"Third Imperial Uncle, is there any hope for Little White?" Yun Yibo clenched his fists, looking at Yun Beiming anxiously, feeling extremely annoyed that he hadn't taken good care of Little White.

"Oh, he feels so sorry for her."

“They’ve all been delivered to me, there’s no reason why they can’t be saved.” Yun Beiming looked at Yun Yibo and smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Third Imperial Uncle!" Yun Yibo shouted happily, overjoyed.

"Sit here and rest for a while. I'll prepare some antidote." Yun Beiming found several herbs of different colors and weighed the amount needed.

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!" came the high-pitched voice of a eunuch from outside the palace.

"Your mother has arrived?" Yun Beiming put down what he was holding, somewhat surprised. He went out of the hall to greet her.

"Third Imperial Brother, has Yibo arrived?" Empress Zhaoyuan entered Langyue Pavilion, followed by Cuiling and a group of palace maids and eunuchs.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Yun Beiming bowed slightly, and Empress Zhaoyuan offered a gesture of support, saying, "We're all family, no need for formalities!"

"Mother." Yun Yibo came out from inside upon hearing the commotion and called out softly.

"Cui Ling, put your shoes on the Crown Prince. What kind of behavior is this, running around like this?!" Empress Zhao Yuan rolled her eyes at Yun Yibo.

Cuiling hurriedly put shoes on Yun Yibo and draped the coat she was holding over him.

Yun Beiming then noticed that his nephew was still barefoot. "Oh, you're still barefoot?"

Yun Yibo then came to his senses and immediately felt a chill on his feet, causing him to shiver.

It's so cold!

"Go inside quickly and sit next to the incense burner." Yun Beiming pointed to the place where red-hot charcoal was burning beside the bed.

"It's warm there."

"When I came in, my brother said that the puppy was poisoned," Empress Zhaoyuan said, puzzled. The group walked into the hall and sat down at the table.

"I've been poisoned by the 'If I See Flowers' poison."

"If you see a flower, it's a kind of flower that's often used as a spice." Yun Beiming took out a pink dried flower from the pile of spices and held it up to the Empress.

"What if I see flowers?" Empress Zhaoyuan murmured, as this was the first time she had ever heard of such a plant.

"It's strange, this flower doesn't usually grow in Nanyang."

"The Ruojian flower has extremely demanding requirements for its environment. It doesn't grow in places like ours with a pleasant climate. It prefers to grow in the harsh and cold lands further north in the north of Xinjiang."

"So that's how it is." Empress Zhaoyuan nodded.

"How come the palace has this kind of spice? What's going on?" Yun Beiming muttered to himself, somewhat puzzled.

"Royal brother, does this bead have this scent?" As if remembering something, Empress Zhaoyuan placed a bead she had brought from Fanghua Palace in front of Yun Beiming.

Yun Beiming picked up the bead, held it to his nose, and smelled it carefully. "Yes, it has that smell."

"Could this spice be fatal?"

"Yes, small amounts can cause hallucinations, while large amounts can be fatal."

Empress Zhaoyuan nodded, lost in thought. "That little eunuch was probably pushed into the well after he died because he inhaled a large amount of this incense."

"Cui Ling, convey my decree: order men to search Fanghua Palace to see if there is any perfume powder called Ruo Jian Hua," Empress Zhao Yuan said, turning to Cui Ling.

“That’s the smell.” She placed the bead in Cuiling’s hand. “Just smell it to get a general idea of ​​what it smells like, don’t inhale too much.”

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go right away."

Yun Beiming listened to their conversation, completely bewildered, but he didn't ask any questions and simply sat quietly to the side.

"I am very grateful to my third brother for today's matter." Empress Zhaoyuan thanked Yun Beiming for helping her clarify her thoughts. If it weren't for him, those old fogies in the Imperial Hospital would never have been able to tell that Ruojianhua was a foreign product.

"Royal brother, are you making sachets?" Empress Zhaoyuan noticed the small and cute sachets on the table.

"Yes, I was just about to take it to my little niece." Yun Beiming tied the sachet containing the spices and placed it in a sandalwood box.

"Then let's go together. Yibo and I were just about to go see the little princess."

"OK!"

"My little white dog?" Yun Yibo asked worriedly, looking at the little white dog lying motionless on the table.

"Don't worry, the medicine has already been taken." Yun Beiming patted Yun Yibo's head.

"Take good care of Xiaobai," Yun Beiming instructed the guard standing to the side.

"Yes, Your Highness."

The group walked toward Fu Shuang Palace, chatting and laughing.

...

Inside the Zichen Palace, Zhao Zhongquan recounted the events of the previous day to Yun Beiye in detail.

"The commotion yesterday was caused because the Empress discovered something."

"Yes, Your Majesty. After Ah Xiang discovered the corpse in the North Courtyard, she reported it to the Empress."

Yun Beiye nodded, signaling him to continue.

"The old servant led the eunuchs to pull the eunuch out of the well. The eunuch died from the fragrance of Ruojianhua, and there was a bead in his mouth."

"A bead?" Yun Beiye raised an eyebrow.

"This old servant also finds it strange. Perhaps the eunuch knew he was going to die, so he grabbed something and put it in his mouth, like evidence left behind by a dying man."

"That bead is the same as the one on Ling Meiren's sleeve."

"Oh?" Yun Beiye put down his pen.

"Ling Meiren?" He frowned and pondered for a while, but he couldn't remember who Ling Meiren was, let alone her face.

"It was the daughter that the Zheng family sent in later, after Consort Zheng was banished to the Cold Palace."

"Mm." Yun Beiye nodded.

"In Consort Ling's Fanghua Palace, pollen of Ruojian Flower was found. This pollen was not originally produced in Nanyang."

"It was a gift brought by the envoy from Northern Liang about a year ago. His Majesty bestowed various perfumes and powders among the gifts upon the concubines in the palace."

"According to the records in the register, this Ruojian flower was just a reward for Lady Ling."

"So, according to you, the fire in the Buddhist hall was orchestrated by Ling Meiren?" Yun Beiye listened to Zhao Zhongquan's words and also sorted out his thoughts.

“That’s right. The eunuch who jumped into the well in the North Courtyard died from the poison of Ruojianhua. The bead in his mouth was the cufflink from Consort Ling’s sleeve,” Zhao Zhongquan recounted.

"Damn bitch!" Yun Beiye slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"The Zheng family is truly ungrateful!"

"That eunuch was originally a eunuch who swept the palace road outside Fanghua Palace. Later, he was punished and sent to Xinzheku because he bumped into the carriage of a nobleman."

"This old servant found arson tools in the little eunuch's quarters in the Xin Zhe Ku."

"Good, you and the Empress have done a good job. You've both worked hard."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, that..."

"Consort Ling, grant me death..."

Zhao Zhongquan was filled with mixed emotions. His statement had ruined a woman's life, but if anyone was to blame, it was the woman who had harmed him first.