An Lingrong's Rebirth: Red

At the birthday banquet today, Cao Qinmo presented birthday gifts to the Empress Dowager on behalf of the Queen, proving that she had completely boarded the Queen's pirate ship and refused to get off.

However, Ling Rong disrupted the Queen's plan, resulting in Cao Qinmo not being able to take advantage of the opportunity to please the Queen Mother. Instead, she was angered by the Queen Mother and was called to Shoukang Palace for a severe scolding.

Of course, the Queen Mother did not believe that the Queen would use this bird to embarrass herself in front of everyone. Someone must have done this on purpose using the Queen's incident.

The first thing the Queen Mother thought of was to interrogate Cao Qinmo to see if there was a problem in any link.

It's a pity that all Cao Qinmo did was to inform the Queen Mother about the gift and hand over the drum to the Queen Mother.

Afterwards, the Queen Mother checked the drum and drumstick and found that they were made of ordinary materials and there was nothing unusual.

As for the Queen, the Queen Mother also learned the news. The palace maids in charge of raising and releasing birds were all the Queen's confidants. All of them were checked and no betrayal was found.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs also captured a few of those birds. They were not given any medicine, and they showed no signs of madness while being kept in cages.

There was no problem with either the people or the birds, and the Queen Mother was puzzled for a moment.

But she soon remembered the robe she wore at the birthday party that day. She asked someone to check and found that the robe seemed to be stained with something.

The fragrance was very strange, and the doctors at the Imperial Medical Bureau could only distinguish a few of the spices, and were not sure what the specific recipe was.

But they were not stupid, they took the clothes to the bird cage for testing. As expected, the birds became agitated as soon as they smelled the fragrance, and kept hitting the bird cage.

It seems that the problem is the ointment on the clothes. The empress dowager recalled the people around her that day, including Concubine Zhuxijing, Concubine Sheng and the emperor.

The Emperor and Zhu Xi would naturally not plot to murder him. The only ones with problems were Concubine Jing and Concubine Sheng.

The first person the Queen Mother suspected was Concubine Sheng. After all, Concubine Sheng was so bold as to plot to murder her in the past. If there was solid evidence, she would have been deposed and sent to the cold palace to fend for herself.

Later, because she adopted Princess Youning into Shoukang Palace, Concubine Sheng hated her even more, and it was not impossible that she would use the birthday banquet to murder her.

But the Queen Mother had never heard that Concubine Sheng or anyone around her could mix spices, and for a moment she didn't know where to start.

“Your Highness, although I have never heard of anyone in the palace who can make spices.

But there might be some doctors in the Imperial Hospital who specialize in this field. Moreover, Zhaoshui, the personal maidservant of Concubine Sheng, is now studying medicine in the Imperial Hospital.

Perhaps it was she who invented the bird-attracting ointment that harmed the Queen Mother at the banquet."

What Zhuxi said did make some sense. In addition, the empress dowager did suspect that Lingrong was the one who did it, so she ordered someone to bring Zhaoshui over.

"Your Highness, Zhaoshui has been called to Shoukang Palace." Aunt Fangjing brought a bowl of soup. "As your Highness expected, the Queen Mother discovered the problem with the clothes almost immediately."

"I checked almost everything, but didn't find anything unusual, so I think the problem is probably with the robe."

Ling Rong did not tell Aunt Fang Jing that she could make incense, and only she and Zhao Shui knew about it. "I haven't heard of anyone in the palace who is good at making incense, so the Empress Dowager first suspected the Imperial Hospital.

Now, among the maids in the harem, Zhaoshui is the only one studying in the Imperial Hospital. The Empress Dowager will definitely suspect her."

"Your Majesty doesn't seem worried?"

“This matter was not caused by Chengqian Palace, so I won’t worry too much.

The Queen Mother is a modest person, I don't think she would use any severe punishment on Shui."

Lingrong took a sip of the soup and said that she was not worried, but in her heart she was wondering whether the Queen Mother was still holding a grudge against the past and taking out her anger on Zhaoshui.

Fortunately, Zhaoshui did not know any spices, and no matter how the Queen Mother tried to investigate, she could not find out the reason.

All the spices in Chengqian Palace had been disposed of long ago. Even if the Queen Mother did not believe Zhaoshui and still sent people to investigate, they would definitely not find any clues.

"Your Highness trusts the Queen Mother so much, but the Queen Mother..." Aunt Fang Jing hesitated and sighed several times, "The Queen Mother has been in the harem for a long time, and she is actually far from being as gentle and loving as Your Highness imagined.

