Yaozu felt so tired, no not tired, he was drained of energy. It felt like he had been working himself out and his body couldn't take it anymore.
He had to use half of his remaining strength to open his eyes.
"Your Highness...?", a thin voice was heard from Yaozu's side.
The male consort slowly turned his head and the tired pair of black eyes met a glossy pair of black eyes.
"...Meihui..?", the noble consort barely uttered, too exhausted to say more.
The young girl gave her master a gentle smile as tears rolled down her cheeks and her eyes softened.
"Your Highness...I was so scared. Master and madam were scared too...We all thought your Highness is not going to make it.", the girl spoke in a shaky voice from crying, couldn't take it anymore.
Yaozu on the other hand, was utterly confused. He only remembered drinking some tea and all went black.
He got an idea of what happened. But he's not sure of the actual events.
What bothers him the most is that this never happened in his past life. But then again, he was never a noble consort and there was no maiden selection either in his past life.
"Call the physician quickly!", the young gugu instructed the other maids in the chambers before turning her attention to the male consort again.
"Your Highness...I'm so happy that you're finally awake..", the crying of the maid surprised the consort a little.
Meihui was a very calculative and calm lady. It wasn't strange, as she was the only support of her family.
Even though it may seem weird, her words and tears warmed Yaozu's heart. It was the first time his chest felt so light in a long time.
He didn't feel this warmth since he was little. Before he became dependent on his medicine.
It's true, his parents loved him. They are caring and can't refuse any request from Yaozu now, but there was a time when they didn't show him this much love.
Yaozu smiled widely at the young maid. His eyes holding so many emotions at once.A rare sight of him.
It was at this moment,that Yaozu swore to help the young girl as much as he can. Not just spare her of the cruel fate she faced in his past life. She deserved a happy life and Yaozu is now bent on helping her achieve it.
"Your Highness...Master Xiao is imprisoned.", The maid holds onto her master's hand carefully.
Her tears-stained face full of worry, looked sadly at her master, who seemed to look human again in a long time.
She knew it won't be good for her master's health but she wasn't capable of hiding the fact from her master. She just couldn't.
She knew her master loved his parents dearly, even after their mistakes. How can she keep hidden the fact that her master's father is punished just for standing up for his child?
"How can it be...?Why", the male consort spoke in a thin voice, filled with sadness.
He thought this new life was a blessing, were the gods just having fun seeing him miserable?
"It seems your Highness was somehow found the culprit in this incident. And master Xiao stood up for your highness and refused to accept you could have tried to poison someone.", the Gugu gave her master a small smile. But her face was still sad.
"..Culprit?I don't... understand.", Yaozu spoke in a thin voice. The face that had just now eyes filled with emotions, had now tired eyes like a void.
"The poison..they say that your Highness tea was supposed to be for consort Yu...And there is evidence that your highness..was the one behind it.", the maid's eyes were glossy seeing the lifeless-looking eyes of her master.
"..Only if I had the courage to request the breaking of my marriage to the emperor. I'm sorry, Meihui.", the young maid didn't know what to say or do anymore seeing her master's sickly appearance and tired expression.
Suddenly a royal physician entered the chambers to examine the male consort.
The physician was still respectful towards the noble consort even under the circumstances, as he did his job.
"It seems the medicine did its job quite well. But because of your highness' condition, your highness' body will be frail and lack energy.", the young physician spoke in a soft and calm voice.
Before Yazou could respond, the head eunuch together with some guards entered the chambers.
"Noble consort Yi, Your Highness' presence is requested in the court.", The head eunuch has now expression on his face, but the thought of the male consort's abandonment or execution saddened him.
It was such a pity for a kind person to face such a pitiful fate. Male or not, he never met a consort like him before.
The evidence may have convinced others but head eunuch Bai wasn't one of them. The noble consort was intelligent and with a calculative aid like Meihui, there was no way a plan of their will fail so miserably.
It just didn't make sense. A very odd incident.
~~~~~
After letting the noble consort dress, the head eunuch together with the guards took him with his maid to the court, where they will be deemed guilty or innocent.
"Your majesty, I brought Noble Consort Yi and Miss Meihui.", The head eunuch bowed before the emperor who was seated on the dragon throne with the empress dowager beside him.
Yaozu bowed before the emperor together with Meihui as well, which made all the officials look intensely at the faces of the two.
Perhaps, because of the maid's red eyes or the lifeless ones of the male consort.
Soon, a bloodied man was taken into the room and thrown to the floor beside the male consort.
Yaozu's eyes didn't seem to leave the sight of the trembling man.
Meihui covered her mouth as her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. The man in pain that was on the floor was none other than Prime Minister Xiao.
"You will have to answer a few questions truthfully if you don't want the prime minister to suffer any longer, noble consort Yi.", the empress dowager spoke in a strong voice, but she was overwhelmed by the whole situation.
She wasn't pleased with her son's choices in the incident, at all.He just threw away a loyal subject, for what?The daughter of a corrupted official?
Yaozu on the other hand still had his back to the two royalties. Still looking at his poor father. It's true, that he made mistakes but he was human and it was clear that his father loved him.
He may have pressured him at some point but in no circumstances was he ever cruel to Yaozu.
"Noble consort Yi, turn around and answer imperial mother's questions.", a cold voice rang in the court, making people shiver slightly.
Yaozu turned after Meihui grabbed his hand gently, afraid of the emperor's temper.
"Did you have a maid poison the favorite tea of consort Yu?", the empress dowager spoke in a soft voice, as she knew that no plan in the harem could fail so miserably.
"..What maid could I bribe to poison consort Yu, when I don't have any information about the maids that serve her?"
The male consort had a bored expression, annoyed by the stupidity of the two people before him.
"You seem to know much about planning such a thing.", The emperor looked at the consort with cold eyes, which usually frightens people but Yaozu wasn't fazed.
"It's logical thinking. Anyone would know this much. Furthermore,we are talking about the harem. A person must have some knowledge about this things to not have themselves killed.", Yaozu spoke in a calm voice, filled with annoyance.
Yaozu wasn't annoyed, no. He was furious.
"Also, consort Yu wasn't even poisoned.No emperor punished the noble consorts or humiliated their family for worse things they've done."
The empress dowager looked carefully at the noble consort in front of her and smiled. Relieved loyal subjects could be spared.
It seems the male consort was a reliable person too.
"Emperor, what noble consort Yi is saying holds some truth. You went too far. If supposedly noble consort Yi failed to poison someone it means he isn't good at these kinds of things."
Empress Dowager saw something in her son's eyes. And realised,there is more than meets the eye.
"Zhen will trust imperial mother's judgment, then.", the emperor spoke calmly as he watched his noble consort kneel before his father.
The emperor closed his and sighed quietly before exiting the chambers alongside his mother.
__________________________________
And the best husband award goes—Not to the emperor that's for sure.
Am I right or am I right?
Also,check my new book "The sickly Noble Lady"!