After dealing with the matters at the clinic, Yun Duoduo took Jin Zhuangzhuang back to the palace.
...
Time flies, and winter came early this year. After a few snowfalls, the New Year arrived.
Yun Duoduo was wearing a red, fur-trimmed jacket, and her hair was styled into two round buns on top of her head, tied with red ribbons in a bow. She looked very cute and festive.
Prince Rui and his wife came to the palace to pay their respects. Princess Rui's belly was already very big, and after the New Year and the beginning of spring, the day of her due date would be approaching.
When Yun Duoduo heard that Prince Rui and his wife were in the Empress Dowager's Shouchang Palace, she brought some pastries to the palace.
"Princess Yourong has arrived, please come in quickly."
Granny Zhang lovingly lifted the heavy curtain and let Yun Duoduo in.
"Royal Grandmother!"
"Duoduo greets the Imperial Grandmother!"
Yun Duoduo walked up to the Empress Dowager and bowed.
"Happy New Year to my elder brother, elder sister-in-law, and the little nephew in elder sister-in-law's belly!"
Yun Duoduo walked to Shangguan Qin'er's side with a smile and touched her round belly.
"My dear sister, you've arrived quickly. Look what your brother brought you!"
Yun Yibo took out a small sandalwood box and handed it to Yun Duoduo. Inside was a large Ganoderma lucidum.
"A Ganoderma lucidum? What a huge Ganoderma lucidum!"
Yun Duoduo took out the Ganoderma lucidum in surprise and held it with both hands.
[A Ganoderma lucidum mushroom larger than the palm of your hand!]
[Once we return to Fushuang Palace, we must put this Ganoderma lucidum in the medicine chest.]
"I obtained it by chance. My younger sister is a skilled physician and will surely be able to make the most of this Ganoderma lucidum."
"Thank you, Eldest Brother!"
"By the way, these are pastries that Duoduo made herself."
"Grandmother, if my eldest brother and sister-in-law don't mind, please have a taste!"
"oh?"
"Your Highness, what are you saying? Your Highness's cooking must be delicious."
"Qin'er, quickly try your imperial sister's cooking."
"Chestnut cake is sweet, soft, and chewy, with a smooth texture that isn't cloying. It's perfect for pregnant women like my sister-in-law!"
Yun Yibo opened the lid of the chestnut cake and looked at Shangguan Qin'er beside him.
"Oh, it's chestnut cake?"
Shangguan Qin'er took out a piece of chestnut cake from the food box and was about to put it in her mouth when her wrist was grabbed.
"What's wrong?"
Shangguan Qin'er looked at Yun Duoduo, who was holding her wrist, and frowned slightly.
"Please don't eat yet, Your Majesty."
Yun Duoduo took the chestnut cake from Shangguan Qin'er's hand and smelled it carefully.
Just now, when she opened the lid of the pastry box, she noticed something was wrong.
Besides the sweet taste of chestnut cake, there was also a very faint pungent smell, which seemed to carry a hint of soap.
She wasn't sure before, but now, as she carefully smelled it, she was absolutely certain.
"This pastry has been poisoned."
"There is musk in this."
Musk has the effect of breaking up blood stasis and removing blood clots. If you eat too much, it is very easy to miscarry. The person who poisons it has a good grasp of the amount and uses a small amount, so that ordinary people cannot smell it.
Yun Duoduo threw the chestnut cake back into the box and turned to look at A Xiang.
Ah Xiang nodded: "This servant will go and investigate immediately to find out who handled these pastries, or who saw or touched them."
Shangguan Qin'er was pale; once again, she almost lost the baby in her womb.
The Empress Dowager's face was also filled with anger. "Who exactly wants to return my great-grandson?!"
"Grandmother, don't worry. Fortunately, my sister-in-law hasn't eaten the pastry yet."
"Ah Xiang has already investigated and will definitely not let the person who poisoned her get away with it."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty's wife must also be careful in the future. Although Your Majesty's pregnancy is stable, if she is born too early, I'm afraid both mother and child will be in danger."
There will always be people who don't think I'm doing well.
Shangguan Qin'er wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Please don't say that, Your Majesty's sister-in-law."
As she spoke, Yun Duoduo took out a silver needle from her sleeve and placed it in Shangguan Qin'er's hand.
"Your Majesty, I have applied medicine to this silver needle. Whenever Your Majesty eats something, just use this silver needle to test it."
"I originally intended to give these to my sister-in-law for her future use, but I never expected that the pastries I brought would be poisoned."
"Thank you, Duoduo."
"With these silver needles, I can eat with much more peace of mind from now on."
...
Ah Xiang suppressed her anger and forced a smile.
Who on earth has the audacity to frame the princess?!
She walked quickly into the courtyard of Fu Shuang Palace and clapped her hands.
"The princess was in a good mood today, so she went to Shouchang Palace to visit the Empress Dowager."
"The Empress Dowager even praised our princess's pastries, saying they were delicious!"
"Congratulations, Princess!"
The palace maids and eunuchs of Fu Shuang Palace gathered around when they heard what Ah Xiang said.
"Everyone who started making pastries early this morning, please step forward! The Princess and the Empress Dowager will reward you!"
As she spoke, Ah Xiang took off the purse from her waist and distributed silver to the palace maids and eunuchs who came to collect their rewards.
The palace maids and eunuchs, carrying buckets and brooms but not helping with the pastries, could only watch longingly from the sidelines.
"That's great. If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered sweeping the floor. I could have helped the kitchen make chestnut cake instead."
The little eunuch standing to the side pouted and said regretfully.
"Aunt Xiang, the chestnut shells for the chestnut cake were peeled by the younger one."
A young eunuch walked up to Ah Xiang with a beaming smile.
"Here you go, it's a reward for you!"
Ah Xiang placed a small piece of silver in the hand of the eunuch who was peeling chestnuts.
"Aunt Xiang, the water used to steam the chestnut cake was boiled by me."
A young palace maid stretched out her hands and placed them in front of Ah Xiang's eyes.
"The firewood was chopped by the younger one."
People came one after another to claim their reward.
"The chestnut cake box was packed by a servant."
Ah Xiang's heart tightened. She grabbed the palace maid's wrist and shouted angrily, "Qiu'er? Guards, take her away!"
Everyone was bewildered and stared in astonishment at the sudden turn of events.
The young palace maid was so frightened that she tried to pull her hand out of Ah Xiang's grasp, but Ah Xiang seemed to have used all her strength, and the young palace maid's hand could not be freed at all.
Two eunuchs quickly stepped forward and swiftly dragged the palace maid out.
Ah Xiang is the head maid of Fu Shuang Palace, and all the servants in the palace must obey Ah Xiang's orders.
A short while later, the palace maid was dragged into the torture chamber of the Imperial Prison, where two eunuchs from the Imperial Prison were guarding the door.
Ah Xiang narrowed her eyes slightly, sizing up the two eunuchs standing at the door: "Are they new here? They look unfamiliar."
The two eunuchs nodded. One of them grinned, his face contorted in a grimace, presumably because the wound on his lower body hadn't fully healed before he was pulled out to work.
"Keep a close watch, and you'll be rewarded."
"Thank you, Auntie."
The two eunuchs nodded vigorously.
The palace maid Qiu'er was thrown into the torture chamber. Her body fell heavily onto the cold ground, and she was in so much pain that cold sweat poured down her forehead.
"You bastard, tell me, did I tell you to do this?"
A Xiang roared angrily.
"Aunt Xiang, what are you saying? Qiu'er doesn't understand!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
