With such a frail body, how could Consort Ling have endured for so long?
Consort Ning found it amazing, especially since she could see faint breathing movements between Consort Ling's mouth and nose.
Although it was very subtle, the faint rise and fall of her chest still revealed Consort Ling's current state of life.
"Consort Ning..."
The maidservant who took care of Consort Ling looked very young, with a fair and delicate face that contrasted sharply with her mistress lying on the bed.
"Are you new here? Where are the previous staff?"
Consort Ning asked the maid a question indifferently, her gaze sweeping over the entire interior.
Unlike when Consort Ling was favored, the items in the inner chamber were mostly fragile and did not look as luxurious and valuable as before.
It seems that Consort Ling's life after her stroke was even more difficult than she had imagined.
Although she had visited several times before, Consort Ling was still conscious at those times, and the two had a brief conversation. Consort Ning had neither the opportunity nor the excuse to take a closer look at Consort Ling's living environment.
Now things are different; Consort Ling lies on her bed, her chances of survival looking slim.
The young palace maid serving her was still a clueless newbie, so Consort Ning naturally couldn't miss such a golden opportunity that had fallen from the sky.
When questioned by the high and mighty Empress, the little palace maid answered very seriously.
“I’m a newly transferred servant. I’ve only been here for two days. The previous palace servants have been punished by being sent to the Imperial Prison for punishment because they offended the Imperial Concubine.”
When a person is chronically ill, their temperament will undergo irreversible distortion.
Consort Ling was the same, so after returning to the palace, it was common for Yongshou Palace to beat and scold palace maids, and the turnover rate of palace staff there was also faster than before.
Consort Ning was aware of this situation, because the servants of the Imperial Household Department would often bother her with such matters.
After listening to the palace maid's cautious explanation, Consort Ning felt a pang of pity.
However, this feeling came and went quickly. Consort Ning then asked about Consort Ling's situation, mainly focusing on Consort Ling's daily food and clothing.
After all, Consort Ling was poisoned, and whether the poison entered through the mouth or penetrated the skin, someone had to take the initiative to do so.
The young palace maid was indeed new; she answered some questions haltingly and even needed to think carefully, which showed that she had not been by Consort Ling's side for long.
"Take good care of your lady, and remember to report back immediately if anything happens."
Consort Ning waved her hand, and with a low bow of agreement from the maid, she walked around the screen in front of her.
As soon as she came out, she bumped into the concubines who were standing in the main hall, whispering to each other and then immediately shutting up.
After glancing at the group, Consort Ning granted permission for everyone to leave temporarily.
"Stay in your own quarters and don't make any noise. Don't go out and wander around without reason."
The murderer in the case of Consort Ling has not yet been found. Based on objective factors, the concubines of Yongshou Palace are the most suspicious.
Being in a prime location, Consort Ling had been wielding power and influence in Yongshou Palace for so long; how could there possibly be harmony without any conflicts?
In the imperial harem, acts of kindness in times of need are rare; instead, it's common to see people kicking someone when they're down.
"yes"
The young concubines all agreed and left the main hall under Consort Ning's gaze.
"Your Majesty, shall we leave?"
The personal maid stepped forward, blocking the view from outside.
"Let's go. We haven't found anything here yet. Ask the palace servants at Yongshou Palace when you have time." Things like this usually involve inside help.
Logically, all suspicious individuals should be sent to the Censorate for interrogation.
But Consort Ling is no longer a viable option; basically no one cares about her life, so Consort Ning can do whatever she wants with her.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant understands."
The personal maid knew what she should do. She steadily supported Consort Ning's forearm and led her away, just as they had when they first entered.
However, Consort Ning had only walked a few steps out of the main hall when she encountered Consort Qing, who was rushing over.
Consort Ning even doubted that she might have misjudged the situation. After all, Consort Qing's attitude towards Consort Ling was very bad. If Consort Ling had an accident, Consort Qing would probably be clapping and celebrating. Why would she rush over in such a hurry?
And surprisingly, they actually came running over.
"Consort Qing, Consort Ling is currently recuperating. If you have nothing else to do, it is best not to disturb her."
Consort Ning meant well by reminding her, since Consort Qing had caused Consort Ling's death while she was inside, and the blame might still fall on Consort Qing.
Unfortunately, Consort Qing did not appreciate Consort Ning's good intentions. She looked at Consort Ning not far away and said, "I came here to see Consort Ling. How can I not go in?" That would be going against my original intention.
Consort Ning: ...
Consort Ning thought Consort Qing had a knack for infuriating people. She glanced at Consort Qing, who was not appreciative, muttered something under her breath, and then walked away.
Whether Consort Qing would continue speaking was not within Consort Ning's consideration.
Consort Qing turned her head, her festive and bright clothes perfectly matching her everyday style.
“Consort Ning arrived earlier than us, so she must know a lot of inside information.”
"Let's go, we can't fall behind. What if we get scammed?"
At this point, Consort Qing suddenly flung her handkerchief and began to feign tears.
"Her Highness the Imperial Concubine has truly had a tragic fate. She has only been back in the palace for a short time, and yet such a major incident has occurred. We must find the culprit to atone for the suffering Her Highness has endured these past few days."
He wiped his eyes with a handkerchief, but not a single tear fell; however, he was truly disgusting.
Consort Ning, who had already left, had no idea that Consort Qing was putting on a grand performance behind her.
Even if she knew, it wouldn't matter. Consort Ning didn't think this matter would involve her. Right now, she was still figuring out who had drugged Consort Ling.
Excluding those inside Yongshou Palace, the best suspect is definitely Consort Qing, given her strong aggressive behavior.
However, there are indeed no records of Consort Qing visiting Yongshou Palace during this period.
What if Consort Qing was operating in secret, using people in Yongshou Palace to carry out the attack?
That's not quite right either, because her people didn't monitor any extra contact between Consort Qing's people and the people from Yongshou Palace.
Upon closer reflection, Consort Qing has been surprisingly well-behaved lately.
Consort Qing would never do anything that could easily be misunderstood.
This posture seems more like someone who knew in advance that Consort Ling was going to get into trouble and was trying to create an alibi for themselves.
With her hand unconsciously resting on her chin, Consort Ning asked her maid a couple more questions, and after receiving an affirmative answer, she temporarily put those questions out of her mind.
"Let's go back to the palace first, sort out today's matters, and then escort me to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to pay my respects to the Emperor."
This kind of thing definitely needed to be reported to the Emperor. The one who fell was a concubine of considerable rank, even though the Emperor probably had no idea who she was at that moment.
The motionless sedan chair was gently lifted, and the tassel hairpins in her hair swayed back and forth.
Consort Ning leaned back in the chair, her hands firmly gripping the armrests on both sides.
She thought it was just a routine report, but little did she know that what awaited her in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was a trap that seemed to be lying in wait.
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