Dongfang Jin was suddenly startled. He sat up straight with an expression of disbelief in his eyes. An Qingran knew that he had remembered something, so the hand holding the cotton handkerchief also stopped: "What did you think of?"

"How is it possible?" Dongfang Jin's eyes showed sadness. He said it again, then turned around and looked at An Qingran. He held her hand and said in a low voice, "After that, I went to the Queen Mother's Palace. The Queen Mother invited me to drink a cup of tea, but there was nothing wrong with the tea. It was very fragrant. I heard that it was the best tribute tea, Siamese tea. The tea leaves were stretched and the tea soup was light green. There was nothing unusual."

"Nothing unusual?" An Qingran murmured, "Your poison was given to you back then. If there was anything unusual, how could the Queen, who is such a smart person and knows medical knowledge, not discover it?"

Dongfang Jin was so smart that when An Qingran said this, he immediately asked, "Do you think the poison back then was also related to the Queen Mother?"

"I dare not draw any conclusions, but the poison can be triggered so easily now, and there is only 10% to 20% of the poison left in your body. If it were your body back then, I'm afraid... I'm afraid even gods would be powerless to save you. So, it's so cruel. It must be the poison that was given back then, and it has been triggered now, and there is nothing else." An Qingran was very confident about this.

Dongfang Jin lowered his eyes when he heard this, and didn't speak for a long time.

An Qingran knew that he was sad.

Holding his shoulder with his hand, Dongfang Jin leaned his head in her arms and sighed quietly: "When I was a child, my grandmother loved me. Later, she worshipped Buddha all year round and didn't ask about the affairs of the palace. No matter what, I don't want her to do this."

Yes, that’s my grandmother.

An Qingran could imagine the sadness in his heart.

"We don't have any evidence right now. No matter what, we have to find out first."

"Of course, this is not only about me, but also about my mother."

"So, we will investigate secretly from now on. Of course, I have an idea." An Qingran said, lowering her voice and telling Dongfang Jin everything in detail.

Dongfang Jin nodded secretly after hearing this, but he didn't smile. Instead, he stretched out his long arm, brought An Qingran into his arms, and kissed her forehead with his lips: "Qingqing, I'm lucky to have you. I won't change it in this life."

An Qingran's heart was moved, she was delighted, her face was as rosy as a peach blossom, she smiled gently: "Having a man like you is like the sound of a bell, I will hold your hand forever."

Dongfang Jin's kisses fell on the corners of her lips and cheeks, silent language, extreme affection, and the red curtain of scattered flowers fell down, how charming it was inside, which aroused endless reverie, and the occasional gasps made people blush...

******************

Inside the palace, there was a solemn atmosphere due to the prince's illness.

No one knew what the condition was like, and there was still no concrete news. People went to check on the prince, but they couldn't see him.

Concubine Shu was sitting in the Jiaoxiang Courtyard. The parrot under the eaves occasionally called out something. Concubine Shu waved her hand in disgust and said, "Someone, tell this beast to shut up."

The parrot didn't know whether it heard clearly or was confused, and shouted: "Don't move."

"Oh, that's really wrong! Don't let me see it." Concubine Shu laughed in anger.

The palace maids hurriedly took the parrot away. Shu Guifei found it funny that she was so angry with an animal. It was innocent and she was the one taking her anger out on it.

She gently twisted the collar of her clothes with her fingers. The patterned dress made her waist look slender, comparable to that of a young girl in her twenties. However, her expression was unfriendly, which made the palace maids beside her dare not say a word. They held their breath and concentrated, not daring to breathe.

After a while, Concubine Shu slowly said, "Prince Kang hasn't entered the palace yet?"

"Your Highness, Xiao Mouzi has already sent the letter. I believe the prince will be here soon."

Just as he finished speaking, the bird outside chirped again, and King Kang Dongfang Ye walked in. He was wearing a moon-white satin court robe embroidered with cloud dragons, a dark pattern of auspicious clouds, and a pair of light gold soft sheepskin court boots. He looked very neat and tidy. When Murong Shu saw his son standing in front of him, all his depression was swept away, and a smile appeared on his face: "Ye'er, why did you come so late?"

Dongfang Ye sighed, "When I woke up early, An Yanran suddenly had abdominal pain. I asked a doctor to come and see her, but the pain went away. So my son came to the palace after he dealt with her affairs."

