Chapter 6

The one shaking its head on the table, "I had that thing last time at Suo Liu's place, it's a mantis shrimp, a relative of crabs, quite bland."

Thus, one was inadvertently categorized as a "familiar person". When others extend a courtesy, one cannot fail to recognize the gesture, and hurriedly offers a greeting, "I extend my respects to Gao Handan."

They spoke one line from the heavens and another from the earth, with hidden meanings everywhere. I merely listened on the side, smiling, and did not engage much in conversation. After a while, a young eunuch entered through the door, and upon arrival, he reported that a message had just come from outside the palace, stating that Lord Cheng'en had passed away at the hour of si, and instructed the second chief steward to prepare for the funeral arrangements

Thus, she had long made up her mind not to disclose anything outside; those superfluous words would just rot in her stomach. Speaking them would not be of much help and would only bring herself discomfort, so why bother! In the palace, when concubines vie for power, sacrificing a few lowly servants is nothing significant. Palace women are not valuable; if they die, they die. Can those precious nobles be made to pay with their lives? She shook her head, "The day before, she went to Gu Hua Xuan to see the master, and by the time she returned, it was already close to the hour of You. I was busy on my end, so I didn't ask her anything and let her go directly back to her bed." Palace women are not valuable; if they die, they die. Can those precious nobles be made to pay with their lives? She shook her head, "The day before, she went to Gu Hua Xuan to see the master, and by the time she returned, it was already close to the hour of You. I was busy on my end, so I didn't ask her anything and let her go directly back to her bed."

Sitting behind the desk, he smacked his lips and said, "In the sea, there are lantern fish all year round. My apprentice went down the other day and caught half a basket, which he put in a jar to ferment. Later, I will bring you some to take back to the palace for your dishes and wine, it will be delightful"

With a wave of his hand, Chang Manshou said, "It is of little value. As I walk through the palace, it is rare to encounter someone I find pleasing. Just for the loyalty you showed to the deceased the other day, I hold you in high regard! Everyone knows that the women in the palace are materialistic and have large eyes. They cannot even care for the living, so who would bother whether the dead are dried or pickled meat? Yet you, being righteous, spent money to have Sula pick a high place for it. Such a kind-hearted person deserves a good reward, or it would be utterly unreasonable."

Such matters are not only beyond the imperial family, but even the common folk cannot manage them. At that time, I was assisting Wang Bao and also witnessed the spectacle of the old man deposing the Empress Dowager. If we speak of fate, without the incident involving the Crown Prince, the current master would not have had his turn. The Chief Eunuch recalled this and turned his face to ask her, "Miss, have you ever seen the Empress Dowager of Changchun Garden?"

Thus, listening to those two flattering remarks sounded like the tone of official speech, increasingly cautious, "This is merely observing the relationship between master and apprentice, nothing more. If it were someone I did not know, I would not have the leisure to inquire."

Cui'er originally intended to assign a maid to clean for Consort Zhen of Gyeongbokgung Palace, but after some twists and turns, she was instead assigned to Consort Yi of Gu Huaxuan. The day before the incident, she went to pay her respects to her master and returned, proudly saying to her, "Consort Yi is truly kind to her servants; she kept me there for half a day, offering tea and snacks, and before I left, she rewarded me with some jade. With such a generous master, I will surely have good days ahead."

It is likely that the commotion in the Qianqing Palace has leaked out, causing a flush on my face. I crouched down and said, "There was a scare but no danger; thank you for your inquiry, Xie Andai."

The person sitting at the desk turned around, revealing a round, chubby face that smiled like a blooming flower. He stepped away from the desk and approached with a friendly demeanor, saying, "Miss Su, were you frightened today?"

When did Zheng Cui'er come under your tutelage to learn the rules?" asked the Chief Eunuch. "How does she usually conduct herself? Has she ever had any enmity with others?

"Isn't it foolish to give blindly?" Chang Manshou laughed and said, gesturing to the eunuch in the blue cap presiding over the case, "This is the person in charge of the office, surnamed Gao. We are all on the same side, so don't be afraid to answer his questions."

