With such confusion in her mind, they entered Zhaoyang Hall. Amidst the palace servants’ bows, Xiao Shi made her way to the sleeping quarters behind the main hall. Standing on a stool, she retrieved a golden yellow cloth from the very top of a rosewood cabinet, making Hong Li and the others watch in terror, fearing she might fall.

After Hong Li helped her down, she said: “Your Majesty, why did you take down the swaddling cloth the little prince wore when he was just born?”

Xiao Shi stroked the swaddling cloth in her hands, which despite having passed more than ten years, remained as new as ever, and said softly: “You still remember this is what Yunyi wore as a child.”

Hong Li smiled: “How could this servant not remember? Your Majesty always said the little princess looked especially adorable wrapped in this swaddling cloth. You even had an artist paint a portrait of it and rewarded the people in the embroidery workshop.”

“Yes, Yunyi has always suited golden colors particularly well. When wrapped in this, she was as fair and tender as jade and snow. Everyone who saw her said she was extremely beautiful.” Saying this, Xiao Shi suddenly asked: “Hong Li, did the embroidery workshop originally make one or two of these swaddling cloths?”

Hong Li paused before saying: “This servant is not clear about that. Why does Your Majesty suddenly ask this?”

After signaling for all palace servants except Hong Li to withdraw, Xiao Shi said: “Just now Yunyi told me that in Honghua Commandery, she encountered a woman with the same appearance as her. Most remarkably, even their birth year, month, day, and hour were exactly the same.”

Hong Li exclaimed: “Could there really be such a coincidence?”

Xiao Shi said slowly: “I also thought it was a coincidence at first, but Yunyi said that when this woman named Wu Meixue was found, she was wrapped in a swaddling cloth identical to this one.” After a pause, she continued: “Do you remember last October when I suddenly felt chest tightness and unbearable heart pain?”

“This servant naturally remembers. When His Majesty learned Your Majesty was unwell, he summoned all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau, but none could diagnose what illness Your Majesty had. His Majesty was furious with the Imperial Medical Bureau over this. Fortunately, Your Majesty’s heart pain gradually subsided, or all those imperial physicians would likely have lost their heads.”

Xiao Shi nodded: “That’s right. It was on that very day that Wu Meixue died.”

Hearing this, Hong Li understood her meaning and said in amazement: “When she died, Your Majesty felt inexplicable heart pain. Could Wu Meixue really be…” Halfway through her words, she shook her head: “This is impossible. The midwife clearly said Your Majesty only gave birth to one child. She never mentioned twins.”

Xiao Shi held the swaddling cloth and walked a few steps, saying slowly: “I remember that when I was four months pregnant, my belly was already noticeably larger than ordinary pregnant women. When Imperial Physician Zhao, who was then the Chief of the Imperial Medical Bureau, took my pulse, he said I was carrying twins. But when he examined me again the next day, he said it was a misdiagnosis—there was only a single fetus in my womb, and it looked large because of excess amniotic fluid.”

“This servant remembers this incident too.” After a pause, Hong Li asked tentatively: “Does Your Majesty suspect… that Imperial Physician Zhao lied?”

“I don’t know either.” Xiao Shi sighed softly, then asked: “Hong Li, do you truly know nothing about what happened back then?”

Hong Li shook her head: “When Your Majesty began labor pains, His Majesty ordered this servant and the other palace servants to go to the Buddhist hall to pray for Your Majesty’s blessings. We didn’t return until Your Majesty safely delivered the princess.”

“Pray for blessings?” Xiao Shi slowly repeated these words, and a mocking expression suddenly appeared on her usually gentle and serene face. “I’m afraid he deliberately sent you all away.”

“This…” Hong Li guessed her thoughts and said hesitantly: “His Majesty has always cherished Your Majesty. He shouldn’t do such a thing.”

“His Majesty… I know his thoughts better than anyone.” Saying this, Xiao Shi seemed unwilling to mention Yang Guang further and fell silent after this remark.

Hong Li secretly sighed and asked: “Whether it was twins or not, doesn’t Your Majesty have any knowledge of it yourself?”

Xiao Shi shook her head: “I fainted from pain at the time. When I woke up, Yunyi was born. I haven’t thought much about it all these years, but now looking back, could it be… that one child was already born while I was unconscious?” As she spoke, she lowered her head and stared blankly at the swaddling cloth in her hands. Hong Li followed her gaze for a while, then remembered something: “Oh yes, this servant remembers that when Your Majesty was pregnant with the princess, Consort Ronghua was also with child, but she was unlucky and had a premature birth at six months. Since two ladies in the palace were pregnant, then… two identical swaddling cloths wouldn’t be impossible.”

Xiao Shi’s expression grew stern: “Immediately summon Director Hong from the Bureau of Palace Attendants to see me.”

The Bureau of Palace Attendants managed the various clothing, ornaments, and other items for the imperial consorts, noble ladies, and female officials in the palace. The Director of Clothing specifically managed garments and accessories. This swaddling cloth was made by embroiderers under Director Hong’s supervision.

“Yes.” Hong Li acknowledged and quickly went to the Bureau of Palace Attendants. Soon, a woman of about fifty followed her in—it was Director Hong, who respectfully said: “This servant pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless fortune.”

“You may rise.” After Director Hong stood up, Xiao Shi didn’t immediately ask about the swaddling cloth but smiled pleasantly: “Today I had a whim and looked through Princess Jinyang’s childhood clothes. I found that although this swaddling cloth has been stored for sixteen years, it’s still as new as yesterday, and the embroidery on it is lifelike—much more exquisite than the needlework of today’s embroiderers.”

Hearing this, Director Hong thought she was finding fault with the current embroiderers’ poor workmanship and hurriedly said: “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. The current batch of embroiderers are still young and their needlework is somewhat lacking, but this servant has been urging them diligently. I believe there will be improvement soon.”

Xiao Shi smiled: “I have no intention of blame. I was just feeling nostalgic. Speaking of which, when Consort Ronghua and I were both pregnant with dragon heirs, did you make anything for Consort Ronghua’s child?”

Though Director Hong didn’t understand why Xiao Shi suddenly asked about events from sixteen years ago, she didn’t dare question it and answered truthfully: “In response to Your Majesty, the Bureau of Palace Attendants also made an identical swaddling cloth for Consort Ronghua’s child at that time, but unfortunately Consort Ronghua had a premature birth. The dragon heir died as soon as it was born and never got to use that swaddling cloth.”

“So that swaddling cloth is still stored in the Bureau of Palace Attendants?” Faced with Xiao Shi’s question, Director Hong shook her head: “No, that swaddling cloth was taken away by Eunuch Zheng from His Majesty’s side sixteen years ago.”

“Zheng Ying?” Xiao Shi’s heart trembled as she quickly asked: “What did he take it for?”

“This servant is also unclear. Eunuch Zheng seemed hurried at the time and only said he had a use for it before leaving.” Before she finished speaking, Xiao Shi asked: “Which day was this?”

Sixteen years had passed, and Director Hong’s memory had long grown fuzzy. After thinking for a long time, she said: “It seems… it was the very day Your Majesty gave birth.”

Xiao Shi’s face changed as she pressed: “Are you certain?”