Chapter 91 Poisoning Consort Ling

After class, Xiao Yanzi took Xia Ziwei to Yanxi Palace. "Xiao Yanzi/Ziwei pays her respects to Consort Ling."

"Little Swallow, Ziwei, you've arrived." Consort Ling came out, supported by Lamei and Dongxue. "Please sit down."

"Your Highness, did Physician Hu say approximately when you will give birth?" Xiao Yanzi glanced worriedly at Consort Ling's belly. "Is everything prepared?"

Consort Ling gently touched her belly and smiled, "Imperial Physician Hu said that if there are no complications, the due date will be around mid-July."

Little Swallow said with a hint of regret, "Oh? Does that mean you can't come to the hunting grounds with us? Then we'll miss your birthday celebration..."

Consort Ling smiled and looked at Xiao Yanzi, teasingly saying, "What does it matter whether I go or not? For you, isn't the most important thing whether Yongqi goes or not?"

"Your Majesty! You're getting better and better at teasing me now!"

"Not to mention that I'm pregnant now, even if I hadn't been pregnant before, if I went to the hunting grounds, I would have just been watching you all chasing each other. What difference would it have made if I hadn't gone? I would have been better off staying in Yanxi Palace..."

"Besides, when you get back, you can tell me everything that happened in the hunting grounds, right? That should be enough, isn't it?"

Xia Ziwei chimed in, "I think Your Majesty is right. Right now, the most important thing is Your Majesty and the baby in your womb. We can put everything else aside for now."

"That's true. Once Your Majesty gives birth to this child, Father Emperor might be pleased and promote you in rank."

Consort Ling smiled slightly and said, "I don't really care about that. What I want more is for my child to live a safe and happy life."

At this moment, Lamei walked in from outside. "Your Majesty, the Imperial Kitchen has already delivered lunch. Why don't you have your meal first?"

"Little Swallow, Ziwei, since you're both here, let's eat something together."

"Ziwei and I originally came here just to have a meal at Your Majesty's place. Even if Your Majesty doesn't ask us to stay, Ziwei and I will still stay for a meal."

"You silly girl..." Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei stepped forward to help Consort Ling towards the dining room. "By the way, why didn't Qing'er come with you today?"

Little Swallow sighed, "She was kidnapped by my brother, so naturally she can't come..."

"The court's negligence back then caused you and your brother to be separated at a young age. You were forced to wander the world. Now, your suffering has finally come to an end. The Emperor has entrusted his favorite son and the Empress Dowager's most precious granddaughter to you and your brother. I don't know whether you or we have come out on top..."

Xiao Yanzi said, "Of course everyone benefits. We've found our soulmates, and with my brother and me helping Yongqi, our Qing Dynasty will surely be even more prosperous in the future. Who knows, we might even produce heroines like Mu Guiying and Fan Lihua!"

"This is not a matter of uncertainty, it is a certainty. You and Qing'er practiced martial arts since childhood and still haven't slacked off at all. With your help, the Emperor will have far fewer troubles!"

The food was served, and the women were about to start eating when Xiao Yanzi stopped them, saying, "Your Highness, wait!"

"What's wrong?" Consort Ling looked at Xiao Yanzi in confusion. "Is there something wrong with the food?"

Xiao Yanzi carefully smelled the dishes in front of Consort Ling, then took out a silver needle to test them. She saw that the silver needle had changed color. "Your Majesty, seal off Yanxi Palace immediately!"

After Xiao Yanzi gave the order, Consort Ling immediately had it carried out, though she was still somewhat shocked, "Who on earth would do such a thing to me?"

"Ziwei, you stay here with Lamei and Dongxue to protect Her Majesty. I'm going out for a bit!"

After leaving Yanxi Palace, Xiao Yanzi whispered a few words to Xiao Zhuozi and Xiao Dengzi, who were guarding outside, before returning to Yanxi Palace. When she entered the dining room, she whispered to Xia Ziwei and Consort Ling, "I have already sent Xiao Zhuozi to inform Yongqi that Xiao Guizi has gone to see the Emperor. Yongqi will definitely go to the Imperial Kitchen to check the situation first. I will check from this room."

If there were no problems with the imperial kitchen or the route of delivery, then the poison must have been administered inside Yanxi Palace. There must be a spy sent by someone else in Consort Ling's palace, but who is this person?

"Lamei, Dongxue, you two stay with Her Majesty. Ziwei, come with me." Xiaoyanzi led Xia Ziwei to check all the eunuchs and maids in Yanxi Palace. They eventually found two suspicious people, but without evidence, they couldn't take any rash action.

"Little Swallow, I led the imperial physicians to search the Imperial Kitchen and the route to Yanxi Palace, but we found nothing unusual. Have you found anything here?" Yongqi told Little Swallow about the results from the Imperial Kitchen. "Was the poisoning done inside Yanxi Palace?"

"I've identified two suspicious individuals, but without evidence, my mere speculation isn't convincing enough..."

Yongqi frowned and pressed, "Who are they?"

"One was a palace maid who helped take care of the flowers and plants in Yanxi Palace, and the other was a eunuch who was in charge of tending the fire in the small kitchen."

Yongqi found it very strange, "How could these two people be involved in this matter?"

"It's precisely because it seems unreasonable and impossible that they are more likely to be involved. When I questioned them, only these two people were evasive, and their eyes were darting around restlessly..."

Yongqi was truly puzzled. "Then tell me, who is the person behind this?"

"I don't know either. The palace is a mixed bag. Who knows who might want to get back at Consort Ling, or perhaps their real intention is to get back at me and Ziwei. In any case, they want to cause harm to our group..."

"If she's not a concubine in the harem, then she must be someone who wants to compete with me?"

Xiao Yanzi continued, "If something happens to Consort Ling, and someone maliciously frames her, Ziwei and I will be in big trouble; if Ziwei and I are accidentally poisoned, Consort Ling might be framed for poisoning. However, these are all just my guesses, without any evidence..."

"Since entering the palace, Consort Ling has always been well-behaved and has not offended anyone. Who could possibly want to harm her?" Yongqi thought and thought, but he couldn't figure out who was behind it.

At first, he subconsciously thought it was the Empress who did it, but in the past few years, the Empress had always been kind and gentle and had not done anything bad, so it didn't seem like something she would do.

Emperor Qianlong, the Empress Dowager, and others arrived one after another. After showing concern for Consort Ling, they looked at Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi to inquire about the situation.

"Little Swallow, do you mean someone is plotting against you, and whoever gets poisoned will be the one to suffer?"

"Your Majesty, these are all just my guesses, and there is no evidence to support them."

"Then arrest those two people you suspect first, interrogate them thoroughly, and I refuse to believe we can't find out who the murderer is."

Little Swallow spoke up to stop them, "Your Majesty, if you put them in prison, I'm afraid their lives will be in danger. You know, prison is where they are most likely to be killed to silence them, or to commit suicide!"

The Empress Dowager said angrily, "Then tell me, what is the solution?"

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Yanzi said, "Perhaps, they would only reveal their true colors if they made the people behind the scenes believe that something had indeed happened to us?"

"Little Swallow, you're thinking..." Yongqi seemed to have already guessed Little Swallow's plan, "...to have everyone put on a show, and then we'll definitely find out whose true colors have been revealed?"