Chapter 34: Initial clues
"Okay, I can't do that. Then go find His Majesty. He can do that."
After saying that, Li Yueyao continued, "Feng Qing went to check the Shaofujian, but the young supervisor of the Shaofujian who was in charge of supervising the bed, tables and chairs of His Majesty died three months ago.
His Majesty asked Feng Qing to start the investigation from Changchun Palace.
Feng Qing has the courage of ten thousand men, but he is simple-minded and has a hard time dealing with such shady matters."
The virtuous concubine nodded and said, "Yes, I have arranged for Fu Shou and Qian Lou, who are by my side, to go investigate together. There will be news soon."
Li Yueyao laughed after hearing this: "Qian Lou and Fu Shou are an old pair.
The late emperor gave one to you and one to Your Majesty. It seems that my brother still prefers you as the best candidate for the Crown Princess."
After hearing this, Concubine Xian said nostalgically, "My father and mother were both very kind to me."
Cuiwei came up to refill their tea.
The virtuous concubine continued, "Yesterday we followed the people around the noble concubine and followed the clues all the way to the Wanhua Tower in Wenroufang.
There are problems with the madam of Wanhua Tower and the courtesan Biyue, and they are passing information to the imperial concubine.
My people intercepted the message but did not alert them.
And yesterday, Concubine Shu's sister sent a message to the Duke of Zhenguo.
According to the Duke of Zhenguo, people from Nanli were discovered in the capital this spring, but their lair has not been found.
Recently, their people also investigated Wenroufang.
It's just not clear right now whether the Nanli people's stronghold is Wanhua Tower."
Li Yueyao shook her head after hearing this.
"Well, I told you yesterday that the imperial concubine miscarried the child because she was afraid that someone would notice if the child was born.
Qian Lou speculated that the child must be a Hu person from the west because his blond hair and blue eyes were difficult to conceal.
So the people of Nanli and the Hu people must be investigated as well.
Since everything is related to Wanhua Tower, we must investigate it even more."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Xian suddenly sat up from her recliner and asked, "You didn't mention anything about blonde hair and blue eyes yesterday?"
Li Yueyao was stunned and asked, "Didn't I say that?"
"No." Concubine Xian said firmly.
“If the person connected with the Imperial Concubine is blond and blue-eyed, then we are looking in the wrong direction for the Nanli people.
So this is probably two different things: the poison was carried out by a group of Nanli people, and the imperial concubine was implicated by another group of Hu people."
"This harem is really lively and bustling." Li Yueyao said with a smile.
Xian Fei didn't say anything. After lying down and thinking for a while, she sat up and said, "If that's the case, then there's a loophole in my plan.
I have to go back and rearrange it.”
After saying that, he stood up and walked out. When he reached the door, he turned around and said to Li Yueyao angrily:
"Next time, explain things clearly. You're just wasting time."
Li Yueyao looked at the virtuous concubine who left in a hurry and laughed.
Look, what a good helper this is.
Then he turned around and asked Nanny Qin, "Is there any news from Chen Yue?"
Nanny Qin replied respectfully, "Your Highness, there is no news from Chen Yue for the time being."
Li Yueyao nodded and continued to read the memorial in her hand.
At 5 p.m., Nanny Qin brought the distraught Zhaoqing back, and Zhaoqing went to see His Majesty in silence.
Soon, Zhaoqing's crying was heard from the main hall of Taiji Palace.
Li Yueyao asked Nanny Qin: "What happened?"
"Your Highness, I followed the Princess to Jingzhao Prefecture and met the victim, Chen Sanlang.
Her Royal Highness the Princess only then found out that Hua Qingfeng had done all these things in her name.
Later, more than a dozen cases were uncovered in Jingzhao Prefecture, in which Hua Qingfeng used the name of the eldest princess to rob and plunder, and some even killed people.
The people in Jingzhao Prefecture received the complaint but did not dare to deal with it, so they sent those people out of the capital.
When Her Royal Highness the Princess learned about this, she was deeply shocked and returned without saying a word..."
Li Yueyao already knew this was the case and continued to read the memorial, saying, "It's all your own fault."
At dinner time, Chen Yue came into the palace dressed in women's clothes to report.
"Your Highness, I have found out that the nanny who accompanied the imperial concubine before she was nine years old was a servant of the Shangguan family.
