In the palace, pulling one thread could set the whole body in motion.

As the primary suspect, Hu Shanwei was held in solitary confinement. Even Mei Xiang was dragged from her bed in the middle of the night, gagged with a cloth, and secretly carried away.

Seeing this situation, Mei Xiang dared not hide anything and confessed everything: how she got pastries from friends at the Imperial Kitchen, how she made rice wine, put it in food boxes, encountered Embroidered Uniform Guard Junior Officer Ji Gang, and went to Yanxi Palace’s small kitchen to warm the rice wine.

Imperial Noble Consort Hu in Yanxi Palace was carrying an imperial heir. The Imperial Kitchen Bureau’s food division female official on night duty immediately controlled everyone in Yanxi Palace’s small kitchen, replaced them with a new group, and even changed the cooking pots!

The imperial heir must not come to harm – caution ensures ten thousand years of safety.

Embroidered Uniform Guard Ji Gang was not on duty in the rear palace that night. Once the rear palace was locked at night, it would not open unless the Emperor issued a sacred edict. According to regulations, they had to wait until dawn when the palace gates opened to summon Ji Gang for questioning.

Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Mao Qiang heard that the Palace Administration Office demanded Ji Gang be summoned at dawn for questioning. Knowing this matter had blown up, he angrily dragged Ji Gang from his warm bed in the middle of the night:

“I wanted you to find a way to make Hu Shanwei fail the selection, and you certainly had ability – you brought down more than half the female officials and even alerted Yanxi Palace!”

Ji Gang was startled awake in the middle of the night, only then realizing the matter had escalated. “I… I just wanted to make her sick and miss the palace regulations exam, so she’d automatically leave the palace.”

Mao Qiang grabbed Ji Gang’s ear. “To deal with one girl, did you need to use such powerful medicine? Are you an idiot!”

Ji Gang covered his ear. “I thought girls were delicate and ate little, afraid the medicine wouldn’t work, so I added extra. I never thought she’d have such good relationships – the night before the major exam, she’d still be in the mood to gather and socialize, sharing food with others. How could I know Mei Xiang would run to Yanxi Palace to borrow their small kitchen just to warm a pot of rice wine?”

Mao Qiang released his grip. “Tomorrow the Palace Administration Office will come for interrogation. Do you know what to say?”

Ji Gang quickly replied, “Usually we interrogate others, but this time others will interrogate me. I know what to do…”

The commotion in Ji Gang’s room woke Mu Chun next door.

Young people loved sleep – normally even thunder couldn’t wake him. But now that Mu Chun had moved from the luxurious Marquis Xiping residence to the simple Embroidered Uniform Guard office quarters, he had trouble adjusting to different bedding. Plus his buttocks had been severely beaten by Mao Qiang, so every time he turned over, pain would wake him. His sleep was extremely light, and the slightest noise would wake him.

Mu Chun crouched by the wall and listened. He didn’t understand the specifics, but Hu Shanwei’s name came through crystal clear. Mu Chun frowned – this beautiful sister truly faced disaster after disaster. What to do?

Mu Chun squatted in the corner pondering when a pair of shoes appeared before his eyes. Looking up, he saw, “Master… Master Mao.”

Mao Qiang asked, “How much did you hear?”

Mu Chun pulled up his trouser belt and yawned, “Hear what? I just came out to urinate.”

Mu Chun entered his room and was about to close the door when Mao Qiang suddenly pushed it open, covered Mu Chun’s mouth, pushed him into the corner, and blew out the candle…

At the fourth watch, Palace Administrator Fan from the Palace Administration Office came to the room where Hu Shanwei was being held.

Unexpectedly, Hu Shanwei was using her arm as a pillow, lying on the table sleeping soundly.

Hearing the movement, Hu Shanwei woke up, still bearing several marks on her left cheek.

“Palace Administrator Fan.” Hu Shanwei performed the proper salute.

Even in the middle of the night, Palace Administrator Fan still wore official robes with a black gauze cap, with clusters of purple wisteria silk flowers piled on both sides of the hat. Her makeup was exquisite, showing no sign of fatigue.

