The honeysuckle vine, also known as the winter flower, initially blooms white before turning yellow. Commoners often call it the gold and silver flower.
Honeysuckle blooms in spring and has an exceptionally long flowering period, lasting until early autumn.
While common among the people, this flower is rarely seen in the imperial palace, where even the most mundane plants are prized for their rarity and value.
How could the modest winter flower compare to the national beauty of peonies or the vibrant charm of tree peonies?
Jiang Si’s question seemed odd, causing the imperial consorts to exchange puzzled glances.
Why was the Princess Consort of Yan specifically asking about honeysuckle in the palace?
“Seventh Son’s wife, does your inquiry about honeysuckle relate to today’s events?” Emperor Jingming asked slowly.
Jiang Si replied candidly, “Daughter-in-law doesn’t dare to be certain, I’m just asking first.”
Perhaps because Jiang Si had cured Princess Fuqing’s eyes and previously demonstrated her miraculous ability to make flower buds bloom, Emperor Jingming showed great patience, despite not seeing how the unremarkable honeysuckle could be connected to the Fifteenth Princess’s death. “Did everyone hear the Princess Consort of Yan’s question?”
Jiang Si had asked about the palace, so those living outside like Princess Rongyang didn’t think much of it. However, the imperial consorts and unmarried princesses became uneasy, increasingly unable to fathom Jiang Si’s meaning.
“Think carefully. If you can’t recall now, after this, I will send someone to investigate who has honeysuckle in their quarters—” Emperor Jingming left the rest unsaid, but the warning was clear.
What should have been a celebration of his beloved daughter regaining her sight had turned into tragedy with another daughter’s death. If not for his excellent self-control, Emperor Jingming would have already flown into a rage.
After a suffocating silence, a palace maid suddenly knelt down and timidly said, “In response to Your Majesty, this servant… this servant once saw a patch of honeysuckle somewhere…”
“Where?”
As the Emperor asked, those who recognized the maid turned their gazes toward Imperial Consort Xian.
Imperial Consort Xian could barely maintain her composure as she demanded sharply, “Shiliu, do you know what you’re saying?”
It turned out this maid named Shiliu was from Yuquan Palace, accompanying Imperial Consort Xian to the banquet today.
“My beloved consort, why not hear what she has to say?” Emperor Jingming cast a cool glance at Imperial Consort Xian, his tone displeased.
Imperial Consort Xian never imagined trouble would find her so unexpectedly. Suppressing her surging anger, she asked the maid, “Then tell us, where did you see the honeysuckle?”
The maid secretly gave Imperial Consort Xian a helpless look before prostrating herself and saying, “This servant once saw honeysuckle at Lady Chen’s quarters…”
Lady Chen?
Emperor Jingming was somewhat confused.
The Empress tactfully reminded him, “Lady Chen is the birth mother of the Fourteenth Princess, residing in a side hall of Yuquan Palace.”
In the Great Zhou’s imperial harem, the living arrangements of consorts and concubines were strictly regulated. Only those of a certain rank were entitled to independent palaces. Lower-ranked concubines like Noble Ladies and Imperial Favorites had to depend on higher-ranking consorts for accommodation.
Hearing that the honeysuckle was seen at Lady Chen’s place, Imperial Consort Xian felt slightly relieved but also cursed her bad luck.
These lower-ranked concubines were distributed among the higher-ranked consorts’ palaces according to regulations. It wasn’t as if she had chosen which concubines she liked to live in her Yuquan Palace.
Although she didn’t know the purpose behind the Princess Consort of Yan’s inquiry about honeysuckle, it was not a good sign. The fact that the person in question resided in Yuquan Palace felt like an undeserved calamity.
“Is Lady Chen present?” Emperor Jingming asked with a frown, having clarified Lady Chen’s identity.
The Empress, who had organized this palace banquet, was naturally clear about these matters. She immediately replied, “Lady Chen has taken leave.”
“Taken leave?”
