Later, the Crown Prince did find some seemingly plausible clues, related to Wei Yu.
He became suspicious.
But there was no concrete evidence.
Even if there were, it was not convenient for him to fall out with Wei Yu at this time.
Who told her she was the legitimate daughter of the Wei family?
If the matter of Wei Yu colluding with Prince Qi to assassinate the Crown Prince were to reach the Emperor, even if it were mere speculation, the Wei family would not fare well.
And the Wei family was the Crown Prince's strongest support.
This was all a story for later.
Now that Xiao Yun had gone out to make arrangements, only Wang Qingyao and Xiao Mo remained.
Although there were maids serving them, the topic of sister-in-law and brother-in-law had always been sensitive.
The meal, naturally, could not continue.
Wang Qingyao led her entourage back to the Wangfu.
At the second gate, Nanny Jing stretched her neck. As soon as she saw Wang Qingyao, she stepped forward to greet her and said, "Your Highness Consort, you are back. The Old Dowager Consort is looking for you."
Wang Qingyao had not eaten yet, and her stomach was growling with hunger. If it weren't for the assassins, she would have already been full and content, with only the desire for more.
Seeing Nanny Jing looking quite anxious, she hurried to the Old Dowager Consort's courtyard first.
The Old Dowager Consort was also looking out expectantly.
As Wang Qingyao entered the room, she saw several plates of exquisite pastries laid out on the tea table. She greeted the Old Dowager Consort, picked up a few pieces to nibble on, and then went to drink tea, downing two cups.
The Old Dowager Consort asked curiously, "Did Ah Mo not give you food to eat?"
"It's a long story, Grandmother. Please tell me what you wanted me for first."
The Old Dowager Consort glanced at Nanny Jing and said, "Nanny Jing, you tell the Consort."
Wang Qingyao was puzzled.
Nanny Jing said, "Your Highness Consort, it's like this. A few days ago, you were greatly frightened, and the Emperor sent someone to comfort and reward you, wasn't that so?"
Wang Qingyao nodded. It had been about seven or eight days ago.
Could there be something wrong with the Emperor's reward?
She frowned slightly.
Nanny Jing continued, "The eunuch who came to comfort Your Highness Consort was an attendant of the Emperor, named Shun Feng."
That's right, Shun Feng, the youngest disciple of Eunuch Chang Shou.
"I found this young eunuch Shun Feng very familiar. After thinking carefully, I realized that more than twenty years ago, when the Old Prince had a cold and was confined to his residence, one of the imperial physicians sent by the late Emperor to diagnose him was among five eunuchs. Moreover, he was the one who followed Imperial Physician Liu into the inner chambers to see the Old Prince."
The Old Prince mentioned by Nanny Jing referred to Xiao Yun's father.
Upon hearing this, Wang Qingyao's hair stood on end.
Shun Feng looked no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. He wasn't even born twenty years ago!
She exchanged a stunned look with the Old Dowager Consort. The Old Dowager Consort had already been stunned and now appeared calmer, unlike Wang Qingyao, whose mouth was half-open like a fool.
Wang Qingyao was stunned for a moment, then closed her mouth and thought for a while: "Could Shun Feng be the murderer's son?"
That was the only explanation.
The Old Dowager Consort and Nanny Jing thought so too.
However, the Old Dowager Consort had firmly believed that the Xiao family's curse was broken. Now that a person suspected to be the murderer's son had appeared, she instantly looked much more haggard.
She couldn't bear to lose either Xiao Yun or Xiao Mo.
After Xiao Yun returned, Wang Qingyao told him about the matter.
He was also quite shocked.
Things seemed to have become complicated again.
However, it was certain that Eunuch Chang Shou was not innocent. The Green Demon was provided by him.
Xiao Yun slowly pieced together the clues: "There were actually two murderers. One was Eunuch Chang Shou, who was responsible for providing the poison, and the other was Shun Feng's father, who administered the poison."
"There might be a third one," Wang Qingyao said, "the one who gave the order."
Xiao Yun nodded: "Moreover, the Emperor sent the Grand Tutor Feng Fu to Nanzhou to find the antidote for the Green Demon, which indicates that the person who gave the order is still alive, and he has no way to deal with that person."
Well, it all led back to the Empress Dowager.
Wang Qingyao suddenly had an idea: "Wait, since the Emperor knows who this person is, why can't we just ask him directly?"
Xiao Yun looked at her as if she were an idiot: "It would alert the enemy."
"We can be discreet and secretly ask the Emperor. Think about it, the Emperor sent the Grand Tutor to find the antidote for the Green Demon. He definitely doesn't want you to die, so he will help us."
Xiao Yun was persuaded.
But when would the Emperor ever be alone?
The Emperor always had people serving him, even when he went to the latrine or slept with his concubines. Moreover, Shun Feng was a trusted subordinate of the Emperor and would surely be everywhere.
"Let me think of a way to have a private conversation with the Emperor," Xiao Yun pondered.
Wang Qingyao, on the side, was rubbing her hands together, strategizing: "How about we offer the Emperor a beauty? Although there are attendants during intimate moments, they wouldn't be too close. Then we can have the beauty whisper to the Emperor, the kind that you have to lean in close to hear..."
"No," Xiao Yun rejected it without hesitation: "Beauties are not hard to find, but trustworthy beauties are. If you tell such a big secret to someone, aren't you afraid she'll turn against us?"
"That's true." Wang Qingyao pouted, then thought for a while: "How about I ask Consort Chen for help?"
"Consort Chen?"
"Yes, Consort Chen is only in her thirties and is well-maintained, looking exceptionally radiant. Moreover, she has a proud personality. If she were willing to seduce the Emperor, it might actually work. Consort Chen is, in a way, on the same boat as us. Although she doesn't know about the curse, she knows about the matter of the First Prince."
Xiao Yun hesitated for a moment: "Perhaps... we can... try?"