"Wanqing, you're finally back! I've arranged everything, we can set off now!" Behind the Emperor Emeritus were several large boxes, indicating that everything was ready.

"Very well, let's head to Prince An's residence." With that order from the Empress Dowager, everything seemed to be under her control.

The Empress Dowager held Meng Zhelan's hand and said with anticipation, "Lan'er, I've always felt a little regretful that I didn't go to the opening of your hot pot restaurant. Now that I have some free time, I must go and try it. Although the food in the palace is delicious, I'm getting a little tired of it after eating it for so many years. I want to try something different."

Meng Zhelan smiled and replied, "It is a great honor for us that Your Majesty the Empress Dowager has graced our humble shop with your presence."

A group of guards carried the boxes out of the palace first, followed by a dozen palace maids and servants carrying bundles. Aunt Pei stood beside the Empress Dowager, carrying her personal belongings.

Faced with the Empress Dowager's sudden concern, Prince An was filled with confusion and doubt: "Grandmother, what?" His original plan was to use this opportunity to weaken Prince Liang's surveillance and make his father suspicious of Prince Liang's intentions. He never expected that his grandmother and grandfather would personally go...

The Empress Dowager smiled at Prince An, "While Prince An's residence is fine, it is ultimately outside the palace. These boxes contain what I prepared for you, along with some capable palace maids and servants. They will take care of everything for you. In recent years, I've been away from home, and I never imagined your situation would be so difficult. Don't worry, your grandmother and grandfather are here for you."

The retired emperor planned to visit his old friends at Baichuan Academy and urged everyone to hurry.

The group left the palace in a grand procession and arrived at the Prince An's residence.

As soon as the Empress Dowager arrived at Prince An's residence, she began to carry out sweeping reforms.

As a former ruler who once held immense power, she possessed a keen insight into anyone with ill intentions. No treacherous thought could hide here.

“Your Highness, may I go to your bedroom to investigate? After all, if someone has ill intentions, the bedroom is often the best place for them to do something,” Meng Zhelan suggested.

The Empress Dowager thought Meng Zhelan's words made sense, so she urged Prince An to take her to his bedroom.

The two walked along the corridor toward the main house.

"Doctor Meng, I really want to thank you today. After using your medicine, even the imperial physicians diagnosed that I was severely poisoned, which might affect my lifespan." Prince An's trust in Meng Zhelan grew day by day. He felt that this woman was different from others and would not change her attitude or behavior just because he was a prince.

"Your Highness is too kind. It is my duty as a healer to save people in distress." Meng Zhelan smiled slightly, her eyes darting around, searching for any possible clues.

Upon entering the dormitory, Meng Zhelan looked around.

The bed was neatly made, and there were writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on the table, as well as some antique decorations in the corner.

“Your Highness, everything in this bedroom seems ordinary at first glance, but upon closer inspection, there are quite a few strange things about it,” Meng Zhelan said.

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details." Prince An frowned; he hadn't noticed anything unusual.

“First of all, there’s something off about the atmosphere in this room. There seems to be a faint fragrance, but it’s mixed with some strange smells.” Meng Zhelan said, walking to the window and opening it to let in fresh air.

She turned around and continued, "Secondly, the antiques in this room are arranged too deliberately. It seems that every item has a fixed place, rather than being placed randomly."

After listening to Meng Zhelan's analysis, Prince An also began to carefully observe the room. He found that what Meng Zhelan said was true; there were indeed some unusual things about this room.

“There’s one last point of doubt,” Meng Zhelan said. “The lighting in this room seems a bit off. Although the sun is shining brightly, the room is rather dim.”

Prince An looked up at the lanterns on the ceiling, then at the sunlight outside the window, and indeed found it rather strange.

“Something is definitely amiss. There must be something wrong here,” Meng Zhelan said firmly.

Meng Zhelan's gaze swept around the room, finally settling on an inconspicuous corner.

There was a vase there, filled with a bouquet of fresh flowers. These flowers seemed out of place among the other antique decorations, standing out prominently.

She walked over and examined the bouquet closely. The petals were vibrant in color and emitted a delicate fragrance. However, this fragrance was somewhat different from the other scents in the room.

Meng Zhelan's heart stirred, and she reached out to touch the bouquet of flowers.

However, the moment her hand touched the petal, the entire room suddenly went dark. She felt dizzy and her body swayed involuntarily.

Upon seeing this, Prince An immediately rushed forward to support her. "Doctor Meng, what's wrong?" he asked with concern.

Meng Zhelan tried to calm herself down. She looked at Prince An and said weakly, "There's something wrong with this flower. It's a kind of sleeping potion."

Prince An's expression immediately changed. He immediately ordered his men to take away the bouquet of flowers and open the doors and windows to let in a breeze.

After a while, the light in the room gradually returned to normal.

Meng Zhelan felt her strength gradually returning. She stood up and looked at Prince An with a determined gaze. "It seems we've found some clues. The antiques and floral arrangements in this room are all to cover up the real source of the poison."

Prince An nodded, "I will immediately send people to investigate this matter and find the person who poisoned me."

He looked at Meng Zhelan gratefully, "Thanks to you, otherwise I might never have discovered this secret."

Meng Zhelan smiled slightly, "A doctor's heart is full of compassion; this is what I should do."

She secretly rejoiced, thankful that she hadn't let her guard down, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The two left the bedroom, and Prince An immediately ordered the guards to keep a close watch on them and not allow anyone to enter.

Meng Zhelan took an antidote pill and covered her nose with a handkerchief. She gently scraped some pollen from the petals with a scraper, hoping to find more clues. She analyzed the incense. She discovered that this incense was no ordinary substance, but a rare spice from the Western Regions.

Meng Zhelan stepped out of the courtyard and took a deep breath of fresh air.

Now her mind is exceptionally clear, and her thinking is much more agile.

It seems that the sleeping potion didn't have much of an effect on her; it only caused a brief dizziness.

Prince An walked to her side. "Doctor Meng, I really have to thank you this time. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I really wouldn't have been able to escape that trap," he said sincerely.

Meng Zhelan smiled and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I was just doing what I should do." In her heart, however, she felt a little emotional. She was just a doctor, yet she had been drawn into such a complicated court struggle.

Meng Zhelan and Prince An returned to the main hall and informed the Empress Dowager of what they had discovered.