The reason Consort Xin was banished to the cold palace was poisoning. She had secretly placed a concoction that could cause miscarriages into a sachet presented to Consort Rong, resulting in Consort Rong's miscarriage and death. That had been Ji Hong's only child in so many years.
At the time, he was furious and had intended to execute Consort Xin directly. However, he later sensed something amiss, which led him to banish Consort Xin to the cold palace. His plan was to release her once the spies hidden within the harem were purged, but he never expected her to die.
Ji Hong was reviewing the memorial presented by the Central Secretariat regarding Cheng Huanzhi's buying and selling of official positions. After some thought, he dipped his brush in ink and drew a cross on the lower right of the memorial, then returned it to the Central Secretariat.
Consort Xin's real name was Cheng Jiaxin, the legitimate daughter of Cheng Huanzhi.
Now that his daughter had died tragically in the palace, he would spare her father's life.
"Your Majesty, the identity of the deceased wet nurse has been ascertained."
Since that remnant from Miao territory was sent to the Imperial Prison, she had been under constant surveillance by the Xuanwei. When she went to the cold palace to transact with the wet nurse, and subsequently killed the wet nurse and Consort Xin, the Xuanwei had been hidden in the shadows. However, fearing they might alert the culprit, they could only watch as she committed murder and disposed of the bodies.
Ji Hong was well aware of this, which was why he had returned the memorial, giving Cheng Huanzhi a way out.
"That wet nurse was the former imperial consort's wet nurse."
Former imperial consort?
"You mean my father's Consort Shu?" Ji Hong pondered, vaguely recalling a woman who was the epitome of beauty. In his hazy memory, she always wore purple dresses and sat in pavilions in the imperial garden, appreciating the snow and moon.
The Xuanwei nodded. "Yes."
"After the former imperial consort died, her wet nurse was relegated to the Department of Imperial Attendants."
"I heard that the reason Consort Shu was able to conceive an imperial heir back then was because this wet nurse possessed a certain medicinal herb, a herb that, once consumed, would lead to the conception of an imperial prince." The Xuanwei's voice grew softer when speaking of offspring.
Consort Shu had died because she was poisoned during her pregnancy. After the miscarriage, Consort Shu, unable to bear the blow, hanged herself. However, there was another account from that time, which suggested that Consort Shu was actually forced to her death by the then Empress, who was now the Empress Dowager, and that the Empress Dowager was the culprit behind Consort Shu's miscarriage.
Yet, the Empress Dowager's actions back then were all for the Emperor.
Ji Hong finally understood. So, ultimately, this was all because Yun'er wanted to bear him an imperial prince?
The Xuanwei nodded.
However, the Consort's methods were rather cruel.
Imperial prince.
Although Ji Hong had been busy with state affairs for years and rarely stayed in the harem, normal conjugal relations had occurred. Apart from Consort Rong, no other concubine had become pregnant in these years. Ji Hong had not paid much attention to it before, but now it seemed someone did not want him to have any offspring.
As for Yun'er's situation, he could understand her desire to conceive an imperial prince, but she should not have resorted to such methods. More importantly, what was the motive of the person who instigated her to do this?
Was it to administer medicine to him through Yun'er's hands, or to find a handle on Yun'er to threaten her into doing something?
Ji Hong felt both were possible.
He fiddled with the corner of his robe, a cold glint spreading from the corner of his eyes.
"Your Majesty, Consort Gui has sent a palace maid to bring you soup."
Just then, the eunuch's joyous voice was heard from outside the Imperial Study. The cold glint in Ji Hong's eyes instantly turned into a sharp blade, and in the next moment, he reined in all his killing intent. "Send it in!"