I was sold when I opened my eyes! My sick and disabled husband comforts me every night after he wake

Lan Zhi shook her head with a hint of regret.

"This bowl of medicine has been simmering all morning, and she just ate it all like that, what a waste..."

Before she could finish speaking, the orange cat suddenly collapsed and began to whine, just like a dying old man.

The Empress Dowager's face turned deathly pale with fright. She pointed at the cat lying on the ground and questioned it.

"This...what the hell is going on?"

Granny Sun's already gloomy face turned even more ashen. She pointed directly at Lan Zhi and angrily rebuked her:

"You, surnamed Lan, how dare you! You're trying to harm the Empress Dowager!"

Lan Zhi hurriedly knelt down and shook her head.

"Your Majesty, please investigate! I am innocent! I would have received a large reward for curing Your Majesty, how could I possibly harm you?"

The Empress Dowager looked at the cat with heartache, then got up from the soft couch. Just as she was about to reach out to hug the cat, it suddenly became agitated and almost bit her hand.

Seeing this, Granny Sun quickly instructed the servants behind her:

"Quickly, take this cat away."

The Empress Dowager waved her hand in refusal.

"No, Lan Zhi, is there any way to save this cat?"

Lan Zhi nodded, "Judging from its appearance, it should have ingested some kind of slow-acting poison. I'll try to find out what kind of poison it is later, and perhaps we can find an antidote."

Upon hearing Lan Zhi's words, the Empress Dowager suddenly looked up and questioned her sternly.

"This orange cat has been with me for three years. It was lively and energetic just now, but now it's like this after taking the medicine you brewed. Give me an explanation."

Lan Zhi lowered her head and pondered for a while, then looked up with a serious expression.

"Your Majesty, this bowl of medicine was served to you by more than just me. You must allow me to call the other two people here and ask them in person."

Upon hearing this, Granny Sun angrily questioned,

"Hmph! Are you trying to shirk responsibility? No matter how many people handled this medicine, you are the culprit, and you cannot escape blame..."

“What Granny Sun said is absolutely right. However, when I was preparing the medicine, Granny Sun ordered Cuiyu to call me to take the Empress Dowager’s pulse. If there is a problem with this bowl of medicine, Granny Sun will also be held responsible.”

"you……"

Granny Sun was speechless for a moment, then shouted angrily.

"Someone, bring Cuiyu here."

“Granny Sun, not only Cuiyu, but also Shunzi came into contact with this bowl of medicine.”

Then Granny Sun continued to give instructions to the people outside:

"Bring Shunzi here as well."

The Empress Dowager sat there quietly, her slightly cloudy eyes fixed on the orange cat lying there groaning, her anger suppressed deep inside.

In no time, Shunzi and Cuiyu were brought before the Empress Dowager. When they saw the orange cat lying on the ground, Cuiyu panicked, and Shunzi also looked at a loss.

The Empress Dowager glanced at the two of them and said:

"This cat became like this after taking the medicine Lan Zhi brought. Do you know what happened?"

Cuiyu and Shunzi shook their heads, trembling.

The Empress Dowager continued:

"It died in my place. If it wasn't it that fell here today, it would have been me."

When she spoke her last sentence, the Empress Dowager's tone suddenly became more forceful.

"Lan Zhi, it's your job to brew medicine for me. Now that there's a problem with this medicine, I need your explanation. Ask them whatever you want!"

Lan Zhi nodded, then looked at Cuiyu and Shunzi kneeling on the ground.

"Cuiyu, I told you to watch the medicine pot, but when I got back, you weren't there?"

Cuiyu pursed her dry lips and replied in a trembling voice:

"I...I have a stomachache, I went to the outhouse."

"Oh? When I went back to the small kitchen, I clearly saw you leave the Longevity Palace. Did you have to go to another palace just to use the outhouse?"

This……

This question made Cuiyu's face turn deathly pale. She shook her head in a panic, then lowered her wrist, revealing a pill in her hand. Just as she was about to throw it into her mouth, Lanzhi raised her hand to stop her, gripping her wrist tightly and angrily questioning her.

"What? You can't explain it clearly, so you think you can just end it all with death?"

This scene was tantamount to Cuiyu's guilty conscience and her confession without being asked; Granny Sun suddenly knelt down on both knees.

"Your Majesty, Cuiyu is someone under my command. How dare she plot against you and even harm your beloved cat? I will make her atone with her death now."

As she spoke, she was about to step forward to pull Cuiyu away when the Empress Dowager stopped her.

"All right……"

The Empress Dowager waved her hand impatiently.

"It's so annoying to be arguing like this in the middle of the day. Lan Zhi, stay. The rest of you, leave."

Lan Zhi looked at the Empress Dowager with disbelief.

"What should we do with the jade?"

The Empress Dowager waved her hand dismissively.

"Send them out of the palace!"

Send her out of the palace? She wanted to harm the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager wanted to send her out of the palace.

Was the Empress Dowager being tolerant, or was she just being foolish?

Seeing everyone frozen in place, the Empress Dowager angrily rebuked again:

"Didn't you hear me? All of you, step back."

Upon hearing this, Granny Sun waved her hand, signaling everyone to leave.

When only the Empress Dowager and Lan Zhi remained, the Empress Dowager let out a long sigh and muttered to herself:

"They used to act covertly, but now they dare to do it openly."

At this point, she looked up at Lan Zhi.

"Do you think I'm actually quite pitiful? Besides Granny Sun, I don't have anyone I can trust at all?"

Granny Sun? Is she really reliable?

"Your Majesty, you could have easily found out who was behind this, so why did you let her go?"

The Empress Dowager gave a calm, self-deprecating smile.

"What good would it do to ask? Would we confront him or complain to the Emperor? The Emperor is very busy lately and has no time to deal with such trivial matters in the harem. Let's not cause him any trouble!"

The Empress Dowager is right. The mastermind behind this is the Empress. Judging from how Cuiyu was willing to die rather than confess when she realized that things had been exposed, it is clear that if the Empress does not admit it and Cuiyu is determined to take the blame for the Empress, the matter will eventually be dropped.

“But you shouldn’t have let Cuiyu get away with this. You should have made an example of her.”

"I may indulge her, but that doesn't mean she'll leave the palace alive. As for those who want to harm me, I'll deal with them when the time is right. The reason I'm telling you all this today is to tell you that you must keep a close eye on the medicine I receive from now on, and under no circumstances should you pass it on to anyone else. You must deliver it to me personally. Do you understand?"

Lan Zhi hurriedly bowed and replied:

"understood."

The Empress Dowager then wearily waved her hand.

"Go back!"

Lan Zhi was surprised by the Empress Dowager's attitude toward this matter.

Knowing that someone wanted to harm her, she not only did not fly into a rage, but even remained calm. Moreover, she seemed to know who wanted to harm her, but was unwilling to bring it up in the open.

Well, as a doctor, she shouldn't concern herself with so much. She should just focus on doing what she's supposed to do!

The Empress Dowager didn't get to drink the medicine she had in the morning, so she had to brew another bowl.

She had barely stepped out of the Empress Dowager's bedchamber when a cloud of dust rose up, and with a 'crack,' a whip lashed out at her feet.

She frowned slightly, quickly took two steps back, and then looked up at Princess Yujie standing in front of her.

"You're a princess, after all. What's the point of whipping yourself all day?"

"I want you to take care of..."

Yu Jie raised her head and smiled contemptuously at her.

"However, I think you're quite amusing. I'm going to find my grandmother now and ask her to assign you to my palace..."