Late at night, Jiang Yan woke up from a nightmare.
She was breathing heavily.
It was a cold autumn day with heavy dew, but she broke out in a cold sweat.
The palace maid who was on guard was awakened.
"My lady, are you going to get up to sleep?"
Jiang Yan waved her hand, "Give me some water."
The maid brought warm water.
She drank three cups in a row before she suppressed the panic in her heart.
She recalled the nightmare.
What did she dream about?
Did I dream of Consort Li De? I also dreamt of His Majesty.
She had forgotten what exactly happened in the dream.
But she could still clearly remember the feeling of panic and heart palpitations.
It was like a sharp knife, stabbing her heart.
She covered her chest, feeling uneasy.
Does the dream foreshadow something?
Is she in danger?
For the rest of the night, Jiang Yan tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
I kept thinking back to the contents of the nightmare.
I woke up in the morning with a bad complexion.
I didn't want to see anyone, so I just took sick leave.
She sent someone to invite Zhou Miao over.
As soon as the two met, she said, "I had a nightmare last night, and I'm still very panicked. Do you think something happened?"
"Isn't it true? With such a big incident happening to the Li family, Your Majesty is thinking about it day and night."
Zhou Miao said lightly.
Jiang Yan didn't feel relieved at all. She asked nervously, "Do you think Concubine Li De can escape safely this time?"
"Your Majesty should ask whether the Li family can escape safely." Zhou Miao said with a smile.
Jiang Yan frowned, "You mean, Concubine De will be fine."
Zhou Miao said with certainty, "The Empress Defei is definitely fine. But it's hard to say whether the Li family is in trouble. In serious cases, the whole family will be beheaded. In less serious cases, the whole family will be exiled. In any case, it is unlikely that a fine will be enough to settle the matter."
As for His Majesty, when he favors someone, he is particularly easy to talk to. As long as there is no rebellion, murder, arson, corruption or abuse of power, His Majesty will tolerate it.
When the favor is gone, let alone murder or arson, even if there is such a thought, His Majesty can take the opportunity to kill the person. Li Defei has a little prince, and even if her favor is not as great as before, her life will definitely be saved. If Defei is fine, then the queen will be fine too.
After hearing what Zhou Miao said, Jiang Yan's heart finally fell from mid-air and hit the ground hard.
She breathed a sigh of relief. "As expected, you dream at night what you think about during the day. I was actually frightened by a nightmare. I'm getting more and more timid as I grow older."
At this time, the palace maid came in to report.
When Concubine Li De learned that she was ill, she sent someone to visit her and brought her some medicinal herbs.
When Jiang Yan heard this, she no longer had any doubts.
Among the medicinal herbs sent by Concubine Li De, there were many precious supplements, such as ginseng that was nearly a hundred years old.
Jiang Yan was very satisfied and asked someone to put the herbs away.
The palace maid prepared a bowl of calming soup and brought it to Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan blew the boiling hot medicine and slowly brought it to her mouth.
"Meow……"
Her Persian cat ran up to her, jumped onto her knees, and squatted in her arms.
Jiang Yan relaxed when she saw the cat. She put the tranquilizing soup aside and decided she could drink it anytime.
She stroked the cat's fur and felt relaxed.
The palace maid advised her to drink the calming soup while it was hot.
She nodded, picked up the soup bowl and took a sip. The taste was just as bad as usual.
After drinking the tranquilizing soup, I felt sleepy soon.
Holding the cat in his arms, he lay down on the couch and fell asleep.
This time, I slept very deeply.
After waking up, I felt uncomfortable all over.
Not only did I not get enough rest, but I felt even more tired.
The palace maid came in from outside and when she saw her, she suddenly screamed and spilled all the hot water in her hands.
Jiang Yan angrily scolded, "How clumsy! How disgraceful!"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was a little panicked just now." The palace maid knelt on the ground and apologized.
Jiang Yan said with a straight face, "If you can't even serve hot water, what use are you?"
The palace maid kowtowed and apologized.
Jiang Yan scolded him a few times before she stood up.
She wanted to wash up and asked someone to bring her a mirror.
