Chapter 16 His palm pressed against her injured ankle.
Back at Yan Gui Lou, Yan Xue summoned her secret guards and ordered them to thoroughly investigate the matter of the Soul-Separating Pill.
The mastermind points to the Empress, but there are still many details to investigate. For example, where did the Soul-Separating Grass come from, and who made it into pills? Also, who did the craftsman who made the sandalwood box work for? All of these things need to be investigated.
Reflecting on the Empress's situation over the years, Yan Xuecui could vaguely guess her motives.
Most of the high-ranking concubines in the imperial harem had given birth to imperial offspring, but the empress only had one princess. She was anxious about this for half her life and tried every possible method until she finally felt a little relieved in recent years.
However, when the emperor passes away, the new emperor will naturally honor her mother as the Holy Mother Empress Dowager. At that time, both empresses will be respected, and she will only have the title of empress dowager, but she will not be as close as her birth mother.
The Empress was of noble birth and was the mother of the nation. However, for decades, she had watched helplessly as princes were born one after another in the palace, taking away the Empress's favor. In the future, they would have to sit on equal footing with the concubines who used to kowtow to her. How could she bear it?
Consort Ning, Consort Li, and Consort Yi all plotted to seize the throne for their sons, so they spared no effort to bring down the other princes. The Empress's target, however, was these concubines who had sons. No matter who ascended the throne in the future, she would always be the only Empress Dowager.
Five years ago, the Empress gambled on herself, so she targeted her mother, hoping to drive her insane and cause her to self-harm and die.
But now that he is blind and has no chance of ascending the throne, the empress may already be plotting her next target...
It is possible that the mother of Prince Xuan was Consort Li, the mother of Prince Rui was Consort Yi, the mother of Prince Qing was Consort Lan, or even the mother of the Ninth Prince was Noble Lady Min.
Over the years, his elder brother died tragically on the battlefield, and his mother was poisoned. He has come this far through countless trials and tribulations, and there is no turning back now.
Overwhelming hatred and rage almost scorched her heart. Yan Xue clenched her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the force, and the scabs on her burns on her palms cracked open again, with blood seeping from between her fingers.
He would remember the hatred with the pain of flesh and blood, and make the person behind it disgraced and pay for the blood debt.
...
Shuyu Studio.
Aunt Fangchun helped Chi Ying sit down and carefully examined the redness and swelling on her ankle. Even after applying wound medicine, she was still worried. "I should have asked Physician Lin to come and take a look while he was at it."
Chi Ying said, "It's alright, it doesn't hurt anymore."
Aunt Fangchun insisted, "Let's see how things go tonight. If the Princess feels unwell, please tell me immediately."
Chi Ying nodded, reassuring her.
Fangchun sighed as she recalled what had happened that day, "If that box hadn't been broken, we don't know how much longer we would have been kept in the dark. In the past two years, Her Majesty's health has deteriorated, and she has almost committed suicide several times..."
Thinking of how the Empress had suffered the pain of losing her son over the years, tormented day and night, almost going mad, and even committing the crime of disrespect before His Majesty, Fangchun felt both hatred and fear.
"The struggles in the harem have always been cruel. But the Empress has already lost a son. She is not the kind of concubine who is jealous and vying for favor. She will not affect the Empress's position. Why does the Empress want to kill her after the Empress has lost her eldest son?"
Chi Ying patted her hand and comforted her, "Since Your Highness says you want to investigate, I believe the truth will soon come to light. The wicked will be dealt with according to the law, and Mother Consort will gradually recover. In the end, everything will be alright."
Aunt Fangchun nodded with tears in her eyes: "Thank you, Your Highness."
Chi Ying pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, "I was still recovering from a cold a few days ago, which delayed my trip to the palace to express my gratitude. If I go to the palace with Your Highness in the future, wouldn't I be able to see the Empress?"
Fang Chun frowned and pondered, "Let's see how His Highness arranges things. His Majesty is considerate of His Highness's blindness and does not require him to attend court and pay respects to the emperor every day like other princes. He is also exempt from attending palace banquets and various sacrificial ceremonies. Although he will inevitably have to visit the palace a few times in the future, you can rest assured to follow His Highness. No matter what the masters in the palace are like in private, they always do a good job of maintaining appearances."
