Hua Yao pulled Zhong Li to a secluded corner, and after confirming no one was around, asked, "Twenty years ago, when Jin Cheng was in chaos, the Emperor fled to Su Qing County with his confidants. You know about this, right, Li'er?"
Zhong Li nodded.
"At that time, the Ruan family also rushed to Su Qing to pursue the Emperor. The Emperor and his confidants decided to disguise themselves as farmers to pass through unnoticed, so they sought refuge with a farming family. Later, when the Emperor was safe, he granted this farming family one favor.
Guess what?" Hua Yao asked.
Zhong Li looked up at the imperial chambers behind Hua Yao and said, "Marry their daughter?"
"Yes! Li'er is smart!" Hua Yao nodded. "At that time, their daughter had just come of age, and the farmers made this request, and it had to be with a corresponding rank. Even if the Emperor was unwilling a thousand times, he had to fulfill his promise, right?"
Zhong Li remained silent, staring fixedly.
She didn't know whether to call the farmer smart or foolish. Giving up their daughter meant a lifetime of wealth and glory, but this daughter would be confined in a cage for her entire life, living without freedom and not favored by the Emperor.
Now, she had tragically burned to death. Truly unfortunate.
"Alright, let's go in," Zhong Li said, pulling Hua Yao and pushing open the door to Consort Shu's chambers.
Consort Shu's chambers could be surveyed at a glance.
It wasn't exactly dilapidated, at least it was slightly better than an ordinary family's courtyard, but compared to other consorts in the palace, it was the most ordinary.
As Zhong Li walked towards the main hall, she asked Hua Yao beside her, "Consort Shu has been dead for two days. During your and Lord Xu's thorough investigation, did you look for the palace's daily records?"
"Ah? Look for that for what?" Hua Yao was an unmarried maiden, and upon hearing about the palace's daily records, her face flushed. "What does Consort Shu's death have to do with such things?"
Zhong Li glanced at Hua Yao. "I just want to know, with Consort Shu living in the palace like this, and no powerful family to rely on behind her, what were the Emperor's feelings towards Consort Shu?"
"What feelings could he have? You can tell by looking at this chamber, it's not even as big as a courtyard," Hua Yao said.
Zhong Li shook her head. "I mean, did the Emperor ever favor Consort Shu?"
As soon as she spoke, the door to the main hall was opened from the inside. A woman dressed as a palace maid saw Zhong Li and quickly bowed, saying, "This servant Xi Yun greets Aide Zhong."
Zhong Li looked up at the sound, and at the young girl in front of her with a respectful demeanor, she asked, "Are you Consort Shu's head palace maid?"
"Yes!" Xi Yun bowed again.
Zhong Li nodded and entered Consort Shu's chambers.
Although the chambers were simply furnished, they were kept exceptionally clean and tidy, with a faint scent of magnolia filling the room.
"Xi Yun," Zhong Li said to the woman opposite her, "You must know why I am here. I hope you will not conceal anything about Consort Shu."
Xi Yun nodded, appearing humble.
"In recent times, have you noticed any changes or anything unusual about your mistress compared to before?" Zhong Li asked her first question.
"Changes," Xi Yun repeated Zhong Li's words, thinking for a long time. "I don't know what kind of changes Aide Zhong is referring to. Does it count if it's about daily life and food?"
"It counts!" Zhong Li nodded, a hint of expectation rising in her heart.
"I have followed Consort Shu for many years. Before, the Consort would plant fruits and vegetables in the courtyard. Later, the Consort suddenly stopped planting these things, and even asked me to remove the vegetables and replace them with flowers," Xi Yun said.
"And then?"
"As for food, the Consort used to like beef and lamb, whether in clear soup or stewed. Later, she suddenly started to like pastries and a lot of fried foods," Xi Yun replied.
Zhong Li listened and then asked, "Did she gain a lot of weight after eating these things?"
"How did Aide know?" Xi Yun asked in surprise, then suddenly realized something and quickly covered her mouth.
Zhong Li narrowed her eyes and looked at Xi Yun. "Xi Yun, do you know something about this?"
Xi Yun's eyebrows furrowed. She wanted to speak but was afraid of saying something wrong, so she hesitated.
Zhong Li glanced at Hua Yao. Hua Yao understood and walked to the door, looked at the courtyard, closed the door, and returned to her original position. "No one is outside, you can speak freely."
Xi Yun looked at Zhong Li meekly. Seeing that she had no intention of giving up, she finally spoke. "My lord, you know that the Southern Yue Kingdom considers slimness to be beauty. At first, when the Consort became like this, I was afraid she would get fat and reminded her often.
But do you know what my lady said?"
"What did she say?" Zhong Li asked.
"My lady said that it was precisely because she was too thin that she had not yet conceived a royal son. If she could be a little fatter, she would surely have her own heir," Xi Yun said.
"Consort Shu wants a child?" Zhong Li asked.
Xi Yun nodded, her gaze sweeping around the room with a hint of regret. "Speaking of which, Consort Shu is also a pitiable person. Since entering the palace, the Emperor has only visited a few times, and even if the Consort wishes to see the Emperor, it is extremely difficult.
Consort Shu comes from the countryside. Although she has managed to secure an official position for her family by virtue of her status, it is not an important one. There is no difference between having a family or not.
Now, it is understandable that Consort Shu wants to secure a future for herself through her own child."
"Is that so." Zhong Li listened to Xi Yun's explanation, her watery eyes slowly narrowing.
"Aide Zhong, don't disbelieve me, it's really like this. Consort Shu has been in the palace with the Emperor for twenty years. Seeing the Emperor grow older and older, if Consort Shu still has no heirs, when the Emperor passes away, perhaps to be buried with him..." Xi Yun dared not say more, fearing that the two masters before her would accuse her of great disrespect.
"But having a child is not something that Consort Shu alone can decide. From what you've said, has the Emperor been here recently?" Zhong Li asked.
Xi Yun nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Aide Zhong reminded me, and I had forgotten. This can also be considered something different from usual."
"Continue," Zhong Li said.
"Although I have not been with my mistress for twenty years, I have been here for at least ten years. As you can see, Consort Shu's chambers are not even as good as those of a concubine..."
Upon hearing "concubine," Zhong Li's eyes flickered slightly, glancing past Xi Yun ahead. She knew Xi Yun was referring to Nan Gong Xiao Die in the front palace. "Continue."
"The Emperor rarely appeared here in recent years, but recently, for some reason, the Emperor has been frequently choosing my lady's name. So, my lady wanted to take this opportunity to try for a child and secure a future," Xi Yun said.
"Then what happened on the day your mistress was burned to death?" Zhong Li asked.
Xi Yun thought for a moment, first shaking her head, then seeming to recall something. "On that day, my lady said it was normal and not normal at the same time."
"Oh?" Zhong Li raised an eyebrow.
"My lady, as usual, went to pick orchids to make sachets in the morning, saying that the Emperor loved this scent the most. But before she even reached the garden... that's when such a thing happened... sob sob..." Xi Yun said, crying sadly.
"Then what do you mean by not normal?" Zhong Li asked.
"The abnormal thing is... in the past, my lady would have her servants make incense from the flowers before she started dressing herself. But on that day, my lady specifically put on lipstick and went out to busy herself."