Hua Chun grew a bit interested. She draped an arm over Rui’er’s shoulder and said with a smile, “You’ve been in the palace a long time, and since you know a bit about these things, why don’t we follow the thread and dig a little?”

Rui’er’s eyes went wide. “My lady, why would you want to investigate this? It’s all old business from years ago — digging it up now won’t do you any good.”

Old business from years ago was exactly what she was after! Hua Chun smiled and slipped the jade bracelet from her own wrist onto Rui’er’s. “This is for you, to calm your nerves. When we get back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, can you tell me a few things I’d like to hear?”

Rui’er froze, touching the bracelet on her wrist, her expression hesitant. Hua Chun didn’t push her further, letting her trail behind while she skipped along ahead on her own.

By the time they reached the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Rui’er seemed to have made up her mind. She knelt before Hua Chun and said, “If Your Ladyship truly wishes to investigate, this servant can bring you the maid who once served that Talented Lady.”

“That maid is still alive?” Hua Chun raised an eyebrow.

“By the rules, her personal attendant would have been sent out of the palace, but the lower-ranking maid who did menial work would have been reassigned to another hall.” Rui’er said. “It would just take a bit of silver, and the Bureau of Internal Affairs would be able to track her down.”

Nodding, Hua Chun got up, went to the cabinet, and pulled out twenty taels of silver along with some jewelry, handing it to her.

“This servant will not fail Your Ladyship’s trust!” Rui’er was deeply moved. She hadn’t expected to become the trusted confidant of the favored consort so quickly, let alone be trusted this much already — if she managed to pull this off, her standing in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was bound to keep rising.

Hua Chun watched her leave with a smile, then turned to Qing Niao beside her. “Still, keep an eye on things.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Though the saying went “trust the one you employ, employ the one you trust,” Hua Chun currently had no one else she could use, so she had no choice but to test this maid’s loyalty for now.

Fortunately, Rui’er truly didn’t disappoint her. She spent the whole morning running around outside, and by lunchtime, she’d brought the person back.

“Please step aside for a moment.” Hua Chun tilted her chin toward the emperor, who sat on the couch.

Yuwen Jie narrowed his eyes. “It’s always been others stepping aside for me — never the other way around.”

“Okay, okay, you’re amazing, I know.” Hua Chun said coaxingly, pulling him up. “But if you sit here, she won’t dare say anything at all. Please, just move to the inner chamber for a bit, would you?”

Thoroughly displeased, the emperor nonetheless obediently withdrew into the inner chamber.

Rui’er brought a scrawny little maid into the outer hall and had her kneel. Hua Chun smoothed her robes and stepped out, asking with great authority, “What’s your name?”

The little maid trembled as she spoke. “This servant is Hongtai.”

She’d heard of “Green Moss” before, but never “Red Moss.” Hua Chun nodded, softening her tone a little. “Who did you serve before?”

“Reporting to Your Ladyship, this servant used to be a menial maid in Talented Lady Nie’s quarters. After Talented Lady Nie passed away, this servant was reassigned to the Laundry Bureau.”

“Ah… I only just entered the palace recently, so there’s a lot I don’t know. How did Talented Lady Nie die?”

Hongtai flinched, trembling even harder. “…She died of illness.”

“Oh?” Hua Chun raised an eyebrow. “I heard she drowned.”

“This servant… this servant’s memory isn’t very good. Maybe she did drown.”

How could someone forget the very manner of death of the mistress they once served? Hua Chun said nothing, keeping quiet, mimicking the emperor’s habit of applying silent pressure.

Sweat poured down Hongtai’s forehead, her oversized palace uniform trembling on her thin frame, looking utterly pitiful.

“The Hall of Mental Cultivation is short a menial maid.” Hua Chun finally said after a long silence. “If you can tell me about what happened before, I’ll have you transferred here from the Laundry Bureau. How about it?”

Hongtai kept kowtowing, her voice thick with tears. “Please spare this servant, my lady, this servant truly knows nothing!”

