Lei Xing bowed her head slightly and said, "I am fine, thank your majesty for your concern."

"En, then why are not eating or drinking anything?" The empress dowager asked with raised eyebrows.

Lei Xing glanced down at her table, she really hadn't touched anything the whole time, but this shouldn't particularly strange.

It was never compulsory to eat or drink, and also this was not the first time Lei Xing did this, so the sudden concern was a bit disconcerting.

{...Since when did you start caring whether or not I was eating?... I have less of an appetite now with your "concern"...Leave me alone -_-)...}

Lei Xing bowed her head again and explained, "I am not feeling too well this morning, and don't have much of an appetite this morning. I wasn't even able to eat breakfast before coming because of this."

The empress dowager knit her brows, "I see. It seems your body is quite weak."

Lei Xing bowed, "I'm sorry for your worrying your majesty."

{...Well if you'd all leave me the hell alone, I'm sure it'd be much better -_-)'...}

Lei Xing let out a silent sigh and straightened up thinking it was over, then the empress dowager spoke up again, "It's okay not to want to eat but you should at least drink something."

Lei Xing blinked.

{...Um...no?...}

The empress dowager continued, "I saw that you seemed to enjoy Tienchi flower tea before, and so I had that prepared today. Xing er', you should at least drink some, it will help you gain some energy."

Lei Xing could feel some glares being directed at her.

{...What is this woman's problem today?... As if her son's problem is not enough, she wants to also put some effort towards my hate meter now...did he put her up to it?... Seriously! Mind your own business!!-_-)'...}

The empress dowager interrupted Lei Xing's thoughts asking, "Aren't you going to drink?"

Lei Xing looked at her smiling face and wide eyes that seemed to be staring her down and really didn't want to drink it all the more.

{...I thought you say there is no need to force myself ...why does it seem like you're trying to force me now?... Aren't you being contradictory? Don't tell me you forgot that?...haah, I'm seriously not in the mood to deal with more bs today -_-)...}

Before Lei Xing could open her mouth to respond, the empress dowager's smile vanished, she frowned and asked, "Or don't tell me you don't want to drink it because you think there is something wrong with the tea? I personally made the blend myself and allowed you all to indulge yourselves in it, the tea was also brewed by my own personal maids. How can there be anything wrong with it? What are you insinuating?"

{...Um lady, I didn't say anything...aren't you jumping the gun here?... If I don't drink it now, won't it be like I'm insinuating THAT given what she just said?...}

Lei Xing quickly bowed her head, "Of course there could not be anything wrong with the tea, thank your majesty for your concern. It is indeed an immense honor to be able to enjoy this grace."

{...Saying stuff like this is really irritating -_-)'...}

Lei Xing slowly reached for the cup, and the jewel on the ring changed slightly.

{...And of course, there's something wrong with it -_-)'...}

"Is there something wrong?... Or are you perhaps feeling unwell?" The empress dowager eagerly asked narrowing her eyes, seeing Lei Xing was not moving.

Lei Xing looked up at her and saw her expression.

{...Are you concerned or do you want me to be unwell?... Why do you sound so happy asking that? She looks as if she's waiting for me to say something or be "unwell"...Lady, I think we need to have a conversation, what exactly is your problem with me?...

...I have already apologized to your "precious" son about that whole empress thing...at least I think I did...probably, maybe...either way, he seems to be over it!...so why won't you let me off? It was just a slip of brain matterT_T)...}

Lei Xing looked up at the empress dowager with a smile, "Ah, it's just I feel this is a bit cold already -"

"Bring a fresh pot, cold tea will not do you any good." The empress dowager promptly ordered. Lei Xing smiled lightly and bowed to thank her.

The empress dowager continued her speech on royal etiquette and expectations. Lei Xing inwardly sighed in relief.

{...It seems I dodged this one...Shouldn't she be magnanimous and forgiving as an elder and as a royal?... She really holds grudges unnecessarily...what am I talking about? If the inhabitants in the palace were magnanimous and forgiving I wouldn't have been trying so hard to not be here...I mean there's still the sharing a guy bit that's still off-putting - but that's a side note right now...}

After a short while, a maid came up to Lei Xing with a fresh piping hot pot of tea and poured a cup for her.

The empress dowager turned her attention back to Lei Xing and smiled, "The tea is here, you should hurry and drink it before it gets cold again."

Lei Xing reached for the cup again, and the ring changed again.

{...Shit!! I guess I didn't dodge this one... Should I pass out again?...}

She slightly glanced up and saw the empress dowager squinting in her direction with a slight smile on her face, seemingly eager about something.

{...Does poisoning me really make you that happy? I should just pass out again...I feel that I shouldn't pass out right now...she is watching me like a hawk and there's also what she said before...Is she suspicious of me?... It seems so, but she couldn't have figured out about the ring, right? Come on, how could she? Then what is this then?...

...Maybe I'm just being paranoid ...I should just pass out again, but then what if she somehow pegs me with the crime of "falsely" accusing her...what can I do then?...then drink it and die?... I don't think the toxicity level is enough to kill though, this is still considered a light blue...so it should be fine...

