes wide in surprise; this was no different from living in the Cold Palace.

"How can I help you?" Li Yuwen looked at her.

As a woman from a noble family, finding a suitable marriage is not easy.

Back then, Li Yuwen was very afraid of being used as a tool for her parents’ alliance.

She acted willful and unreasonable, purposefully tarnishing her own reputation.

She believed that the person who truly liked her would understand the reason behind her unruliness.

Someone who truly liked her wouldn’t mind her temperament.

Those who wanted to marry her for political gain would be the ones to criticize her.

Fortunately, everything developed as she had envisioned.

But Empress Cui, who grew up with her, wasn’t so lucky.

Empress Cui shook her head and gave a bitter smile, "You can’t help me. I invited you into the palace just to reminisce. By the way, how are your family members doing in Zhen’an Prefecture?"

Li Yuwen said, "They’re doing well. Initially, life was tough, but over time, we gradually earned some money and built a house. My brother parted ways with the Xue Family, remarried, and had a son last year; he’s already a year and a half. My second sister married into the Lou Family of the Zhen’an Prefecture, and my third sister’s husband is a hunter from the village; though their family is ordinary, he’s a good person."

Empress Cui smiled and said, "That’s good." As she spoke, she also blamed herself, "I once advised the Emperor to think carefully about your family’s matters, but I couldn’t convince him; he doesn’t listen to anyone."

Li Yuwen held her hand, "Don’t blame yourself. We know the Emperor’s temper all too well. If he were someone who listened to advice, would my father have been punished?"

The two chatted casually, while Li Yuzhu sat aside, observing Empress Cui.

"Has Your Majesty been sleeping well lately?" Li Yuzhu interjected after the two had finished a conversation topic.

Li Yuwen looked intently at Empress Cui’s face, "Yes, you don’t look well; is it because of poor rest? My third sister’s medical skills are quite adequate; should I have her take a look at you?"

In recent months, Empress Cui indeed had trouble sleeping.

She couldn’t sleep well at night and felt utterly exhausted during the day.

But as the Empress, she had to handle the affairs of the palace, accompany the widowed Empress Dowager, and entertain officials and noblewomen. She had very little time for naps during the day.

As time went on, her energy naturally declined.

Poor sleep led to a bad mood, which in turn affected her appetite. Over half a year, she lost about ten pounds.

She was never plump, and now, having lost weight, she seemed even more fragile than a paper doll.

Li Yuwen looked at her withered fingers with concern, knitting her brows.

The sisters’ concern made Empress Cui feel slightly comforted inside.

She smiled faintly, "Over the past half-year, I indeed haven’t been sleeping well. However, the Imperial Physician has prescribed some remedies, and I’ve been taking some calming pills. Occasionally, I can manage a full night’s sleep."

But Li Yuzhu still insisted on giving her a medical examination.

Because Li Yuzhu realized that Empress Cui was not just troubled with insomnia.

Empress Cui’s complexion had a faint bluish tint, indicating signs of poisoning.

Li Yuwen snorted lightly, "I don’t believe in the people at the Imperial Hospital. If they were so capable, why has Prime Minister Pei’s illness been persisting? My third sister treated him for just a month, and now Prime Minister Pei can sit up."

Unable to resist the persuasion of the two sisters, Empress Cui had to agree to let Li Yuzhu examine her body.

Li Yuzhu helped Empress Cui to sit down, took a syringe from her backpack, and drew half a tube of blood for examination.

Whenever Li Yuzhu went out, she would carry a cloth bag.

Through this cloth bag, she could access any medicine or instrument she desired from the space within.

Li Yuwen had seen Li Yuzhu draw blood for examinations before, so she was not surprised, and quietly watched from the side.

Empress Cui, however, was very astonished, "Why draw blood? This tube is peculiar, I’ve never seen it before."

"By testing a small amount of blood, we can more accurately determine your body’s data, such as dietary issues," Li Yuzhu said.

She laid test paper on the table and dripped a drop of blood onto it.

Meanwhile, she placed the remaining blood into her backpack and quickly used the instruments in the space to test it.

The test paper could only measure the acidity and alkalinity of liquids, unrelated to detecting poison; it was merely a cover.

A moment later, the space instrument made an alert sound, indicating the test was complete.

Li Yuzhu took the instrument’s printed data from her backpack.

The strange symbols and scrawls on it left Empress Cui baffled, "And what is this?"

"This is data from my medical book, used for comparative values." Li Yuzhu made it up casually, knowing Empress Cui wouldn’t understand.

Looking at the data, Li Yuzhu’s expression turned solemn.

As expected, as she had guessed, there were toxins in Empress Cui’s body.

Arsenic!

"Empress, you have been poisoned with arsenic," Li Yuzhu said gravely, "But fortunately, it’s a small dose, the toxin isn’t severe."

Empress Cui’s face turned deathly pale, "Arsenic? I... how could I be poisoned? Who wants to harm me?"

Li Yuwen held her hand, "Ying Lei! Don’t panic. Carefully think about where you could have been poisoned. With whom have you quarreled?"

In her urgency, she called Empress Cui by her birth name.

This intimate call slightly calmed Empress Cui.

"I don’t know, I... I can’t remember..." Empress Cui shivered with fear, "If I were to list enemies, everyone in the Imperial Palace dislikes me, where do I start checking?"

"Don’t worry, Empress, let’s think again. Who of your enemies bears the greatest grudge, if you were gone, who would benefit? That person would be the poisoner," Li Yuzhu advised.

"Yes, yes, my third sister is right. Though you have many enemies, those small concubines wouldn’t dare harm you, right? If you’re not here, there’s no place for them to become Empress." Li Yuwen added.

The continuous reminders from the sisters made Empress Cui come to some realization.

"I know who it is," Empress Cui sneered coldly, "It’s the Emperor. Last year, nearing New Year, he fell ill. I went to Tianming Palace to visit him, and he pointed at me and cursed. He said if he were seriously ill, he would first decree my death! Now the Emperor’s health declines more by the day. He’s said several times he may not last, if it’s not him trying to harm me, who else could it be?"

Li Yuwen exclaimed in surprise, "What? He said such things about you? You are his Empress! You’ve both undergone the grand ceremonial rites together! You are his first spouse, and yet..."

Li Yuwen stood up, flicking her sleeves as she prepared to leave, "I’m going to confront him!"

Li Yuzhu pulled her back, "Are you pretending to be a heroine again? Look at your belly!"

Li Yuwen paused and looked down at her belly.

Deflated, she returned to her chair and sat down, "It’s too much, I’m so angry."

After pacifying Li Yuwen, Li Yuzhu took out an injection from her backpack, "Though the Empress is poisoned, it isn’t severe, and presently, not life-threatening. I’ll detoxify you first, and you’ll need to be mindful of your diet. Soon enough, your health will recover. As for who poisoned you, you can investigate discreetly while you heal. However, my suspicion is that it wasn’t the Emperor who poisoned you."

Li Yuwen looked at Li Yuzhu, "In your opinion, who could it be?"

Li Yuzhu replied, "I don’t know who specifically, but I’m certain it wasn’t the Emperor. If there were genuine issues, he could openly depose the Empress without resorting to poison, giving himself a bad name unnecessarily. If the Emperor poisoned the Empress and it got out, it would dishearten the ministers and anger the people, making them mock him as a foolish ruler. Even if the Emperor is incompetent, he wouldn’t want to be a subject of such scorn, right?"

Li Yuwen blinked, "You do make some sense."

Empress Cui was slightly stunned, "Was I too angry to think clearly? I never considered that connection, and indeed, the Emperor cares greatly about his reputation."