“Upon hearing this, Yu Mo’s face stiffened.

“This servant… this servant understands.”

On the surface, she nodded, but inwardly she was unconvinced.

Yu Shi was nothing more than the daughter of a merchant. If not for the Crown Prince’s favor, how would she dare to be so presumptuous in front of the Qiu family girl?

Even she, a female official in the palace, was originally no match for her.

Coming from a humble background, Yu Shi relied solely on her skills in the inner court to entangle men.

However, the Empress seemed to be implying that she was stupid, less clever than Yu Shi, and that her desire to become the Crown Prince’s consort was a shameful ambition.

Thinking of this, Yu Mo couldn’t help but clench her fist.

Empress Zhou, observing the changing expressions in her eyes, couldn’t help but snort coldly, exposing her thoughts. “Yu Mo, are you unconvinced?”

“This servant… this servant is not…” Yu Mo was taken aback, her face flustered.

Empress Zhou remained leaning against her chair, her alluring phoenix eyes slowly scanning Yu Mo from head to toe.

It had to be said that Yu Mo was a beautiful girl.

Even compared to beauties like Yu Qingwu, she was in no way inferior.

The reason she had chosen Yu Mo from among the noble girls of the Southern Yue Kingdom was because of her appearance. It was just a pity that Yu Mo, despite her beauty, was truly a fool.

Let alone becoming the Crown Princess, she wouldn’t even allow such a woman to be a concubine by her son’s side.

If it weren’t for that person’s sake, how could she allow this fool to throw her weight around in the palace?

Her gaze continued to scrutinize Yu Mo, Empress Zhou’s expression growing colder and more stern. As if she hadn’t heard Yu Mo’s reply, she warned again, “Yu Mo, this Empress doesn’t care what you’re plotting in your heart. This Empress will only say one thing: if you cause any trouble, you will bear the consequences yourself. Even if your uncle personally comes to plead for you, this Empress will not show you any favoritism, nor will she protect you.”

“Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will do her duty.” Yu Mo lowered her head, her voice gentle, but the dissatisfaction in her eyes only deepened.

Empress Zhou ignored her and simply waved her hand to summon the nanny, instructing her to prepare water for a bath.

…

Inside the warm pavilion of the East Palace.

Mist swirled around, and Yu Qingwu stepped out of the bathtub, changing into clean inner garments.

Just as she was about to rest, a maid’s voice came from outside, announcing that Eunuch Yu had arrived with gifts bestowed by Emperor Wei.

Qingwu, who had just laid down on the bed, got up again, put on her outer robe, and went to the front hall to kneel and thank Emperor Wei for his grace.

Under the bright yellow light, pieces of jewelry and furnishings were carried in by the palace servants.

Yu Qi stood inside the hall, directing their movements. After they had finished carrying everything in, he walked up to Yu Qingwu, first bowing to her, then addressing her, “Consort Yu, I have come not only with His Majesty’s rewards, but also with some questions regarding the case of Yang Cheng in Qinghe, Shu Province. Is it convenient for you now, Consort Yu?”

He glanced at her disheveled hair and asked politely.

Hearing this, Yu Qingwu nodded, dismissed the palace servants inside the room, sat down in a chair with a bow, and pointed to a stool beside her, smiling as she called out to Yu Qi, “Eunuch Yu, please sit down and speak.”

For some reason, Qingwu always felt a strange sense of familiarity when facing this young eunuch.

She had this feeling even before she had spoken to Yu Qi, but now that she was alone with him face to face, that feeling was even stronger.

In comparison, Yu Qi seemed very businesslike.

He remained standing, waving his hand politely, “There’s no need. There’s no reason for a servant to sit down and speak with their master.”

“This servant will just stand and speak.”

He pursed his lips, his delicate and handsome face expressing gentleness. He looked deeply at Qingwu and asked, “Consort Yu, this servant asks you, how did you kill Yang Cheng that day?”

“I…” Yu Qingwu moved her lips. Her eyes, which had been calm just moments ago, suddenly contracted, a trace of fear flashing in her pupils.

Her clear eyes were also tinged with red, and even her knuckles tightened involuntarily.

Seeing her expression, Yu Qi’s heart couldn’t help but clench with a hidden pain.

But soon, he suppressed that heartache and said sternly, “Consort Yu, this matter concerns your life. You must tell this servant the truth. If Yang Cheng harmed you first, you will have a greater chance of saving your life.”

“Even if you don’t want to recall the past, please try your best to explain the cause and effect clearly.”

Yu Qi paused, then added another sentence.

Qingwu lowered her head, her lips pale, her body trembling slightly.

She closed her eyes, and after a long while, she said in a low voice, “Actually, there’s something that the Wang family and her daughter didn’t get wrong. Yang Cheng did indeed harbor malicious intentions towards me.”

“He accepted benefits from the Shen and Qiu families and intended to take my life. Later… he also said that his wife had died, and he hadn’t… hadn’t tasted a woman’s flavor in many years…”

“He wanted me to be his *tongyangxi* (child bride)….”

“Naturally, I refused to agree, so he beat me every day, denying me food. One night, he suddenly tied me up… I was extremely afraid at the time, but I knew I couldn’t submit like that. So I told him that I was still young, and there would be no flavor for him to taste. He thought what I said made sense, so he released me. Later, I calculated the weather and took advantage of a thunderstorm to lure him into the mountains, using a hunter’s trap to end his life. I was afraid he was faking death, so I added more than a dozen cuts later…”

“Then, I attracted countless snakes to devour his body. After a night of rainstorm, I thought this secret would be buried forever underground, but I never expected…”

Yu Qingwu’s tone was calm, as if she was telling someone else’s story.

But even so, Yu Qi still saw the fear and shadow in her eyes.

He clenched his fist, a glint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. After a long while, he suppressed the anger in his belly, looked at Qingwu gently, and nodded, “This servant understands.”

With that, Yu Qi was about to retreat.

“Eunuch Yu, please don’t tell His Highness about this.” Just as he took two steps, he heard Yu Qingwu’s pleading voice from behind.

His feet froze, and he turned around, seeing her pale face with a few tears, saying sadly, “I only told His Highness that Yang Cheng wanted to kill me, but I took his life instead. I don’t have the courage to tell him…”

“Consort Yu, this is not your fault.” Yu Qi interrupted her, looking at Qingwu’s helpless appearance, he finally couldn’t help but ask, “Consort, is His Highness the Crown Prince… good to you?”

“Ah?” Yu Qingwu was stunned by Yu Qi’s sudden question.

But perhaps because of the sense of familiarity she felt towards him, she nodded and said seriously, “Now, it’s considered alright, I suppose.”

?

Hearing this, Yu Qi frowned and asked again, “What do you mean by ‘considered alright now’? Does that mean His Highness wasn’t good to you before?”

As Yu Qi spoke, the fist behind his back slowly tightened, his eyes becoming sharp, and he said, “This servant heard that Consort and His Highness are fellow disciples. His Highness has always respected his teachers and valued the rules of the sect. How could he have been unkind to Consort before?”