Qin Wan felt as if something had pierced her heart. She looked at Yan Sui in shock, “Why would Your Highness think that?”

Though Qin Wan was usually perfect at concealing her emotions, at this moment, she was afraid her expression might betray something to Yan Sui. Yan Sui stared at her for a moment, but due to his young age, he didn’t notice anything unusual. He just lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, “Because Father Emperor isn’t nice to me anymore.”

Qin Wan’s heart softened again, and Yan Sui continued quietly, “Father Emperor used to cherish me very much.”

Qin Wan sighed, “Your Highness shouldn’t think that way. His Majesty is the Emperor of Da Zhou, with countless matters requiring his attention each day. He’s just too busy.”

Yan Sui shook his head, “No… that’s not it at all…”

Yan Sui looked aggrieved but stubbornly pressed his lips together, appearing quite determined.

Qin Wan felt a twinge in her heart. Though children weren’t as perceptive as adults in reading subtle cues, they had the most genuine intuition. They could feel clearly whether adults were treating them well or poorly. Qin Wan tugged at her lips, patted his head, then made a fist and held it in front of Yan Sui before turning it over and opening her palm, revealing a small sweet wrapped in oiled paper that had somehow appeared there. “No matter how the Emperor treats Your Highness, the Empress Dowager still cares for you. This was bought specially for Your Highness. I forgot to give it to you earlier. It’s very sweet, but Your Highness can only have one.”

Yan Sui’s eyes brightened slightly as he looked up at Qin Wan. She smiled gently, and Yan Sui’s expression finally cleared. Qin Wan unwrapped the oiled paper to reveal a chestnut glutinous rice cake coated in bright yellow sugar powder. “Here, but Your Highness mustn’t tell the Empress Dowager.”

Yan Sui was losing his baby teeth and was strictly forbidden from eating sweets. This chestnut cake was prepared by Fu Ling this morning. She had prepared a sumptuous breakfast, but Qin Wan had been in a hurry to enter the palace and hadn’t had time to eat. Fu Ling had wrapped one and put it in her hand. Unable to resist Fu Ling’s nagging, she had accepted it but had no appetite, so she had tucked it into her sleeve pocket and forgotten about it. But seeing Yan Sui’s dejected expression just now, she suddenly remembered it.

Although Yan Sui was a boy, at his age, he naturally loved sweets. However, the Empress Dowager was very strict about his daily routine, and he usually couldn’t even see a grain of sugar. Now that Qin Wan was comforting him with a sweet sugary cake, Yan Sui’s attention was indeed quickly diverted.

Yan Sui looked around carefully, then took the chestnut glutinous rice cake, smiled slightly, and began eating it in small bites.

Seeing him like this, Qin Wan felt her heart melt completely.

After Yan Sui finished eating, Qin Wan took out her handkerchief to wipe his mouth and then his palms before they continued walking toward Han Guang Hall.

As they walked, Yan Sui said, “If it wasn’t Father Emperor, then it must have been the Empress or the Noble Consort. Mother wasn’t an ordinary consort; others wouldn’t dare harm her.”

Yan Sui’s voice was very childish, still with traces of baby talk, but when speaking, his tone was deep and very certain.

Qin Wan sighed. Even Yan Sui could understand this logic, yet she had to be extremely cautious before making such conjectures. Thinking this, she couldn’t help but look at the small figure beside her again. If the Emperor truly was involved in Consort Jin’s death, how could she tell Yan Sui?

“This matter is very complicated. Your Highness is too young to understand it all right now. Your Highness should just focus on your studies.”

Hearing this, Yan Sui shook his head but pressed his lips together without saying anything. Qin Wan sighed inwardly, deciding not to continue discussing this matter.

Soon, they approached Yong Ning Palace.

Yong Ning Palace was Consort Jin’s residence, and Han Guang Hall was a chamber slightly west of it.

Yong Ning Palace occupied considerable ground, and although its location was somewhat remote, Consort Jin had moved there after becoming a consort. For someone of her age to occupy such a large main palace was quite rare, which established Consort Jin’s status.

Qin Wan had learned that Han Guang Hall was where Consort Jin usually read. Consort Jin came from a scholarly family in the Two Lakes region and had an uncle who served as Vice Minister in the Ministry of Personnel. Through this uncle’s connection, she had caught the Emperor’s eye during the palace selection and quickly rose to prominence.

