"God, just strike me dead with the next bolt of lightning."
Inside Anle Palace, shouts of shock, anger, curses, and cries could be heard from time to time. The people inside were crying and begging for their parents, making those outside turn green with fear. They knew how terrible the situation must be inside.
"Empress... Empress, come here quickly..." Just then, a startled cry came from inside. The gates of Anle Palace were pushed open, and two people struggled to help one person out. However, all three of them had disheveled clothes and messy hair, and their faces...
"hiss!"
"Who is that person?!"
"A ghost! I've seen a ghost in broad daylight!"
"Oh my god, it's so scary, it's so ugly!"
"Where did this ugly woman come from in the palace? How dare she frighten the ladies of the palace! Seize her and beat her to death!"
"Ah...she's looking over here, her eyes are terrifying!"
Ouyang Yue squinted at the people's feigned fright. She could see very clearly that the person being helped was wearing a phoenix robe with intricate embroidery patterns that only the Empress Dowager and the Empress could wear. Anyone with eyes could tell who this person was. These concubines were all pretending to be crazy, and the Empress's face was green with anger, although she couldn't tell much from her expression at the moment.
Because the Empress, along with Granny An and Lan He, had bite marks and fumigation marks covering almost half their faces, making them look like they had freaks out. At first glance, it was quite frightening, so wouldn't these people take the opportunity to mock them?
"What nonsense! This is... Her Majesty the Empress..." Granny An was a little short of breath. She had been attacked by swarms of insects while escorting the Empress out of the hospital. Now her body was very itchy and numb. She wanted to scratch her whole body until the skin peeled off, but she was afraid of leaving scars and was enduring it. The feeling was so intense that she was scratching her heart and liver. Her toes were gripping the ground helplessly.
Lanhe over there wasn't doing well either; her body was trembling slightly, which showed how intense the itching was.
"Oh dear, Your Majesty the Empress is so badly injured! Quickly... quickly call the imperial physician!"
"Heavens! This is Her Majesty the Empress! These insects are incredibly audacious! How dare they touch Her Majesty's imperial dignity? Kill them all quickly!" This person genuinely wanted these insects to die quickly, otherwise, if they went to another palace, wouldn't they be the ones to suffer? Of course, what he said earlier was just official jargon.
Ouyang Yue looked at them quietly, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes. Those insects were all unintelligent; what could they possibly understand about the Empress and the Emperor? Even if the Empress Dowager and Emperor Mingxian were there, they would still bite. Look at how the Empress's face turned even uglier after hearing those words; the itchy and numb feeling on her face caused her facial muscles to twitch, and her expression was incredibly exaggerated and bizarre.
Immediately, palace maids took over from Granny An and Lanhe to help the Empress sit down. The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes and said, "What exactly happened? How did she get into such a mess?"
The Empress felt very aggrieved and wronged: "I didn't know either. I was looking at the account books in the hall when suddenly some insects flew in. I only just escaped this disaster."
"Waaah... these damned bugs." Upon hearing this, Granny An burst into tears, her body itching and tingling uncontrollably, looking as unsightly as a bug writhing.
Upon hearing this, the Empress's face darkened further. She, the Empress, had actually escaped in such a sorry state from these insects, and to make matters worse, a bunch of people were laughing at her. Did she still have any face left as the Empress? How could she maintain her authority in front of them in the future? The Empress gritted her teeth slightly, secretly resenting them.
"The imperial physicians are here!" someone called out, and two imperial physicians rushed over. Although they had been mentioned several times on the way, the two physicians were still frightened when they saw the Empress, Granny An, and Lan He. The bites were quite severe. Looking at the flying insects hovering around Le'an Palace, the two physicians felt a chill in their hearts. Even if they hadn't seen them, they now knew what the locusts flying over the mirror meant, and it was probably not much different from this.
"Your Majesty, this humble subject must first take Your Majesty's pulse." As she spoke, Lan He placed a white cloth on the Empress's wrist. However, in the instant she pulled it up, several sharp-eyed people noticed several red dots on the Empress's wrist. They lowered their heads and chuckled. The Empress's large red marks would not disappear for several days.
