Chapter 3
Early in the morning. The dew is fresh and the air is crisp. Late spring weather has long passed the harsh cold of winter, but hasn't reached the scorching heat of midsummer. The sunlight is gentle, and the breeze is soft, bringing a touch of warmth.
Liu Ju half-lay on the windowsill, lazily basking in the sun while occasionally glancing up at the sky. Unfortunately, the barrage hadn't appeared in the past two days. However, he had some guesses about what the barrage hadn't said.
What would happen if the emperor had no son? Naturally, he would choose one from among the princes and royal families. Therefore, the "what" and "why" are obvious.
But Old Liu has so many relatives. Not to mention those further back, his father's brothers alone number over a dozen, and even if some are no longer around, there are still quite a few still alive. Add to that his great-grandfather's and great-grandfather's. Any one of them could be the real culprit, but it's hard to say who it is. Especially, is what the comments say correct?
The comments said that he was the Crown Prince Li, and that his mother had been the queen for more than 30 years. They even mentioned "Wei Huo", who was suspected to be Wei Qing's uncle and Qu Bing's cousin. Could these be true?
Liu Ju was very curious, but not entirely convinced, so he decided to wait and see.
Slipping down from the windowsill, Fenghe had already prepared the gift list. Liu Ju took a look and nodded slightly, then stood up and headed towards the Ye Ting Palace①.
The Empress lived alone in the Pepper Room, a privilege not afforded to other concubines. The Ye Ting (Ye Ting) was located to the north of the Front Palace and consisted of numerous halls, terraces, and pavilions, where several beauties and noble ladies lived. Lady Wang also lived here, occupying the largest of the four, the Magnolia Pavilion.
When Liu Ju arrived, it happened that Liu Che was also there, so he met Liu Che before he met Lady Wang. Liu Che was quite surprised: "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to apologize to Madam Wang."
Liu Che raised an eyebrow. Liu Ju continued, "I don't know why Fubao and I were there, and why we offended Lady Wang. But regardless of whether there was a hidden reason, Lady Wang suffered because of Fubao and me. For this reason alone, I owe her an apology."
"I know the Queen Mother has already spoken on my behalf, but the Queen Mother is the Queen Mother, and I am me. I caused this trouble, and I can't just hide behind others and put the blame on the Queen Mother. That would be too irresponsible."
After hearing what he said, a hint of smile appeared in Liu Che's eyes.
A palace maid led Liu Ju into the palace. Lady Wang was still in confinement after giving birth, so it was inconvenient for her to see Liu Ju. The two exchanged a few words through the door. Liu Ju expressed his apologies. Lady Wang spoke politely.
"Your Highness, your words are too harsh. You do not deserve an apology. Childbirth is inherently dangerous for women. My misfortune was not entirely accidental. Even if there was some reason, it was due to the beast's arrogance. How can Your Highness be blamed?"
"Not to mention that His Highness has suffered greatly himself. I heard that he had a high fever for several times and his condition is even more serious than mine. Is His Highness feeling better?"
Liu Ju was stunned by her overly friendly attitude and nodded mechanically: "Very well. I hope Madam will get better soon too."
Madam Wang responded softly, and after a few more pleasantries, the apology concluded perfectly. Liu Che, listening from the sidelines, was deeply gratified. Wei Zifu was sensible, Liu Ju was sensible, and Madam Wang was sensible, which made him feel much more at ease.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Liu Che looked at Liu Ju and said, "Go back. Don't run around all day when you're not feeling well. You still need to be careful."
"I haven't met my brother yet." Liu Ju raised his little face, his eyes full of anticipation, "Can I meet my brother?"
Liu Che then remembered that the two brothers had never met, so he took Liu Ju's hand and walked into the side room. There was a cradle in the room, and a newborn baby was sleeping soundly in the cradle.
Liu Ju had never seen such a small child before. Curious, he lay down beside the cradle and stared at it: "What a small one!"
Liu Che sighed: "You were also this big when you were born, like a kitten."
"Has my brother chosen a name yet?"
"Yes, Liu Hong."
"Liu Hong, Hong is broad-minded and far-sighted, and his words are righteous." Liu Ju clapped his hands, "What a good name!"
Liu Che laughed: "You still know the meaning of Hong Da Broad and far-reaching, Hong Yan Chong Yi?"
Liu Ju held his head high and said, "Of course I've learned that. I know a lot."
His smug expression was unmistakable, but the moment he lowered his head, the smile froze. Liu Hong had woken up, staring at him with his eyes wide open. Then his features furrowed, his face flushed, and his expression was rather ferocious.
Liu Ju jumped up in shock. "No, even if I woke you up, there's no need to do this."
"Father...Father, I...I..."
Just as Liu Ju was at a loss, Liu Hong shuddered slightly, but with two puffs, the redness on his face faded, his expression calmed, his head tilted, his eyes closed, and he fell asleep again. A subtle scent filled the air.
The wet nurse hurriedly picked him up and explained awkwardly, "The Second Prince was just born and has some bloating. This happens every time he has to pass gas or have a bowel movement."
Liu Che waved his hand to signal her to solve it. Liu Ju patted his chest and said, "Is that so? I'm scared to death."
He also thought that Liu Hong remembered that he had caused his difficult birth and was holding a grudge against him.
Liu Hong suddenly farted and excreted, making it unbearable to stay in the room. Liu Che took Liu Ju out, intending to send him back to Feixiang Palace. But just as they left the Magnolia Pavilion, they heard a commotion up ahead. Liu Che frowned and winked at the attendant, who went to inquire about the situation.
