Kangxi gently patted Wei Shuangxue's hand, his face serious, and said that he would investigate the matter thoroughly, telling her not to overthink it and not to reveal it for the time being, so as not to alert the enemy.
After saying these words, Kangxi turned and left, returning to his Qianqing Palace.
Kangxi ordered Liang Jiugong to investigate the matter, but he had other emotions in his heart. He leaned back in his chair and pondered.
He no longer favored Consort Wuya as before, and had begun to have doubts about her since the incident involving Consort An five years ago.
Over the years, I've observed her calmly. Although Uya wasn't very kind to her daughter and lacked maternal love, she didn't show it in private, and I didn't notice anything wrong with her.
Is what Wei said true or false? And does Wuya really have a problem?
Chengqian Palace Main Hall
Wu Yaxin, Liu Shuning, Wei Shuangxue, and others were all there to pay their respects to Yun Yi.
Ruoqi, accompanied by several palace maids, respectfully served tea to the concubines before withdrawing.
When paying respects, Yunyi usually doesn't say much; it's mostly Liu Shuning who livens up the atmosphere, and Wu Yaxin Yue occasionally chimes in.
Today was no different from any other day. The palace maids served tea, and Yunyi smiled and said that this was the new tribute tea this year, inviting everyone to taste it.
Liu Shuning was the most enthusiastic, being the first to pick up her teacup and drink, praising it highly.
Wu Yaxin smiled, politely took a sip of tea, and repeatedly praised it as good.
Unbeknownst to her, Yunyi was silently observing her movements, seeing clearly the way she drank tea.
The greetings ended quickly, and Yunyi didn't keep them any longer, letting them all leave.
After leaving Yunyi's place, Wu Yaxin returned to her residence. Yuyin cleverly served her tea and talked about Wei Shuangxue's recent situation and the rumors circulating in the palace.
Wu Yaxinyue didn't care about Wei Shuangxue's health at all; she only cared about whether the child was alright and healthy.
Fortunately, the imperial physician said that the prince was developing healthily in the womb, so Wu Yaxin Yue didn't care what Wei Shuangxue was thinking. Let her worry, it's none of my business.
"It would be good if Lady Wei was unwell. If she had a difficult childbirth, that child would be mine."
After talking about Wei Shuangxue, Wu Yaxin Yue seemed quite concerned about the rumors.
"Hmph!" Wu Yaxin snorted coldly, with a hint of contempt. "She, Wei, is a lowly servant of the Imperial Household Department, and I am also from a bondservant family. We are both palace maids. If she is of lowly status and cannot bear a prince, does that mean I am also incapable?"
At this point, as if recalling something, Wu Yaxin became even angrier. "These words must have come from those high-ranking concubines. The little palace maids wouldn't dare to gossip like that. They're mocking me, saying that since I can't have children myself, I'll find someone even lower to give birth to."
She slammed her hand on the table. For some reason, Wu Yaxin seemed unable to control her temper, and the more she talked, the angrier she became.
"Just like that Consort An, she always looked down on me and even tried to frame me. Unfortunately, she was stupid and I saw through her plan and turned the tables on her. Although I only confined her to her quarters for a while, I completely defeated her afterward, so that she could never swagger in front of me again."
Hearing what the young master said, Yu Yin became somewhat anxious.
My lord, what's wrong with you today? How could you just say such things out loud?
She wanted to rush up and cover her mistress's mouth to stop her from saying anything.
Wu Yaxinyue was completely oblivious to what was happening and continued, "Now that Consort An is gone, I will make everyone who looked down on me pay the price..."
Emperor Kangxi, who was outside, could no longer bear to listen. He never expected that the usually gentle, charming, and elegant Lady Uya would be like this.
Bang! A loud thud as the door was kicked open interrupted Wu Yaxin's eloquent speech.
Upon closer inspection, she was surprised to see the Emperor standing outside the door. Her mind went blank for a moment as the man stood there, motionless.
Yu Yin was so frightened that her soul almost flew away. Her mind was filled with the thought that it was all over. The Emperor had actually heard what she said. All she could do now was pray that the Emperor hadn't heard too much, so that there might still be a sliver of hope for her survival.
Trembling as she knelt, Yu Yin still managed to pull her master along.
"You!!! Uya clan..." Kangxi pointed angrily at Uya Xinyue, momentarily speechless, too angry to say anything.
Liang Jiugong stood aside, trembling with fear, utterly shocked by this news. It turned out that the person who framed Consort An back then was actually Consort Wuya!
His mind was racing with thoughts. He hadn't been able to uncover the truth back then, and now that the Emperor knew the murderer, he felt utterly incompetent.
Touching his heart, Liang Jiugong felt a little scared, wondering if he would be punished by the emperor for incompetence in a fit of rage.
Wu Yaxin was being dragged to her knees by Yu Yin, still somewhat dazed and confused. She didn't understand why she, so clever and resourceful, would do something so stupid.
Emperor Kangxi no longer wanted this vicious woman to say anything more, and he ordered Liang Jiugong to send people to search the imperial bedchamber.
As expected, Liang Jiugong found the witchcraft doll that Wei Shuangxue had mentioned in the hidden compartment under Wu Yaxin's bed.
The doll was quite well-made, with a head, body, and limbs. There were even paper strips attached to it with the doll's birth date and time written on them. The doll was covered in tiny needles, making it look shocking and terrifying.
Kangxi glanced at it briefly, then looked away and gestured for Liang Jiugong to take it away and dispose of it.
Having heard with his own ears that Lady Uya indeed intended to take away Lady Wei's son after her death, and having heard her admit to harming Consort An, Kangxi felt a mixture of disappointment, shock, and anger.
With a heavy flick of his sleeve, Kangxi issued a curfew, ordering the two men to be temporarily imprisoned for further investigation.
Liang Jiugong came to the main hall to report that Consort Wuya had been confined to her quarters. Yunyi looked somewhat shocked and asked a few questions. Liang Jiugong simply said that Consort Wuya had behaved improperly in front of the emperor, thus brushing it off.
Yunyi understood. It was likely that Kangxi already knew everything, which was why he ordered Wuya Xinyue to be confined to her quarters. He was probably sending people to investigate now. She smiled and said she knew, then dismissed Liang Jiugong.
At night, Yu Yin opened the door, and the several old women who had been guarding the door all said they hadn't seen anything, thus letting Yu Yin leave the place where she was confined.
After carefully leaving Chengqian Palace, Yuyin went straight to the Imperial Kitchen. Her mistress had instructed her to contact the Wuya family as soon as possible, as only then could she find a solution.
Yu Yin, who thought she was being discreet, was completely unaware that her every move was being carefully observed by the eunuch behind her.
When Liang Jiugong reported the matter, Emperor Kangxi, who was reviewing memorials, did not look up but coldly ordered, "Investigate! Investigate thoroughly. I want to see how many things this Consort Wuya has that I don't know."
"Yes, sir!" Liang Jiugong replied and turned to leave.
...
After investigating for several days, Liang Jiugong did not find out much about Consort An because of the long time that had passed. However, Yu Yin's behavior gave him some inspiration, so Liang Jiugong changed his focus and began investigating the Wuya family.
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