"Second Princess is here?" The Crown Prince pointed to the empty seat beside him, "Please, have a seat."
The Second Princess stole a glance at Consort Xian and Ying Wang. Seeing that they remained silent, she sat down with a puzzled expression. Just as she sat down, a mosquito flew towards her face, and she quickly waved it away with her fan.
"Crown Prince, since this is a misunderstanding, let's clear it up," although Consort Xian didn't particularly like Fushou Junzhu, Fushou Junzhu was her son's savior. If the Crown Prince and Fushou Junzhu were to develop any animosity over this matter, she would feel uncomfortable for the rest of her life.
"Consort Xian, there's no need to worry. Gu holds Fushou Junzhu dear to Gu's heart. Gu would never have any misunderstandings with her over a trivial matter," the Crown Prince had eunuchs fanning him and holding incense, so he had not been bothered by mosquitoes. His gaze swept over the Second Princess, and the jade beads in his hand emitted a soft sound as he twisted them.
"Crown Prince, these jade beads are exquisitely crafted," the suffocating atmosphere made the Second Princess uncomfortable, so she took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Gu also thinks so," the Crown Prince curved his lips, "They were a gift from Fushou Junzhu."
The Second Princess forced a dry laugh, pretending not to notice the Crown Prince's deliberate display of affection.
The awkward atmosphere lingered until the voice of Fushou Junzhu reached them.
"Greetings to the Crown Prince, Consort Xian, Ying Wang, and Second Princess."
"Liuli, come here," the Crown Prince beckoned for Hua Liuli to sit next to him. After she sat down, she took out a sachet from her waist, "The eunuch who called for me said that Your Royal Highness was enjoying the moon by the lotus pond. I thought there would be many mosquitoes there, so I brought two mosquito-repellent sachets."
"One for each of us," Hua Liuli tied the sachet she had taken off to the Crown Prince's waist and turned her head to apologize to the others with a smile, "I'm sorry. I thought only the Crown Prince would be here, so I didn't bring any for you."
Without waiting for others to speak, the Crown Prince spoke first, "It's alright. They don't mind, right?"
Consort Xian and the others could only nod. You are the Crown Prince, and we can't afford to offend you, so whatever you say is right.
"These sachets that Junzhu brought are so good. In just a short while, the mosquitoes are gone, and even we servants get to enjoy the benefits," the eunuchs from the Eastern Palace vehemently praised, as though the mosquito-repellent sachets brought by Hua Liuli were not ordinary items, but something extraordinary.
Seeing the flattery from the eunuchs of the Eastern Palace, Prince Ying wanted to mock them, but since they were praising Fushou Junzhu, he swallowed his words.
After a few more words of flattery, the eunuchs from the Eastern Palace recounted the incident to Hua Liuli.
"In these past few days, Gu also took some gemstones from Father Emperor's private treasury and combined them with the ones sent by Eldest Brother. Gu chose the gemstones with the best color and made them into jewelry, which Gu sent to you," the Crown Prince held Hua Liuli's hand, "This matter has nothing to do with you. It's just some nosy people spreading rumors."
"As long as Your Royal Highness believes in me, I won't care about the foolish words of others," the daughter of the Hua family knew when to let go of trivial matters.
"But there's something I don't understand," Hua Liuli turned her head to look at the Second Princess, "Apart from the Second Princess, who else knew that the coral hairpin I wore at the cherry blossom banquet was originally from Ying Wang?"
The Second Princess's expression changed rapidly, then she looked at her trusted palace maids behind her, "Which one of you leaked the information?"
The palace maids were frightened and turned pale. They all kneeled down. Apart from them, no one else knew about the gemstones that the Princess had given to Ying Wang. Now that such rumors were circulating in the palace, besides them, who else could be more suspicious?
"This matter concerns the marriage of the Crown Prince. How dare you play such childish tricks!" The Second Princess was trembling with anger, "Since none of you are willing to speak, then all of you will be punished. I don't need palace maids like you."
Hua Liuli glanced at the Second Princess's expression. Her anger didn't seem feigned.
The palace maids begged for forgiveness together, kowtowing and bowing, creating quite a scene.