The methods used are frightening enough to just hear about. I am afraid that even if I go in safely, I will have to endure torture before I can leave Shoukang Palace."

Lingrong's face darkened. Actually, she had anticipated this outcome when she was destroying the Queen's plan. But she did not ask Zhaoshui if he was afraid, and she still did it resolutely.

Now he felt a little worried, but without too many emotional waves. Even Lingrong felt that he was cold-hearted and did not take human life seriously.

But the ointment not only drove the birds crazy, Lingrong also put a medicine in it, which could trigger the Empress Dowager's deep-seated illness, especially the poison from Qiansi.

In two days, the effect of the medicine will probably take effect. At that time, the empress dowager will have to carefully choose whether to use the emperor's flesh and blood as medicine, or the flesh and blood of her most beloved youngest son.

Lingrong didn't even tell Zhaoshui about the drugging.

But He Anming knew it. After all, the medicine was provided by He Anming, and Ling Rong herself could not make medicine.

In the entire palace, if there was any concubine who knew how to make medicine, it was only the Queen.

Whether the Queen Mother is willing to suspect the Queen or not, she will sooner or later suspect the Queen. After all, Zhaoshui's suspicion will soon be cleared.

"Then let's go to the Imperial Hospital and prepare some medicine. Now that the Empress Dowager has taken Zhaoshui away, even the Emperor cannot go to Shoukang Palace to ask for someone, let alone us.

So we can only be prepared so that Zhao Shui does not suffer too much."

"Your Majesty has thought it through carefully. I will do it right away." Aunt Fang Jing did not doubt it and immediately went to the Imperial Hospital to ask Wei Lin for some medicine for his wounds.

But it was not until three days later that Zhaoshui was sent out of Shoukang Palace. Her face was extremely pale. As soon as she returned to Chengqian Palace, she fainted before she could say a word.

Fortunately, Ling Rong had been prepared in the past few days. Wei Lin had been waiting in the Imperial Hospital. As soon as he heard that Zhao Shui had returned, he immediately rushed over to take his pulse.

Fortunately, Zhaoshui only suffered some superficial injuries. With some internal and external medicines and a good rest for some time, he will be able to recover.

An incense stick of time after he drank the medicine, Zhaoshui finally woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw Lingrong sitting beside the bed, lowering her head and applying medicine on her fingers.

"My lady, I can just ask anyone to help me with these things. Why do you have to do it yourself?"

"The Queen Mother's method of driving a wooden stick into the nails is really vicious," Ling Rong looked at the wounds and gnashed her teeth, "I'm afraid that the wound on your finger will leave a root of disease in the future."

Zhaoshui hummed, and she tried to look up at her fingers, "It's a pity that I will never be able to embroider such exquisite patterns again when I learn embroidery from you, Madam."

“If you can’t embroider it, then you can’t embroider it. At least you still have your life.

Don’t worry if you get married in the future. I will embroider a wedding dress for you and teach you to be the most beautiful bride.”

"Why did your Majesty bring this up again?" Zhaoshui frowned in pain as the ointment irritated her wound. "I've already said that I will stay with your Majesty for the rest of my life."

"If I hadn't insisted on ruining the Queen's plan this time, why would you have to suffer this?" Ling Rong looked at the wounds on Zhao Shui's body, and her heart, which was as calm as a well, was still surging. "You shouldn't be so anxious. Even if the Queen succeeded in her act of paying homage to the phoenix, she may not be able to leave Jingren Palace."

"My lady, I have never blamed you for these injuries. When I decided to do these things, I thought about what kind of punishment I would receive if the matter was exposed.

Now that we have not been exposed, and have ruined the Queen's plan, you should be happy."

"If you hadn't suffered these pains, I would naturally be happy. Or rather, I would still be happy when I didn't see these injuries on your body."

Lingrong finally finished applying the ointment to Zhaoshui. She put the ointment down and started to stir the medicine bowl gently with a spoon.

"I feel heartbroken when I see the injuries on your body. I was the one who brought you into the palace, but you have only had a few days of good life and are always suffering."

At some point, Lingrong also began to learn to say these heartfelt words. Zhaoshui was naturally moved when he heard them and struggled to get up, "My Queen..."

"Okay, just lie down and relax. I feel really guilty for saying these things to you. I treat you as my sister, so I naturally don't want to let you get hurt."

Seeing Lingrong like this, Zhaoshui nodded and stopped being polite with his own queen, "My queen, the queen mother is indeed suspicious of us.

