He just sat quietly, and Yun Duoduo felt as if she could see the bright moon rising over the Tianshan Mountains and the spring breeze passing over the northern desert.

What a handsome young man!

"Brother Jinzhi!"

Yun Duoduo quickly walked to the person's side, and upon closer inspection, she saw that it was Jin Jinzhi. She happily ran over to her.

[As expected, Sumire's brother did not disappoint her.]

This face is very well-preserved; there's no roughness or scarring at all.

These hands are well-preserved and still so beautiful.

Why are you here?

Yun Duoduo looked at him with some surprise. "Isn't he stationed in the northern frontier?"

Since their last parting in the northern frontier, the two had not seen each other except for occasional correspondence.

"I have just returned from the northern frontier and am here to report to His Majesty on the current situation there."

Jin Jin smiled faintly.

I just stopped by to see you.

"These are some dried meat and milk bricks I brought for you."

Jin Jinzhi took out a bundle and handed it to Yun Duoduo.

[Did Sumire's brother bring me something?]

"This is my favorite food!"

Yun Duoduo hugged the bundle to her chest.

"Brother Jinzhi is so nice, Duoduo likes Brother Jinzhi the most!"

Jin Jinzhi was taken aback for a moment, then quickly recovered and patted her head.

Yun Duoduo couldn't wait to open the bundle, take out a piece of dried meat, and chew it.

Mmm, it smells delicious!

She can only bite things with her front teeth now; the teeth on the sides are being replaced and she can't use them.

She started losing her baby teeth last year and has been going through the process of them falling out and growing back one after another.

Ugh, the process of losing baby teeth is so long!

"Brother Jinzhi, how's the medical clinic in the Northern Frontier doing lately?"

She was a little worried about whether Zizhu and Baizhi could take good care of the clinic. Before leaving, she left a manual with common ailment treatments for Baizhi and the others to read.

Of course, because her handwriting was terrible, this medical manual was dictated by Yun Duoduo and recorded by Bai Zhi.

"Don't worry, Xinshi and the others are taking good care of the clinic."

"The people of the northern frontier are all grateful to you, the young physician!"

Jin Jinzhi smiled and gently pinched Yun Duoduo's nose.

"Oh, by the way, this was given to you by an old lady."

Jin Jinzhi took out two small sachets from her bosom and handed them to Yun Duoduo.

"Huh, what's this?"

Yun Duoduo curiously took the two small sachets, untied the strings, and looked inside.

"The old woman said that this sachet contains perilla leaves, and the other sachet contains perilla seeds."

"They say it's good for you to carry it with you often."

Yun Duoduo nodded, "I understand, thank you, Brother Jinzhi!"

It seems that Granny Xue hasn't left northern Xinjiang yet.

I hope Grandma Xue is doing well.

Yun Duoduo tied a sachet of perilla leaves around her waist. She planned to plant perilla seeds in the backyards of Fushuang Palace and the clinic.

"Brother Jinzhi, let's go to the palace for a while. Duoduo's palace has delicious osmanthus cake and sesame cake!"

Yun Duoduo took Jin Jinzhi's hand and started to walk inside.

"Next time, His Majesty has given me some instructions, and I need to take care of them quickly."

Jin Jinzhi seemed a little reluctant, but she quickly calmed down, stood up, and prepared to leave.

"Brother Jinzhi, wait a minute!"

After Yun Duoduo finished speaking, she quickly ran into the palace and then quickly ran out again, handing the osmanthus cake wrapped in a handkerchief to Jin Jinzhi.

"Brother Jinzhi, eat on the way, don't go hungry!"

Holding the osmanthus cake, Jin Jinzhi felt a warm current welling up in her heart.

...

Watching Jin Jinzhi's departing figure, Yun Duoduo felt a strange emptiness.

She returned to her bedchamber and leaned against the soft couch. She was exhausted after a busy day yesterday.

"Aunt Xiang, I want to go to the Cold Palace to take a look."

Lying in bed, he ate dried crabapple fruit and said in a low voice.

"The Cold Palace?"

Ah Xiang looked around warily, checked the doors and windows, and only after confirming that no one was around did she walk back to Yun Duoduo's side.

"Princess, why do you suddenly want to go to the Cold Palace?"

"Back then, my mother was poisoned by oleander flower powder, and her health gradually deteriorated."

When she asked Xu Zheng last time, Xu Zheng told her that Consort Bai of the Hibiscus Palace died from poisoning by oleander flower powder.

Ah Xiang's face suddenly turned pale.

“Miss, it turns out she has really been poisoned. I have served by your side for so many years and I never noticed.”

Ah Xiang bit her lip tightly to stop her tears from falling.

"It's not your fault. The person who poisoned you has some knowledge of medicine and how to make spices. They only added a little bit to the food, so it's hard to detect. Besides, you can't detect it with a silver needle."

Yun Duoduo held Ah Xiang's hand and comforted her.

The most effective way to test for poison with a silver needle is to test for arsenic.

The arsenic used in Nanyang was not of high purity and contained a large amount of sulfides.

If a silver needle is inserted into arsenic, the silver will react with the sulfides in the arsenic to form black silver sulfide, which will then adhere to the silver needle.

As for other colorless and odorless poisons that do not react chemically with silver needles, they cannot be detected at all.

That's why Yun Duoduo gave Shangguan Qin'er a modified version of a silver needle.

If only Mother had had the silver needles she made back then.

[Perhaps they wouldn't have been harmed for so many years without even realizing it.]

"Moreover, Qiu'er poisoned the chestnut cake at the behest of someone from the Cold Palace."

Yun Duoduo continued.

"And on the day the Empress Dowager gave birth, that imperial physician with the goatee should also be examined; he's clearly there to cause trouble."

Yun Duoduo was a little uncertain. She wasn't sure if these things were really related, or if she was overthinking it.

"Does the princess mean that these things are all related to the Cold Palace?"

Yun Duoduo nodded.

"That's why I wanted to go and see the Cold Palace."

"Now, we don't even know who lives in the Cold Palace."

All I know is that Consort Zheng and Consort Yu are inside.

Ah Xiang calmed herself down and said, "Princess, we can't rush this matter. It won't be too late for us to go to the Cold Palace after I've found out more about the situation."

[The background of the concubines in the Cold Palace is still unknown; it would be too dangerous to go there rashly.]

"good."

Yun Duoduo nodded; she understood Ah Xiang's concerns.

...

Inside the Northern Liang royal palace, the Yiqin Palace courtyard, bathed in moonlight, was enveloped in a milky white glow. A gentle breeze carried the faint fragrance of flowers through the courtyard.

After Empress Dowager Hesheli recovered from her illness, Baili Yingfeng brought her back to the palace from the imperial mausoleum.

Miao Nanyan served Empress Dowager Hesheli every day.

That evening, Miao Nanyan dragged her tired body back to Yiqin Palace. Just as she was about to go to sleep, she suddenly felt a gust of wind. When she looked up, she saw Baili Yingfeng standing in front of her.

"Your Majesty."

Miao Nanyan wanted to get out of bed to pay her respects, but Baili Yingfeng stopped her.