When the maid heard the word mirror, she became even more panicked than before.
"What's wrong with you today? How dare you disrespect me? Are you looking for death?"
"I dare not. But..."
"Just what? Explain clearly."
The maid boldly said, "The Queen's face..."
The palace maid hesitated to speak, and Jiang Yan suddenly had a bad feeling.
She reached out and touched her cheek. "What's wrong with my face? Where's the mirror? Bring me the mirror."
The palace maid did not dare to disobey and hurriedly brought the mirror over.
Jiang Yan looked in the mirror and said, "Ah..."
A shocked scream was heard from the bedroom.
"What's going on?"
At this moment, Jiang Yan's face was covered with red rashes, densely packed and covering her entire face.
Not only that, she also developed a rash on her hands.
Jiang Yan was so panicked that she quickly took off her clothes. A rash also appeared on her body.
"ah……"
The red rash all over her body from head to toe ruined her appearance and health. She suddenly wanted to die.
how so?
Is she allergic?
Back when she was serving Gu Jiu, she was ordered to drive away the maid Xiaohong. The method used was to make Xiaohong allergic, causing a rash all over her body. In the end, she was moved out of the governor's mansion and never had the chance to return.
Jiang Yan screamed.
How could she be allergic?
She grew up in the countryside and has been exposed to everything she should and shouldn't be exposed to, so there's no way she could have an allergy.
"My lady, this is bad. Bobo is gone."
Bobo is the Persian cat raised by Jiang Yan.
"What did you say?" Jiang Yan stared at the palace maid who reported the news.
Facing Jiang Yan, who looked like she was about to eat someone, the maid lowered her head and tremblingly repeated, "Bobo is gone."
Jiang Yan rushed out.
In the courtyard, Bobo was lying on the flower bed, foaming at the mouth, his body stiff. It was obvious that he had been dead for some time.
She wanted to reach out and touch Bobo.
The maid cried out, "Your Majesty, be careful. Bobo's death is very strange. I will call the imperial physician immediately."
Jiang Yan's heart trembled, "Yes, call the imperial physician. Also, invite Eunuch Zhou Miao."
The imperial physician came and found out that the Persian cat Bobo had died of poisoning.
As for the rash on Jiang Yan's body, it was infected by Bobo, which means that she was also poisoned.
Jiang Yan was scared to death when she heard the word poisoning.
She clutched Zhou Miao's wrist tightly and said anxiously, "Someone wants to kill me. They killed Bobo, and I'm next."
She had a veil on her face and began to sob.
"Don't worry, my lady."
"How can I not be anxious? Someone is trying to poison me. Did you hear that? Hurry up and think of a way for me. I don't want to die."
Zhou Miao asked in a low voice: "Was Bobo poisoned to death, or did he accidentally eat poison?"
"Of course he was poisoned. The imperial physician said that Bobo's body was full of poison. I was holding Bobo, and the poison got on me. Look at my current state of dignity. It's truly worse than death. Do you suspect that I staged this all myself?"
Jiang Yan looked agitated, like a mad person, extremely crazy.
"Your Majesty, please be patient. I have absolutely no doubts about you."
Jiang Yan gasped, her chest heaving up and down, "Hurry up and think of a solution for me."
Zhou Miao asked, "Have you ever thought about who would poison you?"
Who poisoned?
Jiang Yan pondered.
"Anyone could be involved. Imperial Concubine Xue is the biggest suspect, followed by Concubine Shu, and Concubine Xiao Shu. Several other talented women and beauties are also suspects."
There were too many enemies and Jiang Yan was unable to lock onto a specific target.
Zhou Miao comforted Jiang Yan, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will follow Bobo's clues and investigate. As soon as I have any news, I will report it to Your Majesty in time."
Jiang Yan solemnly entrusted, "You must find the person who harmed me."
"Don't worry, Madam."
Zhou Miao left in a hurry.
Jiang Yan was in a state of panic all day long, unable to sleep or eat, and unable to fall asleep at night.
The emperor was busy dealing with a case in the Ministry of War and only sent someone to express his greetings but did not visit in person.
