Lin Wan chose a route under the Phoenix Pavilion, walking back and forth on the most spacious and unobstructed road, although it was a bit of a detour. She walked slowly, gazing out at the distant mountains beyond the palace, enjoying the rare comfort in the dull palace amidst the crisp autumn air and vast blue sky. Her mood also became more relaxed.

  She felt like she had figured some things out.

  Today, when I came to Jianzhang Palace, Tuoba Hong only mentioned one person in his conversation with himself, and that was Bai Xiuyi.

  Originally, Bai Xiuyi was the least important part of the whole event. She was just a poor soul who was oppressed by the imperial court and became a thorough cannon fodder in Chu Huaxin's design to frame Lin Yu. Originally, she could have become the center of attention because of her pregnancy, but now, she has become the most neglected character in everyone's eyes, with many people secretly applauding her miserable death.

  Lin Yan originally ignored her too.

  However, Lin Wan has now begun to notice her. It was only natural that she was disliked by Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei for being infertile, but Emperor Xiaoming, as heartless and cold-blooded as he was, should not have disliked her to such an extent... even considering abandoning her status as empress and forbidding her burial in the imperial mausoleum.

  Because of being poisoned and losing the imperial heir, this is not a heinous crime, at most it's just Bai Xiuyi being too muddle-headed. The one who should be punished is Chu Shi.

  From Tuoba Hong's perspective, he shouldn't have gotten so angry.

  From Lin Yuan's perspective, Bai Xiuzhi's death was full of mystery.

  She shouldn't and couldn't have died in labor like this.

  The women in the palace were as fragile as floating duckweed, and the death of a concubine was not unusual. It was common for pregnant women to die due to various inexplicable reasons. But the child in Bai Xiuyi's belly could be said to belong more to the Empress than to her own. Although Bai Xiuyi came from a high-ranking family and should have been given a high position to raise her own child, Lin Yin believed that the Empress would definitely find a way to claim this child as her own.

  Bai Xiuzhi was extremely close to the Empress, and this child would be sent over, but it would never fall into someone else's hands. In other words, from the moment she became pregnant, the Empress had already been blessed with good fortune.

  But now the result is that this child is gone so soon.

  Lin Wan still remembered the words of Li Taizhen, he said that the fetus was already a month old. Because Bai Xiuzhu had irregular periods before and thought she was just late after getting pregnant, so she didn't ask for an imperial doctor in time. In the end, Bai Xiuzhu drank mercury sulfide without knowing she was pregnant and died.

  Bai Xiuyi played dumb, but the Empress was not fooled.

  The empress must have known about Baisuwei's pregnancy! In the imperial harem of Great Qin, offspring are too precious and rare, the empress can't afford to miss it!

  So Lin Wan was able to infer that the Empress had knowingly allowed Bai Xiuzi, who was pregnant, to attend Xiang Fei's banquet without any qualms. The matter of Chu Huaxin being poisoned was something that Lin Wan had a hand in orchestrating, and she was confident in her ability to carry out tasks without leaving any loose ends. Neither the Empress nor the Emperor knew about it beforehand. But even if they didn't know, when the bowl of poisonous soup was placed on the table, Xiang Fei was able to avoid it, so why didn't Bai Xiuzi have any guard against it?

  Even if the queen wanted to keep White Xiuzi's pregnancy a secret, she should have arranged for capable people to protect her. Xiangfei has always been unfavorable to White Xiuzi, and Linzhu Palace is such a dangerous place for her. The queen actually let her go so carelessly, while Ye Liangren knew how to pretend to be ill... At the banquet, all kinds of dishes were served, and White Xiuzi actually ate them with abandon, until she finally drank a bowl of arsenic.

  All signs indicate that the queen did not provide any protection for Bai Xiuyi's pregnancy at all, ultimately leading to the death of both Bai Xiuyi and her child...

  That day in Linji Palace, even if Chu Huaxin hadn't intervened, Bai Xiuyi wouldn't have come back alive. Yi Zhen was hidden among the spices, leaving no gap unexplored.

  Bai Xiuzhi will definitely die in Linji Palace, and she absolutely shouldn't have died.

  This is indeed strange.

  After the incident, the queen had secretly shed tears several times. The old people in the palace who have some foundation like Zhao Shuyuan all said a sigh - the queen lost big this time.

  The queen's behavior made Lin Wan clear her mind. No one would make a losing deal, and Xiang Fei's poison must have nothing to do with the queen.

  So is everything the queen said true? Was it really all Shen Yunrong's doing?

  But demoting Zhaoyuan is too lenient a punishment for her heinous crime. Why didn't the Emperor severely punish her, and why did he get angry with Bai Xiuyi? Even to the point of covering up the whole incident?

  If I were to think of it in another way...

  Although Shen Yunrong had the crime of hiding poison, she was not related to the poisoning of Xiang Fei. It was not her fault that Tuoba Hong would not pursue her. The person who used the poison was someone else. Compared to bribing the palace maid next to Xiang Fei to poison her, it was obviously easier for the concubines and their attendants at the banquet in Linzhi Palace that day to take action. So who could it be...

  Zhao Shuyuan's door is not high, although she has entered the palace for many years, but she will not have the ability to get an inch of thought. Maybe the Chu family has this ability, but Chu Huaxin is busy dealing with Lin Yuen, and Chu Huashang, as a concubine daughter, will not get too much support from her family. Then, Bai Xiuyi...

  She is the queen's person.

  She is also the least likely person to be suspected. She comes to do this thing, and the queen's risk will be minimized.

  A dead man...

