Xiao Man rested her chin on her hand, absentmindedly picking up a miscellaneous journal from the side and flipping through it with boredom, but not a single word registered.
"Miss, tea." Yin Zhu entered with tea. Seeing the scattered paintbrushes and Xiao Man's stained clothes, she quickly put down the tea, cleaned up the brushes, and wiped the table with a cloth. "Do you want to change your clothes?"
Xiao Man glanced at the paint smudged on her clothes and waved her hand, "No need."
"Is Miss troubled?" Yin Zhu handed Xiao Man a hot towel to wipe her hands. "Ever since you returned from the palace, you've been restless. Were you frightened?"
Xiao Man chuckled as she wiped her hands, "Am I, your lady, the type to be easily frightened?"
"It was chaotic in the palace last night, and you didn't sleep at all. But after you returned, you didn't rest, just sat at the table painting, and then stared blankly after finishing. You must have something on your mind." Yin Zhu turned to the bookshelf and placed a thick volume of Yongsheng Annals in front of Xiao Man. "When you have something on your mind, read this. It will quickly clear your head."
Xiao Man glanced at the page. "Are you reminding me that historically, those who achieved great merit but threatened the emperor never had a good end?"
"This servant merely feared Miss would be bored. There's no other meaning. After all, reading the annals is quite stimulating." Yin Zhu said with a smile. "Besides, the General's mansion has too much glory. Miss must not be careless."
Xiao Man poked Yin Zhu's head with a hint of helplessness. "It seems I truly misunderstood the intention behind my brother sending you to my side. He wasn't sending me a thoughtful and considerate girl, but a demon-reflecting mirror!"
Yin Zhu's face turned bright red. "Miss just likes to bully me."
"I wouldn't dare bully you." Xiao Man patted her hand. "Don't fuss. Go rest for a while. Last night, you didn't sleep either, did you?"
"This servant will serve Miss until she sleeps, then rest."
"Go rest for a while. I'm not sleepy yet. I'll call you when I am."
Yin Zhu then withdrew and lay on the outer bed, dozing with her eyes closed, lest she be asleep when Xiao Man called for her.
Xiao Man looked at the Yongsheng Annals placed before her. Yin Zhu, that girl, was truly thoughtful. She had even flipped it open to the section about the founding emperor's trusted generals who died not on the battlefield, but by imperial scheming!
Xiao Man shook her head, closed the book, and intended to doze off. But then she suddenly remembered something she had forgotten: the box the old eunuch had given her!
Xiao Man quickly took out the box. The lock was rusted, and with a twist, it broke. Xiao Man opened the box. Inside lay a piece of imperial yellow cloth. Xiao Man picked it up. Imperial yellow. This should be for a prince. The fabric was soft; even after many years, it didn't feel rough. This was for a baby.
Xiao Man was somewhat puzzled. What was the use of this item?
Xiao Man thought carefully, put down the cloth, picked up the box, and felt around carefully. Indeed, she found a raised button. Pressing it hard, the bottom of the box sprang open, revealing a piece of red paper.
Xiao Man took out the paper. The paper had already yellowed slightly. Xiao Man carefully unfolded it and then discovered that it wasn't one piece of red paper, but three. On them were written the birth dates and times of three people. These three people were born within a few hours of each other!
And one of the birth dates and times was very familiar to her. It was the birth date and time of Prince Qi, Nangong Yi!
As for the birth dates and times of the other two, Xiao Man didn't know who they belonged to. Perhaps she should investigate thoroughly! The old eunuch had placed the birth dates and times of these three people together; there must be a reason. If she could find out who the other two belonged to, she might be able to understand the secret hidden within.
Xiao Man copied down the birth dates and times of the other two people, put the items away. "It truly is a good thing. It can save a life, but it can also hasten death. It was worth my extensive investigation to discover that such a person was still alive in the palace. I just don't know if the secret within can be worth my effort."
"Ying Xue."
"Miss, you called me?" Ying Xue hurried in.
Xiao Man handed Ying Xue the paper with the written birth dates and times of the other two. "Go investigate the capital and see whose birth dates and times match these two. Focus your search on the Jin family."
Ying Xue opened it and took a look. "Oh, this birth date and time belongs to Jin Yu."
"Jin Yu?" Xiao Man asked, puzzled. "Which one is Jin Yu's?"
"This one, Geng Wu year, Ren Wu month, Yi Si day, Yin hour." Ying Xue pointed to one of the birth dates and times. "Jin Rong told me his birth date and time. He was born on the same day as Jin Yu, the only difference being the hour."
"Then do you know whose the other birth date and time belongs to?"
Ying Xue thought hard. "I don't know. It doesn't seem like Jin Rong's birth date and time either. Jin Rong was born in Xu hour, but this is Si hour. In the Jin family, only Jin Rong and Jin Yu were born on the same day, no one else."
"So, Jin Rong, Jin Yu, and Nangong Yi were born around the same time?"
"Yes, but His Highness Prince Qi is the youngest, as he was born last, after midnight. He was born in Chou hour, so Prince Qi is one day younger than them."
A thought flashed through Xiao Man's mind. These three people were born around the same time. The one born in Si hour would logically be the Empress Dowager's and the Jin family head's biological son. But where was this person now?
"Right, Miss. Jin Rong also told me something, but he wasn't very sure."
"What is it?"
"Jin Rong said he might be Madam Jin's biological son."
"Jin Rong is Madam Jin's biological son?" Xiao Man asked in shock.
Seeing Xiao Man's excitement, Ying Xue quickly explained, "The wet nurse attending Madam Jin was searching everywhere for who had a birthmark on their leg. Later, they found one on Jin Rong's leg. Madam Jin's attitude towards Jin Rong changed instantly. She doted on him and kept tripping Jin Yu at every turn."
"Jin Rong is Madam Jin's biological son, and Jin Yu is the Empress Dowager's illegitimate son?" This news was almost unbelievable to Xiao Man!
"It seems so. Jin Rong's birth mother was a lowly slave. She probably wanted her son to live a life of luxury and secretly swapped Madam Jin's child!"
Xiao Man wrote down the names of the three people on a white piece of paper.
Jin Rong, Madam Jin's biological son, yet became the son of the lowly slave Mo Xiu. How could a lowly slave swap Madam Jin's child with her own?
After Madam Jin's child was born, there must have been dedicated guards. How did Mo Xiu enter Madam Jin's courtyard, avoid numerous eyes and ears, and swap the child? Unless... Madam Jin's courtyard was not guarded at all at the time. And the purpose? It was likely to facilitate someone's entry!
To facilitate whose entry?
Naturally, it was Master Jin! The child born to the Empress Dowager, of such noble status, Master Jin surely would not dare to let the Empress Dowager's child be known as an illegitimate child or a slave's son. So he swapped the child Madam Jin gave birth to with his own child... Then whose child is Jin Yu? The Empress Dowager's or Mo Xiu's?