vrcanaries Chapter 378 A sense of doubt arose in Gao Xian's heart.
Chapter 378 A sense of doubt arose in Gao Xian's heart.
Although dinner was prepared by the main kitchen, the rules in the main kitchen have become much stricter since Qin Jiuwei took over the affairs of the mansion.
There are designated personnel checking them every day.
There were so many people coming and going when I was making dinner that I didn't even have a chance to start.
Xie Siyuan gritted his teeth secretly, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.
The only small kitchen he could access was the one in the main courtyard.
Then poison Lady Hou and Lord Xie!
We'll poison as many as we can!
They all treated him badly! They left him alone on the estate to suffer!
All deserve to die!
A village outside the city.
The investigation has been ongoing for several days, but there is still no progress.
Zhou Ningxuan's face was full of fatigue.
They investigated all of Granny Zhang's relationships, but found no one suspicious.
The only clue is Xuezhi San (a traditional Chinese medicine formula).
"How much of the Blood Stasis Powder in the warehouse is missing?"
Zhou Ningxuan looked at the steward and asked.
The steward's forehead was covered in cold sweat. "It's only a tiny bit missing, very little, almost invisible. It shows that the person who stole the poison was very cautious."
"And they are very clear about the effects of this poison; just a tiny bit is enough to kill a person."
"Who was in charge of the most recent incident involving poisoned wild boars?" Zhou Ningxuan continued to ask.
The butler whispered, "It's a man named Xiao Wu. He's in charge of poisoning the food to lure wild boars to eat it."
Zhou Ningxuan nodded. "Was there another child on the estate before, named Xie Siyuan? Where was he when the wild boar was poisoned?"
“That’s our young master. He’s back at the Marquis’s residence now. Xiao Wu said he saw it when the wild boar was poisoned and even asked what the poison was for.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Ningxuan's gaze turned colder. "So, he also knows the uses of poison."
The steward nodded, then said, "But our young master is only five years old; it's impossible for him to have done this!"
“I didn’t say it was him who did it,” Zhou Ningxuan said calmly.
"I understand. You can go now. I'll come back to you if I have any more questions."
royal palace.
Gao Xian sat behind his desk, his brows furrowed, his face pale, and he looked extremely haggard.
The candlelight on the table flickered slightly, casting a dark shadow on his eyes.
"Your Majesty, please have some tea to moisten your throat."
At this moment, Eunuch Li stepped forward and carefully brought over a cup of ginseng tea.
Gao Xian took a sip to calm himself down, but then felt a wave of fatigue wash over him.
He put down his teacup, rubbed his temples, and the action carried a hint of irritation.
Eunuch Li advised in a low voice, "Your Majesty, you have been busy all day. Why don't you go and rest for a while and deal with these memorials tomorrow morning?"
Gao Xian wanted to refuse, but the feeling of drowsiness over his body grew stronger and stronger.
He waved his hand and said, "Alright, I'm going to rest for a while."
He then got up and walked towards his bedchamber.
Eunuch Li quickly followed and personally helped him change clothes and lie down.
As soon as Gao Xian lay down on the dragon bed, before he could even pull the blankets up properly, he was completely overcome by sleepiness.
He closed his eyes, his breathing gradually became steady, and he fell asleep in the blink of an eye.
In the dead of night, all was quiet, and the candlelight in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was dim.
A maid walked lightly through the side door, head down, her hem brushing the ground without making a sound.
She was slender and moved with extreme caution.
As night deepened, the palace remained as quiet as ever.
Meng Wanqing did not emerge from the Hall of Mental Cultivation until dawn.
Her expression was calm, but her steps were slightly hurried.
We headed straight for Shou'an Palace.
After Meng Wanqing quietly announced her arrival, she was led into the inner palace by Wei, the nanny serving the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager leaned against the couch, wearing a loose outer robe.
His expression was calm and composed, but his gaze was cold and sharp.
She looked up at Meng Wanqing, "Did you get it done?"
Meng Wanqing nodded without saying anything more.
The Empress Dowager's expression remained unchanged as she calmly said, "Once isn't enough, we'll continue tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Meng Wanqing lowered her head, nodded slightly, and then left.
At this moment, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Gao Xian opened his eyes, his head throbbing violently.
He rubbed his temples, feeling unwell all over.
A vague sense of unease flashed through my mind.
He sat up, his gaze sweeping over the furnishings of the bedchamber, and then asked.
"Did anyone come in last night?"
Eunuch Li stood aside and respectfully bowed his head, replying, "Your Majesty, no one came in last night."
Gao Xian stared intently at Eunuch Li.
I keenly noticed the unnaturalness in his expression.
A sense of doubt immediately arose in his mind, but he did not show it.
He simply gave a faint "hmm".
The Marquis's Residence, Qinglan Courtyard.
Qin Jiuwei stood in front of Xie Yanli and straightened his collar.
She lowered her eyes, her gaze focused and gentle.
Strands of hair fell slightly beside her ears, and a few rays of morning light shone on her profile, making her gentle and graceful appearance even more captivating.
Xie Yanli looked down at her, his eyes filled with tenderness.
"Alright." Qin Jiuwei raised her head and looked at him with a smile in her eyes.
Xie Yanli lowered his head and kissed her on the cheek.
Qin Jiu smiled slightly and then asked, "How is everything in the court lately?"
Xie Yanli rarely talked to her about matters of the court.
He always reports good news and hides bad news.
But this made her even more worried.
Now things have turned out like this with Gao Xian...
Her brow furrowed slightly, revealing a hint of worry.
Xie Yanli looked up at her and reached out to pull her into his arms.
"You don't need to worry, the Emperor didn't make things difficult for me."
However... he never went to the Imperial Study to report anything again.
All of this was left to Zhao Ming to handle.
This is the only way things can go for now.
The situation involving the three of them is simply unsolvable.
Evening, at the palace.
Eunuch Li brought over another cup of ginseng tea and respectfully presented it: "Your Majesty, this is freshly prepared ginseng tea."