These palace guards, relying on their freedom of movement without being checked, have been secretly bringing supplies into the palace from outside for years.
Some worked for the ladies of the palace, while others brought in goods from outside the palace and sold them at high prices to the palace maids and eunuchs.
Of course, they didn't dare bring anything too large into the palace.
Small trinkets that can be carried in one's pocket or sleeve are absolutely no problem.
Therefore, it can now be basically concluded that Jian Yangzhong's "Hundred Days of Sorrow" was brought into the palace by these guards!
The fact that guards could freely bring supplies from outside the palace into the palace...
It can be large or small.
On a larger scale, this matter concerns the safety of members of the royal family and could easily be exploited by those with ulterior motives to carry out treason or assassination.
On a smaller scale, this is simply a normal supply and demand relationship.
The palace staff could provide what the people in the palace needed, and earn some extra money on the side, which was perfectly reasonable.
In the past, Jian Yang would have mostly turned a blind eye and gotten away with it.
After all, everyone is a worker, and she felt very gratified to see her fellow workers earning some extra money.
But all of this should never have happened to her!
Therefore, she immediately issued an imperial edict.
From this day forward, palace guards will be subject to security checks and body searches just like everyone else when entering the palace!
No one is allowed to bring anything from outside the palace into the palace.
Immediately afterwards, Jian Yang secretly prepared a sleeping potion and ordered Lian Xia to slip it into the food at Tangli Palace.
"Your Majesty, it's almost time," Lianxia reminded her.
"Have the guards been transferred?"
"They've all been transferred."
"Very good." After finishing the last piece of sweet and sour pork, she picked up a handkerchief, touched the corner of her lips, and smiled. "Let's go!"
A quarter of an hour later, she sneaked into Tangli Palace with two palace maids.
Just as she expected, everyone in Tangli Palace fell into a deep sleep.
Consort Wan probably wanted to read a book after finishing her meal, and at this moment she was holding a book and lying on the chaise longue.
Jian Yang leaned closer to look at the book title—
Wow!
It's actually the Lotus Sutra.
It seems that Consort Wan truly wanted to live in seclusion, and she wasn't lying.
But that doesn’t mean she’s not a suspect.
At Jian Yang's command, the three of them began searching the entire bedchamber.
A moment later, Xiqiu exclaimed, "Your Majesty, I've found it!"
Jian Yang and Lian Xia quickly went over and found that Xi Qiu had opened the hidden compartment by Wan Fei's bedside, and there was indeed a white porcelain medicine bottle inside.
Jian Yang opened the medicine bottle and sniffed it.
But a look of confusion appeared on his face.
"No, the taste is wrong."
This medicine is completely different from the herpes simplex she smelled in the bird's nest.
But the taste also felt strangely familiar to her.
Where exactly did I smell it?
Jian Yang frowned and began to think.
Suddenly, her pupils trembled.
I remember now!
When she transmigrated, she was still in the process of detoxification, and the poisonous blood she vomited every day faintly carried this smell.
This is the poison that killed the original owner of this body!
But why would this poison appear in Consort Wan's palace?
A terrifying thought popped into Jian Yang's mind!
With a stern face, she walked up to Consort Wan, took out a sachet from her bosom, and held it to Consort Wan's nose, waving it around.
Before long, Consort Wan's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly woke up.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Jian Yang, which startled even the usually aloof and self-possessed woman.
"Your Majesty, Empress, why are you here?"
Jian Yang snorted coldly, took the bottle of poison, and held it up in front of Consort Wan. "Tell me, why did you try to harm me?"
Consort Wan looked bewildered.
"Your Majesty, I do not understand what you mean."
"Stop pretending! I almost lost my life back then because of this poison, and now this poison has been found in your palace. Tell me, what do you mean by this?"
Consort Wan, who was initially flustered by the sudden sight of Jian Yang, has now calmed down.
She glanced at the palace servants who were sleeping haphazardly and sneered, "Did the Empress do this?"
Jian Yang coldly replied, "So what if it is?"
Consort Wan's eyes were full of sarcasm: "Your Majesty the Empress went to such lengths just to frame me. Now that there are no witnesses around, whatever the Empress says is the truth."
Oh ho, still pretty stubborn!
Who would have thought that Consort Wan would have such a strong mental fortitude?
They even turned around and accused me.
Jian Yang felt that she had to get serious.
"Lianxia!" she ordered, "Go and invite the Emperor and Empress Dowager here. Tell them that I have caught the real culprit who poisoned me."
She was observing Consort Wan as she said this.
It must be said that Consort Wan was indeed a ruthless person; she remained expressionless throughout the entire process and didn't even lift her eyelids.
Jian Yang couldn't help but exclaim in her heart, "Awesome!"
Not long after Lianxia left, she arrived at Tangli Palace with the Emperor and Empress Dowager in a grand procession.
Before this, Jian Yang had already woken up all the palace maids and eunuchs, and now they were all kneeling on the ground.
"Your Majesty, have you investigated thoroughly?"
The emperor strode into the hall and looked at her with concern.
Jian Yang quickly handed over the medicine bottle in her hand.
"Your Majesty, this is the poison that poisoned me. I will never be mistaken."
"Consort Wan, you are truly foolish!" the Empress Dowager rebuked angrily.
Although Consort Wan was also kneeling on the ground, her back was straight.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have no past grievances or recent feuds with the Empress, and I have no motive to harm her. I hope Your Majesty and Your Majesty will investigate this matter thoroughly!"
She practically had the word "wronged" etched on her forehead.
However, Jian Yang had evidence in hand, so how could her few words dispel her doubts?
She first asked the emperor if she was fully in charge of interrogating the prisoner, and after receiving his approval, she immediately went to Consort Wan.
"Consort Wan, then I'll let you see for yourself whether I've wronged you or not. Guards, drag Liu Zhi out and subject her to steaming torture!"
Steaming torture, as the name suggests, is a cruel torture in which a person is placed on a large steamer and steamed to death!
The emperor and empress dowager glanced at her in surprise, but neither of them spoke.
Consort Wan, who had been calm, panicked upon hearing this.
"Your Majesty, what has Liu Zhi done wrong? Why are you treating her with such cruel torture?"
Liu Zhi was the maid who had served her for over ten years, and the two had a very deep bond!
Jian Yang sneered, "You should ask Liu Zhi that question."
Consort Wan quickly looked at the willow branch beside her.
However, they discovered that she had already fainted from fright when she heard that she was to be steamed alive.
Jian Yang casually picked up the teacup on the table and splashed a bowl of cold tea at her!
A moment later, Liu Zhi slowly opened her eyes.
The next moment, she burst into tears and cried, "Your Majesty, spare me! I was forced into this! I've confessed everything! Please don't kill me!"
As she spoke, she kowtowed repeatedly to Jian Yang, quickly developing a large bump on her forehead.
"Alright, alright!" Jian Yang had someone hold her up to prevent her from stomping around.
"You just said you were forced into it. Who forced you? Was it your mistress, Consort Wan?"
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