Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

The Department of Cautious Punishment.

In the dimly lit and damp detention room, the smell of rust mixed with mold filled the air.

Xin Damao huddled in the corner, his hair turned completely white overnight, his eyes were sunken, and his lips were chapped, as if all his life had been drained away.

Just then, footsteps sounded in the corridor, growing louder as they approached. The door opened, and an unfamiliar eunuch entered. He quickly glanced left and right at the entrance, then hurried over to Xin Damao, knelt down, and whispered:

"Eunuch Xin, Consort Chong has sent me to deliver a message, saying that your sister's family is sleeping on the street, and that you can rest assured."

Xin Damao suddenly looked up, a glint of light breaking through his cloudy eyes. He stared at the unfamiliar face in front of him, as if he understood something.

The young eunuch pulled a packet of medicine from his sleeve, quickly stuffed it into his palm, and said in a low, urgent voice:

"For the sake of your family, go on your journey in peace, so you won't suffer any physical pain."

Xin Damao looked down at the neatly folded packet of medicine in his palm, his fingers slowly clenching.

The young eunuch stood up, pulled his hat brim down, and strode out of the cell. The door closed behind him, and the iron lock clicked shut.

Xin Damao stared at the packet of medicine for a long time, until his palms were sweaty and the paper packet became soft from being squeezed so tightly.

He slowly opened it, revealing a layer of fine white powder inside. Water droplets dripped from the corner of the wall, one after another, like a countdown.

In the shadows of the corridor, Bao Zhong walked out slowly, followed by Xiao Lu Zi and Zhou Zheng Yin.

"The reason Consort Chong is in such a hurry to send someone to deliver a message is that she wants to silence Xin Damao forever."

Little Deer stared in the direction where the eunuch had disappeared and spat fiercely.

Zhou Zhengyin caught up, turned his head to look at Bao Zhong, his lips moved slightly, as if he had been considering his words for a long time before speaking:

"But since Consort Chong has already decided to kill him, Xin Damao is going to die anyway. Why don't we use his family to subdue him? At least he'll be obedient and won't be branded as an assassin."

Bao Zhong's lips curled into a slight smile, a smile as cold as frost falling on a blade: "You think his family is still around?"

Zhou Zhengyin was momentarily stunned.

Bao Zhong continued, "While he was pleading with Consort Chong, his sister's family had already been quietly and thoroughly dealt with by her. Do you really think someone like Consort Chong would spare a few survivors for his worthless life?"

He turned his head, his gaze falling on Zhou Zhengyin's face. A look that could almost be described as pity appeared on his face, but the corners of his lips still held a sneer:

"What? Didn't you expect that the candle you sent in would kill Song Zhang and ruin Xin Damao's entire family?"

Zhou Zhengyin clenched his fists, lowered his head and remained silent, his voice becoming hoarse:

"I... I just wanted to seek justice for my mother, I never thought it would cost so many lives."

"The moment you and Shuoning learned of your mother's wrongful conviction from Xin Damao, there was no turning back."

Bao Zhong's voice fell heavily: "Everything you do in this world comes at a price. Either you pay with your life, or someone else takes the blame for you. You're still too clean."

He paused, his tone indifferent:

"The night Xin Damao sent people to kill you, if I hadn't gone to find you, what right do you have to talk about sympathy now? What you should remember is hatred. The injustice done to your mother and the humiliation you endured for seventeen years are not for pity, but for everyone to pay for."

Zhou Zhengyin looked at Bao Zhong, the kindness in his eyes being crushed bit by bit by these words.

After a moment of silence, he asked in a low voice, "So what should we do next?"

Bao Zhong withdrew his gaze, his tone indifferent: "Send Xin Damao on his way. He was willing to die for his family; his obsession runs deep. He can't believe his family is gone."

Little Deer scratched his head: "Father-in-law, all this trouble we've gone through just to kill Xin Damao?"