The imperial physician's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly concealed his shock and hurriedly took her pulse. After a brief examination, he respectfully said, "Your Majesty's health is not seriously affected. These are just bites; some ointment to reduce inflammation and swelling will do the trick. However, you must not scratch them during this time, otherwise, they may leave marks."
The Empress kept her lips tightly pressed together and didn't speak. The two eunuchs didn't dare to say anything either. After examining the Empress with Granny An and Lan He, they went to get the medicine. Since the situation was the same, they could just apply the medicine together. They didn't dare to leave the area untouched. Even though the Empress's face was covered in bumps, her increasingly dark complexion made them afraid to say anything.
Emperor Mingxian had already been seated on a chair by Fushun, with the Empress Dowager sitting beside him, and the Empress on the left in front of him. The other concubines stood in two rows. At this time, many people ordered their servants to fetch sachets containing repellent herbs to carry with them, and bonfires for repelling insects were lit nearby. There were no flying insects here. Emperor Mingxian looked at the flying insects that had not yet disappeared from Anle Palace and said to Fushun, "Send more people to kill and drive away these flying insects first." Otherwise, even if these flying insects were driven away, other palaces would also be affected, so it was best to eliminate them.
Soon, two groups of people rushed over, all dressed in tight-fitting clothes, their hands and heads covered with cloth except for their eyes, completely covered from head to toe, seemingly unafraid of insect bites. They carried torches sprinkled with insect repellent, burning them while simultaneously fumigating the insects, and some even used large nets to catch them. In no time, most of the flying insects were gone, no longer a threat, and only then could the group focus on their serious business.
Emperor Mingxian frowned slightly as he looked at the Empress's miserable state and asked, "What exactly happened? How did so many insects come to the Empress's place?"
The Empress gritted her teeth: "It must be Baili Su."
"Huh? The Crown Prince of Chen? What happened to him?" Consort Sun exclaimed exaggeratedly, "That one-year-old child can produce so many insects, what an amazing skill! Such a small child probably doesn't even recognize insects, yet he has this ability, it's truly... I have to admire him." The people around also looked incredulous.
What can a one-year-old child do? They've just learned to speak, and some of their words aren't even clear yet. Some may have just learned to walk, and all they know is to drink milk and sleep all day. It's hard to believe that they could have turned Anle Palace into this mess.
The Empress looked at Consort Sun with a cold expression: "It's him!" The Empress was truly filled with hatred. This damned brat had used that disgusting reptile to scare her a few days ago. After a few days of peace, the Empress thought he had finally calmed down, but now he had created an even bigger mess, making her look bad in front of everyone in the palace. It was simply outrageous. Although she was angry last time, it was still an incident in Anle Palace. But this was different. With that face on her face, she wished she could just kill herself. And Consort Sun and the others were making sarcastic remarks. The Empress had never been treated like this before.
The Empress Dowager asked with a stern face, "Where is Su'er now?"
Everyone looked puzzled. Anle Palace had been turned upside down, and all the palace servants who had escaped were covered in bumps and bruises, but they hadn't found Baili Su at all. Even the servants who served Baili Su hadn't seen him. The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, "Why haven't you sent people to look for him yet?"
"Yes, Empress Dowager." Immediately, most of the servants behind the masters went to search. Ouyang Yue gently stroked the white jade bracelet with one hand, not worried at all. They all stood inconspicuous places in the crowd. Baili Cai noticed Ouyang Yue's calm and composed appearance. Her eyes couldn't help but flash. She turned her head and looked on with great interest and anticipation.
"Waaah, it hurts...it hurts...it hurts, Granny..." The servants hadn't returned yet, and from a distance, the sound of a child crying came from the path on the other side of Anle Palace. Everyone looked over and saw Granny An holding Baili Su, with Chuncao and other servants following behind. Baili Su was holding Granny An, and no one could see his expression, but the sound of his crying was very sad.
Emperor Mingxian hurriedly said, "What's wrong? Come quickly to your grandfather."
Baili Su turned his head, pouting, "It hurts...it hurts..." He kept crying out in pain. Granny An quickly came over and handed Baili Su to Emperor Mingxian.
"Where exactly does it hurt?"
"Hand...hand...waaaah, bug..." Baili Su looked extremely aggrieved, stretching out his short, chubby, snow-white arm, only to find two small red dots on it...
It's just two bags, look how wronged he is, how can they compare to hers!
