Five years after her death, she awoke on the dragon bed.

Chapter 373 Collusion between Consorts and Officials
For the next two days, Lou Suyi's people observed at which stage the murderer administered the drug.

Unfortunately, the other party did it very discreetly, and it was impossible to tell who was at fault.

"We must have overlooked some detail," Lou Suyi muttered to herself.

Murong hasn't come to Xianfu Palace these past two days. He's afraid the murderer won't dare to act because of his imperial power, so he simply won't come.

Furthermore, the food she ate still contained an appetite stimulant, which indicates that she did not alert the enemy.

"Think about which part we might have overlooked." Lou Suyi looked at the people present, namely Jinshu, Yanhui, and Granny Fan.

“This old servant has been keeping a close eye on things these past two days and hasn’t seen anyone make a move,” Granny Fan said with certainty.

Lou Suyi carefully recalled the process of making longevity noodles for Murong.

After she finished cooking, she personally served the noodles to Murong.

After Granny Fan finished cooking, she would definitely have other palace maids serve the dishes. Granny Fan would certainly have considered this. The fact that she hadn't seen anyone add poison to the dishes for two days meant that this step was not problematic.

Could the problem lie in the process of putting the food into the pot?
"Does the nanny have anyone to help her when she's cooking?" Lou Suyi asked after thinking for a moment.

“With the old woman tending the fire, no one else will approach the small kitchen. I’ve observed the old woman tending the fire; she’s very honest and doesn’t make any moves,” Granny Fan replied.

Lou Suyi frowned, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Could it be that someone has added something to the oil and salt?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Fan was shocked.

That's right. Since the appetite stimulant only has the effect of stimulating appetite and is non-toxic and harmless, wouldn't it be safe to put it in oil or salt without anyone noticing?

It's even a one-time solution that doesn't require releasing it every day.

Lou Suyi looked at Jinshu, who nodded in agreement: "Your Majesty's guess is not without reason."

"After everyone has rested today, this old servant will fetch some oil and salt and take it to the Qianqing Palace so that Imperial Physician Liu can examine you," said Granny Fan solemnly.

"Please also bring some of the water from the small kitchen for daily use," Lou Suyi instructed again.

"This old servant understands." Granny Fan knew the matter was of great importance and dared not be negligent.

The next day, Jili returned from the Qianqing Palace and reported the situation to Lou Suyi.

"Appetizers were found in both the cooking oil and the well water used for cooking. That stuff dissolves in both oil and water, so it's probably too conspicuous to put in salt, which is why it wasn't added to the table salt. Also, His Majesty is secretly investigating who handled the oil and water, so Your Majesty should wait patiently for news."

Lou Suyi looked at Jinshu and asked, "Do you think we can find the real culprit this time?"

This question stumped Jinshu.

The person who administered the appetite-stimulating powder was very cautious. Who could have imagined that the oil and water they used daily could be used to add medicine? If His Majesty hadn't asked one more question, and if the problem with her diet had been discovered any later, it's uncertain whether the Empress would have been able to have a natural birth.

She couldn't even imagine such a situation happening.

“The net of heaven is vast, and I believe that evildoers will surely be punished. It is impossible for them to escape punishment every time,” Jinshu said solemnly.

Lou Suyi's lips curled into a cold smile: "I don't think the recent series of events are a coincidence."

Jinshu was stunned: "Your Majesty suspects that there are concubines in the harem colluding with ministers of the previous dynasty?"

"It's not impossible; I'm just stating my speculation. If there really is collusion between the empress and the ministers in court, this matter is not just a simple palace intrigue!" Lou Suying rubbed her belly. This time, it was fortunate that Murong discovered the problem in time; otherwise, she would still be in the dark.

The scene fell silent, for everyone knew that the Empress was far too conspicuous. All the concubines in the harem considered Lou Suying a rival, but the Empress's position remained secure, solely because of the Emperor's favor and the support of the young Crown Prince.

How easy would it be for them to get rid of the Empress?

It seems the most effective method is to collude with ministers.

Lou Suyi seemed to be deep in thought.

When it came to the ministers in the court, the first person she thought of was Xie Zhijie, the newly favored official. He was a cabinet minister and had designs on her. If she became the deposed empress, wouldn't Xie Zhijie have a chance to get her out of the palace?

Thinking about it this way, she felt that Xie Zhijie had the greatest chance of colluding with the concubines in the harem.

But she couldn't say these things to Murong.

She couldn't very well tell Murong that Xie Zhijie coveted her and was the person most interested in making her the deposed empress.

If she were to say that, she might not be far from being divorced. No man could tolerate another man coveting his wife, especially since Xie Zhijie was a subject of the Murong clan.

The next few days were relatively peaceful.

The next day, the concubines came to Xianfu Palace to pay their respects, and they were all a little surprised when they saw Lou Suyi.

Lou Suyi's face looked somewhat puffy, and her clothes were also a bit old-fashioned. She didn't look as radiant as before and gave off a lifeless feeling.

Seeing Lou Suyi like this evoked a strange feeling in everyone's hearts.

Many people dislike Lou Suyi, yet she manages to remain firmly in the empress's position. Today, Lou Suyi's face appears swollen, indicating that the widely publicized dethronement has affected her.

Otherwise, Lou Suyi wouldn't look so haggard.

Little did they know that Lou Suying had deliberately made herself appear this way just to observe the reactions of the other concubines.

Upon seeing this, Consort De couldn't wait to sarcastically ask, "Is Your Majesty so haggard because His Majesty hasn't been visiting Xianfu Palace much lately?"

Lou Suyi raised her eyebrows slightly.

Although Consort De's mouth is not pleasing, she can basically be eliminated from the list of people who collude with Xie Zhijie.

"Sister, you are overthinking it. I am perfectly fine, so please don't worry." As Lou Suying spoke, she subtly observed everyone present.

Consort Ning remained as composed as ever, her expression blank. Consort Tao, on the other hand, was consistently aloof and arrogant, seemingly unworthy of her attention.

The others behaved as usual, remaining within the bounds of propriety.

When they first saw her, everyone glanced at her a few more times. Surprise was written all over their faces, even on Consort De's face.

Very well, her probing had no effect whatsoever. Was it because her opponent could control his emotions so well that he didn't reveal any flaws?
"I'm not saying this to be mean, but Your Majesty should eat less. You're almost turning into a pig..." Consort De seemed to realize she had said the wrong thing and suddenly stopped.

Upon hearing this, Lou Suyi became even more certain that Consort De was the most innocent person present.

She smiled gently and suddenly found Consort De more pleasing to the eye: "Thank you for your concern, sister. It's just that I'm pregnant and eating for two, so I'm bound to gain some weight. When you get pregnant one day, you'll understand the difficulties of being a pregnant woman."

Consort De got goosebumps when she heard Lou Suyi calling her "sister" repeatedly. This woman was essentially flaunting her ability to conceive the imperial heir, as if being able to have a child was something extraordinary.