The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

Yingluo said, "I asked Shuangxi before. He said that after he left the Cold Palace, the Consort asked him to go to Xianfu Palace once and gave him some money to deliver a message. At that time, he inquired and found out that although the Consort's cold illness had recurred in recent years, it had generally improved. So he was half-believing and half-doubting what Manzi said."

Rongyin said, "It's precisely because the Consort's cold symptoms have improved somewhat that it's become even more difficult to investigate what happened back then. Without any evidence, we can't very well say that we witnessed their conspiracy."

Yingluo said, "Why don't we ask the Emperor to investigate this matter? First, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are at odds, so he should investigate. Second, the Emperor is wary of this and that. This is not something that would shake his authority like the Mountain Tiger Gang causing trouble or concubines having private dealings with foreign officials. It would be best if we could investigate it ourselves. Even if he investigates it himself, it won't implicate too many people."

Rongyin pondered for a moment: "The emperor is unreliable. If we hand him over, he might just find some innocent people to take the blame and then use Hengti as a pretext. Why don't we go and test the Empress Dowager first?"

As the two were discussing, suddenly, several sections of the large screen in the conference room went black.

Yuan Yi seemed to sense something and immediately became alert. He opened a portal and instantly disappeared from their sight.

The director also transmitted Rongyin and Yingluo's consciousness back to the small world.

While the meeting room was in turmoil, the emperor was teaching Yanwan to read word by word in Chengqian Palace.

When Yanwan was serving calligraphy and painting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she saw the wall vase on the wall and asked the emperor what the patterns on the vase meant. The emperor replied that they were the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars.

That night, Yanwan had someone bring her the "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars" and said, "Your Majesty has hung the stories of the 'Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars' on the wall, presumably to encourage yourself every day. I am not talented, but I only wish to be of the same mind as Your Majesty."

Although the emperor had no fond memories of the "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars," he was very pleased with the feeling that Yanwan cared about him.

He taught her for half the lesson, and seeing that Yanwan grasped the essentials with just a little guidance, and could even draw inferences from other cases, using lines from the Book of Songs that she had heard from the Empress as analogies, he couldn't help but admire Yanwan's progress.

At this moment, Yanwan suddenly sighed almost imperceptibly, her eyes misting over.

The emperor was greatly distressed and hurriedly asked what had happened.

Chun Chan came up with a handkerchief at the right time and said, "A few days ago, the old lady and Young Master Zuo Lu went to the palace. The master has not seen his family for a long time and heard the emperor talk about the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars. I suppose he regrets that he cannot fulfill his filial duties, so he is sad."

The emperor recalled that Jinbao had confessed to him earlier that he had ordered the detention of Yanwan's brother, explaining the whole story.

So the Empress suggested that Yanwan's mother and younger brother come to the palace so that she could appease them and cover up the matter.

The emperor didn't know exactly how the empress resolved the situation. He only knew that after Yanwan's mother and younger brother went to Chengqian Palace, they went to Changchun Palace. The empress bestowed many gifts upon them, and Yangjia and Zuolu left happily with large and small bags.

After that came dealing with Ruyi, Hailan, and Ling Yunche. Both of them were busy, so he didn't ask about it again.

However, Jinzhong mentioned that Yangjia and Zuolu came from the countryside and entered the palace suddenly without learning the rules, so their words and actions were inevitably somewhat improper. But the Empress was always magnanimous and naturally did not care about such trivial matters.

The emperor thought for a moment and comforted her, saying, "How about I draft an edict to allow your mother and brother to visit you in the palace frequently?"

Yanwan sighed deeply and said, "Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to balance. As a concubine, I should serve the Emperor wholeheartedly. It is impossible for me to serve my mother and fulfill my filial duties. Besides, I am just a daughter. To my mother, I am dispensable. It is better not to mention it."

Fortunately, I still have my younger brother. But as for Zuolu, even though I am his own sister, I must admit he's not very promising. My father is gone, and my mother can't bear to discipline him. Finally, a miracle has come along who can keep Zuolu in check, but my mother complains that they're too strict. If this continues, I really don't know who my mother will rely on in the future.”

Upon hearing this, the emperor felt a pang of heartache and said, "Yanwan, you don't need to belittle yourself like this. Although you are a woman, you have earned a good reputation for your family by my side, just as I said. How can you be dispensable? As for your family, I promise you that as long as they do not commit any crimes, I will treat them well."

Yanwan inquired with Su Luyun and learned that there were rumors in the palace that the Emperor was not the current Empress Dowager's biological son, but was born to an unknown palace maid and grew up in the Yuanmingyuan Garden. Xian Changzai had once greatly angered the Emperor by posthumously honoring his birth mother, so she speculated that the Emperor was probably not favored by the late Emperor because of his birth mother's lowly status, which is why he was so bothered by the matter of his birth mother.

Seeing that the emperor was about to take the bait, she lowered her head slightly, grasped his hands, and said the words she had been preparing for a long time: "Your Majesty, I come from a humble background. My father passed away early, and my mother was busy making a living. I did not receive much education. It was only because of Your Majesty's favor that I entered the harem and received Your Majesty's guidance that I have made some progress. I am deeply grateful."

