Chapter 14#

He Ye’s body was still in its original position. The people from the North Wing had planned to cover her with a white cloth and move her to the next room for proper placement. However, after the Imperial Guards arrived, everything in the North Wing was temporarily under their control.

A few eunuchs and palace maids were slightly uneasy. When they were separated for questioning, like Han Dan, their faces were particularly pale.

Jingzhe, on the other hand, was taken to a room by Rong Jiu for questioning.

Rong Jiu: “Still angry?”

Jingzhe: “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Then you are angry.”

Rong Jiu said lightly, sitting down opposite Jingzhe.

For some reason, as soon as Rong Jiu entered the room, the house that Jingzhe was used to seeing on a daily basis suddenly felt too narrow. Rong Jiu’s aura was too strong, his distinct presence was hard to ignore, filling the entire room.

Jingzhe: “No.”

A repeat.

Then, he quickly changed the subject.

“Why is it you guys investigating this time? When something happens in the palace, doesn’t the Empress Dowager usually send people over…” He had originally intended to divert attention, but as he spoke, he became genuinely confused. “And that person outside…”

“Wei Haidong,” Rong Jiu’s voice was cold. “You should know him.”

Jingzhe’s heart skipped a beat; he hadn’t been mistaken.

It was the commander of the palace guards.

To them, he was a big shot.

Rong Jiu slowly asked Jingzhe where he had been during this time, what he had done, who he was often with, what he liked to do in his spare time…

Jingzhe was puzzled: “Shouldn’t you be asking me about He Ye?”

Why were all the questions about him?

Rong Jiu moved a little closer, his dark eyes staring at Jingzhe.

Inch by inch, as if a blade was sliding over him.

Even though he was so familiar with him, Jingzhe couldn’t withstand Rong Jiu’s gaze. The pressure was too much, and a strange chill crept up his back.

“There’s no blood on your hands.” The corners of Rong Jiu’s mouth lifted in a cool smile. “You didn’t kill her.”

Jingzhe: “How can you tell?”

He held out his own hands, turning them over and over twice.

Rong Jiu slowly placed his palm next to Jingzhe’s hand.

Jingzhe looked and looked, but couldn’t see anything.

While deep in thought, he heard Rong Jiu say, “Didn’t you say you haven’t measured the size yet?”

Jingzhe immediately dropped his previous confusion and secretly ran his hand over Rong Jiu’s palm.

They were in the middle of an interrogation, so he couldn’t go out to get his tools. He used his own fingers to measure by comparison.

Rong Jiu: “No need for tools?”

“There are too many people outside.” Jingzhe was concentrating on the hand, so his speech was a bit casual. “I can just compare, it’ll be fine.”

Jingzhe felt both of Rong Jiu’s hands all over and sat back, satisfied.

As expected, the size he had made before was just right, but the thumb needed a slight adjustment. Rong Jiu’s left thumb was slightly longer than his right. If he didn’t adjust it, the glove would be too tight.

Rong Jiu looked at his own hands thoughtfully.

Jingzhe tilted his head: “What is it?”

Rong Jiu calmly withdrew his hand, looked up at him, “I was just thinking, does this count as… being taken advantage of?”

Jingzhe’s teeth itched. Rong Jiu loved to say infuriating things with that drop-dead gorgeous face of his.

The hateful thing was, when Jingzhe looked at him, he really couldn’t get angry.

Could it be… that Rong Jiu had discovered this bad habit of his?

Jingzhe stared at Rong Jiu, up and down, but couldn’t find anything to hold against him.

…

Wei Haidong was in charge of the palace defenses, so being sent to handle this matter was an overkill. However, the commander’s attitude was calm and steady. Not only did he carefully inspect the scene after entering, but he also separated the palace staff for individual questioning.

Chen Mingde and Nanny Ming were personally interrogated by him.

When these two faced Wei Haidong, even Nanny Ming, who was said to be lying in bed, had to get up to deal with him.

After recounting their movements over the past few days, Chen Mingde subconsciously glanced outside.

Wei Haidong was burly and bearded, his expression unreadable, but his eyes were sharp and keen: “What is Steward Chen looking at?”

Chen Mingde paused, then said softly: “Commander Wei, that guard outside…”

Wei Haidong glanced at Rong Jiu and Jingzhe walking past the window, presumably finished with their questioning. He turned back calmly: “He’s my subordinate. Does Steward Chen know him?”

“No, I don’t.” Chen Mingde wiped his sweat and gave a dry laugh. “He just looks a bit familiar, I must have been mistaken.”

Wei Haidong didn’t pay it any mind and waved his hand casually: “He’s the patrol guard responsible for your area. If you need anything, just call him Ah Jiu.”

Chen Mingde couldn’t catch his breath and coughed several times.

Even if Wei Haidong confirmed that the guard wasn’t… that person, looking at that face, how would he dare to be so presumptuous!

By the time Wei Haidong finished his questions, the separately interrogated palace staff had also been mostly questioned, their statements collected, and the body, of course, would be taken away by them.

Nanny Ming stood beside Chen Mingde and said hoarsely: “Commander Wei, how did He Ye die?”

Wei Haidong looked down at her with a hint of indifference.

“Who knows? The coroner hasn’t examined her yet, so no one can say for sure. We’ll wait for the coroner’s report. But, a forced suicide is still a homicide, wouldn’t you say, Nanny Ming?”

Nanny Ming’s eyes darkened, and she didn’t answer Wei Haidong’s question.

Wei Haidong didn’t care, he gathered his men and left.

The large group of people left, taking He Ye’s body with them, and also bringing endless speculation.

Wei Haidong was Emperor Jingyuan’s man.

Because Emperor Jingyuan had not appointed an Empress, many matters in the harem were managed by the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor rarely intervened. But this time, Wei Haidong had personally come to the North Wing, just to investigate the death of a mere palace servant?

