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  The original empress may not have died of fasting, this suspicion had already taken root and sprouted towering vines after Ming Xuan learned about the suspicious circumstances surrounding Gu Changping's and Lu Shi's deaths. She has always wanted to find an opportunity to uncover the truth behind that incident, to give the original empress justice, and also to bring peace to her own heart.

  However, the inner palace was not a place she could easily reach. The palace walls were tightly closed and only allowed messages that those in power wanted others to know to be released. Even the dowager's belongings that the emperor later sent out were carefully screened and authorized by someone. Her previous situation had been precarious, leaving her no energy to investigate any truth, and now, after accumulating some strength, it was still far from enough to reach into the forbidden palace.

  But now, having entered the palace just once, these unattainable pieces of news were so easily known to her.

  Ming Xuan gazed at the starry sky, constantly observing her facial expressions, not daring to miss a single detail.

  She had already guessed that this was a message that Empress Pei deliberately wanted to convey to her. In the bloody accusations of the old people in Yonghe Palace, every word and sentence pointed to Yu Huifei, who told Yuanfei about the death of Gu Changping's couple, diagnosed Yuanfei with joy and opened medicine, but later said that Yuanfei's joy was just an illusion, and also introduced the imperial physician. Empress Pei and Yu Huifei are now like fire and water, she can't help but suspect the truth of these words.

  Xingyi seemed to have sensed Mingxuan's intention and was no longer as humble as before. He raised his head and looked directly at Mingxuan, "I dare to swear with my life that not a single word I said is false. These things are all what I and Yuehe personally experienced, and I don't dare to deceive even half a word."

  She gritted her teeth and said, "The imperial physician that Consort Hui invited is surnamed Su. I don't know what position he holds, but judging from the official uniform he wears, it should be a fifth-rank position. That Imperial Physician Su has a round face, extremely big eyes, and a mole under his eyebrows. If Your Highness is willing, you can send someone to investigate whether there was such an imperial physician in the Imperial Hospital of the Inner Court four years ago."

  Ming Xuan's heart moved, the imperial physician who misdiagnosed the dragon pulse for Empress Gu last year was also surnamed Su, coincidentally with a round face like Zhang Yuan. It is said that his eyes are particularly large, and whether there is a black mole hidden under his eyebrows can be known at a glance. That Su Imperial Physician was also the saintly hand who "saved" her life back then. The Yongning Marquis Manor has always been quite respectful to him because of this.

  After the mess with Imperial Consort Gu, the Gu family wanted to capture him, only to find that the Su residence was already empty. It turned out that Dr. Su had resigned before the imperial consort gave birth and left Shengjing City openly, and so far, there has been no news of his whereabouts.

  Ming Xuan thought for a moment, no longer responding to the conversation, but asked, "Yonghe Palace is located in a remote corner, far from Kun Ning Palace. How did He Yuehe end up in front of Kun Ning Palace? The imperial palace is solemn and dignified, we have been here for many years. We should be familiar with these rules, so why would she get into conflict with other palace maids?"

  She now knew that this matter was instructed by Empress Pei, and the words of the palace maid Xingyi should also be true, but she had always been cautious and careful, and would only dare to entrust her trust in a stranger after verifying the facts several times. After all, it concerned the cause of Gu Mingrui's death, involving the princesses of the harem, this matter was not trivial. She could not help but be cautious.

  Xing moved down, "Originally, people in Yonghe Palace didn't dare to wander around the palace at will. If they were discovered by the general manager, they would be severely reprimanded. However, recently, the emperor has been coming to Yonghe Palace more frequently than usual. Without regard for the monks' faces or the Buddha's face, many people in the palace are flattering and sycophantic, and have become much more polite to the people of Yonghe Palace."

  It so happened that Empress Pei and Concubine Yu were at odds with each other, and the Yonghe Palace was empty. The maids' activity space increased a lot compared to before. The palace girls from various palaces gathered together to chat, and they no longer drove the maids away like before. Coming and going frequently, I learned about many things outside. Last month, I heard that Seventh Miss's husband was conferred as Duke Anping by the Emperor. Two days ago, I heard that Empress Pei would announce the entry of Duchess Anping into the palace today. So, I and Yuehe came to wait outside Kunning Palace, wanting to find an opportunity to meet you."

  She paused for a moment, her face showing a hint of anger and frustration. "But on the way out, the servant girls from Concubine Hui's palace encountered us, and they spoke with sharp tongues, every sentence an insult to me and Yuehe. We had endured it all the way here, originally planning to continue to swallow our pride in order to see Seventh Miss. But Concubine Hui's favored maid, Tao Xiang, actually laid hands on Yuehe...Yuehe is different from me, she absolutely cannot be bullied by ordinary palace maids. I was momentarily impulsive and got into a fight with them..."

  Her face was calm, but her eyes showed genuine gratitude. "If it weren't for the queen's plea on our behalf, I'm afraid we would have been in a precarious situation this time around. In the Yonghe Palace, among those who were trusted by the former empress dowager, except for me and Yuehe, either they died inexplicably or their spirit was crushed by hardships, living like wooden puppets, long losing the will to seek justice for Her Majesty."

