Ah Ning had just been fed and was now drowsy and sleepy, showing no sign of crying or fussing.
"Such a well-behaved child."
The Empress took the baby, gazing at the rosy-cheeked infant wrapped in the swaddle with a smile on her face, yet a touch of joy flashed in her eyes.
With her return to Prince Mu’s Mansion, things would be much easier to handle.
Suddenly, little Ah Ning spat out so milk from her mouth.
The milk spilled all over the Empress.
"This child has spit up again. Empress, are you alright?"
Princess Mingyue hurriedly wiped the ss from the Empress’s clothes.
"Empress, there’s still so on your collar."
Princess Mingyue said, reaching out to wipe the Empress’s neckline.
"There’s no need for you to wipe it."
The Empress’s voice suddenly rose sharply, pushing away Princess Mingyue’s hand.
The people in the room heard the commotion, and the Mu Prince and Princess Consort quickly ca out.
Seeing the displeasure on the Empress’s face, Princess Consort Mu scolded.
"Mingyue, what’s the matter with you, so clumsy?"
"It’s nothing serious, just the child spitting up milk. I was worried it might dirty Princess Mingyue’s hands. Princess Consort Mu, please prepare a clean set of clothes for , as I need to freshen up before returning to the palace."
The Empress managed a smile.
She adjusted her collar.
Though autumn had arrived, the tinge of sumr’s heat lingered, and among the won present, only the Empress wore a high-necked palace dress.
Princess Consort Mu, with a smile on her face, arranged for clothes to be prepared.
Princess Mingyue bowed her head, and under the gauze hat, Feng Bailing’s face showed a knowing smile.
The person in front of her, posing as Princess Mingyue, was not the real Princess Mingyue, but Feng Bailing, who had infiltrated Prince Mu’s Mansion.
Dugu Wu wanted to bring Princess Mingyue and her daughter back to Prince Mu’s Mansion, but Feng Bailing thought that since they had already alerted the enemy, it would be better to turn the tables on them. Hiding the pair in Prince Shun’s Mansion would prevent the enemy from acting, forcing them to look for soone else with the Extre Yin Destiny.
Protecting several individuals would be more troubleso than protecting just one.
Moreover, this could likely startle the snake in the grass.
Baiting them with the already exposed Ah Ning, anyone wishing to capture Ah Ning would certainly probe Prince Mu’s Mansion.
However, Feng Bailing did not expect the Empress to visit Prince Mu’s Mansion in person.
Holding Ah Ning, Feng Bailing returned to her own chamber; on the way back, images of what was behind the Empress’s collar involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
Impersonating Princess Mingyue in Prince Mu’s Mansion and caring for Ah Ning, she naturally had to investigate Ah Ning’s daily habits.
The child was still young and prone to spit up milk as soon as she was picked up after feeding, sothing Princess Mingyue had previously warned Feng Bailing about.
When Feng Bailing saw the Empress, she was reminded of Ms. Zhou.
Ms. Zhou had a Spirit Array on her back, near her neck, and Feng Bailing wondered if the Empress had the sa.
If the Empress also had one, it would imply that she was under soone’s control as well.
To Feng Bailing’s surprise, she saw no Spirit Array on the back of the Empress’s neck, but the skin there was very strange.
No wonder the Empress, aside from her limbs and face, kept herself well-covered; the skin on her neck did not at all resemble the flawless complexion of her face or the skin exposed elsewhere. The skin was dull, wrinkled, and discolored.
Like ancient tree bark.
Good skin, how could it turn into tree bark.
It’s a pity that Lady Nan Shiu isn’t by my side, otherwise, I could ask her.
As Feng Bailing was pondering, at the other end of the corridor, she saw Lu Yin coming over with people.
Upon seeing Lu Yin, Feng Bailing was sowhat surprised.
Seeing the person behind Lu Yin, Feng Bailing couldn’t help but feel amused.
Li Mubei followed behind Lu Yin. Lu Yin winked at Feng Bailing and deliberately said.
"Princess Consort, Prince ordered to inquire about Mr. Mu’s illness. This gentleman behind is a dicine rchant from Nanshe, who has many rare dicinal materials. Prince asked to bring him here to see if he could provide so dicines."
Feng Bailing nodded to Li Mubei.
"Teacher, may I have a word with you, Mr. Mu’s illness indeed requires so dicinal materials."
Saying this, Feng Bailing walked aside with Ah Ning and Li Mubei.
After making sure no one was around, Feng Bailing hurriedly asked.
"Brother Li, your timing is perfect, there’s sothing I want to ask you."
"Will the body of a love poison’s Poison Master undergo changes?"
Feng Bailing was certain that sothing must have happened to the Empress.
She and Princess Consort Mu were adversaries, but the Empress deigned to visit Prince Mu’s Mansion personally and took the initiative to befriend Ah Ning; this was far too strange.
"Unless there’s a backlash, the Poison Master shouldn’t experience any physical discomfort. Did you discover sothing?"
Li Mubei was invited by Dugu Wu.
Feng Bailing was to replace Princess Mingyue at Prince Mu’s Mansion, Dugu Wu had neither opposed nor agreed.
That man has never been one to show his feelings.
Yet after he returned, he imdiately sought out Li Mubei.
Feng Bailing told Li Mubei about the changes in the Empress’s body.
"If I’m not wrong, the Empress of Great Chu should have beco a Seal Nourisher. No wonder, she was able to cultivate Orchid and cast the love poison."
Li Mubei’s expression beca even more solemn.
"Do you rember, when we t in the Imperial Palace, I suspected that there was a Wooden Holy Seal in the palace."
"But the Empress doesn’t have a Wooden Holy Seal, at least not now."
Feng Bailing had suspected the Empress for a long ti. After all, the potted plants in the Empress’s quarters were problematic.
Yet, having interacted with the Empress a few tis, she felt the Empress was an ordinary person.
Even lacking the Wenhua Seal and the Wuji Seal, her seventh sense was very keen, there could be no mistake.
"She had the Wooden Holy Seal before and could interact with it, but she is not the one who controls the seal. You should have heard about the seal controller, which is soone bearing a spiritual seal. The Empress is rely a Seal Nourisher. The incident at the Crown Prince Mansion, I saw it too. Those plants in the Crown Prince Mansion were controlled by soone. That person should be a seal controller. That ti, the Wooden Holy Seal consud a large amount of Spiritual Energy..."
What Li Mubei described was similar to what Lady Nan Shiu said, yet there were differences.
"If the Wooden Holy Seal overexerts itself, it needs to replenish Spiritual Energy. Absorbing from the outside is one thod, another is relying on human Yin energy. Human Yin energy has better results. But at the sa ti, it will make the Wooden Holy Seal unstable. I’ve heard about the Extrely Yin Girl matter. Combined with the Empress’s situation, one thing is certain: the Empress is also a person of Extre Yin Destiny. That ans, the Wooden Holy Seal used to be nourished within her. But after the Crown Prince Mansion incident, the Wooden Holy Seal needs more Spiritual Energy. The Empress alone is no longer sufficient to nourish the seal. She needs to find a new Seal Nourisher, otherwise, she herself is very likely to exhaust her energy and die."
The skin changes on the Empress, similar to tree bark, are a manifestation that her body is starting to deteriorate.
"You must be more careful. The other party is desperate now, and they might do sothing rash in panic. The baby girl in your arms is likely to be their selected, next Seal Nourisher."
Just as Li Mubei finished speaking, several servants from Prince Mu’s Mansion walked over, and Li Mubei hurriedly clasped his hands in respect, then took his leave.
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