Seeing that the Princess was unwilling to speak, a palace maid, with a determined heart, bit her teeth, pointed at another palace maid, and said, "Please, Your Highness, forgive this servant. A few days ago, this servant discovered that she sneaked out of her chambers in the middle of the night."
The accused palace maid was wearing a green dress. After being pointed out, she appeared somewhat flustered and quickly made excuses.
"You don't need to defend yourself. On that night, I noticed something strange about you, so I didn't drink the water you brought," the accusing palace maid said, "The others who drank the water slept soundly that night, probably unaware that you sneaked out."
The palace maid in the green dress turned pale. She probably knew that she had been exposed and had no defense. Suddenly, she looked at the Second Princess and sneered, "Princess, are you angry because this servant spread rumors, or because this servant ruined your plan?"
"What are you talking about?" The Second Princess frowned at her, "You wretched servant, spreading false rumors and trying to bite me?"
"Princess, do you still remember Fusheng?" The palace maid in the green dress laughed, tears streaming down her face, "If it weren't for you, how could he have believed so firmly in the false identity he created for himself?"
Ying Wang and Consort Xian's expressions changed when they heard the name "Fusheng". This person was the crazy eunuch who claimed that Consort Xian was his birth mother.
"Nonsense!" The Second Princess pointed at the palace maid in the green dress, "Take her away and administer a caning punishment. I won't tolerate people spreading rumors and causing trouble in my presence."
"Wait," the Crown Prince stopped them from taking the palace maid in the green dress away, "Gu enjoys listening to stories. Please, continue."
"Crown Prince, after this servant entered the palace not long ago, this servant met Fusheng. However, since Fusheng was not favored by the senior eunuch, he didn't allow me to show any signs of our acquaintance," the palace maid in the green dress sobbed, tears flowing like rain, "After he started serving Ying Wang, his life gradually improved compared to others. But two years ago, he suddenly told me that he might be Consort Xian's child."
"This servant suspected foul play and advised him numerous times, but it wasn't until recently that he told me that he is surely Consort Xian's son because all of this was told to him by the Second Princess," the palace maid in the green dress stared at the Second Princess, "All these years, Fusheng and this servant relied on each other for survival, and we even planned to request the Princess to allow us to be together after her marriage. But all of this was ruined by the Second Princess!"
"Ridiculous!" The Second Princess laughed mockingly, "I deceived him by saying that he was Consort Xian's son? What benefit would I gain from that? Everyone in the palace knows that Consort Xian has shown me maternal affection, and our relationship is like mother and child."
"That's what this servant believed too," the palace maid in the green dress said with a crazy smile of revenge, "But you have forgotten that this servant is your personal palace maid. Your every word and action are seen by this servant. Perhaps you don't know that on the night before the cherry blossom banquet, you laughed in your sleep and spoke words about seeking revenge for your mother and yourself."
"You don't treat Consort Xian as a mother figure; you clearly wish for her death!"
Hua Liuli was stunned by this palace intrigue drama. She suddenly felt a bit regretful and thought she should have brought some snacks with her. It would have been more appropriate to eat while watching.
"Do you want some?" The Crown Prince seemed to guess her thoughts and handed her a bag of pine nut candies.
Hua Liuli fed one to the Crown Prince and ate one herself. Seeing that the people who had been emotionally charged a moment ago were now looking in their direction, she smiled gently, "Please continue. Don't mind us."
The palace maid in the green dress paused her sobbing, then she wiped away her tears before continuing, "The true mastermind behind all this is not Fusheng, but her!"
She pointed her finger at the Second Princess.
Rather than getting angry at being accused by the palace maid, the Second Princess raised an eyebrow and retorted, "This is merely your word against mine, baseless accusations. In the end, you're just trying to shift blame onto me because I refuse to protect you."
"You intentionally spread rumors that would cause discord between the Crown Prince and Fushou Junzhu. What is your motive?" The Second Princess, usually mild and easy to get along with, displayed a touch of dignity when she became angry.
"The Crown Prince has a good relationship with Fushou Junzhu? Aren't you the one who most wants to create discord between them?" The palace maid burst into laughter, "You hate this servant so much simply because this servant released the rumors prematurely, exposing your actions and causing the Crown Prince to suspect you."
