I leaned under my nose and sniffed carefully, and there was a faint smell of rust.

"It's not in vain that His Royal Highness has been watched these days, in the middle of the night last night, His Royal Highness's people saw with their own eyes that the family in the fourth room of the Qiao family moved a few boxes into it, if it is not wrong, it should be the 'medicinal materials' they said."

"So His Highness asked the slave maid to go to the fourth room early this morning, because he knew that they concocted medicinal herbs last night and would dispose of the medicinal residue?"

The second prince had a smile on his lips, "His Royal Highness has asked the people in the palace to check, and in order to maintain her youth and beauty forever, Concubine Cao Guifei has to drink a secret decoction every three days." His Royal Highness's mother has seen Cao Guifei drink a decoction more than once, according to His Royal Highness's mother's description, the decoction is no different from white water, nothing special, but there is a faint smell of medicine. originally thought that it would have no effect, but seeing Cao Guifei's appearance for decades, everyone was not calm, so over the years, many people in the harem have inquired about the formula of Cao Guifei's secret medicine, after all, everyone wants to stay young forever. Concubine Cao can occupy the favor of her father all the year round, and her face plays a very important role. It's a pity that although those medicinal materials are personally sent over by the third child every once in a while, they are placed in the imperial kitchen, and anyone who cares can see them. But at most, gold is more expensive, and ordinary medicinal materials that can be bought with silver are nothing special, and they can't be blended because they don't know the specific formula. ”

"Your Highness, the slave maid heard that there was a concubine who asked the imperial doctor to mix according to the medicinal materials that Cao Guifei put in the imperial dining room, and wanted to prepare a secret medicine."

"How can it be so easy, without medicine, no matter how it is blended, it is in vain."

"Medicine?" Qiao Ningdai looked at the flower pot on the bookcase, "Your Highness, is the medicine blood?" The last thing that the imperial dining room lacks is blood. ”

Chicken blood, duck blood, pig blood, all kinds of blood.

"This is no ordinary blood." His Royal Highness smiled weirdly.

Qiao Ningdai thought of something, and her face was ugly, "Your Highness, could it be that these are human blood?" ”

"This is no ordinary human blood."

Qiao Ningdai suppressed the churning in her heart and tried to control her emotions.

The second prince said slowly: "These are the blood of boys over one year old and under eight years old, when the blood is drawn, the boy must still be alive, and the blood must be drawn in a very short time, so the best way is to wipe a knife on the neck, in order to prevent blood spraying, waste of raw materials, how to go under the knife, how to drain, is very particular." ”

Qiao Ningdai wanted to retch, but she was afraid of disturbing the "interest" of the second prince, so the little hand hanging down on her side pinched her leg vigorously to prevent herself from showing the slightest abnormality.

"It's not enough," looking at the flower pot, the second prince's eyes flashed with excitement, "while the child is not dead, cut open his belly, take out the internal organs, beat them into a paste, and boil them with blood." His Royal Highness doesn't know the process in the middle, in short, the last is a medicine bag the size of an adult's fist, and then boiled it with the medicinal herbs for two hours, and finally boiled out a bowl of white water, a bowl of white water with a medicinal fragrance. ”

"Such a complicated and strange technique? No wonder no one can make a secret elixir. Qiao Ningdai's emotions are well controlled, and she has the ability to answer a few words with the second prince.

"Such a frenzied method can only be thought of by the third child. If the father and emperor knew, I wonder if Cao Guifei would be considered a demon girl? ”

Only a demon girl would have thought of such a cruel method.

"Your Highness, how could Concubine Cao know about this medicine?"

His Royal Highness smiled slightly, "If you want to be in the harem, how can you do it without some capital?" The means of competing for favor in the harem are only something we can't think of, and there is nothing they can't do. ”

"Your Highness, how do you arrange this matter?"

The second prince smiled silently.

If it weren't for that secret letter, he wouldn't have known that Cao Guifei was so cruel.

I just don't know what kind of mood my father will feel when he knows that he has been pampered for many years, and the person next to the pillow who is almost alone is eating the flesh and blood of boys to maintain his beauty.

If it were him, there was a terrible woman who ate people next to his pillow, and he would have killed her immediately.

The third child, the third child, I don't know this time, can you still escape this catastrophe smoothly?

It's just escaped, can you still enjoy your father's favor as always?

The topic goes back to where it was.

"His Royal Highness asked you to go to the fourth room today, and I also want to confirm one thing," looking at the flower pot on the table, the second prince said with great ambition, "Those children were sent to the fourth room of Qiao's house, and in order to avoid long nights and dreams, the fourth room will definitely be concocted quickly, and they will definitely deal with the remaining medicinal residue." ”

Qiao Ningdai's face turned white and white.

The so-called medicine residue is the corpse of the boys.

"The best place to bury the dregs is in the garden. Of course, these are just speculations on the part of His Highness, which is why you disagreed with the rules, and ran away without handing over the post. ”

"Your Highness, the rules are all dead, how can those dead rules be as important as His Highness's affairs." Qiao Ningdai did not forget to express her position from time to time, and did not forget to remind the second prince of his merits.

The second prince was in a good mood, and it was inevitable that he would talk a little more, "I didn't expect to be guessed by His Royal Highness, you did a good job." ”

"It is an honor for a slave to be able to do things for His Royal Highness."

