Chapter 098

Chapter 98: Sister Yi…

The Empress Dowager woke up and her mind was clear again. But the Emperor still worried there might be lasting effects, so he summoned Yu Zhi Yi.

Yu Zhi Yi naturally wished to share the ruler’s burdens. She examined the Longevity and Health Palace inside and out, then gave her advice: “Your Highness has no serious problem for now, but there is one thing that must be dealt with quickly, or you may be at risk of invasion by evil energy.”

At that time, the Empress Dowager was leaning weakly against a couch. Though nearly fifty, she looked like a woman in her thirties because she took good care of herself. Her face was pale, and she rested bonelessly against the head nanny’s shoulder, like a willow in the wind, pitiful to see. Who could tell that not long ago she had been as fierce as a wild beast, striking down a group of masters from the martial world with a single palm?

The Emperor pressed her: “What is it?” The Empress Dowager also straightened up. Yu Zhi Yi said: “The jade bracelet on Your Highness’s wrist.”

It was a Hetian jade bracelet, fine and smooth, soft in luster. Even someone who knew nothing about jade could tell it was an excellent piece. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager changed faces at the same time: “This bracelet?”

The Empress Dowager denied it on reflex: “Impossible.”

Yu Zhi Yi did not argue. Calm and certain, she simply waited. The Empress Dowager had seen her face before losing consciousness and had liked her. Now that good feeling dropped sharply, and her eyes turned cool. Thankfully, the Emperor already trusted Yu Zhi Yi’s skill, so before the Empress Dowager could speak he asked: “Beloved Minister Yu, what is wrong with this bracelet?”

Yu Zhi Yi said: “This bracelet was a gift from the late emperor to Your Highness. You value it very much and wear it almost every day.”

The Emperor was not surprised that she could deduce such things, but the Empress Dowager raised a brow: “You are well informed.”

Yu Zhi Yi acted as if she had not heard the doubt in those words and continued: “In fact, Your Highness also wears prayer beads consecrated at the Guardian Nation Temple. Normally, malevolent spirits cannot approach you for a time. But some months ago, Your Highness accidentally broke the beads and never replaced them with another item to ward off evil. That gave wicked people a chance.”

She added: “Your Highness treasures the Hetian jade bracelet and almost never takes it off except when you bathe, except for one time half a year ago…”

The Empress Dowager’s expression changed. The Emperor saw her face and knew Yu Zhi Yi was right, but he was very curious: what had happened half a year ago? Though he was the Emperor, he could not keep track of every matter in the inner palace, especially not a private item of his own mother. He could not have people watching her every day.

The Empress Dowager kept silent, clearly allowing Yu Zhi Yi to go on. Yu Zhi Yi said: “Half a year ago, Prince Xiao Yao returned from a trip and gave Your Highness an ice-flower jasper bracelet with excellent translucency. The floating patterns on that green jade were so delicate and pretty they looked painted on, yet they were truly natural ice-flower patterns. Your Highness loved it and took off the Hetian jade bracelet for a while.”

“The mastermind knew you would eventually wear the Hetian jade again, so that person tampered with it. A craftsman was ordered to make an identical copy to confuse everyone. The real bracelet was stolen from the palace and buried deep in an old solitary grave in a mass graveyard.”

“Mass graveyards are places heavy with yin energy. A lonely grave within is even more soaked in it. The person in that grave died wronged and carried great resentment. Anything left in such a place will unconsciously pick up evil energy. Fearing this still wasn’t enough, the mastermind hired a crooked practitioner to engrave a trace of the dead person’s resentment into the jade.”

“After all this, the bracelet was returned to Your Highness’s dressing box. Two months ago, Your Highness took it out again, because two months ago was the late emperor’s death day.”

The Empress Dowager found the woman’s airy voice very pleasant. Whether it was her tone or the content, something held her still. She did not interrupt again until Yu Zhi Yi finished, then she came back to herself and started to speak: “You…”

Her feelings were complicated. She could not judge the truth of the mass graveyard and the solitary grave, but everything else matched the facts.

The Emperor’s face grew solemn: “Beloved Minister Yu, where is this mass graveyard?” She said: “On the outskirts of the capital.”

The Emperor sent men at once. Before long, the Capital Halberd Guard Commander returned and reported: “Your Majesty, there is indeed a solitary grave in the mass graveyard. Part of its soil looks different, as if it was recently turned. The tombstone is badly broken, like no one has tended it for a long time, yet offerings and some ash-like powder have been placed on the mound.”

The Empress Dowager sat up straight, tense. The Emperor’s face darkened. He believed Yu Zhi Yi, but proof still filled him with fury: “Who is so bold as to try to murder the Empress Dowager!”

The Empress Dowager was shocked and angry as well. Yu Zhi Yi said nothing. The two of them waited for her answer: “?”

Yu Zhi Yi sighed helplessly and said: “Your Majesty, I cannot interfere lightly in another’s karma.” The Emperor fell silent: “…”

[Right. He had not paid.]

Eunuch Hu immediately took a small gold bead from his sleeve. Though tiny, it was worth a lot, at least twenty or thirty taels of silver. It was enough to pay Yu Zhi Yi for uncovering the plot and naming the mastermind.

Yu Zhi Yi accepted the payment and said: “It was Dowager Consort Liang.”

Among late emperor’s inner palace, the number of women was not large compared to past emperors, only a little over twenty concubines, and a third of them had joined him before he took the throne. Dowager Consort Liang was a secondary consort he married before ascending, and after he became emperor, she was directly made a concubine. She was kind and friendly. Whether in the Prince’s Manor or later in the inner palace, her reputation was very good. She had a heart that did not strive. Because of this, both the East Empress Dowager and the West Empress Dowager trusted her very much, and they had no guard up against her son, Prince Jing.

In fact, Prince Jing had never shown any special talent. If Prince Xiao Yao avoided struggle because his own older brother was emperor and he preferred travel and fun, while still being gifted in both ability and charm, then Prince Jing was truly ordinary. He was so ordinary that no one could imagine anyone would take the risk of supporting him to cause trouble.

Now someone was telling them that the one who tried to harm the Empress Dowager was the very Dowager Consort Liang, famous for not competing. The meaning behind this was worth pondering.

Because this touched secret family matters, the Emperor, though sure Yu Zhi Yi had seen through everything, did not want her to say more. Imperial affairs were not simple black and white. Sometimes the victim did not necessarily deserve sympathy. So, for the first time, Yu Zhi Yi was released from the palace without “wasting words” to lay out the entire chain of cause and effect.

She had no wish to make herself unwelcome. She asked someone to notify Madam Yao, then walked toward the palace gate first.

“Sister Yi…” A trembling voice, like a poor abandoned puppy, sounded behind her. Yu Zhi Yi paused for an instant, then kept walking without turning her head.