...What if it's not?!... Well if you don't drink it, that vulture looks like she's going to eat your head so...}

With her mind still racing Lei Xing slowly picked up the cup.

{...It's so weird that she stopped talking and is eagerly watching me drink this...don't they all feel it's weird too? Even if they did, what can they do -_-?)...Okay, it's just a light blue, a very light blue...so it's definitely not as bad as the one from before, so it shouldn't do too much damage right?...right? Someone tell me it's fine! T_T)...}

The empress dowager's eyes were intently following Lei Xing's movement with her lips slightly curved as she watched in anticipation.

{...Don't drink it!... Today is a perfect day for a scene, I will have you explain to me why you didn't drink it...all the better if you faint right now because of your "illness", then that would mean you are indirectly accusing me of putting something else in your tea - tea which everyone here has seen you drink before on other days with no problem...

...I will have it tested before everyone here and show that the tea is fine, even the best doctors in this palace won't find anything wrong with that tea ...I can even take the extra step to drink it myself to show my anger, that quantity is fairly harmless hahahaha...I will catch you in your lies today and expose you!... and then publicly have you killed...

...No, no, imprisoned first, tortured, I want to know how you figured it out, is there a spy somewhere here? Or could it be....No way...Ah! Your father will also have no choice but to grovel before me for your life hahaha...and maybe then I could release you...and then have you demoted to a maid...yes that will be good...and then continue...

...Better not drink it...hahahahaha...I can't wait to see his face! Hahahaha...How upright will he be when it is his daughter's life on the line?... Hahahaha this will be really fun...}

Lei Xing was still trying to convince herself that it was harmless enough to drink it and that it was the right thing to do here as she was slowly bringing the cup to her lips.

She glanced up at the empress dowager, whose eyes were fixated on the cup and looked as if she was ready to fly out at any moment.

{...I'm not doing this...Even if it doesn't kill, it can cause pain...I'm scared of pain!!...}

Just as the cup was almost to her lips, she brought up her other hand and held onto the cup with both hands, and tossed back her head as she drank, like she was taking a shot.

Like this, her mouth was completely out of view as she drank, and she had covertly poured the tea down the sleeve of her left hand.

{...Ow, that's hot!... Bear it! Better arm than insides -_-)...}

Lei Xing controlled her expression, dropped the cup and bowed to the empress dowager with a smile, "It is really refreshing, I am already feeling rejuvenated. I thank your majesty for your benevolence, it is truly heartwarming."

{...Well, it turns out these unnecessarily wide sleeves have a use after all -_-)'...}

The empress dowager's face instantly fell as she saw Lei Xing drink and she blankly stared at Lei Xing for a while, then she frowned and coldly said, "You're all dismissed."

Lei Xing scoffed in her mind.

{...Well someone's unhappy...I think you need a new hobby -_-)'...}

They all stood up, bowed and turned to leave. Lei Xing inwardly sighed as she walked out with the others.

{...This place is really tiring...Who knows what that woman was gunning at this time, her unhappy expression was quite unnerving...She looked at me like I had just slapped her in the face...Is it wrong to drink someone's poison now?... You really can't please some people -_-)...}

As they got outside the doors, Chen You came up beside Lei Xing and smiled, "Jiejie, it seems the empress dowager really likes you too...That is only natural. How about I follow you to your palace now to spend some time together. There's so much to talk about."

Lei Xing abruptly stopped her feet and gave a half-smile, "I'm really not feeling well today and cannot entertain any visitors, I need to rest. You go on ahead."

Chen You blinked, pursed her lips and then gave a forced smile, "Oh, okay then. I won't disturb you. Be sure to rest well." Then she haughtily walked off.

Lei Xing sighed and continued to slowly walk along with Li Ru, still ruminating over what just happened.

{...Looking at her reaction, she really didn't want me to drink it...I was right, she had some other plan with all that "insinuating" crap she said before, if I had become "unwell" like she seemed to want, she could have accused me of some crime...I mean you can lose your head for just lying to them...much more "falsely" accusing them...

... I'd probably spend time in jail before the execution, probably be tortured and stuff, in which case, I might as well have just drunk the poison and "peacefully" died that way...Haah, this is really tiring...I really really want to go back home!!...I'd even concede on the defense minister's home, Xiao Ting and all T_T)...}

When they got outside, Li Ru quietly asked, "How come you didn't say anything to defend yourself earlier when they were obviously disparaging you?"

Lei Xing whose head was still wrapped up in trying to figure out what to do about the empress dowager's problem, heard the question and offhandedly answered, "That is a waste of energy."

Li Ru knit her brows and said, "But you sa-"

Lei Xing cut her off, "Their words are of no consequence, just ignore them." They had reached the entrance and Lei Xing curtly said, "I'm going ahead, I'm really not feeling well." Then she walked off with her retinue, leaving Li Ru standing there.

She really wasn't feeling well, both her body and mind were really tired, she was already irritated this morning with yesterday's weirdness plus lack of sleep.

And now this on top of it all put her in an extremely gloomy mood and the last thing she wanted to do now was to have a conversation about her "sister wives".

{...I have more important things on my mind than bickering with jobless little brats...}