Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

The next day, the sky was overcast and there was not a ray of light on the horizon.

Suddenly, a palace maid screamed from the backyard of Yihua Palace.

Qing'er hanged herself in the house.

All the palace maids and eunuchs of Yihua Palace were gathered at the entrance of the room. Jiang Shuoning pushed through the crowd and stepped into the room.

When they saw Qing'er hanging in mid-air, her head drooping, her face pale, and a blue belt around her neck.

Jiang Shuoning's face turned pale instantly, his mind went blank, and he swayed.

She quickly reached out and grabbed the doorpost to steady herself, her head hanging low, her breathing rapid and heavy.

My mind was racing.

Last night, Baozhong said that she should explain the letter to Consort Rong, and he would handle the rest.

The first person dealt with was actually Qing'er?

Why Qing'er?

Her fingers dug into the doorpost, her back bent, her breathing becoming more and more rapid, as if something was blocking her chest, making it impossible for her to catch her breath.

Half an incense stick later.

As the guards carried Qing'er away from her, Qing'er's voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

"Sister Shuoning, I've been taking care of you for the past two years since I came to Yihua Palace... I remember all of this kindness."

"My mother told me when I was little that you have to be sincere to others, because only sincerity can be reciprocated. I treat my sister that way, and she treats me the same way, doesn't she?"

Jiang Shuoning stood still, watching the guards carry Qing'er out of the palace gate.

When Qing'er said those words, her smile was genuine. She didn't respond then. And she can't respond now.

Sincerely. Qing'er believed that. She didn't. But when Qing'er asked that question, she remembered that she was stunned for a moment.

In the main hall

Consort Rong sat on a rose chair, while palace maids and eunuchs knelt on the floor of the hall.

"Qing'er, why did you hang yourself for no reason?" Consort Rong's sharp gaze swept over the crowd. "Two lives have been lost in my Yihua Palace. Who can give me a reasonable explanation?"

Inside the hall, everyone was silent, as if they were cicadas in winter.

Seeing that no one responded, Consort Rong's gaze swept over Jiang Shuoning, who was kneeling at the head of the table:

"Shuoning, Qing'er is usually very close to you. Why is she acting this way?"

Jiang Shuoning lay prostrate on the ground, not speaking immediately. She felt Consort Rong's gaze fall on her head, like a thin needle, not heavy, but piercing there.

Just then, Fengchun entered the hall, bowing low, and knelt beside Jiang Shuoning. She took out a pale green purse from her sleeve and presented it to Consort Rong with both hands, her voice tight:

"Your Majesty, this...this is what I just found in Qing'er's room."

Jiang Shuoning glanced up and quickly scanned the money pouch. A peony was prominently embroidered on it.

My heart sank suddenly, then I realized.

Consort Liu's purse. Qing'er's fate. Next, it was her turn to bring up the matter of the letter.

Baozhong handed all the loose threads to Consort Rong, letting her string them herself. Qing'er was Consort Liu's person; the letter fell into Consort Liu's hands, and Consort Liu killed her to silence her.

Only when the blame is placed on Consort Liu will the matter be settled.

Consort Rong reached out and picked up the purse, her fingertips turning over the peony. Her phoenix eyes suddenly turned cold, and she remained silent.

Fengchun stole a glance at Consort Rong's expression, hesitated for a moment, and then stammered:

"Your Majesty... I have made a discovery, but I am not sure if I should mention it."

Consort Rong glanced at him coldly: "Speak."

Feng Chun trembled at that look and quickly lowered her body.

"Last night, I noticed that Qing'er was acting strangely. She kept muttering that Suihe would turn into a vengeful ghost and come to take her life... and she also said that she would come looking for her."

...At the time, I didn't take it seriously, but now that I think about it, Qing'er probably knew something all along.

Consort Rong did not respond, her gaze fixed on the purse, as if she were piecing together some broken porcelain pieces.

The hall fell silent for a moment, then another palace maid kneeling at the far end spoke in a trembling voice:

"Your Majesty... Last night I saw Qing'er squatting alone by the back wall, crying and saying, 'It's all my fault.'"

Upon hearing this, Consort Rong slowly raised her head, clutching the money pouch tightly in her palm until her knuckles turned white.

No one in the hall dared to raise their head.

After a moment, she chuckled, her voice neither too loud nor too soft:

"Suihe has served me for fifteen years, and I have treated her well. I have never understood why she suddenly turned against me. So that's how it is."

