"Enough harsh words have been spoken. It's best not to say them again; they're meaningless."
Shen Qingqing wasn't afraid.
The King was so enraged he wished he could have her dragged away and killed on the spot. He used great effort to suppress his anger and asked, "Then tell me, what do we do now!"
Shen Qingqing said calmly, "Let's check the surveillance first, see if we can find the person who delivered the package."
"Why didn't you say so earlier!" The King picked on her again.
Shen Qingqing ignored him.
She should have thought of it earlier, but the guard had said he saw no one. She had a preconceived notion and believed there was indeed no one.
She was mainly influenced by that finger.
After all, it was a part of a living person, and this person was someone she knew.
Pei Lie said in a hoarse voice, "I'll have someone investigate."
Before long, the person Pei Lie sent back returned with good news.
"The surveillance did show a cleaner appearing in the bushes. Only this cleaner. Soon after she appeared, we found the package in the bushes. I've already sent people to find all the cleaners in the palace."
Less than ten minutes after he said this, all the cleaners had arrived.
The guard counted them and immediately said, "The number is incorrect."
Everyone was startled.
"One person is missing," the guard, responsible for the palace's security and personnel movement, knew the exact number of cleaners.
No one would question his words.
Shen Qingqing immediately said, "Then quickly identify who is missing."
The guard only knew the numbers, but he wasn't very familiar with the faces of these cleaners. This required asking the palace steward.
He said with some difficulty, "But the steward is not in the palace today."
"I sent him out to handle something," the King's voice carried a hint of guilt.
"Even if it's the steward, he wouldn't be familiar with all the cleaners' faces," Shen Qingqing mused. "There must be some kind of personnel roster."
Pei Lie suddenly stood up, "I'll go to the steward's room myself to look for it!"
If he went himself, he would definitely find the roster.
Now, he no longer trusted others and was even less willing to entrust this matter to anyone else.
After Pei Lie left, less than five minutes passed before a guard was sent back.
"Please come with me."
"What do you mean?" Shen Qingqing asked.
"His Highness says something has happened and asks everyone to follow me to the cleaners' room." The guard glanced at the Queen, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. "You shouldn't go. His Highness said you are not to come."
"Why can't I go?"
How could the Queen not go when it concerned her son? Especially with the guard's words, her imagination ran wild, and she began to overthink.
"I'm going with you."
The King advised, "You should go back to your room and rest. You've been worried about Pei Ji and are in low spirits. If this continues, your body won't be able to take it."
"No," the Queen insisted.
"Mother, you are the pillar of strength for all of us now. We must protect you," Pei Xing also tried to persuade her.
But no matter what the father and son said, the Queen refused to agree.
Finally, Shen Qingqing said, "If you want to go, then go. Why so many reservations?"
"You!"
The King glared at her fiercely.
Shen Qingqing said calmly, "You think by not letting her go, you are protecting her, but have you considered that by not letting her know the truth, she will suffer even more?"
The Queen nodded deeply, "Let me go. It's my son who is in trouble. I have the right to know anything related to him."
She looked at Pei Xing and the King, the clear depths of her eyes tinged with red, as if ready to bleed.
She took a deep breath, "I must go."
The King and Pei Xing had no choice but to agree.
So, a group of people, in a mighty procession, followed the guard to the cleaners' living quarters. The cleaners all lived on the first floor, and at the end of the corridor on the first floor were the servant rooms.
The cleaners, along with the steward, lived here.
At this moment, the steward stood at the door of a room, his face looking grim. "The person is dead."
When everyone reached the door, they saw the situation inside. A woman lay on the bed, wearing a cleaner's uniform, with blood at the corner of her mouth.
Her expression was contorted in pain.
It looked very gruesome.
The Queen glanced away after a single look, unable to bear it any longer. "How did she die?"
The steward said, "Poison."
Before they arrived, the steward had entered and briefly examined the scene but had not disturbed it or touched the body.
Indignation flashed in the Queen's eyes, "It must be Pei Xi."
He used this cleaner to deliver a message, and after it was delivered, she was no longer useful, so he killed her. But there was still a question.
"How did he do it?"
Everyone looked at each other, their expressions filled with deep suspicion.
The palace was currently under guard by many sentries. How did Pei Xi get in? And since it was the cleaner who placed it, why would she leave it outside instead of bringing it in?
The steward said gravely, "Everyone who enters and exits is searched. She couldn't have brought it in."
This explained one point, leaving only the first question.
The steward also gave everyone an answer, "He couldn't get in. I've checked. There are no signs of forced entry in this room, and she showed no signs of struggle. Judging by the cleanliness of the bed and her clothes, it's basically certain she committed suicide."
No one doubted Pei Xi's ability to do this.
He must have had something on this cleaner and threatened her into helping, then she committed suicide.
At this point, Shen Qingqing could basically guess what had happened. "It was probably a threat against her family. Those who are willing to give their lives are usually doing it for their family."
Silence spread through the air.
Pei Lie's face was expressionless, but his eyes held a sharp coldness. "He's truly detestable. Pei Xi, I will never forgive him, even if it costs me my life!"
Pei Xing also said coldly, "And me."
"Let's check her family," Shen Qingqing looked at the woman on the bed and happened to see her fingertips curled on the quilt. She walked over and gently pried them open, only to see a photograph lying in the woman's palm.
The photograph showed a child, no more than six years old.
She suddenly thought of Xixi and Chenchen. As a mother, her heartstrings were tugged. She took out the photo and smoothed out the creases.
"If this child can be found, protect him."
"Yes."
The steward immediately went to do it without a word.
Afterward, Pei Lie had the cleaner buried, and then everyone returned to the living room. Shen Qingqing put the photograph into her pocket.
He said in a low voice, "I will do my best to protect this child."
Shen Qingqing hummed, but she seemed distracted. She checked the time. "Let's wait. We'll wait for Pei Xi to send us a message."
Although everyone was anxious, they had no choice but to wait.
The waiting time was destined to be long. They all had a restless night. By the next morning, as Shen Qingqing came downstairs, she saw everyone already up and sitting in the living room.
She paused, looked at Fu Jingshu, and they went downstairs together.
As soon as she stepped off the last step, the phone rang.