Jin Jinzhi glanced at Cao Canjun, thinking it was just a load of nonsense.

"Your Highness, this person has nothing to do with us, why are you so concerned about him?"

Cao Canjun didn't understand. The prince had come to see the princess, so why was he asking a stranger so many questions?

"Go and investigate his background." Jin Jinzhi strode away from the Imperial Pharmacy, with Cao Canjun following behind him.

"His family situation, his age, whether he is married, and what position he holds at the Shang Pharmacy."

Jin Jinzhi paused for a moment, then continued, "Ask them all clearly for me."

Cao Canjun originally wanted to ask why a mere medicine clerk was being investigated, but seeing his lord's cold face, he swallowed his words.

This is truly the calm before the storm!

Whatever the prince says goes!

...

Yun Duoduo returned to Fushuang Palace and lay on the bed thinking about things.

Before she left the palace, there was one thing she had to finish before she could move into her own residence; otherwise, she would not be able to live in peace.

Over the years, she has been searching for the truth about her mother's murder and has obtained some key information. However, since her conversation with Physician Xu, her investigation has hit a bottleneck, and she has been unable to deduce who poisoned her mother.

My mother was poisoned by oleander.

Oleanders only grow in front of the gates of Linhua Palace and inside the courtyard of the Cold Palace.

She had already been to the Cold Palace; Consort Zheng and Consort Yu were not the ones who harmed her mother.

So, it's highly likely that it was done by someone from Linhua Palace. Over the years, she's been trying to gather more evidence, but things seem to have stalled here.

When she was seven years old, Consort Zheng told her that Consort Meng, Consort Li, and Consort Wan lived in Linhua Palace. At that time, Consort Li was still very favored.

But after Consort Li's daughter died, she became depressed.

It was only then that she learned that Consort Li had another daughter.

The image of Consort Li appeared in Yun Duoduo's mind. Consort Li had slender, white fingers and a graceful waist. However, although Consort Li was not old, she looked very haggard and weak, and her voice was weak and feeble.

Consort Li is the birth mother of the seventh prince, Yun Yiqiu.

Yun Duoduo continued to ponder. Every time she encountered Consort Li and Yun Yiqiu, the way they looked at her was as if they were looking at someone who was about to die.

She once suspected that Consort Li and Yun Yiqiu saw the shadows of her deceased daughter and her deceased imperial sister in her.

Later, the silk shop took on a royal business deal, making clothes for the guards. When the clothes were destroyed by a heavy rain, it was also Consort Li who interfered.

Presumably, Consort Li knew that she would not live much longer, so she tried every means to save money for the Seventh Prince and ensure his future prosperity.

"This princess will go directly to Linhua Palace and get to the bottom of this!" Yun Duoduo clenched her fists. She didn't want to alert the enemy and planned to arrest them after all the evidence was gathered, but now she couldn't wait any longer.

Who poisoned her mother?! The hatred for killing one's mother is irreconcilable!

...

Today is the day when foreign officials enter the palace to visit their daughters.

Consort Wan's maternal family was the Cheng family from the Yuzhang area. Her ancestors were a scholarly family, and for generations they had served as civil officials. Because their official positions were not high and they received little salary from the court, most of the family members made a living by running private schools.

Consort Wan's father, Cheng Qiang, led his good-for-nothing son, Cheng Fushun, toward Linhua Palace.

Fu Shun is a name that doesn't sound like something a scholarly family would choose. However, his father, Cheng Qiang, only wished that his generation would become rich and that those who became officials would have a smooth and successful career, rising rapidly through the ranks.

But his disappointing son failed the imperial examinations time and time again, turning the old father, who had placed all his hopes on his children, gray-haired.

After passing through several red palace gates, Cheng Qiang and Cheng Fushun had to climb dozens of steps and go around to reach Consort Wan's Linhua Palace.

Cheng Qiang carried a large bundle on his shoulder, huffing and puffing as he climbed the steps, sweating profusely from exhaustion.

The maids from Linhua Palace were leading the way, and several eunuchs who came to help were also carrying things in their hands. The older, stronger eunuchs walked ahead to lead the way, followed by several other eunuchs carrying blue, gray, and black cloth bags on their shoulders.

As an older man, he naturally couldn't go empty-handed.

"The palace has everything, yet you're bringing this whole package and box into the palace, you're really embarrassing me!"

Cheng Qiang, his face contorted with anger and frustration at Cheng Fushun's lack of ambition, cursed him.

Not only is it embarrassing, but the road is also very difficult to walk.

Hearing the master scolding the young master, the palace maids and eunuchs following behind dared not utter a sound, each one bowing their heads and taking small, hurried steps.

"Do you want Consort Wan to get as fat as you?"

Cheng Qiang shook his head helplessly, grumbling about Cheng Fushun, then switched shoulders and continued carrying the bundle.

His son turned out this way because he spoiled him; he can't blame anyone else!

Overjoyed to have a son late in life, he doted on him and placed all his hopes on him, which led to his son's current unruly and willful nature.

"These are all my sister's favorite dishes, but the palace cooks don't know how to make them!" Cheng Fushun pouted, struggling to carry a large package. The palace paths were long, and he was already covered in sweat from exhaustion.

He calculated the days in advance and had the cooks in the manor work through the night to prepare this much food, which was far from enough for his sister to eat until their next visit.

"Moreover, the last time I went to my sister's palace, the coal she used made it hard for people to breathe, and when I returned home, my nostrils were black!"

"Since we've come all this way, we should naturally bring our sister plenty of the best coal!"

Cheng Fushun said with great heartache. Thinking of the suffering his sister had endured in the palace, he felt energized again. Carrying his bundle, he climbed more than a dozen steps in one go and walked quickly ahead.

"Be careful what you say, that's Consort Wan!" Cheng Qiang looked around, afraid that someone might overhear and accuse them of disrespect.

"If Consort Wan indulges in her gluttony, I fear she will lose favor with the emperor!"

[My sister doesn't really have any special favor to begin with, so she might as well eat and drink well and be happy every day.]

"No wonder this bundle is so heavy, you even brought coal?!" Cheng Qiang shook his head helplessly.

"What if His Majesty finds out?!"

"How could I have such a heartless son?" Cheng Qiang wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Sigh, all they do is eat all day long.

His son has one good quality: he eats, drinks, and sleeps well. He's never needed to be fed or soothed to sleep since he was a baby; he's strong and healthy and never gets sick.