Chapter 90:

The Consort De had been reprimanded by Emperor Jing, and finally regained some composure. She began to investigate the incident sternly. Even though Layue kept herself aloof from worldly matters, she still learned about the investigation’s results.

As expected, Chen Yulan was exposed. Some things were inevitable. In terms of her family background, she was not prominent, and her personality was quite ordinary.

Perhaps at the beginning, she pretended to be gentle and quiet. However, as time passed and events unfolded, or perhaps due to the lingering side effects of the drugs even after she had stopped taking them,

She was completely different now from when she first entered the palace.

Consort De, having found the real culprit, naturally felt furious. However, Chen Yulan insisted she had not acted intentionally and had not plotted against Consort De.

The other concubines remained silent, some watching the drama unfold, some feeling anxious, and others indifferent.

Seeing the group arguing noisily, the Empress Dowager placed her teacup down in annoyance.

She harshly ordered, “Enough! Look at yourselves—what kind of spectacle you are making! It’s disgraceful.”

If it were up to Consort De, she would have liked nothing more than to torture Chen Yulan to death the moment she was captured. However, since this investigation involved others as well, and although Chen was the main suspect,

Consort De knelt down, feeling wronged: “Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please do me justice. These days, I have endured so much criticism. Now, finally, I can clear my name.”

Chen Yulan, appearing pitiful and delicate, said, “Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, I did not act intentionally. As for framing Consort De, I have never done such a thing. Please also clear my name.”

The behavior of these two greatly displeased the Empress Dowager.

“Enough. Chen Caimei, tell me exactly what happened back then. If you didn’t frame her, why would someone else point the finger at you?”

According to Chen Yulan’s confession, after the two were punished by kneeling, she felt resentful and wanted to make trouble for Bai Xiaodie. Unexpectedly, Bai Xiaodie began showing signs of heatstroke. While Bai was lying on a bamboo chair in the side courtyard to cool down, they quarreled again. Recalling the loss of her child caused by Bai, Chen Yulan, in a fit of rage, strangled Bai to death. Fearing discovery and being implicated, she hastily staged the scene before fleeing.

However, she repeatedly insisted that she had not framed Consort De, and that the maid who claimed to be acting on Consort De’s orders was someone she barely knew.

Meanwhile, Consort De, also kneeling there, was thinking more deeply. Perhaps others didn’t believe Chen Yulan’s words, but Consort De herself actually did. Even if Chen Yulan wanted to frame her, she would need a motive, but as far as she knew, no such motive existed.

If someone wanted to target a person in the harem, there could be many suspects, but it shouldn’t have been her.

Certainly, someone else had placed a spy near Bai Xiaodie, so they discovered her death immediately and used the incident to frame her.

In this way, even if the matter was exposed, everything could be pinned on Chen Yulan. This plan was indeed thorough. But who was the real mastermind?

Today, she could only accept this outcome. Otherwise, she could not resolve the matter. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor demanded results, so she had to act decisively. However, she also needed to quickly identify the person who truly wanted to harm her.

She had already interrogated all of Bai Xiaodie’s maids, but found nothing. This person must be extremely capable.

Too many people were suspicious.

“You two, what can I say? Repeatedly causing trouble, you are breaking the Emperor’s heart. Chen Caimei, don’t feel wronged or try to shift the blame. Since there is ample evidence, you should go accompany Lian Xiuyun in the Cold Palace.”

The Empress Dowager did not wish to say more. With just this sentence, Chen Yulan’s mournful cries rang out.

In truth, everyone present understood that sparing her life was already an act of mercy from the Empress Dowager.

Since the Empress Dowager had grown older and taken up Buddhism, she had become much more compassionate, rarely taking lives.

Perhaps Chen Yulan herself understood this, so although she cried and screamed, she did not cause further trouble.

Thus, the farce came to an end.

Layue stood there coldly, watching everything unfold. Regardless of others’ thoughts, she had her own opinions. Perhaps Bai Xiaodie was indeed killed by Chen Yulan, but the matter was certainly not as simple as Chen described. Why did she go to Bai Xiaodie’s quarters without any maids? And how come no one saw her enter?

These details could not possibly be as casually described as she claimed. Even the previous quarrel and punishment seemed more like a setup.

In this scheme, who truly benefited?

Layue scrutinized the possible suspects and finally focused on Consort Qi. However, being cautious, she quickly shifted her gaze and lowered her head again. The most likely person was Consort Qi.

Her past life had deeply taught Layue that those who appeared magnanimous, self-preserving, and gentle might actually be like lilies laced with poison.

Consort Qi was just too perfect, and this incident was just too coincidental.