Palace Administrator Fan sat down and looked her up and down. “In this situation, you can still sleep?”

Hu Shanwei said, “This subordinate has a clear conscience.”

Palace Administrator Fan asked, “Don’t you have anything to say?”

Hu Shanwei asked, “How is Shen Qionglian’s condition?”

That once-in-a-century genius girl – the previous genius should have been Li Qingzhao of the Song Dynasty. If she died like this, it would be too tragic.

Palace Administrator Fan didn’t answer and gestured, “Sit down.”

Hu Shanwei sat across from Palace Administrator Fan, and the two made eye contact.

Palace Administrator Fan was secretly amazed. Was this new female official naturally bold or scared silly? She showed no sign of fear.

Palace Administrator Fan used psychological tactics, saying, “Mei Xiang has confessed everything. Aren’t you afraid?”

Hu Shanwei said, “Regardless, the female officials who fell ill were all gathered in my room doing homework last night – this is fact, and I cannot deny it. That you suspect me is normal, but—”

“The Palace Administration Office relies on evidence and follows regulations. Otherwise, wouldn’t the palace regulations and etiquette I’ve studied for half a month be worthless paper? If this truly was my fault, I’m willing to accept any punishment. If it wasn’t my fault, Palace Administrator Fan is just and fair-minded and will surely investigate the truth and clear my name.”

When Hu Shanwei was first brought here, she had panicked initially. But then she reconsidered – she had nothing to begin with. Now that disaster had struck from heaven and she was imprisoned, there was nothing she could do. Only by facing it calmly could she live up to her years of studying by cold window, copying books tirelessly, and risking everything to steal household registration documents to test into the palace as a female official.

Palace Administrator Fan asked again, “Among the female officials who gathered in your room last night, more than half are suspected of poisoning. Medicine Official Wu suspects it’s related to last night’s food and drink – why are you completely unaffected?”

Hu Shanwei spoke honestly, “I was the host. What kind of host only cares about eating themselves without considering their guests? Last night I only ate one piece of tiger-eye nest silk candy and drank one cup of rice wine, plus ordinary tea.”

She continued, “If I truly did as they said – jealous of Shen Qionglian and other outstanding female officials, instigating Mei Xiang to poison the food – first, where would the poison come from? When I entered the palace, I had nothing. The matrons searched me thoroughly, even… even examining private places. I only brought in one iron military token. Second, Mei Xiang is an old palace hand who best understands the rules. How could she possibly go mad and listen to instigation from a newcomer like me? Finally, if I really did it, I would certainly poison myself too. Otherwise, if I alone was unaffected, everyone would suspect me first.”

“Palace Administrator Fan, I passed preliminary selection, re-examination, and tested in. I’m not that stupid.”

After hearing Hu Shanwei’s self-defense, Palace Administrator Fan asked, “In your view, who caused half the female officials to fall ill last night?”

Hu Shanwei shook her head. “I don’t know. I want to know too.”

Palace Administrator Fan looked at her as if expecting her to say more, but Hu Shanwei remained silent like a tight-lipped gourd.

Hu Shanwei knew that if she randomly accused others to clear herself at this moment, it would only make things more chaotic. Everyone had struggled to enter the palace as female officials – why make things difficult for each other?

Palace Administrator Fan left, the door was locked from outside, and with dawn still not breaking, Hu Shanwei continued lying on the table to sleep.

Palace Administrator Fan handed Hu Shanwei’s confession to Medicine Official Ru, who had also entered the palace as a female official ten years ago and was now in her twenties with proper appearance and demeanor.

After reading the confession, Medicine Official Ru was somewhat surprised. “She actually didn’t mention her backers – Mu Chun and Her Majesty the Empress.”

Palace Administrator Fan nodded. “She didn’t mention them at all. If it were an ordinary person, they would have already knelt begging for mercy and brought up their backers. Hu Shanwei truly has some composure – I quite admire her. However, the case is now at a standstill and has even alarmed Imperial Noble Consort Hu of Yanxi Palace. Imperial Noble Consort Hu is pregnant, and if there’s no explanation by tomorrow morning, she will surely be angry, and the Empress will blame us for incompetence. At that time, we’ll have no choice but to push out Hu Shanwei, the primary suspect, to deal with the thunderous rage first. What a pity – before finding the real culprit, Hu Shanwei will certainly suffer physical torment.”

