One of the eunuchs kneeling nearby laughed out loud.
Jiang Qiao heard the voice and set his sights on a young eunuch. "Whoever is laughing, stand up."
The young eunuch suddenly began to sweat. He stood up and stepped forward. "Yes... yes, your servant."
Jiang Qiao kicked him to the ground and said, "Drag him out and cut off his tongue."
Yu Xing was so scared that the hand holding the umbrella trembled, and his eyes remained on the girl's profile. The girl had a smile on her face and her glasses were crooked. She was obviously beautiful, but it was terrifying.
Jiang Yanchuan raised the little figure in his hand high up as if nothing had happened, "Changle, Changle."
Jiang Qiao took it and said, "It's so cold, Ah Yan, be careful of frostbite."
Jiang Yanchuan chuckled twice and said nothing.
Jiang Qiao placed the little figure on the gravel beside him and said, "Ayan, accompany your elder sister to visit the Empress Dowager later."
Jiang Yanchuan smiled: "Okay."
Han Dong came over with two hot water bottles, "This servant greets Her Royal Highness the Princess and the Crown Prince. It's cold, please warm yourself up with a hot water bottle!"
Jiang Qiao took the hot water bottle, stared at Han Dong's face, and carefully studied her expression.
Han Dong felt a little uncomfortable. She met the girl's gaze and asked, "Princess...what's wrong?"
Jiang Qiao opened the hot water bottle and poured boiling water into her hand. "Nothing? I just wanted to ask where you went last night."
The boiling water scalded off a layer of skin on Handong's hands.
"Ah—it's so hot!"
She quickly buried her hands in the snow on the ground and knelt down to beg for mercy from Jiang Qiao, "Princess, please spare my life, please spare my life. I was just momentarily bewildered. I will be loyal to you from now on and serve you like a slave. Please let me go."
When Jiang Qiao asked her just now, Han Dong had already guessed that she had discovered that she had gone to tip off the police last night.
Jiang Yanchuan also handed the hot water bottle in his hand to Jiang Qiao, "Changle, take it and play with it."
Jiang Qiao took over: ...Is this brother really stupid or just pretending to be stupid?
She just treated it as a game, opened the hot water bottle again, squatted down, and put the mouth towards Handong's face. The hot water became more and more obvious under the cold air.
"Handong, you betrayed me the fastest I have ever seen. Since... Linglong's tongue is gone, you can't keep your tongue either." He would not even keep his life.
Han Dong grabbed Jiang Qiao's skirt tightly and said, "I really know I was wrong. Please give me another chance..."
Jiang Qiao stood up and threw the hot water bottle at her. "Come here, cut off her tongue, and then...beat her to death with sticks in two hours."
Jiang Qiao had no intention of sparing Han Dong's life. He had wanted to use her to frame Lou Zhuxin, but Han Dong was really courting death, so he decided to kill her early!
The guards seemed to be accustomed to this kind of scene. They came in in an orderly manner, covered Handong's mouth and pulled him out.
Based on the original owner's memory, Jiang Qiao learned that these guards were prepared for her by the Queen Mother.
It seems that the old man really put a lot of thought into her.
The Cining Palace is not far from the Changle Palace.
Jiang Qiao was still not used to riding in a sedan chair, so he walked here with Jiang Yanchuan.
The gate of the Cining Palace was tightly closed, and there wasn't even a guard on duty. I guess the Empress Dowager sympathized with the guards and also loved quietness, so she couldn't bear to see them staying there in the cold winter.
Yuxing went to knock on the door.
It was Aunt Yu who opened the door.
When Nanny Yu saw the newcomers, she was surprised at first, and then she invited Jiang Qiao and the others in.
The Queen Mother had instructed that as long as Jiang Qiao and Jiang Yanchuan came, there was no need to notify them.
Jiang Qiao asked, "Is the Empress Dowager feeling better?"
Nanny Yu sighed, "The imperial physician said it's still the same, and all we can do is rest."
Jiang Qiao lowered her eyes and thought, "Imperial physician, can the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital be trusted now?" She remembered that the Empress Dowager was in good health before, but her health had only been poor recently.
"Is the Empress Dowager sleeping?"
Yu Ma Ma replied, "The Queen Mother looks better today and can get out of bed for breakfast. After breakfast, she went back to sleep. Princess, please wait in the side hall. When the Queen Mother wakes up, I will go and inform her."
Jiang Qiao and his group came to the side hall.
In the center of the side hall was placed a jade Guanyin, holding a red bead in her hand. She looked a bit strange and emitted a faint fragrance.
It smells a bit like tuberose.
Jiang Qiao casually asked, "Who sent this Jade Guanyin?"
Yu Ma Ma set the tea on the table. "It was sent by Imperial Concubine Zhu. She said the Prime Minister went to great lengths to get it. The Empress Dowager loves it so much that she put it here right after Imperial Concubine Zhu brought it to her."
Jiang Qiao asked again: "When did the Royal Grandmother start to get sick?"
Yu Ma Ma calculated the days and replied, "More than a month..." Then, as if she suddenly understood something, her eyes widened in surprise. "Speaking of which, the Empress Dowager first became ill with chest tightness a few days after the Imperial Concubine sent the Jade Guanyin."
Jiang Qiao took off the red beads from the Jade Guanyin and observed carefully. The scent of tuberose was emanating from the beads.
The fragrance of tuberose will become stronger if the room is not ventilated, and will be inhaled by the human body when it reaches a certain level. This fragrance will stimulate the brain and heart, especially for the elderly. If they inhale too much without paying attention, they may die suddenly.
Besides, it is winter now, and the Empress Dowager is old and basically doesn't open the windows for ventilation.
Lou Zhuxin is a man of evil intentions!
Fortunately, the Jade Guanyin was placed in the side hall, otherwise the Queen Mother might...
Thinking of this, Jiang Qiao lowered his eyes sadly.
"Mammy, the Empress Dowager's illness might be related to this Jade Guanyin. Imperial Concubine Zhu might have done something about it."
Yu Ma Ma frowned and complained, "Although the Empress Dowager was dissatisfied with Concubine Zhu marrying the Emperor, she never caused trouble for her over the years. She actually...actually could be so cruel."
Lou Zhuxin was originally a concubine's daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Jiang Ji, who hadn't ascended the throne at the time, was the Emperor's seventh prince. He was drugged by her and wanted to marry her as his principal wife. The Empress Dowager weighed the pros and cons for him and prevented the marriage. She chose Bai Mian, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis' Mansion, as his principal wife. Six months later, Lou Zhuxin married Jiang Ji as a concubine.
I think Concubine Zhu has always been holding a grudge.
Yu Xing couldn't hide her emotions on her face. After hearing what her grandmother said just now, a palace fighting scene came to her mind.
On the contrary, Jiang Yanchuan still had that silly look on his face, sitting aside and leisurely eating pastries.
Jiang Qiao whispered in Yu Ma's ear, "Ma, go find our father and tell him that the Empress Dowager is not feeling well today. When he arrives, we'll put on a good show."
Nanny Yu nodded, then looked at Jiang Qiao carefully. She suddenly found that Princess Changle seemed a little different today than usual. Could it be that she had really come to terms with it?
Whenever Princess Changle came in the past, she would always ask the Queen Mother to make the decision for her. But this time, she was so cautious, exuding a shrewd and calm temperament. She was not as fond of Concubine Zhu as before.
"I'll go right away."
At this moment, Jiang Ji had just finished the morning court and was preparing to go to Concubine Zhu for breakfast.
It had been snowing heavily for several days in a row, but the snow had stopped now. Jiang Ji had been bored for several days and planned to take a walk around first.
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