Return of the Pearl

An Yi and Xiao Luzi received the task of investigating the matter almost at the same time. They acted quickly like two agile cheetahs. After an in-depth investigation, Xiao Luzi discovered that the flower-viewing banquet was carefully prepared by Concubine Ling. However, where the butterfly came from was like a fog shrouding everyone's mind. No one could solve this mystery. Xiao Luzi's investigation progressed as slowly as a snail, and he made almost no substantial breakthroughs.

An Yi's investigation was very different from Xiao Luzi's. With his keen insight, he noticed that Concubine Chun of Jingyang Palace was behaving abnormally and was very likely to be inextricably linked to this matter. However, An Yi also faced the same dilemma. Although he had noticed something, he had no solid evidence to confirm his guess.

Concubine Chun was of noble status and held the position of imperial concubine. It was difficult to interrogate her directly without sufficient evidence. An Yi could only return to Changshou Palace and report the situation to his master.

When An Yi and Xiao Luzi returned to Changshou Palace, Emperor Qianlong had already gently coaxed Xiao Yun to sleep. They found Emperor Qianlong sitting quietly in a side hall. Xiao Luzi's heart tightened, and he fell to his knees with a thud. His voice trembled as he said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am incompetent and have not found anything."

An Yizhe said solemnly, "Master, I have found that the only suspicious person is Concubine Chun, but I have no solid evidence. Please give me some advice, Master."

How could Qianlong not understand the deeper meaning behind An Yi's words? His fingers gently stroked the ring on his hand, lost in thought for a moment. A moment later, Qianlong's commanding voice shattered the silence: "Investigate! If necessary, I will torture you. I simply want to know the truth." An Yi's eyes flashed with determination, and he quickly left, leaving behind a resolute figure.

Xiao Luzi stood behind Qianlong with a guilty look on his face. He lowered his head, his heart full of self-blame and uneasiness. However, Qianlong did not blame him too much, but just stood there quietly.

Jingyang Palace

Concubine Chun was waiting for news in the palace on pins and needles. Her heart seemed to be gnawed by millions of ants, making her suffer greatly. She paced back and forth in the bedroom, her steps messy and hurried, as if reflecting her inner panic.

Her brows were furrowed, tightly twisted into a knot, and beads of sweat oozed out of her forehead. Her anxious expression made her originally beautiful face look a little distorted. Her lips trembled slightly, and the whispered words were like floating silk threads, appearing and disappearing in the air.

She clenched her hands tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, as if she wanted to crush all her anxieties in her palms. Her steps were sometimes as fast as the wind, and sometimes as slow as a snail, as if her thoughts were constantly struggling and wandering.

Her eyes were wandering, sometimes looking at the blue sky outside the window, and sometimes looking at the mottled light and shadow on the ground, as if looking for some answers. Every slight sound in the palace hit her heart like a heavy hammer, making her frightened and even more uneasy.

The imperial physician never left Jiajia Palace, which made Concubine Chun even more anxious. She didn't know whether the child in the imperial concubine's belly was alive or dead. This unknown was like a thick fog that enveloped her tightly, making her struggle in pain and suffering.

An Yi appeared quietly in Jingyang Palace, and without alerting anyone, he abducted Concubine Chun at lightning speed and took her straight to the dark dungeon of the secret guards.

The moment Concubine Chun was abducted, she had already vaguely guessed the identity of the person who came. She pretended to be tough and shouted angrily, "How dare you! Who are you? How dare you hold me hostage so boldly!"

An Yi's mind was as clear as a mirror. He responded expressionlessly, "Your Majesty, why do you have to do this? You should know who I am and all that you have done. I have come here today by imperial decree. If you can be honest, you can avoid some suffering. Otherwise, if the Emperor orders, I can use punishment. So, please reconsider."

When Concubine Chun heard An Yi's words, her beautiful eyebrows couldn't help but frown, but she still gritted her teeth and insisted that she knew nothing.

Seeing that she was so stubborn, An Yi had no choice but to tie Concubine Chun tightly to the rack. Concubine Chun clearly realized that this was not a bluff, but a real action was going to be taken. However, she was determined in her heart that she must not confess this matter easily. Those butterflies had already died or flown away, leaving no trace of evidence at all, so what was there for her to confess?

An Yi stood quietly in front of Concubine Chun, his eyes as dark as the abyss, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

"The Imperial Concubine was poisoned today, endangering the fetus in her womb. Does Your Majesty know about this?" An Yi's voice was low and cold, as if it could penetrate Concubine Chun's soul.

Although Concubine Chun was a little flustered, she still forced herself to remain calm, raised her chin, and sneered, "I don't know, how would I know? What gives you the right to bring me to this dungeon? I'm not the only one attending the flower viewing banquet."

An Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, and a barely perceptible sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Of course I have solid evidence. Otherwise, with your status, how could I easily touch you?"

Concubine Chun gritted her teeth and thought to herself: This secret guard is really not easy to deal with. It seems I have to find a way to get rid of him.

An Yi continued, "Empress Chunfei, it's no secret that you know medicine, right?"

Concubine Chun's eyes flickered. She didn't expect An Yi to mention this matter so directly.

"So what if you know medicine? What does this have to do with the poisoning of the Imperial Noble Concubine?" Concubine Chun said innocently.

An Yi said slowly, "Your Highness has a special hobby. You like raising animals, don't you?"

Concubine Chun's pupils suddenly shrank, and an ominous premonition arose in her heart.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand." Concubine Chun's voice trembled a little.

An Yi looked at her coldly, pressing her step by step: "Your Majesty, do you think your plan is perfect? You poisoned the butterfly, and the butterfly passed the poison to the Imperial Concubine through skin contact. You are truly cruel!"

Concubine Chun's face turned pale in an instant, and cracks began to appear in her psychological defenses.

"Someone picked up a butterfly. I guess you didn't pay attention to the number of butterflies? Or you thought they were either dead or flew away, but unexpectedly, one was caught alive. Now the butterfly is in the hands of the emperor. Do you think you can still hide it?" Every word of An Yi hit Concubine Chun's heart like a heavy hammer.

Concubine Chun's body was trembling slightly, her heart was filled with fear and despair. She knew that her conspiracy had been exposed and she could no longer escape.