After breakfast, Yan Qingshu picked up a book and read until afternoon.
Zhu Yao came in with a gloomy face. "Your Highness, the Palace of Gloomy Peace is interrogating about the banned book. Eunuch Li is investigating over there, but the mastermind acted too quickly and all the evidence was erased."
"Now the lead is broken and we can't find out anything."
Hearing this, Yan Qingshu frowned. "Then this matter couldn't have been done by those noble ladies and concubines. How could they have such great power to erase the evidence right under the Emperor's nose?"
She rolled the book into a tube and rested it under her chin, lost in thought.
Could it really be the Queen? What was the need for her to take such a big risk to have the banned book put cinnabar in her food? If it was found out, her position as the Queen would not last long.
"Your Highness, Aunt Dongyun from the Empress Dowager is here."
The voice of Shihua came from outside.
Hearing this, Yan Qingshu immediately stood up. At the door, Dongyun stepped over the threshold and walked in.
"Greetings to Concubine Zhen. May the Lady be in good health." Dongyun bowed with a smile.
"Aunt Dongyun, you're being too polite. Please get up quickly." Yan Qingshu quickly helped her up.
"Zhu Yao, quickly prepare a seat." She turned her head and ordered.
Zhu Yao responded and placed a round stool behind Dongyun. "Aunt Dongyun, please have a seat."
"Aunt Dongyun, did the Empress Dowager send you here with any instructions?"
Yan Qingshu asked someone to serve tea and snacks.
"The Empress Dowager said that Your Highness was frightened yesterday, so she specially asked this servant to pick out some rewards for Your Highness. How is Your Highness feeling? Are you better?"
"This servant thinks you still look a bit pale."
Dongyun's concerned gaze fell on her. Seeing her face, which was extremely similar to that woman's, she was momentarily dazed.
Sure enough, she was her own daughter, looking so much like Wen Sheng.
"Thank the Empress Dowager for her concern. I'm much better. I'm just still very tired. I think it's because I'm pregnant." Yan Qingshu smiled and touched her belly, her eyes filled with joy.
Remembering the Empress Dowager's instructions, Dongyun smiled and asked someone to bring in the rewards.
"Your Highness, take a look. These are all the Empress Dowager's rewards. She hopes that Your Highness will give birth to a dragon heir safely."
As she spoke, the maids behind her presented the rewards.
There was a dazzling array of precious new tributes.
"Concubine Zhen, this hairpin was bestowed by the former Empress Dowager when the current Empress Dowager was in favor. The Empress Dowager specially ordered this servant to bring it for Your Highness to wear."
Dongyun picked up a precious brocade box. The box was made of gilded material and looked very valuable.
She opened the box. Inside was a peach blossom hairpin made of pure gold. The surface of the hairpin was carved with the Two Immortals of Harmony, and there were precious pearls hanging below.
The pearls were all big, plump, and shiny. It was obvious that it was a rare item.
Dongyun held the box towards her. Yan Qingshu smiled and reached out her hand. Just as she touched the hairpin, the system in her mind suddenly started to beep.
[Don't take it! Don't take it! Don't take it! There's línglíngxiāng (lovage powder) stuffed inside!]
Yan Qingshu's expression changed, but she quickly covered it up.
She calmly picked up the hairpin and put it in her hair.
Her heart was gradually turning cold.
There was línglíngxiāng, which could cause infertility, in the Empress Dowager's reward. There must be some complicated reasons behind this.
If the línglíngxiāng was put in by the Empress Dowager, why did she do this? This was her grandchild. She had been so eager for Prince Six to have a child. Why would she give her this?
On the surface, she remained calm, but inside, a storm had already started.
"Thank the Empress Dowager for her kindness. This hairpin is really beautiful." She reached out and touched the pearl pendant on the hairpin. It jingled crisply as it swayed.
"The Empress Dowager is right. This really suits Your Highness. Since it was bestowed by the former Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager has rarely worn it. It has been stored in the treasury. Now it has finally found its true owner." Dongyun smiled and looked at the hairpin on her head.
"Please thank the Empress Dowager for her kindness on my behalf, Aunt Dongyun."
Yan Qingshu's smile remained unchanged.
"Of course. Concubine Zhen, the Empress Dowager's reward has been delivered. This servant will take her leave first." Dongyun stood up and was about to leave.
"Aunt Dongyun, have a cup of tea." Yan Qingshu said politely.
"No, thank you. I'm in a hurry to report back to the Empress Dowager." Dongyun smiled, bowed, and then led her people out.
Watching Dongyun and her entourage leave, Yan Qingshu quickly took off the hairpin and placed it on the table with a thud.
"Your Highness, this is a reward from the Empress Dowager. You should be more careful." Zhu Yao stepped forward, picked up the hairpin, and blew on it.
"Give it to me." Yan Qingshu looked coldly at the hairpin and pulled out a simple jade hairpin from her hair.
Zhu Yao nodded and handed the hairpin over.
Yan Qingshu looked around the hairpin and finally found a flaw at the inlaid part of the hairpin surface.
She used the hairpin to pick open the carving of the Two Immortals of Harmony on the hairpin surface. A fragrant smell filled the air.
"Your Highness, what is this?!" Zhu Yao was a little surprised.
She calmly poured out the stuff inside.
"It's línglíngxiāng, which can cause infertility. If a pregnant woman uses it, she will suffer excruciating pain during childbirth and may even give birth prematurely."
"This... This is a reward from the Empress Dowager. But why... Why would the Empress Dowager do this?" Zhu Yao couldn't quite understand.
Since the Empress Dowager came back, she had always been concerned about her Highness and had made sure that she could give birth to a child smoothly.
But what was going on with the línglíngxiāng in the hairpin?
"This is also my doubt. According to what Aunt Dongyun just said, the Empress Dowager has rarely worn this hairpin. I think the Empress Dowager may not know about this. It was bestowed by the former Empress Dowager, Empress Xiaode."
Thinking of this, Yan Qingshu suddenly had a flash of inspiration. So why didn't the Empress Dowager have her own children? Why did she adopt Prince Six? Could it be because of this hairpin?!
By accident, she might have discovered some amazing secrets of the previous court.
"Your Highness..." Zhu Yao also realized it.
"This matter must not be spread. It's a very serious matter and must not be told to anyone." Yan Qingshu lowered her eyes and looked at the hairpin in her hand. She felt as if a layer of fog had covered her eyes.
It was hard to see the way ahead.
No one knew what the truth was.
Yan Qingshu put the hairpin back in her hair after removing the dirty stuff. She would wear this hairpin to see the Empress Dowager's reaction.
If the Empress Dowager was unaware of this, she would act as if nothing had happened.
If the Empress Dowager did it on purpose, there must be more dirty things behind this.
Yan Qingshu sighed and felt a chill down her back.
Now that she was pregnant, everyone's eyes were on her.
She could only stay in the Guanghan Palace, but staying like this was not a solution. She still had to find a way to divert everyone's attention.
Suddenly, she remembered that in her dream, a concubine in the harem was also pregnant.
But she didn't know who that person was.
Calculating the time, it was also when she was seven or eight months pregnant in the dream that the news of the pregnancy broke out.
She thought that in the future, that person could draw some of the jealous looks away from her.