The crabapple tree is fragrant in the tent, and the bright moon is in my arms

Qiuju and Taoxi came in, knelt down, and looked uneasy: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

Zhu Dingyuan sat on the couch and held Zhaoyue's hand: "There are only a few people in your room."

"I like quietness, and it's fine as long as I have enough servants." Zhao Yue couldn't smile, and her eyes were wet again: "There is also a chief eunuch who is not responsible for my concubine's bedroom."

Zhu Dingyuan rubbed her hand soothingly: "Don't be afraid, I'm here and will find the murderer."

He glanced at them kneeling on the ground and asked, "Who cleaned your young master's room?"

Taoxi stood up and said, "Your Majesty, it's me."

Zhao Yue said, "Taoxi is my personal maid, she has been serving me in the mansion, she will not harm me."

"Yue'er, you don't understand. You can know a person's face but not his heart." Zhu Dingyuan frowned.

Taoxi understood and her face turned pale: "Your Majesty, how could a servant harm the young master?"

"Hold on." Zhu Dingyuan said.

Huang Quan gestured to Xiao Xiazi to go. He was a little embarrassed and hesitant.

Qiu Ju said, "Your Majesty, the young lady's room is usually cleaned by Sister Taoxi, but Chuntang Palace is large and Sister is busy, so today she picked a few new maids to serve the young lady."

Zhao Yue: "I remember now, I brought in a servant girl who looked unfamiliar."

She said apologetically: "I don't pay much attention to these things. Your Majesty, please let them get up. I believe them."

Zhu Dingyuan then waved his hand and said, "Bring the maid here."

When Xiaonian came in, he saw Zhu Dingyuan sitting on the couch. He was so scared that his legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground.

Zhu Dingyuan didn't even look at her: "Stop."

Xiao Xiazi: “Yes.”

Before she could say anything, she was held by two people. Xiao Xiazi patted her body with a long duster and checked her sleeves, hair, and even nails.

Xiaonian turned pale with fear. She waited for Xiaoxiazi to take the sachet off her waist, took out the jar inside, and opened it: "Your Majesty!"

The people holding Xiaonian backed away, and she knelt on the ground, her legs as soft as noodles: "Your Majesty, I, your servant, I don't know what that is."

Su Ziyun took the jar and sniffed it: "It's a tobacco bug. The bite doesn't hurt, but it's very itchy and it can easily leave scars."

Zhu Dingyuan raised his eyes and said, "Don't you know what the thing on you is?"

He fumbled with the ring on his knuckles: "New servant sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who do you belong to?"

Xiao Nian trembled: "I don't understand, I really don't know what that is."

She didn't look very old, but tears kept flowing.

Zhaoyue put her hand on Zhu Dingyuan's hand, with some pity in her eyes.

Zhu Dingyuan patted her hands, his voice still calm: "If you don't tell me, then the Ministry of Internal Affairs wants to harm Concubine Zhao."

"I will execute the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and tell their families that it was you who tried to frame Concubine Zhao and implicated them. I will spare your life and banish you from the palace. What do you think will happen?"

Xiaonian's pupils trembled, and he looked at the man, trembling with fear at his knowing eyes.

"Speak, I speak! An older servant gave it to me. She said she was from Fengyi Palace and asked me to put the bug on the noble lady's bed. And then... the other servants don't know anything. She gave me a bag of silver, which was in the room!"

Xiao Nian kowtowed and said, "What I said is all true, all true!"

Zhao Yue was stunned, and then she looked sad: "My Queen, why do you treat me like this?"

Zhu Dingyuan suppressed his anger and asked, "Which one in the Queen's palace?"

Xiaonian: "I don't know. I don't know him. He has a long face and long eyebrows. He looks to be in his thirties."

Huang Quan: “Drag him away.”

"Your Majesty, I think it is a bit arbitrary to conclude that it was the Empress based on her words alone." Zhao Yue hesitated: "The Empress is pregnant with the heir to the throne, and her temperament has always been kind. How could she harm me?"

"Yue'er, have a good rest and don't think about these dirty things." Zhu Dingyuan rubbed her face: "I will take care of it."

"Su Ziyun, check the noble's bedroom carefully, and you, change everything on the noble's bed."

Taoxi Qiuju: “Yes.”

Zhao Yue saw him leaving: "Your Majesty? Don't scare the Queen, there might be a misunderstanding."

"Okay, I promise, I will ask clearly."

Zhu Dingyuan asked Huang Quan to pick up the white fox blanket, and left with a gloomy face. The group left Chuntang Palace in a mighty manner.

The rain outside stopped.

Zhao Yue stretched and glanced at Tao Xi: "You two, you acted well."

"That's right." Taoxi hugged Qiuju: "Unlike her, she almost cried when she saw His Majesty."

Qiu Ju was embarrassed: "I have never been so close to Your Majesty. It really feels too oppressive."

Taoxi's eyes rolled. What oppressive feeling? She felt that Xiao Quanzi was more oppressive. When he explained things to them in the afternoon, his cold eyes and cold words were so scary.

Zhao Yue rubbed his stomach and asked, "Do you want to stew some food?"

Taoxi was delighted: "My lady! The small kitchen has everything. Do you want spicy fish hotpot or spicy lamb hotpot?"

"As long as it's spicy, anything is fine." Zhao Yue took off his cloak and said, "Change your clothes first."

Qiu Ju: "Then I will go and prepare it!"

He Quan appeared at some point, holding the ointment in his hand, and looked at Zhao Yue's shoulder: "Young Master, you should apply the ointment first."

He looked at the three of them and said in a light voice: "It's late, and the food I ate is not digestible."

Su Ziyun hadn't left yet; he was standing outside.

Zhao Yue called out, "Doctor Su, is it difficult to digest food at night?"

He paused for a moment, and then said, "You can eat it. I have some digestion pills."

He Quan: “…”

Taoxi and Qiuju exchanged glances and said, "Then I will go down first..."

Zhao Yue looked at He Quan, her eyes sparkling: "Then tonight..."

He Quan compromised without leaving a trace: "No spicy food."

Taoxi and the others went out happily, and by the way, they pulled Su Ziyun with them: "Doctor Su, come along. I heard that the Imperial Hospital knows about medicinal diet. Teach us!"

The sky was cloudless and starless, the courtyard was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and there was only a very round moon hanging high in the sky.

-

Zhu Dingyuan outside the palace gate had a face as dark as ink, as if a storm was about to come, and waves were rolling in his eyes.

He got on the imperial sedan chair and said: "Kill that maid."

Huang Quan: "Your Majesty, won't you keep her and go to the Queen's Palace to identify her?"

Zhu Dingyuan glanced at the blanket in his hand and sneered: "Do you need it?"

"Huang Quan, are there any new eunuchs in the Hall of Supreme Harmony who frequently visit the Fengyi Palace?"

Huang Quan was silent: "Yes..."

Zhu Dingyuan lowered the curtain.

Apart from the Queen, who else would have the guts to interfere in the Imperial Household Department and touch the things he gave her?

Who else has been rushing to place spies everywhere these days?

Seventy percent of the people he pulled out were the queen's men.

"Huang Quan." Zhu Dingyuan's voice came faintly from the sedan chair.

"The slave is here."

"Noble Lady Zhao is dignified, intelligent, virtuous, and gentle. She is granted the title of Zhao Chun and promoted to Noble Consort."

Huang Quan was horrified: "Your Majesty wants to change the decree, then the Queen..."

Zhu Dingyuan sneered: "No need to know."