Putting all that aside, let's talk about Leng Caidie being taken away to the imperial physician for treatment. However, Leng Caidie had lost half of her arm, and no matter how skilled the imperial physician was, he couldn't make the arm grow back. So all he could do was apply medicine to stop the bleeding and bandage her. Leng Caidie screamed in pain all the way, her whole body convulsing in agony. Her clothes and hair were already disheveled from the struggle, and she was covered in blood and sweat from the pain. The combination of the two made her clothes tattered and dirty, clinging to her body. Even though her screams were hoarse, she kept howling, looking like a madwoman. The two imperial physicians frowned at the sight.
Baili Mao was brought over in no time. He was alright; he had just fainted from the shock and was fine when he woke up. Leng Caidie was the real problem. In the end, the imperial physician had no choice but to have her knocked unconscious so that he could apply the medicine to her. After finishing, the two unconscious women collapsed onto the chairs, panting heavily.
"Physicians, Prince Sheng has awakened. Please come and report on Princess Sheng's condition." When the servant came to report, the two physicians couldn't help but exchange a wry smile before heading to Bai Shimao's room.
Baili Mao had already washed and changed his clothes. He wore a blue brocade robe and had his hair tied up high with a white jade hair crown. Sitting there quietly, he was truly handsome and elegant. The two imperial physicians bowed very respectfully and said, "Your humble servants greet Your Highness Sheng."
"No need for such formalities, Imperial Physicians. May I ask how Princess Sheng is doing? Is there anything seriously wrong with her?" Baili Mao asked with a concerned expression.
The two imperial physicians exchanged a glance, both hesitant. Seeing this, Baili Mao's expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Please speak freely, both imperial physicians. I can handle any situation. Do not deceive me."
The two imperial physicians exchanged a glance, and the older one spoke up: "Your Highness, Princess Sheng's arm is broken and cannot be reattached. She will only be able to use her right hand from now on. Moreover, this loss of virginity has dealt a heavy blow to Princess Sheng. Her body will be very weak for a period of time, and her emotions will also need to be carefully comforted."
Baili Mao didn't speak: "Is that all?"
The imperial physician then said, "Your Highness, Princess Sheng's health is too weak, and I'm afraid she won't be able to... consummate the marriage for a long time."
Baili Mao was shocked and angrily said, "What did you say! You mean the princess is infertile?!" With her arm broken and crippled, and now unable to have children, this was truly adding insult to injury for Leng Caidie!
The imperial physician was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground, cold sweat dripping from his forehead: "Well, this humble servant is of limited knowledge and learning. Perhaps seeking out more renowned physicians might be of some help."
Baili Mao was furious. He grabbed a teacup and slammed it heavily on the table. The two imperial physicians trembled in fear. After a moment of trepidation, Baili Mao finally composed himself and said in a deep voice, "Get out! Don't let the princess know this news and upset her. Give me the best medicine and make sure the princess recovers as soon as possible."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, I obey." The two imperial physicians were so frightened that they rushed out of the room. Soon, only Baili Mao and his two personal attendants remained in the room. After a while, Baili Mao suddenly burst into laughter. This kind of laughter after hearing about Leng Caidie's news seemed extremely strange.
Baili Mao, in a very good mood, poured himself a cup of tea: "Very good, very good. I was just thinking about how to smoothly bring Ning Xishan into the manor. Although I don't care about Leng Caidie, I was afraid she might cause some trouble. Now it's all right, she's lost an arm, and according to the rules, she's not qualified to be my queen. Since Father Emperor has ordered her protection, I will naturally obey and take good care of her. However, she doesn't need to have any more children. With her injury and infertility, it's a relief for me. A queen who is infertile and mentally challenged has no right to stop me from taking a concubine." After saying that, he waved his hand behind him, "Go, find an opportunity to contact the Ning family these next few days. I will marry Ning Xishan as my concubine as soon as possible. I will bring her into the manor under the pretext of bringing good luck. The Ning family only needs to prepare to marry her in; I will handle the rest."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Baili Mao took a sip of tea, his brows furrowing slightly. He had forgotten the tea was cold; it tasted awful. However, he was incredibly excited. If he married Ning Xishan, he would gain the Ning family's support. And if he dealt with Leng Caidie, his relationship with the Leng family wouldn't be severed. Now, his father had given him the position of inspector. If this matter was handled well, his power would increase significantly. Everything was developing in a positive direction, and he was getting closer and closer to that position.