Jiang Shuoning lay on the ground, closed his eyes, as if making a decision.

His fingertips pressed hard against the smooth ground, his knuckles turning white, his whole body taut like a fully drawn bow.

(under)

Jiang Shuoning finally spoke, her forehead pounding against the ground: "Your Majesty, this servant is guilty..."

When she looked up, her face was already streaked with tears: "This servant has concealed something from Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Consort Rong coldly stared at Jiang Shuoning, who was crying with tears streaming down his face, her voice laced with anger:

"Finally willing to talk?"

Jiang Shuo Ning knelt before Consort Rong, his face streaked with tears, and said in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, before Sister Suihe died, she whispered something in my ear. I wonder if Your Majesty saw it?"

The scene was chaotic, and Consort Rong had not yet recovered from the shock of Suihe's knife attack, so she had no time to pay attention to Suihe's mouth.

Thinking of this, Consort Rong frowned and asked, "What did she say?"

Jiang Shuoning leaned closer, sobbing as she spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Sister Suihe said she wrote a letter."

Consort Rong suddenly gripped the edge of the table with one hand, squinting at her. Jiang Shuoning lowered her eyes, wiping away tears as she said:

"This servant does not know what Sister Suihe wrote, nor does she know the contents of the letter."

She paused for a moment: "Suihe has served Your Highness for fifteen years... This servant truly cannot believe it, nor dares to speak of it. Furthermore, I do not know who possesses this letter?"

The main hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Consort Rong clutched the purse, her knuckles turning white, her gaze fixed on Feng Chun:

"I remember the day before Suihe's incident, Qing'er came to me crying, saying that Suihe had slapped her, is that right?"

Fengchun quickly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, this servant saw it with my own eyes. Sister Suihe's face looked very pale at the time, and Qing'er covered her face and ran away."

Consort Rong nodded, as if she were putting the last piece of her heart back in its place.

"So what did Qing'er say to Suihe that caused Suihe to lose control and do that the next day?"

She placed the purse on the table and tapped it lightly with her finger:

"Now I know who Qing'er works for."

She glanced at the peony, chuckled softly, but everyone in the quiet hall could hear her:

"Now that Consort Liu has fallen out of favor, she naturally harbors resentment towards me. It's likely she bribed someone close to me. She had Qing'er sow discord between Suihe and me, and Suihe believed her, which led her to take that step."

She paused here, her gaze returning to Jiang Shuoning:

"Who do you think Suihe wrote that letter to?"

Jiang Shuo remained lying on the ground without raising his head.

Consort Rong didn't wait for her reply: "It was written to me. She knows she did something wrong and wants to apologize to me. But the letter was intercepted before it reached me."

Her gaze returned to the purse, and her voice softened: "It was intercepted by a purse embroidered with peonies."

No one spoke in the hall.

Consort Rong leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, as if she were arranging all the fragments to make sure they fit together perfectly.

Then she opened her eyes, her voice regaining its usual composure:

"That's the end of Suihe's matter. You may all leave, except for Shuoning and Fengchun."

The palace doors closed.

Feng Chun secretly wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and glanced at Jiang Shuoning. Jiang Shuoning noticed something and also glanced at her.

He immediately lowered his head upon meeting spring.

Jiang Shuoning stared at his profile, a flash of coldness crossing his eyes.

Qing'er is the culprit for getting to this point. But what truly pushed Qing'er into the abyss was Feng Chun's words, "Suihe will turn into a vengeful ghost to claim her life."

Qing'er was shallow and confused after hearing these words. Her conscience wouldn't let her bear it, so she took an extreme step.

"What are you two looking at each other for?" Consort Rong glanced at the two of them.

Feng Chun lowered her head and said, "This servant just can't understand why Qing'er would betray Your Highness. I feel so sorry for Your Highness."

Consort Rong didn't reply, but turned to Jiang Shuoning: "Shuoning, I'm leaving the palace tonight. Do you have a way to do that?"

Jiang Shuo Ning's back stiffened.

Leaving the palace during the period of confinement would be considered disobeying the imperial decree if discovered.

Consort Rong wasn't asking her "if there's a way," but rather giving her a chance to prove her position.

She had no choice but to accept.

Consort Rong did not urge her, but stared at her slender, fair nape, her gaze darkening inch by inch.

Jiang Shuoning lay prostrate on the ground, not raising her head, her voice lowered: "This servant... will think of a way for Your Highness."