“How did she commit suicide?” Suoxin took a step back, unable to believe it.
“My lord, this was found in Suoxin’s room.” A servant handed something over.
It was a letter. Lister opened it and his expression turned grim after a glance.
Li Yaoqin could tell that Li Sinian was truly angry.
“My lord, what does the letter say?” Suoxin tried to look, but was met with a hard slap across the face.
The blow sent her tumbling to the ground, and she was dazed for a long time.
“Wicked woman, you did so many things?” Li Sinian pointed at Suoxin, his voice laced with fury.
Suoxin looked at Li Sinian, shaking her head, “My lord, what are you saying? This concubine does not understand!”
Lister threw the letter at her face, enraged, “Then read it yourself!”
Suoxin quickly picked up the letter and after a few glances, scrambled to Li Sinian’s feet, pleading, “My lord, what is written here is untrue. This concubine has not done so many things.”
Li Sinian bent down, grabbed her chin, and asked coldly, “Those two children, did you deliberately get rid of them to frame someone else?”
Suoxin froze. Lister sneered, “I actually thought you were a gentle and harmless lamb, but it turns out you are a wicked woman.”
With that, he flung her away.
Suoxin fell to the side. She raised her head, looking at Li Sinian in his rage, then struggled to her feet, crying, “My lord, the matter of the children was indeed intentional on my part, but the lady’s death truly has nothing to do with this concubine. This concubine…”
“Silence! I never want to see you again. Someone drag her away and keep her under strict guard.”
Li Sinian waved his hand, and the servants dragged Suoxin away.
“Yao’er, your father is sorry. Sorry to you and your mother.” Li Sinian stood there, looking at her.
For a moment, Li Yaoqin felt that he had aged considerably.
“Father…”
“You should go back too. Your father wants to be alone for a while.”
“Father, take care!” Li Yaoqin rose to leave. Suddenly, she stopped and walked back, picking up the letter from the ground.
Back in her room, Lianxin, who followed her, gritted her teeth and said hatefully, “Suoxin is truly heartless. How could she harm Madam? Madam was always uninvolved with worldly affairs. How could she bring herself to do it? She deserves to be cut into a thousand pieces.”
“Lianxin, do you also believe Suoxin did it?” Li Yaoqin suddenly asked.
Lianxin froze and looked at her, “Eldest Miss, isn’t it obvious? Rong’er was Suoxin’s maid. Suoxin would have instructed Rong’er for anything she planned to do. Moreover, Rong’er also left a suicide note. Suoxin cannot deny it anymore.”
Li Yaoqin looked at the contents of the letter and fell into thought.
“Eldest Miss, what’s wrong?” Lianxin, seeing that Li Yaoqin seemed somewhat off, couldn’t help but ask.
Li Yaoqin looked up at Lianxin and asked, “Do you think Suoxin is smart?”
Lianxin thought for a moment and nodded, “Smart, otherwise how could she have played us all for fools?”
“Then do you think Suoxin would have set fire to kill Mother on the same night she served her tea?” Li Yaoqin asked.
Lianxin froze, “Eldest Miss, now that you say it, it does seem unlikely. But wasn’t Rong’er a suicide out of guilt?”
“That is what I cannot understand,” Li Yaoqin said.
Lianxin suddenly said, “Eldest Miss, now that you mention it, this servant is a bit scared. If it wasn’t Suoxin, then who could it be?”
Li Yaoqin shook her head, “I don’t know, but I have a feeling this matter is definitely not that simple.”
“Eldest Miss, why don’t we go tell Father?” Lianxin suggested.
Li Yaoqin replied, “Until the matter is clear, I don’t want Father to know. Lianxin, accompany me to Chafulou tomorrow.”
Lianxin froze, “Why is Eldest Miss going to Chafulou?”
“To find someone for help,” Li Yaoqin said.
Lianxin was confused. Someone at Chafulou could help? But seeing that Eldest Miss did not wish to say, she did not ask further.
The next day
Li Yaoqin, with Lianxin, arrived at Chafulou. As soon as they entered, a waiter hurried over, “Is this guest here for tea or to listen to storytelling?”
“Has the second floor been booked today?” Li Yaoqin asked.
The waiter nodded, “Yes.”
Li Yaoqin said, “I’m going to the second floor.”
The waiter quickly blocked her, “This guest, the second floor already has a guest.”
“Then go and tell the guest on the second floor that Li Yaoqin wishes to pay a visit.” Li Yaoqin said.
The waiter replied, “This servant will go and ask.”
On the second floor, by the window, sat a man in a fine blue robe, the golden thread patterns on his chest signifying his noble status.
“Your Highness, the waiter says a guest downstairs wishes to see you.” Hua Li approached Hua Yunjin.
Hua Yunjin put down his teacup and asked, “Wishes to see this King? Who?”
“Li Yaoqin,” Hua Li said.
Hua Yunjin was slightly taken aback. After a moment, he asked, “She wishes to see this King?”
Hua Li nodded, “Yes.”
Hua Yunjin fell silent. Seeing this, Hua Li said, “If Your Highness does not wish to see her, this subordinate will decline.”
“Let her come up!” Hua Yunjin said.
Soon, Li Yaoqin saw the waiter walk over, followed by a man. Judging by the man’s attire, he was no ordinary commoner.
“This guest is this person.” The waiter said to the man behind him.
The man stepped forward, bowed slightly towards Li Yaoqin, and said, “This humble one is Hua Li. Miss Li, please follow me.”
“Please lead the way.” Li Yaoqin said.
Hua Li nodded and walked up to the second floor. Li Yaoqin’s eyes immediately fell upon the man sitting by the window. His handsome features and unique nobility made her admit that besides His Majesty the Emperor, this Prince Hua was truly a dragon among men.
“This subject greets Your Highness.” Li Yaoqin curtsied.
Hua Yunjin glanced at Li Yaoqin indifferently and asked, “May I know why Miss Li has come specifically to see this King?”
Upon hearing this, Li Yaoqin looked up and said, “Your Highness knew that this subject specifically came to see you, which is why you agreed to see this subject, correct?”
“Miss Li knows that this King is interested in all matters concerning the Empress. Therefore, when you paid the storyteller to speak of the Empress, how could this King not come?”
Li Yaoqin showed no embarrassment at being found out. Instead, she said, “As Your Highness said, this subject has come specifically to see you.”
“What is it?” Hua Yunjin asked.
“This subject knows that it was Your Highness who sent someone to remind Mother.” Li Yaoqin only learned the situation from Shunxin. Her mother had met a stranger and described his appearance. Having just seen Hua Li, she realized that the one who reminded her mother must have been Prince Hua.
Hua Yunjin heard this and said, “It was this King who sent someone to remind her, hoping Madam Li could pull herself together. But I did not expect my good intentions to cause harm. Miss Li, this King owes you a life.”
Li Yaoqin quickly shook her head, “Your Highness, please do not say that. This subject knows that Your Highness did not wish for this subject to be kept in the dark. Mother’s matter was an accident. This subject has come to see Your Highness today because there are some things I do not understand.”
“Miss Li, please speak.” Hua Yunjin said.
“Does Your Highness know who harmed Mother?” Li Yaoqin asked, looking up at Hua Yunjin.