Chapter 119 Jinghua Palace
Lan Wu remembered Yue Zhaorong saying that the palace maid who was skilled in making incense later went to the palace of Empress Dowager Cimin. Since she had served both empress dowagers, there was no reason why Danshan wouldn't recognize her.
So, Chu Mingheng asked Aunt Danshan to go and recognize people.
If Zhu Qing really was that palace maid who was skilled in making incense, then the reason for killing her in her previous life might not have been as simple as those concubines in the harem wanting her dead.
After walking around the inner hall several times, Lan Wu sat down on the soft couch outside the screen to rest for a while. While sitting in a ball, she quietly wrapped her cloak tightly around herself, not wanting to let her illness worsen.
Seeing that Lan Wu looked listless and uninterested, Lian Qiao brought her a lot of books and said, "This servant has compiled all the books that Your Highness liked to read a few days ago. Would Your Highness like to continue reading?"
Lan Wu really didn't want to read right now, so she shook her head.
"Does Your Highness want to paint?" Lian Qiao suggested again, but Lan Wu still shook her head.
The Empress has just recovered from her illness and should not be doing these troublesome things, but how can we make the Empress happy?
Lianqiao pondered carefully, then suddenly her eyes lit up as she remembered something.
"Your Majesty, the cat we brought back yesterday has been handed over to the palace servants to be raised in the backyard. Would Your Majesty like someone to bring the cat here for us to see?"
Reminded by her, Lan Wu also remembered that Princess Yizhen had given her a cat yesterday, and Chu Mingheng had named it Yun Gao.
Since she has to recuperate in the palace and can't get any news from the outside world anyway, she might as well play with the cat.
"Then go ahead and bring the cloud cake."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Before long, Lanwu heard a cat meowing coming from the palace gate, sounding particularly affectionate.
Lan Wu looked over and saw Lian Qiao carrying Yun Gao into the hall.
Yun Gao was more lively than yesterday. Once on the soft couch, it seemed to be surveying its territory, its tail held high. It walked slowly and leisurely on the couch, then suddenly jumped onto the low table on the couch, resting its head in front of Lan Wu's eyes. Its pair of deep blue and pure pupils were pleasing to the eye no matter how you looked at them.
Lan Wu reached out and placed her hand on Yun Gao's head. The next moment, Yun Gao raised its front paws and rubbed its head against her palm, making a soft purring sound.
Lan Wu thought she had misheard, so she reached out and gently touched Yun Gao's head, leaning closer to listen. Sure enough, she heard the sound.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, the people at the animal park say that the cat is saying it's comfortable," Lian Qiao said.
Yun Gao didn't seem uncomfortable at all; its personality was so friendly that it was easy to like it.
"Have someone look after it regularly, and don't let it wander outside Yilan Palace." Lanwu nodded and added another instruction.
No one else in the palace keeps cats except her. If one of them runs away or bumps into someone, it will always be a problem.
"Yes, Your Highness, I understand."
-
Although the inner gate of Consort Wen's Hanlu Palace was open, the palace servants were rather idle.
"Your Majesty, this servant has returned." Zhuzhi entered the palace and bowed to Consort Wen. When she heard the voice calling her, she looked up and saw that the doors and windows of the palace were all open, and Consort Wen was standing in front of the table practicing calligraphy, wearing an autumn shirt.
"These servants are getting lazier and lazier. It's getting colder today, why are they still opening the doors and windows? What if Her Majesty catches a cold?"
As she spoke, she reached out to close the window.
"That's it." Consort Wen stopped her without looking up.
Zhu Zhi paused, looked at the window and then at her, then took a few steps closer and whispered, "Your Highness, the people from the laundry department were quite eloquent, but they didn't say anything useful. I've been asking around for a long time, and they really don't know anything."
"Is it really not that they intentionally wanted to keep it a secret?" Consort Wen slowly put down her pen and asked Zhuzhi.
Zhu Zhi shook her head and said, "It shouldn't be. Your Highness doesn't know, but the palace maids who enter the laundry department do all the hard and tiring work, and all the dirty things. I tried to entice them with benefits, and they all wanted to leave the laundry department. What they said shouldn't be a lie."
Wen Zhaoyi remained silent for a moment, then put down the brush in her hand.
"They dealt with everyone in the Zeng family palace quite thoroughly, leaving behind these people who know nothing..."
Zhu Zhi carefully observed Consort Wen's expression and reminded her, "Your Highness has forgotten, there is still a palace maid living in Consort Zeng's palace, in Consort Li's palace..."
Consort Wen frowned slightly. It wasn't that she hadn't thought of that Panxi, but Panxi hadn't been in Zhaoyun Palace for long, and might not be as good as those laundry workers.
"Your Majesty, the fact that Panxi was able to notice the problem with the paintings in Zhaoyun Palace shows that she is meticulous and cautious enough. Who knows, she might have discovered something else as well?"
Zhu Zhi is right, but that person is currently in Consort Li's Jinghua Palace, and it won't be easy to get him out.
"It's getting late today, let's go to Jinghua Palace tomorrow to investigate."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Consort Wen unfolded the page she had written on, but seeing that the ink was not yet dry, she put it down again, pressed one corner down with a paperweight, and glanced at the wide-open window.
The next day, Zhuzhi went to Jinghua Palace under the pretext that her mistress had come to inquire about Consort Li's recent situation.
Now that Consort Shu holds power in the palace, Consort Wen is a concubine who has long been aligned with Consort Shu. To outsiders, sending someone to inquire about this matter is nothing more than wanting to see the current miserable state of Consort Li and gloating over her misfortune.
Zhu Zhi smiled gently and said, "The other day, Consort Zhen fell ill, and all the palace ladies went to visit her. Only Consort Li did not go. Our Lady was worried that Consort Li was not feeling well, so she sent me to check on her. If Consort Li is feeling unwell, we can have someone from the Imperial Hospital come to check on her."
Yu Mei did not show anger upon hearing these words, but calmly replied, "Her Majesty did have a headache the other day, which is why she did not visit Consort Zhen at Yilan Palace. I apologize for Consort Wen's concern."
Zhu Zhi stood outside the hall, his gaze casually sweeping around, but he couldn't see Pan Xi anywhere.
Although she had never seen Panxi's face, the Empress said that the most beautiful one in the crowd looked like Panxi. After looking around, she really couldn't see her.
Zhu Zhi smiled and said, "I'll have to trouble Sister Yu Mei to go into the palace and inform her. I still need to meet with Consort Li and pay my respects before I can return to the palace to report back smoothly."
Yu Mei hesitated for a moment, glanced in the direction of the hall, and then replied, "Then you wait here, I'll go in and inform them."
Zhuzhi nodded and watched her head towards the main hall.
But she waited for almost half an hour.
Half an hour later, Yu Mei came out and told her that the Empress had summoned her inside.
Zhu Zhi's expression remained unchanged. It was thanks to her waiting for half an hour that she was able to see all the palace servants coming and going outside the hall, but she really couldn't find any eye-catching Pan Xi.
Since they are not serving outside the palace, they should be inside.
Thinking it over, Zhuzhi lifted her foot and followed.
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