"Who is it?"
Consort De's not-so-big eyes flashed with a fierce light: "Who killed my grandmother?"
The Emperor raised an eyebrow, his pitch-black eyes meeting hers with a calm expression, devoid of empathy for her sorrow: "The Zhu family."
Those four simple words left no need for the Emperor to explain further.
It was the Mansion of the Duke of Cheng that had first sent assassins to kill the Queen's father, the head of the Zhu family, and the old lady had then struck the Queen with a tiger-headed cane, causing serious injuries.
Although the fire had claimed the Queen's life, Jiang Xinyue, trapped in the same fire, had managed to escape. Why couldn't the Queen?
Ultimately, it was due to her injuries that she lacked the strength to flee.
Wasn't it only natural for the Zhu family to seek revenge?
Emperor Xuanwu thought it was natural, so he didn't consider comforting Consort De, instead focusing on what Jiang Xinyue had just mentioned: "I came today to ask you if you've seen Concubine Chu from the Criminal Servants' Prison?"
Concubine Chu?
Jiang Xinyue was caught off guard. Concubine Chu?
When she had just transmigrated, living in Xihuo Palace, it was Concubine Chu whom she had intercepted.
Wasn't he asking about Xiao Ronghua?
Emperor Xuanwu rubbed his thumb over the back of Jiang Xinyue's hand, signaling her to stay calm.
Consort De was visibly flustered. Initially, she thought the Emperor was asking about Xiao Ronghua, but suddenly he mentioned Concubine Chu, leaving her unprepared for an answer.
"Conc... Concubine Chu?"
Consort De was about to say she didn't remember who Concubine Chu was, but the Emperor had already blocked her retreat: "Before the Imperial Noble Consort entered the palace, Concubine Chu always followed Concubine Li, showing disrespect to you, the Queen, and Consort Yu. I've also heard that she once insulted the third prince. After she was sent to the Criminal Servants' Prison, you ordered someone to teach her a lesson. However, the warden of the Criminal Servants' Prison recently reported to the Internal Affairs that the criminal Concubine Chu has been missing for half a year. No trace of her alive or dead..."
Naturally, suspicion fell on those who had conflicts with her.
Emperor Xuanwu deliberately mentioned "before the Imperial Noble Consort entered the palace" to keep Jiang Xinyue clean, as she too had had several confrontations with Concubine Chu.
He was reminding Consort De not to try to drag Jiang Xinyue into this.
Consort De took a deep breath: "As a mother, I cannot allow her to harm my child. As a concubine of the Emperor, she is merely a concubine, while I am one of the Four Consorts. How could I tolerate her insolence? Giving her a small lesson is my right."
"Are you certain you haven't seen Concubine Chu?"
"I haven't."
Emperor Xuanwu's dark, calm eyes sparkled with cold intent, hidden deep within his gentle demeanor, making it hard to discern.
Consort De didn't want to dwell on this issue, her eyes soft with pleading: "Your Majesty, I... I beg you... I want to leave the palace... to see my grandmother one last time."
She meant to attend the funeral of the Duke of Cheng's old lady.
The Emperor still held Jiang Xinyue's hand, standing calmly in front of Consort De: "The old lady's funeral is imminent, but I am also about to depart for the Qinzhou Imperial Villa to escape the summer heat. Will you attend the funeral or accompany me to the villa? You must consider this carefully."
After saying this, his tone shifted: "Today, the Imperial Noble Consort is enjoying the lotus flowers in Yanqing Palace. I hear not only are the lotus flowers here beautiful, but the fish in the pond are also excellent. I would like to see them. You don't need to follow; Wang Dequan and Tang Shiliang are enough to serve me."
First mentioning Concubine Chu, then the fish in the lotus garden, every word and sentence from Emperor Xuanwu was cold and heartless, making Consort De's heart race.
The eunuch in charge of the lotus garden was a mute who couldn't read, taken in by Consort De's kindness.
For some reason, Jiang Xinyue, looking at a few pale pink lotuses, felt they seemed more vibrant than they had been that morning.
"Splash!"
"Wang Dequan, bring a knife."
Though unsure what the Emperor intended, Wang Dequan complied.
"Swish!"
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!"
Bright red blood dripped from Emperor Xuanwu's fingers into the pond, causing Jiang Xinyue and Wang Dequan to exclaim in unison.
"Splash!"
A fierce-looking fish, attracted by the scent of blood, leaped out of the water. Jiang Xinyue was startled but, constrained by the Emperor's presence, couldn't flee.
Screaming, she shielded the Emperor with her body. Just as the fish's sharp, foul-smelling teeth were about to bite her, the Emperor covered her head with his hands, flipping over. A sword-bearing guard, responsible for the Emperor's safety, kicked the ugly fish away, sending it back into the pond.
Shaken, Jiang Xinyue's heart pounded loudly, making Emperor Xuanwu's throat itch.
He chuckled: "So scared yet still brave enough to protect me?"
Jiang Xinyue glared at him: "Scared or not, my body didn't listen to me. What could I do? I didn't mean to save you on purpose."
Meaning her mind told her to run, but her body acted faster, making her risk her life to save the Emperor.
As the Emperor smiled, his cold, sinister eyes looked at the pond, saying enigmatically: "My harem is indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
There were those skilled in making incense and those in making poison. Together, they were proficient in all sorts of skills.
A perfectly good yellow-lipped fish had turned into a man-eating fish, so excited by the scent of blood. If a corpse were thrown in, wouldn't it go wild?
"Your Highness..."
Luyin's eyes showed concern, wanting to say something but unsure what.
Consort De's breath was heavy, her plan disrupted by the Emperor, leaving her very angry.
What did he mean by her having a grudge with Concubine Chu?
Didn't Consort Yu? Didn't the Imperial Noble Consort?
On the surface, they had even more conflicts with Concubine Chu. Why question her alone?
Or was it that her recent actions had aroused the Emperor's displeasure?
"Plop!"
A sack tied with a stone was thrown into the pond, sinking rapidly with its contents until it disappeared without a trace. The two eunuchs, with their heads down, left.
It being night, it was too dark to see their faces.
Behind the gate of Xihuo Palace, Mu Tan revealed a pair of astonished eyes, then slowly and quietly closed the palace door, hurrying back: "Your Highness... Your Highness... Someone threw something big into the pond in front of us. I noticed it just as I was closing the door."
Consort Jiang sipped her tea leisurely: "Mu Tan, don't meddle in matters that don't concern us, lest we bring trouble upon ourselves."
Her life of favor was over; whatever it was, it certainly wasn't meant to frame her.
As long as it didn't harm her, she wouldn't interfere in anyone else's affairs.