When he said this, his tone was quite complaining.

Murong Shu's face darkened: "Ye'er, this is your fault. Yanran is in such a poor condition and she is still young. She panics when something happens. You are her husband, you should be more considerate of her at this time. Why are you complaining like this?"

"Mother? But you don't know, this cousin Yan is very troublesome. She is always making trouble. She always says that if she gives birth to a boy, you will agree to make her your principal wife."

"Yes, why not?" Murong Shu said this, the corners of her mouth twitched, and she smiled. Perhaps she felt that her smile was too abrupt, so she picked up the celadon teacup beside her, blew away the curling hot steam on it, and put it down instead of drinking it. "Don't you understand what mother means?"

Although Dongfang Ye had thought of something, he was getting more and more worried about this good cousin: "Mother, in terms of being dignified and respectful, she is not as good as Concubine Yue, and in terms of being gentle and considerate, she is not as good as Madam Yun. Now, she is very domineering every day. Although she is just a small lady, she has caused unrest in the mansion. If it is really just because she is pregnant, the two ladies will also give birth to children. There is no need to worry that they will not be able to give birth to a boy."

"Ye'er, don't talk nonsense. After all, Yanran is the general's daughter. If she has a boy, it would be inappropriate not to be promoted to the principal wife. What's more, your mother has already talked to the general. Don't mess this up for now. Be lenient with her. A pregnant woman will inevitably be anxious. Make her happy and give birth to this child smoothly. It's better than anything else."

"Mother, what's wrong with you today?" Dongfang Ye felt that her mother was really different. She had never been so concerned about An Yanran before. "Is it because of the prince's matter?"

"Keep your voice down." Murong Shu nodded slightly. "Mother will go to see the prince in a while. I heard rumors from outsiders that the prince's poison has not been cured. The emperor is extremely anxious and has not even slept."

Dongfang Ye couldn't suppress the surprise on his face: "Really?"

"I told you to keep your voice down." Murong Shu glared at him. He was really losing his temper.

Dongfang Ye could have kept his voice low, but the expression on his face was one of uncontrollable joy. He clapped his hands and sneered, "The poison has finally taken effect. This is what we are happy about."

"Shut up! Have you forgotten what happened last time? Let's not do stupid things again and take the blame for others. Now we should not do anything and should not make any moves that would arouse suspicion. Especially you, you should be quiet outside and stay in Prince Kang's Mansion when you have nothing to do. Don't walk around and talk nonsense." Murong Shu learned a lesson from his mistakes.

Dongfang Ye nodded slightly upon hearing this: "But how did his poison work?"

"There are still some extraordinary people in this palace. We just need to wait and see what happens." Murong Shu finally picked up the teacup and took a big sip. "It's the same with drinking tea. Don't be too impatient. Wait until the right time."

Dongfang Ye no longer showed his joy. After saying a few more words, he left.

******

Prince Kang's Palace.

An Yanran is already pregnant, and she will give birth in more than two months. She is thin, so it is particularly difficult for her to carry the baby, so naturally her temper is not good.

Caiyun was supporting her as they walked in the garden. An Yanran looked at the magnolias in full bloom in front of them. The tree was full of purple, and the flowers were exceptionally large, but they had not yet sprouted leaves. They were just flowers, so they looked a little lonely. Seeing her intention, Caiyun hurriedly spread a flowery green brocade mattress on the wooden chair, helped An Yanran sit down steadily, and covered her with a bright red cloak with gold thread, leaving only her bright little face exposed. Her abdomen was also covered. From this perspective, she was just a beautiful girl. Caiyun sighed inwardly that even if she was pregnant, she was still beautiful. It was a pity that the prince treated her like a thatched grass, which was really a pity.

An Yanran looked at the flowers all over the tree without saying a word, but her expression was quiet and peaceful. Caiyun breathed a sigh of relief secretly. It was their blessing that her master could have a moment of peace.

Just as she was thinking, she heard laughter. It was An Ranyue and Shen Zhiyun walking over. Shen Zhiyun was dressed exceptionally gorgeously today. She was wearing a moth-yellow skirt embroidered with hundreds of butterflies, a moon-white top with wide sleeves and double-silk phoenix robe embroidered with auspicious grass, clouds and geese, and a moon-white plain cloak. She looked like a fairy. An Ranyue beside her was wearing a bright red Ruyi satin dress embroidered with colorful auspicious clouds. She looked like a principal wife. An Yanran took one look and her face changed immediately. These two people were deliberately making things difficult for her. She had just taken a moment to relax, and they were making trouble again.

