"let's go."
Nalan Mingzhu spoke, reached out and picked up the Indian silk. The two, master and servant, struggled to their feet and staggered back to Liuyue Palace.
When they were almost at Liuyue Palace, the two maids, Shimei and Shilan, appeared with several palace maids and helped the two of them back to Liuyue Palace.
At this moment, several people were sitting in the main hall of Liuyue Palace, all waiting for Nalan Mingzhu.
Seeing the two maids, Shimei and Shilan, helping Nalan Mingzhu in, her face deathly pale, everyone couldn't help but raise their eyebrows in surprise. Why was the princess so frightened?
Hai Ling went straight to Nalan Mingzhu's side, helped her to sit down on one side of the main hall, and asked with concern, "Mingzhu, what's wrong? What happened?"
"That person was scary?"
Nalan Mingzhu finally regained some composure and, remembering the woman in white she had seen earlier, quickly spoke up.
Xi Liang, Ji Shaocheng, Shen Ruoxuan and the others all gathered around. After hearing Nalan Mingzhu's words, they all looked at Hailing. Hailing frowned. She knew what kind of person Yanzhi was. In the past, although she didn't have martial arts skills, she was still very bold in the Jiang family. Since she said that person was scary, then the person who appeared must be very frightening.
What kind of person is she?
Hai Ling asked, and Nalan Mingzhu thought for a moment before calmly describing what she had seen of the woman.
"She wore a white cloak and a hat, her head was lowered, and she walked as if floating. At first glance, she looked like a ghost, a ghost without breath. Moreover, she only raised her head once, and although it was only for a moment, I saw it very clearly. Her eyes were devoid of any emotion, like an empty, undisturbed well, cold and bloodthirsty."
Nalan Mingzhu's description made it seem as if a picture of this woman appeared before everyone's eyes, even though they had never seen her before.
Not only Nalan Mingzhu, but several people in the hall also shivered at the same time. This person was very likely the one who set the fire behind the scenes, the one from Yunjiang. Sure enough, there was such a person. Who exactly was she working for?
"She's probably from Yunjiang?"
Although Hailin asked a question, her answer was affirmative.
The people of Yunjiang have a natural affinity for poisons and have dealt with animals since childhood, which makes them cold-hearted and emotionless. So, who is she working for? Logically speaking, the people of Yunjiang would not pay attention to anyone or follow anyone's orders.
"There really is such a person."
Ji Shaocheng spoke in a deep voice, indicating that we must not be careless.
They had initially assumed that there wasn't such a person, but rather that someone had obtained something from Yunjiang. Now it turns out that the whole thing is completely different.
"We must capture this person."
Shen Ruoxuan spoke decisively, while Xi Liang asked coldly, "Who exactly does she take orders from?"
Nalan Mingzhu remembered the poison that woman had given her, and took it out and handed it to Hailing: "This is the poison she gave me, she said it was called something like Indian Silk."
"Kashmir silk?"
Shen Ruoxuan and Shi Mei spoke at the same time. This Tianzhu silk was naturally a poison produced in Yunjiang. The poisons used in Yunjiang were generally made by themselves, using poisonous trees and fruits in the mountains and forests, or by poisonous creatures they raised. The people there were adept at using poisons, as they were born with the ability to use them.
This tanja silk is still extracted from tall tanja trees, and it is extremely poisonous. If a person ingests it, they will die within fifteen minutes.
Shen Ruoxuan and Shi Mei looked grim and said nothing more. Instead, they glanced at the poison in Hai Ling's hand and carefully reminded her.
"Your Majesty, please be careful. This poison is extremely potent. Please don't accidentally harm yourself."
Hai Ling nodded, glanced at everyone in the hall, her dark pupils gleaming with a cold light, yet a bewitching smile played on her lips.
She has a way to try and find out who is behind this.
"Tomorrow, I will host a banquet and invite all the court officials to the palace. In front of everyone, I will find out who exactly wanted to harm me and kill me."
"Does Your Majesty have any ideas?"
Hai Ling, with an inscrutable expression, waved her hand and said, "It's late, everyone go and rest. Tomorrow I'll treat you to a good show. I'll make sure the person behind this has nowhere to hide. I want to see what deep-seated hatred they have for me that they would do this to harm me and the child in my womb."
Hai Ling placed her hand on her belly. She loved the child inside her very much. The person behind this had even harmed her child. As a mother, she could not forgive this person, so she would never let him get away with it.
In the main hall of Liuyue Palace, several people responded, stood up, and together bid farewell and withdrew.
Ji Shaocheng continued to lead his men to guard the shadows. Shen Ruoxuan and Nalan Mingzhu followed the eunuchs and maids out to rest. Inside the palace, Shi Mei, Shi Lan, and others served Hai Ling as she rested.
Shi Mei and Shi Lan were very curious about how the Empress would make the person behind it all appear, so they couldn't help but ask.
"Your Majesty, how will you expose the person behind this tomorrow?"
“You’ve forgotten Qiuqiu,” Hailing said with a smile, not hiding anything from her two maids, Shimei and Shilan. As soon as she spoke, Shimei and Shilan understood what the Empress was planning to do.
Qiuqiu is still a spirit lion. As long as its nose has smelled this silk, if the murderer behind it has touched this silk, then it will definitely have nothing to hide. At that time, as long as that person is present, it will definitely reveal its flaws.
"Great, that's wonderful."
Shi Mei and Shi Lan nodded, relieved, and now they just waited for the arrest tomorrow.
They were extremely curious about who dared to plot against the Empress behind her back, and not only that, but also set fire to the palace. If the Emperor were to return, he would probably not let the person behind it off the hook.
Nothing happened that night. Early the next morning, Hailing ordered the eunuchs to prepare Guangyang Palace for a banquet that evening for the court officials and noblewomen. The banquet would be held in the palace, with the theme that the emperor was not in court and that the officials had worked hard.
The palace was busy with this matter all day long, and many eunuchs and palace maids were transferred to Guangyang Palace to serve.
The Empress Dowager also heard about this in Cixi Palace and sent someone to invite Hailing over to inquire in detail why Hailing wanted to hold a banquet.
The Empress is pregnant, and she was previously burned in the Qingqian Palace. Shouldn't she be resting quietly in the palace right now? Why is she holding a banquet to entertain the court officials instead? The Empress Dowager is uneasy and doesn't know what the Empress is up to. She really can't control this daughter of the Ji family. Although she doesn't want to admit it, she has to acknowledge the fact that the Empress is very cunning.
Hai Ling led Liang, the young master of the Cangwang Mansion, to Cixi Palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager. They happened to meet west Yuan, the young lady of the west family, at Cixi Palace.
When west Yuan saw Hai Ling, she felt sorry for her and asked her all sorts of questions.
"Your Majesty, are you alright? Yuan'er has been wanting to come to the palace to see you."