The Empress was even more furious upon seeing this. She was covered in bruises; how could she possibly whine and complain like this? Clearly, the Empress had forgotten that Baili Su only cared for children, which was different from her behavior. Of course, even if she wasn't delirious with anger, being tormented by Baili Su like this had already infuriated him, and she wouldn't be thinking about anything else.
"How come you got bitten by an insect too?"
"What else could it be? Su'er is simply too disobedient. It's one thing for him to misbehave on ordinary days, but last time he put something dirty in Anle Palace and was unfortunately stepped on by Consort Sun. A few days ago, he even put disgusting crawling insects in my bed and shoes. Today he went too far, bringing out so many damned bugs, causing chaos in Anle Palace, and even I was injured. If this continues, what will become of the Empress? She'll be in an uproar! I'm fine, but what if this disturbs the Empress Dowager and the Emperor? How can she bear the responsibility? This time, she must punish him!" Last time, the Empress only let Baili Su off because of An Mama and the Emperor. Today, he's made such a fool of himself. If she doesn't teach Baili Su a severe lesson, she won't let it go.
Ouyang Yue listened and said, "Mother, but Su'er is so young. If he is punished, he will be traumatized. Didn't you say that children are all naughty and should be clever? Otherwise, they will grow up to be dull and unable to stand up to the world."
The Empress's face darkened further as she listened: "It's fine for him to be a little naughty, but is this just being a little naughty? If he can turn Anle Palace upside down like this today, what will he be like tomorrow? Will the Empress still tolerate him? I originally wanted Su'er to be happier this year, but does Princess Chen think that this means he doesn't need to be disciplined? You, as his mother, bear the majority of the responsibility for Su'er's antics today."
Ouyang Yue bit her lip in grievance, looking hesitant to explain but too embarrassed to speak, which made the Empress seem a bit aggressive, which angered the Empress.
Consort Sun was not one to shy away from trouble. Although she didn't feel any closeness to Ouyang Yue and Baili Su, she was more eager to see the Empress suffer. Since entering the palace, Consort Sun had been favored by Consort Sun and had a wealthy family background, and the Emperor frequently visited her. Other concubines didn't dare to offend her, and even if they were dissatisfied, they wouldn't do so openly. The Empress, however, was the first person in the palace to constantly suppress her. It wouldn't be easy for her to get revenge: "Your Majesty, you are very magnanimous. Children are very naughty, and this one is so young and doesn't understand anything yet. Even if you talk to him, he won't listen. I see that Princess Chen is also helpless. Even if she is very shrewd and capable, it is more difficult to reason with a one-year-old child than to discipline ten adults."
You simply can't reason with a child. If you find fault with a child, what good will it do besides hitting them and making them cry and suffer? You might even make them hate you, and being hated for a lifetime is no pleasant experience.
Emperor Mingxian also said, "Su'er is so young and doesn't understand things yet. Besides, it's not necessarily Su'er who did this." Emperor Mingxian held Baili Su and asked, "Su'er, did you put these insects in here?" Afraid that Baili Su wouldn't understand, he pointed to the flying insects on Anle Palace, which had mostly disappeared.
Upon seeing this, Baili Su's eyes lit up, and he happily exclaimed, "Chongchong, Grandmother... likes... likes..."
"Pfft!" One of the concubines couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of saliva, then suddenly realized how impolite she had been. She bit her lip tightly, trying to hold it back, but her flushed face had no effect whatsoever.
The Empress angrily said, "See? It was him who did it. Such a small child has caused chaos in Anle Palace. If we don't teach him a lesson, what will become of him in the future? Next time, won't he be the one to take my life?"
After the Empress finished speaking angrily, everyone present was stunned. Ouyang Yue pointed her eyes and saw the cold light flash in the Empress's eyes for a moment. These words seemed to be spoken in anger, but in fact, they had already been half-thought out in the Empress's mind. It concerned the Empress's life and death. Even if Baili Su was a small person, he would not be spared any trouble. Even if it was only a matter for the future, the Empress did not want to settle it peacefully today.
Seeing this, Granny An said, "Her Majesty the Empress has been taking good care of the young prince these past few days. He likes her very much and has been trying to please her. However, children are too young, and their preferences are different from adults'. He thinks those reptiles are his treasures and wants to offer them to the Empress, but she doesn't like them. These past few days, the young prince has been very troubled. No one can amuse him, and he's probably thinking about giving the Empress a gift."
