tallest building

Chapter 226 Hidden Clues

A short while later, Qing'er returned and handed the two medicinal herbs to Wen Mingqian.

"Madam Wen, I heard that the Imperial Hospital is providing the best supplies for Her Majesty the Empress. You have such good connections, everyone in the Imperial Hospital praises you!" Qing'er said with a smile.

Wen Mingqian's humility allowed the Empress to sleep peacefully, which naturally reduced the reprimands on the imperial physicians. However, she never took these things to heart, which made her seem even more modest and unassuming.

Wen Mingqian asked Qing'er, "Do you know the Empress's food preferences? For example, whether she prefers salty or bland, light or strong flavors?"

“Aunt Bai usually takes care of Your Highness’s meals, and I remember them from watching over them,” Qing’er said hurriedly. “Aunt Bai isn’t here right now, so Your Highness can ask me. If you’re still worried, you can ask her again when she comes back.”

Qing'er chattered away like a cheerful little magpie. Wen Mingqian noticed that she was not only fast on her feet, but also on her tongue.

Such people are best kept by your side, so you can learn more about things.

So he smiled and said to her, "If you're not busy, why don't you stay and help me out? I'm not familiar with anything here, and I'm afraid I might make a mistake."

Qing'er was naturally happy. Wen Mingqian was handsome and gentle, and serving the Empress's medicinal meals alone wouldn't be too much trouble.

While preparing medicinal cuisine, Wen Mingqian carefully observed the people coming and going.

Aunt Bai is a very senior member of the family, and she is mainly in charge of the Empress's meals.

In addition, the Imperial Kitchen also had a group of eunuchs in charge of managing the kitchen, preparing both white and red dishes, as well as those who picked vegetables and tended the fire.

Wen Mingqian spoke casually, and managed to glean quite a bit of information from Qing'er.

I know that the fruits to be offered to the Empress's palace were selected by Aunt Bai and her team. These fruits, harvested in autumn and winter, cannot be washed, lest their aroma be ruined. Even when handling them, one cannot touch them directly with bare hands; a cloth must be placed underneath. This is to prevent the fruits from getting sweaty from one's hands.

After the selection was made, it was usually four to six palace maids who were responsible for delivering it, and then handing it over to the people in the Empress's palace.

Poisoning could occur at any of these stages.

Of course, with so many people and such a chaotic place, it's not entirely impossible for someone to poison someone when they're not looking.

Wen Mingqian then asked Qing'er, "Does the imperial physician need to inspect these offerings of fruit?"

"That's unnecessary, since Her Majesty doesn't eat it," Qing'er said with a smile. "Wouldn't adding that 'careful' be redundant?"

Wen Mingqian smiled after hearing this and didn't say anything more.

The Crown Prince of Zhao's cat has gone missing.

At first, Ying Tong thought the cat had run off to play, since it couldn't be kept in a cage. But after two days without seeing it again, Ying Tong couldn't help but worry.

He's raised this cat since it was a kitten, and their bond is incredibly deep.

She sent her servants out to look for it, but after a long search, they still couldn't find it.

Just then, the Crown Prince of Chu fell ill, and the Queen of Chu came to the palace to visit him.

As they were leaving, they happened to run into Gong Chang'an.

Gong Chang'an was a child who was born with a heart that could evoke pity, and given his special status, the Princess of Chu naturally couldn't help but try to befriend him.

Upon seeing him approach and pay his respects, the Princess of Chu smiled and said, "It's been a while since I've seen you; you seem to have grown taller. Where is your mother?" "I came from Prince Zhao's place and don't know where my mother is now," Gong Chang'an said with a smile. "I came to see the Prince; I wonder how he is?"

"He's much better, but he still needs to rest for a few more days," said the Princess of Chu. "He also told me that he was very grateful for the painting you gave him, as it helped him relieve his boredom. Otherwise, he would have been lying in bed all day while he was sick, which was quite boring."