“Not necessarily.” Medicine Official Ru pointed to a food box beside her. “I think we’ve already found the real culprit.”

At the third quarter of the fifth watch, with dawn breaking dimly, the Palace Administration Bureau’s gate division female official punctually issued keys to all the rear palace gates, which were opened by the rear palace eunuchs who immediately returned the keys to the female official after opening.

All rear palace gates, including keys to various storerooms, were kept by the gate division female official. After locking and unlocking, keys must be returned, especially for palace gates – eunuchs opened and locked them, but female officials kept the keys.

Those who managed keys didn’t open doors, those who opened doors didn’t manage keys – female officials and eunuchs supervised each other.

Embroidered Uniform Guard Junior Officer Ji Gang had just entered the Palace Administration Office when he was thrown into prison. They stripped him of his Embroidered Spring Knife and Flying Fish robe, first giving him fifty strokes of the rod until his skin split and blood flowed freely.

Ji Gang cried out his innocence, but Palace Administrator Fan didn’t even blink.

After the beating, Ji Gang was barely breathing. He thought this Palace Administrator Fan looked gentle and mild, but when she acted, she was as ruthless and merciless as Master Mao. The Palace Administration Office’s torture instruments were even more complete than the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s imperial prison!

These women were so terrifying!

After breaking Ji Gang’s spirit, Palace Administrator Fan ordered someone to bring out a food box and asked him, “Does this look familiar?”

Ji Gang gritted his teeth and refused to admit it to the death. “It does look familiar – all food boxes in the palace look the same.”

Palace Administrator Fan said, “Things eaten into the stomach cause vomiting and diarrhea. Unless it’s highly toxic poison, nothing can be detected, leaving no evidence. But when you secretly sprinkled peach blossom powder into Mei Xiang’s food box, some powder spilled into the box and was discovered by the female physicians.”

Palace Administrator Fan took out a small paper package. “This is the small amount of peach blossom powder the female physicians swept from the food box with brushes. Not much, but enough to convict you.”

Ji Gang wanted to slap himself. He thought it was just a small matter to force Hu Shanwei out of the palace. Who knew it would alarm this female demon from the Palace Administration Office!

Outside the palace, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was famous. But in the rear palace, the Palace Administration Office was another Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Ji Gang thought: Dead, dead, it’s all because I was careless, deserving ten thousand deaths. But I absolutely cannot implicate Master Mao.

The rear palace must not interfere in politics. Similarly, external ministers must not meddle in rear palace affairs – the Emperor was most taboo about this. Once Master Mao was exposed, he would certainly lose his position as Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander.

Ji Gang first refused to admit it, shouting about injustice.

Because admitting it now would be too quick, making it seem false, as if taking the blame for someone else. Better to deny first, then admit after enduring several tortures – this way it would seem more genuine.

Palace Administrator Fan shook her head repeatedly. “You’ve interrogated many prisoners in the imperial prison. You should know that if you refuse to confess, all the methods you’ve used in the imperial prison, I’ll use on you one by one.”

Ji Gang remained stubborn. “Use them ten times and I still won’t admit it. I didn’t do it, so why should I confess!”

Palace Administrator Fan ordered the torturers to use various methods, because if Ji Gang didn’t confess, the same punishments would probably be used on the innocent Hu Shanwei.

When Ji Gang’s ring finger nail was torn out alive by iron pliers, Medicine Official Ru entered and whispered a few words to Palace Administrator Fan.

Palace Administrator Fan’s expression changed. “Stop the torture.”

In the Palace Administration Office, Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Mao Qiang dragged Mu Chun in.

Mao Qiang pushed Mu Chun forward and gave him a meaningful look. “Tell Palace Administrator Fan yourself what good deed you ordered Ji Gang to do yesterday!”