Chapter 101 Miscarriage

On her way back, Yun Shang was contemplating Prince Jing's proposal. She wondered what was so special about her, and why he would give up his military power. Suddenly, her feet slipped. Qian Yin quickly stepped forward to stop the Princess from falling.

After struggling to balance herself, Yun Shang looked down. This path was the only way leading to the inner court, and the servants had already swept away the snow. She could see the cobbles clearly. Why would she slip? Suddenly, Yun Shang saw a mount of moss under her feet.

Yun Shang was stunned for a moment. She squatted to get a closer look. She saw that the moss was not growing on the stone. It was fresh and moist.

"The lantern." Yun Shang ordered with a pensive expression on her face.

Qin Yi hurriedly offered the lantern to her. Yun Shang took the lantern and looked across the path in the light. She found piles of moss scattered at intervals along the road.

She followed the trail of moss and found that it ended at an intersection. Doubt filled Yun Shang's heart. She carried on to her Palace while thinking about the moss issue. Just as her maids were helping her remove her cloak, a eunuch rushed toward Yun Shang's room. He slipped and fell as he reached the door. He crawled forward and urged, "Your Highness! You have to visit Qiwu Palace now! Lady Jin fell on her way back. She is bleeding! It seems like a miscarriage!"

Her mother had bled? Yun Shang's heart sunk. Without putting on the cloak, she ran toward Qiwu Palace.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! It's winter! You have to put on some more clothes!" Qin Yi grabbed Yun Shang's cloak and followed her.

Yun Shang didn't slow her pace. She asked the messenger, "How did Her Highness fall?"

The eunuch panted as he followed the Princess. He was trotting so fast, almost out of breath. "Since Lady Jin was pregnant, His Majesty invited her to sit in his royal palanquin. As the attendants carried the palanquin through the Imperial Garden, one of the them suddenly slipped and fell, and His Majesty and Lady Jin both fell off the palanquin. His Majesty had protected Lady Jin in his arms, but still, she was shocked by the fall, and began bleeding."

Slipped? Yun Shang frowned at his words. The accident reminded her of the moss trail.

Yun Shang reached Qiwu Palace as fast as she could. She spotted the Empress in the distance. Yun Shang quickened her step and entered the palace first.

"What? Is that Princess Yun Shang? What has brought you to Qiwu Palace, Your Highness? Oh, didn't you see Her Majesty? And don't you know about etiquette? How dare you not curtsy to Her Majesty and walk in front of her? Where are your manners, Your Highness?" As Yun Shang stepped through the door, she heard Xiu Xin screech at her.

Hearing her words, Yun Shang suddenly turned round and cast a cold glance at her, "However rude I may be, I'm still a Princess. And you are a maid. Who are you to tell me how to behave?"

That said, Yun Shang ran on toward Lady Jin's chamber.

"Impudent!" The Empress snapped as she frowned at Yun Shang's behavior. But Yun Shang kept running toward her mother.

Empress Yuan Zhen gritted her teeth. She gnashed, "This is ridiculous! How dare a Princess offend her Empress?"

Not far behind, Qin Yi was hurriedly following. When she got closer, she heard the Empress's reprimand, and realized that she was referring to Yun Shang. Qin Yi's heart quivered at the Empress's anger. Stepping forward, she curtsied to Empress Yuan Zhen in a hurry. "Your Majesty, please forgive Princess Yun Shang. Lady Jin was hurt in an accident. Her Highness is too worried to follow etiquette."

"What? What did you say? What happened to Lady Jin?" Asked the Empress in shock. But her eyes flashed joy.

When Qin Yi was speaking with the Empress, she bowed her head so low that she didn't see the joy in the Empress's eyes. She answered, "A eunuch just informed Princess Yun Shang that Lady Jin was hurt. Though the Princess is not close to Lady Jin, she does worry about her biological mother."

But the Empress wasn't listening. She exchanged a glance with Xiu Xin, and turned toward Lady Jin's chamber.

