Chapter 45: First Glance at the Secret Letter, Suspicions Slowly Rising

The handwriting on the letter was exquisite and neat, seemingly penned by a woman’s hand, yet the paper used was the finest xuan paper—not the sort of material an ordinary court maid could possibly afford.

He Yunsheng paced anxiously beside me like an ant on a hot pan. "Elder Sister, what are we to do? This letter... is clearly aimed right at us!" I brought the letter close to my nose and sniffed it; a faint scent of plum blossoms lingered on the paper, a unique variety found only in the Imperial Garden.

"It seems our 'opponent' holds a rather lofty status," I chuckled softly. There were plenty of people in this palace who wished to see me, Lu Wan'er, make a fool of myself, but I had not expected them to lack such composure, striking back so swiftly.

Accompanied by He Yunsheng, I began making inquiries both openly and covertly throughout the palace and beyond. From tracing the origin of the letter paper to comparing the handwriting, we searched nearly every stationery shop large and small across the capital, yet we came up completely empty-handed.

It was as if the person who wrote the letter had materialized out of thin air and vanished just as quickly.

The feeling was akin to working tirelessly to unearth a treasure, only to discover the prize was merely another treasure map—infinitely more frustrating than swallowing a fly!

What was even more exasperating was that the conservative nobles who usually looked down upon me acted as though they had been injected with chicken blood, seizing every opportunity to hurl sarcastic remarks my way.

"Well, if it isn't Official Lu? Why the long face? Could it be that you're overwhelmed trying to count all the gold and jewels bestowed upon you by His Majesty?" The speaker was Liu Ruyan, daughter of the Minister of Personnel, a woman who would have gladly ground me beneath her heel.

"Indeed! Official Lu is now the head of the imperial court ladies, second only to the emperor and revered by millions. What on earth could possibly trouble her?" Echoing her was Zhao Wanting, daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue, who, much like her father, was driven entirely by greed.

I listened to their barbed, sarcastic barbs with a forced, skin-deep smile, while mentally calculating how to make them cough up every single tael of gold and jewelry they had ever swallowed.

Just as I was about to lose my patience, an unexpected person appeared before me.

He handed me a cup of warm tea and lowered his voice. "Official Lu, do not be impatient. Take your time." I looked up, and to my astonishment, it was none other than...

Eunuch Liu, the Emperor's personal confidant.

He flashed me a mysterious smile and lowered his voice even further. "Someone wishes to see you." A chill struck my heart. I accepted the tea cup, my fingertips trembling slightly.

***

Rather than retaliating with my usual anger, I put on a pitiful, woebegone expression...

Instead of snapping back in fury as I typically would, I put on a pitiful, helpless front, turning on the waterworks so fast it was like opening a faucet.

"Miss Liu, Miss Zhao, you have no idea! This letter... this letter is practically going to be the death of me!" I dabbed at my tears while secretly observing their expressions—ah, smugness, malicious joy, just short of beating drums and celebrating.

I sneered inwardly. Little girls, trying to play palace intrigue with your grandmother? You're still far too green!

I continued my tearful grievance: "What is written in this letter... it's all completely groundless! Someone is clearly trying to frame me! I... a humble head of the imperial court ladies, how could I have possibly offended such a great deity? Sob, sob, sob..." I wept like rain on pear blossoms, looking thoroughly pitiful. Anyone unaware of the truth would have thought I had suffered the gravest injustice in the world.

True to expectations, the two women took the bait. They began taking turns "comforting" me, though their real purpose was to fish for information from me.

Feigning tearful gratitude, I thanked them profusely for their concern, adding that if they could help me uncover the truth, I would surely reward them handsomely.

A heavy reward encourages brave men—all the more so for these two insatiable vultures.

Liu Ruyan put on a sympathetic air and sighed. "Official Lu, in this palace, people wear human faces but harbor beasts' hearts. Who knows who is stabbing you in the back? However..." She paused, her eyes flickering. "I have heard that Noble Lady Zhou has been in rather poor spirits lately, and it seems... she might have had some friction with you?"

BINGO!

The fish had taken the hook!

I rejoiced inwardly while keeping my expression completely neutral, continuing to play the fool. "Noble Lady Zhou? She and I... we harbor no deep enmity..."

Zhao Wanting chimed in immediately. "Indeed. I heard Noble Lady Zhou has recently fallen out of favor, leaving her deeply depressed, so it is inevitable that she might vent her frustrations on others..."

Armed with the clue I desired, I immediately set out to investigate alongside He Yunsheng.

***

The young man proved quite efficient, apprehending a shifty little eunuch before long who claimed to be delivering a message to Noble Lady Zhou on orders.

Under He Yunsheng's "gentle persuasion"—which was to say, intimidation—the little eunuch was scared out of his wits, spilling everything like beans pouring from a broken bamboo tube.

Following the eunuch's directions, we located a secluded little house hidden away in a remote corner of the palace grounds.

The shack was dilapidated and overgrown with weeds, looking for all the world like some abandoned woodshed.

Yet alarm bells rang furiously in my head. Whenever the abnormal occurs, a demon is surely near!

He Yunsheng and I cautiously approached the small structure, preparing to step inside and investigate, when suddenly a strange sound drifted from within...

Was that...

Something struggling?

I grabbed He Yunsheng's wrist, signaling him to be careful.

"Elder Sister... it sounds like... someone is... inside..." He Yunsheng's voice trembled slightly.

I took a deep breath and drew the dagger concealed within my sleeve...