Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

At night, all the lights in the rooms of Changmen Palace were turned off. Only then did Zhou Zhengyin slowly push open the door.

The rain was still falling, trickling down the eaves in a thin line, splashing into the puddles in front of the steps with a tinkling sound.

Zhou Zhengyin stood under the corridor, his gaze sweeping over a row of dark rooms, finally settling on the one in the southeast corner.

The door was tightly shut, and the window paper was yellowed with age, like an eye that had been closed for a long time.

He stared at the door, two voices echoing in his mind at the same time.

The one in the darkness spoke first, his voice cold and sharp, as if seeping from the earth:

"How long are you going to hide? You've lived for seventeen years and you don't even know what your mother looks like. She was killed by a cup of poisoned wine the moment you were born."

Her name was secretly told to you by Granny Yu. When you wake up in the middle of the night, you can't see her face clearly in your dream. Are you willing to accept that?

What are you so afraid of? Are you afraid of finding out she was murdered, then all your suffering over the years would have been for nothing? But if you continue to live like this, she'll never be able to rest in peace in the afterlife.

The voice in the light trembled: "But Granny Ke Yu said we can't investigate, investigating will only lead to our deaths..."

A cold laugh came from the darkness:

"Did Granny Yu let you live so that you would live like a dog? She pushed you out of the fire, she gave you her life."

You're going to use the life she gave you to kneel on the ground and beg for a meal? You're alive, but are you living like a human being?

Zhou Zhengyin clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, and his lips turned white.

The voice in the light spoke softly: "But now I have Aunt and Baozhong...they're good to me..."

The voice from the darkness continued slowly and deliberately:

"They are good to you. But can they protect you for a lifetime? They have their own paths to walk and their own lives to protect."

You're a deposed ninth prince, why would they risk their lives for you? What do you think they'll do when they realize you're a burden? Just like that person threw you into the imperial mausoleum back then. Can you stop them?

The voice in the light persisted: "But they're different. They genuinely treat me well...making me feel that there's still warmth in this palace..."

The voice in the darkness interrupted him with a cold laugh:

"Heartwarming? They really care about you? If they really care about you, why didn't they investigate your mother's death? Why didn't they tell you that Granny Yu was murdered?"

They feed you and clothe you, but they're only treating you like an obedient dog. If you actually trust them, one day you'll be sold out and you'll be counting the money for them.

Zhou Zhengyin abruptly closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently. He covered his ears tightly with both hands, slowly squatted down, and his voice leaked out from between his fingers:

"Please stop...please stop..."

The voice from the darkness didn't stop, growing even colder: "Useless, you're just a piece of trash."

Zhou Zhengyin shook his head, tears mingling with the rain streaming down his face: "I didn't... I didn't..."

"Then stand up!" The voice in the darkness suddenly rose. "Go open that door, go and seek justice for your mother, Granny Yu, and yourself!"

Zhou Zhengyin trembled, slowly opened his eyes, and looked through the rain to the closed door again.

Aunt and Baozhong were unaware of their mother's situation. The only one capable of uncovering the truth from seventeen years ago was the oldest person in the palace.

The room in the southeast corner creaked open as it was slowly pushed open.

A strong smell of feces, urine, and mold hit me, making my throat tight.

Zhou Zhengyin pressed his tongue firmly against his lower jaw and slowly moved it inward.

The room was pitch black, and he couldn't see anything. He took out a tinderbox from his pocket, blew on it, and a halo of light slowly lit up, illuminating only a small area in front of his feet.

He had been at Nagato Palace for six months and had never stepped into this room. He had only heard that those thrown into Nagato Palace were people who had made mistakes and been punished.

The oldest one is over fifty years old and is bedridden and unable to get up.

That refers to the people in this room.

(under)

The person on the bed seemed to hear footsteps, and suddenly shrank into the corner, trembling violently.

Zhou Zhengyin held the tinderbox and moved forward step by step. The closer he got, the stronger the smell of excrement and urine became, making his stomach churn.

When the halo finally landed on that face, the tinderbox wobbled slightly in his hand, and the light trembled as well.

The man was disheveled, his white hair was matted into clumps, and the wrinkles on his face were as deep as if they had been carved by a knife.

What sent chills down Zhou Zhengyin's spine were those eyes. The eyelids seemed to be sewn shut, glued together so tightly that the eyeballs were completely invisible.

What sent chills down his spine was that the man's sleeves were draped limply over the tattered blanket, empty, with nothing inside.

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his knuckles white as he gripped the tinderbox, and the light flickered again.

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the chattering of the man's teeth, like a mouse gnawing on wood.

Zhou Zhengyin stood by the bed. He opened his mouth, but then swallowed the words back. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a low voice:

"...How long have you been at Nagato Palace?"

The sound drifted through the darkness and landed on the bed, but no one answered.

He paused for a moment, then answered his own question, "I've been here for half a year, but I've never been inside this room."

The man still did not respond, only making muffled hoarse sounds from his throat, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Zhou Zhengyin took another step closer, holding the tinderbox, and the light fell on the man's open mouth.

It was pitch black inside, and the tongue was severed at the root, leaving only a dark scar.

He felt a chill run down his spine. The tinderbox flickered, and the light trembled violently in the darkness.

His eyes were stitched up, his hands were chopped off, and his tongue was cut out. What terrible mistake could he have made to be tortured like this?

Why not just give him a quick death? What's the point of living like this?

Zhou Zhengyin slowly swallowed the breath that had risen to his head and steadily raised the fire tumbler again.

After a while, he squatted down, knelt gently by the bed, and placed the tinderbox on the floor between the two of them.

The halo wasn't large, but it just enveloped both of their faces.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you couldn't speak." Zhou Zhengyin didn't dare look at him, lowering his eyes and speaking softly:

"It seems I won't get anything out of her. Perhaps this is fate. It's Granny Yu who's been protecting me, preventing me from investigating the truth."

As soon as he finished speaking, the person on the bed suddenly became excited and made a series of rapid, strange "ho ho ho" sounds from his throat.

Suddenly, it lunged out from the corner, half its body dangling over the edge of the bed, nearly falling off.

Zhou Zhengyin reacted quickly and caught him. When his palm touched the empty sleeve of the man, he froze.

At the break, a hard lump grew between the bone and the flesh, like a tree root forming a scar on the wound.

His fingers trembled slightly, but he didn't loosen them.

The man's throat was still making a hoarse sound, as if he had something to say to him, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Zhou Zhengyin supported him, his voice hoarse: "You have something to say to me, don't you?"

"What are you doing?" A hoarse voice suddenly came from the doorway.

Zhou Zhengyin was startled and turned his head to look. Standing at the door was a tall and thin figure, it was Eunuch Xin.

Old Master Xin walked over, glanced at the old man on the bed, then helped him lie down and coaxed him softly, "Sleep, sleep, it's all in the past, let's not think about it anymore."

The man was still very agitated and refused to lie down, making strange noises incessantly.

Eunuch Xin pressed him down, his voice lowering even further: "I know what you want to say. Leave it to me."

After saying that, he grabbed Zhou Zhengyin's wrist, quickly pulled him out of the house, and then slammed the door shut.

"Since you've chosen to be mute, then be mute for life." Eunuch Xin didn't look at him, his voice cold and hard: "The person inside is already pitiful enough; don't disturb him any further."

After saying that, he turned and walked quickly towards his room. Zhou Zhengyin stood under the eaves, watching his back, his mind racing.

The fact that Eunuch Xin just said "Leave it to me" clearly shows that he knows something.

Zhou Zhengyin's heart tightened, and he immediately followed.