The night was so quiet that you could hear the faint crackling of a burning candle.
On the table in the inner chamber of Kunning Palace, two things were quietly placed.
It was the same dark brown powdery residue that Lin Wanwan had previously scooped from the bottom of the bowl with a silk handkerchief, which had now been scraped onto the white porcelain plate.
Another item was the complete set of medicinal ingredients for soup, which Zhang Gui, the newly appointed head of the imperial kitchen, had just risked his life to deliver, still exuding a fresh aroma.
Lin Wanwan's gaze shifted back and forth between the two items.
Her expression was more focused and solemn than ever before.
Ruolan and Chuntao held their breath, standing flanking her from behind, not daring to utter a sound. Although they didn't fully understand what their mistress was doing, they could guess from her serious expression that this was definitely a matter of life and death.
"That's it."
After a long silence, Lin Wanwan finally spoke, her voice soft but carrying an undeniable certainty.
From the pile of fresh herbs, she picked up a seemingly ordinary, withered herb with slender leaves.
This herb, mixed in with a bunch of angelica, astragalus, and licorice, is completely inconspicuous. Unless you are specifically looking for it, anyone would mistake it for an ordinary auxiliary medicine.
Lin Wan-wan brought it to her nose and took a gentle sniff.
That familiar, faint, and slightly eerily sweet bitter almond scent instantly filled my nostrils.
It smelled exactly the same as the smell she had previously detected from the dregs of the medicine.
Withered heart grass!
Found it!
Even though Lin Wanwan was already mentally prepared, her heart still started pounding uncontrollably the moment she actually got her hands on the original "evidence."
Chuntao and Ruolan exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and horror in each other's eyes.
"Your Majesty, this...this really is..." Ruolan's voice trembled slightly.
“It can’t be wrong.” Lin Wan-wan put down the withered heart grass, her eyes as cold as frost. “I have consulted many ancient books. Its shape and smell are exactly the same as the legendary ‘withered heart grass’.”
"Oh my god!" Chun Tao couldn't help but exclaim, and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
They finally understood just how terrible something the Empress had been investigating all this time!
"Empress Dowager... How dare the Empress Dowager!" Chun Tao's voice was filled with disbelief.
A flicker of lingering fear flashed in Ruolan's eyes. The thought that she had been an accomplice in this massive conspiracy sent a chill down her spine, leaving her icy cold.
"Now, we have both the dregs and the original medicinal materials," Lin Wanwan said slowly, looking at the two items on the table. "The witness (Ruolan) and the physical evidence are both there. It seems we can now expose the Empress Dowager's crimes to His Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Chun Tao's face immediately lit up with joy.
However, Lin Wanwan shook her head, her eyes showing no joy whatsoever, but instead becoming even more solemn.
“No,” she said in a low voice, “not enough. Far from enough.”
"Your Majesty, this...this isn't enough?" Ruolan asked, somewhat puzzled. "With witnesses and physical evidence, how can the Empress Dowager possibly deny it?"
"Of course she can."
A cold smile curved at the corners of Lin Wanwan's lips.
She stood up and paced slowly around the room, her mind racing as she mentally considered all the possibilities.
“Ruolan, think about this.” Lin Wanwan looked at her sharply. “If we take these things now and report them to His Majesty…”
"His Majesty might believe us to some extent. He will be furious and will question the Empress Dowager."
"But then what? Do you think the Empress Dowager will just surrender?"
Lin Wanwan answered her own question: "No, she won't. She will only cry, make a scene, kneel before His Majesty, and tell him with tears streaming down her face that she was also deceived and knew nothing about it."
"She would shift all the blame onto those below her. She would say that a certain imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital, or a servant in charge of purchasing in the Imperial Kitchen, was blinded by greed and bribed, or that he was not skilled enough and mistook a non-toxic herb that looked similar to 'withered heart grass' for a real medicinal material, which led to the great mistake."
"At that time, she only needs to put forward one or two scapegoats and then put on a melodramatic show of maternal love in front of His Majesty. What do you think His Majesty will do when faced with a biological mother crying her heart out and a seemingly 'reasonable' explanation?"