She was clearly lying — she just didn’t dare speak. Hua Chun found herself quite troubled; this business of extracting a confession really wasn’t her strong suit!

Just then, the curtain at the partition beside her was lifted at one corner. She looked over and saw the emperor, his brow furrowed in visible disdain, glance at the maid before waving her over.

Sweeping her eyes over the maid, whose head was practically buried in the floor, Hua Chun stood and walked over to him. “What is it?”

“Give it a little longer. If she still won’t talk, let her go.”

Hua Chun’s eyes went wide. “After all the trouble of finding her, and you’d just let her go? You’ll pay me back the silver?”

“I’ll pay.”

Well, that one word was enough. Hua Chun accepted her fate and nodded — since she had no way around this herself, she might as well listen to the emperor.

After about the time it takes for three sticks of incense to burn, Hongtai had reached total despair when she suddenly heard the lady above her say with a smile, “You may go.”

Finally, she’d been let off! Hongtai was overjoyed, hastily kowtowing three times, thanking the lady profusely, before stumbling her way out.

The emperor emerged from the inner chamber and waved a hand at Huo Zichong, who understood at once and had someone follow her silently.

“What are you planning to do?” Hua Chun asked curiously, blinking, settling herself quite naturally onto his lap.

“Seeing whether she can survive.” Yuwen Jie said flatly. “If there truly is nothing suspicious, she should be fine going back. But if it turns out she’s tangled up in some secret, then her life is in danger.”

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was currently the most watched place in the entire harem. To fuel Concubine Hua’s growing arrogance from her newfound favor, the emperor had already decided to stay there for the next half month. Surely there were plenty of eyes and ears planted here from various palaces, ready to spread word of Concubine Hua’s every move. Knowing she was curious about Talented Lady Nie’s death, someone was bound to grow uneasy.

Hua Chun nodded and looked at him. “Do you remember Talented Lady Nie?”

The emperor shook his head. “Don’t expect me to remember everyone — there are too many people in the harem.”

Her heart sank a little. Hua Chun glanced at him and nodded.

Belatedly realizing his misstep, Yuwen Jie frowned and added, “I’ll remember you, though.”

“Thanks so much!” Hua Chun said with a fake smile, rising to go pour tea.

Just as Concubine Xu had said, the emperor had favored so many people over the years and done things for them too — yet now he couldn’t even remember who they were. She’d better cherish her days now, or once someone new came along and she fell out of favor, she wouldn’t even have any memories left to hold onto.

“Are you upset?” Watching her back, the emperor asked in a muffled voice.

“No.” Hua Chun said. “I’m just thirsty.”

The emperor fell silent, looking down at his own fingers, his eyes darting sideways toward Eunuch Qin.

Eunuch Qin felt utterly helpless. He knew the emperor was at a loss and turning to him for help, but what was he supposed to say? Whoever had taught the emperor to say those things in front of Concubine Hua — dealing with women required tact, and after all this time, he still hadn’t learned that! Hurting someone’s feelings and then blaming everyone else wasn’t exactly fair either!

After being glanced at over a dozen times, Eunuch Qin finally gave in and, with a helpless smile, stepped forward. “Didn’t Your Majesty mention wanting to reward Concubine Hua with that newly tributed silk?”

“Mm.” Yuwen Jie nodded. “Have someone deliver it, then.”

“Many thanks, Your Majesty.” Hua Chun pouted — who had taught him this slap-then-sweeten tactic? She wasn’t falling for it!

Still, free things were free — no reason to turn them down!

The emperor pressed his lips together, secretly studying her expression, and seeing no change, went back to glancing at Eunuch Qin.

Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, Eunuch Qin said, “There’s also the newly made gold-threaded sparrow hairpiece from the Bureau of Jewels — should that be sent along too?”

“Mm.” the emperor nodded.

“And that jade vase with the twining branch pattern from the Imperial Study — this servant thinks it would suit Your Ladyship’s quarters quite well.”

“Mm.”

Hua Chun noticed it — as long as she kept her expression unchanged, Eunuch Qin would just keep reading off the gift list.