Xie Pan’Er couldn’t answer this question because at that moment, she inexplicably felt a wave of anger in her heart.

In a fit of anger, she left without even considering whether she should take her dinnerware with her, or whether the servants would clear it after she left!

"Her dinnerware was never cleared; it was always there."

Ji Youzhi looked towards Xiao Ning’Er, "What about Miss Ning’Er’s dinnerware?"

Xiao Ning’Er replied, "I don’t know where my dinnerware is! I went to find my cousin carrying a food box, and my utensils were taken from the food box!"

Ji Youzhi frowned at this: "So, did Miss Ning’Er eat anything from the table?"

Xiao Ning’Er thought for a moment, then shook her head, "I didn’t eat!"

"Didn’t eat?" Ji Youzhi was puzzled, "Why not?"

"I... I was very angry at that time. I personally learned to cook to please my cousin, the Emperor, and it left my hands ruined. But the Emperor didn’t even glance at it, he only ate the wild vegetable patties made by Xie Pan’Er. I was so upset I couldn’t eat anything from the table!"

After Xiao Ning’Er had finished explaining, Ji Youzhi understood the situation somewhat!

"So, you didn’t eat any food, but you used your chopsticks to serve wild vegetable patties to His Majesty?"

Xiao Ning’Er nodded, "Yes! I did! Wait... what do you mean?"

It took Xiao Ning’Er a while to react; she asked loudly.

"In the side Palace, among the food and dinnerware that Eunuch Ling had sealed, there were only two sets of bowls and chopsticks!"

Hearing this from Ji Youzhi, Eunuch Ling hurried to the side Palace and brought back those two sets of bowls and chopsticks.

As soon as the bowls and chopsticks appeared, the Emperor exclaimed, "Yes, these are indeed mine and Pan’Er’s bowls and chopsticks!"

"Guards! Quickly go to Wanhua Palace and bring the bowls and chopsticks used by Ning’Er at noon today!"

The Empress Dowager immediately couldn’t sit still, her body emanating anger, and she stared intensely into Xiao Ning’Er’s eyes!

Seeing the Empress Dowager in such furious rage, Xiao Ning’Er was so frightened she collapsed, sitting weakly on the ground!

"Aunt! It wasn’t me! It really wasn’t me!"

"Whether it was you or not, an investigation will reveal!"

After the Empress Dowager said this, Ji Youzhi asked Eunuch Ling, "Didn’t Miss Ning’Er just say there was a food box?

Where is the food box?"

Eunuch Ling shook his head, "When the servants and I went there, we didn’t find any food box!"

"No food box?"

Ji Youzhi felt instinctively that something was wrong.

From outside came the voice of Long Wu.

"Divine Hunter Ji has made a discovery!"

"What discovery?"

Both Ji Youzhi and the Empress Dowager asked in unison.

Long Wu walked in, followed by a guard carrying a tray.

On the tray was a conspicuous small white paper packet!

"This was found in Miss Xiao Ning’Er’s room!"

Seeing the small paper packet, Xiao Ning’Er was completely dumbfounded, she widened her eyes in disbelief.

"This can’t be? How could this thing be in my room?"

"If it’s not in your room, then where should it be?"

The Empress Dowager suddenly roared at Xiao Ning’Er, standing up from her chair and pointing angrily at her weak resolve!

"Confess to me truthfully! Why did you attempt to harm your cousin, the Emperor?"

Xiao Ning’Er was so stunned, she looked at the Empress Dowager in disbelief, murmuring incredulously, "I didn’t, Aunt, don’t you believe me? I really didn’t!"

Xiao Ning’Er’s cries were pale and powerless.

The Empress Dowager was determined not to listen to her explanations.

"Guards, Xiao Ning’Er has an evil heart and intends to harm the Emperor; by my decreed order, she is to be immediately executed by beating!"

With the Empress Dowager’s command, everyone was dumbstruck.

The most shocked among them were Xie Pan’Er and Xiao Ning’Er.

Xie Pan’Er couldn’t believe it; the Empress Dowager was Xiao Ning’Er’s own aunt! Even if she was angry, she couldn’t possibly have her executed!

However, Xiao Ning’Er’s disbelief was simply beyond words!

"Aunt! But I am your own niece!

And you’re going to beat me to death!"

Xiao Ning’Er screamed hoarsely at the Empress Dowager, crawling on her knees to her front!

She suddenly grabbed the Empress Dowager’s skirt, asking tearfully, "Aunt! Why is this happening?

The poison wasn’t mine; I like my cousin, the Emperor, so much, how could I possibly poison him?

Aunt, you know this! Ning’Er would never poison her cousin, the Emperor!"

The Empress Dowager slowly bent down, fixing her eyes on hers!