Originally, there were eight people assigned to the duty, but since five were dispatched elsewhere, only three remained. I also inquired with the other two maids, who said that after their shift that day, they did not see Cui'er, so they could not find any leads.

With a smile that reveals a face full of longevity, "Indeed, Your Majesty is merely in need of someone who understands the nuances of warmth and cold. One cannot be like those concubines, who, upon seizing the opportunity, would wish to extract two taels of oil from him. What is needed is a gentle presence, akin to the breeze of April. His Majesty has a cold temperament and requires a gradual approach. Once softened, he can also show the same tenderness as the late Emperor.

The Department of Punishments is not located within the palace, but rather on the outskirts of the imperial city by the shores of the Central Sea, separated by a wall from the Department of Celebration. It is customary for individuals leaving the palace to be escorted by officials from the yamen, with two chief eunuchs supervising on either side, creating a somewhat deceptive impression of having committed a crime.

The high eunuch shook his head, "How pitiful, such a young couple is not even as good as the old master and the legitimate lady ahead!"

With a mouth full of food, he chuckled and said, "This is called governing by doing nothing, do you understand? The master and the empress are wise people, letting them fight among themselves, in the end, who benefits? She does not need to deal with people; the palace has its own attention-seekers for her to command. Haven't you noticed that whenever something happens, the empress's body seems to be out of sorts? She is trying to earn the reputation of a virtuous empress; apart from this, there is nothing else that can keep the Emperor's heart."

However, Su had kept a watchful eye and did not see the jewelry that Yi Pin had given to Cui Er. There was none in the bed, as palace women were not allowed to dress up in a flamboyant manner, let alone wear anything on their heads. It is possible that Cui Er was killed first and then thrown into the well; people might have feared trouble and took the items away as well. These were merely speculations, as she had no evidence and could not make a definitive statement, but there was certainly something fishy about the situation.

The high-ranking eunuch scoffed, "Did you just enter the palace yesterday? Which master do you think we can question at will? If they don't reveal any clues, what grounds do you have to investigate?" Saying this, he closed the document and leaned back against the chair, "As for the Empress, she truly is quite indifferent to affairs. In the inner palace, she is the one in charge, yet when something goes wrong, she becomes a hands-off manager. If she doesn't speak up, who dares to investigate further? Let alone the young masters, even the more respectable palace maids and eunuchs are not in a position for us to inquire, are they?"

The high eunuch wanted to press further, but as soon as the word "that" left his lips, he was interrupted by Chang Manshou, who said, "Enough, enough, just put on a show. You should consider whether she has the strength to kill anyone. With this energy spent on questioning the captain, it would be better to investigate those masters; it might actually be useful."

Thus, I recalled that this fat person before me was Chang Manshou. The last time she asked for money, she said she would help her with the Shenching Division, but she declined. Why is she now voluntarily arranging things for her? Coupled with the lucrative position on the side of Lord Cheng'en, I felt puzzled internally, yet I feigned indifference on my face, saying, "Thank you for taking care of me like this, I am grateful to you"

The chief eunuch pursed his lips and asked, "Did you see her the day before the incident? Did you speak to her?"

The person behind shot a knowing glance at the fat man and laughed, "Sure enough, the young lady is blessed with good fortune! With Prince Rui looking after her in the palace and Chief Steward Chang Er providing protection here, even if I were to ask questions, I would have to keep them simple.

Since I entered the palace, I have not left the Shangi Bureau. First, I learned the rules, and later I stayed on as an assistant to the matron, rarely moving about the six palaces.

She wanted to leave, but could not find a way to interject, so she could only stand there and listen to them recounting past events. They spoke of how much trouble the two had caused in Changchun Garden, how the Emperor Taishang had climbed over the wall into the Empress Dowager's courtyard, and how he had left her in a daze.

How many palace maids lived in their tatami room

Thus, after gathering her thoughts, she answered. At the moment when the Chief Eunuch Gao was recording, she heard Chang Manshou beside her cracking melon seeds, the sound of "ka-cha ka-cha" continuous and unending. Previously, she had always thought that the Department of Punishments was a terrifying place, where the officials were all ruthless characters trained in the art of punishment, ready to administer the board for the slightest mistake. Unexpectedly, upon her arrival, it was nothing like that; it must be due to the influence of Chang Manshou. There was not a single subordinate present, and in the vast prison, only one person in charge remained.

