In Anqing Palace, apart from the little princess, Ah Xiang, and Prince Ning, everyone else was a suspect. Yun Beiye did not allow them to leave, so they all stayed in the palace. However, it seems that the suspect who murdered the little princess has been identified.
"My dear ministers, please return."
The Empress Dowager glanced at everyone and waved her hand. Yun Beiye also signaled to the ministers that they could leave on their own.
There's no need to spread the scandals of the harem to everyone.
Since, judging from the current situation, these ministers have neither the intention nor the opportunity to poison the emperor, it would be better to let them all leave early and not stay here to watch the royal family make a fool of themselves.
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, the ministers quickly rose, bowed, and took their leave. They had no desire to remain there and endure the Empress Dowager's wrath, especially since some of their wives and daughters, who had just drunk the corn porridge, were eager to see a doctor right away.
"We take our leave."
After most of the ministers in Anqing Palace had left, leaving only the concubines in the harem, Yun Beiye began to ask questions.
"Consort De, do you have anything else to say?!" His voice was icy cold, devoid of any warmth.
"Your Majesty, I truly do not know why this has happened!" Consort De cried and pleaded with Yun Beiye.
"This, this really has nothing to do with me. I don't know why this happened!"
"You organized the first birthday banquet, and now such a big thing has happened, and you're telling me you didn't know?!" Yun Beiye kicked her away, and Consort De fell to the ground.
"Such a huge mistake has occurred, and you are undoubtedly responsible!"
"Guards! Throw Consort De into jail!" Yun Beiye roared in a low voice. He had been extremely busy dealing with the locust plague in the south these past few days and hadn't had a full night's sleep in days. Now, with this awful thing happening at the little princess's first birthday banquet, he felt his head was throbbing even more.
"Father, Father, spare my life!"
"Your Majesty, I believe that Mother Consort would never do such a thing. She would never poison my younger sister. I beg you to investigate thoroughly, Father!"
"Grandmother, please save my mother!" The Third Prince, Yun Yishu, who was sitting at the table, knelt in front of Yun Beiye. His plump body was trembling slightly. He could not bear to watch his mother being taken away in front of him.
"Your Majesty, Consort De does bear some responsibility for what happened at the first birthday banquet. However, in my opinion, there is more to this than meets the eye. We should investigate thoroughly. If it is not what Consort De said, wouldn't that chill the hearts of the concubines in the harem?" Empress Zhaoyuan advised from the side.
If the real culprit isn't caught and continues to roam free, the little princess's future will likely be difficult.
"Cui Ling, take your men and lead the princes back to their chambers to rest."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Cui Ling called over several palace maids, preparing to lead the eight princes in the bedchamber back to their respective mothers' palaces.
Yun Yishu looked at Consort De with pitiful eyes, her gaze full of worry and reluctance.
Empress Zhaoyuan comforted the Third Prince, "Don't worry, His Majesty will definitely get to the bottom of this."
"Take them back quickly, it's already late."
Several princes, led by palace maids, left Anqing Palace.
Yun Beiye remained silent for a long while, then waved his hand at the eunuchs holding Consort De's arm, "That's enough."
"Who on earth is deliberately trying to make trouble for my beloved daughter?!"
"Zhao Zhongquan, investigate this matter thoroughly! Investigate it now!" Yun Beiye suddenly remembered that the villain who tried to suffocate the little princess with a sack a few days ago had not yet been caught. If this matter was not thoroughly investigated tonight, who knew when the results would be.
"The servants in the palace are becoming increasingly inefficient," Yun Beiye sighed, his face revealing his weariness.
"Bring all the people from the Imperial Kitchen here!" Zhao Zhongquan shouted in a shrill voice, his heart pounding in his chest.
He knew that His Majesty was extremely angry at this moment.
"Your Majesty, please have a seat." Empress Zhaoyuan saw that the Empress Dowager was staring angrily at the head of the imperial kitchen, so she quickly helped her to a chair and handed her a cup of tea.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty, please calm down as well." Empress Zhaoyuan handed Yun Beiye another cup of tea.
"It's not good to get sick from getting angry."
"Your Excellency, everyone has been brought here. These servants have been preparing for the first birthday banquet these past few days," a eunuch said tremblingly.
The people from the Imperial Kitchen knelt with their heads bowed in the center of the hall, looking at the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and His Majesty sitting above them, too frightened to even breathe.
"Speak! Who put this yellow fruit powder in here?!" Empress Zhaoyuan shouted at the people kneeling on the ground.
"Tell me the truth, or I'll tear your tongue out!" Empress Zhaoyuan's eyes were fierce, and several eunuchs were too frightened to look at her.
"Your Majesty, we servants know the importance of this first birthday banquet, and we have done everything according to the rules! We would never dare to have the slightest crooked thought!" A eunuch kowtowed on the ground.
"Even if we servants were willing to risk our lives, we would never dare to harm the little princess. That would be a crime that would implicate nine generations of our family!" the eunuch cried out in a shrill voice, protesting his innocence.
"Is it possible that it was accidentally placed in the wrong place?" Consort Chen interjected from the side.
"No, Your Majesty, these dishes and sweet soups are for the court officials, the little princess, His Majesty, and the ladies. We servants would never dare to be careless. The ingredients for every dish have been carefully checked!"
"Yes, yes, I gave the orders that the ingredients for each dish must be checked by three or four servants before being served. This problem could never have occurred in the Imperial Kitchen!" The head of the Imperial Kitchen cried out in protest.
"Perhaps it was tampered with on the way here, who knows!"
"You mean, this yellow fruit powder can just appear out of thin air?!" Yun Beiye slammed the cup on the ground. It is said that concern makes one lose their composure. The usually calm and composed king was now so angry that the veins on his head were bulging and his eyes were bloodshot because his beloved daughter had suffered so much.
“Your Majesty, please calm down. Why don’t you let this old servant ask?” Zhang Mama, who had been standing quietly behind the Empress Dowager, spoke up.
"Please speak, Granny." As soon as Yun Beiye heard that it was Granny Zhang, he knew that this old woman who had lived in the inner palace for a long time must have discovered something.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Go and check which concubines and palaces have recently received Huangguo or Huangguo powder," Zhang Mama instructed the head of the imperial kitchen.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will investigate immediately!"
The concubines and palace gardeners would register all the fruits and vegetables from the Imperial Kitchen or the medicinal herbs from the Imperial Medical Bureau. By checking who had received the yellow fruit or yellow fruit powder, they could pinpoint who was trying to harm the little princess.
A moment later, the head of the imperial kitchen arrived with the register. He stammered, his face pale, and seemed hesitant to speak.
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