Not long after, momentous news spread from the palace.
Consort Chen, who had always been quiet and unobtrusive, like a lotus in the breeze, suddenly dressed elaborately one afternoon and played the guzheng in the imperial garden, a place the Emperor frequented.
It was heard that this melody was a favorite of the late Empress Xiaoxian, who had often conveyed her affections to the Emperor through the zither.
The Emperor paused to listen for a long time before leaving.
Although he did not utter a single word to Consort Chen, that evening he chose her name from the list of consorts and visited her palace, Ruhuai Palace.
Wang Qingyao and Xiao Yun were overjoyed upon hearing the news.
Wang Qingyao rubbed her hands together, "Tomorrow I will go to the palace to request an audience with Consort Chen and ask about the situation." She paused and then sighed, "Consort Chen is truly still a formidable force, hahaha!"
Xiao Yun chuckled along for a while, then a hint of melancholy appeared on his face, "I wonder... what did Empress Xiaoxian look like?"
Wang Qingyao froze for a moment before realizing that Empress Xiaoxian was Xiao Yun's birth mother.
Xiao Yun had never even met his own mother, which was truly pitiable.
"Empress Xiaoxian and Mother are sisters. They must have looked very alike, though I heard Empress Xiaoxian was even more beautiful and gentle. Imagine her..." She took Xiao Yun's hand and comforted him softly.
Xiao Yun pressed her hand to his cheek and said slowly, "We've discussed Empress Xiaoxian so many times, yet I never thought she would be my mother... The Emperor hasn't appointed a new Empress for so many years, I suppose he still cherishes his old feelings."
Wang Qingyao nodded in agreement, "Consort Chen has been loyal to her for over twenty years, which shows her outstanding character."
Xiao Yun sighed wistfully, "I really wish I could see what she looked like?"
There would be opportunities in the future.
The next day, as Wang Qingyao was preparing to enter the palace, an imperial decree suddenly arrived at the Ding'an Prince's mansion.
The Emperor reprimanded Xiao Yun for dereliction of duty in the Ministry of War and ordered that he was not to set foot in the imperial palace without an imperial summons. The Ding'an Princess Consort was also forbidden from entering the palace unless summoned.
Wang Qingyao was dumbfounded.
What did Xiao Yun's dereliction of duty have to do with him entering the palace?
What did she, the Ding'an Princess Consort, have to do with it?
Why was she also prohibited from entering the palace?
Wang Qingyao secretly cursed the Emperor in her heart, then she understood.
The message Consort Chen had conveyed to the Emperor had angered him!
Good heavens, would the Emperor take his anger out on Consort Chen because of this?
Wang Qingyao could not enter the palace now and it was inconvenient to inquire about news.
Although Xiao Yun had some connections in the palace, he had just been reprimanded by the Emperor, so it was not convenient to summon him home at this time.
Having already been accused of dereliction of duty, he could not afford to be absent without leave again.
Wang Qingyao thought for a moment and went to the Duke of Zhongyong's mansion to find Zuo Yun, asking Zuo Yun to help her enter the palace to see Consort Chen and check if she was alright.
Zuo Yun agreed, and Wang Qingyao simply stayed, waiting for her return at the Duke of Zhongyong's mansion.
Noble ladies outside the palace wishing to seek an audience had to first submit a request to the palace. Only after it was approved could they enter.
This back-and-forth process took time, and by the time Zuo Yun returned, it was already evening.
"How was it?" Wang Qingyao asked eagerly.
Zuo Yun took a sip of tea and said, "Consort Chen is fine. I heard she has recently regained favor, and the Emperor has bestowed many gifts upon her. When I arrived, her palace was quite lively."
Wang Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed the Emperor had not taken his anger out on Consort Chen.
He was purely warning Xiao Yun not to inquire further into the matter behind the curse.
Wang Qingyao was a little confused. If the Emperor wanted to protect Xiao Yun, why wouldn't he tell them who was behind it?
Even three ordinary people working together could come up with better ideas than a genius.
Let's all brainstorm together!
Xiao Yun arrived home before Wang Qingyao. He already knew about the imperial decree and seemed unconcerned.
Wang Qingyao told him about asking Zuo Yun to enter the palace to gather information.
Xiao Yun nodded, "It's as I thought. The Emperor's order for me not to enter the palace is partly to protect me, and partly to prevent us from investigating this matter further."
Wang Qingyao looked surprised, but upon reflection, wasn't that exactly the case?
"Did you find out anything about Shunfeng?" she asked.
Xiao Yun's handsome brows furrowed tightly. "I had people investigate. Shunfeng is an orphan."
"An orphan?!" Wang Qingyao's voice rose involuntarily, "He's an orphan without parents. He was adopted by Eunuch Changshou from a young age. He wasn't originally intended to be sent to the palace, but then an unfortunate accident happened, Shunfeng's... was castrated. Eunuch Changshou then asked the Empress Dowager to intervene and get him into the palace, specifically to serve the Emperor."
If Shunfeng was an orphan, then how could it be such a coincidence that the eunuch who visited the old prince twenty years ago looked so much like him? And how could it be such a coincidence that he was adopted by Eunuch Changshou, who supplied the Green Demon Poison?
Everything was too coincidental.
Xiao Yun added, "I also found out something else. The day the Emperor sent Shunfeng to the Prince's mansion to offer condolences after you were frightened, they encountered assassins on their way back!"
"Ah!?" Wang Qingyao was shocked.
Why would a group of eunuchs encounter assassins?
"However, they were protected by the Imperial Guards, so nothing happened. The assassins fought and left. They suffered no losses and no casualties."
Wang Qingyao: "..."
The matter was becoming more and more perplexing.