The Empress sneered, "Oh, the young prince is too young to understand, are you all dead? Just letting him run wild like this?! Or is this all the Empress is worth in your eyes?"
Granny An said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. That's not what I meant. I was indeed a bit negligent in this matter today. The young master didn't tell us what he was planning to do. He didn't even take a nap today and went outside to play. Who knew that there was already a big net there to release these flying insects? When the young master excitedly went to release them, it was too late to stop him."
"You're still trying to justify yourselves? After doing something so dangerous to me, do you all think you can get away with it all?" The Empress narrowed her eyes and smiled coldly.
Granny An remained silent. Baili Su tugged at Emperor Mingxian's sleeve and cried, "Grandmother... I'm angry... Duoduo... my baby... doesn't like it... sob sob sob... my hand hurts... why don't you like it... Duoduo..." Baili Su cried with great grievance, his little face scrunched up, looking completely bewildered.
The general gist of the matter, according to everyone's analysis, is that the Empress Dowager was angry because she didn't like any of the many treasures. He had even been bitten so badly his head turned red, so why wouldn't she like them? Perhaps there weren't enough treasures? He would get even more treasures for the Empress Dowager, then she wouldn't be angry and would be very happy. Of course, their analysis might not represent Baili Su's full meaning; children can't think that deeply. But the general idea is probably similar: Baili Su is so filial; he was only working so hard to present treasures to his elders. Look at the two bite marks on his arm from all this; what's a head full of bites to the Empress? This is a junior's good intention; how could he refuse? He should endure the pain, otherwise he would be ungrateful.
Consort Sun and the others twisted their faces, suppressing their laughter. Watching the Empress's face change from green to black, they were practically bursting with laughter. This Prince Chen was truly a remarkable person; he had tormented them to this state, leaving them speechless. He practically had the ability to drive people mad. Getting involved with him was troublesome, and being favored by him was an even bigger problem. They didn't know why the Empress had insisted on taking care of this Prince Chen in the first place, but now they knew perfectly well that the Empress had purely shot herself in the foot. In short, she deserved it!
The Empress's face was contorted: "No matter what, if we don't punish those who caused this, what will others think? If everyone follows suit, the palace will be in chaos. Do we want the court officials, the people, and even people from other countries to laugh at us?"
"Su'er's actions this time were indeed a bit outrageous, but his heart was with you. He just doesn't understand that this thing is not a good thing. Who hasn't made a few mistakes when they were young and ignorant? When I was young, I even caused my elder brother to fall off his horse and almost become crippled, but I didn't mean it. If Father had punished me then, I'm afraid I would be dead by now. Besides, this child acted out of filial piety. If he is punished like this, he will grow up to be selfish, cowardly, and afraid of trouble. If other children follow suit, what will become of the Great Zhou Dynasty's royal family? Wouldn't the impact be even greater?" Emperor Mingxian coldly retorted, and then looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Mother, what do you think of this matter? Should we punish him or something else?"
The Empress Dowager's lips pursed slightly. Since Emperor Mingxian had already spoken, could she still suggest punishment? If she did, wouldn't that be disrespectful to the Emperor? Over the years, the Empress Dowager's reputation for virtue and kindness had spread throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty because she knew how to maintain proper boundaries, and the Emperor would naturally give her the same respect.
The Empress Dowager turned around and saw the Empress's indignant yet aggrieved expression as she looked at her. The Empress Dowager said calmly, "Although Su'er caused quite a commotion at Anle Palace, his heart is good. We need to seriously educate him about what he can and cannot do in the future. Su'er seems quite clever. Tomorrow, I will assign two tutors to accompany him to prevent him from making any more mistakes. He needs to be properly educated about this kind of thing. Just because he likes something doesn't mean it's a treasure." The Empress Dowager frowned and looked at Anle Palace, where most of the flying insects had already been cleared away.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor have both spoken, what can the Empress do? No matter how wronged she feels, she has to swallow it all. Should she defy their wishes? She doesn't have the guts, but the resentment in her heart is driving her crazy. She, the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty, has been bitten all over, her palace thrown into chaos, suffering utter humiliation—and this is just going to end like this? What's the point of being Empress then!
