Chapter 256: The Palace Meeting, the First Clue Appears
In the study of Prince Rong's mansion, a charcoal fire burned brightly, casting a warm glow on the ancient books on the shelves on all four walls. Outside, the wind and snow rustled against the window paper, but it couldn't dampen the tense atmosphere inside.
As Xiao Jian entered, he saw Yongqi pacing the room with his hands behind his back, the hem of his dark blue prince's formal attire sweeping across the carpet, leaving a faint trail. Erkang sat in a chair by the window, a teacup clutched in his hand, his knuckles white.
"How's it going?" Xiao Jian took off his snow-stained cloak, his shoulders tensed beneath his dark suit. "Any progress from the palace?"
Yongqi turned around abruptly, his eyes bloodshot, clearly having been anxious all night. "The people in the Imperial Household Department are very tight-lipped, saying only that the flowers were sent according to the instructions of Jingren Palace. When asked who specifically handled it, they all hemmed and hawed." He slammed his fist on the table, spilling the ink in the inkstone. "It must be Concubine Gao's doing! She's under house arrest and still isn't behaving!"
"Don't jump to conclusions." Erkang put down his teacup and spoke in a steady voice. "Jingren Palace is heavily guarded right now. Concubine Gao might not be able to get her hands on the Imperial Household Department. Perhaps someone is using her name to muddy the waters." He paused and added, "I've already had someone investigate the source of those locust flowers. They're said to have been picked from a greenhouse in the south of the city."
"Greenhouse?" Xiao Jian raised an eyebrow. He walked to the table, picked up a piece of rice paper, dipped his finger in the wet ink, and quickly drew a simple map of the palace. "There aren't many greenhouses that can cultivate locust flowers at this time. The one in the Imperial Garden is the only one in the palace, and there are even fewer among the people." He pointed at the location of Jingren Palace. "If they were really brought in from outside the palace, they must have been registered at the palace gate. That would give us a clue."
Yongqi leaned in to look at the map, his brow furrowed even tighter. "You mean, someone brought locust flowers from outside the palace and sent them to Shufangzhai under the guise of Jingren Palace?" He thought of Xiaoyanzi's swollen face, and his heart felt like it was on fire. "No matter who it is, if they dare to hurt Xiaoyanzi, I will never forgive them!"
"Now is not the time to say harsh words." Xiao Jian held his shoulders, his eyes sharp as an eagle. "We must find evidence as soon as possible. We must find the mastermind behind this without alerting the enemy. Xiaoyanzi is still in the palace. What if the other party is desperate..."
Before he could finish his words, a guard hurried in to report, "Your Highness, Master Fu, we've found out! The owner of the greenhouse in the south of the city is surnamed Liu. It's said that a few days ago, a woman in palace clothes went there to buy locust flowers and offered three times the market price."
"A woman in palace attire?" Erkang's eyes lit up. "Describe her appearance."
"They say she is of medium build, with a veil covering her face, and speaks in a soft voice. She sounds like... someone from Jingren Palace." The guard lowered his head, not daring to look at Yongqi's expression.
Yongqi slammed the table and said, "I knew it was her!" He turned and was about to leave. "I'm going to Jingren Palace now and get her out!"
"Stop!" Xiao Jian grabbed him. "What's the point of going now? Without solid evidence, what if she refuses to admit it? It will only make her wary." He pondered for a moment and said to the guards, "Go check on that shopkeeper Liu and see who else he associates with in the palace besides selling locust flowers. Also, keep an eye on everyone entering and leaving Jingren Palace, especially the palace maids and eunuchs who can move around freely."
"Yes!" The guard took the order and retreated.
Erkang walked over to Yongqi and patted his arm. "Xiao Jian is right. We must remain patient. Xiaoyanzi is still waiting for us to find out the truth. We can't act impulsively." He looked at Xiao Jian. "Should we inform the emperor?"
Xiao Jian shook his head. "Not for now. The Emperor already knows about Xiaoyanzi's injury. If we can't figure this out, we'll appear incompetent. Besides, this is a good opportunity to see how many people in the palace are secretly watching Shufangzhai." He picked up the ink pen on the table and circled the locations of several palace gates on the rice paper. "Focus on checking the registrations at these gates, especially the records from the day the flowers were delivered."
Yongqi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "I'll have someone check the Imperial Household Department's purchasing ledger to see if there are any unusual expenses recently." He walked to the window, looking out at the snow and wind, and said in a low voice, "Xiaoyanzi has been wronged in the palace. As her fiancé, I must seek justice for her."
Xiao Jian looked at his back, a hint of warmth in his eyes. This seemingly gentle prince cared about Xiao Yanzi just as much as he, a brother, did. He picked up the drawn map, folded it up, and stuffed it into his sleeve. "There's no time to lose. Let's split up and meet up here before dark."
"Okay." Yongqi and Erkang responded in unison.
The study door flung open, and a blizzard of snow and wind rushed in, bringing a bone-chilling chill. The three of them, each donning a cloak, hurried into the snow, their figures quickly vanishing into the whiteness of the world. Only the fireplace in the study continued to crackle, as if foreshadowing the beginning of this storm.
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