The princess traveled through time for a year to help the prince build his kingdom and then left

The 21st day of the twelfth lunar month, noon.

The sun was shining brightly, making the entire palace warm.

A smile appeared on the queen's face, and she became happier.

"You have come at the right time today. I am in a very good mood. Why don't you stay and have dinner with me?" the queen invited warmly.

Qin Rubing and Qi Siyi smiled and responded at the same time: "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. We will obey your command."

So the three of them went to the side hall to have dinner together.

The table was filled with all kinds of delicious food, and the aroma was fragrant.

The queen personally picked up food for the two of them, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

During the dinner, the queen chatted with them and shared interesting stories in the palace.

The Queen's Palace was filled with laughter, warmth and harmony throughout the afternoon.

Qin Rubing was very happy to eat the food prepared for the queen by the imperial kitchen for the first time.

The queen's meals were indeed rich and exquisite.

The imperial chefs carefully prepared a variety of delicacies, including precious ingredients such as bird's nests, shark fins, bear paws, etc., which were all tributed from various places.

In addition, there are a variety of exquisite snacks and fruits that make people salivate.

However, the queen did not care much about these delicacies. She paid more attention to the nutrition and health of the meals.

Therefore, her meals will also include some light dishes such as vegetable soup, tofu, etc.

The Queen would taste each dish in a certain order and would not eat too much.

Qin Rubing secretly gave instructions to "Xiao Yu", requiring a comprehensive scan and analysis of all the food on the table.

"Xiao Yu" immediately started up the advanced testing equipment and quickly carried out detailed testing on every dish and every drink.

"Master, after a detailed inspection, no suspicious or harmful ingredients were found."

Qin Rubing felt relieved when she got this result.

Since there is no danger, you can enjoy the food with confidence!

She picked up the chopsticks without hesitation and began to taste the delicious food in front of her.

In sharp contrast to Qin Rubing is Qi Siyi.

She sat at the dining table, looking nervous, her eyes warily watching the food and drink in front of her.

She sniffed carefully, trying to detect any unusual smell, but found nothing obviously unusual.

Despite this, Qi Siyi still did not dare to let her guard down easily.

She decided to observe other people's reactions before considering whether to eat the food.

So, she would eat a little bit of whatever Qin Rubing ate.

She would never pick up food that no one else had touched.

Qin Rubing was very surprised by Qi Siyi's performance and couldn't help but secretly complain in her heart.

"Qi Siyi is really careful. It seems that she has been specially trained by professionals. Otherwise, how could an ordinary lady be so cautious?"

Qin Rubing increasingly suspected that Qi Siyi's background and origins were unusual.

She couldn't help but want to know more about Qi Siyi, so she decided to investigate secretly.

However, at this moment, she found herself caught in a bigger mystery...

Three quarters past noon, Prince's Mansion.

After Qin Rubing entered the palace, Chu Tiancheng has been in a state of extreme tension and anxiety.

His heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, beating up and down, making him feel uneasy and worried every moment.

He didn't know what situation Qin Rubing would encounter in the palace, nor could he predict whether she would be able to return safely.

This feeling of uncertainty made him feel even heavier, as if a huge rock was pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.

He paced anxiously in the Prince's Mansion, looking towards the gate from time to time, expecting Qin Rubing to appear.

As time passed, he became more and more anxious, and he wanted to rush into the palace to find her immediately.

Various possible scenarios kept emerging in Chu Tiancheng's mind. He imagined Qin Rubing being bullied, in danger, or even losing her life. These thoughts made him feel heartbroken.

He regretted not stopping her from entering the palace, but it was too late now.

He made up his mind that he would do everything he could to protect her, even at the cost.

"Yan Yi, mobilize our secret agents in the palace and make sure to protect the Crown Princess." Chu Tiancheng ordered decisively.

"Yes." Yan Yi took the order and left.

Chu Tiancheng's layout in Changqiu Palace had actually begun long ago, and his plan was well thought out and foolproof.

He had even placed his own people among the palace maids and guards in Changqiu Palace.

Many of these people are now His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's men.

Changqiu Palace is actually a place that seems calm but actually has undercurrents. Everyone may become a key piece in Chu Tiancheng's plan.

After lunch, the maids came in one after another. They walked lightly, holding exquisite trays in their hands with beautiful tea sets on them.

The maids gracefully poured tea into the cups, and the aroma of tea filled the air, making people feel happy.

Qin Rubing picked up the teacup and took a light sniff.

Suddenly, she smelled a faint fragrance.

The fragrance is vague, yet clearly discernible, as if it is coming from some mysterious place.

She couldn't help but frown, wondering in her heart: "What kind of fragrance is this?"

She glanced at the palace maid who was serving her tea and saw that she had a blank expression and a calm look, as if she didn't notice anything unusual.

However, that faint fragrance made Qin Rubing feel a little uneasy.

She put down her teacup and fell into deep thought.

Is there any secret hidden in this palace? Where does the faint fragrance come from? These questions troubled her and made her alert.

"Xiaoyu."

"I'm here."

"Check the tea."

"Yes, Master."

Only a few breaths of time had passed when "Xiao Yu" suddenly let out an ear-piercing scream in Qin Rubing's mind: "Poisonous!"

Qin Rubing raised her head abruptly and fixed her eyes on the queen.

At this time, the queen was holding up the teacup, as if ready to drink.

"Empress, wait a minute!" Qin Rubing shouted, her voice filled with tension and anxiety.

The queen was startled by the sudden shout, her hands trembled, and she almost dropped the teacup.

She widened her eyes and looked at Qin Rubing in astonishment.

Qin Rubing walked quickly to the queen, stretched out her hand without hesitation, and snatched the cup of tea from the queen.

She held the cup tightly, secretly thanking herself for stopping the queen in time.

The queen was stunned and looked at Qin Rubing at a loss.

Qin Rubing did not explain too much, but concentrated and summoned "Xiao Yu" to secretly test the cup of tea.

After a moment, Qin Rubing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's not poisonous." Qin Rubing's tense nerves gradually relaxed after hearing the message from "Xiao Yu" in his mind.

"What's going on?" asked the Queen.

"My dear mother, this cup of tea from your daughter-in-law is poisonous." Qin Rubing replied respectfully.

As she spoke, she carefully glanced at everyone's expressions, trying to find some clues.

When her eyes fell on Qi Siyi, she found that the other person had a cold and indifferent expression on her face.

Qi Siyi seemed to have no interest in what was happening in front of her and didn't even look at it.

Qin Rubing glanced around and finally fixed her eyes on the palace maid who had just served her tea.

The palace maid lowered her head and remained silent, seeming to be frightened.

"Who told you to do this?" Qin Rubing shouted angrily.

The palace maid didn't say anything. She just knelt on the ground with her head down and remained silent.