Once he sits in that position, he will eliminate one by one all those who dared to look down on him and bully him. The Empress, the Crown Prince, Baili Zhi, Baili Chen, you will all die a horrible death!
After waiting for a while and hearing that Leng Caidie was out of danger, everyone left the mansion. Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue first sent Li Rushuang and the others back to the mansion, and then returned to the mansion with Xuan Yuan Chaohua. They separated in the middle and returned to the Chen Prince's mansion in no time. Of course, the first thing they did upon returning to the Chen Prince's mansion was to tell Leng Caiwen about what had happened that day.
Leng Caiwen was stunned for a moment and didn't say anything for a long time: "Second Uncle has turned misfortune into blessing." After Leng Caiwen said this, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue left.
Back in her room, Ouyang Yue couldn't help but sigh, "My cousin is feeling terrible too."
"After all, they lived together, so there must be feelings involved. Caiwen is a very stubborn person." If she weren't so stubborn, she wouldn't still be so attached to Ouyang Yue.
Ouyang Yue's eyes were somewhat unfocused. Baili Chen helped Ouyang Yue sit on the bed and hugged her from the side, saying, "Don't think about it. My wife, rest for a while. Although it's not cold outside today, it's still winter and there's a chill in the air. You should warm up first."
Ouyang Yue shook her head: "I'm not tired at all, and I don't want to rest now."
Baili Chen agreed, saying, "Then I'll keep you company for a while." Ever since Ouyang Yue became pregnant, she would occasionally space out, though only for a short time, something she hadn't done before. These were all symptoms of pregnancy. Baili Chen didn't find them annoying at all; in fact, he thought Ouyang Yue was even more adorable. "Then I'll chat with you. What does my wife want to talk about? Do you want to talk about astronomy, geography, or other worldly affairs, or do you want to tell me about my own experiences and interesting stories? As long as my wife wants to hear it, I will tell you everything I know. I can even clearly explain every detail of how I fell in love with my wife. How about we start with this?"
Baili Chen chuckled, and Ouyang Yue rolled her eyes at him, but her face was full of smiles. She couldn't help but scold him playfully, "Who wants to hear your love story? It's not even about who it's with yet. Don't try to pin it on me, I won't believe it."
Baili Chen chuckled: "Then my wife will listen to see if it's on you or not."
Ouyang Yue snorted and laughed, "Alright..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ouyang Yue's face suddenly turned pale, her lips trembled, large beads of sweat dripped from her forehead, and she swayed and fell forward. Baili Chen exclaimed in shock, "Yue'er, what's wrong with you?!"
☆、223、Great Chaos!
Baili Chen was shocked and quickly reached out to hug Ouyang Yue. However, even with Ouyang Yue's falling posture, he still stumbled a bit. Baili Chen said anxiously, "Yue'er, Yue'er, are you alright?" As he spoke, Min Jing raised his arm and quickly picked Ouyang Yue up and placed her on the bed.
At this moment, Ouyang Yue was covered in sweat, panting heavily, her brows furrowed, looking quite uncomfortable. She struggled to lift her eyes, looking at Baili Chen, who was also sweating profusely, and shook her head slightly: "It's... nothing, I just suddenly felt a pain in my chest..."
"Leng Sha, quickly find the imperial physicians, bring all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital, hurry!" Baili Chen shouted as he turned around. There was only a hurried reply from outside, and then there was no sound. It was clear that he had already run away.
Chuncao and Dongxue rushed in at this moment. Seeing Ouyang Yue's appearance, they were both anxious. However, neither of them knew medicine and could only worry helplessly. Dongxue hurriedly said, "Should I call other famous doctors in the capital as well?"
