"Who is it that's causing this trouble in the middle of the night?" The speaker was a palace maid who served Consort Yin personally. She was woken up and was very annoyed.

"Sister Yun, it's me."

"Playing the zither! What are you doing in the middle of the night instead of sleeping!"

"Sister Yun, it's my fault. I lost my pendant and was planning to go look for it tonight, but I couldn't find it. Then I saw Shi Changzai sneaking back from outside. I was in a hurry when I came back just now, so I knocked things over and disturbed your peace. It's all my fault."

Although they were all palace maids, they were also divided into ranks. The Yun sister that Nongqin mentioned was named Yun Ting. She was a palace maid who served the young mistress closely. She was a senior palace maid and had some authority over the junior palace maids.

That's why Nongqin told everything without hiding anything.

Yunting was about to go back to sleep, but upon hearing this, she immediately perked up.

“Come here, tell me about your encounter with Shi Changzai.”

As the head palace maid, Yunqin knew more and was more clever than Nongqin; otherwise, with so many people, she wouldn't have been chosen as the head palace maid.

Then Nongqin told Yunting the details. After listening, Yunting fell into deep thought and after a while said, "Let's leave it at that for today. Don't make a fuss about it. Let's rest!"

Nongqin was quite carefree; upon hearing this, she genuinely felt at ease and fell asleep.

However, Yunting couldn't sleep. The next day, after serving Consort Yin her washing up and breakfast, Yunting couldn't help but say, "My lady, something happened yesterday that I feel I should tell you about."

"What is it that makes you so serious?"

Currently, the person in charge of the harem is Consort Wenxi. She doesn't like to cause trouble. Even when the Empress Dowager is not around, she doesn't like to be asked to pay her respects for no reason. In the harem, as long as she doesn't do anything reckless, she has no worries about food and drink, and is dressed in fine clothes and silks. Such a life is not a problem.

So when Yoon Chang-jae spoke casually, he didn't take it too seriously.

"Last night, my roommate, Nongqin, told me that she saw Consort Shi sneaking out and then coming back. I feel that this is not a simple matter. Should I go and inquire about it?"

Although Consort Yin and Consort Shi lived in the same palace, their personalities clashed, so they were just casual acquaintances and didn't really understand each other.

Upon suddenly receiving this news, Yin Changzai was somewhat at a loss.

She just wanted to live a peaceful life. If Consort Shi really did something, she would inevitably be implicated since they lived in the same palace, and she absolutely could not allow that.

"Go and find out more, and be careful."

"Yes, my lord."

Since Shi Changzai was keeping it a secret from his own people, they naturally didn't suspect anything. Yun Ting did some investigation and found that no one knew that Shi Changzai was away at night.

"I investigated Consort Shi's situation and it seems that she went out without telling anyone, including her servants, so I didn't find out anything about it. However, not long ago, two palace maids who served Consort Shi were falsely accused of stealing her red jade hairpin and were sent back to the Imperial Household Department. Now, both of them are working in the library of Jingyang Palace. Furthermore, I heard that Consort Shi's nanny is quite worried about Consort Shi's menstrual period not coming for a long time."

After Yunting finished speaking, Yin Changzai had this guess. The people serving Shi Changzai were too close to the situation to notice, and they had never seen Shi Changzai go out alone at night, so they did not realize it.

As an outsider, Yin Changzai had a clearer perspective and saw things more clearly. After making her guess, she broke out in a cold sweat. This wasn't on behalf of Shi Changzai; being Shi Changzai's neighbor meant that if she were to be implicated, she would be finished.

Then I was shocked by Consort Shi's audacity. As a concubine, she actually committed adultery with an outsider and may even be pregnant. She was simply defying the palace rules. She must have been tired of living her life too easily!

"Yunting, this matter is of great importance. Don't make a fuss about it yet. Find someone skilled in martial arts to keep an eye on things tonight, and be careful not to get caught."

"Yes, my lord."

That evening, Shi Changzai went to the artificial hill at the agreed time. Because he had something on his mind, he was not vigilant enough and did not notice that someone was following him. Yunting and Nongqin followed Shi Changzai to the artificial hill.

The two were outside the artificial hill when they heard a sound coming from inside it.

"Here's the abortion pill you wanted. Here you go."

Looking at the medicine, Shi Changzai's heart was heavy: "How can you be so heartless?"

"Me, heartless? If I don't find medicine for you, do you expect to give birth to this child? That would be truly heartless. Be good, listen to me, this child cannot be kept."

Upon hearing this, Consort Shi burst into tears.

Although the two had agreed not to see each other again, at this moment, the guard still held Shi Changzai in his arms and comforted her, saying, "It was my fault for making you pregnant. If I have the chance, I will definitely marry you. However, our social statuses are so different. It is already my good fortune to have this brief encounter. Don't cry, you don't look good when you cry."

The two were so engrossed in their relationship that they didn't notice the two people who had quietly come and gone outside the artificial hill.

Upon returning to the left side hall of Yonghe Palace, Zuo Ting and Nongqin immediately went to Consort Yin's side.

The person in charge of reporting was Yun Ting: "My lady, Nongqin and I followed Consort Shi and saw her enter a rockery in the small garden. Then we heard her discussing with a man about using medicine to abort the child. The two were talking intimately, and the child was that man's."

The truth of the matter is not hard to accept, after all, there had been suspicions before, which is normal.

After hearing this, Yin Changzai immediately said sternly, "This matter must not be told to anyone else for the time being. Shi Changzai should still be kept in sight. Also, Nongqin will serve me from now on, just like Yunting!"

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