"Arguing won't solve anything," the Crown Prince looked at Consort Xian, "Consort Xian, send someone to inspect the Second Princess's chambers and check if there's anything suspicious inside. This will also prove the Second Princess's innocence."
"Princess, please don't worry. The Crown Prince believes in you," Hua Liuli said to the Second Princess, "Tonight, with so many palace members gathered here, if we can't investigate the matter clearly, it would tarnish your reputation."
Consort Xian listened to everything with confusion. When the Crown Prince told her to send someone to search the Second Princess's chambers, she acted without hesitation according to his instructions.
After giving the order, she regretted it a little. As the esteemed Consort Xian, why should she follow the instructions of her younger generation?
"Second Princess and Consort Xian have a mother-daughter relationship. If others search your palace, it wouldn't be appropriate," Hua Liuli continued to smile, "But it's appropriate for the wise and experienced Consort Xian to do so. It shows how considerate the Crown Prince is toward you."
The Second Princess sneered inwardly. If he truly was considerate, why would he send people to search her chambers?
"The female attendants around Consort Xian are like fairies, and they shouldn't be overworked," Hua Liuli pointed at Yuan Yi and Yurong, "These two maids with me grew up on the border and have no other outstanding qualities, but they are strong. Let them go with you and lend a hand."
Consort Xian sensed something amiss from the Crown Prince's expression and nodded in agreement.
"Speaking of the day in the Imperial Garden, although I didn't have a private meeting with Ying Wang, I did see the Second Princess," Hua Liuli smiled and winked at the Second Princess, "Princess, it seems that you have a habit of picking flowers with your left hand. Are you left-handed?"
The Second Princess hid her hand in her sleeve, "I don't know what you mean by asking this, Fushou Junzhu."
Consort Xian slapped her thigh excitedly, "Her mother was left-handed. However, this girl has always used her right hand to eat and write. She doesn't seem to be left-handed."
"Perhaps when the Princess was young, she saw everyone around her using their right hand and secretly corrected this habit," Hua Liuli glanced at the Second Princess, whose expression was unclear, "But habits in one's bones cannot be changed, so sometimes they subconsciously reveal themselves."
"Am I right, Second Princess?"
"I don't understand what Junzhu is talking about," the Second Princess remained composed and silent. There was no sign of fear on her face; she seemed confident that she hadn't done anything wrong and had nothing to be guilty of.
Inside the Second Princess's chamber, the female attendants around Consort Xian didn't find anything suspicious. As they were about to leave, they noticed Fushou Junzhu's maids, Yuan Yi and Yurong, fidgeting and touching things here and there. Surprisingly, they discovered several problematic hairpins and other seemingly suspicious items.
They were preparing to step forward and help carry the items when the two maids effortlessly lifted them up with one hand, leaving the other attendants who had intended to offer assistance speechless.
Yuan Yi and Yurong placed the items they had found in front of everyone.
"Crown Prince, there's an empty space at the bottom of this bottle. I suspect something is hidden inside," Yuan Yi said, then used her bare hand to strike the bottle, causing it to shatter into two halves. A yellowed letter fell out.
"This hairpin feels heavier than usual," Yurong broke a gold hairpin with her hand, revealing white powder inside.
The imposing manner of the two maids left everyone momentarily speechless. They silently watched as the maids broke palace bricks with their bare hands and effortlessly opened gold ingots, revealing various objects hidden inside.
After dismantling everything, Yuan Yi and Yurong noticed that no one was speaking and explained, "Since childhood, the two of us have followed General Wei in battles. In order to prevent enemy forces from infiltrating the city, we developed a habit of searching for suspicious items."
The Second Princess had indeed concealed the items in a very discreet manner, but for them, who had been tested over time, it was nothing.
For a princess with a noble status to secretly hoard these things was already strange behavior.
Among these items were some left by her biological mother, as well as some notes of unknown origin with ordinary content.
Descriptions of clothing colors, a few unspecified gemstones, and so on.
