Yun Jin couldn't stop Miao Nanyan, so she could only quickly follow her and help her walk towards the main hall.

Xiangling carried a bowl of rice porridge over, only to see Miao Nanyan and Yun Jin walking out quickly. She opened her mouth as if to call out to Miao Nanyan, but seeing their anxious expressions, she withdrew her hand that she had reached out to pull Miao Nanyan back.

When Miao Nanyan arrived at the main hall, she saw Baili Yingfeng sitting in the main seat with a cold face, while several princes and imperial concubines were kneeling on the ground.

"Your Majesty, these people kneeling on the ground are your elders, after all. How can you sit while we, who are about to be buried, kneel on the ground?"

Consort Jingyi touched her knee, looking very painful.

"yes!"

Consort Li fiddled with the Buddhist prayer beads hanging around her neck, her expression one of sorrow.

"Hmph, only those who value family ties can be considered my elders!"

Whether the person kneeling on the ground is my elder or not is another matter!

"Chen Yuan, how's the search going?"

Seeing that Chen Yuan had already entered, Baili Yingfeng asked him.

Chen Yuan shook his head slightly. He searched the palaces of several imperial concubines, but found no poison.

No abnormalities were found.

"Where are the palace maids? Have all the palace maids and eunuchs been questioned thoroughly?"

Baili Yingfeng looked outside the hall.

As they were talking, Chen Yuan's men brought in two palace maids who had been beaten to the point of near death and whose mouths were bleeding.

"Speak! Say what you just said again before the king!"

"Who poisoned them?!"

"This servant, this servant, does not know. It is only that Consort Li often comes to serve Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."

The palace maid wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and glanced timidly at Consort Li on the ground.

"When the Empress Dowager was ill, Consort Li often came personally to serve her meals."

"Another palace maid said."

Consort Li's expression changed slightly, and she glared hatefully at the two palace maids.

"Your Majesty, I was worried about my sister's health and personally took care of her. Do you still doubt me?"

Consort Li had tears in her eyes and looked aggrieved.

"Bai Li Ying Feng, words are not enough; you cannot wrong my mother!"

A young prince, kneeling on the ground, stood in front of Consort Li.

"Besides, you didn't find any poison!"

Miao Nanyan stood beside Baili Yingfeng, carefully observing the people kneeling on the ground and pondering their words.

Consort Li serves the Empress Dowager her meals every day...

These two palace maids were servants of Empress Dowager Hesheli.

Miao Nanyan's gaze fell on Consort Li.

Consort Li tightly gripped the Buddhist prayer beads around her neck, her eyes darting around as if deep in thought.

She noticed that the Buddhist prayer beads on Consort Li's body were not very shiny. Prayer beads that had been rubbed in her hands for a long time would have become very smooth and shiny.

Could it really be Consort Li?

"Your Highness, may I take a look at your Buddhist prayer beads?"

Miao Nanyan, who had been standing silently beside Baili Yingfeng, finally spoke.

"what are you up to?"

Consort Li looked at Miao Nanyan with great vigilance, shrinking back slightly.

Prince Qi, standing beside Consort Li, stretched out his arms to protect his mother.

Consort Li reached out and patted her son's hand, indicating that he didn't need to worry.

Miao Nanyan suddenly noticed that Consort Li's nails were a bit dark in color, far less clean and shiny than Consort Jingyi's nails.

These nails...

Moreover, for the late emperor's concubines who had nothing to do all day and were not good at dirty or tiring work, Consort Li's hands seemed too old and withered.

Consort Li noticed Miao Nanyan's gaze and tucked her hands into her sleeves.

Baili Yingfeng noticed something amiss and gave Chen Yuan a signal. Chen Yuan then held down Consort Li and ripped the Buddhist beads off.

"What are you doing?!"

Prince Qi, who was standing in front of Consort Li, was pulled away by the eunuchs.

Chen Yuan handed the Buddhist prayer beads to Miao Nanyan, who gently touched the surface of the beads and smelled them.

Suddenly, her expression changed drastically.

"Your Majesty, these prayer beads are poisoned, and there are many kinds of poison."

"Your Majesty, I just noticed that Consort Li's fingernails are dark and black, and her hands are very old. This must be due to frequent contact with these poisons."

"Hmph, how absurd!"

Consort Li's lips trembled slightly.

"Presumably, when Consort Li was serving the Empress Dowager her meal, she mixed the poison that was on her fingers into the food, didn't she?"

"Absurd! You're spouting nonsense!"

Consort Li reached out to grab the string of Buddhist beads, but the eunuch grabbed her tightly.

"Lord Chen, let the imperial physicians examine me, and they will know whether what I said is true or false."

Miao Nanyan placed the string of Buddhist beads on the plate brought over by the eunuch, so that the imperial physicians waiting outside could examine them.

She took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped her hands clean, while reminding those who had touched the prayer beads to wash their hands thoroughly.

"Nanfei is a descendant of the medical clan, she certainly wouldn't be mistaken."

"Mrs. Sun, what else do you have to say?!"

Baili Yingfeng kicked away Prince Qi, who was blocking Consort Li's way.

The thought of his mother, aged and suffering from illness, filled him with a chilling hatred, and he wished he could tear Consort Li to pieces.

"Your Majesty, this, this, this, there is indeed poison on the prayer beads!"

A royal physician strode in and said.

Baili Yingfeng waved his hand, signaling him to leave, and the hall fell silent for a moment.

Everyone remained silent, seemingly waiting for the accused Consort Li to speak.

"snort!"

"I didn't realize that. I really underestimated you."

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