0p0 Chapter 853 No Evidence!
Chapter 853 No Evidence!
The matter of Duanmu Zonghua's poisoning was temporarily put aside.
After all, it seems that what the other side wants to do right now is to harm Princess Duanmu Jing, not Duanmu Zonghua.
However, Mu Xin Nuan still had some doubts in her heart, feeling that all of this seemed too coincidental. Of course, as for her son eating two extra pieces of pastry, Mu Xin Nuan still felt that it was because he was greedy, after all, the pastries were to his liking.
But upon thinking about it, Mu Xin Nuan felt that something was amiss!
Duanmu Zonghua is the eldest son of the Crown Prince, so his status is naturally extraordinary.
Therefore, his preferences, just like those of the Crown Prince and the Empress, were not to be revealed to outsiders.
Similarly, if any outsider dares to inquire about their preferences, especially regarding food, it is a capital offense!
Mu Xin Nuan narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly. If this was the case, then the matter of Xiao Zong Hua's poisoning seemed to be more complicated than it appeared. While the other party certainly wanted Duanmu Jing dead, that substance was exactly to Xiao Zong Hua's liking. Wasn't this a two-birds-with-one-stone plan?
Regardless of Mu Xin Nuan's speculations or doubts, there is currently no evidence to support her claims.
After all, from the very beginning, Chu Moli and the servants all admitted that they had feelings for Duanmu Jing. Moreover, through pulse diagnosis, they confirmed that Duanmu Jing had indeed been poisoned for many days. Therefore, if she were to voice her suspicions now, others might think that she was being overly paranoid.
The two young masters of the Mu family have returned, but Mu Qingxuan, the heir apparent, is not in the capital. With the New Year approaching, Madam Li is inevitably missing her son.
Fortunately, Mu Qingxuan was also a filial son, and as the year drew to a close, the number of letters he received increased.
Before they knew it, it was already the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. According to the rules of Dayong, soup kitchens were to be set up outside the city on this day to provide relief to the poor.
The Ministry of Revenue would also open its granaries and release grain at this time of year.
Every household, as long as they have a certificate issued by the local government or village head, can receive a small bag of rice and flour.
Since Duanmu Chuze arrived in Yan, the amount of grain distributed by the Yan local officials has decreased significantly since the second year, and this year it has decreased even more.
The Emperor was very pleased with this and naturally praised Duanmu Chuze profusely.
Because the granaries and household registration offices in various places would begin preparations in November, the specific amount of grain could be roughly calculated as soon as December arrived.
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the crown prince went outside the city wearing only ordinary court robes symbolizing his status as crown prince, without wearing many accessories, except for a jade pendant.
Originally, he didn't even want to wear the jade pendant, but Mu Xin Nuan said, "A gentleman does not remove his jade without good reason."
That evening, the emperor held a grand banquet for his officials, which set a lively tone for the New Year celebrations.
The next day, Mu Xin Nuan had just finished dressing up and hadn't even had breakfast when a servant came to report that Li Shi had arrived.
The mother and daughter chatted for a while. After Mu Xinnuan finished her breakfast, Li Shi helped her to take a walk in the garden. Now that she was more than six months pregnant, they were making preparations in advance so that she could give birth smoothly.
Mu Xin Nuan herself understands medicine and comprehends this principle.
Therefore, she has always insisted on taking a walk every day.
Of course, there's another point. She knows that once a woman gets pregnant and gives birth, her figure will inevitably change, and the reason why men are fickle is naturally related to women's own lack of attention to this aspect.
She wanted to be a good mother, and of course, a good wife.
She doesn't want anyone to share her husband, so first and foremost, she needs to be a good role model.
Having lived a second life, Mu Xin Nuan understands one thing very clearly: if a woman wants to capture a man's heart, she must first start with herself.
If a woman only seeks a man's pity, then such a marriage is bound to be unhappy and short-lived.
On the other hand, Mu Xin Nuan was also influenced by Duanmu Chu Ze to some extent.
In her mind, a woman dresses up for the man who wants to please her.
As a woman, whether you have children or not, you must live a refined life and be true to yourself.
She couldn't always leave her room, but she could still do what she wanted, such as opening a pharmacy or a clinic.
She is willing to do anything within her capabilities, and she is willing to do it well.
In Duanmu Chuze's words, a capable woman is not necessarily domineering or annoying.
Women who take things seriously are more charming and more endearing to men.
Compared to the demure young lady that someone had mentioned before, Duanmu Chuze found her rather repulsive.
At first, Mu Xin Nuan couldn't understand it, but later, when she was busy with the affairs of the girls' school in Yanzhou, she was able to fully feel that feeling.
It was an exceptionally fulfilling feeling.
This is why she didn't focus too much on Duanmu Chuze, which instead fostered a wonderful sense of rapport between them. Yet, this feeling also carried a slight distance.
From then on, she truly grasped the essence of what Duanmu Chuze had said.
Therefore, after returning to the capital, Mu Xin Nuan did not focus her attention elsewhere.
On the one hand, they improved the Ping An Pharmacy in the capital, and then built several more clinics.
On the other hand, it is necessary to organize the books and sort them according to their age.
In other words, she arranged the books in order from easiest to most complicated.
This was a huge undertaking, especially after he entered the Eastern Palace; there must have been so many books involved.
Even now, Mu Xin Nuan has not yet finished organizing all the books in the Eastern Palace.
In her words, even now, it has only been edited to a level that is suitable for teenagers aged fifteen or sixteen.
Anyway, there's no rush. Zong Hua is only reading some introductory books now. He won't be able to use the later ones for at least another ten years.
In the past two months, as her belly grew bigger, Duanmu Chuze did not encourage her to do anything specific. He just told her to focus on her pregnancy and that if she had free time, she could play the zither or read books, which would be enough.
Mu Xin Nuan didn't know whether the child in her womb was a boy or a girl, so she tried her best to have Duanmu Chu Ze read to her.
Regardless of gender, reading more books is always a good thing.
Before she had even finished walking around the garden, Chunyu came over. "Your Majesty, Madam Lu has brought two young ladies to pay their respects. They are waiting at the front. What do you think?"
"Madam Lu?" Mu Xin Nuan was momentarily confused. "Which Madam Lu?"
"Your Majesty, she is the wife of the Duke of Dingguo."
Mu Xin Nuan was taken aback. She did have some impression of this Lady of Dingguo, but the ones she remembered were not very good.