In less than two years, she had risen from a minor talented lady to the position of consort. From Yan Sui’s features, it wasn’t hard to see that Consort Jin must have been exceptionally beautiful. More remarkably, she was skilled in music and literature, wrote excellent calligraphy, and even her paintings were greatly admired by the Emperor. Because Consort Jin was so accomplished in both beauty and talent, her favor with the Emperor wasn’t surprising. Many in the palace even believed that within two years, she would surpass Feng Ling Su.

But no one expected such a favored consort would die so suddenly.

Both the main and side gates of Yong Ning Palace were sealed, but the area near Han Guang Hall had been abandoned early on and had no barriers. It was already past noon, and Qin Wan felt quite uneasy leading Yan Sui here. If others saw them coming this way, they would certainly be suspicious.

After some thought, Qin Wan only dared to look toward Han Guang Hall from a distance. “Is that Han Guang Hall?”

Yan Sui nodded with an “mm.” Qin Wan thought for a moment and looked toward the west. On the day of the incident, there was a palace banquet, and the Empress and others had attended. Even Yan Sui had been taken there early by the elder maids. Why hadn’t Consort Jin gone along with them, instead coming to Han Guang Hall alone?

After getting a general sense of Yong Ning Palace’s layout, Qin Wan immediately led Yan Sui away from the area. They walked to a waterside pavilion near the Imperial Garden. After ensuring no one was around, Qin Wan quietly asked, “Your Highness, can you tell me why Consort Jin didn’t attend the palace banquet with you that day?”

Yan Sui thought briefly and said, “Mother was originally going to attend, but halfway there, she suddenly felt cold, so she had the elder maids and others take me ahead while she returned to the palace with some attendants. I was a bit scared at the banquet, and after waiting a while without Mother arriving, I ran out of Jin Xiu Hall’s door. The elder maid followed me… When we returned to Yong Ning Palace, we saw Mother’s attendants all guarding the main hall. When I asked Mother’s maid, she said Mother had gone to Han Guang Hall alone and wouldn’t let them follow. They were afraid of Mother, but I wasn’t, so I went to Han Guang Hall alone to find her, but I didn’t expect…”

Qin Wan gripped Yan Sui’s hand tightly, “It’s alright, Your Highness doesn’t need to think about it anymore. Tell me, did Consort Jin spend much time in Han Guang Hall daily? You mentioned before that Consort Jin was very afraid during that period. Do you know what she was afraid of?”

Yan Sui’s expression turned serious, “At first… not much, but before the incident, Mother spent more time in Han Guang Hall.”

He looked at Qin Wan, indicating he felt what he was about to say was important, “Mother often wouldn’t let anyone enter Han Guang Hall…”

Qin Wan frowned, “Did she say why?”

Yan Sui shook his head, “No, during that time Mother was reading, reading many books, and painting… She loved painting with Father Emperor most. When Father Emperor came to Yong Ning Palace, she would paint with him, and they would also carve seals together…”

As Qin Wan listened to Yan Sui’s fragmented words, a glimmer of insight flashed through her mind, as if something was waiting for her at the edge of the fog, but she was just short of grasping it. Painting, seal carving – these refined scholarly pursuits were indeed things Consort Jin would do. The Emperor had favored her initially because of these talents, so there didn’t seem to be anything particularly strange about it. After pondering for a while, Qin Wan frowned and asked, “Did Your Highness notice anything unusual?”

Yan Sui shook his head, his face showing complete bewilderment. He had been even younger then, naturally not noticing anything strange.

Seeing Qin Wan’s serious expression and silence, Yan Sui began reminiscing on his own, “Back then, Father Emperor was very good to Mother. Everyone in the palace was very good to me too. No one dared to stand straight while speaking to me. Whatever Mother liked, Father Emperor would give to her. Mother loved paintings and calligraphy, so Father Emperor would bring out precious artwork from the imperial collection for Mother to appreciate. He also sent many gifts and tributes to Yong Ning Palace. Mother… Mother was originally planning to teach me painting, but she suddenly changed her mind. By then, I could already write the first few passages of the Thousand Character Classic, but Mother stopped teaching me too…”

At that time, Yan Sui wasn’t even five years old. Someone like Consort Jin would certainly want to pass on her knowledge and skills to Yan Sui personally, so why did she suddenly change her mind?

Yan Sui continued in a low voice, “Mother would paint with Father Emperor, and after finishing, they would spend half a day appreciating the works. Sometimes she would lock herself in Han Guang Hall to admire them. I didn’t know what was wrong with Mother, but later I felt she was afraid, even though Father Emperor was still so good to her… and to me too… Father Emperor used to hold me often then… but since Mother passed away, Father Emperor hasn’t held me even once…”

As Yan Sui spoke, he became increasingly dejected, his small face filled with loneliness.

