"Consort Shu had been out of favor for twenty years since entering the palace, and everyone in the harem knew it.
I, a mere scullery maid, never aspired to rise through the ranks by relying on anyone. When I was assigned to serve Consort Shu, others looked down on her, but in my eyes, this was the best. Since the Consort was not favored, there was no infighting. I wished to live a peaceful life until the day I left the palace, find someone to marry, and settle down.
However... just five months ago, the Emperor suddenly began visiting Consort Shu's chambers frequently, even more often than Consort Nangong in the front palace.
Though I am foolish, I sensed something was amiss and wanted to warn my mistress. Unexpectedly, my mistress told me that she had nurtured an evil god, and all of this was thanks to the evil god."
As Xi Yun spoke, she couldn't help but glance at the shriveled corpse on the ground, her body involuntarily trembling.
Zhong Li glanced at Hua Yao.
Hua Yao picked up the red cloth from the ground, wrapped the evil god, and carried it out of the hall.
"Continue speaking," Zhong Li said.
Xi Yun breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Consort Shu led me to a hidden room in the backyard. There, she worshipped the so-called evil god and even made me worship it devoutly as well."
As she spoke, she lifted her sleeve, revealing clear scars on her arm that appeared before Zhong Li.
"Blood sacrifice?" Zhong Li asked.
"Yes, blood sacrifice," Xi Yun nodded, then added, "Not only was there blood sacrifice to the evil god, but she also frequently used my blood to nourish a pot of small flowers placed beside the evil god. The Consort called that flower the Corpse Flower, which the evil god loved the most."
"Corpse Flower?" Zhong Li chuckled. It seemed this Consort Shu was quite knowledgeable.
"I have a question for you, and you must answer truthfully," Zhong Li said.
Xi Yun nodded obediently.
"You said you used blood to nourish that Corpse Flower. Then where did the rotten flesh in the flowerpot come from?" Zhong Li finished speaking and added, "Do not lie to me. You know I am a coroner, and I can distinguish between animal and human flesh."
Upon hearing this, Xi Yun showed a timid expression. She kowtowed to Zhong Li and said, "Officer Zhong, I did not kill anyone. That human flesh has nothing to do with me."
Hua Yao, hearing this, became a little impatient. "Lady Zhong did not say you did anything shameful. She is asking where the flesh came from?"
Xi Yun shivered a few times, looked at Hua Yao, then at the calm Zhong Li, swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva, and said, "I actually know a little about this. Consort Shu somehow got to know a young eunuch, and this young eunuch would bring meat to Consort Shu every three days to nourish the flower."
"The young eunuch, do you recognize him? Or do you know his name?" Zhong Li pressed.
"Hmm... I heard the Consort call him Little Mute," Xi Yun replied.
"Little Mute?" Hua Yao followed Zhong Li out of Consort Shu's sleeping quarters, looking bewildered. "There are so many servants in this harem, I've never heard of anyone named Little Mute."
Zhong Li shook her head. "Perhaps this young eunuch's nickname isn't actually Little Mute. Sometimes people call others by their characteristics."
"Characteristics?" Hua Yao thought for a moment and said, "That's unlikely. Although the palace employs many servants, they are screened. How could a mute enter the Imperial Palace?"
"Otherwise?" Zhong Li denied Hua Yao's thought again. "They say that if someone is mute, they are usually deaf as well. Since this young eunuch is not called Little Deaf, nor Little Mute and Deaf, but Little Mute, this disability must have been acquired later. Yao'er knows more about the harem than I do. Where are eunuchs or palace maids with acquired disabilities usually assigned to work?"
"I know, the latrine rooms. Most of the servants there are old or have disabilities," Hua Yao said, pulling Zhong Li towards the back of the harem.
"The latrine rooms are managed the most loosely in the palace, and the servants working there are relatively free. Because they have the job of emptying the night soil, their movement in and out of the harem is particularly convenient. If the Little Mute mentioned by Xi Yun is indeed from the latrine rooms, then that is the closest place to the mass grave, and it would be most logical for Little Mute to obtain rotten flesh for Consort Shu."
The two spoke as they arrived at the latrine rooms.
As Hua Yao had said, the management here was particularly lax, and most oppressive.
Apart from a few elderly women and eunuchs who seemed to be overseers lying on reclining chairs basking in the sun leisurely, the vast majority of the servants were busy.
They were either scrubbing toilets or pushing carts filled with night soil, wobbling towards the outside of the harem. Some servants were even exhausted, lying on the ground piled with filth and groaning, while the overseers, as if they saw nothing, continued to crack melon seeds in their hands.
"It's so smelly here!" Hua Yao covered her mouth, her expression pained.
Zhong Li casually took out two masks and handed one to Hua Yao. After putting hers on, she quickly walked in.
"Who are you?"
The overseer lying on the chair asked when he saw someone arrive.
Zhong Li took out the warrant from her waist and said, "By order of the Emperor, to thoroughly investigate the matter of Consort Shu."
The overseer narrowed his eyes, took a look, quickly stood up from his chair, and respectfully walked to Zhong Li's side, saying, "So it is Officer Zhong. I have heard of you, but meeting you in person, you are indeed outstanding."
Zhong Li's eyebrows furrowed slightly. She disliked people flattering her like this the most. She got straight to the point and asked, "I'm asking you, do you have anyone here named Little Mute?"
"Little Mute?" The overseer thought for a moment and called out to the many people busy behind him. After a while, three or four young eunuchs timidly walked over.
"Officer Zhong, all these people are called Little Mute. We don't know which Little Mute you are looking for?" the overseer said with a smile.
Hua Yao was completely stunned by this. Just as she was wondering what to do, Zhong Li thought for a moment and said, "Extend your hands."
Upon hearing this, everyone spread their hands.
Zhong Li glanced at them, opened the medicine box she carried on her back, took out the glass bottle containing the phosphorescent beetles, and circled them in front of the four people. Then she shook her head and looked at the overseer and said, "None of them. Are these all the ones called Little Mute?"
The overseer scratched his head, looking at the four people, and said, "There is one more."
"Where is he?" Zhong Li pressed.
The overseer said, "He went out to empty the night soil early this morning. Speaking of which, he should have returned by now."
Zhong Li looked up at the scorching sun hanging overhead. After pondering for a while, she secretly thought something was amiss and pulled Hua Yao towards the back north gate of the palace.
"Li'er, what happened that you're so anxious?" Hua Yao jogged, seeing the person in front walking faster and faster, her heart also tensing as she asked.
Zhong Li said, "It's already past noon. The latrine rooms in the palace have different duty call times from other palaces. It's usually at the hour of Yin. Calculating this, Little Mute has been out for almost six hours. It's just emptying night soil; no matter how lazy he is, he should have returned by now.
So, there is only one possibility: either he ran away, or... something unexpected happened."
As they spoke, the two walked out of the north back gate along the corridor.
Just as Zhong Li was about to head towards where the night soil was processed, Hua Yao exclaimed, "Li'er, look! There's blood on the ground!"