A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 1207: A Suspicious Clue Uncovered

Zhao Junqi's furious gaze was fixed upon Xia Ruqing. He could not help but let out a silent sigh. So many years had passed, and despite bearing four children, her beauty remained undiminished. He recalled their first meeting in the plum grove: her immaculate aura, her graceful, otherworldly figure, and her pure, sweet laughter. She had seemed more invigorating than a mountain spring, more divine than a celestial fairy. She was like the most radiant sunlight, piercing through darkness to illuminate the depths of his own tarnished heart. He had been utterly astounded by the existence of such a pure, noble, and radiant woman in this world. Like a seedling in the shadows yearning for the sun, or a vine determined to climb a mighty tree, her natural, soul-ensnaring beauty and irresistible allure had captivated him instantly. He had desired to possess her, to claim her, with a longing bordering on madness.

Later, through discreet inquiries, he discovered she was one of Zhao Junyao's consorts in the Harem. In hindsight, he admitted to himself that he should have suspected this earlier. Who else, other than a Harem woman, could move so freely within the Imperial Palace's Royal Garden? Yet, upon learning this truth, an overwhelming jealousy consumed him. Why? When they were all legitimate scions of the Royal Family, why was Zhao Junyao permitted to indulge in every earthly pleasure, to monopolize all that was good? And the one woman he had finally come to cherish was alreadyclaimed by him? Was he truly unworthy of even this single ray of goodness falling upon him?

Zhao Junqi felt utterly defeated. All of this, he believed, should have rightfully been his. His own father, he maintained, was the Crown Prince favored by their ancestors! Why had it been unjustly usurped by others? Why could they ascend to the heavens in a single bound, leaving everyone else far below? While his father was left crippled for half his life, ultimately meeting a tragic end!

The question 'Why!' echoed endlessly in his mind, twisting Zhao Junqi's expression into a mask of anguish. Meanwhile, Xia Ruqing, oblivious to his internal turmoil, gnashed her teeth in fury and struck him with all her might. "You bastard!" she spat. "You've truly become addicted to being a lapdog, haven't you?"

"You beast, do you even comprehend the number of lives you've extinguished?" she continued, her voice rising. "On that mountain, it wasn't only our people who perished; your own men were there too! Those were lives! They, too, were born of parents! What is your heart made of? Stone?!" Xia Ruqing’s voice cracked with hysteria.

The sudden impact jolted Zhao Junqi, and his gaze hardened with a ruthless finality. He violently seized her throat, his eyes burning with venom, his teeth clenched. "Their lives are lives, just as my father's life was a life!" he retorted, his voice a ragged growl. "Do you have any idea how my father endured all those years? Do you know what it feels like for a healthy, whole man to be suddenly crippled, reduced to a useless husk? Do you know the feeling of being treated with suspicion, like a common criminal? Of course, you wouldn't know!"

Xia Ruqing responded with a cold, sharp laugh. "I know nothing! But I must ask, if the Late Emperor hadn't acted back then, wouldn't it have been him who was left paralyzed for half a lifetime?" Her voice carried a chilling certainty. "If you don't want others to know, then perhaps you shouldn't act in the first place! It's not that there is no retribution; it's simply that the time has not yet come!"

Zhao Junqi's features contorted further, his grip tightening. His eyes turned bloodshot as he sneered, "Retribution? Hah! If there truly were retribution, it should be falling upon Zhao Junyao right now! A dignified Emperor, stoned to death by flying rocks – once this news spreads, he will be the mockery of the world for ten thousand generations! Hahaha... retribution, it truly is retribution!"

An icy dread spread through Xia Ruqing. "You are truly shameless, heartless, and cold-blooded to the extreme!" she whispered, horrified. How twisted must a person's heart be to act in such a manner? She conceded that Prince Yan had indeed suffered at the hands of the Late Emperor, but was Prince Yan entirely blameless? The Late Emperor had been a wise ruler, loving his people as his own children, governing with diligence and never displaying any hint of overreach or foolishness. For him to show such ruthless severity towards his own younger brother indicated that this 'younger brother' had likely never been favored by him in the first place. Setting aside the matter of tampering with the horses, the narrative continued...

Could it be that Prince Yan had never engaged in any other plots against his elder brother? Even she herself found that hard to believe! After all, while the world might change, a person's true nature remains constant! Thus, those who are pitiable often possess detestable qualities. No matter how pitiful Prince Yan appeared, he didn't warrant any sympathy. Zhao Junqi felt no shame whatsoever. He laughed with wild arrogance. "I am shameless! As if Zhao Junyao is some innocent lamb!" "All these years, you have no idea how he and his father have been oppressing us!" "But it's alright, that all becomes irrelevant now!" "Very soon, I will be the sole Emperor of this Great Chu!" "What was taken from me will finally be returned to my grasp!" "And naturally, that includes you!" "My beautiful Qingqing, just prepare yourself to become my Empress!" With that, Zhao Junqi released his grip and departed in a huff, his sleeve dramatically flinging. Xia Ruqing, left gasping, coughed in discomfort. Her entire body went limp, collapsing onto the bed, unable to utter a word. As for Zhao Junqi... Only one word echoed in her mind: twisted! His entire being, his very soul, had become irrevocably corrupted! ... Xia Ruqing reclined weakly on the bed. A subtle, almost imperceptible smirk played on her lips. "Become Emperor?" "You don't even know yourself well enough for that!" "Firstly, you lack any benevolence; secondly, you lack the strategic wisdom to plot and plan; thirdly, you lack the magnanimity to cherish your people and embrace the talented!" "What right do you have to be Emperor—only that cruel, sharp visage of yours, and an ambition twisted to the point of no return?" "Compared to Zhao Junyao, you aren't even worthy of carrying his shoes!" "And you expect me to be your Empress? Heh!" "This is the most ludicrous jest I have ever heard in my entire life!" "If I must be his Empress, I would rather embrace death!" After Xia Ruqing finished her internal tirade. She reached down to touch the poison concealed within her undergarments. It was still there, thankfully. A faint, bitter smile reappeared on Xia Ruqing's face. 'Who could have imagined!' 'That I, who once clung desperately to life, feared death, cherished my own existence, and lived by the motto "a lousy life is better than a good death"' 'Would now find a sense of solace in a packet of lethal poison!' 'Indeed, one can never truly predict who they will become in ten or fifteen years!' 'Indeed, most pronouncements in life should never be made too absolutely!' Xia Ruqing placed a hand protectively over her chest, exhaled deeply, and closed her eyes. The opportunistic maid, witnessing Zhao Junqi's furious departure, immediately ceased her pretense of civility towards Xia Ruqing. With a loud bang, she flung the door open. She unceremoniously dumped the medicine bowl and food onto the table, let out a cold snort, and cursed Xia Ruqing for her ingratitude before storming out herself. Xia Ruqing cast a sideways glance at the offerings; she had no appetite and no desire to eat, and the medicine was far too bitter for her to stomach. She turned to face the wall and retreated back to sleep. ... In truth, calling it sleep was merely closing her eyes. Her emotions had been too tumultuous; there was no way she could calm down so swiftly. She simply closed her eyes, slowly processing all that had transpired recently. From the gunpowder incident, to the cave, and now to this place. Her mind replayed Zhao Junyao's every action, scene after scene. Wait! Xia Ruqing's eyes snapped open, as if she had stumbled upon an earth-shattering realization.