Chapter 22 — Wedding Day Switch: My Husband Traded Me Away

A subtle flash of hesitation crossed the expressions of both the Empress Dowager and Li Cheng. They clearly harbored a deep reluctance to leave Phung Uyen alone to tend to the Emperor, yet they could find no valid pretext to stop him. After all, the entire Imperial Medical Academy had already exhausted their skills and could do nothing more; Phung Uyen was their final hope. Should they dare to obstruct him now, the capital crime of conspiring to assassinate the Emperor would instantly fall upon their own heads.

Let the Prince decide everything as he sees fit.

In the end, Li Cheng gritted his teeth and forced the words out.

Very well.

Phung Uyen nodded curtly.

All of you, withdraw to the outer hall. Without my direct command, no one is to step foot inside.

The Empress Dowager, Li Cheng, and the high-ranking ministers, consumed though they were by bitter resentment and burning frustration, had no choice but to obey. They retreated from the chamber. Within moments, the vast and opulent bedchamber was left with only the three of us: myself, Phung Uyen, and the young Emperor lying unconscious upon the grand dragon bed. Phung Uyen strode over to the heavy wooden doors and personally pulled them shut, completely cutting off the watchful, probing eyes waiting outside. Only then did he turn his gaze toward me.

What is it that you have discovered?

His voice was low and deeply resonant. I held nothing back, recounting everything from the peculiar scent I had detected clinging to the quilt to all that I knew of this particular variant of the Acacia Fragrance, laying out each detail clearly before him. When I finished, a look of undisguised appreciation shone brightly in Phung Uyen eyes. Shen Hua, you truly never fail to disappoint this Prince.

You flatter me, Your Highness.

I lowered my gaze.

There are still a few matters, however, that this concubine fails to comprehend.

Speak.

Shen Nhu is merely a secondary-branch daughter of the Prime Minister estate; how could she possibly come into possession of such a lethal and exotic poison from the Western Regions? Furthermore, how did she manage to contaminate the Emperor brocade quilt with it?

There must undoubtedly be hidden layers to this affair that remain concealed from us.

That is not difficult to deduce.

Phung Uyen let out a cold, derisive laugh.

Shen Nhu is nothing more than a disposable pawn in the hands of others. The true mastermind is someone else entirely. Her only role was to supply the fatal poison. As for inside the palace, there would naturally be an insider tasked with placing the poisoned brocade quilt right beside the Emperor.

Then that mastermind...

It is ten to nine parts certain to be Li Cheng.

A piercing, lethal glint flickered across Phung Uyen eyes.

Only he possesses both the motive and the means to plant his own people deep within the imperial inner courts. Moreover, the Acacia Fragrance is not some mythical, unattainable treasure. Generations ago, the Li family built their immense fortunes precisely through trade routes with the Western Regions. It is hardly surprising that they hold such substances in their possession.

With just a few succinct sentences, Phung Uyen had cleanly dissected the entire tangled web of events. So that was how it was. All of this had been an earth-shattering conspiracy meticulously orchestrated by the Li clan. Shen Nhu was simply a discarded chess piece, cast aside to deliberately throw us off the scent and obscure the truth. Even if our investigations led us straight to Shen Nhu, the Li family could easily wash their hands of any involvement. They could even turn the tables and strike back, accusing the Shen family of maliciously framing them. Such unfathomable depths of scheming! Such a venomous strategy!

What should our next move be then?

I inquired.

If we were to directly accuse the Li clan now, we lack concrete proof. Is His Majesty truly poisoned?

I pressed further, and Phung Uyen gently shook his head.

Judging by his pulse, he has merely inhaled a moderate amount of soporific drug and contracted a mild chill. There is no danger to his life whatsoever. The so-called prophecy of death within seven days is nothing more than a psychological tactic deliberately spread by the poisoner. Their primary objective is to make us lose our composure and fall into chaos.

I understood at once. The Li family was taking a massive gamble—betting that we would never uncover the truth, and betting that Phung Uyen could not cure the Emperor. As long as the Emperor remained trapped in unconsciousness, they could exploit the name of the Empress Dowager to gradually usurp the affairs of the court and strip Phung Uyen of all his authority.

How does Your Highness intend to proceed?

I asked. Phung Uyen walked slowly over to the bedside, gazing down at the sleeping young ruler with a fleeting trace of tenderness in his eyes.

Since they are so fond of putting on a grand performance, this Prince shall play along and stage an even grander spectacle with them.

He turned his head to look at me, the corners of his lips curling upward into a chilling smile.

Not only shall I make His Majesty appear gravely ill, but I will also ensure that every single civil and military official, along with every citizen in the capital, sees with absolute clarity just who the traitor plotting against their sovereign truly is, and who is casting greedy eyes upon this magnificent imperial realm.