The Second Princess gently collected the items left by her deceased mother, her voice trembling slightly. "Can't I keep some mementos of my late mother with me as a remembrance?"
"If you want to keep them, why act secretly?" Consort Xian couldn't help but speak up, "Do you think I would intentionally treat you poorly because of these items?"
She had her own son. She took the responsibility to raise the Second Princess simply because she pitied this child who lost her mother at an early age. As for whether she missed her biological mother, Consort Xian had never paid much attention to it.
After all, the Second Princess wasn't her own child, so why should she care so much?
The Second Princess gently touched a yellowed handkerchief, "Didn't Consort Xian once tell the palace maids around me not to let me see anything related to my late mother?"
Consort Xian carefully recalled and after a long pause, she said, "But that was when you fell ill at the age of seven."
The Second Princess fell silent.
"I was afraid that if you, at such a young age, heard nonsensical rumors from people around you, it would give rise to negative thoughts and worsen your condition," Consort Xian said, never expecting that a casual remark would be held against her for so long. She couldn't help but complain, "After all, you're not my own flesh and blood."
"These seem to be coded messages," Hua Liuli picked up the scraps of paper, most of which contained only a few words, "Princess, I saw someone at the Ministry of Justice who could write with both hands simultaneously. Does the Princess use her left hand for writing?"
The Second Princess met Hua Liuli's gaze and smiled, "Junzhu, you really have a great sense of humor. Those who can serve at the Ministry of Justice are all extraordinarily talented. How could I write with my left hand?"
"Whether you can or not is not important," Hua Liuli collected all the paper scraps, "Would Second Princess cooperate with me in a little game?"
"What game?" The Second Princess remained silent, but Consort Xian became a bit curious.
The Crown Prince chuckled and remained silent, seemingly deciding to let Hua Liuli take charge of the situation.
"Fishing."
Hua Liuli covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed lightly, "Although I was born weak, I have learned the art of fishing."
Consort Xian was puzzled. Was fishing considered a remarkable skill? As long as you had a fishing rod and bait, anyone could do it, right?
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: I understand every word you're saying, but why don't I quite get it?
"Second Princess is here?" The Crown Prince pointed to the empty seat beside him, "Please, have a seat."
The Second Princess stole a glance at Consort Xian and Ying Wang. Seeing that they remained silent, she sat down with a puzzled expression. Just as she sat down, a mosquito flew towards her face, and she quickly waved it away with her fan.
"Crown Prince, since this is a misunderstanding, let's clear it up," although Consort Xian didn't particularly like Fushou Junzhu, Fushou Junzhu was her son's savior. If the Crown Prince and Fushou Junzhu were to develop any animosity over this matter, she would feel uncomfortable for the rest of her life.
"Consort Xian, there's no need to worry. Gu holds Fushou Junzhu dear to Gu's heart. Gu would never have any misunderstandings with her over a trivial matter," the Crown Prince had eunuchs fanning him and holding incense, so he had not been bothered by mosquitoes. His gaze swept over the Second Princess, and the jade beads in his hand emitted a soft sound as he twisted them.
"Crown Prince, these jade beads are exquisitely crafted," the suffocating atmosphere made the Second Princess uncomfortable, so she took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Gu also thinks so," the Crown Prince curved his lips, "They were a gift from Fushou Junzhu."
The Second Princess forced a dry laugh, pretending not to notice the Crown Prince's deliberate display of affection.
The awkward atmosphere lingered until the voice of Fushou Junzhu reached them.
"Greetings to the Crown Prince, Consort Xian, Ying Wang, and Second Princess."
"Liuli, come here," the Crown Prince beckoned for Hua Liuli to sit next to him. After she sat down, she took out a sachet from her waist, "The eunuch who called for me said that Your Royal Highness was enjoying the moon by the lotus pond. I thought there would be many mosquitoes there, so I brought two mosquito-repellent sachets."
"One for each of us," Hua Liuli tied the sachet she had taken off to the Crown Prince's waist and turned her head to apologize to the others with a smile, "I'm sorry. I thought only the Crown Prince would be here, so I didn't bring any for you."
Without waiting for others to speak, the Crown Prince spoke first, "It's alright. They don't mind, right?"
