That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

When Qingdai arrived at the Summer Palace, she ran into Tinglu, who was searching for someone everywhere.

She asked casually, "What are you looking for?"

Tinglu, her face full of anxiety, hurriedly replied, "Reporting to Aunt Qingdai, I am Consort Song's personal maid. A maid from Cangdong Pavilion has been missing for several days. At first, I thought she was just being lazy, but after several days without seeing her, Your Highness instructed me to search everywhere again."

"Why did Aunt come today?" Tinglu added.

"By order of Her Majesty the Empress, search the Cangdong Pavilion." Qingdai said calmly, her gaze sweeping over the doors of the Cangdong Pavilion.

Tinglu didn't dare to delay and quickly stepped aside to make way, saying, "Please proceed, Aunt."

Qingdai led the people into the house and searched Cangdong Pavilion thoroughly.

They checked every crack in the window, under the bed, in the dressing box, and even in the vases in the corner, but found no trace of poison.

She waved to the people behind her: "Let's go."

The moment I stepped out of the pavilion, a sharp scream suddenly shattered the tranquility of the Summer Palace.

Qingdai immediately led her people to the sound, only to see a palace maid, pale-faced and staggering, running back, repeatedly shouting, "There's a dead person in the dry well!"

"Someone's dead! Ah—" Another palace maid who was with her was also terrified.

Tinglu mustered her courage and glanced into the dark well. Her stomach churned, and she immediately covered her mouth, squatted down, and dry heaved.

After a long pause, she looked up, her face deathly pale, her voice trembling with tears: "It's Xiaohe...it's Xiaohe!"

The first palace maid to discover the body spoke in a daze: "The last time I saw Xiaohe was five days ago. She said she was going out in the middle of the night, and I vaguely saw her heading in the direction of Tingzhu Pavilion..."

"Why didn't you say something so important sooner?" Tinglu was both anxious and angry.

The palace maid choked back tears as she tried to explain, "Sister Tinglu, I dare not... Xiaohe has always treated me very well, I'm really afraid of getting into trouble."

Tinglu dared not delay and quickly summoned two eunuchs, who used ropes to pull Xiaohe's body out of the dry well.

As the body was dragged ashore, a plain-colored paper package slipped from her sleeve, fell onto the bluestone slab, cracked, and spilled out grayish-white powder.

There was also a jade bracelet lying next to it, broken into four pieces.

Qingdai's expression changed drastically. She quickly had someone bring over the paper package and picked up a bit of powder with her fingertips to examine it closely: "This is ginkgo powder."

"How could this be? How could Xiaohe have this on her?"

Tinglu was shocked, then suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to ask the palace maid, "You just said that Xiaohe went to Tingzhu Pavilion five days ago in the middle of the night?"

The palace maid nodded repeatedly in fright: "Xiao He always likes to go out alone. Sometimes she sneaks out in the middle of the night, and sometimes she disappears for a while during the day. That time I was really curious, so I secretly followed her and saw her enter Tingzhu Pavilion with my own eyes."

Qingdai already had a plan in mind, and said to Tinglu, "I will return to Fengyi Palace to report to Her Majesty the Empress first, and I will also inform her of Xiaohe's matter."

Inside the Phoenix Palace.

When the concubines saw the paper package in Qingdai's hand, they immediately erupted in a commotion.

"Wow, we actually found something in the Hidden Winter Pavilion!"

Consort Ye spoke in a shrill voice, her gaze fixed on Song Shuangning: "Consort Song, what do you have to say now?"

"He's too clever for his own good, he's only hurting himself!" another concubine immediately chimed in, her tone full of sarcasm.

A chorus of agreement rose and fell.

The Empress raised her hand and slapped the table, saying in a deep voice, "That's enough."

She didn't believe Song Shuangning would harm Wan'er and Hongtai, and immediately gave Qingdai a look to reply.

Qingdai curtsied and reported, "Your Highness, this servant did not find any poison in the Hidden Winter Pavilion. This packet of ginkgo powder was found on the palace maid Xiaohe. Xiaohe's body was just discovered in a dry well in the Summer Palace."

Song Luowei's eyes widened suddenly, her heart pounding: Xiaohe is dead? No wonder she hasn't been seen for the past few days.

Song Shuangning also covered her mouth in surprise, her face full of disbelief: "Xiao He? How could it be her?"

"Ginkgo powder was found on the palace maids in your palace. Could it be that you killed them to cover it up?" Consort Ye immediately seized on the matter and made a stern accusation.

"Consort Ye, watch your words!"

Song Shuangning looked up and stared directly at her. "If it really was me, why would I send people everywhere to search for Xiaohe? Wouldn't that be courting death?"

She turned to the Empress and continued, "Your Majesty, these past few days, Tingyu and the others have told me that Xiaohe has gone missing. I have already sent people to look for her, but to no avail. Today I intended to go and search again, but unexpectedly..."

Qingdai added at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty, besides the ginkgo powder, we also found a broken jade bracelet next to Xiaohe."

Song Shuangning picked up the jade bracelet and examined it carefully, then shook her head: "This is not my possession."

Song Luowei was struck dumb upon catching a glimpse of it.

This bracelet belongs to her; she lost it a few days ago. How did it end up on Xiaohe?

Consort Shao said, "This bracelet is of superior quality and is definitely not something a palace maid could possess. The Imperial Household Department has records of the distribution of items in the palace, so why don't we send it to them for inspection?"

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing." Qingdai hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"Speak your mind, there's no need to hold back," the Empress said in a deep voice.

"According to the palace maid who discovered the body, she saw Xiaohe go to... Consort Song's Tingzhu Pavilion in the middle of the night five days ago."

"No!" Song Luowei jumped up, her reaction unusually strong. "This concubine has never seen any palace maid named Xiao He! This is clearly nonsense!"

She abruptly changed the subject, pointing at Song Shuangning, "Consort Song, did you deliberately have your maid say that?"

"Elder sister, what do you mean by that?" Song Shuangning's eyes widened, her voice full of grievance. "You're my elder sister, how can you doubt me like that?"

Consort Shu propped her head up and slowly said, "Oh dear, we are sisters from the same mother, yet Consort Song's words make it sound as if she treats Consort Song as an enemy, disregarding any sisterly affection whatsoever."

The Empress sat regally on her phoenix throne, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, and said in a deep voice, "This matter is of great importance and must be handled fairly. Guards, immediately go to Consort Song's palace and thoroughly investigate, leaving no corner unchecked!"

A strong sense of unease rose in Song Luowei's heart, and her heart was pounding so fast it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.

She had already properly disposed of the remaining ginkgo powder, but now her fingertips were trembling uncontrollably, and her palms were sweating profusely.

She subconsciously looked up and met Song Shuangning's gaze. Song Shuangning simply smiled faintly, her eyes as clear as a spring, full of innocence and purity.

But the more this happened, the more intense Song Luowei's fear became.

This panic continued until Qingdai returned with her entourage. She bowed and reported back, her voice clearly carrying throughout the hall:

"Your Majesty, this servant has found ginkgo poison powder in a hidden compartment under Consort Song's bed!"

Song Shuangning's fingertips, hanging inside her sleeve, curled slightly:

Song Luowei, do you think you're the only one who would plant a spy by my side?

Half a month ago, she had already planted spies in Tingzhu Pavilion. The jade bracelet, and the ginkgo poison powder that now left Song Luowei speechless, were both secretly placed there by her spies at her behest.