“Hmm,” Cui’er nodded. Seeing her mistress awake, her heart felt anchored, and she was no longer afraid.
It had always been this way. Her own courage was very small, but her mistress’s was great. In times like these, her mistress always protected her. Thinking of the Empress’s nightmare, she quickly asked with concern, “Your Highness, did you have a nightmare just now?”
“Hmm,” Liu Liu nodded, reaching up to gently wipe the sweat from her brow. She calmly said, “I actually dreamt of Qiao’er. She came to bid me farewell, telling me to be careful, saying someone in the palace wanted to harm me. She kept apologizing, saying she was sorry. Cui’er, do you know how much my heart aches? I don’t blame her at all. She was too young, such a little child, yet she suffered such a cruel fate. If I had known, I would never have let her enter the palace.”
“Yes,” Cui’er sobbed quietly upon hearing her mistress’s words. As she cried, Liu Liu also shed tears of sorrow. Mistress and servant wept together. Outside the window, rain beat against the glazed tiles; inside, two people were sadly heartbroken. The night carried a hint of desolation and fragility.
As dawn broke, Liu Liu and Cui’er slept close together. It was only when soft calls sounded in their ears that they opened their eyes. They saw Cai Xia and Ming Yue standing on either side of the bed, softly calling out to them. Cui’er rubbed her eyes, still a bit disoriented, and asked Cai Xia curiously, “Is something wrong?”
“Steward Jiang has been waiting in the main hall since early this morning. This servant saw that Your Highness and Sister Cui’er were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
Cai Xia knew that her mistress and Cui’er must have been overcome with grief last night. They had fallen asleep talking, and their slightly red eyes were proof of it.
After all, Qiao’er had entered the palace with them, and their bond was no less than that of sisters. Now that Qiao’er had met with misfortune, it was natural for the Empress and Cui’er to be heartbroken.
Upon hearing Cai Xia’s words, Liu Liu quickly sat up from the bed, lightly chiding with urgency, “Why didn’t you wake me?”
Hearing the noise from inside, Cui’er turned her head. Seeing that she and her mistress were squeezed together, she was so surprised that she rolled off the bed and onto the ground. After stammering for a long time, she managed to say, “Your Highness, this servant deserves death. How did I end up sleeping in Your Highness’s bed?”
Liu Liu glanced at her sideways, snorting. This girl was good at pretending now. Wasn’t she the one who used to squeeze into her bed whenever there was thunder and lightning when they were at the Liu Manor?
Now she was acting so proper. However, Liu Liu couldn’t be bothered to deal with her. She simply raised her eyebrows and spoke with urgency.
“Get up. Help me get ready. Go and see how Steward Jiang’s investigation is progressing. If that person isn’t found, I fear that those around me will continue to suffer misfortune. Therefore, this matter must be investigated thoroughly. Once found, they will not be pardoned lightly.”
“Yes,” Cui’er quickly got up and attended to her mistress. She was also anxious to find out who had been so audacious as to kill their mistress.
In the main hall of Weiyang Palace, Jiang Cheng was sitting and drinking tea. When he looked up and saw the Empress walking out, his eyes a little red, his heart trembled.
He hadn’t expected the Empress to be such a sentimental person. This was not a good thing in the palace, but it made her seem even more human. He respectfully stepped forward, “Your slave greets Your Highness.”
“Steward Jiang, please sit. I heard you arrived early this morning. You’ve worked hard. How is Xiao Yun’s situation progressing?” Liu Liu asked softly as she walked towards the high seat.
She treated Jiang Cheng like family. Although he was a eunuch, he had always taken care of her, and she couldn’t understand why he was so dedicated to looking after her.
She had asked everyone around her, and no one mentioned entrusting Jiang Cheng with her care. Moreover, everyone knew that Jiang Cheng had a somewhat peculiar personality and wasn’t someone who could be easily manipulated.
Since he had followed the Emperor since the Emperor was very young, their bond was extremely deep. Even the Empress Dowager treated him with courtesy.
Jiang Cheng thanked the Empress and walked to the side, waiting for her to be seated before he slowly sat down and lowered his head.