“The Fourteenth Princess fell ill a couple of days ago. Lady Chen requested leave, saying she needed to care for the Fourteenth Princess.”
Princesses moved out of their mothers’ quarters upon reaching twelve years of age. The Fourteenth Princess, being the same age as Princess Fuqing, had long since moved out of Yuquan Palace.
Of course, although the princesses lived separately from their mothers after growing up, they were still within the imperial harem. It was quite convenient for the consorts to visit them, and they didn’t need to report to the Empress for such visits.
“So neither Lady Chen nor the Fourteenth Princess is present in the hall?” Emperor Jingming’s brow furrowed deeper, his mood inexplicably heavy.
The Empress nodded, “That’s correct.”
Emperor Jingming looked at Jiang Si, “Seventh Son’s wife, now that we know where the honeysuckle is, what exactly is your intention in asking about this?”
“Daughter-in-law needs to see it in person.”
Seeing Jiang Si’s increasingly puzzling responses, Emperor Jingming couldn’t help but glance at Yu Jin.
What exactly did his seventh son’s wife mean?
“Father Emperor, daughter-in-law is not trying to be mysterious. It’s just that this matter is of great importance. I dare not rashly implicate anyone, so I must see for myself to be certain.”
Emperor Jingming sighed, “Very well, have Pan Hai escort you to Yuquan Palace.”
Jiang Si curtsied again, “May I also request the Chief Imperial Physician to accompany me?”
Having already allowed Jiang Si to go to Yuquan Palace, Emperor Jingming naturally wouldn’t make things difficult over this request. He nodded without hesitation.
Yu Jin had wanted to request to accompany Jiang Si but abandoned the idea after receiving a look from her.
At this moment, Imperial Consort Xian was the most uncomfortable.
The Princess Consort of Yan wanted to personally visit Yuquan Palace. What game was she playing?
Could it be that Lady Chen was related to the Fifteenth Princess’s death? How could that be possible?
The more she thought about it, the more confused she became, leaving Imperial Consort Xian feeling so stifled she wanted to relieve herself again.
But at this moment, not a single person present could leave. Telling the Emperor she needed to relieve herself would be utterly humiliating.
There was no choice but to endure.
During the wait, Emperor Jingming closed his eyes and remained silent, while others couldn’t help but discuss in low voices.
“What does the Princess Consort of Yan want with honeysuckle?”
“Who knows? Could honeysuckle possibly poison someone to death?”
This last comment had a mocking tone.
The imperial physicians remaining in the hall exchanged glances, vaguely forming a terrifying hypothesis.
Of course, before the Princess Consort of Yan returned, they dared not utter a single word.
Princess Rongyang grew impatient with the wait and sneered at Princess Ningluo beside her, “I think the Princess Consort of Yan is just putting on airs.”
Princess Ningluo, Chen Huifu’s mother, had carefully questioned her daughter after the plum-viewing banquet debacle and intuitively felt it was related to Jiang Si. Therefore, she didn’t agree with Princess Rongyang’s comment and said softly, “It’s hard to say. Despite her youth, the Princess Consort of Yan is quite capable…”
After a long wait, Jiang Si finally returned, holding a folded handkerchief.
“Seventh Son’s wife, can you explain clearly now?” Emperor Jingming opened his eyes and asked, his gaze sweeping towards Pan Hai.
As Emperor Jingming’s most trusted head eunuch, Pan Hai had weathered countless storms, yet his face was now pale, clearly having witnessed something extremely shocking.
“Father Emperor, daughter-in-law may have found the source of the deadly poison.”
This statement startled everyone.
“Where?” Emperor Jingming asked eagerly.
Jiang Si calmly replied, “In that patch of honeysuckle!”
“Impossible! Honeysuckle isn’t just non-toxic, it’s medicinal!” Many exclaimed.
The idea that honeysuckle could be the poison that killed the Fifteenth Princess so quickly seemed absurd.
Jiang Si, her expression unchanged, curtsied to Emperor Jingming, “Father Emperor, perhaps it’s best to let Chief Physician Zhang explain.”