She lowered her voice and said, "If it weren't for the discovery of that Soul-Separating Pill today, I would still think that the Empress is kind-hearted and approachable..."
Chi Ying then understood that most of the nobles in the palace were two-faced and hypocritical, and she would inevitably have to go to the palace to pay her respects. However, as long as Prince Zhao was not in a hurry, she could live a few more days of peace.
For the next two days, Chi Ying did not see King Zhao, presumably still investigating the origin of the Soul-Separating Pill.
With nothing else to do, she would visit Consort Zhuang at Shouchun Hall every day.
Consort Zhuang suffered a hysterical attack earlier, which caused her great anger and grief. She remained unconscious for three days. When she woke up, she forgot that she had mistaken Consort Zhuang for Consort Ning that day. Everyone in Shouchun Hall was concerned about her health and temporarily kept the matter of the Soul-Separating Pill a secret, so as not to cause Consort Zhuang too much worry, which would be detrimental to her recovery.
When Consort Zhuang was lucid, she had a habit of worshipping Buddha, but she couldn't find the Buddhist prayer beads she was used to wearing. So Qionglin took out another string of small-leaf sandalwood prayer beads for her and explained, "Yesterday, His Highness came over and found a crack in the prayer beads, so he took them to someone to maintain and repair them."
Consort Zhuang had no suspicions.
For several days in a row, although Consort Zhuang still looked listless and easily tired after saying a few words, she was no longer plagued by nightmares every night as before. When she woke up, she was relatively clear-headed, no longer talking nonsense, and no longer mistaking people. Her condition was indeed slowly improving.
She also often sent over some snacks, and Consort Zhuang praised her for her excellent skills, saying that her pastries were even sweeter and softer than those from Yizhai.
Ruyi Zhai was the most popular pastry shop among the nobles in the capital. Chi Ying vaguely remembered eating there once when she was a child, which gave her the idea of making money by selling pastries.
However, being in the Prince's mansion, every word and action was being watched, and making pastries to sell outside the mansion in a grand manner was simply too conspicuous.
To earn enough money for her mother's medicine, she had to find another way.
The next morning, Chi Ying washed up and did her makeup as usual.
Aunt Fangchun had informed her in advance that she would be bringing the stewards of the manor to pay their respects today. Xiangqin had specially dressed her up in her finest attire, following the makeup style that Chi Yingyue usually wore. Chi Ying sat in front of the mirror, gazing at the woman adorned with jewels and ornaments in the mirror. In a daze, she seemed to see the bright, exquisite, and splendid Chi Yingyue.
It's unclear when they'll be able to regain their original identities.
After breakfast, Chi Ying arrived at the main hall surrounded by a group of maids. Liu Changshun, the steward of the Prince's Mansion, led the stewards from various departments of the mansion to pay their respects. Everyone knelt down to greet him.
Although Chi Ying had never experienced such a scene before, she knew the procedure somewhat. She called out softly, glanced at everyone, and said some prepared words.
Given her status and position, as long as she sits upright and doesn't smile, none of the stewards would dare to slight this young mistress of the royal palace.
Steward Liu respectfully presented a stack of account books. Chi Ying opened the top book and casually flipped through two pages. The account books had been compiled according to time and category, with a huge amount of money and a clear structure.
Chi Ying only just discovered that as a princess, she also received an annual stipend of four hundred taels of silver, which she could use at will.
Four hundred taels was enough for her and her mother to leave the capital and find a beautiful place to settle down.
Chi Ying sighed inwardly, but quickly came to terms with reality. She probably wouldn't stay for more than a year. If she absconded with the money halfway through, being caught would be an unforgivable crime.
Immediately afterwards, several stewards in charge of the farm shops, garden repairs, and kitchen procurement came forward one by one to report.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. As usual, Chi Ying said a few words to her subordinates, and the stewards all bowed in agreement.