The high eunuch raised his hand and said, "No need to be polite. The second steward and I have been childhood friends, having shared the same pair of shorts since we were young. Now we are also brothers in hardship, and I must take care of those he entrusted to me." He adjusted his expression, opened the white fold, dipped his brush in ink, cleared his throat to follow the procedure, and asked, "What is your name, how old are you, and where are you from?"

As for the fortunate body path, according to the words of Huian, she was selected as a palace maid last September. Initially, she worked in the cleaning department doing minor tasks, and it was not until October 22 that she entered the Department of Ceremonial and was assigned to my service. It is said that she is young and has a childlike disposition, occasionally being mischievous and not always obedient, but there are no major faults. She gets along well with her peers who are learning the rules together and should have no conflicts with others.

She is not particularly interested in their topic; whether the emperor is cold or warm has little to do with her. She is still pondering over this incident. It seems that the palace did not call for an investigation, which also carries a hint of evasion. Summoning her was merely a formality; once the questions were asked, there was nothing more to discuss.

She felt quite nervous, as she knew some inside information but could not disclose it, which made her lose confidence. If she were still in the dark like before, she could remain unshaken. However, the situation was entirely different now; upon careful reflection, the court was indeed very treacherous. The rivalry among women was exceedingly fierce, driven by the desire for supremacy and the elimination of rivals. Outside the palace, family members on both sides were vying against each other, while inside the palace, every possible scheme was employed to frame and harm the children, showing no fear of being ruthless.

Upon entering the Hall of Caution, the space is not particularly large, but the instruments of punishment on both sides are truly terrifying. Heavy shackles, finger clamps, beating sticks, and iron chains. There are also the implements for administering punishment in the inner court, such as the thick canes and wide spring benches! If one were to be subjected to a thorough beating with these, survival would likely be difficult.

"That's wrong, what I meant by lantern is the crab, the two-clawed kind. The male doesn't taste as good as the female; the female is tender, the shell doesn't prick the mouth, it's very fresh!" One person said while chuckling, "It's just like with people, those scruffy old men are disgusting! Just look at the seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls, so fresh and lively. It's the same with people and crabs; no matter how far the male goes, it can't compare to the female's appeal." Just as he was speaking, he caught a glimpse of some movement at the door and exclaimed, "Here they come!"

The high eunuch glanced at Chang Manshou, whose face was full of smiles, and said, "I have never seen anyone like you. You certainly have a face that is blessed with fortune, and in the future, you will surely become very wealthy and prosperous"

Chang Manshou threw the melon seeds back into the fruit box, patted his hands to signal Su Yi, and smiled, "The task has arrived, young lady, come with me to receive the token and leave the palace!"

"Having never witnessed it before, it is as if the family lacks affection. Ever since I witnessed the passionate bond between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, it truly warms my heart. " Chang Manshou said, "The previous Emperor was a man of deep feelings; it was not easy to establish this great British empire. Before reaching the age of knowing one's destiny, he abdicated early and went into seclusion with the Empress Dowager at Changchun Garden to live as immortals"

She took a deep breath, feeling apprehensive yet knowing it was not her concern, and there was no need to feel guilty. Stepping into the main hall, she expected to see officials standing on either side like in a courtroom, but to her surprise, there were none. Two people were conversing at the table, one facing outward and the other with their back to the entrance, happily discussing food.

In the palace, while there are certainly some virtuous concubines, they are few and far between. Although they do not speak openly, they harbor doubts in their hearts. As expected, rumors soon spread that Concubine Yi had experienced a miscarriage, nearly losing the young prince. The situation clearly indicates that someone is up to no good! However, whether it was someone else's interference or a scheme devised by Concubine Yi herself remains known only to her. In any case, Cui'er died under mysterious circumstances, in a lantern storage room that was completely unrelated to her. Then the palace began to investigate matters related to the Gu Huaxuan, with the royal heir being the primary focus. The Ministry of Justice sent people to search Cui'er's bed, but no valuable clues were found, and without any witnesses to the death, the matter was left ambiguous.