Inside the study of Qiwu Palace, candlelight shone brightly. A-Yuan had a file on the salt tax reform in the southern border spread out before her, but she seemed somewhat distracted.
Xiao Chengkang then looked at a detailed map of the Western Ling capital and traced his finger across several inconspicuous marks on it.
"How's the investigation into Lianxing's path to the palace going?" A-Yuan asked, putting down her pen.
"We've checked the Imperial Household Department and the major music and dance troupes outside the palace, and they're unusually clean," the Shadow Guard leader reported in a low voice, his figure blending into the shadows. "It's as if... someone of a higher rank erased all traces. The only suspicious thing is that three months ago, the Inner Court secretly purchased a batch of high-quality silk and rouge. The quantity was small, but the quality was extremely high. Its final destination is unknown, and the records were destroyed."
“The Inner Court…” Xiao Chengkang’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s an institution that reports directly to the Emperor. How could the Lin family’s influence extend this far?” He paused, then looked at A Yuan. “Regarding the Empress’s pregnancy, has the Imperial Physician provided any information?”
A-Yuan shook her head: "The Imperial Physician is Father's confidant, and he keeps his mouth shut. He only said that Her Majesty the Empress is blessed with great fortune and that the imperial heir is healthy. But according to our informants in the Imperial Hospital, the one who took the Empress's pulse was the Vice-Director, Physician Li, who... is a distant relative of a steward eunuch in Kunning Palace. Also," she lowered her voice, "the dosage of several herbs in the Empress's recent pregnancy-preserving prescriptions... is slightly different from the usual pregnancy-preserving prescriptions, and seems to be more inclined towards... stabilizing the fetus and preventing miscarriage."
Xiao Chengkang's fingers lightly tapped the location of Kunning Palace on the map: "During her confinement, with such tight security, how could she have conceived? Imperial Physician Li… the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine… Lin's pregnancy, Lianxing's favor—these two seemingly unrelated events both point to a common thread—timing. They both occurred when Lin seemed most isolated and helpless." A glint flashed in his eyes. "Any progress with Xiyu?"
“Xi Yu is very cautious, almost never interacting with outsiders, and only on duty at Kunning Palace every day. But…” A glint flashed in A Yuan’s eyes, “The Shadow Guards discovered that every few days, in the dead of night, she would go alone to the most secluded lotus pond in the Imperial Garden, whisper to a stone, and sometimes shed tears. It was as if she was… mourning someone?”
“A memorial service…” Xiao Chengkang pondered for a moment, “Investigate her! Investigate all her background before entering the palace, especially… whether she had any deceased relatives. If so, investigate the time and cause of their deaths!”
"Yes!" The leader of the shadow guards accepted the order and quietly withdrew.
On a late autumn afternoon, a small commotion arose at the side gate of the palace. A young man, dressed in a worn blue robe and looking travel-worn, carrying a large painting tube on his back and leading an equally weary horse, was negotiating with the guards at the gate. He had delicate features, a scholarly air about him, and clear yet somewhat unfocused eyes, as if still immersed in the landscape.
"Second Prince? You...you're back?!" The head guard at the gate recognized the young man and stared in surprise.
This young man was none other than Xi Lingche, the second prince born to Empress Lin. He was by nature carefree and disliked the constraints of the palace. He especially loved painting landscapes and often left the palace alone with his painting tools, sometimes for months at a time, to travel to famous mountains and rivers, sketching and painting. This time, he was away from the palace for as long as half a year. He was completely unaware that Empress Lin had been confined and then released from her confinement, or even that there were rumors of her pregnancy.
"Yes, you're back." Xi Lingche smiled gently and patted the painting tube. "A fruitful harvest. Please inform the Emperor... Well, there's no need to disturb Mother. I'll go pay my respects to Father directly." He was completely unaware of the undercurrents in the palace, his mind still focused on the few masterpieces he had just completed.
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