When they arrived at the Taiji Palace, they found no one was there. Neither Liu Wenan nor Luo Qingyan was there. The eunuch guarding at the door bowed to Yun Shang as soon as he saw her, "Your Majesty. Are your majesty here for his majesty? Just now, the people in the Taihe Palace came, and his majesty took Master Liu to the palace."
Yun Shang narrowed her eyes. The Taihe Palace? Did Xia Huanyu have something to discuss with Luo Qingyan?
Yun Shang guessed in her mind, but she still smiled gently, "Really? What a coincidence! I'm here to bring his majesty the ginger soup. In that case, please tell his majesty to go back to the Weiyang Palace for a drink."
After saying that, Yun Shang turned to Qian Zhuo and said, "Let's go back."
Qian Zhuo obeyed and followed Yun Shang behind. They turned around and walked towards Weiyang Palace along the way they came. Yun Shang kept thinking that if Xia Huanyu asked to see Luo Qingyan, there would be only a few possible things. First, he asked Luo Qingyan to choose a concubine for himself. Second, he asked Luo Qingyan something about Xia Houjing. Third, it might be about the Imperial Household Department.
However, none of these three things was a good thing.
Yun Shang frowned and gathered her cloak to stop the cold wind from blowing into her clothes.
When they returned to Weiyang Palace, Chen Ke and Qinghao were still standing at the gate of the Weiyang Palace. Both of them quickly bowed to Yun Shang.
When Yun Shang returned to the inner hall, she asked Qian Zhuo to heat up the ginger soup in the small kitchen. Then she took a book to read, but her face had not been relaxed. Seeing Qin Yi come in, Yun Shang raised her head, walked to the table, picked up a pen and wrote a line of words on the paper, and handed it to Qin Yi. After reading it, Qin Yinodded, threw the paper into the brazier and left.
Yun Shang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the fire suddenly sprang up and burned the paper to ashes.
"Your Majesty," Chen Ke's voice came from outside. Yun Shang walked to a chair and sat down. Then she took a book in hand and said loudly, "Come in."
Chen Ke lifted the bead curtain and walked in. He curtsied to Yun Shang in a hurry and said, "Your majesty, the guards in our palace have just arrived. They said that the servants in the Imperial Household Department have finished their interrogation and there is a lot of news to report to you."
Noticing that Chen Ke was looking at the brazier under Yun Shang's feet, Yun Shang frowned and nodded. "Okay, you can go out first. I'll be right there."
Chen Ke replied and left the room slowly. Yun Shang then looked at the fire basin at her feet. There was a piece of paper burning in it, and the ashes were not completely dispersed. One could tell at a glance that it was a piece of paper.
Yun Shang looked around and took out a plum blossom from the vase beside her. She stirred the paper ash in the stove so that no trace could be seen. Then she picked up the plum blossom again. When she was about to insert it into the vase, she saw that there was a mark of water soaked under the plum blossom. It was dark, as if it had been painted with ink. Yun Shang's eyes turned cold.
Footsteps came from outside. Yun Shang quickly put the plum blossom back into the vase, turned around and walked out.
A man in a guard's uniform stood in the main hall. Yun Shang walked to a chair and sat down before asking, "Don't make a salute. Tell me, what did you get?"
The guard answered in a hurry, took out a stack of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Yun Shang, "These are the testimony of the servants of the Imperial Household Department who signed and bet on it. Please have a look, your majesty."
Yun Shang took them over and read one by one. The corners of her mouth gradually curled up, and the coldness in her eyes became more and more intense, "I haven't expected that Li Fuhua has done so many unforgivable things in secret. I'd like to see how he can defend himself with so many witnesses? Let's go to the Neishi Bureau."
Yun Shang stood up, but she suddenly remembered that Qin Yi and Qian Zhuo had been assigned to do something else. After a moment's consideration, she raised her head and said to Chen Ke and Qinghao, "You two go with me."
Qing Hao was her person so she didn't need to worry about it. Although Chen Ke was sent by Xia Huanyu to keep an eye on her, he was very good at martial arts. Although Xia Huanyu hoped that Luo Qingyan could choose a concubine, he wouldn't harm her. As for Chen Ke, she was at least more relieved about him than others in the Weiyang Palace.
Chen Ke and Qinghao answered yes and followed Yun Shang to the Neishi Bureau.
The Neishi Bureau was a little far away from the Weiyang Palace, so Qinghao arranged a palanquin for Yun Shang. She got on it, and about half an hour later, they arrived at the door of the Neishi Bureau. Qi Ruihai seemed to have received the news a long time ago. He stood at the door of the Neishi Bureau and waited, "I'm here to see your majesty."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Rebirth of the Phoenix Princess