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

The four boarded the small boat, which swayed in the water, creating ripples.

The two eunuchs were trembling with fear. Xiao Yiheng didn't say much, but took the lead in taking the oars, breaking through the night, and slowly rowed towards the shore.

The closer you get to the water's edge, the clearer the ghostly voice becomes.

The boat docked, and the group went ashore.

The weeds, overgrown and untended, were half a person tall; when a lantern was shone over them, all that could be seen was desolation.

Withered branches and scattered rocks, a dilapidated pavilion—where is anyone?

The ghostly sounds stopped abruptly when they arrived, and the surroundings became eerily quiet.

The waterway was small, and the two eunuchs mustered their courage to search it.

Liu Wenying also wanted to join, but Xiao Yiheng grabbed her arm.

"Just follow me obediently."

The two eunuchs searched the area but found nothing.

As everyone was puzzled, the eerie female voice rang out again.

This time, the sound came from the shore, and it was even more mournful.

"It must be a ghost! How could anyone run that fast? One moment they were in the middle of the lake, and the next they were floating on the shore!"

The eunuch cried out in fright.

Besides, they had just arrived by boat, the lake was calm, and there was no fifth person there.

"Whether it's a person or a ghost, we'll find out by going over there. Let's go back first."

Xiao Yiheng stabilized the situation, and the four of them returned to shore by boat again.

They were fast, but when they arrived, the shore was still deserted, without a single footprint.

It was as if the sound arose out of thin air and then vanished just as suddenly.

"Your Highness, we should leave quickly! Instant teleportation is simply beyond human capabilities!"

The eunuch, his teeth chattering, tried to persuade him.

Xiao Yiheng leaped ashore; the mud was damp, and anyone who had been there would have left footprints.

Unusual, truly unusual.

Liu Wenying initially did not believe in supernatural phenomena, but she herself was an anomaly who had traveled through time.

Could it be that there are truly wronged souls causing trouble in the deep palace?

The group searched for a while longer, but the ghostly voice never reappeared.

The sound of the night watchman's drum came from afar, and it was clear that the investigation had gone on for almost a whole night without any results.

Xiao Yiheng had no choice but to order his men to return and discuss the matter further.

The two eunuchs left first, leaving only Liu Wenying and Xiao Yiheng on the shore.

Liu Wenying carried a lantern, her face pale from the candlelight.

She gripped the lamppost tightly, probably also startled by the strange situation that had just occurred.

"I will escort you back."

Liu Wenying was indeed apprehensive, so she did not refuse.

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."

The palace path was narrow and long, stretching as far as the eye could see, and the two walked side by side.

The candlelight flickered, casting long shadows.

Footsteps echoed in the alley, one after another, as if someone was following behind.

If she were all alone, Liu Wenying would inevitably be afraid, but fortunately there was someone reliable beside her.

The thought had barely formed when the person beside him chuckled softly.

Liu Wenying was startled and turned to look at him abruptly, wondering if he was possessed by a ghost.

"What is Your Highness laughing at?"

Instead of answering, Xiao Yiheng asked, "Are you scared?"

Liu Wenying did not deny it and nodded honestly: "To be honest, Your Highness, this servant is indeed a little scared."

The eunuchs were timid, but they were right about one thing.

What happened just now was simply beyond human capability.

Even though Liu Wenying didn't believe in ghosts and gods, she couldn't help but feel fear.

"Then don't come tomorrow. I will tell my aunt."

"No," Liu Wenying refused. "If I don't understand what it is, I'll be even more frightened."

The unknown is the source of fear, so wouldn't turning the unknown into the known overcome fear?

Xiao Yiheng looked at her, a hint of surprise in his smiling eyes.

He hadn't expected that she was someone who faced challenges head-on.

Fearful but not cowardly, dreadful but not retreating.

Just as Xiao Yiheng was about to say something more, his gaze lingered on her temple, and he raised his hand to make a move.