As they arrived, the Empress saw Lord Zheng standing at the door. Yun Shang waited on the side. At the scene, her heart quickened. If the Emperor were here, something serious must have happened. It would be great if the child died in the accident. But she was also a little worried. If the accident took place in Qiwu Palace, it would be difficult for her to shake people's suspicion.

"Lord Zheng, I've heard something has happened to Lady Jin, and intend to pay her a visit." The Empress glanced at Lord Zheng.

Lord Zheng frowned. He hesitated for a while before saying, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has given his orders. No one is allowed to enter Lady Jin's chamber..."

The Empress narrowed her eyes. But the joy of seeing Lady Jin suffer overwhelmed her. She shot a glance at Yun Shang and ordered, "Xiu Xin, bring two chairs. I am so worried about Lady Jin's health that I will wait here."

Xiu Xin hurriedly curtsied and went away. Before long, she brought back two chairs, and positioned the chairs for the Empress and Yun Shang.

Yun Sha

. His Majesty must be unhappy about what happened. Don't vex him more, and stay in your own palaces."

The ladies curtsied to the Empress, and left in order.

In a few moments, the main hall was empty again. Only Empress Yuan Zhen and a few maids remained. The Empress gestured to the maids. After the maids curtsied and left, Empress Yuan Zhen turned to Xiu Xin and said, "I don't think it's that simple. Though I'm glad the bastard died, I still smell a plot."

Xiu Xin nodded. "Princess Yun Shang was behaving strangely. I do smell a rat, too. Your Majesty, we need to be careful..."

The Empress closed her eyes and muttered, "Since my release, one bad thing has led to another. Yesterday's plot was against Hua Jing, and today's, I'm afraid, targets me."

Xiu Xin remained quiet for a while. She then asked, "Your Majesty, Lady Jin..."

Frowning, the Empress cast a glance at the side palace. She said, "I'd like to remove it from Lady Jin's palace. But now, the side palace is well-guarded. It's too late to remove it."

Hearing that, Xiu Xin said no more.

The Empress stood from her phoenix chair, "I'll ask His Majesty's permission for my home leave. It's New Year's Day today, and I will pay my parents an annual visit as is customary."

Once out of Qiwu Palace, the Empress headed towards Qinzheng Hall, followed by her maids. When they passed through the Imperial Garden, they spotted a crowd of people examining something around the lake. The Empress's eyes narrowed at the scene. She ordered Xiu Xin to have a look. Xiu Xin went to the crowd and asked a few questions. She then returned to the Empress and reported, "Your Majesty, they were looking for something around the lake and the well. But when I asked what they were looking for, they merely said that they were doing a regular security check."

"The well?" It reminded Empress Yuan Zhen of Yun Shang's abnormal behavior earlier. She had mentioned the well.

Pondering it over, Empress Yuan Zhen remained silent for a long while. Then she continued walking toward Qinzheng Hall.

Lord Zheng was standing outside the Hall. When he spotted the Empress and her maids, he hurried to her and said, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is in a bad mood. He's lost his temper and smashed all furnishings. And His Majesty has given the order that no one is allowed to enter."

Empress Yuan Zhen glanced at Lord Zheng and seemed convinced by his apologetic tone. She stood by the door for a while. She heard the cracking sound of porcelain shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces. She said, "It seems to be bad timing, Lord Zheng. I'll go then, but please, inform His Majesty of my calling, and let His Majesty know that I will come again when His Majesty is willing to see me."

Lord Zheng bowed and assured her. The Empress took another glance at the closed door before leaving.

When Empress Yuan Zhen and her maids disappeared from his sight, Lord Zheng straightened up and went into the Hall.

The Empress waited patiently for the rest of the day. She didn't receive the Emperor's summons. Xiu Xin sent a few servants to make inquiries and learned that the Emperor was busy sending people to examine the lakes and wells in the Palace.

The Empress contemplated on this information, but couldn't think of a reason. The wells and lakes didn't remind her of a thing.

Early morning on the second day of the New Year, news spread. In a remote well near the lake outside the Imperial Garden, someone had drowned.