"Actually, I still feel a bit guilty. If I had known what would happen later, I wouldn't have given that painting." Gong Chang'an lowered his head.

The princess was puzzled upon hearing this, and smiled as she asked him, "Where did you come from?"

Gong Chang'an then said, "Because this painting displeased our Crown Prince and the Crown Prince of Zhao, the Crown Prince of Zhao's cat scratched the painting, and our Crown Prince kicked the cat in a moment of panic."

"Oh dear, that child. He didn't even tell me about this. He must be afraid I'd scold him if I found out," Princess Chu sighed.

They all knew about the cat Ying Tong kept; she cherished it dearly.

"Actually, it's nothing. Our Crown Prince apologized to the Crown Prince of Zhao afterward. The two of them usually get along quite well, so they didn't make a fuss about it."

"The important thing is that the cat has disappeared since then. The Crown Prince of Zhao has searched for it for many days but hasn't found it," Gong Chang'an said. "The palace servants over there, unable to find the cat, said that it was frightened after our Crown Prince kicked it and has disappeared somewhere. I'm a little worried. I'm afraid that this incident will cause a rift between our Crown Prince and the Crown Prince of Zhao."

Princess Chu was a meticulous person and did not take this small matter lightly. Instead, she took Gong Chang'an's hand and said, "Good child, thank you for reminding me. I cannot know everything about the Crown Prince's affairs in the palace. Although this matter is not big, people often drift apart because of small things."

Princess Chu naturally did not want any discord to arise between her son and Ying Tong, knowing that Ying Tong was very likely to be the future emperor and could not be offended.

Even when they sent their son to the palace, the family was well aware that Ying Bai was essentially acting as a study companion for Ying Tong.

After all, their family's power was not as great as that of the Zhao family, and besides, the Zhao princess was the empress's younger sister.

Therefore, he admonished his son to always give way to the Crown Prince of Zhao and never make enemies with him.

Ying Bai naturally knew this, but in the heat of the moment that day, he couldn't help himself.

Afterwards, he apologized to Ying Tong, and Ying Tong didn't hold a grudge. The two reconciled.

"Since Bai'er is ill, why don't I find another cat and give it to the Prince of Zhao? If that cat comes back later, it can keep him company, and if we can't find one for a while, this one will be a substitute," said the Princess of Chu after thinking for a moment.

“That’s good. The Crown Prince likes to hear a cat purring every night when he goes to sleep. He once told me that it’s best to raise cats and dogs from a young age, because they can’t be tamed if they grow up. If Your Highness is looking for a cat, please make sure to find a small one,” Gong Chang’an reminded her.

"Alright, alright, I understand." Princess Chu touched his face. "Thank you for your kind reminder."

A day later, sure enough, someone sent a little kitten into the palace. It looked just like the kitten Ying Tong had kept before.

"What is this for?" Ying Tong asked, looking at the cat.

"Your Highness, this was sent by the Princess Consort of Chu. She said she heard that our cat was gone and you were worried, so she found this one for you to keep for now," the attendant said. "I think perhaps it's because the Princess Consort of Chu felt bad that Your Highness kicked our cat!"

"You bunch of freeloaders, you can't even find a cat, and several days have passed?" Ying Tong said unhappily. "No matter how big the palace is, it can't possibly leave the palace."

"Yes, yes, we've been looking for it too. Maybe the cat ran off somewhere and was locked up by a stranger to catch mice. There are a lot of warehouses and rats in the 448th Bureau area."

“Then you should go to the back and ask. If anyone has locked it up, tell them to release it immediately! Cats aren’t just for catching mice!” Ying Tong said. “If it gets thin from hunger, I won’t stand for it.”

In his heart, the cat was not a toy. When he first entered the palace, he inevitably missed home, but his parents repeatedly told him not to act like a child.

This cat kept him company through countless long nights, and he only felt at ease when he heard the cat purring.