Chapter 37 - Telling the details

“… Aren’t you afraid?” On the way to Yan Fu Palace, Rong Hua Wei wanted to ask something a few times but failed. In the end, she couldn’t help but whisper to Yun Fenghuang, “I even dare not sleep tonight, for I may have nightmares after falling asleep.”

Yun Fenghuang said calmly, “Xin Qing disappeared for a short time, so, she looks the same as she was before, except the livor mortis. If one is soaked in water for several days, it is really terrible to see.”

Hearing this, the maid who led the way looked back. Rong Hua Wei even opened her eyes wider and said amazedly, “Have you seen it?”

Yun Fenghuang said, “Of course.”

“How could you see that?” Rong Hua Wei looked at her suspiciously, and there was even a hint of admiration in her eyes, “That kind of scene… Your family allowed you to see?”

“You probably don’t know what a corpse looks like on hot days after being soaked for half a month?” Yun Fenghuang smiled slightly, “Let me tell you the details…”

“No!” Rong Hua Wei was really afraid. She was scared by seeing Xin Qing. How could she dare to know any details about corpses?

Hearing what Yun Fenghuang said, she changed her face and refused without hesitation. She hastened with her maids to stay away from Yun Fenghuang, fearing that Yun Fenghuang would continue her words.

Yun Fenghuang laughed at her back, and curled her lips, wondering that Rong Hua Wei was too timid to know more.

After a while, they arrived at Yan Fu Palace. When they went in, they felt the tense atmosphere inside.

For a second sight, they found that Emperor Chunjia, Empress Ji, Noble Consort Shu, Consort Yue and Consort Xin were all there. There was an embroidered stool at a distance from them, and a woman dressed like a concubine sat there gingerly. The Emperor and Empress were expressionless to show their moods, so, Yun Fenghuang didn’t know whether they had failed to find a common ground or not.

Noble Consort Shu was as gentle as usual. She looked at Emperor Chunjia for a while and then looked at Empress Ji. It seemed that she wanted to conciliate them but didn’t know how.

As for Consort Yue, she was more emaciated after being grounded. She had a round face and looked like a teenage girl, though she was in her twenties. At this moment, her chin was a little pointy. What shocked Yun Fenghuang most was that she looked in a low spirit, as if she had suffered a big blow, showing no anger at all.

Yun Fenghuang noticed that a woman stood behind Consort Yue, whom Yun Fenghuang had never seen. The woman dressed in palace costume. From her age, Yun Fenghuang wondered whether she was the wet nurse of Consort Yue or not. The woman was beautiful, and fair skinned, and her eyes and brows showed a kind of blandness. She seemed to be easy-going.

Consort Yue occasionally looked up at the woman, as if she wanted to ask about her will.

What surprised Yun Fenghuang was that Consort Xin showed up.

Consort Xin, whose name was Cui Lianye, was the daughter of Cui Wan. Cui Wan was the Minister of Ministry of Rites, a leader of upright officials. Consort Xin was beautiful, and her appearance showed a kind of nobleness.

At this moment, she frowned slightly. Her skin was as fair as snow, making her more charming.

… Did she get involved in the matter? According to what Yun Fenghuang learned before joining the Imperial Harem, among all the hostesses of the Imperial Harem, Consort Xin always led a clean life and had never take the initiative to join in the fun.

Yun Fenghuang’s speculation was verified soon. After Yun Fenghuang saluted together with Rong Hua Wei and her maid, Empress Ji ordered someone to take out a silver hairpin, “Mei Ren Yun, does this belong to Xin Qing?”

She shot a glance and nodded, “Your Highness, Consort Yue gave me the hairpin initially. After that, I gave it to Xin Qing when she congratulated me, because I didn’t bring other valuable things when I joined the Imperial Harem.”

Before the Empress began to speak, Consort Xin said firmly, “Even so, it can only mean that someone threw this hairpin into Cheng Yue Palace to frame me up!”

What?

Yun Fenghuang was shocked. Wasn’t Xin Qing found at Yan Lan Palace?

Why was the hairpin found at Cheng Yue Palace?

When she was wondering, the woman dressed like a concubine said gently, “Besides the hairpin, half of the sleeves of Xin Qing was found at Cheng Yue Palace. Stained blood on it could be seen…”

Consort Xin seemed to vent her anger, but controlled herself after thinking for a while. She said, “Then I don’t know. There is no enmity between me and Mei Ren Yun or Noble Consort Gui, and I even hardly contacted with them… Why did I bother to hurt Xin Qing and Noble Consort Gui?”

She turned to the Emperor and Empress, “Your Majesty and Your Highness, please check it!”

Before Emperor Chunjia began to speak, Empress Ji said, “Consort Xin, please be calm and patient. I asked you to be here not to blame you but to figure out the thing, because some things that belonged to Xin Qing were indeed found at Cheng Yue Palace. A maid disappeared inexplicably and then died at the palace in broad daylight. If we don’t make it clear, everyone will be worried, right?”

Consort Xin had nothing to say, and she could only nod, “Yes.”

The Empress also nodded, and asked Yun Fenghuang and Rong Hua Wei, “Have you all seen it? Is it Xin Qing? Are you sure?”

It was improper for Rong Hua Wei to cover her mouth and nose after entering the hall. At this moment, her pale face was exposed. With her voice shook slightly, she said, “It is Xin Qing.”

Yun Fenghuang also said, “Your Highness, I am sure that it is Xin Qing. But she was fine when we went back to Hu Zhu Palace, how could she…”

“I am trying to find out the truth.” Empress Ji said seriously, “The mastiff tracked the smell from the road in front of Hu Zhu Palace to Yan Lan Palace and then Cheng Yue Palace. Xin Qing was found at Yan Lan Palace, while her sleeves, blood stains and hairpin were found at Cheng Yue Palace… It is really strange.”

