The December wind howled and crashed against the tightly closed windowpanes, futilely producing faint sounds.
The hall was warm and inviting, yet it couldn't dispel the heavy atmosphere that hung in the air.
Yan Ge'er curled up on the bed, his little face still pale from recovering from a serious illness, like a fledgling bird that hadn't yet recovered from a fright.
He clutched his mother Su Wanwan's sleeve tightly with one small hand, while his other hand unconsciously stroked the small but sharp dagger sheath that he had taken from his boot with his other hand.
Having narrowly escaped death, he suddenly realized that in crucial moments, he still had to rely on himself.
There are unseen forces within the palace, and you never know when they might suddenly reach out to you.
Lu Xingjian stood with his hands behind his back by the window, his back straight as a pine tree, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
In the dim light, his dark-colored casual clothes exuded a sense of solemn authority.
The palace servants who were standing in the hall had long been dismissed, leaving only the three of them.
“I investigated for three whole days,” Lu Xingjian’s voice was deep, breaking the almost suffocating silence in the hall. Every word seemed to be ground out from between his teeth.
"The two eunuchs on duty at the library have disappeared. They've vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead." He turned his head slightly, his jawline taut.
"As for the Inner Study Hall, they only said that Yan-ge went to the library on his own, and no one encouraged him."
He paused, his gaze shifting to the small figure on the warm kang (heated brick bed), a hint of barely perceptible sorrow in his eyes.
"As for that window that was nailed shut in advance... the Palace Attendant's records do show that the window was indeed reported for repair last month, saying that it was rotten and leaking air and needed to be reinforced. Everything... is 'reasonable'."
"Reasonable?" Su Wanwan repeated, her voice soft but carrying an icy sarcasm.
She was using a warm, damp cloth to very gently wipe away a trace of soot left on Yan Ge'er's forehead.
The soot stubbornly clung to the delicate texture of her skin, like a brand left by this undeserved disaster, glaringly obvious.
"So, this was an accident? A... flawless accident?"
She looked up, her eyes still red at the corners, but her gaze was unusually clear and sharp as she looked straight at Lu Xingjian.
"It's so reasonable that, just a hair's breadth away, our Yan-ge'er..."
She choked on the words that followed, unable to utter them no matter what she tried.
Yan Ge'er on the bed seemed to sense the tremor in his mother's voice, and his little hand, which was clutching her sleeve, tightened even more, silently conveying his dependence.
A suppressed storm raged in Lu Xingjian's eyes.
"Accident?"
"My son was almost burned alive in a room with its doors and windows sealed off!"
"They told me it was an accident?!"
He forcefully suppressed the rage that was about to consume his reason, and his voice returned to its icy tone.
"The clues were too clean."
"It's so clean it looks like it's been thoroughly swept beforehand, leaving only what they want us to see."
He walked to the bedside, his tall figure looming over him, casting a reassuring shadow.
A broad, warm palm covered Yan Ge'er's slightly cool little hand.
Yan Ge'er looked up at his father with his big, dark, grape-like eyes.
“Since we can’t find any clues, let’s guess who will benefit.” Lu Xingjian’s gaze became deep and complex, like a bottomless cold pool.
"The first to benefit is..." Su Wanwan's heart sank suddenly, and she blurted out, "Zhang Yong?"
She recalled the hurried figure carrying Yan Ge'er, and the imperial eunuch who had been "idled".
To reward him, Lu Xingjian bestowed upon Zhang Yong a great deal of gold and silver, but did not appoint him to any official position.
Yan Ge'er stared at his parents with wide eyes in surprise.
He's too young to understand the logic behind it.
Su Wanwan's expression was complicated. "So, you suspected Zhang Yonglu back then?"
"Hmm." Lu Xingjian let out a deep hum from his nose, filled with heavy doubt.
Was he "coincidentally" nearby when the fire broke out?
Why would someone who's been sidelined suddenly appear out of nowhere?
His fingers unconsciously caressed the back of Yan Ge'er's hand.
“I have ordered people to secretly investigate his recent whereabouts, the people he has been in contact with, and his old acquaintances.”
Silence fell once again in the hall.
"Father, could there be a mistake?" Yan Ge'er's childish voice broke the silence.
"If he wanted to kill me, why did he save me?"
Yan Ge'er was completely bewildered.
"Since he saved you, Father should be grateful to him and reward him. He might even reinstate him to his original position," Su Wanwan said softly.
"Otherwise, if you fall into trouble again in the future, who will come to your rescue?"
Understanding people's hearts is almost an instinct ingrained in every night.
"So Father only bestowed the reward but did not reinstate the official position, as a warning to those who want to deliberately curry favor: don't resort to underhanded tactics?"
“Yes,” Su Wanwan nodded, “The most important thing is to find solid evidence.”
Without evidence and relying solely on speculation, even the emperor could not make an accurate judgment.
Yan Ge'er opened his mouth, "Why can't we trust Zhang Daban?"
However, when he thought of the two eunuchs waiting outside the library, his mood instantly plummeted.
The two of them also disappeared without a trace, and their bodies were never found.
He played with them.
Yan Ge'er's eyelids gradually grew heavy, his breathing became even and long, and he finally fell into a deep sleep, though his brows were still slightly furrowed, as if he was still not at peace in his dreams.
Lu Xingjian stared at his son's sleeping face, a mixture of lingering fear and resolute determination churning deep within his eyes.
After a long while, he raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, and said decisively, "Qingning Palace is no longer a place to stay."
Su Wanwan's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously looked at her sleeping son.
When her gaze fell on Yan Ge'er's pale face and the dagger he always carried, only the unwavering strength of a mother remained in her eyes.
"Where to move to?"
She asked, her voice unusually calm, with only a barely perceptible tremor at the end of her sentence betraying her true feelings.
"The inner court, Kunning Palace." Lu Xingjian stared intently at Su Wanwan.
The scene of my last visit to Kunning Palace is still vivid in my mind.
Wanwan was terrified of that place.
Therefore, he was also afraid that Wanwan would disagree.
However, Wanwan's pupils only contracted slightly, and she calmly nodded, "Okay."
Lu Xingjian pulled Wanwan into his arms: "When we lived in Kunning Palace before, it was quite safe."
"The palace is too big and there are too many people. The only places that can be completely controlled are the inner court and Xiaoyuan."
"If you don't like Kunning Palace, how about we go and stay at Xiaoyuan?"
The gentle, consultative tone warmed Su Wanwan's heart.
"Let's talk about it after the New Year." Living in the inner palace is certainly the most convenient option.
If one has a safe place to live, who would want to move?
Lu Xingjian kissed her hair. "If you're unhappy, tell me, okay?"
He still wanted to make her as comfortable as possible.
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