Sure enough, Du Jieyu, who had recovered somewhat in less than two days, visited Baoyi Palace.
Before she became pregnant, Consort Du frequently visited various palaces and made deals with people. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the social butterfly of the harem. Apart from initially currying favor with Consort Li, she most often went to Phoenix Palace, where she was the most diligent in her daily morning and evening greetings. Next was Consort Wan's Qiongyu Palace, but she visited Consort Bao's Palace the least.
It wasn't that she didn't want to come, but the Emperor had given an order long ago, saying that Consort Liu needed to rest and recuperate, and that the concubines in the harem should not disturb her unless necessary.
She wasn't stupid enough to go out of her way to disobey the emperor's orders.
Qingying knew she was coming and had already instructed Tongxia to prepare tea.
"Your humble servant greets Your Highness, the Noble Consort." She bowed respectfully and paid her respects.
"You're not fully recovered yet, so there's no need for formalities. Come and sit down. I've had some nourishing ginseng tea prepared; please try it."
"Thank you, Your Highness." She was helped to a seat by her personal maid.
This was only her second visit to Baoyi Palace, and she still couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Although the Empress's Fengqi Palace was elegant and noble, it was not as exquisite and thoughtfully designed as Baoyi Palace. Every table and chair was clearly made with care for Qingying. The room was warm and cozy all year round, and the incense used was specially made with a very light and pleasant scent.
"What brings Consort Du here today?" Qingying didn't beat around the bush.
Consort Du did not rush to speak. She gracefully picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then put it down before saying, "To be honest, Your Majesty, the imperial physician said that my miscarriage was due to weakness, but I don't believe it."
"Oh? Why don't you believe me?"
"Since becoming pregnant, I have been extremely cautious and vigilant, paying close attention to even the slightest disturbance. I have strictly followed the diet recommended by the imperial physician every day. When the imperial physician examined my pulse before, he told me that this child is very good, even healthier than many fetuses. Furthermore, I myself am free from illness and disease, and it is absolutely impossible for me to suddenly become weak and miscarry."
Qingying looked at her with a gentle and kind smile on her face, "Why do you want to share these things with me? After all, we can't be considered close friends."
Du Jieyu stared intently at her stunning face, and the sapling of doubt in her heart suddenly began to waver.
For some reason, she felt a strange sense of trust towards Liu Qingying in this state, but...
"I've found something, and the evidence points to you, Your Highness."
"Really? What kind of evidence can I see?"
She remained calm and composed, which only made the other person more unsure of what to do with her.
Consort Du pursed her lips, took a small cloth bag from her personal maid and placed it on the table. "Your Majesty, please take a look at this first."
Qingying picked it up, opened it, and poured out a gold bracelet from the cloth bag. It was a very beautiful bracelet, with exquisite carvings and two hollowed-out small bells hanging from it. When shaken gently, they would make a crisp and melodious sound. If you sniffed carefully, you could also smell an alluring fragrance, which was the scent emanating from the beads inside the bells.
This bracelet was a congratulatory gift she had given to Du Jieyu to wish her a happy pregnancy.
"Is there something wrong with this bracelet?" Qingying asked, puzzled.
"The imperial physician said that the bracelet contains musk."
Musk is a precious Chinese medicinal herb and a high-grade spice with a strong, rich, and long-lasting fragrance. However, it is very harmful to women, especially pregnant women. Long-term use or excessive use can lead to miscarriage or fetal malformation.
She stared intently at Qingying, trying to discern something.
But she remained calm and composed, playing with the gold bracelet in her hand, her expression unchanged. "To harm the imperial heir is a serious crime. Do you think I would be stupid enough to tamper with something I gave myself? Besides, you just said that your child has been healthy in your womb. Such a small amount of musk, about the size of a fingernail, is not enough to cause you to miscarry."
Consort Du gritted her teeth. "Yes, this little bit of musk isn't the key. Does Your Majesty recognize An'er from my palace?"
"I don't know him."
"Heh~ How could I not recognize her? Her twin sister is the palace maid in charge of sweeping the courtyard of Baoyi Palace. Yesterday, my people found a packet of musk powder in her room. She personally confessed that she was instructed by you to add a little bit to my soup every day."
Looking at her anxious expression, Qingying casually rested her chin on her hand and said, "Oh, I was unaware of that."
“You…” Du Jieyu stood up abruptly, pointing to the door, “An’er is right outside Baoyi Palace right now. I’ll have her come in for a face-to-face confrontation.”
"No need." It wasn't Qingying who spoke.
The two of them looked toward the source of the sound at the same time.
Wei Huaixu stepped out from behind the screen, stood with his hands behind his back, his face cold and stern, exuding an imposing aura. "I believe what the Imperial Concubine said."
What else did Qingying not understand? Du Jieyu wasn't foolish enough to come and question her alone. Instead, she arranged for Wei Huaixu to eavesdrop in the shadows, so that when she was speechless, he could make a grand entrance and be convicted directly.
Unfortunately, this wishful thinking ultimately failed.
“Your Majesty…” Consort Du’s eyes instantly welled up with tears, her whole body trembled slightly, and her face was full of unconcealed grievances, “That is also your child.”
"I am also saddened by the unexpected loss of my child, but this matter must not involve innocent people. The Consort has no reason to harm you, nor would she ever do so."
"But all the evidence points to Consort Liu..."
"Is that so?" Qingying interrupted her coldly. "The evidence you've presented is far too superficial. Do you overestimate yourself or underestimate me?"
"W-What do you mean?"
"Let me put it this way: if this really was my doing, you should never be able to find a trace of it, even until you die."
Du Jieyu's slender body trembled. Even though she was standing and Qingying was sitting, she always felt that Qingying was a head taller than her.
However, upon closer examination, she realized that Qingying was right. Looking back on the whole incident, she found that the method was too clumsy and full of flaws.
When the Emperor ordered a thorough investigation, An'er suddenly slipped up, and then they successfully found the musk and the gold bracelet. It was easy to find out the truth. Just as Qingying said, only a fool would tamper with the things he gave her.
After weighing the options several times, she finally calmed down. Though she was still unwilling to admit her mistake, she honestly apologized to Qingying: "It was because I was in a hurry and didn't think things through. I rushed here to ask for forgiveness and wronged Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Qingying naturally wouldn't hold it against her. This whole thing was something she had expected and was mentally prepared for.
"It's alright. We've just been used as pawns. Someone is trying to harm you while also trying to harm me. In a way, we now have a common enemy."
Wei Huaixu sat down and said, "And I will definitely find the real culprit and give Du Jieyu and her lost child justice."
Consort Du curtsied and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Wei Huaixu waved his hand, gesturing for her to sit down. She obediently did so, her hands clasped together beneath her sleeves. No matter how unwilling she was, she had to admit that she couldn't afford to offend Liu Qingying, and that only by cooperating with her could she avenge the innocent child.
Qingying said, "Alright, Your Majesty, can you share what you've found with me now? I'd like to analyze it and perhaps make a breakthrough."
"Um."
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