  She sighed softly, "I have no family, I'd rather die than sacrifice my life. Although Yuehe's body is weak, she must stand up and tell the truth for the sake of her mistress and..."

  Ming Xuan's eyes moved slightly, "Why hasn't Yuhe come?"

  Xing Yun opened his mouth, wanting to speak but hesitated, "Yue He she..."

  She looked around cautiously, took a step forward and lowered her voice even further. "To be honest with the princess, I have also figured out that this encounter between us is not accidental. It must be Empress Pei's intention to use me as a mouthpiece and the princess's hands to take action against Concubine Hui. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy for me to sneak into the Kun Ning Palace, nor could I enter this side hall of the Kun Ning Palace. But I have no other choice now, even though I know it's a trap, I still have to jump in willingly."

  She stretched her hand into her bosom and rubbed it hard, as if she had taken out something, then lightly touched Ming Xuan's hand. In the twinkling of an eye, she stuffed a crumpled paper ball into Ming Xuan's bosom. She opened her mouth, almost making no sound, but Ming Xuan understood her lip language.

  Xingyi said, "Today, I have come to plead for the injustice of Yuan Fei Niangniang and also to ask for a favor. The matter of Yuehe is extremely urgent, all written on this paper ball. I beg Wang Fei to take into consideration the face of Yuan Fei Niangniang and help her out. The kindness of helping will be like rebirth from parents, in the future, even if it means sacrificing my life, I will definitely repay!"

  Ming Xuan didn't know what was written on the paper ball, but seeing Xing Yi's serious and solemn expression, she also didn't dare to be slow.

  At this time, a woman's voice came from outside, "I don't know if Princess Anping has changed her clothes?"

  Ming Xuan hid the paper ball in his sleeve and loudly replied to the outside of the door, "Alright, I'll be right out."

  She turned her head, lowered her voice and said to Xingyi, "Since it's Empress Pei's plan to let him jump in, this means that before Concubine Hui falls, she still needs them, and Yuehe is also safe. Since they have the ability to let him in quietly, they will naturally be able to send him out quietly, so just rest assured and return to Yonghe Palace. As for me, I'll think about what to do next, and when I've made a decision, I'll find a way to notify you."

  Her eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp glint, "I won't let my sister die in vain!"

  Ming Xuan came out of the side hall and was led back to the main hall of Kun Ning Palace by a female official. At this time, the main hall was filled with laughter and conversation. She took a closer look and found that Yu Hui Fei and Gu Gui Fei had also arrived at Kun Ning Palace with several concubines, chatting with Empress Pei. Huang Yi sat beside them, neither showing any signs of fear nor timidity, but also not displaying any hint of intimidation. Only when someone asked her a question would she respond calmly and composedly.

  Compared with his straightforward and uninhibited manner when they first met at the villa in the southern suburbs, Huang Yi was completely transformed, as if he had become a different person.

  But Ming Xuan didn't have time to feel sentimental, as Yu Hui Fei had already called out her name.

  Yu Huifei glanced at Ming Xuan's belly, her face full of smiles as she said, "I heard that the Princess of Anping is three months pregnant? Congratulations! I originally told the Empress Dowager that Miss Gu Qī was a lucky one, and now look, she's become the Princess! If your sister knew about this in the afterlife, she'd be just as thrilled as I am. She'd know you've found your ideal husband and are going to be a mother soon."

  She turned her head to face Empress Pei and said with a pout, "Sister, you've never been pregnant before, so you don't know the hardship. Princess Anping is exactly three months pregnant now, which is the most difficult time. Not to mention this cold weather, it's not suitable for a pregnant woman to come to the palace and run around. Even if the weather were pleasant, just the morning sickness alone would be enough to make one suffer."

  Implicitly, it was blaming Empress Pei for being inconsiderate.

  But Empress Pei was full of confidence, and she smiled as she said, "Look at what Consort Hui is saying. Although I have never been pregnant before, haven't I seen a pig run even if I haven't eaten pork? When Noble Consort gave birth to the dragon heir, it was still okay, but when Consort Hui gave birth to the eldest prince, she didn't suffer less from these troubles. Every day, morning sickness wasn't mentioned, and dizziness, weakness, fatigue, and leg softness were all normal conditions. I saw it with my own eyes and felt the pain in my heart."

  She smiled and turned to Ming Xuan, saying, "Speaking of which, although Princess Anping is young, she's stronger than our own Princess Hui. Her body is robust, her complexion looks good, it seems that Prince Anping treats her well and takes good care of her. However, even so, this palace still has its concerns, if you feel unwell or tired, be sure to tell me at once, don't try to be strong."

  Ming Xuan hastily expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress and Consort Hui for your concern."

  On the golden phoenix chair, Empress Pei smiled as usual with a calm face, but Yu Huifei's eyes flashed with a hint of gloom. Meanwhile, Imperial Consort Gu was sipping tea from her cup, seemingly carefree and oblivious to the verbal sparring between Empress Pei and Yu Huifei. Logically speaking, she should be closer to Ming Xuan as they were biological cousins, but she didn't show any intention of talking to Ming Xuan, as if she was just an outsider.

  At this time, the eunuch guarding the door of Kunning Palace rushed in and announced, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived!"

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