Xuan Ling looked into the distance and said thoughtfully, "She is indeed different, but I hope she can maintain this peace."

He had originally let her enter the palace with the intention of training her to become a favorite concubine to check and balance the harem, but now he seemed reluctant to throw her into the den of wolves and tigers.

The imperial carriage passed through the palace corridor and drove towards the court.

Along the way, the palace maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground to pay their respects and watched the imperial carriage go away.

After breakfast, the sun was shining brightly and the west warm room seemed particularly quiet.

Sheng Xiyan stepped into this peaceful place under the guidance of the imperial palace maids.

There are many precious books collected here, and the Sanchunhui next to it is the study where Emperor Xuanwu handles government affairs and reads on a daily basis.

Sheng Xiyan looked around curiously, and her eyes suddenly stopped on a painting on the wall. She stopped involuntarily to appreciate it carefully.

"My Lady Sheng, isn't that you in this painting? This is a work painted by the Emperor himself!" the maid said in surprise.

Sheng Xiyan gently stroked her face, wondering if the emperor's description of her was a bit exaggerated. She didn't seem to be so stunningly beautiful.

Approaching the painting, I saw the poem inscribed on it and whispered: "The orioles are singing on the island in the river. A beautiful lady, a gentleman's ideal match."

Being secretly portraited was such a happy thing. Sheng Xiyan had more expectations and longings for her future life in the palace.

The hall was filled with the faint scent of agarwood, and the emperor was indeed fond of agarwood.

Sheng Xiyan spent a morning in this quiet environment, immersed in the world of books and enjoying this rare peace and comfort.

At noon, while enjoying lunch in the west side hall, Hua Xia and the wet nurse brought Jiang Jiang and Le Wen to play.

Hua Xia thought about it and couldn't help but ask cautiously, "My lady, did the emperor mention the white jade jewelry last night?"

Sheng Xiyan said suspiciously, "There must be something wrong with that set of jewelry, otherwise Concubine Shu would not have missed the opportunity to sow discord. Keep it for now, and I will study it carefully later."

"My lady, I have carefully asked Madam Zhang, and she confirmed that the charcoal fire on the stove was extinguished. Where do you think the spark came from?"

The fire last night happened suddenly, but now thinking about it, the fire started in a very strange way.

"What if someone threw a flame into the small kitchen?"

Hua Xia was so frightened when she heard this that she covered her mouth, her eyes widened, and she said in horror: "This is terrible, my lady, you must tell the emperor, someone is trying to harm you and the young master!"

Sheng Xiyan gently took her hand and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, let's move to Guanju Palace and strengthen our precautions. We don't have any solid evidence yet, so it's not easy to directly tell the emperor about our suspicions. But based on my speculation, someone must be trying to kill two birds with one stone."

"The two birds refer to you and Shen Wanrong, my lady?"

Sheng Xiyan nodded, "Yes, if you can successfully burn me to death, it would be the best, but if you fail, you can also get rid of Shen Wanrong's dragon fetus."

Hua Xia couldn't help but sigh, "This palace is truly terrifying. Everyone appears to be smiling on the surface, but who knows what kind of people are behind them? Who on earth would do such a vicious thing?"

Sheng Xiyan pondered for a moment and replied, "It's hard to say clearly. We can only take it one step at a time."

She secretly guessed that Concubine Shu, Concubine Liang and Concubine Jia might be the arsonist, but which one was the one who gave Shen Wanrong the crazy drug?

In the palace, it was common for high-ranking concubines to raise the children of low-ranking concubines. If Shen Wanrong had mental problems, the four concubines Jiaxian, Liang, Shu, and De would be qualified to raise the prince.

It was noon and sunlight poured into the Hall of Supreme Harmony through the windows.

Xuan Ling sat on the throne, listening attentively to several court officials reporting on government affairs.

At the end, the commander of the imperial guards hurried into the palace and said, "Your Majesty, first thing in the morning, I arrested Doctor Li, who was taking care of Miss Shen, and the palace maid who served her personally. During the interrogation, the palace maid bit her tongue and committed suicide. Doctor Li died of the poison. It was confirmed that he had taken poison before arriving."

Upon hearing this news, Xuan Ling slammed the table, "How dare the harem's fighting be so bold!"

The palace maid's suicide and the death of Imperial Physician Li from poisoning both indicate one fact: drugs that can cause mental problems were indeed added to Shen Wanrong's pregnancy-preserving soup.

Judge Zhang stepped forward and said respectfully:

"Your Majesty, if someone were to add a small amount of this drug daily, they might not immediately show obvious symptoms of madness. However, over time, when the dosage accumulates to a certain level, especially during the period of physical weakness after childbirth, it would lead to complete madness."

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Xuan Ling's eyes: "What a cruel method."