"Li Su has already intervened in the interrogation of Consort Ye and the palace maids. It is expected that a result will be reached soon."
Feng Xiwu calmly soothed Lu Qingwan. "I am also very curious about what this little sister-in-law of mine is up to."
Lu Qingwan yawned, letting out a cat-like purr.
"Consort Ye holds a special status. Unless absolutely necessary, Tang Xiao would not resort to torture. We still need to think of a way. I am worried that if this drags on, some people might flee upon hearing the news."
Li Yang adjusted the footrest, but she kept stepping on it due to her drowsiness, making Li Yang’s heart pound.
"Be careful, Your Highness." She was terrified that if Lu Qingwan fell, she would be sent back for re-education by the prince again.
Fortunately, Lu Qingwan, though wobbly, landed safely. She pushed her wheelchair towards Wutong Yuan with unsteady steps, still preoccupied with important matters.
"When you investigated Consort Ye's family background, did you collect any evidence?"
Lu Qingwan knew that Li Yang and the others had two standards for investigating information. One was to stop at nothing, seeking only the truth. This type of intelligence prioritized timeliness and speed, so as long as the truth was discovered, human or material evidence was disregarded. The other was to gather evidence for specific purposes, requiring not only truthful and reliable intelligence but also complete corroborating evidence to ensure strong persuasiveness when the matter was brought to light. However, Lu Qingwan was unsure which category Consort Ye's background fell into, and thus could not ascertain what they had discovered back then.
Upon hearing her question, Feng Xiwu quickly reacted and directly instructed Li Qing, "Send what we have found to Tang Xiao, let Consort Ye see it for herself."
After working for a day and a night, Lu Qingwan collapsed onto the chaise lounge as soon as she entered Wutong Yuan. She was listless, slumped, like a salted fish that had lost its dreams. Hearing Feng Xiwu's words, she quickly added, "Also, let Xu Zhihuan meet with Duke Xu and Duke Pei. Don't forget to invite Consort Ye as an observer."
Lian Yu, who followed them in, chuckled. "This is an excellent idea. No one knows the truth behind the massacre of Consort Ye's entire family better than Xu Zhihuan. A mere seventh-rank official like him would likely have no opportunity to meet people like Duke Xu and Duke Pei. The intelligence gathered previously also did not indicate any contact between him and these two. If he recognizes them upon meeting, then as long as Consort Ye is not foolish, she should no longer be so stubborn, right?"
Feng Xiwu deeply agreed and nodded without further thought. Li Qing hurried away. Yue'er's voice sounded from outside the door, "Your Highness, Your Highness, your servant has asked the small kitchen to prepare a late-night snack. Shall I bring it over now?"
"Bring it, bring it now!" Lu Qingwan sprang up as if she had been energized by a carp jumping. "I've been so exhausted these past few days that I don't even have the energy to eat. Bring it quickly. After I eat, I'm going to sleep until the end of time. No one can stop me from eating and sleeping!"
Hearing her boisterous declaration, Yue'er giggled and returned to the small kitchen. Feng Xiwu simply smiled dotingly. "Your Highness has indeed been working hard these past few days. Once the palace matters are concluded, I will personally ask my elder brother for leave, and we will go to Zhaojue Temple for a few days of proper recuperation. The plum blossoms there are in full bloom, and it would be most pleasant to sip tea and admire the snow in the lake pavilion."
"Really?!" Lu Qingwan's spirits immediately lifted. "Are you joking? If we really go, I need to invite some friends. It would be too boring with just the two of us."
Feng Xiwu couldn't help but laugh as he watched her, who moments ago had seemed almost comatose with fatigue, now full of energy. "Who do you want to invite?"
"Yao Yao and Young Master Chi!" Lu Qingwan said matter-of-factly. "And also Xiao Yuan'er..."
As she mentioned the little bun's name, Lu Qingwan suddenly realized she hadn't seen the child since returning from the south. "Right, where is Xiao Yuan'er? Why haven't I seen him these past few days?" They had agreed that she and Feng Xiwu would share a bed with the child, but after sleeping together for only two days, the child was moved to an adjoining room by Feng Xiwu. Now that he was nowhere to be seen, Lu Qingwan felt she was being a negligent stepmother.
"You've been busy since we returned. Yuan'er was afraid of tiring you out, so he went back to Meiyuan on his own." Feng Xiwu wished the little brat would stay as far away from Lu Qingwan as possible. His little consort, though young, had an inexplicable surge of maternal affection. The moment she saw the child, her eyes would overlook him entirely. The prince, feeling rather sour, found himself jealous of his own son.
Lu Qingwan sighed. "That's for the best. You and I are often out early and returning late. Xiao Yuan'er is still young and is in his growth spurt. Lack of sleep can hinder his growth."
Her tone shifted, and she remembered another matter. "By the way, are there any developments regarding the widespread poisoning of the capital's citizens?" At such a sensitive time, nothing happened without reason. Especially since Emperor Jingyou was poisoned one day, and the capital's citizens were poisoned by the same toxin the very next day. The source of the poison was a rare poisonous mushroom in the capital, which made it even more suspicious. Lu Qingwan had handled this matter personally, so inquiring about it was understandable. Upon hearing this, Lian Yu's face darkened. Lu Qingwan let out a chuckle. Lian Yu, who was usually placid, with eyes that seemed to embody rules and propriety, now glared at Lu Qingwan with burning indignation. The latter covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with laughter. Li Qing also couldn't help but suppress a smile.
"Reporting to Your Highness, your subordinate has investigated thoroughly. Those poisonous mushrooms were specially procured from the south and deliberately placed in the restaurants. The purpose was threefold. Firstly, the Emperor's poisoning would undoubtedly be attributed to deliberate poisoning. However, if many people in the capital were poisoned by the same toxin, it could be passed off as an accident, confusing the public. Secondly, to create chaos and distract us, so we would have no time to pay attention to the Eastern Elite Cavalry entering the capital, allowing them to advance unimpeded and smoothly march into the capital. Thirdly, and most importantly, everyone in the capital would know that they were poisoned by mushrooms, leading to confusion. And since His Majesty was also poisoned, his consciousness would be beyond his control, and he would speak erratically. Thus, if His Majesty later makes any major decisions that go against their interests, they could claim that His Majesty was not in his right mind and that his words should not be taken seriously..."
Emperor Jingyou had been poisoned not long ago, and Feng Xiwu had also been forced to remain in the palace due to the poison. Therefore, this was the first time he was hearing this intelligence, and his face darkened immediately. "They are trying to weaken my elder brother's authority in the imperial court, to prepare for the succession struggle later. If the heir apparent chosen by my elder brother is not who they want, they will use this as a pretext to refuse to acknowledge the heir personally appointed by my elder brother." Lu Qingwan nodded as she listened. Weakening Emperor Jingyou's authority to prepare for future contingencies was undeniable. However, "Since they have already made such long-term plans, it means they know that the current timing is not yet ripe. Why would they be so hasty in forcing their way into the palace today?"