The room was dimly lit and smelled just as bad as the outside. A single candle lit the only table, casting a faint glow that allowed one to barely make out what was happening inside.
The bed was so broken that one of its legs was missing, and it was barely kept balanced by a few stones.
The faded and tattered bed curtains were so dirty that their original color was no longer visible. If they weren't hanging on the bed, they would just look like a piece of rag.
Sitting at the table was a pale, haggard woman with disheveled clothes and hair. She was rubbing something in her hand and her lips were moving slightly, as if she were muttering something.
As Aya slowly approached and saw what the woman was holding, tears welled up instantly. In that instant, she was certain that the person in front of her was her mother.
The thing in Consort Yun's hand was a worn-out rag doll, one of its eyes, made of a black button, had fallen off. Aya remembered that this was a doll her mother had made for her by hand; she hadn't expected her mother to have kept it all this time.
Su Ruojin and the others followed Aya into the house.
Aya walked to Yunpin's side. Yunpin seemed completely unaware that someone had come in, and continued to stroke the doll in her hand, murmuring, "The crescent moon hangs in the sky, the stars blink slowly, Mother's moon, go to sleep, in your dreams there are baby rabbits."
This is a lullaby that Aya's mother sang to her when she was a child to lull her to sleep.
"Mother, Aya... Yue'er has come to see you." Aya called softly, but Consort Yun still did not react, continuing to touch the doll and recite a lullaby.
Judging by the timeline, Consort Yun was only in her early thirties, with many gray hairs at her temples and wrinkles already appearing at the corners of her eyes.
Indeed, in an environment like the Cold Palace, even the most beautiful flower would be ravaged beyond recognition; simply surviving would be a feat in itself.
Su Ruojin walked over and said, "Aya, let me take a look at Consort Yun."
She could tell at a glance that Consort Yun was clearly not normal, but the reason was still unknown.
Aya wiped away her tears and stepped aside, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at Consort Yun.
Su Ruojin placed her hand on Consort Yun's wrist, but Consort Yun remained unresponsive, letting Su Ruojin take her pulse.
Then Su Ruojin gently lifted Consort Yun's sleeve and saw that her forearm was covered with crooked scars.
Both arms were like this, and the same scars could even be faintly seen at the collar.
Su Ruojin's eyes turned cold; this Empress Dowager Wu was truly ruthless.
"Your Highness, how is Mother?" Aya asked through tears as she saw the wounds.
“Consort Yun was once given a soul-searching soup, which damaged her mind. Coupled with her many years of life in the Cold Palace, she has lost her mind altogether,” Su Ruojin said slowly.
The so-called "soul-searching soup" is actually meant to render the person who drinks it incapable of thinking, so that they can answer any question asked of them.
However, the effects of this herbal decoction are very limited. For people with weak willpower, asking some ordinary questions can help them succeed.
If someone has a strong will, this herbal medicine is basically useless.
Moreover, this drug can damage the brain of the person who takes it, causing mental confusion.
The medicinal herbs used to brew a bowl of Soul-Searching Soup are extremely expensive and rare, and its effects are limited, so this kind of thing is not popular among the common people.
It's obvious who gave Consort Yun the Soul-Searching Soup.
It seems that Empress Dowager Wu resorted to any means necessary to find out the whereabouts of the young prince.
However, Empress Dowager Wu overlooked the extent of a mother's determination to protect her child. Apart from damaging Consort Yun's mind, the Soul-Searching Soup did nothing to help Empress Dowager Wu find the answer she wanted.
Fortunately, the medicine was ineffective, but it damaged Consort Yun's mind, rendering her a cripple, which is why she has been able to live to this day.
"Your Highness, is there any hope for Mother?" Aya looked at Su Ruojin with hopeful eyes.
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