Chapter 188 The Calm Before the Storm

"My lady, you're finally back."

Liu Zhu, who was left behind at Suiyuxuan, was in a panic after the palace search. She waited and waited, and finally her master returned.

"My lady, what's wrong? Where is Aunt Jinxi?"

Zhen Huan slowly raised her head, looking at Liu Zhu approaching, and a tear fell from her eye: "Jinxi... is gone..."

The memory returns to the side hall of Yanxi Palace. Just a moment ago, Cui Jinxi was holding her hand, comforting her that there was a villain causing trouble. But the next moment, when Su Peisheng, the chief eunuch by the Emperor's side, came in to interrogate her, Jinxi readily confessed everything.

So it turns out that Jinxi was placed by Consort Wan's side from the very beginning. All that unwavering loyalty and sharing of joys and sorrows was fake; it was all arranged by someone else...

Even when confined to Suiyu Pavilion, Zhen Huan never felt that the palace was so cold and that people's hearts were so cold, yet she was completely unaware of it.

"My lady, thank you for taking care of me these past few days."

Zhen Huan stared blankly at Cui Jinxi, who was bowing respectfully to her after Su Peisheng left, utterly bewildered: "Isn't your mistress Consort Wan? How could you betray her so quickly?" And how could you bow to her so casually?

Cui Jinxi gave a wry, enigmatic smile: "Consort Wan is my mistress, but I am a human being too..."

Seeing the doubt and confusion in Zhen Huan's eyes, Cui Jinxi lowered her gaze and slowly said, "I have a younger sister who, by some twist of fate, also entered the palace as a maid. We only recently recognized each other. To prevent her from being bullied, I sent her to Yonghe Palace, thinking that she would be more comfortable in Consort Wan's palace..."

"But by such a coincidence, when Consort Wan was discussing her plan to deal with Consort Yuan, my sister was passing by outside the palace. She clearly didn't hear anything, yet she was silenced. If it weren't for the fact that I still had some connections, I would have been kept in the dark, completely unaware, and willingly becoming the executioner in the plan..."

"She promised me she would protect my sister, and she's my only sister..."

Seeing Cui Jinxi's pained expression, Zhen Huan found it difficult to be moved. She could no longer discern whether Cui Jinxi was telling the truth or not. Didn't she know that news from this side hall would inevitably reach the Emperor's ears?

Were these words her reason for decisively betraying Consort Wan, or an excuse to frame her?

Zhen Huan didn't know, and didn't want to know. Having reached this point, she had neither the inclination nor the ability to consider others' feelings.

Cui Jinxi looked up, perhaps noticing Zhen Huan's indifference, and gave a bitter smile: "No matter what, I have failed Your Highness's trust. In this palace, who doesn't wear a mask? Please take care in the future, Your Highness."

These words, which sounded like a suicide note, made Zhen Huan look at her, only to see her grit her teeth and spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Jinxi!"

Zhen Huan instinctively reached out, but Cui Jinxi had already collapsed to the ground and died before the palace maids outside could rush in.

"Your Majesty, Cui Jinxi has died by poison..."

Zhen Huan couldn't remember anything that happened afterward. After it was proven that she had been framed, she was released.

She stumbled back to Suiyu Pavilion in a daze, and with Liu Zhu's help, she sat down at the table. Watching Liu Zhu busy herself for her, Zhen Huan sighed softly.

That's it. Stop getting involved. Just live a simple and peaceful life. At least she still has Liu Zhu, and Liu Zhu is all she has left.

...

With poison hidden in his mouth, meant to seal with blood, and willing to commit suicide without hesitation when faced with trouble, this was clearly the method of a suicide squad. The midwife and Cui Jinxi were both dead, but the situation had reached a stalemate.

The two individuals' glaringly contradictory behavior has shrouded the truth in mystery. Rouze's intervention is a foregone conclusion, but whether someone else is taking advantage of the situation remains unclear.

Of course, besides the Empress, who else could be "someone" who could be associated with the Ulanara clan?

In addition, the reward money that Yixiu had made for Honghui's journey was found in the dead midwife's room. With the "evidence" in hand and the key figure dead, it seems that Yixiu can't avoid this mess.

No one knows what happened in Yanxi Palace afterward. All that is known is that Consort Yuan died and gave birth to a frail little prince, who was temporarily raised by Consort Shu. Noble Lady Wan was stripped of her title and demoted to a lower-ranking concubine, and was imprisoned in a side hall of Yonghe Palace. The Empress returned to Jingren Palace and summoned the imperial physician. She then secluded herself in the palace to recuperate and was exempted from the daily greetings. Consort Hua was given temporary authority over the affairs of the inner palace.

An unusual tranquility descended upon the imperial harem.

What exactly is Ulanara thinking?

Yinreng threw the testimony on the table, utterly bewildered. As the previous "crown prince" who had always been pampered by his maternal clan, the Hesheli clan, Yinreng found it extremely difficult to comprehend Ulanara's self-destructive actions.

"Greed, that's it. They produced a crown prince, but who can't see Honghui's attitude towards them?"

Yinzhi took a sip of tea, glanced at the bewildered Yinreng, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Aside from the brief period when he was deposed, his second brother hadn't really suffered any real hardship. Naturally, he couldn't understand why, without any benefit to be gained, the maternal clan could become an enemy.

Su Peisheng, standing to the side, was sweating profusely. Was this something he could say? Was this something he could listen to? In the past, when the Emperor and the princes held private talks without allowing him to come in and serve them, he was a little unhappy, feeling that he was not trusted.

Now he suddenly realized that it was good not to trust him. Really, he didn't want to know every royal secret! Suddenly feeling a bit heavy-headed, Su Peisheng silently retreated into the shadows, trying to further minimize his presence.

Yinzhen, sitting at the head of the table, did not change his expression at all, as if the two of them were not talking about the Crown Prince's maternal clan.

"What is Your Majesty thinking now? I heard that Jingren Palace is still closed?" Yinreng asked bluntly, without any embarrassment about meddling in the affairs of the inner palace.

"How is Honghui?" Yinzhen did not answer his question, but instead looked at Yunsi.

"Latest intelligence: it should be over soon. I've calculated that in another ten days to half a month, the good news should reach the court." Yinzhi handed over the Ninth Prince's secret memorial from his sleeve; he had come today specifically to deliver this.

After reading the memorial, Yinzhen smiled and said, "Then let's wait a little longer. Too many little bugs are annoying. Let's get rid of them all at once. As for the Empress, it's time to reorganize the staff around her."

"Tsk," Yunreng shook his head, "You're not afraid of getting into trouble at all."

“Everything is under control. They are just petty scoundrels. What can they possibly do?” Yinzhi spoke up before Yinzhen, full of confidence and certainty of victory.

"Alright, I was just saying it offhand." Yinreng skipped the topic. Seventeenth Prince left, and Yinreng almost forgot that Eighth Prince was also a "stanny fan." "With such a tight schedule, given their tendency to only cause trouble behind the scenes, is Your Majesty sure they'll be provoked into coming out?"

Yinzhen tapped his fingers on the table: "Then let's raise the stakes a bit more..."