Chapter 189 Investigation

Unfolding the note, Xie Nu'er's eyes narrowed instantly after just one glance! Her breath caught in her throat for a moment!

The Imperial Study...where the mother's body is suspected to be...

Is this still the kind of writing she recognizes?!

But after the initial shock, Xie Nuer felt only a sense of gravity.

Miss would never speak without reason!

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

The note said that they could contact Desheng...

Time is of the essence, and there is no room for hesitation.

She quickly brought the note close to the candlelight and watched it turn to ashes.

She walked to the dressing table, looked in the bronze mirror, picked up a box of rouge, dabbed a little with her fingertip, and applied it to her forehead.

This was her method of emergency communication with her inside contacts in the palace.

"Granny, go to the storeroom and find my fifty-year-old ginseng. I feel that His Majesty has been working hard on state affairs lately, so I would like to personally go to the Imperial Study to pay my respects and offer him ginseng soup as a token of my appreciation."

She needed a legitimate reason to approach the Imperial Study.

The nanny immediately turned around and went to do it.

Outside the Imperial Study, Eunuch Desheng stood quietly in the shadow of the corridor pillars.

A young eunuch, head bowed, hurried across the courtyard. As he passed Desheng, he subtly slipped a small, rolled-up wax ball into Desheng's wide sleeve pocket under the guise of adjusting his robes. He then quickly left, the entire process flowing smoothly and attracting no attention.

Desheng's eyelids lifted almost imperceptibly, then quickly drooped again.

He subtly adjusted his sleeves, his fingertips touching the cool wax pellet, and understood immediately.

Taking advantage of his visit to the small tea room, he went to a secluded corner, crushed the wax pill, and inside was a small piece of silk as thin as a cicada's wing, on which were written a few words in extremely fine cinnabar: "Consort Ru wishes to explore the inner chamber of the Imperial Study, suspecting there is a heavy object. Requesting assistance."

Desheng's pupils suddenly contracted!

They're finally going to inspect the Imperial Study!

He'd been curious about this for a long time!

Desheng was somewhat excited, both by the gossip and by his performance.

Desheng brought the silk handkerchief close to the candle flame and watched it turn to ashes.

He straightened his robes, his face regaining its usual respectful and wooden expression, and slowly walked out of the tea room. He needed to wait for an opportunity, an opportunity when the emperor would inevitably leave the imperial study for an extended period.

The opportunity will come soon.

Three days later, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau reported that on an auspicious day and at an auspicious time, the emperor needed to personally preside over an important spring sacrifice at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The ceremony was complex and would take at least half a day.

Desheng soaked himself in a bucket of cold water beforehand, so that he would be chilled by the day, and the Emperor would certainly not take him along.

As the emperor's grand procession departed the palace for the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Desheng began his operation.

He found De Cai and told him to quickly inform Consort Ru.

As usual, he first directed the eunuchs to clean the area outside the Imperial Study until it was spotless. When the emperor was not in the palace, the Imperial Study was always heavily guarded by guards.

This is also why Desheng concluded that there was a secret in the Imperial Study.

Then, seemingly unintentionally, he walked up to the guards standing outside the Imperial Study and said, “His Majesty instructed before leaving the palace today to change all the incense in the hall. You will accompany the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department to go in later. Light it carefully and make sure to finish this before His Majesty returns.”

The guard nodded in agreement. Yes, one could still enter the Imperial Study with the guard's assistance.

Before long, the eunuchs and maids in charge of cleaning and sweeping arrived.

Accompanied by guards, the two quickly changed the incense, and after going out, they nodded slightly to Desheng.

Then, Consort Ru, accompanied by Zhi Xia, carrying a food box containing ginseng soup, arrived at the outer hall of the Imperial Study.

"Eunuch Desheng. I heard that His Majesty went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices today and must have been very tired. So I specially prepared some ginseng soup and sent it to His Majesty so that he can warm himself up when he returns to the palace."

Desheng bowed respectfully, his face showing just the right amount of deference: "This... His Majesty has decreed that no one is allowed to enter the Imperial Study when he is not here... Consort Ru, you may give the ginseng soup to this servant. Your Majesty is very kind."

He stepped forward to take the food box, but was blocked by a maidservant beside Consort Ru.

"I spent two hours preparing this, just so I could personally present it to His Majesty. What do you mean by this, Eunuch Desheng? Didn't two people just come out of the Imperial Study? Am I not as good as them?"

"Zhi Xia! Slap her! There's no place in this palace I can't go! How dare you stop me! Wait until the Emperor returns, you'll all be sorry!"

Desheng glanced at the guard, reacted quickly, and immediately knelt down!

"This servant wouldn't dare! But... if Your Highness wishes to enter, you should still have a guard accompany you."

The two guards at the door looked at each other, but neither dared to say anything. This was Eunuch Desheng, a favorite of the Emperor. If he had compromised, then they certainly wouldn't dare to offend him, so they dared even less!

"Hmph!" Xie Nuer nodded slightly to Desheng, everything was understood without words.

Afterwards, a guard accompanied Xie Nu'er into the imperial study, where only one doorman stood guard at the entrance.

Seeing the group go inside, Desheng gently closed the door.

After entering the Imperial Study, Xie Nu'er appeared to casually admire the bonsai under the corridor, but in reality, she was looking around.

She took a quiet breath, and sure enough!

In addition to the familiar ambergris, there was a faint, different fragrance in the air.

Presumably, the two people who changed the incense earlier were also the young lady's people.

She and Zhixia took the antidote, and the fragrance captivated the guards who followed them in.

Sure enough, not long after, the guard staggered and collapsed!

Xie Nuer and Zhi Xia immediately sprang into action, leaving no stone unturned.

Fortunately, Xie Nu'er soon discovered the difference.

The double-eared vase, which should have been cleaned like other porcelain pieces, was covered in dust, indicating that Pei Yan usually did not allow the Imperial Household Department to clean it.

Xie Nuer turned the double-eared bottle, and suddenly, something changed behind the huge nine-dragon screen in the imperial study!

Xie Nuer had to admit that Pei Yan was indeed arrogant; he had found the way to open the secret room so easily!

At the bottom of the screen, a wooden board that was originally perfectly fitted slid inward a little with a very slight "click," revealing a narrow gap that only allowed one person to squeeze in sideways!

A chill was seeping out from the crevice!

Xie Nu'er was startled; this temperature was probably the most suitable for preserving a corpse...

The young lady's guess is probably correct.

The two exchanged a glance and, without hesitation, stepped sideways into the crevice!

Behind the screen was not a wall, but a narrow stone staircase leading downwards, only wide enough for one person to pass at a time!

A chilling aura, far colder and more biting than the outside air, rushed towards us!

Xie Nuer endured the biting cold and discomfort in her heart, held her breath, and descended the cold stone steps.

The stone steps are not long, only about twenty.

At the end was a tightly closed, cold-to-the-touch black iron door.

A muffled boom echoed in the cramped space!

The door slowly slid open, creating a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Xie Nuer couldn't help but shiver, but they dared not be negligent and quickly slipped into the doorway.

Inside the door was a stone chamber that wasn't very large.

The scene before them caused their pupils to shrink instantly!