Every word Lin Wanwan uttered was like a heavy hammer, striking Ruolan and Chuntao's hearts hard.
The joy on their faces gradually faded, replaced by a deep solemnity and... lingering fear.
yes.
The Empress is right.
These alone are not enough to kill the Empress Dowager in one blow!
The Empress Dowager had cultivated a deep-rooted power base and numerous supporters within the palace over many years. These inanimate objects alone are far from sufficient to bring her down!
"Then... what should we do?" Chun Tao asked, somewhat at a loss.
Lin Wanwan stopped and her gaze returned to the small "withered heart grass".
Her gaze became more resolute than ever before.
"To convict the Empress Dowager, one thing must be proven—"
"That means the Imperial Medical Academy, with 'full knowledge,' has been systematically and over a long period of time mixing this highly poisonous substance into His Majesty's medicine in a planned manner!"
"We not only need to prove they used it, but also that they knew what it was, and more importantly, that they used it intentionally!"
"Only in this way can we completely block all of the Empress Dowager's escape routes, so that she can no longer find any scapegoats or use any excuses to defend herself!"
Ruolan felt a sudden sense of clarity.
She understood.
What they are missing now is the last and most crucial piece of the puzzle.
One piece of irrefutable evidence that can completely distinguish between "misuse" and "intentional murder"!
“But…but, Your Majesty,” Ruolan’s brows furrowed again, “where are we supposed to find such evidence?”
Lin Wanwan slowly raised her gaze, looking through the window lattice towards the depths of the palace, the most heavily guarded and mysterious place.
Her voice was light and airy, yet it carried an undeniable resolve.
"The only way is to find the original 'heart-withering grass' that has been secretly stored by the Imperial Medical Academy and has not yet been used."
"Furthermore, we found its inventory records."
“If something is mistakenly picked or bought, it must be a small amount and an accidental occurrence. But if a large quantity of carefully stored ‘heart-withering grass’ can be found in the Imperial Medical Academy’s pharmacy, and it can even be traced back to when, through what channels, and by whom it was approved for storage… then that would be irrefutable evidence!”
Upon hearing this, Chuntao and Ruolan turned deathly pale.
They knew where the Empress was referring to.
In the entire palace, there is only one place that can simultaneously meet the two conditions of "storing rare medicinal materials" and "keeping records".
—The Imperial Pharmacy.
That was the most central and truly forbidden area of the Imperial Medical Academy.
There, all the rarest and most expensive medicinal herbs reserved for the royal family were stored. Ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, Cordyceps sinensis... everything was locked away in that secret chamber.
The Imperial Pharmacy was more heavily guarded than any other part of the palace. Not only were there imperial guards stationed every three steps and sentries every five steps, but there were also countless traps and hidden locks.
It is said that without the orders of the Imperial Censor and the Emperor, not even a fly could get in.
We need to go there to find a "poisonous herb" that has never been recorded before.
This...this is harder than climbing to heaven!
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!" Chun Tao was the first to kneel down in fright. "The Imperial Pharmacy is a den of dragons and tigers, you... you absolutely mustn't take the risk!"
Ruolan also knelt down, her face full of worry: "Yes, Your Majesty! This matter needs careful consideration! If anything were to happen to you, then... then we servants..."
Looking at the two loyal maids, Lin Wanwan felt a warmth in her heart.
She stepped forward and personally helped them up.
"Rest assured, I will not do anything without being sure of success."
Her voice was soft, yet it carried a reassuring strength.
She walked to the window, pushed it open, and the cold night wind brushed against her cheeks.
She looked at the bright moon outside the window, her eyes becoming incredibly determined.
A dragon's den or a tiger's lair?
yes.
But for himself, for Xiao Che, and to fight his way out of this dead end.
She had to take this risk!
She had no other choice.
Lin Wanwan turned around and looked at Ruolan, her eyes no longer showing any hesitation.
She spoke in an extremely calm tone, as if she were merely instructing someone on a trivial matter:
"Ruolan".
"Go, prepare a set of night clothes for me that will allow me to move around easily."
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