She seemed a little confused, so, she turned around to ask Emperor Chunjia beside her, “What do you think, Your Majesty?”

Emperor Chunjia said calmly, “Since it is a thing of Imperial Harem, you decide it.”

“Xin Qing had served no one before Mei Ren Yun.” Empress Ji said, “I have investigated that she was obedient and friendly, and didn’t incur hatred of others before. She must be a scapegoat.”

Noble Consort Shu said instantly, “Your Highness, although my sister is naughty, she is young and has never done anything evil. Besides, she only joined the Imperial Harem for a few days. How could she make the big mistake and get people around her involved?”

She helped Yun Fenghuang, not because she pretended to be a good sister, but because she feared that Yun Fenghuang would implicate Duke Yi’s Mansion. In her eyes, Yun Fenghuang could die in any means except being killed disgracefully.

Hearing what Noble Consort Shu said, Emperor Chunjia frowned. Empress Ji thought Xin Qing was implicated by Yun Fenghuang, but Noble Consort Shu stressed that Yun Fenghuang joined the Imperial Harem for a few days, so, she couldn’t irritate others and had never done evil things… According to them, Consort Yue must be the suspect in the end?

After all, other concubines had a lot of enemies, some allies, or even had no enemies. Yun Fenghuang, a typical trouble maker, still had some supporters for various reasons. Consort Yue, however, was disliked by everyone, because she disliked everyone…

Therefore, if only Xin Qing was involved, Consort Yue could be blameless with the excuse that she had no reason to hurt Xin Qing, because she could hurt Yun Fenghuang directly.

But now Noble Consort Gui and Consort Xin were all involved. Not for knowing the fact that Consort Yue indeed did nothing, Empress Chunjia would think Consort Yue was the most suspected one.

Noble Consort Gui was now pregnant and attracted other concubines’ envy. Consort Xin was always self-righteous and contacted little with others, so, few people hated her. After all, she came from a noble family, spoke and acted cautiously, and never embarrassed others… People might not like such a person, but would not hate her.

Well, except Consort Yue.

In the eyes of Consort Yue, Noble Consort Shu deserved to die just because she was a consort.

Emperor Chunjia, “…”

What could he do?

He tried to persuade her, but Consort Yue had such inherent characteristics. When he understated, Consort Yue didn’t care. When he overstated, Consort Yue couldn’t bear it, saying that he didn’t like her anymore and it was meaningless for her to live… After that happened several times, Emperor Chunjia gave up.

Luckily, although Consort Yue was jealous, she was not conniving, and other concubines were all shrewd. Therefore, Consort Yue could only embarrass the lowly-ranked concubines whose family was not so powerful. She dared not to hurt those who ranked high. Considering this, Emperor Chunjia thought that it didn’t matter that Consort Yue hated those concubines who ranked high, because she could do nothing to them.

Life in Dijing City differed a lot from that in Fuyang County.

Not to mention that Consort Yue, who was spoiled from the childhood, couldn’t stand it, even Emperor Chunjia, who was carefully fostered by Queen Mother Yuan, felt regretful for many times. He always thought that if time went back to that year and he stayed at Fuyang County as a lord, how happy he would be now?

Whenever he thought about it, he always felt that Consort Yue was really pitiful, so, even he knew that she had done something wrong, he really did not want to say or do anything to her… He could only secretly pray that she would change in the future…

Well, in the final analysis, he couldn’t protect Consort Yue because he didn’t have real power, otherwise how could the bright and lively woman have such an unpleasant temperament right now…

The Emperor stopped thinking and said, “This may not be as simple as it seems. Two days before, even people around me were shifted. Those days I frequently called for Mei Ren Yun to accompany me… Is there a relationship between me and the suffering of her maid?”

People all knew the reputation and temper of Consort Yue, so, it was hard to argue for her even she really did nothing. Thinking of this, Emperor Chunjia could do nothing but make himself related.

Emperor Chunjia looked at the Empress, “Hu Zhu Palace was remote and Consort Yue was well-protected because of her higher rank, but Mei Ren Yun is in Fifth Grade and there are only a few maids around her. She can take only one maid when she goes out… No wonder she was confused about the time when Xin Qing disappeared.”

He wanted Yun Fenghuang to move to other palaces? Or he wanted to give her a higher rank or send more maids for her?

Empress Ji thought for a while and smiled, “Be assured, Your Majesty. I have sent people to notice the Palace Guard, asking them to patrol carefully around Hu Zhu Palace and no longer let such thing happen!”

It was the power of the Empress to raise or lower a concubine. Empress Ji didn’t like anyone to intervene, even if it was Emperor Chunjia!

After hearing the words, the Emperor said indifferently, “I always trust you.”

Empress Ji knew that he was dissatisfied, but it didn’t matter, because she became an empress relying on her natal family not Emperor Chunjia. She just smiled, “Your Majesty, I’m flattered. I will do my best to manage the Imperial Harem.”

If Emperor Chunjia had real power, he could get angry for what the Empress said. A maid died mysteriously. Besides, Noble Consort Gui who was pregnant and Consort Xin who was obedient were all involved, but the Empress didn’t figure it out after such a long time. The Empress even said that she would manage the Imperial Harem well. How dare she?

However, Emperor Chunjia was a puppet, so, he could only say “Eh” with no expression, which meant that he agreed with the Empress.

Emperor Chunjia had been a puppet for seven years. Yun Fenghuang noticed that although Emperor Chunjia was in a bad mood, he was not wrathful. Yun Fenghuang guessed that Emperor Chunjia had accepted it.

Yun Fenghuang hoped he could continue to get used to it.

After all, what she wanted to do next was really a little ruthless…