Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

"Was it His Highness who recommended me for entering the palace?"

It's no wonder that Liu Wenying had this question.

If it were the eldest princess's idea, she should have summoned Liu Wenying to the palace at the beginning of her pregnancy, instead of delaying it until now, when she was about to give birth.

Xiao Yiheng was quite upright in his actions and readily admitted it.

"You are thriving in both the Yuguo Duke's Mansion and the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion. I have noticed this. Since my aunt is short of people by her side, I decided to say something."

Xiao Yiheng looked like he was thinking of her.

"Being able to serve by the side of the Empress Dowager and frequently have the opportunity to meet the Emperor is an honor that many people would rather die for. Do your best, and you will have plenty of wealth and honor in the future."

Liu Wenying curtsied, "In that case, this servant can only thank Your Highness for your kind words."

Looking at her increasingly respectful demeanor, Xiao Yiheng asked, "You don't seem to like it?"

Liu Wenying shook her head. "Misfortune and fortune are intertwined. However, the bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish. No matter what lies ahead, I am grateful for the opportunity Your Highness has given me."

She doesn't like being manipulated, but she also knows how to go with the flow.

Now that I've entered the palace, I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties and protect myself and Luo Luo.

Xiao Yiheng smiled and said, "It's just a matter of a word. How far you can go depends on your abilities."

He gave her a chance, but did not take credit or bestow favors upon her.

Such politeness actually made Liu Wenying much more comfortable.

Liu Wenying settled down in the palace, not doing trivial things like serving tea and water, but devoting herself entirely to taking care of the princess's pregnancy.

He personally handled everything, big or small.

Even the daily menu and meal planning of the imperial kitchen had to be submitted to her for her opinion.

The eldest princess gave her great power, so much so that she herself felt somewhat apprehensive.

But the eldest princess smiled and comforted her.

"If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them. Since I dare to entrust this task to you, I believe you are capable."

Liu Wenying felt much more at ease and did her job diligently, afraid of betraying the trust placed in her.

Pregnancy is an extremely difficult thing, and at eight months pregnant, the princess's belly was so big that it looked like she was about to give birth in a few days.

The imperial physician said it was twins, and the princess was both happy and worried upon hearing this.

The good thing is that it kills two birds with one stone, but the bad thing is that the risks are also doubled.

She couldn't sleep well at night, had no energy during the day, and her legs were so swollen that she couldn't even muster the strength to walk.

Liu Wenying massaged her every day and adjusted her diet, doing everything she could, but the princess's spirits were still not very good.

Unfortunately, rumors began to circulate in the palace that Ninglu Lake was haunted by ghosts and was not clean.

The princess's difficult pregnancy was caused by the disturbance and interference of the yin energy in that place.

Liu Wenying, however, did not believe in those superstitious beliefs. She believed that excessive sleepiness and loss of appetite in late pregnancy were normal, and the degree varied from person to person depending on their constitution.

However, the princess was already unwell, and hearing those rumors made her even more uneasy.

After much thought, I realized that only by finding out the truth could I feel at ease during my pregnancy.

Xiao Yiheng then volunteered, "I often played at Ninglu Lake when I was young, so I am very familiar with it. If I go to investigate, I will definitely be able to give my imperial aunt an explanation."

Xiao Yiheng frequently visited the Princess, indicating that the two had an extremely close relationship, unlike that of an ordinary aunt and niece.

Liu Wenying's contact with Xiao Yiheng also became more frequent.

He was known throughout the court and the country for his gentle and refined manners, and he was never pretentious in his dealings with others.

But the more this was the case, the less Liu Wenying dared to underestimate it.

He had only offended the Crown Prince, yet he had repeatedly put himself in danger.

He and the Crown Prince were naturally on opposite sides. How could a prince who could survive well in a cannibalistic palace be truly gentle and harmless?

"Wenying, you should go with Heng'er."