Consort Xian and the others could only nod. You are the Crown Prince, and we can't afford to offend you, so whatever you say is right.
"These sachets that Junzhu brought are so good. In just a short while, the mosquitoes are gone, and even we servants get to enjoy the benefits," the eunuchs from the Eastern Palace vehemently praised, as though the mosquito-repellent sachets brought by Hua Liuli were not ordinary items, but something extraordinary.
Seeing the flattery from the eunuchs of the Eastern Palace, Prince Ying wanted to mock them, but since they were praising Fushou Junzhu, he swallowed his words.
After a few more words of flattery, the eunuchs from the Eastern Palace recounted the incident to Hua Liuli.
"In these past few days, Gu also took some gemstones from Father Emperor's private treasury and combined them with the ones sent by Eldest Brother. Gu chose the gemstones with the best color and made them into jewelry, which Gu sent to you," the Crown Prince held Hua Liuli's hand, "This matter has nothing to do with you. It's just some nosy people spreading rumors."
"As long as Your Royal Highness believes in me, I won't care about the foolish words of others," the daughter of the Hua family knew when to let go of trivial matters.
"But there's something I don't understand," Hua Liuli turned her head to look at the Second Princess, "Apart from the Second Princess, who else knew that the coral hairpin I wore at the cherry blossom banquet was originally from Ying Wang?"
The Second Princess's expression changed rapidly, then she looked at her trusted palace maids behind her, "Which one of you leaked the information?"
The palace maids were frightened and turned pale. They all kneeled down. Apart from them, no one else knew about the gemstones that the Princess had given to Ying Wang. Now that such rumors were circulating in the palace, besides them, who else could be more suspicious?
"This matter concerns the marriage of the Crown Prince. How dare you play such childish tricks!" The Second Princess was trembling with anger, "Since none of you are willing to speak, then all of you will be punished. I don't need palace maids like you."
Hua Liuli glanced at the Second Princess's expression. Her anger didn't seem feigned.
The palace maids begged for forgiveness together, kowtowing and bowing, creating quite a scene.
Seeing that the Princess was unwilling to speak, a palace maid, with a determined heart, bit her teeth, pointed at another palace maid, and said, "Please, Your Highness, forgive this servant. A few days ago, this servant discovered that she sneaked out of her chambers in the middle of the night."
The accused palace maid was wearing a green dress. After being pointed out, she appeared somewhat flustered and quickly made excuses.
"You don't need to defend yourself. On that night, I noticed something strange about you, so I didn't drink the water you brought," the accusing palace maid said, "The others who drank the water slept soundly that night, probably unaware that you sneaked out."
The palace maid in the green dress turned pale. She probably knew that she had been exposed and had no defense. Suddenly, she looked at the Second Princess and sneered, "Princess, are you angry because this servant spread rumors, or because this servant ruined your plan?"
"What are you talking about?" The Second Princess frowned at her, "You wretched servant, spreading false rumors and trying to bite me?"
"Princess, do you still remember Fusheng?" The palace maid in the green dress laughed, tears streaming down her face, "If it weren't for you, how could he have believed so firmly in the false identity he created for himself?"
Ying Wang and Consort Xian's expressions changed when they heard the name "Fusheng". This person was the crazy eunuch who claimed that Consort Xian was his birth mother.
"Nonsense!" The Second Princess pointed at the palace maid in the green dress, "Take her away and administer a caning punishment. I won't tolerate people spreading rumors and causing trouble in my presence."
"Wait," the Crown Prince stopped them from taking the palace maid in the green dress away, "Gu enjoys listening to stories. Please, continue."
"Crown Prince, after this servant entered the palace not long ago, this servant met Fusheng. However, since Fusheng was not favored by the senior eunuch, he didn't allow me to show any signs of our acquaintance," the palace maid in the green dress sobbed, tears flowing like rain, "After he started serving Ying Wang, his life gradually improved compared to others. But two years ago, he suddenly told me that he might be Consort Xian's child."
