Harem Daily Life

Chapter 240 Do you really think you are a dish?

The imperial concubine came very quickly and apologized as soon as she came up: "I have failed in my duty. I will have someone search the entire imperial garden and eliminate snakes and insects."

He Linzhang looked unhappy: "Someone is doing bad things. No matter how much you defend yourself, it will be useless. Since you are here, stay and wait. The Ministry of Punishment should have a result soon."

The imperial concubine's eyes darkened: "Yes, I don't know who is so bold as to put a snake into Fengyi Palace."

He Linzhang pinched his brows and said, "I'm afraid these two have been hiding by the Queen's side for many years, or they were bribed recently. I have identified them today and they are old men who have been there since the Eastern Palace."

The imperial concubine tightened her hands hidden in her sleeves. The two men usually worked in the outer courtyard and she had never been close to them. It was unexpected that His Majesty could recognize them.

"But the Ministry of Punishment will definitely get the result by using severe punishment. Whether it was recently bribed or a nail planted long ago, the result must be found out today." He Linzhang said sternly, glanced at Tao Yanyan, and said in a gentle manner: "If you are tired, go back to Changle Palace to rest. I will tell you when there is a result."

Tao Yanyan was holding the "cute-looking" second princess in her arms at the moment, and she was still a little shocked.

The imperial concubine saw that she was very close to the second princess and said, "It's a coincidence that Tao Zhaoyi came today. How come she happened to come when someone released a snake?"

Tao Yanyan glanced at the imperial concubine and said calmly, "Yes, this luck is incredible. But it was too coincidental, too coincidental to be true. Those two didn't release them earlier or later, but they did today when I came. Maybe they came for me and implicated the queen."

The imperial concubine snorted in her heart: Do you really think you are a dish? You are only a third-rank imperial concubine, not even that great.

Seeing the Imperial Concubine's disdainful look, Tao Yanyan curled her lips slightly. Everyone knew that the snake was released for the Queen, so who could be the mastermind? It could only be the concubine with a child!

But Tao Yanyan couldn't guess whether the person behind this was Concubine De or Concubine Gui.

Logically speaking, the imperial concubine only gave birth to one princess, and she would not gain anything by doing these things to harm the queen. It seems more likely that Concubine De was behind this.

But Tao Yanyan always felt that Concubine De would not do such a thing. He couldn't explain the reason, it was just a hunch.

However, these are just my own guesses. I cannot speak them out or question them, lest I be outmaneuvered by others in the end.

The second princess nestled in Tao Yanyan's arms and sniffed gently: "Strange, Tao Zhaoyi, you don't have this smell on you, how come I can smell it?"

When Tao Yanyan heard what Xiaotuanzi said, he asked curiously: "What's that smell?"

The second princess touched her little bun and said, "It's the smell of realgar wine that snakes are most afraid of! Every year on the Dragon Boat Festival, my mother drinks realgar wine and asks people to sprinkle realgar powder around Fengyi Palace to ward off snakes and insects."

Tao Yanyan was very upset: "I have been in Fengyi Palace the whole time and I haven't changed any sachets."

After saying that, he looked at the imperial concubine.

The imperial concubine coughed lightly and said, "I heard that there was a snake in the palace, so I asked someone to prepare a sachet of realgar powder before I came. I am also afraid of snakes."

After saying that, he looked at the Second Princess and said, "I didn't expect the Second Princess to be so sensitive to spices and even recognize the smell of realgar powder."

The second princess tilted her head and said, "Today I also smelled the scent of tuberose flowers. My mother smelled it, and I smelled it too. Snakes love this scent the most."

With just one sentence, everyone's faces changed suddenly.

Tao Yanyan immediately held the child and sniffed it, only to smell the fragrance of milk...

The second princess took off the scent bag from her body and handed it to her: "The fragrance is here."

He Linzhang immediately asked the imperial physician to come over and identify it. Imperial Physician Zhao opened the sachet and smelled it, frowning and saying, "There is indeed the scent of tuberose in it, but not much. This tuberose belongs to a species of the Apocynaceae family. This oleander can make people dizzy, nauseous, and sleepy. It is poisonous, but frogs and snakes prefer this scent. How could this... be in the sachet worn by the princess?"

He Linzhang immediately ordered Nanny Fang to go to the bedroom and get the sachet that the Queen was wearing today and give it to the imperial physician.

Doctor Zhao examined it carefully again, his expression becoming more serious. "Your Majesty, this sachet also contains tuberose, and it obviously contains more than the one just now. This must not be worn by a pregnant woman!"

Nanny Fang was horrified: "No wonder the Queen has been feeling uncomfortable these past two days. She has vomited several times even though she has stopped having morning sickness. She also always complains of fatigue. Could it be that someone deliberately replaced the Queen's sachet?"

He Linzhang asked angrily, "How did you serve me? Where is the maid who is in charge of clothing?"

Yuexi immediately knelt down and said, "I am in charge of the queen's clothes. I deserve death, but I don't know perfume. Guixi prepared the perfume sachets for her every day."

When Nanny Fang saw that Gui Xi was not there, she immediately sent someone to call him.

Gui Xi was brought in by two eunuchs. When He Linzhang asked her, she immediately confessed: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I really didn't know that this spice was poisonous, and I didn't know that snakes would like it!"

"You're lying!" As soon as Gui Xi finished speaking, the second princess retorted fiercely: "I asked you a few months ago what kind of flowers you were drying, and you said they were tuberoses, and told me not to touch them, otherwise snakes would come to me."

Gui Xi: “…”

What a careless thing! Who would have thought that a child would remember these?

"I secretly took some to the Imperial Garden to lure snakes, and I caught Xiaobai."

As soon as the Second Princess finished speaking, the maid behind her immediately said, "Oh, I remember now! The Second Princess once caught a small snake in the Imperial Garden. It was all white and scary. The Second Princess wanted to keep it, and the Empress punished her to copy three books of poetry."

Tao Yanyan: “…”

I kind of want to throw the little girl in my arms away. What's going on? She likes to keep snakes as pets, my God!

He Linzhang stared at Gui Xi who was kneeling on the ground: "Tell me, who sent you to harm the queen? If you don't tell me, all your family members outside the palace will be buried with you!"

Gui Xi cried and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, spare my life. I didn't know it was poisonous, I didn't know it would attract snakes, I don't know anything!"

"Humph!" The second princess was so angry that she quickly said, "You know it very well! I never lie!" After that, she looked at Tao Yanyan eagerly and said, "Tao Zhaoyi, believe me, I don't lie."

Tao Yanyan was so touched by her cute look that his face bled: "I believe you."

Since it's so cute, I'll just give it another hug.

"It seems that you are unwilling to confess. Come, send him to the Ministry of Punishment for severe interrogation."

The guards immediately stepped forward and dragged the man away.

The imperial concubine's palms were sweating. She had already placed two people in Fengyi Palace, but what about this Gui Xi?

Who does he belong to? And why did he know her plan and cooperate with her to use spices to lure the snake?