But abandoning it is one thing, yet it must not create resentment with the Chu Family; this matter must be carefully arranged. After thinking it over, she spoke cautiously. "Empress Dowager, as you can see clearly, when I went there today, Lady Bai was already on the verge of death, the child had long been stillborn. After Doctor Cheng awoke her with needles, I asked who harmed her, but her words were ambiguous and did not fully accuse Lady Chu, so I released her for a moment." "If this matter is truly related to her, I will certainly investigate thoroughly!" At the end, she bowed respectfully to the Empress Dowager and said. "I admit I am not as clear-minded and magnanimous as Empress Xu, but I am not one to confuse loyalty with treachery. If the death of Lady Bai was truly instigated by Lady Chu, I will punish her without mercy, to uphold the palace rules!" After saying this, she kowtowed heavily. Princess Consort Yi’s attitude made the matter quite clear. Involved a Yi Changzai was nothing, the real culprits behind the scenes should be the ones to pay the price. The Emperor had already discussed the matter of Lady Bai with her. The child was indeed not the Heir, and Lady Bai deserved to be executed. However, such a death—killing both mother and child—goes against the natural order of things. "Handle Lady Bai’s funeral properly, regardless of past matters, the child was innocent and ended before even coming into this world, which is a pity. Make sure to ask someone to perform rites for him, so that he may ascend to Paradise soon." "Yes, the Empress Dowager’s kind heart is as vast as heaven and earth, I will ensure everything is handled appropriately." Seeing her sincerity, the Empress Dowager had nothing more to say. In truth, the Empress Dowager had no insider knowledge, but only bluffed Princess Consort Yi based on the intuition that had saved her many times over the years. Who would have thought she would indeed bluff the person behind the scenes, feeling scorn in her heart. These newly promoted concubines were like tender vines, their schemes so feeble. But thinking of Lin Wanyi’s two children within the palace, the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but give a warning. "Princess Consort Yi, think carefully about your and the Third Prince’s future. In high positions, the most important thing is not to show any unfounded favoritism, lest you harm your future without realizing it." The Empress Dowager’s words carried a weighty warning, and Princess Consort Yi, being no fool, naturally understood. "Yes, I thank the Empress Dowager for the guidance; I will be extra cautious in the future." "Very well, go ahead." As Princess Consort Yi left, she felt a cold sweat drench her back. Engaging in a simple conversation with the Empress Dowager was exponentially more daunting than dealing with the Emperor. In the corridor, Concubine Qian watched Princess Consort Yi’s departing figure, deep in thought. What exactly did the Empress Dowager say to her? To make the always formidable Princess Consort Yi leave so dejectedly, like a defeated soldier? It reminded her of the incident involving Princess Ming Ruo, which was also handled similarly. Her heart became even more wary of the Empress Dowager’s power and authority. Nanny Wen caught sight of this scene from the corner of her eye, and her intuition immediately sensed that Concubine Qian was not as indifferent as she appeared in recent days. It seemed she was another one with deep intrigues. Concubine Qian, unaware of Nanny Wen’s gaze, carried the Fourth Prince back inside when the Empress Dowager waved her hand. "Take the Fourth Prince to rest, I am tired." "Yes, Empress Dowager." After she left, the Empress Dowager spoke to Nanny Wen. "I think it’s like being in the midst of the mountain, not knowing how deep the clouds are." Nanny Wen spoke in riddles, making it difficult for outsiders to guess, but the Empress Dowager quickly understood. Her tone indifferent, she ordered. "Investigate carefully." After putting the Fourth Prince to sleep next door, Concubine Qian finally had time to think about other matters. She had been here for some days, yet the words she wished to hear never came. The Empress Dowager let her care for the Fourth Prince, but never fully relinquished control. For instance, aside from the nannies originally tending to the Fourth Prince, the Empress Dowager sent two more. On the surface, it seemed these were arranged for the Fourth Prince due to his hearing loss, but in truth, they were there to monitor Concubine Qian. They weren’t meddlesome, and she got along well with them. But having eyes on her at all times was somewhat unsettling. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝓷𝓮𝓽 Concubine Qian attributed this to the Empress Dowager’s lack of complete trust in her. Yet, on second thought, she had no opportunity to harm the Fourth Prince; therefore, she wasn’t afraid of scrutiny. However, thinking of Lady Bai’s death left her feeling wistful. Once, she was the most dazzling concubine in the palace. Sadly, she did not live long. After such a death, who knows how the aftermath will unfold. She decided that if she got the chance, she would express her condolences properly. But even before attending Lady Bai’s funeral, she heard that both Yi Changzai and Lady Chu had also been caught up in trouble. Princess Consort Yi was always quick, ruthless, and precise. Yi Changzai had just learned of Lady Bai’s passing and was still processing her feelings when she was suddenly surrounded by a group of nannies sent by Princess Consort Yi. "What is the meaning of this?" Yi Changzai looked puzzled, not understanding, but saw one of the nannies step forward with a serious expression. "My lady, did you visit Lady Bai and present her with a little shirt?" "That is true, but I told Lady Bai at the time to have the Imperial Physician check it carefully before letting the child use it. The thread and fabric are here; if you think I tampered with it, feel free to inspect it!" Yi Changzai, having done no wrong, naturally had no fear of ghosts knocking at the door. But she forgot one thing: in the harem, ghosts preferring to knock on doors was quite common. "If that’s the case, we won’t stand on ceremony, search!" Yi Changzai felt indignant and helpless at the same time. The entourage was under Princess Consort Yi’s command, how many lives could she have to openly defy Princess Consort Yi? The only regret was how she had been blind, aligning with Lin Guifei’s faction initially. Good days lasted only a few before Lin Guifei was confined and then left by the Emperor at the Taishan Palace. She herself had become a rootless duckweed again. She sought out Nanny Du several times but received no response, proving that she was merely a foster mother, with a heart as hard as iron! With these thoughts churning in her mind, she had no fear, but didn’t guard against the nannies’ finding the "poison." "My lady, what is this?" Looking at the bottle she’d never seen before, Yi Changzai appeared innocent. "I’ve never seen it before, how would I know what it is?" A nanny stepped forward, took a sniff, and was shocked. "This is a secret medicine passed down from the previous dynasty, a pinch of it can cause a pregnant person to bleed nonstop, and if swallowed, it could immediately corrode the stomach and intestines!" Upon hearing this, Yi Changzai thought her ears must have been deceiving her for a moment.