However, the next moment, Baili Su opened his big, round, adorable eyes and looked at what Emperor Mingxian was saying, which made the Empress scream in anger: "Grandmother likes it...hehe...good boy...more..."
The Empress's eyes nearly burst with rage as she listened, her body staggering as she almost fell to the ground, and she roared, "No!"
☆、269, I'm devastated, please just leave! (Satisfying)
Everyone was startled. They were quite surprised to see the Empress shouting in a ferocious manner, completely unlike her usual dignified self. However, when they thought of what Baili Su had said, they couldn't help but chuckle softly.
The Anle Palace has been wrecked by Baili Su's flying insects; how could we dare let him do it again? Otherwise, the Empress would truly go mad.
Startled by the Empress's cold rebuke, Baili Su shrank into Emperor Mingxian's arms, his round eyes filled with fear and grievance. Emperor Mingxian couldn't help but pat him gently twice and said to the Empress, "Su'er just wanted to please you. If you didn't want to, you could have disciplined him properly. Your behavior is frightening to the child, and he doesn't understand anything."
The Empress trembled with rage. She'd had the worst day yet, and now, perhaps due to her anger, she felt a heat rising through her body, and the bite marks on her skin were tingling and itchy. The itch was unbearable, but she couldn't scratch herself, making her even more uncomfortable. Her face darkened, and she couldn't help but rub her hands together with a whetstone before forcing a smile at Baili Su, saying, "I'm happy that Su'er likes Grandmother, but Grandmother doesn't want that. From now on, Su'er can't give Grandmother any more treasures. Since they're treasures, how can Grandmother accept them?"
Baili Su was a little confused, scratching his head: "Okay, baby, okay..."
The Empress's eyes turned cold: "I said no, and I meant no. Alright, go with your grandmother. You should rest."
Ouyang Yue smiled slightly. Even in this state, the Empress still wanted to take care of Su'er. Was this just plain shameless? It seemed that, for some reason, the Empress had to compromise with Su'er, suppressing his pride and resentment. And what could possibly make the Empress do this must be something extremely important.
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "Although the insects in Anle Palace are being continuously eradicated, it will probably take another day or two to clean up and tidy up. Mother, you should go and apply some medicine and rest first."
The Empress's condition is indeed very bad. Her face is covered with red spots and bumps. Although the flying insects in Anle Palace are being killed, they still need to be thoroughly cleaned up. It's not impossible for her to move in today, but the Empress herself would probably be traumatized. Ouyang Yue would not allow Baili Su to leave with the Empress under these circumstances.
Consort Sun couldn't help but smile and suggest, "Yes, yes, Your Majesty's face is injured. Why don't you apply some medicine to reduce the swelling first? Otherwise, if it drags on, it might affect your recovery. Although my place is smaller than Anle Palace, I would certainly welcome Your Majesty if you would deign to come. Would Your Majesty like to go there now?"
If the Empress really went to Mingxiang Palace, then Consort Sun would always find a way to make fun of her. Would the Empress be stupid enough to leave such a handle for her to use against her? But on the surface, she smiled reassuringly and said, "I thank you for your understanding, but there's no need." Then she turned to the Empress Dowager and said, "I wonder if I could visit the Empress Dowager for a couple of days."
"Alright, clean and tidy up Anle Palace, then come back." The pest control in Anle Palace is almost done. Since the palace gates are wide open, and it's not far from here to there, you can see from here that most of the flowers and plants on both sides of Anle Palace have been damaged by flying insects. It seems that the flowers and plants in Anle Palace will have to be replanted.
Sun Meng'er couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Hey, when the Crown Prince of Chen was celebrating his first birthday, all the flowers and plants in three palaces perished. Today's scene is just like that." Sun Meng'er muttered to herself, but her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
These people couldn't help but glance at Baili Su. Back then, there were rosy clouds and strange phenomena in the palace, and everyone had different opinions and no one could reach a conclusion. The matter was almost forgotten, but now Baili Su had caused this commotion, causing the newly planted flowers and plants in Anle Palace to wither once again. Wasn't this a warning? Could it be that this Prince Chen, Baili Su, was not a representative of honor and nobility, but rather a representative of disaster? Perhaps the truly honorable one was the one that Princess Lin was carrying.