Liu Wenying noticed it first, touching a light, fluttering thing on her hair before he did.

It was a feather, pure white with a hint of light gold.

Xiao Yiheng withdrew his hand somewhat disappointedly. "We've arrived. You should go in and rest. We can discuss anything else tomorrow."

Liu Wenying clutched the feather in her hand, lost in thought, and hesitantly walked towards her residence.

The next day, at Huiyin Hall.

"Heng'er, how's the investigation going? What exactly is that ghostly noise by the lake?"

When Xiao Yiheng and the others arrived, the princess hurriedly asked, fearing that her unborn child would be disturbed again.

Xiao Yiheng reported the facts truthfully.

He initially thought it was just a rumor, or at worst, that someone was causing trouble.

But what I saw with my own eyes last night didn't seem like something that could be done by human hands.

The sound moved at an unbelievable speed, traveling from the center of the lake to the shore in just an instant.

The eunuchs added fuel to the fire, saying it was truly haunted and moved faster than the wind.

They told their story in great detail, adding countless embellishments to the matter.

Everyone in the hall was alarmed, and even the eldest princess frowned.

"It seems I must report to His Majesty and request the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to select an auspicious day to perform a ritual to exorcise evil spirits."

"Your Highness, this servant has something to say," Liu Wenying suddenly spoke up.

The eldest princess looked over, gesturing for her to speak.

"The commotion might not have been caused by a ghost."

One of the eunuchs who was present yesterday said, "Lady Liu, you were there that night too. Such speed is beyond human capabilities, and she can speak human language. If it's not the work of a ghost, what else could it be?"

Liu Wenying remained calm and took out a bird feather from her sleeve.

Xiao Yiheng stared intently and immediately recognized the piece of hair that had fallen into her hair.

"I found this last night when I returned from Ninglu Lake."

The eldest princess leaned forward and glanced at it. "Just an ordinary bird feather. What does it have to do with ghostly sounds?"

"It's because it's made of bird feathers. There are many birds in the world, some of which can mimic human speech, such as mynahs and parrots, which can imitate human speech very well."

"Moreover, Ninglu Lake has been uninhabited for a long time, and the surrounding vegetation is lush, making it a good place for birds to roost and build nests."

The viewpoint put forward by Liu Wenying is not without possibility.

If it's birds mimicking speech, then the sound makes sense.

Birds mimic human speech, learning human voices and repeating them at night.

As for that inhuman speed of movement, if the sound came from a bird's beak and the bird could fly, it would only take the time it takes to flap its wings from the center of the lake to the shore.

However, some people still raised objections.

"Are you saying that some people specifically raise parrots or mynahs and teach them to talk just to scare people? What's the point? Playing tricks violates palace rules and can cost you your head!"

Liu Wenying pursed her lips, "This servant does not know. This servant only knows that those sounds are not ghosts, but birds."

As for why someone would teach birds to talk, I will only state my deductions truthfully.

The eldest princess pondered for a moment and looked at Xiao Yiheng.

Xiao Yiheng nodded. "I also think Lady Liu's words make sense. As for the motive, wouldn't it be clear once we catch the bird and investigate?"

On that day, Xiao Yiheng led his men to prepare fine bird-catching nets and bait.

As night fell, they went to Ninglu Lake again.

The group laid fine nets in various places along the lake, including among the trees, reeds, and islets.

A copper bell is attached to the net, which will ring at the slightest noise.

The troops split into two groups, with Xiao Yiheng taking Liu Wenying to investigate the east bank.

Liu Wenying carried a lantern and walked to an old willow tree, where she caught a glimpse of something unusual out of the corner of her eye.

"Your Highness, look over there."

She raised the lantern, and the candlelight shifted upwards, illuminating a simple bird's nest nestled among the interlacing branches.

Several identical pale yellow feathers hung beside the nest.

Deeper inside, there was a faint yellow and white shadow.

…………