Ruan Ning was bewildered. What was that about? She hadn’t provoked him. This moody eunuch was truly difficult to serve.
Gu Lianchang’s people settled in the western wing of the Yikun Palace, leaving the eastern wing for him. The news spread quickly through the inner palace. The Consort was both angry and afraid, smashing another vase.
The Prince of Jin found the eighth prince, Wei Ying, catching snails in the imperial garden. The eight-year-old fifth prince seemed naive compared to other royal children. When asked about how he discovered the imperial edict, he recounted with childlike innocence: “…I remembered Father Emperor sometimes kept candy in his drawer, so I wanted to check. Unexpectedly, I pulled out an imperial edict. Second Brother, why are you asking? Many people asked me today.”
Wei Ying’s mother was a palace maid who died during childbirth, and nobody paid him much attention, not even the Prince of Jin. He felt the boy’s story was believable and casually asked, “Fifth Brother, would you want the Imperial Consort to be our mother?”
“Who cares, whoever becomes empress is the same.”
This isn’t something I can decide,” Wei Ying exclaimed, “What a big snail!”
Jin Wang laughed, thinking it foolish to ask him anything. Just then, a palace maid from the Storage Virtue Palace hurriedly whispered about De Fei’s failed poisoning and Gu Lianchang’s move into the Yikun Palace. Jin Wang was startled; his mother was always so impatient, and he wondered what to do now.
In the Eastern Palace, Wei Shu sat holding his forehead, pondering who wanted to support Yu Fei as empress. Gu Lianchang had previously caused trouble, and Wei Shu thought it was aimed at him, but now Gu Lianchang had exposed De Fei, which seemed to target Jin Wang. What was his real intention?
Qin Zhi suddenly said, “Your Highness, have you noticed that Gu Lianchang’s actions seem related to Yu Fei?” Wei Shu quickly ran through the events and was equally shocked.
Could this eunuch have designs on Yu Fei? He quickly dismissed the thought; a eunuch interested in a woman seemed unlikely. If he wanted to possess her, he would make her completely helpless, rather than pushing her to become empress.
“It’s probably just a coincidence. His target is still me and Jin Wang,” Wei Shu said.