As Chen Yulan’s cousin, naturally many eyes turned to Shen Layue. However, if there were suspicions of collusion between Shen Layue and Chen Yulan, many people found it hard to believe, since the two had been completely at odds since entering the palace.

Indeed, this was the first selection since the current Emperor ascended the throne, so the harem was not yet large.

In previous dynasties, many noble families had sisters serving the same ruler.

Just like Bai Youran and Bai Xiaodie in the current dynasty.

Yet in the end, who truly cared for each other? They inevitably turned against each other. Even the current Empress Dowager, who now sat high above all, was rumored to have harmed her own younger sister.

Of course, such thoughts were deeply buried in their hearts, never dared to be spoken aloud.

After bidding farewell to everyone, Layue returned to Tingyu Pavilion with her maids.

Jinxin came out to greet her: “My Lady, you must be hot. I’ve already had the rocking chair moved under the shade of the tree.”

In this hot weather, the shade under the tree was indeed more comfortable than indoors.

After changing into more comfortable clothes inside, Layue lay on the rocking chair. A gentle breeze passed by, making her feel quite refreshed.

Not far from the shade, Cuiwen carefully tended to her precious plants.

Seeing Cuiwen already drenched in sweat, Layue instructed, “Cuiwen, with such scorching heat, don’t stay under the blazing sun. Be careful not to suffer from heatstroke. The pruning isn’t urgent, so come over here and chat with us for a while.”

The senior maids, having no pressing tasks, all sat under the shade, quite comfortably.

Cuiwen gave a sweet, innocent smile, thanked her mistress, and put away her tools.

“There are two fewer people in the palace now,” Bai Xiaodie and Chen Yulan, both selected in the same selection as her. Layue remarked, as if in reflection. However, her tone did not show any sorrow.

She would not waste sympathy on her enemies. Although her heart was somewhat soft, even after her rebirth she had not taken action against them. Yet they still schemed against each other with malicious intentions, ending up in such a fate.

But Bai Xiaodie’s death, regardless of the circumstances, made Layue feel unexpectedly relieved.

Could it be that this life would not follow the same path as the previous one? Since she had been reborn, things would inevitably take a different turn.

“My elder brother isn’t young anymore. I wonder if our family has found a suitable match for him?” Layue murmured to herself.

The jump between these two thoughts was quite large.

“Miss, are you homesick?” Tao’er, being bold, directly asked.

Layue did not hide her feelings, nodded, and everyone fell silent.

After a while, Xing’er was the first to sigh, “I don’t have any family anymore. I wonder what it feels like to have one.”

“What is Master Shen like?” Guo’er, rarely speaking, asked curiously.

Since Guo’er was the Emperor’s agent, Layue knew her question was not idle curiosity.

Layue smiled, “In our family, Master Shen is how we address my father.”

Everyone laughed.

“As for my brother! He’s simple and enthusiastic, with a good heart. He always tries to see the bright side of things and doesn’t have much ambition. Haha, actually, my brother isn’t suited for an official career. I think he’s more suited to a life of leisure and freedom.”

Tao’er was puzzled, “But isn’t entering government service the way to make something of oneself these days? Look at poor families—if someone shows academic promise, they aim to become an official.”

Layue shook her head, “That just means everyone has different aspirations. Perhaps the Shens really lack ambition. Otherwise, how could we have fallen from a prominent family in the previous dynasty to our current status?”

This was indeed the truth.

Cuiwen, sitting further out and usually quiet, was rather reserved. However, she now spoke up, “Perhaps a life of leisure and freedom has its own happiness. I hope to travel around after leaving the palace.”

It was rare to hear her speak like this, and everyone looked at her. She smiled shyly.

“Cuiwen, how many more years do you have in the palace?” Jinxin asked.

Cuiwen smiled, “Eight years. I still have eight years left.”

Tao’er pouted, “Eight years! That’s so far away. You sure are easygoing.”

Cuiwen nodded, “But thinking about it, eight years will pass quickly. Just like a blink. I also need to save money, so when I calculate it, eight years isn’t that long.”

Perhaps it was her simple words, but everyone laughed heartily.

“What about you all? Have you thought about leaving the palace?” Layue asked the other senior maids.

They all shook their heads. Having been sent into the palace at a young age, they generally had no desire to leave. They had already grown accustomed to this life, and leaving would make them feel lost.

Many people did not wish to change their current situation.

“I don’t want to leave either. It’s not that I’m greedy for luxury. However, if possible, I would like to stay by the Emperor’s side for my entire life. Tread the paths he walks, drink the tea he likes, wear the clothes he prefers, and win his favor. In one’s life, how rare it is to have someone you love so deeply. I want to cherish every day I spend with him, rather than regret and grieve in the distant future.”