Upon hearing this, the Empress's eyes flickered slightly, a deep meaning flashing within them. She glanced at Baili Su, her eyes gleaming even more fiercely, but finally darkening with a deep luster. If this was truly the case, she would kill this little brat. As this thought crossed her mind, the Empress immediately recalled the torment Baili Su had caused her recently. A surge of anger welled up in her heart, and she gritted her teeth, wishing she could tear this damned little bastard apart right now.
The Empress's expression flickered several times, but being a seasoned strategist, those flickers were only momentary before she calmed down again. Bai Ying seemed weak, and it was still uncertain whether she could successfully give birth to the child. However, if Bai Ying gave birth to the heir, that would be the best outcome for the Empress. Firstly, both Baili Chang and Bai Ying were weak and incompetent; secondly, neither of them had the background to compete with her for a son; and thirdly, dealing with Baili Chang and Bai Ying would be much easier than dealing with Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue.
However, the Empress always likes to make two plans. She needs to take this matter seriously. It seems that she should try to get closer to the Lin Prince's Mansion in the future. She also cannot give up on dealing with the Chen Prince's Mansion. She will kill Baili Su when the time comes. Only in this way can she relieve her great hatred and calm her recent anger and resentment towards Baili Su. Taking revenge herself would be more satisfying.
However, Consort Sun said, "How can you talk nonsense? Her Majesty the Empress is too busy taking care of Prince Chen to know what kind of thing could be possible."
Sun Meng'er paused for a moment, then pursed her lips and remained silent. For Consort Sun, she didn't have much of a struggle with Ouyang Yue; on the contrary, the Empress was her biggest concern. Sun Meng'er was the opposite; her words were meant to strike at Baili Su and the Chen Prince's Mansion, but Consort Sun wanted to use this opportunity to mock the Empress.
If Baili Su truly intended to harm the Empress, it was she who had proactively suggested taking care of him in the first place. Wasn't this a case of shooting herself in the foot, a classic case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead? Even if Baili Su was indeed hostile to her, it was her own fault for being blind to his true nature; who could she blame? After all, only the Anle Mansion suffered. Consort Sun's palace was also damaged back then, but this time she was unscathed. The truth behind this is probably not something a few superstitious people can explain.
The Empress narrowed her eyes and gave Consort Sun a cold look. The latter smiled sweetly and was not afraid of her at all. The Empress snorted and slapped the wound on her face, causing the palace maids and eunuchs to rush over to check and comfort her.
"Alright, since everything's alright, everyone go back. Don't gather here anymore." The Empress Dowager stood up and suggested this. Everyone stood up and bowed. Emperor Mingxian also put down Baili Su and prepared to return to his study to continue working.
The Empress was helped to Chengxiang Palace by two wounded women, Granny An and Lanhe. However, when she walked, she twisted and turned as if her whole body was covered in grass. If there were no outsiders around, she would have wished she could grow hands all over her body and scratch herself as hard as she could, as she was almost dying of itchiness.
Seeing the Empress's expression, Consort Sun finally couldn't help but snort coldly. How could someone with such an ugly face put on such an air of royalty? It was truly laughable. Consort Sun lazily said to the palace maid beside her, "Return to the palace."
The others also left one after another. Ouyang Yue bent down and picked up Baili Su, and couldn't help but laugh, "When we get back, your mother will apply the medicine for you."
"Haa~" Baili Su looked sleepy and kept yawning. His eyes were even brimming with tears. Granny Yan couldn't help but say, "Young Master has been busy for a while, he must be tired."
“Yes, how could you not be tired after doing something so earth-shattering?” Ouyang Yue said meaningfully.
Emperor Mingxian, who had already walked a distance, turned back to look at Baili Su, then turned and left. Baili Cai helped Consort Yun leave, and when they were alone on the way back, she couldn't help but ask, "Mother, do you think that prophecy is true?"
Upon hearing this, Consort Yun couldn't help but sneer: "There aren't that many coincidences in this palace." Then she looked at Baili Cai with concern, "Have you taken the antidote?"
"Yes, my brother gave me the antidote before he left." Baili Cai's face showed some complicated emotions as she said this.