“Yes, in case those doctors in the Imperial Hospital are all talk and no action and they're not good, then someone else might be able to help. You should go quickly.” Baili Chen nodded repeatedly.
Chuncao said, "This servant will first have someone boil water so that the Princess can wipe her sweat."
"Okay, go quickly!" Baili Chen waved lazily, holding Ouyang Yue's hands with both of his. He busily wiped Ouyang Yue's sweat with his sleeves, his eyes flickering. The anxiety and fear in his heart kept lingering. He kept trying to smile at Ouyang Yue, but his lips twitched and he just couldn't bring himself to smile genuinely.
Baili Chen suddenly recalled his childhood. Back then, he was very weak and mostly unable to interact with others. His brothers went to school, but he couldn't because of his frequent illnesses. He was all alone in the vast Chenyu Palace. He often sat on his bed, lost in thought, watching the hypocritical palace servants from various factions. All he felt was resentment, loneliness, and a painful longing for liberation. Finally, he met someone he could love, cherish, and trust without reservation. He couldn't bear Yue'er's departure. He, who had never feared anything, was now filled with panic. He unconsciously tightened his grip on Ouyang Yue's hand, leaving red marks on her fair palm, but neither Baili Chen nor Ouyang Yue were aware of it.
Ouyang Yue felt dizzy and her heart was throbbing with a gradual, stabbing pain. She had been a special agent in her past life and had also taken many risks in this life. She was very tolerant of danger and pain, but this pain in her heart was not just pain. She couldn't describe the feeling, but it was a throbbing pain.
"Moon, hang in there, the imperial physician will be here soon, everything will be alright, you will be alright," Baili Chen kept saying in her ear.
Ouyang Yue was panting heavily. "Yes, I'll be fine, but why do you seem to be in more pain than me?" Baili Chen's eyes were bloodshot as he anxiously watched Ouyang Yue, not daring to leave her side. His face clearly showed he was on the verge of collapse, yet he pretended to be more fearless than her. It looked so ugly. Ouyang Yue tried to smile, but a sharp pain shot through her head. Her face contorted, and she couldn't help but groan, "Ah!"
"Yue'er!" Baili Chen hugged Ouyang Yue tightly, his heart pounding in his chest.
"The imperial physician has arrived." Leng Sha's voice sounded like a blessing. Baili Chen quickly turned around and saw Leng Sha carrying a pale-faced old man into the room. As soon as the old man landed, his head went limp and he almost collapsed to the ground, but Leng Sha lifted him up.
"Physician Liu, come quickly and treat the Princess!" Baili Chen said urgently.
Physician Liu's face was bitter. As a royal physician, treating imperial relatives was his duty, and he had never complained. But, my dear Prince Chen, could you please stop rushing to summon people every time? If you keep playing this high-altitude game, I'll be going to meet the King of Hell! That's right, Leng Sha, because of the urgent matter, didn't bother with the leisurely carriage ride and directly grabbed Physician Liu by the back of his collar, using his light-footed skill to fly over. Because Physician Liu needed to find two kinds of medicinal herbs these past two days, he was at the mansion. Leng Sha had already sent people to find the other imperial physicians, so Physician Liu was in a real predicament.
But when he looked up and saw Baili Chen's red eyes, he couldn't help but tremble. He didn't dare to say anything, no matter how much he disagreed, and quickly carried his medicine box over.
Seeing Ouyang Yue drenched in sweat on the bed, he felt a pang of anxiety and said, "Your Highness, I will take the Princess's pulse now."
Chuncao immediately rushed over, lowered the bed curtains, and took out a white handkerchief for Physician Liu. Baili Chen, however, did not come out and remained sitting inside the bed watching. Fortunately, Physician Liu had been the head of the Madam's ward for many years and had mostly treated people like the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, so he had seen a lot. If it were any other physician, they would have been terrified and would not have been able to calm down and treat the patient.
Physician Liu, with a calm expression, carefully took the pulse for a full half hour. Physician Liu was also exhausted and covered in sweat before he finally withdrew his hand.
Baili Chen suddenly lifted the bed curtains and asked, "How is it?"