Not only did he ask me what medicinal herbs I had taken from the Imperial Medical Bureau, he also investigated whether I knew how to mix and prepare perfumes.

Even the doctors in the Imperial Hospital were questioned one by one. Aunt Zhuxi even tricked me into saying that Doctor Wei Lin had told the Empress Dowager that I could make perfume.

If it weren't for the fact that I really don't know how to make perfume, I would have been deceived.

But it is precisely because I did not tell the truth that Aunt Zhuxi increased the punishment, hoping to use severe punishment to make me confess my guilt."

Zhaoshui never said what kind of punishment Zhuxi had used, but Lingrong knew most of it by looking at the wounds on her body. "Actually, even if you told the truth, I wouldn't blame you."

"How could this servant possibly say that? Now that I have returned to Chengqian Palace intact, the Empress Dowager should believe you."

"The Queen Mother asked the Imperial Hospital and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to find out where the medicine and incense we used to mix the ointment came from.

As long as you find out the source, it won’t be difficult to trace us.

But fortunately, there are countless exotic flowers and plants in this imperial garden, and there are also various flowers in the greenhouse. Although it is difficult to extract them, we have saved a lot after years of extraction. Even if the Empress Dowager searches, she will not be able to find them.

Even if the Queen Mother doesn't believe you and me, there's no way to get more information from you. And there's a chance that I might miss the real murderer because I suspect the wrong person.

Although the Queen Mother will not doubt the Queen, apart from you, the Queen is the only one who knows medicine."

Lingrong guessed correctly. After the Queen Mother's men took Zhaoshui away, they began to investigate the people in Jingren Palace. However, Huichun and Xiuxia were not with the Queen, so she could only take some little maids away for questioning.

But this could not have been done by the Queen. The Queen Mother investigated but could not catch the real culprit behind it.

After ruling out the Empress and Ling Rong, Concubine Jing became the final suspect. However, after asking everyone who could be asked, there was still no progress on the matter.

After much thought, the empress dowager finally decided to search the palace. However, in order to maintain the emperor's face, the empress dowager could not make the matter public and could only send people to do it secretly.

But before anyone was sent out to Shoukang Palace, news spread that the Empress Dowager had fallen ill, and the medicine Lingrong had given her finally took effect.

This medicine brought out the Empress Dowager's old illness and the thousands of threads in her body. As soon as the Empress Dowager fell ill, she immediately fell into a coma. No matter how hard the imperial physicians tried, they were unable to wake the Empress Dowager from her coma.

He Anming did have a solution, but he followed Ling Rong's instructions and refused to solve it immediately.

As for the other people in the Imperial Hospital, they were not good at poisons and had no idea about the poison. They were unable to prescribe the right medicine for the moment and did not dare to give out a prescription casually.

Due to the Queen Mother's illness, the so-called palace search was temporarily put on hold.

However, Concubine Jing was conscientious and still sent people to the Imperial Medical Bureau to check the use and expenditure of medicinal materials in recent months to find out who had murdered the empress dowager at the birthday banquet.

"Your Majesty, more and more people are coming to the Imperial Hospital recently."

"Besides Imperial Concubine Jing, are there other people investigating?"

He Anming nodded. Ever since he agreed to help Lingrong, the lives of both of them were tied together. If the attempt to murder the empress dowager was exposed, neither of them would be able to save their lives.

Therefore, he could only follow Ling Rong's request, planning and calculating step by step, gradually getting deeper and deeper into the trap.

“The Emperor and the Empress are both checking, but every expense of medicinal materials in the Imperial Hospital is recorded, and there are no mistakes in the quantity.

Therefore, no matter how many people come to check, they will return empty-handed.

But I am curious about how Your Majesty managed to trick the Queen Mother."

He Anming had no idea that Lingrong had prepared the ointment, and thought that Lingrong was taking a huge risk by making the Queen Mother sick at this time.

For this reason, he had advised Lingrong many times, but the latter did not care.

“It’s still the old method. Even if it’s the Queen Mother, even if she was poisoned by silver in the past, she still had to use silver to test the poison.

After all, there is nothing else that can detect poison except silver."

Ling Rong did not tell the truth. She knew that the fewer people who knew about everything, the better. Even if He Anming was exposed, she could not escape, so she still chose not to tell the truth.

"There is not much left in the Queen Mother's body. She should wake up in a few days.

I have already prepared the medicine, and I am just waiting for the time to come, so that I can pretend to use the medicine to wake up the Queen Mother."

"After you save the Queen Mother, your position in the Imperial Hospital will be more secure. Congratulations, Imperial Doctor He."