It was not until An Ranyue approached that An Yanran symbolically tried to stand up. An Ranyue said calmly: "Forget it, you are not feeling well, don't get up."

An Yanran sat down and said, "Fortunately, my sister doesn't blame me. Otherwise, if it gets out, she'll say I'm rude."

Shen Zhiyun looked at the purple magnolia tree and sighed, "This flower bloomed so early. I remember that in previous years, it had to bloom in mid-April. This year, it bloomed a few days earlier. I wonder if this is a good omen?"

An Ranyue also looked over and said, "Well, this flower blooms early in season. If a person blooms early, it's not a good thing."

It was obvious that she meant something.

An Yanran raised her eyebrows: "Sister, what do you mean by that? Are you cursing my child to be born prematurely?"

"Oh, what are you saying?" An Ranyue turned around and looked at her with a twisted face. "You can't say that. If the prince hears about it, I can't bear the responsibility. Besides, you are going to be a mother soon. Why are you taking on such an unlucky thing?"

"Did I hear it wrong? There are people testifying here. Why don't you make it clear what you mean? If your explanation cannot convince me, I will not agree this time. I will go to the palace and personally stand before mother to let her judge this matter. Let's just tear our faces apart and stop pretending to be virtuous." An Yanran stood up angrily, and her clothes fell to the ground. Her big belly simply pushed forward again, and she looked as if she was going to use her belly to defeat everything.

An Ranyue's face remained calm and she even smiled: "Sister, are you threatening me? I said, I'm not talking about you."

"Then who are you talking about?" An Yanran seized this favorable opportunity, how could she let her go.

An Ranyue sighed, and Shen Zhiyun said beside her: "Maybe my sister is overthinking. I was just expressing my feelings occasionally, why did you think of something else?"

"I don't want to think about that, but these words are too harsh. If I did anything wrong, it's okay for me to scold you, but this involves the heir of the royal family, and I dare not be careless at all. Sister, if you don't want to say it, then I will let the prince judge for us first." When An Yanran spoke, her eyes were very smart, and she deliberately raised her voice. She wished that everyone would come to watch the fun.

But there was no way those palace maids could get close, so they ran as far away as possible, fearing that they would be affected.

The expression on An Ranyue's face did not change. She flicked her sleeves and sighed, but she still held the purple magnolia in her hand. Instead, she brought it in front of her eyes and looked at the flower carefully twice, completely ignoring An Yanran's anger, which made An Yanran want to rush forward.

Finally, she inserted the flower into Shen Zhiyun's mane, stepped back, and looked at it carefully, saying, "Mrs. Yun is naturally beautiful, with fair and tender skin. This flower makes her skin even whiter."

"No, my sister's skin is better. I can't envy her." Shen Zhiyun wondered what happened to An Ranyue today? She was obviously competing with An Yanran.

An Yanran took a step forward and said, "Sister, what do you mean? Are you afraid to answer my question?"

An Ranyue turned around and said slowly, "Sister, why are you in such a hurry? You look like you're going to eat me. No matter what, I'm still the master of the Kangwang Mansion. As for your main wife, I'm afraid we can't talk about it until the child is born. What's more, there are some things that we can't quarrel about in this mansion. If someone hears it, it will cause trouble for the prince. Sister, have you forgotten what happened last time you went to the palace? Didn't the emperor blame the prince?"

An Ranyue's words made sense, and An Yanran was so angry that she exploded: "I don't care anymore, let's just tear each other apart. I just want to know what my sister meant by what she said just now: it's better for flowers to bloom first, but what about people to bloom first?"

An Yanran thought she was in the right, so how could she give in?

An Ranyue waved her hand, and Caiyun and other palace maids hurriedly left, a hundred meters away.

An Ranyue said slowly, "Haven't you heard? The prince has been poisoned and is in a very serious condition. All visitors are not allowed to see him. I'm talking about this matter. You are imagining things again and are still yelling at me. Don't you think that I should just talk about it? If it gets out, my reputation will be second. People will think that Prince Kang can't control his wife and there is always a fire in his backyard."