Consort Liang tilted her head, offering no reply.
Su Yunmo exited the room and caught up to her at the gate of the Cold Palace. "Why do you keep running away? Don't you want to see your third brother? He's inside now."
Ye Jingge clutched the hem of his clothes, shaking his head with his head bowed. "I... I just want to see him from afar. Third brother dislikes me and doesn't allow me to approach the Consort."
Su Yunmo frowned.
Was this child too insecure?
Or was it because of the incident with Consort Mei all those years ago?
Ye Jingge looked up, forcing a smile at the corner of his mouth, and took out a medicine bottle from his怀 to hand over. "I think I don't need to bring medicine for the Consort anymore."
Su Yunmo took the medicine.
She had intended to ask Ye Jingyu to handle this last time.
Ye Jingge's situation in the palace wasn't good either, and it was better for him to avoid coming to the Cold Palace to prevent him from being bullied.
"I know something about your mother. If you trust me, give me some time, and I will make Ye Jingyu accept you."
Ye Jingge's eyes lit up, and he looked at her intently. "Really? You're not lying to me, are you?"
Su Yunmo shook the medicine bottle. "Of course. Consider it thanks for taking care of the Consort for me during this time."
"Momo, you're so kind!" Ye Jingge's face broke into a joyful smile.
His smile revealed six small white teeth, like a blooming spring.
"Then I'll go back and wait for your good news!"
He needed to quickly share this good news with his fourth brother!
Su Yunmo nodded, watching him leave, a thoughtful expression crossing her eyes.
In fact, when she saw the injuries on him last time, she had already become suspicious. She suspected that Consort Mei's poisoning might be related to the Empress.
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? There weren't many princes in the palace, and three of them were raised under the Empress's care.
"Meddling." An displeased voice came from above.
Su Yunmo turned her head back and threw the medicine bottle. "I'm meddling in Ye Jingge's affairs, not yours. Why are you angry?"
Ye Jingyu caught the medicine bottle and stared at her for a moment before letting out a "Hmph!"
Seeing him turn and leave, Su Yunmo shrugged in confusion, thinking he was being inexplicable.
Su Yunmo returned to the room and played with Consort Liang for a while longer. Seeing that she was not startled by what had just happened, she then left the palace.
On her way out of the palace, Su Yunmo overheard two palace maids whispering.
They said that Consort Qin had accidentally discovered assassins mixed among the palace attendants.
During the investigation, they entered Fengqi Palace and saw a scene of carnage.
Upon investigation, the assassins died in combat with the guards, but they also accidentally injured the Empress.
The Empress was mentally distressed, and His Majesty, to allow her to recover peacefully, had handed over the authority to manage the six palaces to Consort Qin.
Ye Jingyu's actions were swift and decisive.
The Empress no longer dared to speak, and naturally, the people in her palace would also remain silent.
Consort Qin's gaining the authority to assist in managing the six palaces meant she would handle this matter perfectly.
This massacre in Fengqi Palace could not be traced back to Ye Jingyu.
Upon returning to the manor, Su Yunmo asked Ziyuan to investigate the source of the poison in the poisoning incident.
Although Consort Mei was dead and there were no witnesses, she believed that the source of the poison could still be traced.
It was an old matter, a secret affair of the palace, and it was not easy to investigate.
Ziyuan took three days to uncover the truth.
The poison originally came from outside the palace, brought in by the late Emperor's youngest princess, Ye Yuanlin.
As Su Yunmo had suspected, Ye Yuanlin had no prior relationship with Consort Mei. On the contrary, while she resided in the palace, she had a good relationship with the Empress.
Although there was no conclusive evidence, it was highly likely that the "Sword Seal Throat" poison was brought into the palace at the Empress's behest.
"If you want to investigate this matter clearly, the Ninth Princess is a good starting point, and there is an opportunity right now."
Su Yunmo's interest was piqued. "What opportunity?"
Ziyuan: "The Ninth Princess is hosting a banquet at her manor today. Our manor also received an invitation. You can go with them and find an opportunity to inquire about the situation."
Su Yunmo frowned, finding it a bit strange.
Her mother had always hoped she would attend more banquets to make friends. Since an invitation had been sent today, why hadn't her mother told her?
"Help me change my clothes. I need to go to the front hall."
Ziyuan quickly brought clothes for Su Yunmo to change into.
As Su Yunmo went out, she saw Guisha squatting by the cage.
This time, he was holding half an apple.
Su Yunmo was in a hurry and didn't call him.
Guisha noticed on his own. He clutched the apple in his hand, hesitated for a long time, and then carefully hid the apple in his embrace, slipping away to follow her.
Su Yunmo headed towards Zhou Wanyou's courtyard. On the way, she passed by the pavilion and heard an argument.
It was Su Qingtian and Su Qing.
"I said I'm not going, and I'm not going! Since Father approves, then you go marry her yourself!" Su Qingtian's face was flushed and his neck was red.
Su Qing, gripping his cane, was so angry that he kept poking the ground. "What kind of talk is that! I'm doing this all for your own good!"
If he weren't old and past his prime, would he need to discuss this with him?
This brat had been rebellious since he was young, and now he was beyond control. If he had known he would be so unfilial, he might as well have given birth to a daughter!
"Heh, I don't need Father's concern. More than ten years ago..." Su Qingtian swallowed the rest of his words.
He saw Su Yunmo eavesdropping behind the rock. "You little brat, what are you listening to when adults are talking? Go back to your room!"
Su Yunmo pouted. "Momo is going to find Mother."
She hadn't intended to listen; it was just that their argument was too loud.
Su Qingtian frowned. "Your mother isn't feeling well today. Why are you looking for her?"
Su Yunmo blinked.
No wonder Mother hadn't asked me to attend the manor banquet; she was sick.
"Momo wants to attend the banquet at the Princess's manor. Since Mother can't go out, Father, please take me."
Su Qing's cloudy old eyes immediately lit up.
Su Qingtian's gloomy old face immediately darkened. "Go where? Go back to your room and drink milk!"
Su Yunmo didn't understand why he was suddenly so angry. "If Father doesn't want to go, then fine. Anyway, I asked Mother at first."
Su Qingtian glared with his tiger eyes, lifted his foot, and took off his shoe, holding the sole.
Su Yunmo's backside felt a chill, and she turned to flee!
She darted into the small garden, hugging a rockery with one hand and covering her chest with the other, her heart pounding with fear.
Good heavens, Father was truly terrifying when he got angry.
"What are you fussing about again in broad daylight instead of sleeping?"
Su Yunmo looked up and saw Su Siqi standing by the lake feeding fish. "Second Brother, are you alright now?"
It seemed that Father's beating last time wasn't too severe.
Su Siqi's eyelids twitched. He threw the fish food and walked over to poke her forehead. "Little girl, you dare to speak? How could you pit your second brother like this!"
Su Yunmo pouted and muttered softly.
He had sold her out before, twice!
"So why are you running around again? Being chased by a tiger?"
Su Yunmo shook her head. "It wasn't a tiger, it was Father. I told Father I wanted to go to the Princess's manor, and he wanted to beat me."
She couldn't figure it out.
Su Siqi's mouth stiffened. He glanced at her with a strange expression, then pondered for a moment, and then put on a smile again, a smile like a fox.
"Momo wants to go to the Princess's manor? How about Second Brother taking you?"