As the culprit who caused all this, Su Wan'er was now watching Si Junlin reviewing memorials.
Thinking of the news from outside the palace, Su Wan'er sighed again, "Your Majesty, you're truly amazing."
Si Junlin gave a glance at the woman who had complimented him countless times today. "Empress, you're in my body now. Don't show that infatuated look. If others see it, it'll only disgrace me."
Su Wan'er let out a disdainful "tut". Although she was unimpressed, she straightened her attitude and posture.
"Alright, I've finished." Si Junlin tossed all the reviewed memorials in front of Su Wan'er and turned to leave.
"Wait." Su Wan'er called out to Si Junlin.
Si Junlin looked back at her. "What? Do you have something else to say?"
Su Wan'er pointed at the sun outside the window. "It's already noon. Your Majesty, would you like to have lunch before leaving?"
Si Junlin was slightly taken aback. It occurred to him that he had never had lunch with his empress. A soft feeling welled up inside him, and he replied instinctively, "Okay."
Now it was Su Wan'er's turn to be shocked. She had just said it casually and never expected the mighty emperor to agree to stay...
"What? Do you want me to starve on thin air?" Seeing Su Wan'er's shocked expression, Si Junlin couldn't help but smile helplessly. Of course, the guilt towards Su Wan'er in his heart deepened a bit more.
Su Wan'er turned around and told Fang Xi outside the palace hall to prepare the meal.
The news that the "empress" had been staying in the imperial study for several days spread to every palace. The concubines in the palace were so angry that they gritted their teeth. Especially when they remembered that the empress had interrupted their business that night, their hatred for the "empress" grew even stronger.
One day, when Si Junlin was resting in the palace, a maid came to report that Noble Consort Qing had come.
Si Junlin frowned tightly. After all these days, he had experienced the intrigues in the harem. It wasn't the time for the concubines to pay their respects. What did Noble Consort Qing come for?
"Let her in." He wanted to see what this noble consort, whose name he could hardly remember, was up to.
Soon, Noble Consort Qing came. She was well - behaved. After entering and seeing the "empress", she bowed respectfully and then said, "Qing'er pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress. I'm sorry to bother you today. Please don't blame me."
"Just say what you want." Si Junlin leaned back on the chair and said unhurriedly.
Noble Consort Qing motioned for the maid behind her to step forward. The maid placed the wooden box on the table beside Si Junlin. Then Noble Consort Qing herself stood still and said to Si Junlin, "Your Majesty, this is a lucky bag sent by my family. It's said to have the effect of calming the nerves and refreshing the mind. Qing'er thought that Your Majesty has been worrying about the affairs in the harem all day. With this, you'll feel more comfortable. So I sent it to you as soon as I received it. I just hope Your Majesty can protect Qing'er in the palace. That'll be enough for me."
Si Junlin ordered the maid to open the box. A faint fragrance wafted out from the box. It did have a calming effect. Si Junlin didn't suspect anything and told the maid to take it.
Then Noble Consort Qing chatted in the palace for a while. Then, on the pretext of having something to do in her own palace and not being able to stay long, she left in a hurry.
Si Junlin didn't take this matter to heart. He just told the maid to put away the box with the lucky bag, thinking that as long as he didn't touch it, nothing bad would happen.
After some time, just when Si Junlin was about to forget about the lucky bag, something happened in Consort Yu's palace.
It turned out that someone had drugged Consort Yu, causing rashes all over her body. She was almost disfigured.
The imperial doctor checked and found that there was no such medicinal herb in the palace. And recently, the only people who had gone out of the palace to buy things were Noble Consort Qing, Consort Yu, and the maid beside the "empress".
So, under the order of the Empress Dowager, Su Wan'er ordered a thorough investigation.
This investigation really revealed some clues. Unfortunately, all these clues pointed to the "empress"....
"The evidence is conclusive. Empress, what else do you have to say?" The Empress Dowager threw the lucky bag searched from Si Junlin's palace in front of him. The medicinal herb spilled out. After the imperial doctor's examination, it was confirmed that this was the very herb that had caused Consort Yu's rashes.
Si Junlin's face darkened slightly. "This wasn't done by me... This item was given to me by Noble Consort Qing."
Noble Consort Qing immediately put on a crying act. "Empress Dowager, I'm wronged! I've never been to the Empress's palace. How could I give this to the Empress?"
"Noble Consort Qing did come to my palace that day. The maids in my palace, the maid beside Noble Consort Qing, and even the imperial guards patrolling the palace that day can testify." Si Junlin gave a disgusted look at Noble Consort Qing. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. What kind of strange creatures were these in his harem? He had always thought these women were weak and kind, but it turned out that they were all as vicious as snakes and scorpions.
If he hadn't experienced it himself, he would never have thought that Noble Consort Qing could distort the truth to such an extent.
To make Si Junlin speechless, the Empress Dowager ordered the imperial guards who had patrolled that day, the maids beside Si Junlin and Noble Consort Qing to be summoned.
The imperial guards just said helplessly that they hadn't patrolled to the Empress's palace at that time.
And the maid beside Noble Consort Qing flatly denied Si Junlin's words.
Among those summoned, only the personal maid beside Si Junlin, or rather Su Wan'er, was willing to speak for Si Junlin.
Unfortunately, since she was from Si Junlin's palace, with two out of the three people unable to confirm Si Junlin's words, her testimony didn't count.
"Come, take the Empress back to her palace and detain her. We'll deal with her after the matter is investigated clearly." The Empress Dowager made a direct decision.
Just then, Su Wan'er received the news and finally rushed over. As soon as she entered, she first bowed to the Empress Dowager, then stood in front of Si Junlin and said to the Empress Dowager, "Mother, I believe what the Empress said is true."
The Empress Dowager frowned and asked Su Wan'er, "Why are you so sure?"
Su Wan'er picked up the lucky bag, took the handkerchief handed by the maid beside her, and then took out the medicinal herb inside. "Mother, you should know that the Empress's family is from a military background, right?"
The Empress Dowager nodded, signaling Su Wan'er to continue.
Su Wan'er went on, "This medicinal herb is extremely rare. Only those who are good at using medicinal herbs can find this plant that looks no different from ordinary weeds among the grass. In other words, only those from medical families can find and use such a medicinal herb."
Su Wan'er's words had already made everything clear.