Xu Yunci's expression of grief and indignation was still somewhat restrained.
Leaving aside how many people lost their lives on the long road to the capital, countless others perished in floods or died from unknown diseases.
The emperor has always ruled the country with "benevolence." He was already furious about the corruption in Huayuan County, which implicated many officials. Now that it has been brought up again, it is estimated that there will be some turmoil in the court and the country.
"I want to enter the palace tomorrow. Today, the Qi princess's attitude towards the Pixiang Palace is a bit puzzling to me. My elder sister is in the palace every day, so she may know some things."
Li Shiyue mentioned that she wanted to go to the palace to see Xu Lingyu the next day, and told Xu Yunci the purpose of her trip without hiding it from him.
Because she was entering the palace the next day, Li Shiyue got up earlier than usual and changed into her auspicious clothes before going out.
The carriage stopped shortly after entering the palace gates. The weather was gloomy this morning, with occasional cool breezes and a hint of heat in the air; it seemed another heavy rain was on the horizon.
She remembered the way to Chonghua Palace very clearly. Only Xu Lingyu was in the main hall. She looked a little tired, but when she saw Li Shiyue enter, her eyes suddenly filled with a smile.
"Eldest sister, you haven't rested well; you look tired."
After bowing, Li Shiyue sat on a wooden couch on one side. Since her marriage, she had followed Xu Yunci and called her elder sister.
Xu Lingyu did not look well; there were dark circles under her eyes, and even her rosy cheeks did not look very healthy today, as if she were ill.
"I caught a cold a few days ago and haven't gotten better. Yesterday, Erlang sent me a letter saying that you came to the palace on business, but something must have happened at home."
Li Shiyue shook her head, worried that she was anxious, and hurriedly said, "Everything is fine in the manor. Mother is also recuperating and can walk a few more steps now. Not to mention Grandmother's health. Now that the weather is warm, Granny Chang often accompanies her for walks, which helps her get some exercise and makes her more energetic."
Xu Lingyu breathed a sigh of relief and glanced sideways. The palace maid beside her waved her hand, leaving only her to serve in the room.
"I came to the palace today because I have something to ask my elder sister. Yesterday at the princess's residence, the princess of Qi told me personally that I should avoid inviting people to the Pixiang Palace in the future, and never rush to do so, just like the entire Xu family."
"I just don't understand. Princess Qi and Consort Fu have been together for many years. Before, when Princess Qi was still in the capital and not yet married, she listened to Consort Fu no matter what. Why has she changed so much?"
Surely it's not that after getting married, the Princess of Qi would stop listening to Consort Fu and only listen to her husband.
Although he had only met the prince consort once, he looked gentle and refined, not like someone who would be domineering, especially when facing the princess of Qi.
It must be admitted that after the princess of Qi got married, she changed a lot after being with her husband. The young couple became even more well-matched, something that would have been unthinkable before.
Xu Lingyu sneered, a hint of ruthlessness in her eyes, and her sudden change in expression caught Li Shiyue off guard, leaving her stunned.
“A month ago, the princess of Qi sent a gift, but I didn’t expect to find some things in it that shouldn’t be in the palace.”
"Even though the young prince was going to move to his own palace, Consort Fu said that the princess of Qi had been away from the capital for too long and did not remember the young prince's preferences. So she specially added a lot of cotton wadding to the newly made pillow."
"The dry season makes cotton wadding flammable, but unexpectedly, a palace maid from Pixiang Palace accidentally knocked over a candlestick in Chonghua Palace, setting half of Xiefang Palace ablaze."
"It was the little prince's wet nurse who risked her life to protect him, and she managed to hold out until His Highness and I passed away."
As Xu Lingyu spoke, the hatred in her eyes was barely contained. If it were anyone else, Consort Fu's methods would have been flawless, but unfortunately, she had been in charge of palace affairs for several years and was by no means a fool.
A thorough investigation revealed that the palace maid who accidentally knocked over the candlestick had actually been expelled from the Pixiang Palace and had been working for Consort Fu all along.
Xu Lingyu was supposed to present herself as dignified and virtuous. Even Li Shiyue, whenever she saw her, would only notice that Xu Lingyu had a few more genuine smiles in front of Old Madam Xu.
Such a loss of composure today, the raw emotions revealed in his eyes, the ruthlessness and hatred that were truly present, naturally stunned Li Shiyue.
What surprised her even more was that Consort Fu would actually harm the young prince. She couldn't help but raise her voice: "Why is that? How old is the young prince? How could she bring herself to do this?"
"She has no princes, yet she harmed the young prince and angered the Emperor. How can her Pixiang Palace be at peace?"
Xu Lingyu sneered, "It's just for others. Even if you hadn't come today, I would still have sent Erlang to the palace."
"Since you're here, it's no trouble to tell you. Go back and discuss it with Erlang. It seems that Consort Fu has reached some kind of agreement with Prince Zhao. Perhaps you outside the palace don't know that Prince Zhao goes to the Pixiang Palace to pay his respects every day."
"His birth mother, Consort An, had been ill for quite some time. She had seen all the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital, but none of them could diagnose her illness. Prince Zhao went to the Pixiang Palace to pay his respects every day and also sent medicine to Consort An every day, but he never went there."
Xu Lingyu paused. She had witnessed too many tricks in the palace over the years, such as Consort An's illness.
If someone were to tamper with it, not only would the entire Imperial Medical Academy be unable to treat it, but the entire capital city would likely be without anyone who could.
The real problem is that the illness isn't the real illness, but the medicine.
Li Shiyue raised her eyes and met Xu Lingyu's meaningful gaze, which made her feel a chill run down her spine. If that was the case, then the Prince of Zhao was really no small character.
What kind of show of weakness is this? It's probably just a trap set for Xu Yunci or the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, waiting for their prey to fall into it.
"Is the young prince alright now?"
Seeing Xu Lingyu nod, Li Shiyue's expression didn't seem to relax much. She looked at Xu Lingyu with concern and said, "The little prince's health is certainly important, but why does elder sister look so unwell? It's because you've been worried and afraid."
"Every medicine has its side effects. It would be better to adjust your mindset. What if the young prince and His Highness fall ill with your elder sister?"
After leaving Chonghua Palace, Li Shiyue thought it would be better to leave the palace directly, but she did not expect to encounter someone she should not have met on the long street: Consort Fu.
She sat in the sedan chair, the blue phoenix and pomegranate-red silk on it making her look exceptionally gorgeous.
"The Crown Prince's wife?"
Consort Fu sat in the sedan chair and patted the beam on one side, causing the sedan chair to stop.
"May the Imperial Concubine be well."
Li Shiyue looked quite surprised. This was the first time she had met Consort Fu alone since rejecting the invitation from Pixiang Palace, and it was also a face-to-face encounter.
On the long street, the vermilion walls on both sides look tall and imposing.
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