Physician Liu had a slight doubt: "Your Highness, after examining the Princess Consort, I found that apart from her unusually rapid heartbeat and the fetus seeming unusually excited, she had no other symptoms. This so-called excitement is likely caused by external stimulation. As far as I know, the Princess Consort participated in the selection of the Deputy Commander today. What happened before could easily cause stimulation to a pregnant woman. Judging from her pulse, this is the most likely explanation. I will prescribe some calming and pregnancy-preserving medicine, which should be able to calm the Princess Consort down."
Baili Chen frowned as he listened: "Is that all? The princess is sweating profusely from the pain, and that's all? You didn't diagnose her wrong?" Baili Chen looked distrustful, but Physician Liu wasn't angry. He couldn't stand getting angry with someone like Baili Chen, nor did he have the guts. He just nodded seriously.
At this time, the other imperial physicians also entered the mansion one after another, and their diagnoses were similar to those of Physician Liu. In just a short while, Ouyang Yue's symptoms of being in so much pain that she was sweating profusely were relieved. Baili Chen dismissed the other imperial physicians and only asked Ouyang Yue with concern, "Does it really not hurt anymore?"
Ouyang Yue frowned, sensing something was amiss, but still shook her head: "It doesn't hurt at all anymore. Perhaps Physician Liu is right; I was just aroused." Although Ouyang Yue didn't believe she was frightened by that bloody scene—she had seen far more terrifying scenes in her previous life—how could Leng Caidie's severed arm have caused her such a reaction? Was she really that timid? However, considering she was pregnant and more sensitive to external contact, it wasn't entirely impossible. This was somewhat similar to Physician Liu's analysis, and with so many imperial physicians offering similar explanations, Baili Chen had no choice but to believe it.
Physician Liu stayed behind to write the prescription, carefully checked it, and then handed it to Baili Chen: "Your Highness, if the Princess Consort feels unwell, please summon me again."
"Yes, I understand. Thank you for your help, Physician Liu." Hearing that Ouyang Yue was alright, Baili Chen's expression improved, and his tone became much more normal. Physician Liu bowed and stepped back to leave, but when he reached the main table, he kicked something. Physician Liu was startled and turned his head to look. It was a golden hairpin with a phoenix on it. The phoenix on the hairpin was lifelike and very beautiful and exquisite. It turned out that Ouyang Yue had been in pain and was about to fall. Baili Chen had hurriedly supported her, and a hairpin had accidentally fallen from her hand. Physician Liu squatted down to pick it up. Just as he was about to put it on the table, he suddenly picked up the hairpin and put it to his nose to smell it. He was very serious and his expression was very solemn. He smelled it more than twenty times. Even Baili Chen, who was comforting Ouyang Yue, noticed Physician Liu's strange behavior.
"Is there anything wrong with this hairpin, Physician Liu?" Ouyang Yue was alright, and Baili Chen helped her sit up and asked.
Physician Liu did not reply immediately, but instead carefully smelled the hairpin again, and said to Baili Chen, "Your Highness, is this hairpin the one that Princess Chen wore before?"
Ouyang Yue nodded: "That's right, it was worn by me, but it probably fell to the ground in the chaos just now."
Physician Liu's eyes flickered slightly: "Your Majesty, I have some doubts about this hairpin. If possible, I would like to conduct an experiment here. Please send someone to fetch a basin of boiling water."
Baili Chen glanced around, and Chuncao, understanding, went out to give the order. A moment later, she returned carrying a basin of water. Physician Liu immediately began rummaging through his yellow pearwood medicine box, then took out an ordinary porcelain bottle—the kind that wouldn't normally be noticed in a medicine box. He opened the lid, poured a few drops of liquid into the water, and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness's Consort, this bottle contains a medicine that I have researched. Under normal circumstances, its function is to separate other medicines, or rather, to dilute them." He then placed the hairpin into the water.
Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen exchanged a glance, somewhat understanding Physician Liu's intention. It seemed that Physician Liu had discovered something wrong with the hairpin. Ouyang Yue's expression turned cold as she watched quietly. Just then, she saw the hairpin begin to secrete a pale yellow substance from its surface. Physician Liu was now lying on the basin, carefully sniffing it. After a while, he straightened up, his face unusually serious: "Prince Chen, Princess Chen, this humble subject suspects that this hairpin has been treated with musk."
Upon hearing this, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's expressions changed drastically. Few people were unfamiliar with musk, especially those who had survived scheming schemes. Musk was one of the finest fragrances, and as a medicinal ingredient, it had the effects of clearing the mind, promoting blood circulation, and relieving pain. However, it was extremely dangerous for pregnant women. Whether ingested or used internally, it could cause miscarriage. This was something that women in the Great Zhou Dynasty both loved and enjoyed. Moreover, it was not good for unmarried young men either, as prolonged exposure to large amounts of musk could easily lead to infertility. Since Ouyang Yue became pregnant, Baili Chen had twice ordered investigations of the entire Chen Prince's mansion, and anything that could affect Ouyang Yue and her unborn child was forbidden. There should be no such thing in the mansion, yet this small hairpin contained it.
Baili Chen remained silent, his face ashen, but everyone in the room could sense his fury. The chilling aura emanating from him made Imperial Physician Liu's heart pound, yet he could understand Baili Chen's anger. It was clear that neither Baili Chen nor Ouyang Yue had noticed the object on the hairpin; someone had deliberately tried to cause Ouyang Yue's miscarriage. As a royal physician who frequently visited the palace, Imperial Physician Liu was used to such things. The bargaining chip in women's struggles was always their children. How many innocent children died in the palace every year? Imperial Physician Liu often sighed with sorrow, but what could he do to change it?
Ouyang Yue's expression changed for a moment, but then returned to normal. She simply said, "To be honest with you, Physician Liu, ever since I became pregnant, everyone and everything in the Prince Chen's mansion that comes into contact with me has been thoroughly investigated. This hairpin was no exception, but we didn't find anything unusual about it before."
Physician Liu nodded and said, "Yes, this hairpin is very meticulously made. It wouldn't be detected by ordinary methods. Even with special methods, it would be difficult to detect without more than thirty years of medical experience. This is because the hairpin wasn't made with musk added externally using ordinary methods. If I'm not mistaken, musk was already seeped into the water during the refining process. The amount used wasn't large, and the hairpin went through many procedures, which continuously reduced the musk content. Not only would it be difficult for ordinary people to detect, but it would also be impossible to detect using certain methods. My suspicion is based entirely on experience. I cannot be certain until the test results are available."
Both Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue remained silent. After a while, Baili Chen said, "Thank you for your hard work today, Physician Liu. I'll trouble you to prepare the medicine. I'll definitely come back to you if I need anything in the future."
Physician Liu immediately withdrew in gratitude. He knew that what was to come was not suitable for him to hear, so he quickly left. Even if Baili Chen hadn't said anything, he would have wanted to leave as fast as he could. Anyone who dared to give Princess Chen something that could cause an abortion must be extraordinary, and he dared not stay here and get implicated.
Chuncao saw Physician Liu off, while Dongxue took the prescription to get medicine for Ouyang Yue and brew it. Leng Sha stood guard outside, and the other servants also went out to do their respective duties. For a moment, only Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue were left in the room.
Baili Chen wrapped his arms around Ouyang Yue's shoulders, but his hands were slightly clenched. His face was ashen, and his eyes were dark and deep, as if a boundless vortex of darkness would erupt and swallow him up at any moment.
Ouyang Yue looked at the phoenix hairpin on the table and smiled faintly: "This hairpin was sent by someone from the palace when I found out I was pregnant."
"Yes, it was a gift from a noble person." Baili Chen's concern for Ouyang Yue was evident from this. After discovering her pregnancy, he personally oversaw everything related to her. He had examined all the items sent from various palaces and was familiar with them, naturally remembering this hairpin. However, the noble person wasn't favored in the palace and had never even met Ouyang Yue, so there was no way they could have any vested interest. Precisely because she was out of favor and lived a somewhat frugal life, the gifts she sent weren't extravagant. Ouyang Yue noticed that this hairpin was simply made of gold, without any gemstones or other accessories, making it simple and elegant. Logically, there shouldn't be anything wrong with the hairpin, and the noble person was unlikely to be the one to send it. It was more likely that someone in the palace wanted to harm her, but used this unfavored noble person as a pawn, and even knew her preferences, allowing her to successfully send the hairpin to harm her.
