Dongfang Yi told the Empress Dowager all she knew about Concubine Dong's plot to assassinate the Emperor.
However, the Empress Dowager frowned and snorted coldly. She would rather believe Concubine Dong, who had always been gentle, submissive, and unassuming in the harem, than the arrogant woman standing in front of her at this moment.
Thinking of this, she frowned and shouted angrily, "Look at yourself. Where is there any trace of a queen? At this point, you still want to drag others down with you?!"
Dongfang Yi never expected that the Empress Dowager wouldn't believe a single word she said. Instead, she thought Dongfang Yi was framing someone. So, she couldn't help widening her eyes and shouting at the old woman in front of her, "If I, Dongfang Yi, have said anything against my conscience, may I be struck by lightning! Empress Dowager, think about what I've said. Why would I randomly frame Concubine Dong?!"
Her hysterical appearance startled the Empress Dowager. She couldn't help but think for a moment, but she just couldn't bear her disgust for the woman in front of her. Then she waved her hand at the people beside her and ordered, "Take the queen to the dungeon for me!"
"Empress Dowager! You'll regret this!" Dongfang Yi was dragged out of the Qianqing Palace. She was hysterical, but no one dared to stop them. She could only be taken to that dark and damp place under the surprised gazes of all the palace servants.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager in the palace watched the woman's back completely disappear from her sight before she let out a long sigh of relief.
As the queen, that woman was once weak and incompetent, bringing disgrace to the royal family. Later, for some reason, she changed her personality and became more and more arrogant and disrespectful. She even repeatedly incited the Emperor to oppose her. She was really detestable. Now, taking this opportunity to depose her might not be a bad thing.
Thinking of this, she walked back into the inner palace. Looking at the man lying quietly on the couch, she couldn't help asking, "Imperial Physician Li, the Emperor was clearly poisoned, but why is there no sign of it?"
"Empress Dowager, you may not know. The poison the Emperor was poisoned with is a chronic one. It won't kill him quickly, but it's actually eroding the Emperor's body from the inside!" Imperial Physician Li frowned and said like this, his tone full of worry. As the chief imperial physician in the Imperial Hospital, he had no way to deal with the Emperor's illness.
After hearing his words, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but feel a thud in her heart. With a worried look on her face, she said, "Do we really have to post a notice all over the capital to find a doctor for the Emperor?!"
This was a last - resort measure. After all, this would be like telling everyone that the Emperor was poisoned and in a coma. If there were any villains who took the guise of coming into the palace to treat the Emperor and did something bad to him, it would be really hard to guard against.
Imperial Physician Li naturally saw the worry of the noble lady in front of him. Then he reported, "Empress Dowager, the queen has already sent people out of the palace to look for a divine doctor. If they can find the so - called Doctor Bai they mentioned, the Emperor's poison will surely be cured..."
He wanted to say more, but was interrupted by the Empress Dowager, "If it weren't for that woman, the Emperor wouldn't have encountered such a disaster. Now you still take her words as the golden rule?!"
Her tone was filled with uncontrollable anger. Then she flicked her sleeve and left the inner palace. She ordered the imperial physician to take good care of the Emperor's body, and also ordered her subordinates to secretly look for antidote experts in the folk.
Then she rushed back to the Cining Palace. After all, she had an important matter to investigate. Although the queen was detestable, she had to believe some of the words the queen said in that critical moment. So she must find out the truth about the Emperor's assassination outside.
And the first one to investigate was Concubine Dong's family!
At this moment, Dongfang Yi had been taken to the dungeon. Nanny Li pushed her in forcefully, then squinted at her and threatened, "Your Majesty the Queen, just stay here obediently. The Empress Dowager won't do anything to you for the time being!"
After saying that, she left the dungeon arrogantly, leaving Dongfang Yi alone standing in the dark dungeon. There was hay everywhere. Except for a table and a straw mat, there was nothing else. There wasn't even a candle, so she couldn't see anything else in the dark environment.
Oh, she never thought she would end up in such a situation. Dongfang Yi couldn't help thinking in her heart. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her knee. When she reached out to touch it, she felt something wet. It must be that she was dragged on the way here and her knee hit the ground and was bleeding.
But she didn't have time to worry about these minor injuries. Now all she hoped was that the people outside could find Bai Juechen quickly and detoxify Helian Qi as soon as possible. Then she could feel at ease in the dungeon.
Soon, the news that the queen had been taken to the dungeon by the Empress Dowager spread in the harem. Everyone was speculating why the queen had suddenly suffered such a fate.
Moreover, the Emperor always doted on the queen. How could he allow the Empress Dowager to do this? Did the queen really do something unforgivable?
On the other side, in Concubine Chu's palace.
Concubine Chu naturally heard this news. She was sitting on the grand master's chair, sipping the tea in her hand leisurely, with a sneer on her lips.
Dongfang Yi, you finally got what you deserve. She thought to herself, and a look of triumph immediately appeared on her face.
She had expected all this. When she ordered Concubine Dong to spread the rumor, with the Empress Dowager's character of not tolerating any sand in her eyes, how could she let Dongfang Yi go? This time, without the Emperor to support her, she would never be able to turn things around.
"Hahaha——!"
Thinking of this, she couldn't help laughing wildly. She ordered the maid beside her, "Has there been any reply from Father - in - law?"
The maid bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Prime Minister Nangong said that he would come back as soon as possible. He also said that you did a great job this time and it was very beneficial to our great plan."
"Oh... Tell Father - in - law not to forget what he promised me!" Concubine Chu took another sip of the tea in her hand and said like this.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. The prime minister will surely keep his promise. After all, you are his daughter!" The maid said in a flattering tone.
But Concubine Chu sneered in her heart. What Father - in - law? If she were to talk about father - daughter affection now, it would be too hypocritical. They were just using each other. As long as that man didn't do something like killing the donkey after it had done its work in the end, it would be the best.
After thinking about it, she waved her hand to signal the maid beside her to retreat, and then she began to think about how to deal with Concubine Dong and the Dong family.
After all, they knew all the secrets. Even though Minister Dong was a member of the Nangong family and was trustworthy, Concubine Dong was an indecisive person. Who knew if she would ruin their plans in the future? So the best way to deal with her was to make her completely disappear.