"This servant suspected foul play and advised him numerous times, but it wasn't until recently that he told me that he is surely Consort Xian's son because all of this was told to him by the Second Princess," the palace maid in the green dress stared at the Second Princess, "All these years, Fusheng and this servant relied on each other for survival, and we even planned to request the Princess to allow us to be together after her marriage. But all of this was ruined by the Second Princess!"
"Ridiculous!" The Second Princess laughed mockingly, "I deceived him by saying that he was Consort Xian's son? What benefit would I gain from that? Everyone in the palace knows that Consort Xian has shown me maternal affection, and our relationship is like mother and child."
"That's what this servant believed too," the palace maid in the green dress said with a crazy smile of revenge, "But you have forgotten that this servant is your personal palace maid. Your every word and action are seen by this servant. Perhaps you don't know that on the night before the cherry blossom banquet, you laughed in your sleep and spoke words about seeking revenge for your mother and yourself."
"You don't treat Consort Xian as a mother figure; you clearly wish for her death!"
Hua Liuli was stunned by this palace intrigue drama. She suddenly felt a bit regretful and thought she should have brought some snacks with her. It would have been more appropriate to eat while watching.
"Do you want some?" The Crown Prince seemed to guess her thoughts and handed her a bag of pine nut candies.
Hua Liuli fed one to the Crown Prince and ate one herself. Seeing that the people who had been emotionally charged a moment ago were now looking in their direction, she smiled gently, "Please continue. Don't mind us."
The palace maid in the green dress paused her sobbing, then she wiped away her tears before continuing, "The true mastermind behind all this is not Fusheng, but her!"
She pointed her finger at the Second Princess.
Rather than getting angry at being accused by the palace maid, the Second Princess raised an eyebrow and retorted, "This is merely your word against mine, baseless accusations. In the end, you're just trying to shift blame onto me because I refuse to protect you."
"You intentionally spread rumors that would cause discord between the Crown Prince and Fushou Junzhu. What is your motive?" The Second Princess, usually mild and easy to get along with, displayed a touch of dignity when she became angry.
"The Crown Prince has a good relationship with Fushou Junzhu? Aren't you the one who most wants to create discord between them?" The palace maid burst into laughter, "You hate this servant so much simply because this servant released the rumors prematurely, exposing your actions and causing the Crown Prince to suspect you."
"Arguing won't solve anything," the Crown Prince looked at Consort Xian, "Consort Xian, send someone to inspect the Second Princess's chambers and check if there's anything suspicious inside. This will also prove the Second Princess's innocence."
"Princess, please don't worry. The Crown Prince believes in you," Hua Liuli said to the Second Princess, "Tonight, with so many palace members gathered here, if we can't investigate the matter clearly, it would tarnish your reputation."
Consort Xian listened to everything with confusion. When the Crown Prince told her to send someone to search the Second Princess's chambers, she acted without hesitation according to his instructions.
After giving the order, she regretted it a little. As the esteemed Consort Xian, why should she follow the instructions of her younger generation?
"Second Princess and Consort Xian have a mother-daughter relationship. If others search your palace, it wouldn't be appropriate," Hua Liuli continued to smile, "But it's appropriate for the wise and experienced Consort Xian to do so. It shows how considerate the Crown Prince is toward you."
The Second Princess sneered inwardly. If he truly was considerate, why would he send people to search her chambers?
"The female attendants around Consort Xian are like fairies, and they shouldn't be overworked," Hua Liuli pointed at Yuan Yi and Yurong, "These two maids with me grew up on the border and have no other outstanding qualities, but they are strong. Let them go with you and lend a hand."
Consort Xian sensed something amiss from the Crown Prince's expression and nodded in agreement.
"Speaking of the day in the Imperial Garden, although I didn't have a private meeting with Ying Wang, I did see the Second Princess," Hua Liuli smiled and winked at the Second Princess, "Princess, it seems that you have a habit of picking flowers with your left hand. Are you left-handed?"
The Second Princess hid her hand in her sleeve, "I don't know what you mean by asking this, Fushou Junzhu."
Consort Xian slapped her thigh excitedly, "Her mother was left-handed. However, this girl has always used her right hand to eat and write. She doesn't seem to be left-handed."
