Harem Daily Life

Chapter 827 Doubts abound

He Xuan thought for a moment and nodded: "I don't remember whether I really fell asleep or not, but I do remember Hai Lan's location."

Tao Yanyan frowned and said soothingly, "After dinner, call Hailan and the others over, and I'll ask them in detail."

The whole family had dinner together. After dinner, He Linzhang went out to play with the children. Tao Yanyan called the four maids of the eldest princess and asked them in detail about what had happened during the day.

Hai Lan was the first to speak up, "Your Majesty, I was indeed standing on the left when I entered, and on the right when I left. I was a little confused at the time, but other than that, I didn't feel anything else. For a moment, I thought I had misremembered."

Xiao Tao stepped out and said, "I was originally standing on the right, but when the princess was leaving, I moved to the left. I don't remember when we changed positions. We asked privately, but no one could remember."

The other two palace maids could also testify, but their positions were swapped.

"Your Majesty, there's one more thing I need to report. Today, we went to Prince Ding's Mansion. I kept feeling sleepy in Miss He's room. I originally thought it was because the room was too dim, which made me sleepy. But now I think, could it be that there was some kind of incense in the room that made me drowsy?"

He Xuan confirmed Hai Lan's suspicions, saying, "Seeing them look listless, I too suspected something, so I sniffed carefully to see if they'd really been lighting some kind of incense. But there wasn't any aroma in the room, so I stopped suspecting it. But now it seems... could it be some colorless, odorless fragrance that's knocked us all out?"

Tao Yanyan realized the seriousness of the problem and asked Chang Tai to summon Doctor Liu overnight.

Imperial Physician Liu examined He Xuan and several palace maids, frowning and saying, "Your Majesty, the eldest princess shows no signs of poisoning, and the palace maids haven't noticed anything unusual either."

Tao Yanyan felt that the biggest anomaly was that nothing could be found.

She held He Xuan's hand and said, "I was careless this time. I will never let you leave the palace alone again. Don't worry, I will send people to investigate the affairs of Prince Ding's Mansion. If there is really something strange in their mansion, I will get to the bottom of it."

Meanwhile, back in Prince Ding's mansion, the cold water for Prince Ding's bath had already been replaced with a third tub, yet the burning sensation in his body hadn't subsided. He sat in the tub, veins exposed, his face grim, his graying hair spread out, looking terrifying.

The maidservant who was bringing him cold water went in and out, and he stared at her with his sharp eyes, frightening her so much that she didn't dare to look up.

Prince Ding took several deep breaths, trying hard to suppress the evil thoughts in his heart. He silently told himself that he must endure this time. The twentieth girl must be a person of noble status, otherwise all the previous efforts would be in vain!

Unfortunately, the drugs he used were all powerful and potent, specially formulated for him by the old Taoist who was teaching him. The effects of these drugs were so strong that they could not be easily suppressed by just a few buckets of cold water.

Prince Ding sat in the tub, letting the icy cold water soak his body, as if only this could slightly ease the heat in his heart. However, it seemed to have no effect. Sweat continued to seep from his forehead, soaking his gray hair.

He had the water constantly changed, hoping to find a temperature that would make him feel comfortable, but no matter what he tried, the burning sensation remained. Prince Ding felt that his body had reached its limit and he could no longer endure this painful torture.

Finally, he decided to take extreme measures. He summoned his attendants and ordered them to beat him unconscious with clubs. Although the attendants looked shocked, they obeyed. With a heavy blow, Prince Ding's vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

In his coma, Prince Ding finally freed himself from the agonizing pain of the blazing fire. His body no longer felt hot, and his breathing gradually calmed down. However, this relief was only temporary. When he awoke the next day, the burning sensation returned, tormenting him for several hours before gradually fading.

Prince Ding suffered a severe physical injury because of this incident. He developed a high fever and lay in bed for half a month, feeling weak all over.

The connections he had been planning to establish upon his return to Beijing were stalled by his illness, and He Feng's admission to the Imperial College hadn't progressed. He Feng was utterly anxious, and with no idea when his grandfather's condition would improve, he could only turn to his grandmother for help.

Princess Ding has not had a good time recently. When she thinks about it, she still thinks it was because she was frightened by Queen Tao's sudden attack that day.

Looking at her grandson, Princess Ding said, "Starting school earlier or later won't make any difference. How about you wait a little longer? Once your grandfather is better, he can go to the palace and ask His Majesty to make an exception and give you a special exam."

He Feng said, "Grandmother, I've already reviewed all the lessons I need to learn, and I've consulted with the teachers here. They all praised my knowledge. I just want to enroll as soon as possible. Once I'm a student at the Imperial College, I'll be able to better meet the young masters in the capital and expand my network for Prince Ding's palace."

Princess Ding rubbed her brows and felt that what her grandson said made sense.

He Feng continued, "More importantly, at the end of the year, there are many flower-viewing banquets. I think that being a student at the Imperial College is a plus when it comes to marriage."

The students of the Imperial College were equivalent to college students in today's institutions of higher learning. They had a promising future and were naturally loved by young ladies from all families.

Princess Ding sat up straight. "Well, since arriving in the capital, I haven't yet paid a private visit to the Queen Mother. So, I'll send a letter to the palace, saying I want to come in and have an audience with her."

In Changchun Palace, the Queen Mother was trimming a potted plant, which was sent by Mu Yu. It was a top-quality orchid.

"Your Majesty, Island Master Mu said that if you like anything else, he will have people look for it everywhere and bring it all for you." Eunuch Qin accepted the shadow sent by Mu Yu and conveyed the message.

"Everyone has returned to the island, but he's still fiddling with these things. He doesn't even feel tired."

Eunuch Qin's eyes flashed, and he really wanted to say that the owner of Namu Island is still in the capital, but he didn't show up because he was worried that you would be angry.

However, Master Mu did not give him any money to reveal the information, so he did not dare to reveal Master Mu's information casually.

A young eunuch came in and reported, "Your Majesty, the Princess of Prince Ding's Mansion has presented a sign, wishing to enter the palace for an audience."

The Queen Mother said calmly, "When Princess Ding was young, she never visited the palace unless it was important. I heard that the last time she went to see the Queen, it was to take the eldest princess to her residence to accompany her granddaughter. What could she be up to this time?"

Eunuch Qin looked at the Queen Mother's expression and knew that she was a little curious, so he said to the young eunuch, "Go and reply. Tell her that the Queen Mother is free this afternoon."