No, no one would think so.

Not even the people of the North Wing.

After Wei Haidong left, Chen Mingde had Sanshun call Jingzhe over and asked him in detail about Rong Jiu.

Jingzhe blinked and told Chen Mingde the same story he had told Mingyu and the others.

In Jingzhe’s telling, the incident at the Hall of Ancestral Worship became a conflict where Rong Jiu mistook him for a thief. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, Rong Jiu felt guilty and came to apologize several times. It was because of this accident that they started interacting.

Of course, Jingzhe dared to say this because, firstly, Rong Jiu would definitely not spread such a thing around. What good would it do to be associated with a eunuch?

Secondly, the system’s buff was truly bizarre. People influenced by the buff would not find their reactions at the time strange at all, and would naturally rationalize all their behaviors.

Terrifying.

The system’s ability was truly frightening.

“Guilt?” Chen Mingde couldn’t help but repeat. “From his appearance, he doesn’t look like someone who would easily feel guilty.”

On the contrary, he seemed more like a ferocious beast that would kick down a door and demand to know why someone was in his way.

Jingzhe looked at Chen Mingde in surprise and shook his head repeatedly: “Grandpa De, you taught me that you can’t judge a book by its cover. He just looks fierce, but he’s actually a good person.”

Chen Mingde was speechless, looking at Jingzhe with suspicion.

When he realized that this boy, who usually seemed so clever and quick-witted, actually believed this sincerely, Chen Mingde was at a loss for words.

How could such a good kid be so bewitched?

How did that guard look like a good person?

Anyone who resembled that person was not easy to get along with. He even suspected that this guard was actually a body double deliberately raised by that person!

Chen Mingde had seen Emperor Jingyuan.

A long time ago.

When Emperor Jingyuan had just ascended the throne, he had seen him from a distance.

Although he hadn’t had the chance later, that single encounter was enough to leave a deep impression.

“Forget it, just keep an eye on those palace maids, especially Han Dan.” Chen Mingde waved his hand wearily. “Don’t let anything else happen.”

Jingzhe: “Grandpa De, how do you think… He Ye’s accident happened?”

“No matter how it happened, it has something to do with Nanny Ming.” Chen Mingde said with a blank expression. “She’s gone mad.”

Jingzhe paused, not expecting Chen Mingde to be so blunt.

After going out, he saw Han Dan looking pale, being comforted by two other palace maids. This scene was so similar to when He Ye was still alive…

No wonder Chen Mingde told him to keep a close eye on Han Dan.

After He Ye’s death, the next person Nanny Ming chose to serve her was Han Dan.

A few days later, there was still no conclusion to He Ye’s case, but a new person arrived at the North Wing to fill her position.

Nanny Ming couldn’t be bothered to give her a new name, so she just let her take He Ye’s name, and she was still called He Ye.

This new He Ye had a much better personality than the previous one.

Whether it was with eunuchs or palace maids, she was kind and considerate in her dealings.

She eagerly took on all the cleaning chores, seeming full of energy, and moved all around the North Wing. For a time, the gloom in the North Wing seemed to have lifted a lot.

With less work on his hands, Jingzhe took this time to finish the last bit of the gloves.

He bit off the thread, looked it over and over, and after confirming that the stitches were correct, he put it away with satisfaction.

He locked it in his small cabinet as usual.

[Task Five: Prevent Huang Yijie from entering the palace as a concubine]

The system’s sudden voice almost made Jingzhe fail to pull out the key. He twisted it twice, finally managed to pull the key out, and frowned.

“Huang Yijie?”

The surname Huang. Entering the palace.

Someone from the Empress Dowager’s family?

Then, Jingzhe wanted to curse again.

“Open your eyes and see what ability I have to stop someone from entering the palace as a concubine?” A mouthful of old blood was stuck in his throat, about to spray out but held back. “I’m a eunuch, not the founding emperor!”

The system was as quiet as a chicken, not daring to speak.

…The adjustment was not yet complete, and the published task could not be changed.

Jingzhe cursed inwardly.

Mingyu came into the room, patted his little puppy head as he passed, and gave him a look of pity: “Jingzhe, you’ve got a job.”

Jingzhe responded listlessly: “What job?”

Hasn’t the new He Ye been snatching up most of the work in the North Wing lately?

“Concubine Xu of Chenghuan Palace wants to see you.”

Jingzhe sat up abruptly.

Chenghuan Palace?

He suddenly remembered the terrifying scene of being chased all over the palace that day.

Those palace servants were from Chenghuan Palace.

Jingzhe was cautious: “Why does Concubine Xu want to see me?”

Mingyu: “How would I know? The person from Chenghuan Palace is waiting outside.”

Jingzhe pursed his lips, and when he went out to look, wow!

It was an acquaintance.

Outside the narrow gate, Qiu Yi smiled at him slightly.

Soon, Jingzhe followed Qiu Yi out. She had two young eunuchs behind her. Perhaps because of the previous trauma, this time Jingzhe cautiously followed behind the two young eunuchs, not daring to get any closer.

However, Qiu Yi also seemed very normal and did not have any extreme reactions.

After walking for a while without incident, Jingzhe finally relaxed a little.

Although Qiu Yi led the way in silence, she was not as unresponsive as Jingzhe thought. It was just that she had been busy with the strange events in Chenghuan Palace recently, and was extremely tired and emotionally suppressed, so she didn’t want to talk much.

…Recently, many palace servants had died in Chenghuan Palace.

One after another.

If it weren’t for the high-profile matter of Wei Haidong taking people to the North Wing, Chenghuan Palace would definitely be the target of public criticism right now.

Because those palace servants had all died particularly tragic deaths.

And yet, they were all accidents!