Obviously, the emperor did not take Jiang Yan's poisoning seriously.
A cat died, probably from accidentally ingesting rat poison.
Jiang Yan was infected by a cat. After all, cats are not clean, so it is normal for her to develop rashes from allergies and poisoning.
Without any evidence, no one dared to say that someone in the palace poisoned the dignified Empress Shuyi.
The only consequence for talking nonsense in the palace is death.
Even Jiang Yan herself only dared to say with certainty that someone wanted to harm her when she spoke to Zhou Miao in private.
To others, she could only say that the cat was greedy, ate the wrong thing, and harmed her.
It was a false sick report before, but this time it became a real sick report.
She will not have peace until she finds out who is harming her.
…
A few days later, Zhou Miao went to Zhongcui Palace to ask to see Jiang Yan.
The two of them talked behind closed doors.
Jiang Yan asked anxiously, "Have you figured out what happened?"
Zhou Miao looked solemn and said nothing.
Jiang Yan was anxious, "Speak up! Have you found anything?"
Zhou Miao shook his head. "They did it very cleanly. The clues were cut off in the Imperial Garden."
Jiang Yan was stunned for a moment, "So, someone really is trying to harm me."
Zhou Miao comforted Jiang Yan, "Don't worry, Madam. The other party probably won't attack a second time for the time being."
Jiang Yan sat dejectedly in the chair. "You haven't found out who is harming me, so what should I do now? Who should I be on guard against?"
"Be on guard against everyone." Zhou Miao said solemnly.
Jiang Yan blinked, "Do you know something?"
Zhou Miao thought for a moment and whispered to Jiang Yan, "I heard that someone is deliberately delaying the Li family's case. The Jinwu Guards didn't even torture the Li family members, but only imprisoned them in the Imperial Prison."
Jiang Yan was confused. "What does the Li family case have to do with me?"
Zhou Miao reminded her, "Your Majesty, think carefully. Who in the Li family has the ability to stop the Jinwu Guard from handling the case? Concubine De? As far as I know, Concubine De can't influence the Jinwu Guard. Let alone the Li family. They are just upstarts with no foundation. The Jinwu Guard has never given them face."
Jiang Yan's face was cold. "What do you want to say?"
Zhou Miao lowered his voice, "Your Majesty, don't you understand? Someone is secretly helping the Li family. The Li family was imprisoned, so it definitely wasn't the Li family who used their connections to smooth things over. This leaves only Concubine Li De. It must be Concubine Li De who used her connections to help the Li family escape punishment."
Since the Li family incident, Concubine Li De has not left the palace, nor has she met with outsiders. She has only been to Concubine Xue's Ganlu Palace and Concubine Xiao's Changchun Palace. She only stayed at His Majesty's for half an hour. "Guess who, among the Concubine, the Concubine, and His Majesty, is helping the Li family?"
Jiang Yan first speculated, "Could it be that His Majesty was moved by Consort De and decided to let the Li family go?"
Zhou Miao smiled. "That's possible. However, as far as I know, His Majesty has already issued an order requiring the Jinwu Guard to conduct a thorough investigation into this case. Anyone involved in this case, regardless of status or rank, has been imprisoned, and the Li family is no exception."
Jiang Yan's face gradually darkened. "Does this mean that Concubine De and Concubine Gui have joined forces?"
Zhou Miao nodded. "That's possible. It's also possible that Concubine De will join forces with Concubine Shu. No matter which empress she joins forces with, Concubine De must show her sincerity. Your Majesty, please think carefully about what Concubine De should give to express her sincerity."
Jiang Yan snorted coldly, "You mean, the most sincere gift is my own head? That's ridiculous. What reason does Concubine De have to harm me? I am hers."
"Then tell me, Madam De, why did Concubine De let you go? This time when the Li family was in trouble, did you offer even a little help?"
Zhou Miaodi asked back, leaving Jiang Yan speechless.
