Chapter 406

Chapter 406 Consort Wen's voice was soft, slightly trembling. "So... someone by my side has a problem?" Eunuch Shian nodded. "I'm afraid we'll need to bring someone back for questioning." Consort Wen turned stiffly, her gaze landing on a round-faced palace maid with narrow eyes beside her. She seemed both shocked and resigned. "Yunxiang... you'll go with them." The palace maid called Yunxiang was full of astonishment, as if at a loss. "Niangniang, go... go where?!" Consort Wen's voice gradually turned colder. "To the Department of Punishments, to speak about the Empress's death." Yunxiang said in panic, "Niangniang, how would this servant know how the Empress died?!" "What does this have to do with this servant?!" She backed away step by step, but was restrained by the people Eunuch Shian had brought. Consort Wen lowered her eyes in despair. "When I was first elevated to Fei rank, my sister used the excuse of adding more staff to dismiss everyone I had brought from the Xia Dynasty." "Only you... because I trusted you, I specially pleaded for you and let you stay." A single clear tear slid from the corner of her eye. Consort Wen suppressed her heartache: "If you have nothing to do with my sister's death, when you come out of the Department of Punishments, I will personally apologize to you." "If it does have something to do with you..." Consort Wen couldn't help clenching her fists. "I will not let this go easily!" Yunxiang cried out miserably, "Niangniang!" Before she could say a few more words, she was gagged and taken away. Eunuch Shian didn't leave. He stayed where he was and said a few words of comfort: "Consort Wen, there's no need to worry too much. His Majesty has not blamed you for this matter." "Moreover, the Xia Dynasty spies are full of cunning tricks. Perhaps they're just randomly implicating people to confuse everyone. It may not necessarily have anything to do with Miss Yunxiang." Consort Wen nodded absently. "I hope it is as you say, Gonggong." After Eunuch Shian left, Consort Wen suddenly went limp and collapsed to the ground. The palace attendants around her hurried forward to help her up, but she pushed them all away. "Don't touch me. I want to calm down by myself!" Consort Wen sat limply on the ground, silent for a moment, then raised a trembling hand to cover her face, unable to stop the fear in her heart. If her sister's death really had something to do with Yunxiang, then wouldn't that mean she had killed her sister?! Consort Wen also knew in her heart that Yunxiang must have done something. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't have sent Eunuch Shian to take her away. Eunuch Shian had comforted her by saying His Majesty hadn't blamed her, but that was only because His Majesty had never had her in his eyes at all—so naturally there was no question of blame. After a long while, Consort Wen still found it hard to accept. She and her mother had both become murderers of her sister?! She felt like laughing, but she also couldn't help wanting to cry. Consort Wen staggered to her feet and sat down, dazed and listless, on the chair in the main hall of Yongming Palace. She sat from dawn until dusk, the light in her eyes gradually dimming. Yunxiang still hadn't returned, which meant she had indeed participated in the murder of the Empress. She... had killed her own sister, born of the same mother, who had protected her since childhood. In an instant, tears covered Consort Wen's face. At Zhaohua Palace, Xie Run sat on the Noble Consort's couch, letting Dantao and the others massage her body. She was heavy with child now, and since the Emperor hadn't specifically excused her from going to Fengyi Palace to observe mourning, she had to go to Fengyi Palace every day to weep for a while. After just one day, she was already feeling some soreness in her back and waist. Dantao and Xiaoshu were saying words of sympathy for her when suddenly Yueya, who had returned with news, said, "Niangniang, today Eunuch Shian brought people to Yongming Palace." Xie Run was feeling drowsy and asked casually, "Did you find out who they went to Yongming Palace to see?" "They went to see Consort Wen," Yueya said. "This servant vaguely learned that Yunxiang by Consort Wen's side seems to be connected to the Empress's death. After Eunuch Shian took her away, he sent her directly to the Department of Punishments, and she still hasn't returned." "What?!" Hearing this, Xie Run instinctively sat up straight. All trace of fatigue vanished in an instant. "The investigation into the Empress's death has led to Consort Wen?" Xie Run couldn't help thinking of what she and the girls had casually speculated today. "Who could be so vicious—using the Empress's own mother to kill her wasn't enough, they had to drag her sister into it too?!" "If this was done by the Xia Dynasty Emperor... it's truly despicable." After a moment, Dantao asked softly, "Niangniang, why don't you suspect that Consort Wen might be involved in this matter?" Xie Run glanced at her. "With the Empress around, the palace recognized her as Consort Wen." "Without the Empress, she has no favor, no children, hasn't even served His Majesty, and she's a woman who remarried... Whether she can even keep her Fei rank is uncertain. Her days in this palace will only get harder from now on." "But didn't His Majesty have her raise the Second Princess?" Xie Run looked at Dantao without speaking. But Dantao instantly understood her meaning. The Second Princess was an idiot—it didn't matter who raised her. Raising the Second Princess wouldn't give Consort Wen any more standing in the harem. It would only make her life slightly less difficult. Xie Run said, "...Although it's unlikely Consort Wen would do something so foolish, it's not entirely impossible either." What if Consort Wen developed jealousy, or was bewitched by the Xia Dynasty people? Xie Run didn't dare to guess at a person's nature based on her own shallow understanding. After a moment, she finally remembered: "And what of Consort Wen?" News from Yongming Palace was easy to come by. Yueya replied briskly, "I heard that after Yunxiang was taken away, Consort Wen sat in a daze in her own palace all afternoon. In the evening, she didn't even go to Fengyi Palace to offer incense." Xie Run asked in confusion, "Who exactly is this Yunxiang?" Although Xie Run had once managed the Six Palaces alongside Consort Wen, she actually didn't know Consort Wen well. Consort Wen had a gentle and weak temperament, and at all times, her presence was barely noticeable. Whenever Xie Run met her, it was usually at Fengyi Palace. But perhaps because the Empress's radiance was too dazzling, wherever the Empress was present, Consort Wen's presence faded to the extreme. In Xie Run's impression, Consort Wen was somewhat intelligent, yet utterly without a temper. All major decisions were made by the Empress, and she simply followed obediently. The old attendants of Fengyi Palace were not at all surprised, saying that it had been the same during the Xia Dynasty. But precisely because of this, few people in the entire harem of the Yu Dynasty had truly come to know Consort Wen. Xie Run was actually somewhat worried: "If this truly involves Consort Wen, I wonder if she might do something rash?" "Your Highness, shall we send someone to Yongming Palace to check?" Xie Run thought for a moment, her gaze drifting to a box of pastries on the table. She sighed: "Forget it. In these troubled times, Ben Gong can do nothing." "Send more people to keep watch. If the Empress's death is connected to Consort Wen, this matter won't be resolved anytime soon." The next day, Xie Run rose early again and was carried by the eunuchs to Fengyi Palace. Along the way, seeing Xie Run yawning endlessly, Dantao felt great pity for her mistress. "Your Highness, you are already more than seven months pregnant. You can't endure this back-and-forth every day. If it's truly too much... why not go and plead with the Emperor?"