My Fair Princess: The Queen's Rebirth

At this moment, the old lady was already waiting extremely anxiously.

The Empress and Concubine Ling were by her side.

"I don't think this has anything to do with Zhihua." Old Buddha suddenly said, "And even if Zhihua went to the Imperial Pharmacy to get the bark of the Chinese Albizia Julibrissin, it doesn't mean that Zhihua would do such a thing."

The Queen looked at the Empress Dowager and said word by word, "Don't worry, Empress Dowager. I just told you what I know. I didn't say that this person was Zhihua. When Xiao Dezi brings the account book, we'll see what went wrong."

"Ah."

The old lady nodded.

After a long time.

Xiao Dezi and the chief eunuch of the Imperial Pharmacy rushed to the Qianqing Palace.

The two men bowed respectfully to everyone.

When the emperor saw them coming, he couldn't wait to ask, "Hurry up and get up! Have you brought the account books for the Imperial Pharmacy?"

"Your Majesty, the account book for this month has been brought to you. Please take a look at it." The chief eunuch handed over the account book.

Xiao Luzi was quick to take it and handed it to the emperor. The emperor carefully checked the account book for this month and found nothing wrong.

The emperor frowned slightly and asked, "This account book..."

"Your Majesty, the data in the account books appears to be correct, but the actual inventory in the Imperial Pharmacy differs significantly from the records in the account books," the chief eunuch replied. "However, after several days of investigation, we have found that in addition to Nanny Gui from Jingyang Palace, the Fifth Lady has also come to collect the bark several times."

After the chief eunuch finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to Zhihua.

Zhihua was slightly stunned at this moment.

She paused and retorted, "You...you're talking nonsense. I...I only asked Aunt Gui to take the bark once, and I only came once myself. When did I take it several times?"

"Fifth Lady, this... this is all witnessed," the chief eunuch said. "Although I wasn't the one who took the bark for you, someone has personally admitted it. Besides, I wouldn't just say it."

Zhihua looked at the chief eunuch and asked, "If that's the case, why is there no record of me taking Hehuan skin so many times in your account books?"

After Zhihua finished speaking.

The emperor said, "Since you are so confident in what you said, why not call the witness and confront him face to face?"

"That's right." The old man agreed, "Just confront them directly."

But at this time.

The Empress suddenly spoke up, "Your Majesty, I think it would be better to bring someone to Jingyang Palace to investigate rather than to confront her face to face. That way, we can find out if Zhihua has taken the bark of the Albizia Julibrissin many times... Because I remember Zhihua mentioned before that she wanted to make some sachets to give away. I think based on the amount of bark in each sachet, we can calculate the total amount needed. If there are any extra bark left over and not reported, I think Zhihua really needs to give us a reasonable explanation."

The voice just fell.

Zhihua was completely panicked.

Even his face gradually began to turn pale.

She bit her lips hard to calm herself down.

Seeing that Zhihua hadn't spoken yet, the Queen spoke again, "Zhihua, if you're sure you didn't take any extra bark, you don't have to be afraid of a palace search. Even if you did, we understand. After all, the Imperial Pharmacy is so busy that it's not uncommon for people to forget to tally it up."

But when the queen had just finished saying this.

The chief eunuch of the Imperial Pharmacy was unhappy.

He quickly explained, "Your Majesty, I swear to heaven that we haven't been lazy on a daily basis. We record every single transaction truthfully in the book, unless... unless someone specifically tells us not to record it."

"What?" Zhihua suddenly became excited. "What do you mean? Are you saying that I deliberately asked someone not to record it in the book?"

"Fifth Madam, I am not talking nonsense. We in the Imperial Pharmacy have always been diligent and conscientious in our work, and there has never been any problem... It's just this one time..." The chief eunuch looked at everyone with a face full of grievance.

When they still wanted to continue arguing about this matter.

The old Buddha roared angrily, "Alright, there's no need to argue about this here. Just search Jingyang Palace as the Queen said and we'll find out."

"Yes."

"Then let's go." Old Buddha said, "Don't dawdle here. Zhihua, if you haven't done it, then it's naturally open and honest, and there's nothing to be afraid of."

After hearing this, Zhihua swallowed and bowed down.

When everyone turned around and walked out.

Zhihua and Aunt Gui deliberately slowed down their pace.

But Yongqi didn't notice all this and just followed everyone out.

Zhihua turned her head to look at Aunt Gui and asked softly, "Have you put away all the things?"

Nanny Gui nodded and responded, "Don't worry, Fujin, I have already put away all the things. I promise they won't go into the room to look for them. Even if they do, they won't be able to find them."

After Zhihua and Aunt Gui finished talking, they quickly caught up with everyone else and followed them silently without saying a word.

Arrived at Jingyang Palace.

At the command of the Empress Dowager, the eunuchs began to search the Jingyang Palace indiscriminately.

After a long time.

The eunuchs ran out one by one, stood respectfully in front of everyone and shook their heads.

The old man asked, "Have you searched every room carefully?"

One of the eunuchs replied, "In reply to Your Majesty, we have searched the house inside and out, but have not found the so-called cassia bark."

Zhihua felt relieved when she heard this answer.

She walked up to the old Buddha with a sad face and began to complain about herself, "Old Buddha, please understand, I really didn't take any extra bark, but I don't know why this person insisted that I did."

The chief eunuch turned pale with fright.

He drifted at breakneck speed to the Empress Dowager and knelt before her. "Your Majesty, I'm not lying. A eunuch in the Imperial Pharmacy personally admitted that the Fifth Lady had taken the bark of the Chinese angelica multiple times. As for why there's no record of this, I honestly don't know."

"I think you're getting bolder and bolder." The old lady shouted angrily, "Who ordered you to do this? Why did you frame the Fifth Lady?"

After hearing this, Zhihua also echoed, "My Lord, I don't know how I offended the head eunuch of the Imperial Pharmacy, so he would wrongly accuse me like this."

"Fifth Lady, when did you say that? I have no grudge against you, so why would I wrongly accuse you?"

"I have to ask you this." Zhihua said.