"Your Highness, the Marquis said he will come to Zhaoning Palace to pay his respects tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu quickly went through the recent events in her mind. With the end of the year approaching, her brother couldn't possibly have come to see her again just to bring some food, could he?
Could it be that my brother found out about what happened before? That shouldn't be the case.
Jiang Yu was puzzled and didn't notice that Gu Qingyan, who was about to enter the house, quietly withdrew and slipped away.
It looks like my uncle is going to settle scores later; this is a very bad situation.
The next day, Jiang He brought a person with their head covered to Zhaoning Palace. Jiang He kicked the person hard, and the person fell to the ground.
"Please dismiss the surrounding people, Your Majesty. This person says he has something to say to Your Majesty in private."
When the turban was torn off, Jiang Yu recognized that this was the same Dr. Chen who had been responsible for taking her pulse and prescribing medicine for her.
[Oh, I had completely forgotten about Physician Chen.]
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! I was forced into this situation. My parents and relatives are all under the control of others. I had no choice but to obey orders." Physician Chen kowtowed desperately, begging for mercy, while Jiang Yu's aura grew increasingly cold.
"What makes Physician Chen think that I would be so kind as to spare you?" In her past life, she treated people gently, but in the end, she did not receive any pity from them.
Physician Chen shuddered violently. Since the Empress entered the palace, she had always tried to avoid making a fuss, but today...
"What did you say to me at the Marquis's residence?" Jiang He grabbed Physician Chen by the neck. "Now that you're at Zhaoning Palace, you're trying to plead for mercy again?"
The air grew thinner, and Physician Chen's face began to flush. Jiang Yu also realized that something was wrong and took a few steps forward. "Besides tampering with my prescriptions, what else do you know?"
For some reason, Jiang Yu felt a sense of panic she had never experienced before.
"Cough cough cough... I'll talk, I'll talk."
Physician Chen was breathing heavily, looking as dejected as a stray dog. "I learned of this by chance. Consort Rong specifically instructed the head physician not to let the princess lose weight."
[Both Gu Qingling and Gu Qingfeng have well-proportioned figures, so why can't Gu Qingyao lose weight? Gu Qingyao is now so bloated that the Imperial Wardrobe needs to remeasure her every two weeks. It was initially thought to be due to her overeating, but it turns out it was Consort Rong's deliberate manipulation.]
"Consort Rong won't let the princess lose weight?" Jiang He's reaction was even more agitated. Gu Qingling and Gu Qingfeng looked similar to Gu Heng, so what about Gu Qingyao? If Gu Qingyao lost weight, would she look like Ayu?
In an instant, a million guesses flashed through Jiang He's mind.
“Everything I have said is true. Consort Rong should have also instructed the small kitchen in Lingxi Palace. The princess ate in Lingxi Palace almost every day. If Your Majesty the Empress and the Marquis have any doubts, they can investigate further.”
Jiang Yu remained stunned for a long time. Why did Gu Qingyao have to be so fat? She couldn't understand it, but she had a vague premonition that there was a bigger secret hidden behind it.
“I told you I would keep you alive,” Jiang He said somewhat stiffly. “Take your parents and relatives and leave the capital.”
A quarter of an hour later, only Jiang Wan, Jiang He, and Granny Ling remained in the room.
Why did you investigate Physician Chen, brother?
“That day I asked Ayan about your situation in the palace, and Ayan mentioned that you changed the prescription yourself.” What Jiang He didn’t say was that a few days ago, an arrow with a note attached was shot into the Dingyuan Marquis’s residence. The note said where the three-year-old grandson of Physician Chen was being held.
It is unknown who intervened and why they helped the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion.
Jiang Yu gave a self-deprecating smile. "Brother, those three children may seem to be my own, but in reality, I already consider them to be Consort Rong's children. Even if I know today that Consort Rong attacked Gu Qingyao, I will not interfere."
The image of Gu Qingyao humiliating her in her past life flashed before Jiang Yu's eyes, but she showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.
She really doesn't care anymore.
"I'll do whatever Your Majesty says." Jiang He breathed a sigh of relief. It was best that A Yu didn't care, lest the truth be exposed later, which would be a fatal blow to A Yu.
At the same time, Physician Chen, who was leaving the capital with his parents and relatives, suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and died vomiting blood in less than half an incense stick's time.
"Now that he's dead, it's good that he can report back to his lord." From the shadows, a man dressed entirely in black spoke coldly, like a heartless and emotionless machine.
"The Marquis of Dingyuan is indeed a virtuous gentleman, just as the Lord said. He really did let this man go." The other person was much more lively. "He has been drugging the lady for so long. It would be a relief for him to die so easily."
......
The spies that the Marquis of Dingyuan had planted in the palace began to move, and Jiang He handed them over to Gu Qingyan.
He could see that Gu Qingyan was no ordinary person. More importantly, Gu Qingyan truly regarded Ayu as his mother, and he had no intention of getting married. Sooner or later, the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion would be handed over to Gu Qingyan.
"Third Prince, the matter has been investigated thoroughly."
"Speak."
Gu Qingyan put down his pen. If the two guards who killed Physician Chen were present, they would surely have noticed that Gu Qingyan's words and actions bore a striking resemblance to their master.
“Lingxi Palace prepares extremely greasy meals for the princess every day and also puts drugs in her mouth, making her very prone to hunger.”
Gu Qingyan's expression darkened. "Gu Qingling and Gu Qingfeng also dote on this younger sister. Didn't they ever stop them?"
"We tried to stop her a few times before, but the princess kept crying and complaining that she was hungry. Later, Consort Rong said that the princess should not be restricted from eating anymore, so we stopped trying to stop her."
"What a loving mother and filial sons scene." Gu Qingyan sneered. "Sometimes I really wonder if those three idiots are even the Empress's children, that they can be manipulated by a concubine."
"Does the Third Prince have any further instructions?"
Thinking of Jiang Yu, who had tried so hard to please the three of them, Gu Qingyan revealed a wicked smile. "Don't worry about it. Just let them be. Tell your uncle the information from the investigation exactly as it is."
After saying that, Gu Qingyan got up and went to the small kitchen. Jiang He gave Gu Qingyan a menu of Jiang Yu's favorite dishes, and Gu Qingyan then asked the small kitchen to change all the dishes that were previously served.
At dinner, Jiang Yu looked at the table full of dishes with delight.
"Ayan, these are all my favorite dishes." Jiang Yu said, then frowned again, "Why don't I see the ones Ayan likes?"
"I heard that Mother loves to eat these, and I would like to try them with you." Gu Qingyan smiled happily. "Whatever Mother loves to eat, I love to eat too."
Everyone knows that Gu Qingyan was blessed by heaven and became the stepson of the Empress Dowager by a twist of fate.
What the world doesn't know is that he was almost insanely envious of Gu Qingling and the other two. If he were really his mother's child, how wonderful that would be.
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