"Your son greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Yinzhen showed the Empress Dowager the proper etiquette, but the Empress Dowager felt strangely uncomfortable. This son had never called her "Mother" since he was a child. She could understand that he was being considerate of his adoptive mother, but that woman had been dead for many years. Now she was the Empress Dowager, the one who was of the highest rank and honor!
"It's been a long time since I've seen His Majesty. He's gotten a bit fatter. The feng shui of the Yuanmingyuan Garden is indeed good for one's health," the Empress Dowager said.
"The Empress Dowager's Buddhist practices have been quite effective; I think her face bears a resemblance to Guanyin Bodhisattva," Yinzhen said with a smile.
When Yinzhen arrived, Yihua naturally stepped back and sat opposite him. She glanced back and forth at this special imperial mother and son. If someone who didn't know the inside story saw them, they would think they were a model of maternal love and filial piety.
Seeing Yi Hua's gaze sweep over, Yinzhen glared at her, then picked up his teacup: "It's almost noon, what is Your Majesty the Empress Dowager busy with here? Everyone's here."
The concubines below were already on pins and needles, wishing they could escape immediately. Seeing the emperor now, they had no desire to compete for favor, and were all thinking that they should not be implicated.
This excludes the Nian family.
Nian Sisi stood up and replied, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is talking to us about the late Emperor appearing in a dream. I have never heard of such a novel thing before. It turns out that what you think about during the day can indeed be dreamed about at night."
"I find the book 'Zhou Gong's Interpretation of Dreams' very interesting. I will send it to the Empress Dowager for her to enjoy when I get back."
"However, there is no evidence to support the claim of a dream. The Analects says, 'The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits.' People may believe in ghosts and spirits, but I, having read the books of sages for so many years, do not."
After speaking casually, Yinzhen twirled the ring on his finger: "Nian Shi, the Empress hasn't spoken yet, and you've overstepped your bounds. Once this matter is over, you'll be confined to your quarters for three months. Consort Yu, you are her mistress, so you must manage the people in your palace well."
Consort Yu quickly agreed, reaffirming her determination to get rid of her.
"I am just a woman in the inner palace, and I feel it's better to believe it than not. After all, it involves Prince Li, so it's better to investigate." The Empress Dowager made her words clear.
"How does the Empress Dowager intend to investigate?" Yinzhen asked.
“Naturally, we should search through each palace room one by one.”
"Start with my Hall of Mental Cultivation?"
"Your Majesty is joking. This is a matter of the inner palace, so naturally we only need to start the investigation from there."
"Very well, since the Empress Dowager insists, I have no choice but to agree. Let's start with the Empress's Yikun Palace."
After speaking, the group, led by Yinzhen, arrived at Yikun Palace.
Yinzhen led Yihua by the hand, the two whispering to each other: "How does the Empress plan to break this deadlock?"
Actually, breaking the deadlock isn't difficult. Yi Hua remembers that in "Princess Pearl," Qing'er once gave a very clear direction for the investigation: as long as there are loopholes in the extra items in Yikun Palace, there will be opportunities to follow.
"Shift the blame eastward." Just now, Yi Hua was helpless with the Empress Dowager, but now she can contact the people in Yikun Palace. With just one word from her, the entire palace can be filled with rag dolls.
We can't have the entire palace cursing her, can we?
“This is not the best course of action.” Yinzhen shook his head. Although this might allow them to fish in troubled waters, witchcraft has always been a serious matter, and no one can be easily let off the hook without admitting to the crime.
Yi Hua gently scratched Yin Zhen's palm: "In times of emergency, one must act expediently. Does Your Majesty have a better solution?"
"Just wait and see." Yinzhen gripped Yihua's hand tightly.
Li walked behind the two men, and rolled her eyes when she saw their sleeves overlapping.
Lady Nian stared at the clasped hands, and suddenly felt a sense of dejection. So many years had passed, and the Emperor had always treated the Empress the same. How was her jumping around like a clown?
Perhaps she could learn from Lady Li; as long as she doesn't compete for the emperor's favor, she can live a good life.
Su Peisheng personally led his men to search Yikun Palace: "Be careful, don't damage the Empress's things."
The Empress Dowager finally smiled, waiting for the moment when Ulanara would be terrified.
"Father-in-law, there's a box I can't open."
Su Peisheng quickly presented it. Yinzhen examined it and found that the box was not large, but had several locks on it. He was quite interested in it.
When Yi Hua saw the box, her expression immediately changed. She snatched the box away, somewhat at a loss.
The Empress Dowager looked at her with some surprise. Could it be that Ulanara could predict where she would put the doll?
"Empress, open it." Yinzhen saw that the expressions of the people around him had changed, and he knew what they were thinking.
Yi Hua wanted to say no, but she knew that it had to be opened today: "It can be opened, but only for Your Majesty to see."
The Empress Dowager's expression was somewhat subtle, conveying an impression that the Emperor would definitely help cover for her.
Yi Hua gritted her teeth, took out a bunch of keys from her pocket, and opened them one by one. Unexpectedly, there was no sign of any doll inside, but instead a thick stack of papers.
Yinzhen picked it up and read two lines, his expression growing increasingly strange. He glanced at Yihua, cleared his throat, and put the Xuan paper back.
"This is a scripture copied by the Empress for the children to pray for their well-being."
"What else have they found out? If this continues, I won't be able to sleep tonight, and I won't be able to attend the morning court tomorrow either." Yinzhen glanced at the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager stared at the box in Yihua's hand: "I am most proficient in scriptures. May I have a look at them?"
"No!" This was Yi Hua's response.
"Yes." This was Yinzhen.
The Empress Dowager was even more confused. Could it be that her people had failed?
Having no other choice, Yi Hua handed the box to the Empress Dowager, who slowly opened it, glanced at it, and then froze.
"You...you're simply..."
"Your Majesty, now that we've seen Yikun Palace, let's move on to the next place."
After saying that, he took the box back and handed it to Yi Hua: "Your things, lock them up."
Yi Hua quickly fastened the lock and handed it to Granny Chen, her cheeks burning red.
The Empress Dowager, carrying good fortune, led the way, and the entourage passed through Li's Yongshou Palace in a grand procession, arriving at Consort Yu's residence.
Su Peisheng glanced at Yinzhen, then personally went around Lady Tian's room. When he came out, he had something wrapped in cloth in his arms.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty the Empress, this servant dares not conceal such filthy things."
Lady Nian's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! This is not my property at all."
Yinzhen took it and examined the back of the doll, where the Empress Dowager's birth date and time were clearly visible.
"Caught red-handed, you say this handwriting isn't yours?" Yinzhen tossed the document to Lady Nian.
When Mr. Nian saw the notebook that was exactly the same as his own, he collapsed to the ground. This was not what was agreed upon.
The Empress Dowager was caught in a dilemma and could only agree with Yinzhen's words: "Your Majesty, it was this vile woman who sowed discord between us, mother and son. She must not be let off lightly!"
"The Empress Dowager is right, continue."
"Continue?" the Empress Dowager asked, puzzled.
"There are still so many places in the harem that haven't been searched. What if there are still people hiding secrets? I will search every place where people live today to see who is hiding in my harem and what their intentions are!"
The Empress Dowager suddenly had a very bad premonition.
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