The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

In the past few days, she took the opportunity of tidying Xie Jiaran's clothes to smear perfume powder on her daughter.

Xie Jiayu, on the other hand, subtly flicked her sleeve slightly during their "chance encounter."

The most important place is the lotus pavilion that Shen Tinghe often visits.

She personally sprinkled it once, calculating the amount precisely. The rest was given to the palace servants who might pass by the pavilion and carry the scent to the Crown Princess's vicinity, and even to her own daughter.

This is a silent infection.

She waited patiently for several days, but she was actually quite nervous and even prepared to change her strategy.

It wasn't until they heard that the Crown Princess had fainted that the Crown Prince was furious and ordered a thorough investigation.

An Cairen knew that she had succeeded.

When the guards who were conducting the search stepped into the Lanchi Palace, the last weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.

The wind at the Lotus Pavilion had long since dispersed the lingering fragrance, leaving no trace.

That crucial witchcraft doll was the chess piece she buried deepest and earliest.

She casually saved a palace maid more than ten years ago, who was later assigned to the side of Consort Xian and placed in Yuxiu Palace.

When the wooden box was handed to her, Consort An had already used a carefully prepared other kind of fragrant poison on the palace maid.

The palace maid died quietly after completing her task.

By now, they'd probably have been dragged to a mass grave.

Even if this person were found, nothing would be implicated. The faint old connection between them had long been buried by the dust of time.

There is no evidence left in the world.

Consort An had a deep love for fragrance and was well-versed in its study. Her skill in controlling fragrance enabled her to accomplish many secret tasks within the palace.

The "Jing" incense was something her father obtained by chance from a foreign merchant. She firmly believed that even the most skilled imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital might not recognize it.

The fact that it counteracts Yunmengxiang was something she discovered and secretly verified when she served the emperor in her early years, from subtle changes in his behavior.

Therefore, she was exceptionally composed.

The whole affair was like a spider's web, subtle and difficult to detect, leaving no trace.

She lowered her eyes and continued her needlework, exuding gentleness and tranquility.

The next day, the Cuiyao Palace was filled with the faint medicinal fragrance of calming soup.

Jing Cang stood with his head bowed outside the screen, reporting the results of the overnight search.

Behind the screen, Shen Tinghe, dressed only in a plain white nightgown, nestled limply in Xie Yanzhao's arms.

She looked listless, her eyelashes drooping, and obediently let Xie Yanzhao feed her the warm medicine spoonful by spoonful.

Xie Yanzhao moved with extreme gentleness.

Jing Cang: "The Yuxiu Palace has been thoroughly searched inside and out, and nothing unusual has been found. There is only one thing: three days ago, a second-class palace maid who was responsible for cleaning the palace suddenly fell ill and died in her room. It was recorded at the time that it was caused by pollen allergy, and the body had already been disposed of according to procedure and thrown into the mass grave. When my men retrieved it, it was too mangled to be examined again. On the surface... it seems like a coincidence."

Xie Yanzhao's eyes were sharp.

Coincidence? In this cannibalistic palace, especially when it involves Yuan Yuan, he never believed in coincidences.

Jing Cang continued, "The cause of the Crown Princess's discomfort is still inconclusive. All her food, utensils, jewelry, and clothing have been repeatedly examined and found to be free of poison. Only Physician Li scraped out a small amount of barely perceptible white powder from a crevice in the southeast corner of the Lotus Pavilion."

"The imperial physician said that this substance is neither an ordinary spice nor a known poison. Its nature is mysterious, but he could not identify it for the time being. The clues seem to have run dry here."

Xie Yanzhao had long suspected that the problem lay in the "fragrance." Ordinary poisons could not escape the discerning eyes of the imperial physicians, but only certain rare and exotic fragrances could disturb people's minds silently.

They specially brought Physician Li, who was an expert in this field, from the capital, and he indeed made some discoveries.

Xie Yanzhao: "So, you've been busy all night and gotten almost nothing?"

"Your subordinate is incompetent," Jing Cang said, kneeling on one knee to apologize.

He was also troubled; the palace maid's death was too "timely," like a thread that had been cut.

However, when one looks back at his resume and relationships, it is as clean as a blank sheet of paper. His entry into the palace and his assignment to Consort Xian were all in accordance with the rules, and there was no trace of human arrangement.

Who are the people in the palace...?

Xie Yanzhao was about to ask again when he felt the head of the person in his arms rub against his neck, letting out a dissatisfied whimper.

"Um... I won't drink anymore, brother."

Shen Tinghe's voice was muffled with a soft, nasal tone: "My stomach is so full, I really can't drink anymore."

Xie Yanzhao's cold expression was replaced by helplessness.

He put down the porcelain bowl with a little medicine left, and gently patted her back with his warm hand: "Who was greedy before dinner and ate a whole plate of lotus flower pastries?"

Shen Tinghe didn't refute, but like a satisfied cat, she found a more comfortable position, leaning against him and wrapping her arms around his waist, as if this was the most secure place.

Xie Yanzhao pulled her closer and looked up at the outside, asking, "Have all the palace maids and eunuchs skilled in incense ceremony been listed?"

Jing Cang replied, "We have investigated them all. Each of them has a traceable lineage and background. There have been no unusual movements recently, and no suspicious activity has been found."

Xie Yanzhao pondered for a moment: "Among the concubines in the harem, is there anyone who is particularly knowledgeable in this area, or who has a unique way of using incense?"

Jing Cang: "Your Highness, according to our investigation, no concubine is known for her expertise in incense. When we searched the various palaces before, we found some incense and incense burners, but they were nothing more than the palace's rations or ordinary purchases, nothing particularly outstanding."

Xie Yanzhao remained silent.

It is watertight and invisible.

This person's meticulousness and deep concealment were truly unexpected.

"Go down first," he finally said.

"Yes," Jing Cang replied, and was about to leave.

Xie Yanzhao suddenly spoke up again: "There's no need to go and accept punishment this time. It's pointless to waste energy pleading guilty."

He paused briefly, a cold glint in his eyes, "Go and find out who in the palace has a grudge against Rou'an."

Jing Cang: "Understood, I will take care of it immediately."

Xie Yanzhao looked down at the delicate woman in his arms who seemed to be dozing off, his fingertips brushing against her smooth, slightly cool cheek.

The touch softened his heart, yet tightened a sharp string within him.

Shen Tinghe's eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes, her gaze languid and misty, yet she showed no signs of sleepiness.

She reached out her finger and poked his cheek.

"Still haven't found it?"

Xie Yanzhao grasped her mischievous hand, enveloping it in his palm: "No. But I won't let anyone go. Yuan Yuan, stay obediently in Cuiyao Palace these next few days and don't go anywhere, okay?"

Shen Tinghe frowned, as if she was extremely dissatisfied with the "stay-at-home" proposal.

She didn't speak, but instead tilted her head back, opened her mouth, and bit his chin lightly, her teeth sinking into his flesh, leaving a shallow wet mark and imprint.

Xie Yanzhao let out a low laugh, his chest trembled slightly, but instead of being annoyed, he asked indulgently.

"Where else does Yuan Yuan want to bite?"

Yuan Yuan was spoiled rotten by him and became unruly. When she got angry, she wouldn't stop until she had bitten him enough.

Shen Tinghe uttered two words in a spoiled yet domineering manner: "Shoulder".

Xie Yanzhao's eyes flashed with a dark current. He obediently raised his hand, loosened the belt of his nightgown, and pulled down the left side of the garment slightly, revealing a smooth expanse of skin on his shoulder and neck.