  If it weren't for the emperor's reminder today, Lin Wan would still not have figured out this layer - to say that, this matter is not something that can be guessed just by guessing. The empress dowager put so much thought into it just to clear herself. The emperor must have grasped other information to understand it.

  The emperor already knew... and it's unknown how he will deal with the empress.

  However, up to now he has not made any arrangements. Moreover, looking at it this way, he will not be able to do anything about the queen either.

  These years, the palace has had its fair share of miscarriages and infant deaths. Lin Yin doesn't believe that as the empress, she wouldn't have intervened at all. The emperor's heart is also somewhat clear about these despicable matters. However, no matter what, the empress's position remains stable.

  The relationship between the emperor and empress was far from as simple as Lin Wan had imagined. Empress Xiao Yueyi, due to her noble birth, was not favored by the emperor, but eight years ago, during Emperor Taizong's struggle for the throne, she suffered a miscarriage after being secretly harmed while pregnant with his child. The harm caused her to be infertile for the rest of her life, all because of her loyalty to Emperor Taizong.

  No matter what kind of face they and the emperor have become now, they were once the strongest allies.

  Maybe they were once lovers? When they were young, they weren't mature enough, didn't have the city's mannerisms, and wouldn't calculate too much gain or loss.

  On this day's evening, the emperor finished his government affairs and went to Linzhi Palace.

  Xiang Fei has almost recovered and can now go out of the house and move around.

  However, no matter how excellent Rui'er's medical skills were, the effects of the sudden onset of her illness had already taken a toll on Xiang Fei's body. She was now weak and lacking in energy, and even a slight breeze could cause her to catch a cold.

  In the peach garden behind the rear hall of the Inviting Moon Building, Tuoba Hong hugged her from behind, hearing her laugh out loud in surprise. Tuoba Hong held her even tighter.

  Lan Rui knelt down and saluted from the side. Emperor Taizong of Northern Wei looked at her: "I said that whoever can save Princess Xiang will be rewarded with a noble title. You are not joking, Lan Rui, your father is now the Marquis of Zhongyue."

  Xiang Fei's body, which was being held down, trembled slightly. Rui'er kowtowed in fear and said: "Lan Shi is humble..."

  "Hundreds of craftsmen are inferior, and making poison is even more shameful. From a humble body to becoming a nobleman, isn't this reward good enough?" Tuoba Hong's voice was calm and composed.

  Nui'er couldn't say a word and could only knock her head on the ground without getting up.

  Xiang Fei let out a soft sigh, after all, the Emperor would eventually take Rui Er away from her side.

  After being granted favor, the Lan family could only be loyal to the emperor.

  It's already a great blessing that Tuoba Hong agreed to let Rui'er serve her until she gives birth.

  She must have this child.

  "Lili, it's windy here, let's go inside." Tuoba Hong blocked her waist and turned back into the house.

  Inside the room, Princess Zhaochun walked out with small steps. Emperor Tuoba Hong pulled her to his side with his other hand.

  In her own palace, Empress Xiang usually didn't like too many people serving her, and the back palace was even more quiet. At that time, except for Rui'er who followed behind her, there were no other palace maids around. Tuoba Hong touched Zhaochun's black and shiny hair bun, smiling: "This child is really beautiful, very much like you."

  "Really." Xiang Fei calmly replied: "My sister is actually more beautiful than me..."

  Mentioning what happened back then, Tuoba Hong didn't feel embarrassed at all and still smiled: "We took her child, so we should return one to her."

  Xiang Fei's face suddenly turned pale: "Your Majesty..."

  "Lingling, I still have state affairs." The emperor didn't wait for her to finish speaking.

  The emperor soon departed. Xiang Fei's body was so weak that she couldn't support herself and leaned on Rui'er.

  Nui'er burst into tears. In those years, the Shangguan family had saved their entire clan from death, and she was also one of the most loyal people to Empress Xiang. She was still young and often couldn't understand the emperor's decisions.

  She knew what had happened back then. The imperial son born to Empress Xiang was originally healthy, but mysteriously died within a short hour. The evidence in Empress Xiang's hands clearly pointed to the empress dowager, yet the emperor refused to investigate further.

  Xiang Fei didn't cry or make a scene. She was usually strong and wouldn't tolerate anyone, but she was surprisingly calm when faced with this situation.

  She understood that now was not the time to stir up trouble for the imperial family, and the emperor would not destroy years of court politics just to give her child justice. Moreover, as a father, the emperor's attitude towards this child was more like disgust than expectation. The current situation suited him just fine.

  Xiang Fei finally chose to give in. She remained silent and without the emperor's permission, she would never reveal a single word about this matter.

  Tuoba Hong was extremely pleased with her for this. She really is a woman who knows how to show respect and courtesy.

  Xiang Fei's tolerance has indeed brought her the emperor's "return". He took away the third daughter born two months ago from his lucky sister, who had given birth to three daughters and two sons, and gave it to Xiang Fei to comfort her sorrow. In this way, Xiang Fei, who was deeply grieved by the loss of her child, could at least live a better life in the future; while Wang Fei, who was not loved by Emperor Yu despite her beautiful appearance, would also bring greater glory and security when her third daughter became an imperial princess.

  The emperor is indeed doing something that comes naturally to him. For a woman who has been deprived of everything, just giving her some slight compensation is enough. Even if it's not enough, she wouldn't dare to complain at all.

  Years have passed, and Empress Xiang treats her niece as if she were her own daughter, but she always believed that the child would return one day.

  Tuoba Hong erased the child's existence, but she couldn't forget.