Chapter 21 — Wedding Day Switch: My Husband Traded Me Away

He raised his voice and commanded the hall.

Convey the command of this Prince, from this very moment, seal the entire imperial palace completely.

Without the explicit order of this Prince, no one is permitted to enter or exit under any circumstances.

All palace attendants on night duty by the Taiye Pond are to be detained immediately and subjected to the strictest interrogation.

Anyone who dares to resist shall be executed without mercy!

He issued a rapid succession of decrees. Every single command carried an unshakable majesty, thick with the scent of bloodshed. The entire Qianqing Palace plunged into a suffocating, oppressive stillness within a split second. Not a single soul dared to voice a dissenting word, for all of them knew too well that this Regent meant business—he would genuinely kill without hesitation. A fleeting trace of panic flickered across the faces of the Empress Dowager and Li Cheng, but they managed to mask it almost instantly.

Your Highness speaks with absolute wisdom, Li Cheng forced himself to maintain a composed demeanor as he spoke.

We must hunt down the culprit without fail and exact vengeance for His Majesty!

Feng Yuan paid him no heed whatsoever. His gaze slowly swept across every inch of the bedchamber, resembling a sovereign lion patrolling its sovereign domain. At last, his eyes came to rest upon a bronze-green censer resting on the bedside table. Wisps of blue smoke still curled lazily upward from within the vessel, carrying the soothing fragrance of calming incense. He strode forward, pinched a small amount of the incense ash between his fingertips, and lifted it to his nose to inhale the scent. Following this action, his dark brows furrowed even deeper.

I stood quietly behind him the entire time, uttering not a single word. Yet, I was far from idle. My eyes were likewise searching every corner of the room with utmost vigilance. I turned the possibilities over in my mind: if I were the one who administered the poison, what method would I choose? To taint the food? The risk was simply too high, as silver needles would easily detect any impurities. To poison the water? The same applied; detection would follow swiftly. Then... were there any alternative methods?

My gaze was suddenly drawn to the brilliant golden brocade quilt spread across the imperial dragon bed. Embroidered upon the rich fabric were nine golden dragons, so vividly crafted they seemed alive. Yet, that was not the crucial detail. The truly important matter was that I caught the faintest hint of a scent. Extremely faint. Carrying a lingering sweetness. This subtle fragrance was heavily masked by the pungent medicinal odors permeating the bedchamber and the pervasive aroma of the calming incense. If not for my childhood sensitivity to various fragrances, I would never have been able to detect it.

I slowly stepped forward, feigning the need to adjust the corner of the quilt for the young emperor. Lowering my head, I brought my nose close to the brocade fabric. There was no mistake. It was precisely this scent. Cloyingly sweet, yet intertwined with a bizarre, exotic fragrance. This scent... I couldn't shake the feeling that I had encountered it somewhere before. Where could it possibly have been?

I closed my eyes, desperately rummaging through the attic of my memory. Suddenly, a vivid image flashed across my mind. It was three days after our wedding, during the traditional return visit to my maiden home. Shen Rou had rushed forward, seizing the sleeve of my robe. At that exact moment, the fragrance emanating from her person was an exact match for this very scent!

This particular perfume was no native product of the Central Plains, but rather an exceedingly rare concoction known as the Incense of Harmony, originating from the distant Western Regions. It was said that women who wore it could effortlessly awaken deep passions and heighten sensual pleasures. However, if this fragrance were combined with another specific herb bearing the name Drunkenness of Seven Days, it would transform into a colorless, odorless chronic poison capable of stealthily paralyzing the human nervous system. Those afflicted would initially experience overwhelming drowsiness and fatigue, subsequently descending into a prolonged, irreversible coma until, seven days later, life would quietly slip away. Physicians would find it utterly impossible to diagnose the true cause of death, inevitably attributing it to a routine invasion of cold winds.

What a vicious scheme! What a sinister conspiracy! My heart plummeted heavily. I raised my head to look at Feng Yuan, only to find that he was watching me as well. Our gazes locked in mid-air. He saw the profound gravity etched in my eyes, and he understood instantly that I had undeniably uncovered something of vital importance.

Feng Yuan did not immediately demand to know what I had discovered. He merely offered me a subtle, almost imperceptible nod of his head. Then, pivoting sharply, he directed his attention toward the Empress Dowager and Li Cheng.

His Majesty has been poisoned far too deeply; ordinary medicinal decoctions are no longer of any use, he declared.

His voice was deep, steady, and laden with immense authority, instantly commanding the undivided attention of everyone present.

This Prince must employ the technique of golden needles piercing the vital acupoints to force the toxins out of His Majesty's body.

Throughout this process, absolutely no one is permitted to disturb us under any circumstances.

Should any mishap befall His Majesty as a result, this Prince will ensure that the entire family of the transgressor is buried along with him.

Every single word he uttered was fraught with an overwhelming, towering aura of murder. Especially the final sentence, which struck a profound wave of terror deep into the hearts of all who stood witness.