After everyone bowed and withdrew, Chi Ying's tense body finally relaxed slightly. In the afternoon, she looked at the account books for a while to make herself appear more competent.
Late at night, at Yan Gui Lou.
After investigating for several days, Cheng Huai came to report: "That sandalwood box was made five years ago by a carpenter named Liao Ji under the Imperial Workshop. I found out that Liao Ji returned to his hometown of Zhigu from the capital five years ago, but not long after, he drowned in the river while drunk."
Yan Xuecui gave a cold laugh.
With no one left to testify, the mastermind behind it all was indeed very thoughtful.
Cheng Huai: "The villagers all praised his skills. He was appreciated by a nobleman in the capital and brought back a generous reward. However, he was a man who made money but didn't have the life to spend it."
Yan Xuecui continued, "Has it been found out which imperial physicians entered and exited Kunning Palace back then?"
Cheng Huai nodded: "I have checked the duty records of the Imperial Hospital. Back then, six imperial physicians went to Kunning Palace to take the pulse. None of them were dismissed or silenced. The head of the hospital, Fang Jiayu, and the imperial physician He Lianqing were highly trusted by the Empress. Whenever the Empress was unwell, she would always summon the two of them to the palace first."
Yan Xuecui pondered for a moment and said, "Investigate these two thoroughly. See if they have any way to obtain the Soul-Separating Grass in private, whether they have had any contact with Liao Ji, and whether they have received any generous rewards from the Empress. Report back immediately after verifying the information."
Cheng Huai bowed and accepted the order, but the person who should have stepped down remained standing, bowing, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Yan Xuecui frowned when she heard him clench and unclench his fist several times. "What is it?"
Cheng Huai had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Last time, His Highness ordered me to investigate the whereabouts of the half of the earring that the Princess lost, and I have already found a clue."
Yan Xue raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued.
Seeing Cheng Huai's conflicted expression, Yuan De felt a little uneasy, wondering if he was some shady character.
Cheng Huai's throat tightened, and his voice lowered a few decibels. "From the time His Highness was assassinated until I returned to search for him, only... only His Highness Prince Xuan's carriage passed by."
Yuan De's pupils contracted sharply, and he almost dared not look at his prince's expression.
Prince Xuan, Yan Yunshen, is the son of Consort Li, who is also a cousin of Consort Ning, the mother of Prince Rong. Prince Xuan and Prince Rong are of the same blood, and thus can be considered enemies of their own prince.
How could the princess's earrings have ended up being picked up by Prince Xuan?
On the contrary, Yan Xuecui smiled, as if she had heard something extremely interesting.
He not only brought her to his bedside but also secretly took her earring.
His queen and Prince Xuan truly have a deep bond.
Shuyu Studio.
Just as Chi Ying lay down, her eyelids suddenly started twitching. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the intimate moments of that night kept replaying in her mind.
The man's deep, hot breaths still lingered in her ears as he held her tightly, his burning breath spraying onto her neck...
Half-asleep, she felt a warm, slightly itchy sensation at her feet, as if something was wrapped around her ankles. She unconsciously kicked her legs, but couldn't break free from the strange restraint.
It wasn't until a soft, cool, magnetic laugh reached her ears that she jolted awake, opened her eyes, and sprang from the bed as if electrocuted.
A tall, familiar male figure stood prominently beside the bed.
King Zhao pressed his palm against her ankle, which was still not fully swollen, and said casually, "I disturbed you so late at night, I didn't expect to wake the princess. I hope the princess won't be angry?"
Chi Ying was wide awake, her heart pounding in her chest. It took her a long time to calm down before she asked, "Your Highness, what brings you here?"
In the dead of night, a man entered her tent silently. Even though this man was her husband in name only and she was blind and could not see anything, Chi Ying still couldn't help but feel terrified.
She wasn't sleeping soundly, so how could she not have noticed?
Yan Xuecui lowered his head and rubbed her injured ankle. He couldn't see it, so he could only feel it inch by inch with his hands.
A note from the author:
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A male ghost floated in! [Angry]
Red envelopes keep coming!
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