Chapter 4

Episode 4 Although the Empress's words were polite, Ye Qiansi could still understand the meaning behind them. Some things had not been said outright, but their implications were perfectly clear. Yesterday's imperial decree had obviously weakened the Empress's influence over the harem. Anyone could see that. Ye Qiansi had no intention of getting involved with any of the imperial consorts. At present, she had only two things she wanted to accomplish. First, she wanted to investigate cases properly in the Department of Caution and Punishment and do her job well. Second, she wanted to recover her lost memories. "Your Majesty, you flatter me. Since this is His Majesty's decree, I will certainly do everything I can to help His Majesty and Her Majesty resolve their troubles." The breakfast that morning was destined to be an unpleasant one. Before Ye Qiansi left, the Empress deliberately added, "A few days ago, I went to visit Consort Xian at Pingle Palace. I heard that one of the maids in charge of her palace returned to her hometown. It has already been more than a month, yet she still hasn't returned to the palace. "Since she is one of the people in the imperial palace, if you have some free time, Qiansi, could you go and take a look?" All kinds of questions arose in Ye Qiansi's mind, but her expression remained calm and indifferent. She agreed and then left the Empress's palace. As soon as she returned to the Department of Caution and Punishment, she called Madam Chen and went with her to Pingle Palace. Ye Qiansi knew very well that the Empress had deliberately said those things to direct her toward Consort Xian. But since the matter was related to a case, she had no choice but to make the trip. "Lady Qiansi, I'm sorry. Her Ladyship isn't feeling well today and is unable to receive you. Please come back another time." They were stopped at the entrance of Pingle Palace. The palace maid guarding the gate was extremely polite. Ye Qiansi gave Madam Chen a look, and Madam Chen immediately understood. She smiled just as politely and said, "Please go and report our arrival. My lady has come here under the Empress's orders to pay her respects to Consort Xian. If you fail to report it properly, I'm afraid Her Majesty the Empress won't be pleased." Once the Empress's authority was invoked, no matter how unwilling they were, the palace maids had to take it seriously. Sure enough, before long, another palace maid came out and invited them inside. Ye Qiansi lowered her voice and praised Madam Chen. "Not bad. You've even learned how to threaten people now—and you know how to use the Empress's name." Madam Chen wasn't modest at all. Instead, she looked rather proud. "I learned it all from you, Lady Qiansi. I've been following you for so long. How could I not improve?" Ye Qiansi couldn't help laughing. Although she had worked at the Department of Caution and Punishment for quite some time, she really knew very little about the imperial harem, let alone the consorts. She had hardly met any of them. Normally, she simply investigated cases and did her job. Still, she had heard quite a few rumors about Consort Xian. Despite having the title of Consort Xian, she was notoriously arrogant and domineering. If her father hadn't been a powerful general serving at court, she probably never would have obtained the position of consort. "This subordinate pays her respects to Consort Xian." Consort Xian sat steadily at the front. Her tone was cold as she merely said, "Rise." She did not offer Ye Qiansi a seat. Ye Qiansi didn't care. She straightened up and simply stood there. "Has the Department of Caution and Punishment been so idle lately, Lady Qiansi? What brings you to my palace?" In fact, this was Ye Qiansi's first time visiting Pingle Palace. As the saying went, no one visited the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. Ye Qiansi was certainly not someone with nothing better to do. "Your Ladyship, I've come today mainly to pay my respects. Secondly, there are a few matters I'd like to confirm with you." Everyone in the palace knew that the Department of Caution and Punishment was responsible for investigating cases within the imperial palace. Therefore, whenever Ye Qiansi came to someone's residence, it inevitably meant that a case was involved. Consort Xian was an intelligent woman. She immediately asked, "Oh? What is it? Why have you come to me?" "Investigate all you like, but there is no case to investigate here." Her tone was anything but courteous. As the rumors suggested, Consort Xian was certainly not a gentle woman. Ye Qiansi smiled. She was straightforward by nature, and investigating the case was her first priority. She didn't bother worrying about too many other things. "Consort Xian, are you really certain that there is nothing in Pingle Palace that requires my investigation?" The moment she heard this, Consort Xian's expression changed. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up. "How dare you! You actually dare to slander me! Guards! Seize this insolent woman!" At her command, several armed guards rushed in from outside. Suddenly, Ye Qiansi's head began to throb violently. She seemed to see herself kneeling inside a grand hall. A blurry figure stood in front of her with their back turned. The person waved a hand, and several armed guards rushed forward. Then she heard that person command: "Take her away!" Pain throbbed through her head. Ye Qiansi suddenly felt all her strength disappear, and her legs gave way beneath her. At the same time, the first person who came to her mind was Wei Chan. "Lady Qiansi!" "Lady!" Madam Chen was terrified. She quickly caught Ye Qiansi and helped her into a nearby chair, completely ignoring Consort Xian. The guards who had rushed inside didn't dare make a move. After all, His Majesty had only just appointed the former chief palace maid of the Department of Caution and Punishment as a first-rank female official. How could they possibly dare to lay a hand on her? Ye Qiansi soon recovered. Consort Xian, however, was furious. Her face turned livid. Before Consort Xian could say anything else, Ye Qiansi spoke directly. "Consort Xian, I am only carrying out my duties under His Majesty's orders. I heard that one of the senior palace maids in your residence has recently gone missing. Don't worry. I will do my best to find her as soon as possible." Because she was still feeling unwell, Ye Qiansi left Pingle Palace with Madam Chen immediately after saying this. Consort Xian stared at her petite, slender figure as she walked away. She was trembling with rage, but she didn't dare say another word. As soon as Ye Qiansi returned to the Department of Caution and Punishment, Wei Chan arrived. Ye Qiansi was momentarily surprised, but quickly regained her composure. "You're back?" Wei Chan was the one who greeted her first. His voice was calm and familiar, almost as though he were speaking to an old friend he had known for many years. Ye Qiansi nodded. "Lord Chancellor, what brings you here today? Is there something you need at the Department of Caution and Punishment?" As she spoke, she took a sip of tea. Wei Chan entered the room and sat down. Seeing this, Xizhu immediately went to prepare a pot of fine West Lake Longjing tea. Wei Chan didn't act like an outsider at all. He sat down naturally and began drinking tea without the slightest restraint. "I heard you've been quite busy today. You went to see the Empress first, and then you went to see Consort Xian." "Lord Chancellor knows quite a lot about my whereabouts. Could it be that you had someone follow me?" Wei Chan almost laughed at this. He slowly played with the teacup in his hand and shook his head, denying Ye Qiansi's suspicion. "No, I didn't." "Then..." He suddenly looked toward Xizhu. Seeing her grinning foolishly at him, he immediately understood what had happened. Wei Chan noticed that Ye Qiansi had also figured it out. He merely smiled and continued. "How is it? Has there been any progress on the case at the Laundry Bureau?" The moment the case was mentioned, Ye Qiansi immediately became focused. She pushed her other thoughts aside and devoted herself entirely to the investigation. "It's hard to say. I feel like I've figured out some clues, yet at the same time, I feel as though I have nothing at all. Everything is still confusing. I need to continue investigating."