Chapter 3

Episode 3 Noticing Ye Qiansi's gaze, Wei Chan finally withdrew from his thoughts and gave her a faint smile. Ye Qiansi herself did not understand why her first instinct had been to look toward Wei Chan. It was as though she trusted him instinctively. His smile was light and restrained, yet somehow it gave her an inexplicable sense of strength. She turned around, clasped her hands, and accepted the bright imperial decree without servility or arrogance. “This humble servant accepts the decree and thanks His Majesty for his gracious favor.” The eunuch who had delivered the decree enthusiastically helped Ye Qiansi to her feet. After offering a few words of congratulations, he left. Worried that too many people would interfere with the investigation, Wei Chan dismissed everyone who was not essential to the case, leaving only Ye Qiansi and a few senior matrons. “Chief Ye.” Wei Chan's cool, steady voice rang out, sounding completely different from the way he had called her earlier in the Imperial Garden. Ye Qiansi was puzzled. She was certain that she did not know this Left Chancellor. This was their first meeting. Yet she could not help wondering whether he was somehow connected to the part of her memory she had lost. “Chief Ye.” Seeing that she did not respond, Wei Chan called her twice more. Only then did she snap back to reality. “Ah… I'm here. What can I do for you, Lord Chancellor?” Seeing her innocent and somewhat adorable expression, the smile in Wei Chan's eyes deepened. He did not let anyone notice it, however. Maintaining his usual calm composure, he said, “First, congratulations, Chief Ye. Now that you have taken up your new position, make sure you handle the case before you properly. If you need any assistance, simply send someone to the Left Chancellor's residence to find me.” Ye Qiansi was somewhat surprised. She could not tell whether Wei Chan genuinely wanted to help her or whether he was merely being polite. But since he had already offered, it would be rude to ignore him. She gave him a slight bow. “Then I thank you in advance, Lord Chancellor. I still have other matters to attend to.” Wei Chan said goodbye and left the Laundry Bureau. Ye Qiansi first walked around the ancient well twice, then paced back and forth beside the corpse. Her brows were tightly furrowed, one hand supporting her chin as she pondered. “Aunt Chen, do you know which palace this maid's uniform belongs to?” Aunt Chen was an experienced palace servant. Although she was not responsible for every matter within the palace, she had a general understanding of everything from the inner court to the lowest-ranking servants. She had carefully examined the corpse earlier. Hearing Ye Qiansi's question, she immediately replied, “Although the clothes on the maid have faded and become misshapen after being soaked in the well water, judging from the material and general style, she appears to have been a senior palace maid.” “Only the Emperor and consorts of at least Noble Lady rank are assigned senior palace maids.” “In other words, this woman wasn't from the Laundry Bureau, nor was she from any of the other administrative departments.” Ye Qiansi crouched beside the corpse, muttering to herself as she thought. She picked up the branch Wei Chan had left behind and used it to move aside the damaged jade pendant sewn into the corpse's clothing. Then she stood, dusted off her hands, and gave her orders. “Have the body taken away for examination.” “Aunt Chen, also investigate whether any palace has reported a maid missing.” “If she was a senior palace maid, the Office of Palace Affairs should have a record of her. It shouldn't be difficult to determine her identity.” Her head was beginning to ache faintly again. The blurred image from her memories once more intruded into her mind. And this time, it came together with the clear, handsome face of Wei Chan. Wei Chan… who exactly are you? The deeper her doubts became, the more she wanted an answer. Unable to hold herself back any longer, Ye Qiansi finally called out to him, intending to ask him directly. But Wei Chan's figure in the distance suddenly became increasingly blurred. Before long, he seemed almost transparent. “Wei Chan… what are you—?” Ye Qiansi froze. Her feet felt as though they were bound by thousands of pounds of weight. She desperately tried to break free and run toward him. But in the next instant, a towering inferno suddenly erupted around Wei Chan. The brilliant flames were so intense that she could barely keep her eyes open. Ye Qiansi opened her eyes in terror. Her forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. It had only been a dream. Still shaken, she got out of bed and poured herself a glass of water. She stood beside the window for a while, letting the cold night air wash over her. Only then did her heart finally settle. Ye Qiansi was certain that Wei Chan had something to do with the memories she had lost. Outside, the night was hazy and dark. Dawn was still some time away. She had no desire to sleep. So she simply changed clothes and decided to go to the Department of Justice to look through the latest case reports. The sky had only just begun to brighten when Xizhu hurried over. She had first gone to Ye Qiansi's room and found no one there, so she had rushed here. “Chief Ye! Chief Ye! Why are you here so early in the morning?” “The Empress has sent someone to summon you. She wishes to see you. Please go to her palace immediately.” Ye Qiansi stood up and leisurely stretched. “What does Her Majesty the Empress want with me so early in the morning? Doesn't she ever sleep in?” Xizhu had long since grown accustomed to Ye Qiansi's casual attitude, but she still couldn't help worrying. After all, the Empress was the ruler of the imperial harem. “Please, my dear Chief, don't dawdle. Hurry and go. I'm afraid it won't be good to keep Her Majesty waiting.” After making a few quick preparations, Ye Qiansi soon arrived at the Empress's palace. Since she had been summoned personally by the Empress, she did not have to wait. The palace maid who had delivered the message immediately led her into the inner chamber. “This humble servant pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress.” “Chief Ye, rise quickly. Someone, bring her a seat.” Two eunuchs soon carried in a chair. Ye Qiansi did not stand on ceremony. After thanking the Empress, she calmly sat down. “Chief Ye, you probably haven't had breakfast yet, have you?” “If you don't mind, why don't you stay and have breakfast with me?” “No, Your Majesty. Actually, I—” “Chief Ye, there's no need to be so polite. Someone, prepare breakfast.” Ye Qiansi could not figure out what the Empress was planning. She had been about to politely decline, but the Empress interrupted her directly. Clearly, she did not intend to let Ye Qiansi leave. Until breakfast was served, the Empress spoke only about trivial and unrelated matters. Then, once they began eating, the Empress suddenly asked, “Chief Ye, I heard that a palace maid's corpse was discovered at the Laundry Bureau. What happened?” Ye Qiansi's hand suddenly stopped. She looked up. The Empress was holding a bowl of porridge and eating slowly, as though she had merely brought up the matter in passing. Ye Qiansi lowered her head and continued eating. She answered truthfully, “Your Majesty, it is true. A corpse was discovered at the Laundry Bureau.” “However, it had been submerged in the well water for too long, so its identity cannot yet be determined.” “The Department of Justice is doing everything it can to investigate.” “Then, have you found anything?” The Empress asked the question almost immediately after Ye Qiansi finished speaking. This made Ye Qiansi suspicious. “Your Majesty, why are you so concerned about this case?” Perhaps realizing that she had reacted too quickly, the Empress coughed lightly, put down what she was holding, and spoke slowly. “Isn't it because I care about you, Chief Ye?” “I heard that His Majesty issued an imperial decree yesterday appointing you as a First-Rank Palace Lady and granting you authority to assist with the affairs of the Six Palaces.” “From now on, I will need you to help shoulder some of the responsibilities of the imperial harem.”