She still couldn't believe it. "No, it's impossible. It was you who made the choice for me in the beginning, and it was you who asked me to join Concubine De. Now it's you who is reminding me that Concubine De might poison me. It's you who's good, it's you who's bad. What are your intentions? Are you deliberately trying to sow discord between me and Concubine De?"
Zhou Miao said expressionlessly, "This is a different time. Concubine De can't even protect herself right now, so how could she possibly care about you, Your Majesty?"
Bang!
Jiang Yan flicked her sleeves and swept all the tea sets on the table to the ground.
"Even if Concubine De doesn't care about me, she has no reason to poison me."
"What if Concubine Xue forced her?"
"Nonsense."
"At this point, Your Majesty, why should you continue to deceive yourself? Your Majesty knows very well that the person who hates you the most is Concubine Xue. Now that this opportunity has come to her door, do you think Concubine Xue will let it go?"
Jiang Yan's expression kept changing, and she was filled with shock and confusion.
"Do you have any evidence for what you said? Or is this all just speculation?"
Zhou Miao said casually, "Someone saw Concubine Li De enter Ganlu Palace with their own eyes."
Jiang Yan snorted coldly, "So what?"
"My Lady, that's all I have to say. It's up to you whether you believe it or not."
Zhou Miao actually wanted to quit.
Jiang Yan roared, "Stop right there! Do you think I'll let you go? Okay, even if what you said is true, then tell me, what should I do now?"
Zhou Miao stopped and smiled softly, "Concubine Li De can find Concubine Xue, and Your Majesty can certainly find Concubine Xiao Shu."
"What if the person that Concubine Tongde is collaborating with is Concubine Xiao Shufei? What should we do?"
"How is that possible!"
Zhou Miao sneered, "Ever since the Yuhua Alley incident, the Li family has had a mortal feud with the Ning Palace. Even if Concubine Li De is willing to let go of her hatred, Concubine Xiao Shu may not be willing to let go of her prejudice."
Jiang Yan sat down dejectedly. "What if it wasn't Concubine Li De who poisoned me? What do you want me to do with this big brother's mistake?"
Zhou Miao gritted her teeth and said, "Your Majesty, now is not the time to consider Concubine Li De. Regardless of whether Concubine Li De intends to poison Your Majesty, the most important thing now is to quickly find external help. Concubine Xiao Shu is Your Majesty's best choice."
"No!" Jiang Yan shook her head repeatedly. "I can't go directly to Concubine Xiao Shufei. If I make any noise here, the people behind the scenes will be on guard. You go to see Madam Zhao on my behalf. Tell her that I need her help. If she is willing to help me through this difficult time, I will definitely reward her handsomely in the future."
Zhou Miao narrowed her eyes slightly. "Are you sure you want to ask Madam Zhao for help? You should think carefully. Madam Zhao is planning something big. She might even ask for your own reward."
Jiang Yan said firmly, "You heard right. I want to ask Madam Zhao for help. As you said, at this time, I don't trust anyone in the harem. But I believe in Madam Zhao."
She's a trustworthy person who will definitely deliver on her promises and won't play dirty tricks. Even if she demands a higher reward than others, I'm willing to work with her out of confidence."
Zhou Miao nodded. "Okay! Since Your Majesty has made the decision, I will go to Prince Ning's Mansion on Your Majesty's behalf. Madam Zhao may not agree to help, so Your Majesty had better be mentally prepared."
Jiang Yan looked hesitant, then she stood up and went into the inner room.
Soon she came out with a book and handed it to Zhou Miao, "Pass this book to Madam Zhao. I believe that after she sees this book, she will definitely agree to help me."
Zhou Miao was curious about what kind of book had such great charm.
He glanced at the book cover and found it was "The Doctrine of the Mean".
He opened the book and saw beautiful small calligraphy written on the blank spaces, which contained all his reading notes.
He asked curiously, "What is this?"
Jiang Yan said with some nostalgia, "When I came to Beijing from the northwest, Madam Zhao gave me not only money for my journey, but also a bundle of books. This is one of them, and it's also the one with the most annotations.
Over the years, I have read this book no less than ten times. You see, the pages are already frayed. Give this book to Madam Zhao, she will understand what I mean.
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