"I heard that the weather was dry and the incense and candles burned the curtains. In addition, the palace guards did not put out the fire in time, which is why the entire Buddhist hall was burned down."

Granny Zhang sighed regretfully. This Buddhist hall took a year to build, and the Buddha statues inside were specially made and transported from various places.

While relaying the information from the palace to the Empress Dowager, she gently patted the Empress Dowager's shoulders with both hands to help relieve her fatigue from the long journey.

"The incense and candles have burned the curtains. Hmph, I'm afraid it's not that simple." The Empress Dowager snorted coldly and shook her head.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she said softly, “There is a water feature near the Buddhist hall. This water feature, well, it is also called the auspicious water vat. When I built the Buddhist hall, I asked a feng shui master to take a look and placed it there. It is always filled with water.”

"On the one hand, it's for feng shui reasons, and on the other hand, it's for emergency use when there's a fire. This large vat isn't far from the Buddhist hall, and the water inside can be used directly unless it freezes into ice."

"Moreover, there were specially assigned palace maids and eunuchs guarding the area around the large vat and the Buddhist hall. They knew how to handle such situations."

The Empress Dowager rubbed her temples and closed her eyes in disgust. There were always some restless fellows in the palace who coveted things that didn't belong to them. If they couldn't get them, they would harm others and use all sorts of means to fight and snatch them.

"Once we get to the palace, investigate this matter secretly. What happened to the palace servants who were originally guarding the Buddhist hall? Were they transferred away? Why were they unable to put out the fire in time?"

"And is the water in that vat frozen? Why was the head eunuch in charge so negligent?" The Empress Dowager's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.

"Yes, this old servant has noted it down. When we get to the palace, this old servant will investigate this matter secretly." Zhang Mama knew the seriousness of the matter, and she also knew that once this person was investigated, he would certainly not have a good end.

He burned down the Empress Dowager's most beloved and respected Buddhist hall and almost killed the little princess. No matter how you look at it, he will not be let off easily.

"My daughter-in-law doesn't have any special skills, so I'm afraid she won't be able to find anything out." The Empress Dowager nodded and sighed. She knew the Empress; she was too impetuous and had a short temper. She would shout and yell at the drop of a hat, which could easily alert the enemy and prevent them from finding the real villains hiding behind the scenes.

They wouldn't use any tricks against the concubines in the harem; they would only resort to brute force and violence.

"If it really was someone else, and we don't find out who did it, I'm afraid Duoduo will still be in danger in the future." The Empress Dowager was very worried about the little princess's safety.

"This old servant has heard that His Majesty has arranged for the little princess to be guarded by highly skilled martial arts practitioners. They are said to be the eldest grandson of the Left Prime Minister, the eldest son of the Minister of War, and members of the Xiao family with the character 'Jin' in their names. They have all moved into the palace."

"Hmm, the Emperor certainly knows how to choose people, but this Minister of War's daughter, I remember she just had her 100-day celebration two years ago, she's only two or three years old this year?" The Empress Dowager was somewhat puzzled.

"Yes, they said they would stay in the palace and learn martial arts with the little princess."

"Hmm." The Empress Dowager nodded. She would personally teach the little princess martial arts. Only her granddaughter's physique was suitable for that whip technique.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived at Anqing Palace." The palace maid stopped and bowed to the Empress Dowager inside the sedan chair, awaiting the old lady's next instructions.

The sedan chair stopped at the entrance of Anqing Hall, where the palace held banquets and ministers drank wine. In the past, the palace banquets and the Empress Dowager's birthday banquets were held here.

Opposite Anqing Hall is a fork in the road. Going left leads to Shouchang Palace and the Buddhist hall, while going right leads to the residences of the imperial concubines.

"Go to Shouchang Palace," the Empress Dowager said in a deep voice.

The Empress Dowager wanted to hurry over to see if Duoduo was injured, and whether she had eaten and dressed warmly after not seeing her for so many days. However, she and her entourage had just returned from outside, and were covered in dust. They needed to wash up and change their clothes before going to see her precious granddaughter.

After changing her clothes at Shouchang Palace, the Empress Dowager, accompanied by Zhang Mama, went straight to Fushuang Palace.

Upon arriving at the entrance of Fushuang Palace, the Empress Dowager stepped down from her sedan chair and looked at the decorations inside the bedchamber. Soft, fluffy wool blankets covered the floor, thick cotton quilts covered the bed, and two pots of water lilies were placed on either side of the entrance. A red-hot charcoal fire burned in the center of the bedchamber, making the room smell fragrant.

This is the princess's bedroom that her granddaughter should live in!

She nodded in satisfaction. "My son has finally done something worthwhile!"

"Your subject, Jin Jinzhi, pays respects to the Empress Dowager." Upon seeing that the visitor was the Empress Dowager, Jin Jinzhi bowed and then withdrew, closing the doors and windows and standing guard at the entrance.

Seeing Yun Duoduo lying on the bed kicking her arms and legs, her little hands grabbing at the sky haphazardly, the Empress Dowager was overjoyed and quickly went over to hug Yun Duoduo in her arms.

"Duoduo, my darling, I've missed you so much!"

Hearing the sound, Yun Duoduo turned her head in surprise to look at the door. Her grandmother had returned!

【Royal Grandmother! 】

Yun Duoduo was very happy. She snuggled in the Empress Dowager's arms and gave her a kiss on the cheek, leaving the Empress Dowager's face covered in drool.

[Grandmother, Duoduo misses you so much!]

Granny Zhang took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the Empress Dowager's face.

Yun Duoduo tugged at the Empress Dowager's hair and giggled.

"This is a Buddha pendant that your grandmother asked for for you. Your grandmother specially asked the abbot of the temple to bless it for you so that you can grow up safely." The Empress Dowager took out a Buddha pendant from a sandalwood box, warmed it with her hands, and then put it around Yun Duoduo's neck.

[Waaaaah, Grandmother is so kind! This Buddha statue was blessed, and Grandmother warmed the pendant in her hands before putting it on her because she was worried it was too cold!]

When she grows up, she must be filial to her grandmother!

...

"Yun Duoduo, you little brat! Because of this brat, I've been locked up for a month!" Consort Chen's face turned red, her eyes bloodshot, and she forcefully threw the teacup in her hand to the ground.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please calm down!" Seeing her mistress was angry, the palace maid was afraid that she would be slapped in her anger, so she hurriedly knelt on the ground.

"What's all the noise about! Hurry up and clean this place up!" Consort Chen's head was buzzing from the palace maid's crying. She looked at the palace maid kneeling on the ground with disgust. All the people in this palace were stupid and incompetent, none of them as efficient as Kou Dan. They were all a handful.

"Yes, yes, this servant will go and clean it up right away!" The little palace maid hurriedly went to pick up the scattered pieces on the ground, and a few drops of blood seeped from between her fingers.

"Has that old witch from Shouchang Palace returned?"