Qin Wan looked at Yan Sui and couldn’t help but stroke his head again, but then a thought struck her. Consort Jin had started frequently admiring the Emperor’s paintings and then began to show fear… Could she have discovered something in the paintings?

Qin Wan considered this possibility but quickly found it absurd. What could the Emperor’s paintings reveal? A couple of paintings together was a refined and affectionate activity that should have started when Consort Jin first gained favor. Why would she suddenly become disturbed by it?

Qin Wan felt her thoughts had hit a knot she couldn’t untangle. “Your Highness, during that period, did Consort Jin only look at the Emperor’s paintings?”

Yan Sui thought for a moment and shook his head, “I don’t know. I just saw her staring at Father Emperor’s paintings several times. Once she kept staring at Father Emperor’s painting, and when I asked what she was doing, she said Father Emperor’s paintings were something magnificent, and she needed to appreciate them carefully… Later, when she went to Han Guang Hall alone, she would sometimes take Father Emperor’s paintings with her, but I don’t know whose paintings she was looking at inside…”

Indeed, no one knew what Consort Jin was doing inside Han Guang Hall.

Qin Wan patted Yan Sui’s head, beginning to understand something. She instinctively felt that whatever Consort Jin was doing in Han Guang Hall might be related to her murder.

“Your Highness, did your mother have any close friends in the palace?”

Yan Sui pressed his lips together, “I don’t know. Mother rarely left the palace gates.”

“Did she often have visitors?” Qin Wan asked again.

Yan Sui shook his head, “Very rarely. My mother didn’t like noise.”

Qin Wan nodded. This suggested Consort Jin probably had few close friends in the palace.

It made sense – gaining favor immediately upon entering the palace, she was a threat to the senior consorts, and for newcomers, her rise had been too rapid. The inner palace was full of women, all serving one husband. Even ordinary sisters would compete with each other, let alone those in the inner palace.

Consort Jin had no close friends and given her personality, she probably hadn’t made enemies either. Qin Wan asked softly, “Did Noble Consort Feng ever bully Consort Jin?”

Yan Sui thought for a moment and shook his head, “No… Mother rarely went out, so she couldn’t.”

After all, as a principal consort who was not only favored but had also borne a prince, even if Feng Ling Su hated her in her heart, she wouldn’t dare let the Emperor think she was a vicious woman.

Moreover, if even the Empress in Kun Ning Palace didn’t intervene, Feng Ling Su would appear even more malicious if she overstepped.

Qin Wan thought back and forth, wondering what else she could ask Yan Sui, but she couldn’t think of any new questions. Many things were just vague concepts to Yan Sui, and she didn’t want to make him keep thinking about the scene of Consort Jin’s death. From what she had seen earlier, Han Guang Hall was some distance from Yong Ning Palace’s main hall. What had made Consort Jin return to the main hall and then go alone to Han Guang Hall? Though Han Guang Hall was part of Yong Ning Palace and connected to the Imperial Garden, others wouldn’t dare to casually walk there. Only Prince Jin’s claim of being drawn there by screams seemed somewhat plausible…

“Mother had no enemies, but no one was particularly good to Mother either. I could tell because Crown Prince Brother wouldn’t talk to me, Prince Cheng Brother didn’t like me, and others wouldn’t take the initiative to pay attention to me. Only Prince Jin Brother and Brother Yan Li were best to me. I… I don’t believe Prince Jin Brother would harm my mother.”

Yan Sui hung his head and mumbled to himself. Qin Wan sighed – it was unfortunate that Prince Jin was gone.

“I can see that Prince Yan Li treats you well. Don’t worry, this matter will be cleared up.” After a pause, Qin Wan said, “I also don’t think Prince Jin would have harmed Consort Jin.”

Yan Sui raised his head to look at Qin Wan, “Really?”

His eyes shone brightly, showing that he had struggled with this for a long time. He had been very fond of Prince Jin but had been forced to accept that Prince Jin was his mother’s murderer. He must have questioned everyone and himself. Poor child, losing his mother at such a young age and then being treated coldly by his father. Qin Wan put her arm around Yan Sui’s small shoulders, “Yes, I’m very sure Prince Jin didn’t harm Consort Jin. He… he was just wrongly accused of some mistakes.”

Yan Sui’s eyes glistened, clearly relieved by Qin Wan’s words. Qin Wan felt pity for him but didn’t forget to warn him quietly, “Your Highness must not tell anyone about what I asked today, and absolutely must not mention it to others, understand?”

Yan Sui held out his hand, “I understand. Let’s pinky swear—”

Qin Wan smiled and hooked her little finger with his.