Liu Wenying was taken aback, then realized that the princess wanted her to go with Xiao Yiheng to find out the truth about the haunting of Ninglu Lake.

"Your Highness, this servant..." She was just a wet nurse.

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Yiheng interrupted him.

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. With Lady Liu's assistance, I am sure we can find out the truth more quickly."

He interrupted on purpose.

Liu Wenying didn't understand Xiao Yiheng's thoughts, but since the matter was settled, she had no choice but to accept the order.

"...This servant obeys."

After the matter of the secret investigation was settled, Xiao Yiheng had the palace servants who had overheard the conversation come forward one after another to report back, and what they said was largely the same.

The eerie ghostly sounds mostly occur in the dead of night, with a light, airy tone and a hint of melancholy.

A few days ago, a palace maid on night duty was so frightened that she fell ill and was bedridden.

Xiao Yiheng acted swiftly, planning to investigate the matter tonight.

Taking advantage of her free time during the day, Liu Wenying secretly prepared a tinderbox and a small knife for self-defense, just in case.

At 9 PM, night falls and the stars and moon are hidden behind the clouds.

Ninglu Lake is an abandoned area in the Western Six Palaces, named for the thin mist that often lingers over the lake.

During the reign of the late emperor, a concubine who had fallen out of favor committed suicide by drowning herself in a lake. The lake was near the Cold Palace, and very few people passed by.

Liu Wenying followed Xiao Yiheng, along with a group of eunuchs, and waited by the lake.

From 9 PM to 11 PM, all was quiet except for the sound of the wind.

The eunuchs gradually relaxed, and some began to whisper among themselves.

"What ghost story? It can't be real, can it?"

The candlelight inside the lantern went out with a whoosh, and the darkness of the night swallowed everyone up.

Someone exclaimed, "Ghost Blows Out the Light!"

The crowd instantly stirred; some shrank back, while others' legs went weak and they collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The scene was somewhat chaotic. Xiao Yiheng tried to stop them, but the eunuchs had already lost their sense of propriety and didn't listen.

In the midst of the chaos, a tiny spark ignited.

Liu Wenying took out a tinderbox from her sleeve, blew on it gently, and a flame shot up. She then relit the lantern.

"It's just the wind blowing out the candle, everyone, don't panic, stay calm."

Her voice was calm and composed, which reassured everyone, making them feel much more at ease.

Unexpectedly, the combined courage of all of them was not as great as that of a single woman.

The eunuchs awkwardly returned to their positions, chuckling wryly.

Seeing their pathetic state, Xiao Yiheng shook his head, waved his hand, and dismissed them, leaving only two eunuchs to wait.

Those eunuchs who weren't called to stay felt as if they'd been granted a pardon; they bowed and hurriedly left.

Only Liu Wenying, Xiao Yiheng, and two eunuchs remained on the shore.

They kept watch for another half an hour until the distant sound of a clapper broke the silence of the night.

Xiao Yiheng brushed the night dew off his clothes. "We found nothing today. Perhaps it's just the palace servants spreading rumors. Let's go back now."

Since the Second Prince had given the order, Liu Wenying and the others had no choice but to follow.

They had only taken a few steps when a shrill female voice suddenly rang out.

"Oh, how beautiful I am! I stroll... at a distance, carefree and at ease..."

Neither crying nor shouting, but reciting indistinct verses intermittently.

Over and over again, in a loop, it sent chills down your spine and made your whole body go cold.

The two eunuchs turned pale instantly, their mouths trembling as they were unable to utter a word.

Xiao Yiheng pulled Liu Wenying to his side and gestured for everyone to be quiet.

He looked towards the source of the sound, but the lake was as black as ink, with nothing but withered lotus leaves and stalks.

But the woman's voice still lingered.

The sound seemed to originate from a small island-like islet in the middle of the lake.

Xiao Yiheng was completely unafraid and had the small boat moored on the shore untied.

"Let's get on the boat and see what's going on."

…………