Of course, it's also possible that someone gave this hairpin to that noble lady back then, and she never got pregnant despite wearing it. This time, it was just a misunderstanding that it was given away.
Ouyang Yue turned to look at Baili Chen: "Husband, which possibility do you think is most likely?"
Bai Lichen said with a stern face, "Whether it's the first or the second method, I will not let anyone involved get away with it."
Ouyang Yue pursed her lips and said, "No, this shouldn't be made a big deal out of. Let's be more careful in the future. Anyway, I'm pregnant, so I won't wear these ornaments anymore." Ouyang Yue held Baili Chen's hand, which was still trembling slightly from anger. However, a strange look flashed in Ouyang Yue's eyes. Why did she feel that the heart-wrenching pain she felt just now wasn't solely due to the musk? Musk does have a nerve-stimulating effect, and of course, given her pregnancy, someone was more likely to have caused her to have an abortion. But was the other nerve-stimulating effect of the musk also causing her heartache? Why did she feel it was more than that?
"I'll rest for a bit. I'd like to go to the Princess's residence later," Ouyang Yue said with a furrowed brow.
Since Ouyang Yue had just had an accident, he naturally couldn't agree and said, "No, you're still tired and can't move around. I'll send out a message to invite my great-aunt and brother-in-law over. I've summoned so many imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to treat your illness, and with all this commotion, they'll naturally find out. It's normal for my great-aunt to come and check on you now, and it won't attract anyone else's attention."
Ouyang Yue thought for a moment and nodded slightly. Baili Chen also sent out an invitation. However, just as the person who sent the invitation left, Princess Shuangxia and Xuanyuan Chaohua arrived. Ouyang Yue sent Chuncao to invite them in directly. Princess Shuangxia and Xuanyuan Chaohua walked in with nervous expressions. When they saw Ouyang Yue leaning on Baili Chen and her face still a little pale, they froze: "Yue'er, how are you? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Grandmother, I'm fine now. I was just a little frightened, it's nothing serious," Ouyang Yue said with a smile.
Xuan Yuan Chaohua said with a stern face, "If she was just frightened, would it be this serious? You've brought all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital here. Don't try to fool us. What exactly happened? Explain yourself." Then she turned to Baili Chen and said, "How did you take care of my sister? If anything happens to her, I'll be the first to hold you accountable."
Ouyang Yue smiled and reassured him, "Brother, I'm really fine. This has nothing to do with the prince. I was just a little surprised by the competition today."
Xuan Yuan Chaohua looked at her with a dark face. How could Xuan Yuan Chaohua, her older brother, not know how bold Ouyang Yue was? These little things could scare her. No one would believe it if he told them.
Princess Shuangxia calmed down more quickly. Seeing that Ouyang Yue was still in the mood to persuade them, it seemed that the problem was not serious: "Did the imperial physician say that everything is really alright?"
Ouyang Yue nodded: "Grandmother, don't worry. They prescribed some medicine to calm your nerves and protect the pregnancy. Everything will be fine. She just looked a little pale from all that commotion, but there's nothing seriously wrong."
Princess Shuangxia nodded: "Yes, that's good. But you can explain how this happened. We must be more careful in the future. You are not in one body now; many people are watching you."
Ouyang Yue paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "Grandmother, you once said that you and the Empress Dowager were like sisters, but now your relationship seems a bit cold. I wonder if you and the Empress Dowager had some kind of conflict later?"
Princess Shuangxia was taken aback, but Xuanyuan Chaohua's expression darkened. Princess Shuangxia looked at Ouyang Yue, and after a moment of silence, she said, "Yue'er is indeed very perceptive. When I mentioned her unintentionally, you discovered the matter. You are also very meticulous."