The imperial concubine was treated very badly. She was often scolded and had no food or clothes to eat.
Nanny Zhou came to the Imperial Concubine when she was nine years old.
Half a year later, the imperial concubine used an axe to kill those who had been bullying her, including the housekeeper, the kitchen maid, and her personal maid.
Everyone was stunned at that time.
The Imperial Concubine had the housekeeper of the other courtyard kidnapped and then successfully subjugated him for her own use."
Li Yueyao praised him, "Wow! He's so young, yet he managed to kill three people. He's quite a tough character."
Nanny Qin said beside her, "So that's how it is. There's a reason why the Imperial Concubine has been able to ascend to the throne these years."
Chen Yue said, "Since then, everything in the separate courtyard of the Anping Marquis's residence has been under the command of the Imperial Concubine.
Well, it would be more accurate to say that I obey the orders of Nanny Zhou rather than the orders of the Imperial Concubine.
For more than a year, the imperial concubine rarely appeared in public, and it was Nanny Zhou who took care of her.
I felt that this was a serious problem, so I asked someone to investigate it in detail.
It was eventually discovered that the Imperial Concubine had frequently been in and out of the Wanhua Tower for over a year."
Li Yueyao frowned when she heard this, because just now the virtuous concubine said that she had chased him to Wanhua Tower.
Chen Yue continued, "The Imperial Concubine went in and out of the Wanhua Tower to look for a dancer named Biyue.
Bi Yue is now the top performer in Wenroufang Wanhualou.
After my men found Wanhua Tower, they discovered that another force was also spies around the tower.
After the two sides exchanged blows, it was discovered that the opponent seemed to be from the military, and his moves were very powerful..."
Li Yueyao interrupted him and said, "That should be the Duke of Zhenguo's people."
"Duke Zhenguo?" Chen Yue was puzzled.
"Yesterday, Concubine Xian discovered that someone close to the Imperial Concubine had gone to the Wanhua Tower.
The Duke of Zhenguo has been investigating Nanli's spies and has also found Wenroufang. Through the information passed on by Concubine Shu, he may have also set his sights on Wanhualou."
Chen Yue listened and said, "I understand now. However, I would like to ask Your Highness for instructions on how to investigate Wanhua Tower next."
Li Yueyao thought for a moment and said, "You don't need to check Wanhua Tower. Concubine Shu and Concubine Xian's men are all there, they can't escape."
"Yes." Chen Yue replied.
“But I always feel like things are going too smoothly…”
Li Yueyao lowered her head and frowned, thinking for a while and then said:
"Chen Yue, go check on Madam Zhou and her sister, the one who married the Nanli man."
"Yes."
After Chen Yue left, Li Yueyao asked someone to call Concubine Shu and Concubine Xian over.
Li Yueyao first took Concubine Shu's pulse and found that her pulse had improved a lot.
"Well, it's a little better. As long as you stay away from these drugs and take the detoxification pills and cleanse yourself, you will gradually get better.
In a few days, I will be able to take medicinal baths and receive acupuncture treatments like Your Majesty, slowly forcing the poison out of my body."
After hearing this, Concubine Shu smiled and said, "Thank you, aunt."
"You already call me aunt, so what's there to thank me for?" Li Yueyao said jokingly.
At this moment, Cuiwei and Cuixin directed people to bring the hot pot, and the three of them ate and chatted.
“I sent someone to investigate the Imperial Concubine, and it turned out that she was bullied in the other courtyard before she was nine years old.
When she was nine years old, Nanny Zhou came to her.
Half a year later, the imperial concubine single-handedly killed her housekeeper, personal maid and three others, and from then on she established her foothold.
Over the next year or so, under the protection of Nanny Zhou, the Imperial Concubine frequently went in and out of the Wanhua Tower, looking for the person named Biyue.
After Li Yueyao finished speaking, Concubine Xian continued, "Don't worry, my people are already investigating Biyue."
Concubine Shu said, "I just received news from my family that Wanhua Tower was originally the property of Prince Ruyang.
After Prince Ruyang returned to his fiefdom, Wanhua Tower was transferred to a Hu merchant from the Western Regions.
This Western Hu merchant later returned to the Western Regions and transferred Wanhua Tower to Jin Mantang."
"Jin Mantang, Jin Mantang, the richest man in Beijing?" Li Yueyao asked in surprise.
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