No one answered.

Xiang Yu Nu (the older one) cautiously stepped forward: "I see that it was Liu Yong's eunuch who was sent. He is not one of our servants, but just a lowly servant."

However, even the lowly servants in the Suning Palace were arrogant and haughty.

"Bring that person here," Shu Chengfeng said.

Yun hurriedly went out to look for the person, but couldn't find them for a while.

With the help of the locals, they finally found only one well.

Liu Yong then threw himself into the well and committed suicide; it's unclear how much time has passed since then.

When Yun Ji returned and reported this, Yan Nangui looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Your Majesty is so determined to punish me that you didn't even think to take control of the situation immediately. You even let the criminal commit suicide. Now that one person is dead, how can you punish me?"

"Alright," Shu Chengfeng called out, "Pull that person out of the water. Examine him carefully."

The Empress Dowager's words were cut off, and she glared fiercely at Yan Nangui.

Although Suning Palace was dilapidated, it was very large, and there were few servants. In the darkness of night, who wouldn't want to slack off?

Therefore, it is not surprising that Lu was strangled to death without being discovered.

Since there was no evidence against Liu Yong, the only option was to investigate his life story.

There won't be any results tonight.

Lady Lu's death was not honorable, and His Majesty had no interest in bestowing any further titles upon her. He simply held her funeral as a concubine and sent her away that very night.

After all this commotion, I don't even feel like going back to Yannangui anymore; getting some sleep is the priority.

But while she's asleep, some people can't sleep.

Inside the Jade View Palace, Consort Ke drank a cup of tea and sat in silence.

Of course she was afraid of the geese flying south.

But she hated the wild geese returning south even more.

If she were to settle down from now on, why would she have bothered to provoke Madam Lu?

When Madam Lu approached her, she naturally refused decisively, because Madam Lu was too foolish. How could she possibly cooperate with her?

However, even if cooperation fails, she can still be used. Lady Lu is utterly useless, but she has one redeeming quality: she has given birth to a prince.

The day Ms. Lu came to see her, she had already made plans for today.

She didn't know when this would happen, but it didn't matter. No matter what Lu did, she couldn't escape being caught.

Once caught, they would inevitably be sent to the Suning Palace.

If she doesn't send it in, she'll find another way.

It doesn't matter if she doesn't send incense to question him; she will ask Liu Yong to leave behind other evidence before he dies.

The reason why the first person to be called Empress Dowager was naturally because she was known to be impatient and disapproving of geese returning south.

Even if she were Consort Duanyi, could she be fearless in the face of the Empress Dowager?

The news that Consort Duanyi had arbitrarily killed concubines could not be kept secret.

The Empress Dowager will definitely press the issue relentlessly. Even His Majesty, given enough time, won't he start to have other ideas?

As for the matter, it was naturally the Empress Dowager who ultimately found out.

Having not slept enough during the night, Yan Nangui looked unwell and was extremely irritable when she was woken up. It was only after her sweet little princess arrived that she calmed down.

The Seventh Princess had no idea what had happened last night. At this moment, she was clinging to her mother's waist and talking to her in a sweet, affectionate way.

Yan Nangui gently rubbed her daughter's tender face to suppress her morning grumpiness.

After the mother and daughter had breakfast, they sent the seventh princess to school.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty has already sent people to investigate Liu Yong's family. We should have results soon," Jiangxiang said.

“This time, once we find out who it is, I will not let them off easily,” Yan Nangui said.

“That certainly cannot be let off lightly, but… Your Majesty, I am worried that if the Empress Dowager is implicated…”

"As long as it wasn't the Empress Dowager who did it. If she did, I won't let her off either. At that point, I'll have no choice but to turn against His Majesty." Yan Nangui said calmly.

Having served her for so many years, how could Jiangxiang not know? The more indifferent she was, the more it proved that the Empress was extremely angry.

The details of Lady Lu's funeral are truly too meager to mention.

In the past few days, the palace has been conducting thorough investigations, and naturally, some unsightly things have been uncovered.

It was a minor matter; the wild geese flying south could easily be let go with a wave of the hand.

In more serious cases, the matter should be dealt with accordingly; it's unacceptable for servants to deliberately cause trouble for their masters. This earned the admiration of everyone in the harem.

On the fourth day, Shu Chengfeng came over.

"After thinking about it, I've decided there's no need to hide it from you. This matter involves the Empress Dowager."

After Shu Chengfeng finished speaking, he watched Yan Nangui return.

Yan Nangui said calmly, "I've thought about it these past few days, and it can't be the Empress Dowager. If it were the Empress Dowager, it could have been done more perfectly. She wouldn't have done it so hastily and crudely. It seems like she acted suddenly that day, as if she had finally found an opportunity."

"You're quite sensible." Shu Chengfeng smiled, also worried that Yan Nangui would quarrel with the Empress Dowager.

After all, no matter what, the Empress Dowager was still his birth mother.

"It's not that I'm being sensible. I just feel that Your Majesty was able to grow up safely thanks in no small part to the Duke of Ye. The slap I gave you before you left was really too lenient," Yan Nangui sneered.

“Yan Shi.” Shu Chengfeng’s face darkened as well.

"Don't complain that I'm being rude. I've never spoken nicely since the day I met you. Of course I know that the Empress Dowager was being used. If she had the ability to deal with me, she wouldn't have been suppressed by Consort Zhen back then."

"Yan Shi! You need to be mindful of your words," Shu Chengfeng said helplessly.

It's amazing, he actually... didn't seem very lively.

Yan Nangui glanced at him a few times, stood up and walked up to him, then suddenly sat on his lap.

"I guess I'm getting old. I used to speak my mind without reservation, but now you won't let me. Or is it that Your Majesty, after being emperor for so many years, can no longer listen to the truth?"

Shu Chengfeng chuckled and hugged her: "What do you mean I forbid you from talking about it? It's just that it's all in the past, what's the point of talking about it?"

Yan Nangui reached out and touched his eyebrows: "Shu Chengfeng, only I would tell you these old stories. Guess if I have any underhanded methods? Over the years, the Empress Dowager has made things difficult for me several times, and I've only talked back a few times. Because she's your mother. The one who gave birth to you."

"In this palace, there are those who gave you life, and those you gave life to. There are also all the concubines except for me. Even if I call them sisters every day, are we really sisters?"

“I don’t care about your mother, your concubines, your sons and daughters. I bowed to the Empress Dowager not for some empty filial piety. I don’t care about that. It’s because she is the one who gave birth to you. Your mother, so I bowed and tolerated her.”

“I take care of your concubines because they have borne you children. I care for your sons and daughters because they are your bloodline, the people you care about.”

"So, if one day they try to harm me, I will not show mercy because of their good reputation. Even the Empress Dowager cannot tolerate everything. When I can no longer tolerate it, either you issue an edict to depose me, or I will retaliate."

Just as Shu Chengfeng was about to say something, Yan Nangui gently covered his mouth.