"The food poisoning incident this time was extremely serious, and its nature was exceptionally vile! I have a feeling my reputation is never going to recover..." Sometimes, Shen Tang seriously wondered whether Gongxi Chou was an enemy spy, planted among them to wait for the perfect moment to strike.
She didn't even dare imagine how this would be recorded in the history books.
A somewhat impartial historian might write, "On such-and-such day of such-and-such month, the ruler was pleased and held a banquet in the hall, summoning the ministers to drink together. As the wine flowed, the ministers all began to behave strangely." Then they would faithfully record what had happened.
A hater, on the other hand, would probably let their imagination run wild and write a vivid account: "On such-and-such day of such-and-such month, the ruler was pleased and held a banquet in the hall, summoning the ministers to drink together. As the wine flowed, the ministers all became drunk. Some fell to the floor retching, while others leaned against the pillars, gasping for breath, looking as though they were on the verge of death, their breaths as faint as wisps of silk. The ruler watched without a trace of anger, ordered the attendants to serve more wine, and dispersed the gathering only after everyone had enjoyed themselves. The next day, court was canceled."
What would that mean?
It would mean that Shen Youli had been eager to kill off her meritorious officials.
Her methods were crude and brutal: she'd set up a trap and poisoned everyone's food. Unfortunately, the ministers had been lucky enough not to die.
Even if those involved waved their hands and explained, people would think they'd bowed to Shen Tang's tyranny. They hadn't dared utter a single truthful word while alive, and had obediently