Chapter 4, Linglong

As they stepped aside, they noticed that two eunuchs were following her, their faces expressionless. They opened the door themselves and began to drag out the corpses of the deceased women one by one. Among them, one eunuch with finely arched eyebrows muttered, "What bad luck; this arduous task falls to the two of us!"

Jin Yun sat down gracefully, gently stroking Qin Changge's hair with a look of deep affection, and sighed, "I always knew you were a sensible one. Back in the day..."

She does not waste time mourning or feeling sympathy for anyone; she only focuses on doing what she is supposed to do

The light was dim, and she squinted her eyes to see. Suddenly, a snow-white face emerged from the darkness, its delicate features striking. However, against the backdrop of the scattered corpses behind her, it inevitably took on a ghostly aura, prompting her to exclaim: "A ghost!"

Qin Changge carefully scrutinized the young eunuch and then walked out

However, this does not pose a challenge for her; it is quite easy... Qin Changge raised her head in confusion, her expression blank, staring vacantly at the person in front of her.

Ah, so her name is Jin Yun. Qin Changge immediately "regained his senses," as if awakening from a dream, and fixed his gaze on the woman's face, staring blankly for a while before crying without hesitation: "Aunt, I am so scared..."

Another pair of eyes darted around, glaring at a companion, and said: "Stop your nonsense, don't you know the rules here?"

Jin Yun patted her hand with a face full of pity: "Poor child, you must have been terribly frightened... The Empress sent me to see if anyone was still alive. Fortunately, you are doing well..." She leaned in to look at the scene inside the room, her expression changed slightly, but she did not speak further, only gently said: "Come out quickly... The ground is covered with dead bodies, it must have scared you."

Qin Changge listened closely to the sound of footsteps ... Hmm, the steps are very light, the movements cautious, indicating that she is a prudent woman

She squinted her eyes to scrutinize the woman, who appeared to be around forty years old. Her features were ordinary, yet she exuded a refreshing cleanliness. Judging by her makeup and attire, she resembled a well-groomed palace maid.

"Ming Shuang, Ming Shuang, have you been stunned? You don't even recognize Aunt Jin Yun?" The woman quickly reached her hand through the window, shaking Qin Changge.

The person approached, circled around the door, walked to the open window, and quietly peered inside

While pondering how to extract information, I suddenly caught a glimpse from the corner of my eye of the slender-browed eunuch secretly removing jewelry from the corpse and stuffing it into his own bosom. Meanwhile, the nimble-eyed young eunuch seemed oblivious to his companion's actions, focusing solely on neatly stacking the corpse onto the cart, completely ignoring the jewelry.

For example, to ascertain the current layout of the Western Liang Imperial Palace.

Qin Changge leaned out of the window and looked outside. What lay before him was a dilapidated courtyard, where the few flowering plants that remained in the early winter weather had withered significantly, creating a sparse and desolate scene. The iron gate of the moon gate was tightly shut, yet faint footsteps gradually approached.

Ghost ... ? ... Qin Changge tugged at the corner of his mouth, acknowledging that he indeed was a ghost, but this body should be considered a person, right

Jin Yun felt grateful and thus took extra care of her. This matter was often brought up, and Qin Changge understood the beginning and the end, yet it raised a question in her heart. Jiulinglong was known as the "Country of Skilled Artisans," a tribute from Zhongchuan, proficient in various crafts. Although not extremely precious, due to its nine-layer refinement, most of the craftsmanship required meticulous carving in a very small space, which was extremely labor-intensive, making it quite rare. In her own palace back then, there were only two pieces, one made of jade and one of gold. How could Ming Shuang, a mere palace maid, possess such a treasure?

Indeed, the moment the woman made contact with that gaze, which was akin to a "madness of the heart," she immediately panicked

Returning to the corner room of the east corridor of Cuiwei Palace where the palace maids resided, Jinyun personally helped Qin Changge to bed for rest. She then took out a bottle of medicine from her bosom, which was contained in a jade bottle, exquisitely crafted and adorned with a yellow label. After ensuring she took the medicine, she looked around and frowned, saying: "All the people in this room have been killed. I need to serve the princess and keep watch tonight. You will be sleeping here alone; who will attend to you? Should I go ask the princess for instructions and request a little palace maid to take care of you?"

She seemed to be reminded of memories and could not help but open up. Moreover, Qin Changge was skillfully probing for information, and soon it became clear that Jin Yun and the owner of this body were from the same hometown. However, their relationship was not based on this connection; rather, it stemmed from an incident where Jin Yun accidentally broke the beloved Jiulinglong of the gentle consort. Everyone knew that although the gentle consort was titled "Gentle," her temperament was anything but gentle. Such a mistake would likely result in death, and at best, one would face severe punishment before being expelled. Jin Yun was so frightened that she cried day and night. Later, Ming Shuang learned of this and, not knowing where she obtained it, secretly returned an identical Jiulinglong to Jin Yun, thus averting a great disaster.

The woman was startled by the sudden appearance of Qin Changge at the window. Fortunately, her composure returned quickly; after a moment of surprise, she steadied herself and recognized the face, exclaiming joyfully: "Ming Shuang, you are still alive!"

Qin Changge sensed the goodwill of the woman before him. He recalled his return to the imperial palace after three years, where everything had changed. To establish a foothold in this treacherous and unpredictable court, he would need someone to lend their full support. Currently, he was alone and without kin, so the priority was to cultivate a good relationship with this palace maid, who seemed to hold some status.

But who is she

Jin Yun completely ignored them, only offering gentle comfort by holding Qin Changge's arm as they slowly made their way out. As they passed by the eunuch, Qin Changge cast a faint glance, briefly sweeping over the corpse of Qing Lian, which was being clumsily dragged by the eunuch, before moving on with indifference.

Lifting my eyes to the horizon, a streak of rosy light, like ink, quickly tints the pale blue sky. The sun, vibrant as fire, ignites gradually, and the daylight becomes increasingly bright.

"No need, Aunt, please do not worry. The task is urgent, and I am fine. There is no need to trouble the Empress any further."