“A bead.” A eunuch boldly pried the bead out of the man’s mouth. When his fingers touched the mucus, he felt nauseous and threw the bead on the ground.
Another wave of stench hit them, making everyone feel nauseous. Several palace maids squatted on the wall and began to vomit.
"Woof woof woof!" Little White ran over, sniffed the bead, and walked away in disgust.
"Clumsy! Pick this up! It's evidence!" Zhao Zhongquan kicked the eunuch in the buttocks.
"You good-for-nothing!"
The eunuch quickly picked up the bead.
"What is this?" Empress Zhaoyuan asked, pointing at the object in the eunuch's hand with a look of disgust, pinching her nose.
"Your Majesty, this is a bead." The eunuch holding the bead said somewhat awkwardly. Although the light was dim, it was still clear that it was a bead!
Are the masters in the palace all a bit dim-witted?
The eunuch held the pearl up to the empress.
It stinks! It's both sour and smelly!
Empress Zhaoyuan quickly took two steps back, and Cuiling behind her also took two steps back.
"Nonsense! You fool, of course I know it's a bead!" Empress Zhaoyuan slapped the eunuch's hat.
With a thud, the eunuch clutched his head, which had been bruised and sore.
"That idiot, I don't even know how he got into the palace in the first place!"
"What I'm asking is, what are these beads used for?" Cui Ling asked, rubbing Empress Zhao Yuan's hand.
"Judging from the material, this old servant doesn't think it's a hairpin or anything like that." Zhao Zhongquan took the bead from the eunuch's hand, wiped the drool-covered bead with a handkerchief, and held it up to his eyes to examine it.
The bead was about the size of a thumb, a round red bead, and if you looked closely you could see the flower patterns engraved on it.
“They look like beads hanging on curtains or decorative beads on clothes.” Zhao Zhongquan squinted and examined them carefully in the moonlight. A Xiang held up a lantern to light the way for Zhao Zhongquan, and he smiled at her.
"Your Majesty, look at this bead. There's a hole in it. It might be a bead used to decorate the cuffs or collar of a garment." Zhao Zhongquan gestured for the Empress to examine the inside of the bead closely, where there was a thin, long eye that could be used to thread a needle.
"Let's go, and stop speculating here." Empress Zhaoyuan waved her hand, looking exhausted.
"Zhao Zhongquan, move this eunuch to the Imperial Household Department and have him kept under close guard. No one is allowed to approach this corpse without my order."
Before the matter is fully investigated, no one should be allowed to destroy the evidence or damage the body.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhao Zhongquan nodded.
"You should also have the Imperial Household Department investigate which concubine's palace is missing a servant, or if there are any missing servants in the palace. Find out if anyone knows them, what their names are, and what they do. It's best to find out everything."
"That way we can find out exactly how he fell into the well and whether he did anything wrong."
"Yes, this old servant has remembered."
"Have someone from the inner court come and examine the wound tomorrow morning!"
"Oh, right, also, take this bead to the Imperial Wardrobe tomorrow and ask the clerks there if they recognize where this bead is from. Maybe the clerk will remember whose clothes have such round bead buttons."
"This thing is obviously for the master."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhao Zhongquan instructed several people to carefully carry the person back. He wrapped the beads in a handkerchief and stuffed them into his sleeve.
The group left the well and walked towards the outside of the north courtyard.
Ah Xiang was relieved to see that the Empress would investigate the matter, and prepared to return to the Laundry Department to continue washing clothes. It seemed that she would not be able to sleep tonight, as she would have no way to hand in the clothes until they were washed properly.
Ah Xiang was very tired. Thinking about the clothes she still had to wash and not knowing where to get water, she felt a pang of sadness.
Empress Zhaoyuan noticed that Axiang was standing alone beside Yiyi, looking forlorn. She said to her, "Axiang, you will come back to Zhaoyang Palace with me. Tomorrow, when the inner court comes to question us, we will need your answers."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"But I still have the noble ladies' clothes to wash," Ah Xiang said, looking at Empress Zhaoyuan with some difficulty.
"It's alright, let them wait a few days. If anyone causes you trouble, I will protect you!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ah Xiang bowed her head and followed behind Empress Zhaoyuan. Yun Yibo also followed silently behind, and the little white dog ran behind Yun Yibo.
The group walked out of the North Courtyard, passed several concubines' sleeping quarters, and then crossed several palace roads before finally reaching Zhaoyang Palace.
When passing by Fanghua Palace, the little white dog suddenly became excited. It ran to the entrance of Fanghua Palace and circled around it, looking very anxious.
"Little White! That's not your doghouse!" Yun Yibo wanted to follow silently behind so as not to attract his mother's attention and make her angry, but Little White unexpectedly ran out.
Xiao Bai was disobedient and continued to circle around the entrance of Fanghua Palace like a madman, occasionally turning back to look at Yun Yibo, as if she wanted to go in.
"Does it smell familiar?" a young eunuch asked from behind.
“Possibly,” Cui Ling nodded in agreement.
"Fanghua Palace?" Empress Zhaoyuan fell into deep thought. Who lives in Fanghua Palace?
"Your Highness, this is Consort Ling's residence," Cui Ling reminded her meaningfully from the side.
Empress Zhaoyuan pondered for a long time. Fanghua Palace was indeed very close to the Buddhist hall.
What is the connection between all of this?
"Yibo, don't stop that dog, let it go!" Empress Zhaoyuan tugged at Yun Yibo's arm.
"Let's go in and take a look!"
Although she didn't like her son keeping such a thing, the little white dog was usually quite well-behaved, so its excitement upon arriving at Fanghua Palace today must be suspicious.
“Yibo, you stay here,” she said, turning to her son.
"Yes, Mother." Yun Yibo was very obedient and well-behaved.
"Your Majesty, this old servant will not go in. These palace maids are at your disposal."
Zhao Zhongquan had a big smile on his face.
Empress Zhaoyuan nodded. It was already very late, and the concubines in the palace must have already changed and gone to bed. It was indeed inappropriate for a eunuch to enter at this time.
Empress Zhaoyuan walked up the steps and found the door tightly closed, as if it were locked from the inside.
"Cuiling, knock on the door."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Cui Ling stepped forward and pounded on the door of the Fanghua Palace's sleeping quarters.
"Open the door!"
"Who's being so rude? It's so late, the beauty is already asleep!" A palace maid rubbed her sleepy eyes and grumbled as she walked out, clearly annoyed that someone had disturbed her sweet dreams.
With a creak, the door opened from the inside, and a palace maid wearing a long robe came out.
"Are the palace maids of Fanghua Palace so unruly?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