"Perhaps when the Princess was young, she saw everyone around her using their right hand and secretly corrected this habit," Hua Liuli glanced at the Second Princess, whose expression was unclear, "But habits in one's bones cannot be changed, so sometimes they subconsciously reveal themselves."
"Am I right, Second Princess?"
"I don't understand what Junzhu is talking about," the Second Princess remained composed and silent. There was no sign of fear on her face; she seemed confident that she hadn't done anything wrong and had nothing to be guilty of.
Inside the Second Princess's chamber, the female attendants around Consort Xian didn't find anything suspicious. As they were about to leave, they noticed Fushou Junzhu's maids, Yuan Yi and Yurong, fidgeting and touching things here and there. Surprisingly, they discovered several problematic hairpins and other seemingly suspicious items.
They were preparing to step forward and help carry the items when the two maids effortlessly lifted them up with one hand, leaving the other attendants who had intended to offer assistance speechless.
Yuan Yi and Yurong placed the items they had found in front of everyone.
"Crown Prince, there's an empty space at the bottom of this bottle. I suspect something is hidden inside," Yuan Yi said, then used her bare hand to strike the bottle, causing it to shatter into two halves. A yellowed letter fell out.
"This hairpin feels heavier than usual," Yurong broke a gold hairpin with her hand, revealing white powder inside.
The imposing manner of the two maids left everyone momentarily speechless. They silently watched as the maids broke palace bricks with their bare hands and effortlessly opened gold ingots, revealing various objects hidden inside.
After dismantling everything, Yuan Yi and Yurong noticed that no one was speaking and explained, "Since childhood, the two of us have followed General Wei in battles. In order to prevent enemy forces from infiltrating the city, we developed a habit of searching for suspicious items."
The Second Princess had indeed concealed the items in a very discreet manner, but for them, who had been tested over time, it was nothing.
For a princess with a noble status to secretly hoard these things was already strange behavior.
Among these items were some left by her biological mother, as well as some notes of unknown origin with ordinary content.
Descriptions of clothing colors, a few unspecified gemstones, and so on.
The Second Princess gently collected the items left by her deceased mother, her voice trembling slightly. "Can't I keep some mementos of my late mother with me as a remembrance?"
"If you want to keep them, why act secretly?" Consort Xian couldn't help but speak up, "Do you think I would intentionally treat you poorly because of these items?"
She had her own son. She took the responsibility to raise the Second Princess simply because she pitied this child who lost her mother at an early age. As for whether she missed her biological mother, Consort Xian had never paid much attention to it.
After all, the Second Princess wasn't her own child, so why should she care so much?
The Second Princess gently touched a yellowed handkerchief, "Didn't Consort Xian once tell the palace maids around me not to let me see anything related to my late mother?"
Consort Xian carefully recalled and after a long pause, she said, "But that was when you fell ill at the age of seven."
The Second Princess fell silent.
"I was afraid that if you, at such a young age, heard nonsensical rumors from people around you, it would give rise to negative thoughts and worsen your condition," Consort Xian said, never expecting that a casual remark would be held against her for so long. She couldn't help but complain, "After all, you're not my own flesh and blood."
"These seem to be coded messages," Hua Liuli picked up the scraps of paper, most of which contained only a few words, "Princess, I saw someone at the Ministry of Justice who could write with both hands simultaneously. Does the Princess use her left hand for writing?"
The Second Princess met Hua Liuli's gaze and smiled, "Junzhu, you really have a great sense of humor. Those who can serve at the Ministry of Justice are all extraordinarily talented. How could I write with my left hand?"
"Whether you can or not is not important," Hua Liuli collected all the paper scraps, "Would Second Princess cooperate with me in a little game?"
"What game?" The Second Princess remained silent, but Consort Xian became a bit curious.
The Crown Prince chuckled and remained silent, seemingly deciding to let Hua Liuli take charge of the situation.
"Fishing."
Hua Liuli covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed lightly, "Although I was born weak, I have learned the art of fishing."
Consort Xian was puzzled. Was fishing considered a remarkable skill? As long as you had a fishing rod and bait, anyone could do it, right?
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: I understand every word you're saying, but why don't I quite get it?