But... alas... in farming families, there always needs to be a boy to carry on the family line and prevent mistreatment. No matter how accomplished I am, as a daughter, I will never be as valued as my brother. This has always been the way of things, and I can't blame my mother for anything.”

The emperor suddenly recalled his days in the Yuanmingyuan Garden. Back then, because his birth mother was of lowly status, he was dispensable in his father's eyes. No matter how hard he tried, he could hardly earn his father's praise.

No, let alone praise, Father Emperor didn't even remember to summon me.

As for the third brother, because his birth mother was Consort Qi, an old woman from the time he was a prince and of a high rank, and his adoptive mother was from Jingren Palace, even if he was foolish, his father would try his best to give him advice.

Yanwan and I are so similar.

A wave of tenderness washed over him as he embraced Yanwan, saying, "I've seen how ambitious and sensible you are. If your mother doesn't value you or pamper you, then I will value you and pamper you."

Yanwan silently curled her lips and hugged the emperor tightly as well: "Your Majesty loves me so much, I really have no way to repay you."

At night, the emperor seemed to hear a faint sound of bells. He opened his eyes groggily and saw Yanwan's sleeping face beside him.

Looking at Yanwan, he couldn't help but think of his past self.

During those bleak days at the Yuanmingyuan, things only gradually improved after he gained the favor of Consort Xi.

Later, on the day of the Jiangxuexuan imperial concubine selection, the plot by the third brother and Jingren Palace to seize the throne was exposed.

After that, his father had a heart-to-heart talk with him. His father even offered him a seat on the dragon throne and advised him to marry Langhua as his primary consort.

Langhua came from a prominent family. At that time, the Emperor finally turned his attention away from the Third Prince and focused on her, wholeheartedly considering her future.

Looking back now, he realizes that he should have been overjoyed at the time for finally gaining his father's attention and recognition.

But at that time, he was completely focused on Ruyi and only thought about securing her a position as a concubine.

As he thought about it, he broke out in a cold sweat: Ruyi was the niece of Jingren Palace. At that time, the Emperor deeply hated Jingren Palace. He insisted on marrying Ruyi, which was a blatant provocation to the Emperor when he finally saw him.

He felt a chill of fear, and his resentment towards Ruyi deepened.

Fortunately, I am now by Yanwan's side, so it doesn't matter if I curse Ruyi in my heart.

He cursed a few times in his mind, then turned over and lay down again.

The next day, when the emperor got up, Yanwan had already changed her clothes and was waiting to serve him as he washed and dressed.

Yanwan personally combed the emperor's hair and tied it into a braid.

After seeing the emperor off from Chengqian Palace, Yanwan was about to sit down and catch her breath when Lancui suddenly rushed over.

She whispered, "My lady, after the Emperor settled you in last night, the bell rang again. However, unlike before, this time it only rang once."

Just as the emperor was about to get into his sedan chair, Jinbao came over and whispered, "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Qi has passed away!"

The emperor was shocked.

Although Qi Ru was a bit old, she was still quite healthy. How could she have passed away so suddenly?

He suppressed his doubts and asked, "How did you get there?"

Jin Bao said, "Doctor Zhao said it seemed like a sudden heart palpitation. Last night, Doctor Zhao heard a noise and when he went to check, he found Doctor Qi lying on the ground, not breathing."

He then asked, "Has it been reported to the Empress?"

Jin Bao said, "I have already sent someone to Changchun Palace to inform Her Majesty the Empress."

The Emperor ordered, "Imperial Physician Qi's passing was sudden. You should go with the Empress to see him first, and then have the Imperial Household Department inform his family and arrange for compensation."

The incident happened suddenly, and Qi Ru's body was temporarily placed in a secluded place.

The imperial physician said that when he was found, his eyes were wide open, his mouth was agape, his right hand was holding a pen, and the veins on his face were bulging.

The other imperial physicians, unable to bear seeing Qi Ru die with his eyes open, had already closed his mouth and eyes. Only the blue veins on his face and neck indicated that his death was unusual.

The chief coroner from the Ministry of Justice came and found no external injuries or signs of poisoning on the body. The writing implements, ink, paper, inkstone, and teacups used by Physician Qi were also examined and found to contain no poison.

Physician Zhao said that Physician Qi had been ordered by the Emperor to go to Cuiyun Pavilion to examine Hailan's pulse, write a prescription, and then personally went to get the medicine. By the time he returned to the Imperial Hospital, it was already quite late. Physician Zhao was on duty with his men that night, and Physician Qi said he had to fill out a record. While filling out the record, he suddenly collapsed. There was no one else around him at that time.

In the team's communication channel, Yuan Yi sent a message saying that Qi Ru had developed evil thoughts and murderous intent, which attracted non-human entities, causing them to erode his mind and plunge him into madness and delirium. Everything happened almost instantly; before Qi Ru's mind could be destroyed by fear, his body had already collapsed due to the physiological reactions of fear. When he arrived, he only had time to retrieve Qi Ru's soul to prevent it from being annihilated by the chaos.

