Murong Liu Zun, seated high, had a stern countenance. A flicker of pain crossed his handsome features as he thought of A Jiu.
A Jiu had served him with unwavering loyalty, and to think she met such an end. Murong Liu Zun turned his gaze downwards and spoke slowly.
"Who saw A Jiu last?"
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, a faint voice from the lower end of the hall sounded, "Reporting to Your Majesty, it was me."
Qing Yao looked up and saw the little eunuch who had delivered her a letter that night. Nodding to the Emperor, Murong Liu Zun asked sternly, "What is your name?"
"My name is Yao An. Because I was deeply cared for by Eunuch A Jiu, I often followed him. The last time I saw him, Eunuch A Jiu instructed me to deliver a letter to the Empress. I just didn't expect..."
Yao An, recalling A Jiu's death, began to weep softly.
The entire hall was enveloped in a strange, shimmering wave of energy. The luminous pearls at the four corners illuminated the hall as brightly as day.
The Emperor commanded, "Yao An, from now on, you will take A Jiu's place."
Upon hearing this, Yao An was stunned. This position was coveted by countless people, something he had never even dreamed of, and now it had fallen to him.
After a long moment of daze, he finally reacted, quickly kowtowing, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty. Your humble servant obeys."
Qing Yao turned to Liu Zun beside her. Seeing the subtle pain in his brows, she knew he was grieving for A Jiu. By appointing Yao An as the chief eunuch, she hoped that in this world, one more person would remember A Jiu's goodness. She reached out and held his hand. "A Jiu would be very happy to see Your Majesty has returned."
Murong Liu Zun remained silent, then looked up. In his gentle eyes, it was as if he saw A Jiu standing in a corner of the hall, bowing and smiling, saying, "Your Majesty, you have returned. A Jiu is so happy."
"Yes, he is very happy. He will always accompany me."
After speaking, Murong Liu Zun turned his gaze downwards, his pupils flashing with cold intensity. He commanded sternly, "Guards, all servants of the Liuli Palace are to be sent to the Laundry Bureau."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing our lives. Thank you, Your Majesty."
The servants of the Liuli Palace quickly kowtowed in gratitude. Had it not been for the Emperor's leniency, they would surely all be dead. Although they were confused and unaware of what had truly happened from beginning to end, matters within the imperial court were inherently unpredictable, so it was better to know less. To have saved their lives was already a great fortune.
"Guards, escort them away."
Yao An immediately took the order and led these people away, replacing them with a new batch of eunuchs and palace maids.
In the vast imperial palace, the winds of change swept through in an instant. The Emperor had returned, but how many truly understood the circumstances? Only Xi Men Xin Yue.
Murong Liu Zun realized that all of this was inextricably linked to Xi Men Xin Yue. A killing aura emanated from him, his pupils glowing with a faint green light. Recalling being imprisoned by that woman for months, he wished he could flay her alive this very moment. No, a thousand cuts would not suffice to vent his hatred. He wanted her to die with her eyes wide open.
"Guards, immediately bring Xi Men Xin Yue and all the concubines to me."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The guards standing outside the Liuli Palace responded promptly and rushed to the Liuli Palace to bring Xi Men Xin Yue and the concubines from other palaces.
When Prince Nan An, leading the guards, searched the imperial harem extensively, Xi Men Xin Yue knew that the real Emperor had returned. A sense of relief washed over her. She would finally not have to face that man anymore, but...
She couldn't help but smile, extending her arms, which were covered in mottled white marks and deep bloodstains, gruesome and terrifying. Not only her arms, but her face and body were also affected. The itching was bone-deep, and scratching forcefully brought no relief, making her wish she could dig into her flesh. She and several other concubines in the palace had been poisoned by Shangguan Hao, a poison they could not identify, and even the imperial physicians could not cure it.
A team of guards stormed into Jianyang Palace, their faces grim. "Consort Shu, the Emperor requests your presence."
Xi Men Xin Yue gave a desolate smile. A thin veil covered her face, obscuring her expression, revealing only her eyes, which were like dead ashes, devoid of any emotion, like scorched wood emerging from a grave.
"Let's go."
She stood up and walked out. Now, she was a sinner, and any punishment the Emperor deemed fit was deserved. Her only request was that the Xi Men family not be harmed, for they knew nothing of these details. All of this was merely her sin.
All the concubines of the imperial harem were brought into the hall of the Liuli Palace. As far as the eye could see, there were seven or eight women, each with a thin veil over their faces, making their expressions unreadable. A thick, foul, fishy odor permeated the hall. The sound of weeping slowly arose as several women, unable to bear it, began to tear at the gauze on their arms, revealing crisscrossing bloodstains and wounds. The offensive smell emanated from these wounds; some had just been scratched, while others had festered, a horrific sight.
Due to the unbearable itching, several women lost control and cried out in distress, pleading, "Your Majesty, spare us! Spare us!"
Although Murong Liu Zun detested Xi Men Xin Yue, he felt nothing for the other women, and he was unsure of what exactly had happened to these women. He raised his narrow eyebrows, his gaze sharp, and slowly turned to Ming Yue beside him.
"Help them check and see what is happening."
Ming Yue's medical skills were exceptional, far superior to the imperial physicians in the palace. If the imperial physicians had been capable, these women would not have suffered this torment.
Ming Yue accepted the order and stepped over, selecting a concubine and examining her carefully. Her complexion quickly darkened, and she stated decisively, "Your Majesty, they have been poisoned. This poison is long lost; it is corpse poison, refined from millennia-old corpses. Once poisoned, there is no cure. Furthermore, it is contagious wherever the blood spreads. We must immediately implement isolation."
Murong Liu Zun was shocked by this revelation. His face darkened, and a bloodthirsty glint flashed in his eyes. Shangguan Hao was truly a beast without humanity.
"Guards, immediately take all these people to the Cold Palace."
At the Emperor's command, the concubines in the hall cried out like madwomen. Thinking their lives were numbered, they no longer cared for their dignity. They kowtowed one after another, begging, "Your Majesty, please save us! Save us!"
In the center of the hall, everyone pleaded, but only Xi Men Xin Yue knelt on the ground, motionless, quietly awaiting her sentence. Now she believed: even heaven's punishment can be survived, but man's self-inflicted punishment cannot. This was all retribution, finally falling upon her. Corpse poison. She never imagined that man could be so heartless as to make them his escorts in death. Did he know he was at the end of his rope?
"Take them away."