"You go down first."

The second prince knew that this matter was important, so he naturally would not act alone with his own stubbornness, and it was best to have the participation of his grandfather in this kind of matter, so that it would have more weight.

After thinking about it, the second prince summoned the strategists.

Qiao Ningdai returned to the "Begonia Courtyard" with satisfaction, and heard that the two aunts had waited for her all morning, and the smile on the corner of her mouth became even brighter.

Last time, because of his father's unfavorable affairs, the "Shu Embroidery Building" suffered losses again and again, and in order to express his dissatisfaction, His Royal Highness rested in the courtyard of the two aunts for several days, and also pampered two additional rooms.

These two aunts, one Aunt Wang and one Aunt Zhong, both of them are more advanced than her in the Prince's Mansion, they are both daughters of scholarly families, they have read books, they know how to add fragrance to red sleeves, and they have been favored by His Royal Highness for a little time. The relationship between the two is not good or bad, they live in the same courtyard, and they don't see the kind when they look up.

Since she entered the Prince's Mansion, she has been loved by His Royal Highness Er, and arranged a courtyard for her alone, and also inscribed her name, because of the sense of crisis, the friendship between the two has become a little deeper than before. once teamed up to deal with her somehow, but was reprimanded by the second prince and grounded.

Later, these two people were also honest, and they went to her yard every day to calm down in the morning and dusk, as if they regarded her as a serious housewife.

They are so knowledgeable, she can't help but give some sweetness, right?

Therefore, it is difficult to perfunctory.

It's just that after the Second Highness promoted the two of them last time, they didn't know that the sky was high and the earth was thick, so they dared to provoke in front of her?

Oh, is it true that the Qiao family is vegetarian?

If the second prince wants to achieve great things, strategy and money are indispensable.

It's just the daughters of two scholarly families, and the open and secret battles in the court are not something that their fathers and brothers who read dead books in their family can help, and His Royal Highness has no shortage of strategists. You must know that His Royal Highness's maternal grandfather is the crown prince, and there is an existence above 10,000 people in the court, whose strategy can be better than the prince's master?

That's the level of the patriarchs of the Three Dynasties.

What His Highness lacks is wealth and silver.

It depends on the Qiao family.

Therefore, when His Highness figured it out, it was not time to go to the "Begonia Courtyard".

The two aunts were immediately anxious.

Every day is still morning and dusk, but Qiao Ningdai may not treat them well.

The two aunts have been letting people guard outside the "Begonia Courtyard", so as soon as Qiao Ningdai came back, the two got the news as soon as possible, Qiao Ningdai returned to the courtyard with her front foot, and the two invited each other to the "Begonia Courtyard".

"Aunt Dai, are you back to Qiao's house today? Or Your Highness spoils you and lets you go home to visit. Aunt Wang pinched her throat and said.

Qiao Ningdai put down the teacup in her hand, "It's also Your Highness's compassion that let me go home to visit my grandmother." ”

Aunt Zhong was disdainful.

Back to your parents' home?

Where is the aunt's family?

I was disdainful in my heart, but I still had to smile flatteringly on my face: "Isn't it that His Royal Highness spoils Aunt Dai, Aunt Dai is a unique part of the prince's mansion." ”

Aunt Dai smiled lightly.

Sure enough, then Aunt Zhong said worriedly: "Our aunts are all women who are attached to His Highness, and the three of us have been together for a long time, and the relationship is not harmonious, but there are no major contradictions and filth." Everyone has the same identity, they are familiar with each other, and they talk very casually, and I am used to the relationship between the three of us. But I heard that the crown prince is ready to choose a concubine for His Royal Highness. ”

"When?" Qiao Ningdai's heart sank

"Just a few days ago, my family also knew about it by chance. The crown prince is very low-key, and he is still secretly selecting candidates, and he has not announced it to the public. ”

Qiao Ningdai's face was ugly.

No matter how much the second prince dotes on her, no matter how much she needs her father's financial support, once the concubine enters the door, I'm afraid there will be nothing for her, that is, the favor given to her is probably less than half of what it is now.

The crown prince and the prince personally selected a concubine for His Royal Highness, not only the right family, but also the best among the nobles in the capital in terms of vision and ability.

Only such a person can make His Second Highness scheming on his ambitions without worries.

If that person's mother's family is prominent, not only can he help His Royal Highness in the court, but he can also support His Royal Highness in terms of financial resources.

"It's only a matter of time before His Royal Highness chooses a concubine, we're just aunts, can we still stop His Highness?" No matter how nervous Qiao Ningdai was, she had a calm expression on her face.

"That's right, but once the concubine enters the door, I'm afraid the life of the three of us will be sad."

Aunt Zhong's worries, the other two have them in their hearts.

No matter how the three of them fight, they all have the same identity, they are just aunts, and no one can suppress anyone.

But once Concubine Zheng entered the door, this balance was broken.

Not to mention that His Highness has less time to enter their room, even the daily morning and dusk meditation is also a kind of torture in their eyes.

In addition, from time to time, rules are established, and then lectures are given from time to time, and when they are not pleased, they pretend to be sick and ask them to serve their illness......

I'm afraid their lives are not easy.