Even Xuan Yuan Chaohua fell silent, waiting for Princess Shuangxia to speak. It was indeed inappropriate for the younger generation to ask about the affairs of their elders. When Princess Shuangxia mentioned the relationship between the Empress Dowager and herself, she had only mentioned it briefly, so naturally they couldn't ask. Xuan Yuan Chaohua, who had been by Princess Shuangxia's side since childhood, was also unaware of this.
"The Empress Dowager and I used to be very close sisters, so close that we had no secrets. As the eldest daughter of the Lin family, she was destined to enter the palace as a concubine. I helped her a lot back then. You know, my status in the palace was comparable to that of an empress. With my help, it wouldn't have been difficult for her to rise through the ranks." Ouyang Yue and the others knew very well that Princess Shuangxia had been greatly favored by three emperors throughout history, especially the first two. It couldn't be said that she could control the emperor's preferences for women, but having someone like her constantly praising a woman to the emperor greatly increased the chances of her gaining favor. In that case, the Empress Dowager had to thank Princess Shuangxia for her position. It was a pity that things didn't go as planned afterward, otherwise, how could their relationship have deteriorated so much?
"Our relationship was quite good after she entered the palace. Before that, I had already married your grandfather, which meant there was no conflict of interest between us. Actually, the reason our relationship deteriorated was only in the last twenty or thirty years." Twenty or thirty years is roughly the time when Emperor Mingxian ascended the throne. Then, Princess Shuangxia's next words shocked everyone: "Our relationship cooled because I suspected that she was involved in your grandfather's death!"
"What!" Xuan Yuan Chaohua, Ouyang Yue, and Baili Chen were all stunned.
Princess Shuangxia carefully organized her thoughts: "Your grandfather's appearance... Legend has it that he was ugly, although I don't think so, but he certainly wasn't handsome. When I was acquainted with your grandfather, the Empress Dowager was often with him. There were no problems between them at the time, and I'm quite confident about that. I don't think they had any romantic entanglements. However, after your grandfather's death, I sent people to investigate. It turns out that one day, your grandfather returned to the capital to report on his duties and met with the Empress Dowager for half an hour. They talked about nothing, and neither the Empress Dowager nor your grandfather was in any trouble. But after that, your grandfather left the capital, and not long after, he was murdered by refugees. After investigating these matters, I went to the palace to question her. Her answers were watertight. I have no evidence, but I have a feeling that your grandfather's death was not simple."
In truth, Princess Shuangxia was fabricating the whole thing. Her suspicions were not only baseless but also illogical. Even if the Empress Dowager and Xuanyuan Hu had met for half an hour, it didn't prove anything. If there was any affair, it couldn't have been just one. The Empress Dowager was at the height of her power in the palace; she wouldn't have ruined her future for Xuanyuan Hu by having an affair, nor would she be so foolish as to be discovered. What they were talking about was unknown to everyone, and it didn't necessarily involve anything shameful. However, the timing was too coincidental, which is why Princess Shuangxia had to be suspicious. But to force it onto them was rather far-fetched.
Ouyang Yue frowned and asked, "Then what kind of person does Grandmother think the Empress Dowager is?"
Princess Shuangxia sighed, "From childhood to adulthood, the only time we blushed was that one time. After that, she sent people to invite me to the palace many times, trying to ease our relationship. But I could never face her calmly, and over time, our relationship faded away. Sometimes I even think I made a mistake, because since then, no matter how much I investigated, it was only about the refugees. I just couldn't bring myself to see her. We couldn't just live like this, neither of us bothering the other. She has always been kind to everyone. Back in the palace, she was often bullied. If it weren't for my brother and me protecting her, she would have died countless times."
Ouyang Yue was somewhat skeptical: "Is that all?"
Princess Shuangxia's eyes narrowed slightly: "But you can't see into someone's heart. Only she knows best what she is really like, and how she has changed after so many years in the palace."
Ouyang Yue thought for a moment, then squinted and said, "Grandmother, actually, after being examined by Physician Liu, it is very likely that Yue'er's accident this time was caused by a gold hairpin that was treated with musk water."