The punishment of the female imperial court

No sooner had Yu Qiansi left than Bo Yi arrived.

Upon hearing that she had entered the palace, his brows immediately furrowed.

Yu Anning held out the little bird to him: "Brother Boyi, do you have any way to save this little bird?"

Bo Yi reached out and gently touched the bird's beak. The calluses on his knuckles made a soft rubbing sound as they touched the hard beak.

His voice was low and deep. "There are ways, but the feeding methods are different, and the rescue methods are also different."

Sunlight filtered through the bare branches, casting shadows of varying depths on his profile. "Grains of rice and insects."

A caged bird, or a bird soaring through the clouds.

Yu Anning bit her lower lip and thought for a moment: "I don't know. It's not good to choose for it like this." Suddenly her eyes lit up, "Why don't I find them all and let the little bird choose for itself?" Then she hesitated, "But what if it's lazy and chooses a grain of rice, and then regrets it later when it loses its ability to catch insects?"

Bo Yi took a thin strip of cloth and skillfully secured the bird's wings. "It should be able to bear the consequences of its choice." He tightened the last knot. "If you really haven't made up your mind, just tie a long rope to its leg so it can fly. Once it's healed, untie the rope and let it choose for itself."

After saying that, he looked out the window at the gloomy sky and asked, "Is the princess free today? Could you take me to the palace?"

Yu Anning said with a teasing look, "You're doing this for Sister Yu, aren't you? Worried about her?"

Bo Yi's fingertips tapped unconsciously on the edge of the table, the rhythm erratic: "You know... I don't like the Daming Palace."

That deep palace can devour people.

Yu Anning thought of her grandmother and mother and didn't know how to respond. She just lowered her head and stroked the little bird's feathers: "I came to ask Sister Yu about the medicine. My great-uncle's illness can't be delayed. Once I've resolved the medicine issue, I'll take you to the palace to find Sister Yu. We'll be her left and right protectors and protect her!"

Bo Yi: "Alright, I'll wait for you at the palace gate."

*
When Yu Qiansi stepped into Qingning Palace, the scent of agarwood wafted towards her.

“Your Majesty,” Yu Qiansi bowed respectfully and said directly, “I wish to go to the Imperial Hospital to review some old records.”

The Empress raised her hand, signaling the palace servants to leave. Her gilded armor gleamed coldly in the candlelight. After the palace doors closed, she took out a brocade box from a hidden compartment under the table: "Last time, when I was compiling the purchasing list, I found an old palace servant named Qiu Yi who had entered the palace not long ago, ten years ago. I thought she might be able to help you, so I came to find her."

Yu Qiansi accepted the brocade box, her fingertips touching the delicate intertwined floral pattern on its surface. She didn't hold out much hope—those who knew the truth back then had either been released from the palace or had long since turned to dust. But she still thanked the Empress sincerely for her kindness: "Your Majesty has gone to great lengths."

The Empress lightly tapped her jade palm, and three crisp sounds echoed in the hall.

Before long, a hunched old palace maid slowly entered. She walked with a slight limp in her left foot, and the coarse cloth soles of her shoes made a rustling sound as they rubbed against the gold brick floor.

"This is Lady Yu. She has some questions for you. Answer them truthfully." The Empress's voice was gentle but firm. "I can arrange for you to leave the palace to recuperate, as you requested."

Yu Qiansi looked up and suddenly felt that the old palace maid looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen her before.

Yu Qian pondered for a moment, and a plan came to mind. She stood up and bowed to Empress Zheng: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. This old nanny is not very old. She had just entered the palace ten years ago, so she probably doesn't remember anything."

Empress Zheng raised her eyebrows slightly, suddenly understanding what Yu Qiansi meant. "There is some truth to that. I was not thorough in my consideration."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yi became somewhat anxious. Disregarding the impoliteness before the palace, she knelt down and blurted out, "This servant may look young, but I am already over thirty. Although I entered the palace not long ago, I have been intelligent since childhood, as my parents and neighbors have all witnessed. This servant remembers, remembers." Yu Qian Si frowned slightly upon hearing her words and turned to look at her.

"Ten years ago, ten years ago." She thought for a moment and said with certainty, "This servant remembers. Ten years ago, this servant may not be sure about what happened outside the palace, but this servant knows about all the big and small things that happened inside the palace."

"Then tell me, who lived in the third palace of the Prayer Hall back then?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and said confidently, "There are sixteen people in the third palace. Besides the most senior one, there is Consort Cao, who still lives in the Shou Kang Palace, as well as Empress Mingde, Empress Mingdao, and Consort Shang, who also lives in the Shou Kang Palace. Apart from them, they are all young ladies from noble families."

"Ning Temple?" The late emperor's temple name should be "Shun", so where did this Ning Temple Consort come from?

Empress Zheng explained, "Lord Yu, you may not know this, but the temple name of the Emperor's ancestor was 'Ning'. Indeed, there are still two imperial concubines with the temple name Ning residing in Shou Kang Palace today."

Yu Qiansi remembered that she seemed to have seen him once from afar at Taiye Pond.

"You know so much, Granny?" Yu Qiansi sat down again, picked up her teacup, and observed the other woman's expression through the rising steam. "Which master did you serve back then?"

Qiu Yi placed her hands on her knees, folded over each other. Her gaze swept over the other person's hands—although their face showed signs of age, their hands were fair and delicate, with neatly trimmed nails, not even a single hangnail.

These hands don't look like they're used for rough work.

“This old servant is not fortunate enough to enter the Hall of Prayer for Blessings,” she said in a hoarse voice, “but I am on good terms with Chun Tao, who serves Consort Shang, and often hear her talk about things in the palace.”

"what's up?"

Upon hearing Yu Qiansi's question, Qiu Yi dared not say anything more and secretly glanced at Empress Zheng.

Empress Zheng sat upright behind the table, a gentle smile on her face: "I have only been in the capital for a short time and am not very familiar with the Daming Palace. I am also a little curious about the past events in the palace. Please feel free to tell me. I will treat it as an interesting anecdote and forgive you."

Qiu Yi hesitated before saying, "I heard that the renovation of the Prayer Hall was rushed back then, and it wasn't perfect. There have always been some strange things. For example, blood tears would flow from the Buddha statues, and a white-clad female ghost would float by under the corridor at midnight."

Her voice grew softer and softer, filled with fear.

But this fear was unclear whether it was directed at the mistress of the Daming Palace before him or at those long-forgotten events.

Empress Zheng's smile remained unchanged, like that of a bodhisattva in a temple, but her voice still carried a hint of oppression: "Outrageous! How can such wicked words be spread in the palace!"

Qiu Yi knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have not said anything to anyone. It was Chun Tao who told me back then. I know that one should not speak recklessly in the palace. Apart from the Empress and this gentleman, I have never mentioned it to anyone."

Yu Qiansi ran her fingertips along the rim of the teacup, observing the palace maid before her without making a sound. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the hall, causing the candlelight to flicker and casting dancing shadows on the palace maid's wrinkled face.

The Buddha statue dripping blood and tears, the white-clad female ghost wandering around—these are all incredibly simple tricks.

Empress Zheng showed no sign of alarm, presumably knowing that this was merely a tactic to create panic.

But this suddenly appearing insider is quite interesting. (End of Chapter)