“Last night, this slave investigated all night and has found out. Recently, Xiao Yun has been close to three people: one is the murdered maid Qiao’er from Your Highness’s palace, another is a maid named Suo’er from Guangyang Palace, and the third is Xiao Ju from the Imperial Kitchen. Now, two of them are dead, leaving only Xiao Ju and that Suo’er. Your Highness, what do you think we should do next?”
Jiang Cheng requested instructions from Liu Liu. It was clear that someone from Guangyang Palace was trying to trouble the Empress. She hadn’t expected so many things to be uncovered. Liu Liu’s fair complexion instantly turned somber and cold. She waved her hand, her voice crisp and clear, “Immediately go to Guangyang Palace and the Imperial Kitchen and bring those two maids here. I will personally interrogate these two maids.”
Upon hearing the Empress’s words, Jiang Cheng immediately stood up, “Your slave will attend to it now.”
He turned to leave. Liu Liu watched Jiang Cheng’s somewhat awkward figure. Although Jiang Cheng knew martial arts, he was, after all, an elder. It was better to be careful. With that thought, Liu Liu quickly called out, “Steward Jiang?”
Jiang Cheng stopped and looked back. Liu Liu smiled faintly and instructed, “You be careful too.”
“Your slave will be careful, Your Highness, please rest assured,” Jiang Cheng said before striding out of the hall.
Meanwhile, Cui’er and Cai Xia took advantage of the break to bring the morning meal and served their mistress. They then quickly cleared it away. Jiang Cheng had already brought the people.
Suo’er from Guangyang Palace and Xiao Ju from the Imperial Kitchen stood nervously in the magnificent hall. They secretly glanced at the Empress seated on the throne, her aura chilling, a faint, cold smile playing on her lips.
That smile, however, was as thin and chilling as the lake water in February, freezing to the bone.
“Your slaves greet Her Highness the Empress.”
The two maids knelt in the hall. Liu Liu stared coldly at them, scanning from one face to another, then back again.
The complexions of both maids were somewhat pale. They dared not utter a sound, only lowering their heads to gaze at the polished floor tiles, awaiting the Empress’s judgment.
“Speak. Where were you the night before last? Tell me everything truthfully. I will send someone to verify it immediately. If you dare to lie, do not blame me for being ruthless. I will have you beaten to death.”
The two maids trembled at these words, neither daring to speak first. Liu Liu swept a cold glance at Xiao Ju from the Imperial Kitchen. This girl was clearly excessively frightened.
Could she be the one who killed Xiao Yun? Her eyes narrowed dangerously, her lips curving into a murderous intent. “Xiao Ju, speak. Where were you the night before last? And where were you last night?”
“Your slave, your slave?” Xiao Ju’s face turned from pale to paler. Her body trembled, and after stammering for a while, she finally said, “Your slave was sleeping.”
Xiao Ju uttered this, and then nothing more could be said. She began to cry.
Liu Liu’s face was grim. She didn’t say a word. She wouldn’t pity a murderer casually. One of these two people was the killer of Xiao Yun, and Xiao Yun was clearly the killer of Qiao’er.
“Good. You will be responsible for what you say. If it is found that you were not sleeping?” Liu Liu did not finish her sentence, because no matter who it was, they knew exactly what the Empress meant.
Upon hearing the Empress’s words, Xiao Ju cried even louder. The chief eunuch, Jiang Cheng, who stood behind her, angrily reprimanded, “Why are you crying? If this old eunuch finds out you have lied to Her Highness the Empress, see how this old eunuch punishes you.”
Xiao Ju, already terrified, was further startled by Steward Jiang. She began kowtowing frantically, repeatedly begging, “Please, Your Highness, spare this slave’s life. The night before last and last night, I was with Xiao Dezi from the Imperial Kitchen. Your Highness can go and investigate. This slave is not lying this time. Please spare this slave, Your Highness. This slave deserves to die for having clandestine meetings with eunuchs in the inner palace. Please spare this slave this once, and this slave will never dare again.”