Bao Zhong smiled meaningfully: "If he doesn't die, how can we solidify Consort Chong's guilt?"

(under)

At midday, the sun was blazing.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was cool and quiet. Ice cubes were placed in a bronze basin in the corner of the hall, emitting wisps of white steam that mingled with the wafting sandalwood incense, making even the light seem a bit darker.

The Emperor was reclining on the couch, his eyes slightly closed. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke: "Feng Xi..."

After he finished speaking, no one responded.

The Emperor slightly lifted his eyelids and saw that Feng Xi was still lost in thought, so his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Feng Xi".

Feng Xi trembled violently and hurriedly knelt on the ground: "This servant is here, this servant deserves to die, I was distracted..."

The Emperor withdrew his gaze and said in a tone that was neither too loud nor too soft, "I called your name twice."

Feng Xi, his forehead pressed to the ground, dared not raise his head: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, this servant..."

"Alright," the Emperor interrupted him, his tone turning indifferent. "How's the investigation into the assassin? Have you gotten anything out of him?"

Feng Xi replied solemnly, "Your Majesty, Bao Zhong is still keeping an eye on things at the Censorate and hasn't sent a message yet."

The Emperor slowly sat up, picked up a teacup from the low table, took a sip, and set it down with a soft clatter. He gazed at the tea foam floating in the cup and couldn't help but sigh.

"This palace has been in turmoil all year. Now, the floods in the northwest have destroyed three counties. My disaster relief funds have been allocated again and again, but the reports coming in are all about displaced people, corpses, and crowds of refugees! Are the people I sent down all good-for-nothings?"

Feng Xi knelt on the ground, his eyes darting slightly. He cautiously raised his head, observing the Emperor's expression, and whispered:

"Your Majesty's concern for the nation is a blessing to all people. However... this servant dares to say that Your Majesty should also take care of your health. No matter how important matters are in or outside the palace, nothing is more important than Your Majesty's well-being. As soon as there is any news from Baozhong, this servant will immediately report back."

As for the Northwest, the imperial envoy has already traveled there day and night. Your Majesty, please rest assured for a few days; perhaps good news will arrive in a couple of days.

As they were talking, the palace door was suddenly pushed open gently, and Bao Zhong bowed and quickly entered, his clothes still stained with the damp dust from the Shenxing Division.

Bao Zhong, bowing low, stood before the soft couch and reported, "Your Majesty, Xin Damao committed suicide in the Shenxing Division out of fear of punishment."

Upon hearing this, Feng Xizheng was startled.

The Emperor gently stroked the rim of the cup with his fingertips, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger:

"Baozhong, I ordered you to interrogate Xin Damao, so why did he commit suicide out of fear of punishment?"

Bao Zhong immediately lifted his shirt and knelt beside Feng Xizheng, his voice filled with undisguised annoyance:

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I never expected him to take this step. When I entered, he was already dead. I had someone examine him, and it turned out to be strychnine."

He paused briefly, then added:

"The servant searched his body thoroughly and finally found a small packet of remaining powder in the lining of his shoe. This poison takes effect extremely quickly; once ingested, one cannot even scream."

He must have hidden this package on his person beforehand, knowing he couldn't escape this danger, and swallowed it when the guards weren't looking.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor's face flushed with mild anger, and his voice, deep and rumbling like thunder, echoed across the palace roof:

"Xin Damao was once a servant of the Emperor. I know his character; he is honest and kind. However, he was sent to Changmen Palace because he served the wrong tea."

He slowly sat up straight, his gaze fixed on Bao Zhong kneeling on the ground, and said, word by word:

"Tell me, how did someone like him become an assassin? And why did he commit suicide out of fear of punishment before the trial even concluded?"

He tapped the low table lightly with his fingertips—a light tap, yet it made the air in the entire hall tense.

"Think about the reasons behind this for me. Is it because you've been interrogating him too closely, or... is someone trying to prevent him from talking?"