A short while later, the attendant returned, followed by Zhang Tang. Following Zhang Tang were several guards, as well as a woman in a disfigured state, her shoulders pinned down by guards and her hands bound. Her hair was disheveled, covering half her face, making it difficult to discern her features. Her steps were unsteady, and she was being pushed forward with unsteadiness.
When Liu Che approached, the guards stopped at a distance and Zhang Tang stepped forward to salute.
Liu Che waved his hand and said, "Any results?"
Zhang Tang curled his lips and glanced at the woman: "Yes."
"Isn't it wrong?"
"pretty close."
Liu Che nodded: "Take him away for trial. Don't keep me waiting too long."
"I obey your command."
Liu Ju stood aside, looking at this and that, his eyes rolling around, wondering what his father and Zhang Tang were talking about. Curious, he was about to follow quietly, but unexpectedly, Liu Che had already discovered his little trick and picked him up and handed him to the attendant: "Take His Highness back to Feixiang Palace."
Liu Ju: ...
Damn! You only know how to bully children!
Liu Ju was helpless, but he was not one to sit around and wait, so he sent Feng He away as soon as he returned. Feng He lived up to his expectations and indeed found out the information he wanted.
"After Fubao's body was discovered, Zhang Tingwei immediately ordered an examination. The coroner found no traces of drugs in Fubao's body.
"But Zhang Tingwei carefully examined Fubao's mouth three times and found very fine tissue that looked like human dandruff, as well as a silk thread. The thread was dark blue and looked like it had been hooked from clothing.
"Zhang Tingwei compared many fabrics and finally determined that they were consistent with the clothing worn by the palace maids.
"However, there are so many maids in the Weiyang Palace, and their clothes are distributed uniformly. Everyone wears the same style and material, which means that everyone could have worn them. The scope is too wide, and it's impossible to investigate.
"Zhang Tingwei devised a plan. He lied and claimed that he had found a key clue from Fubao and that he would soon solve the case. He then secretly had someone spread the news, intending to alert the enemy."
Liu Ju nodded. Judging from his father's reaction, he knew of this plan. Zhang Tang must have informed him and obtained his permission to roam the inner palace and arrest people. Otherwise, Zhang Tang would not have dared to trespass into the concubine's residence.
Liu Ju looked at Feng He with starry eyes: "And then?"
"The plan worked perfectly. The maid revealed her flaws after hearing the news.
“She didn’t know what the so-called key clue was, but she knew that her clothes had been bitten by Fubao.
“Although it has been patched up and is not noticeable, it would be fine if no one noticed it normally. But at this stage, any clue would make people aware of something unusual.
“So she didn’t dare wear her original clothes anymore, but palace maids were only allowed two sets of clothing per season.
"One set is not enough for changing clothes, and people will still find out.
"So she was clever and tried to switch places with someone else, taking the opportunity to shift the blame and get herself out of trouble.
"But this was a trap set by Zhang Tingwei. If she hadn't moved, it would have been fine. But once she moved, she fell into the trap and was caught on the spot."
Liu Ju gave a thumbs up and said, "Well done, keep going!"
Feng He didn't say anything, just stared at him blankly. Liu Ju tilted his head: "That's all?"
“No more.”
Liu Ju opened his eyes wide. "How could she be gone? Who was this maid? Why did she do this? How did she plan it? How did she succeed? So many mysteries remain unsolved. How could she be gone?"
Just like a good story that suddenly stops halfway, Liu Ju's heart was hanging in the air, neither going up nor down.
Feng He glanced at him and reminded him, "Zhang Tingwei has taken the palace maid away for interrogation. The interrogation place is not for a servant to enter."
Liu Ju suddenly realized that it wasn't that the story was gone, but that Feng He couldn't find out anymore.
He scratched his fingers, sighed, and wanted to give up, but he couldn't resist his curiosity. He hesitated and thought, "You can't enter the interrogation room of the court judge.
"But now that we've caught him, with Zhang Tingwei's skills, the interrogation won't take too long and there will be results soon.
"He will report the confession to the emperor immediately after receiving it.
"Have someone keep an eye on him. If you see him heading towards Xuanshi Hall, follow him. Get close to the eunuchs there and try to pry them open."
Feng He: ...Your Highness. What do you think?
I couldn't even find out any information about the interrogation site. Do you think I can find out anything about a place like Xuanshi Hall?
What do you think Xuanshi Hall is?
"We have to give it a try. Everything depends on human effort." Liu Ju patted his chest and said, "The eunuchs in Xuanshi Palace are quite good and easy to talk to.
"They've always told me everything I've asked them. They're not doing anything sneaky. Just ask them openly and honestly, and save some time."
Feng He: ...Those eunuchs are all His Majesty's trusted confidants. Your Highness, if you think they're nice and easy to talk to, that's just you! I'm just a maid, how could I have such a high status!
However, Liu Ju didn't consider this at all and urged: "Go ahead, go ahead. If it doesn't work out, just come back."
Feng He had no choice but to agree. He thought it was just a trip to show his support so that His Highness would give up.
She thought so. Although Liu Ju gave her advice and encouraged her, she didn't hold much hope in her heart. But what surprised her was that Feng He actually found out the follow-up.
Liu Ju: ...an unexpected surprise.
Fenghe is really awesome, thumbs up to Fenghe!
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