In other words, Qi Ru was scared to death.

Yingluo hesitated for a moment, then asked Jinbao, "Did Physician Qi have a history of heart palpitations?"

Physician Zhao replied, "No, but Physician Qi is quite old and usually works hard. The New Year has just passed, and he inevitably ate a lot of rich and sweet foods, which could lead to a sudden heart palpitation."

The group examined Qi Ru's notes again. The notebook was filled with a jumble of lines, the shapes of which resembled eyes, but they were clearly the result of a trembling hand; a sudden ink smudge stretched straight down to the bottom of the notebook. It looked as if Qi Ru's fingers had cramped, causing him to drop the pen and spill ink, creating this smudge.

This perfectly matches the symptoms of a sudden, acute illness.

In the eyes of the Imperial Prison and other imperial physicians, Qi Ru's death was only too sudden and there were no other suspicious points.

Rongyin and Yingluo knew this wasn't the case, but they couldn't say anything, so they treated it as a sudden heart attack, arranged for compensation, returned Qi Ru's body to the Qi family, and gave them money for funeral expenses. When reporting the case's outcome, they asked the emperor how to arrange the matters currently occupied by Physician Qi.

After a moment's thought, the Emperor said, "Let Huang Yulu take my pulse. As for the rest, let the Imperial Hospital handle it."

After Rongyin took her leave, Jinzhong entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation and whispered, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Chenghan, who serves the Empress Dowager, said that Imperial Physician Qi did indeed obey the Empress Dowager a few years ago. The matter concerning the Noble Consort was also ordered by the Empress Dowager. However, after the Empress Dowager went to Qingyi Garden for seclusion, she rarely met with Imperial Physician Qi anymore. But last night, Imperial Physician Qi went to Shou Kang Palace again."

The Emperor frowned: "The Empress Dowager could say she was feeling unwell and sent Qi Ru away temporarily, or perhaps she could ask about health preservation methods. Cheng Han's statement is entirely without evidence, and it could be said that he framed her. Now that Qi Ru is dead, any further investigation will be fruitless."

Jinzhong said, “Your Majesty, there is one more thing. In Shou Kang Palace, an old nanny told me that her mistress also happened to overhear some of the conversation between the Empress Dowager and Aunt Fujia, and is willing to share Your Majesty’s worries.”

The emperor narrowed his eyes: "Oh? Who is her master?"

Jinzhong said, "She was Consort Tong, who entered the palace during the reign of Emperor Shengzu."

The emperor was somewhat confused: "Who is this?"

He was not familiar with the concubines of the Holy Ancestor. After ascending the throne, he merely honored the concubines of the late emperor and a few imperial concubines according to the old precedent presented by the Imperial Household Department. Most of the imperial concubines he honored had passed away in recent years. Apart from Consort Ding, the mother of Prince Lü, who was still alive, he did not recognize the others.

Jinzhong said, "This is Princess Chunque's birth mother. Back then, because of Prince Chaoyong's outstanding military achievements, the late emperor not only exceptionally conferred the title of Princess Chunque as Princess Gulun Chunque, but also honored the princess's birth mother as Imperial Concubine Tong."

The emperor secretly thought that, in a way, this Consort Tong was Yonglian's nominal fiancée, Wengku Mama.

If it's about using this relationship to trip up the Empress Dowager or curry favor with him, he wouldn't necessarily object.

To his surprise, Jinzhong's next words were completely unexpected.

Jinzhong said, "Your Majesty, this Consort Tong is actually a distant relative of Empress Xiaogongren and Jingren Palace."

The emperor was startled, but still held a glimmer of hope, and asked hesitantly, "You mean, her surname is Wuya?"

Jinzhong glanced at his expression and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, Consort Tong is from the Ulanara clan."

With a loud "bang," the emperor slammed the teacup down on the table.

The teacup shattered, and tea spilled onto the table.

Inside the Imperial Household Department, Shuangxi exclaimed in surprise, hurriedly wiping the table with her sleeve, and then asked Qin Li, "Did Eunuch Qin get burned?"

Qin Li's face was ashen, and his deliberately lowered voice contained a hint of shock and anger: "Didn't you say that bell could protect the safety of the six palaces in any palace? What do you mean by 'it doesn't protect just anyone'?"

Shuangxi said, "Let me explain. Firstly, the Imperial Medical Academy is located outside the Six Palaces. Secondly, this is a magical artifact of the immortals. If it were used by someone with ulterior motives, wouldn't that ruin the immortals' merits? Therefore, this artifact can decide for itself whether or not to display its supernatural powers."

Qin Li said, "You mean, Physician Qi has ulterior motives?"

Shuangxi said, "This servant did not say that. This is all the magic weapon's intention. It's also possible that the evil spirits were too strong and the magic weapon couldn't withstand them."

Qin Li wanted to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he vanished on the spot.

The sound of eunuchs spreading rumors could be heard outside again.

Shuangxi was used to this kind of thing and got up to leave the Imperial Household Department.