The woman stepped forward and gently cradled Empress Li Hua in her arms. Then, in a voice laced with scorn, she said,
"A woman of such high stature—how could you allow yourself to roll around on the floor like this? Are you not afraid of tarnishing your royal dignity, Your Majesty?"
The joy that had briefly lit Empress Li Hua's face instantly vanished. That voice—sweet yet laced with venom—was one she recognized all too well. It belonged to none other than her sworn enemy, Consort Hua.
"Consort Hua! You…!"
Consort Hua sat down beside her, a sly smile playing on her lips, revealing nothing of the thoughts that churned beneath her composed exterior.
"Judging by your expression, I suppose you're wondering how you ended up here," she said, locking eyes with Li Hua's gaze that brimmed with confusion, fear, and fury.
"At first, I considered abandoning the plan to abduct you. But fate clearly favors me today. I suppose I must thank Ah Zhi for delivering you so effortlessly into my hands."
"Ah Zhi… betrayed me?"
"Oh no, not at all. That disobedient servant of yours remained ever loyal," Consort Hua replied with a sinister grin. Then she retrieved something and placed it gently on Li Hua's lap.
It was a money draft, its edges slightly burned.
"Why are you showing me this draft?"
"Your Majesty, have you ever heard of the Zhen Niao bird?"
Being a woman of learning, Empress Li Hua had certainly heard tales of the mythical Zhen Niao.
According to ancient chronicles, the Zhen Niao was a legendary bird that fed on venomous snakes. As a result, its entire body became imbued with lethal poison—flesh, feathers, even its waste carried a deadly toxin.
That poison was known as Zhen Du. Though the story was long considered folklore, with no tangible evidence of the bird's existence, its legend had endured.
"Did you know," Consort Hua continued, "this money draft is coated with Zhen Du poison? If touched carelessly, the toxin seeps into the body. It will rot your organs from within, strip you of your senses, and drive you into screaming madness—until death finally claims you."
Upon hearing this, Empress Li Hua recoiled in horror, immediately flinging the money draft away from her body.