For several days in a row, Jian Yang did not mention Zhou Jingzhi to Jian Hong again. She ate and drank as usual as if nothing had happened, as if she had already forgotten about Zhou Jingzhi.
Only Jian Hong knew that she hadn't let go; he often saw Jian Yang sitting in the courtyard, lost in thought.
There was no news from the Emperor either; the two seemed determined not to speak first, and the stalemate continued.
Inside the palace, Eunuch Zhang handed over the information he had gathered to the emperor.
The eunuch's original name was Liu Tong. He originally worked in the Imperial Household Department, but was later transferred to the inner palace.
“Your Majesty, there’s nothing wrong with the young eunuch’s identity. He came from a poor family and was sent to the palace when he was young. But there’s something strange about it. None of his family members are alive,” Eunuch Zhang said.
Zhou Jingzhi stopped flipping through the documents and fell into deep thought.
The family members are all gone. Either they died in an accident, or they were eliminated by someone with malicious intent. It seems more likely that they were eliminated.
After a moment, Zhou Jingzhi asked, "Have you found the person?"
Eunuch Zhang nodded and summoned a bodyguard.
According to the guard, Liu Tong never left the palace, nor did he deliberately hide himself. He simply stopped going to Fuxi Palace and wandered around the palace on weekdays, seemingly not belonging to any particular palace.
Zhou Jingzhi's suspicions deepened. It seemed that this eunuch was definitely problematic, as he had not been assigned to any place after being transferred from the Imperial Household Department.
"Keep an eye on him, I'll be there right away," Zhou Jingzhi instructed.
After saying that, he changed his clothes, covered his face, and followed the guards all the way there.
Liu Tong has indeed felt that he is being monitored recently. He has not been able to find an opportunity to report to his master, so he can only remain still and pretend that nothing has happened.
One day, he was sweeping in a corner of the Imperial Garden when he was surrounded by a group of men in black. One of the masked men in black rushed over and attacked him.
The man didn't seem to intend to kill him; he stopped after a few moves, and the surrounding men in black swarmed in and tied Liu Tong up.
At this moment, the masked man removed his mask, and Liu Tong's pupils suddenly contracted when he saw the man's face clearly.
"Lock him up for me first," Zhou Jingzhi said to Liu Tong expressionlessly, his eyes seeming to look at a corpse.
After saying this, Zhou Jingzhi returned to the Imperial Study and changed his clothes.
Recalling his exchange with Liu Tong, Zhou Jingzhi felt a strange sense of familiarity; the moves seemed familiar. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind.
That skill level seemed to be trained by that woman in the palace. Zhou Jingzhi finally remembered where he had seen it before.
Unexpectedly, the woman had actually harbored ulterior motives, Zhou Jingzhi sneered.
"Eunuch Zhang, go and invite the Empress over."
In the Weiyang Palace, Linglong's right eyelid kept twitching. She had been feeling uneasy all day, with a feeling that something big was about to happen.
A maidservant came over, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Zhang has arrived. He says he wishes to invite you to the Imperial Study."
Linglong was startled; normally, the Emperor wouldn't summon her at this time. She pretended everything was normal and nodded to the maid.
"I understand." With that, she walked out of the palace gate and followed Eunuch Zhang to the Imperial Study.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. What brings Your Majesty here?" Linglong asked, feigning composure.
Zhou Jingzhi didn't speak, staring at Linglong for a while before finally fixing his gaze on her face. There wasn't a trace of weakness or panic on the woman's face.
Just when Linglong was about to give up, Zhou Jingzhi finally spoke.
"Does the Empress recognize that eunuch named Liu Tong?"
Linglong was greatly alarmed. She had noticed recently that Liu Tong had not sent her any messages for a long time. Seeing that he was still in the palace, she assumed that there was nothing important to convey.
Unexpectedly, this person had already been discovered by the Emperor, but it was unknown where Liu Tong was now.
"Your Majesty, I recognize him. Liu Tong was originally from the Imperial Household Department. He was transferred out for dishonest means and hasn't been assigned to another palace yet." Linglong's back was already soaked with sweat.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingzhi said quietly, "That Liu Tong is quite dishonest. He not only spyes on me, but also on my mother, the Empress. Does the Empress know this?"
Linglong knelt down with a thud and hurriedly denied it: "Your Majesty, I don't know! I've only met Liu Tong a few times, how could I know these things?"
Zhou Jingzhi was a little angry. He didn't expect that even at this point, she would still be stubborn and pretend to be stupid.
"I entrusted the harem to you, not so you could enjoy being an empress. After all this time, have you forgotten your place?"
Linglong bowed down, saying only, "This subordinate dares not, this subordinate has absolutely no disloyal intentions."
Zhou Jingzhi sneered. As expected of the person he personally chose, he was still being stubborn even when facing death.
"Eunuch Zhang, bring Liu Tong here."
Several guards bound Liu Tong and threw him to the ground.
"Liu Tong, who instructed you to spy on me?" Zhou Jingzhi asked coldly.
The guards pulled the cotton cloth out of Liu Tong's mouth.
Linglong glanced at Liu Tong, her heart pounding. She hoped Liu Tong could understand the meaning in her eyes; if he betrayed her, his family would never have a peaceful life again.
Liu Tong's eyes darkened, then he looked firmly at Zhou Jingzhi and said, "Your Majesty, no one instructed this servant."
Hearing this, Linglong breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is that so? Then why are you spying on me? Why are you reporting my whereabouts to the Empress Dowager?" Zhou Jingzhi wasn't blind to their exchange of glances; such a small trick couldn't fool him at all.
Liu Tong's eyes darted around, and after a moment he said, "This servant only did not want Your Majesty to be infatuated with women, so I took it upon myself to reveal these things. This servant deserves to die, please punish me, Your Majesty."
Watching the man in front of him kowtow forcefully, Zhou Jingzhi felt a surge of irritation. These people really thought he was a fool.
"You all probably think I'm stupid. Liu Tong, don't you know where you got your skills from? Do I need to point it out to you?" Zhou Jingzhi squinted at the two kneeling men.
Linglong knelt on the ground without saying a word. At this moment, whatever she said might lead to utter ruin. She could only wait for Liu Tong to take the blame before speaking.
Liu Tong suddenly raised his head and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, I know I am guilty. This was a crime committed by me alone, and it has nothing to do with Her Majesty the Empress. As for my martial arts skills, they were indeed taught to me by someone else."
After saying this, Liu Tong gave Linglong a deep look, then bit his tongue hard. Before Zhang Gonggong could check on him, he spat out a mouthful of blood and died.
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