At that moment, Xu Qi An couldn’t hide the shock and surprise on his face.
The result detected by his Qi Observation Technique suddenly put him on high alert, various thoughts colliding in his mind, sparking wildly.
He quickly thought of two possibilities: First, Lang’er didn’t actually like green bean cakes, and she only pretended to like them to please Concubine Chen. Second, she was lying, and the Qi Observation Technique failed to detect it, which meant she had an artifact that could shield against the technique.
The first possibility couldn’t be determined at the moment.
The second possibility was what made Xu Qi An’s scalp tingle and his adrenaline surge.
How could a palace maid from Jingxiu Palace have an artifact that shields against the Qi Observation Technique?
Why would she wear such an artifact?
Unless she needed to use this artifact to deceive others these past few days. Unless she knew she would face questioning soon.
What had she done in the past few days?
She had been to the Imperial Pharmacy!
As for whether she had been replaced by an impostor, with the person standing before him being an “outsider” in disguise… Xu Qi An thought the possibility was low. A human skin mask couldn’t fool his observation.
If it were a high-level expert’s “transformation” technique, it would be even more impossible. This was the Imperial Palace; high-level experts couldn’t sneak in here.
“Lord Xu?” Lang’er frowned slightly, squinting as she scrutinized Xu Qi An, who had lost control of his facial expressions.
“I can’t jump to conclusions. Maybe she just doesn’t like green bean cakes and accidentally spoke her true feelings,” Xu Qi An thought to himself. Instead of hastily trying to stabilize his emotions, he maintained a certain level of “dismay” on his face. Staring at Lang’er, he said in a slightly resentful tone:
“Although Miss Lang’er is close to Concubine Chen, your attitude is far too haughty. I have shed blood for the court and rendered meritorious service. Is Miss Lang’er’s dismissive attitude due to some grievance against me?”
Lang’er glanced at him and said coolly, “Lord Xu is overthinking. This servant is not being dismissive, nor do I have any grievance against you.” She paused, then bowed slightly. “This servant must hurry back to attend to Concubine Chen.”
With that, she stepped over the threshold and left.
Watching the palace maid’s retreating figure, Xu Qi An’s heart sank.
Just now, in the feedback from the Qi Observation Technique, Lang’er still hadn’t lied.
The last accusation was both Xu Qi An’s attempt to cover up his loss of composure and a trap for Lang’er to fall into.
First, Lang’er was clearly impatient with this questioning and held him in disdain, wanting to get rid of him as soon as possible… Xu Qi An could confirm this.
Normally, when faced with questions like “Do you dislike me?”, people would instinctively deny it out of politeness, thus constituting a lie.
But in the feedback from the Qi Observation Technique, Lang’er’s emotions were unusually stable, and no lie was detected.
From this, it could be almost certain that this palace maid had an artifact that shielded against the Qi Observation Technique, which also indirectly verified that she was guilty and deliberately using such means to avoid interrogation.
At this point, a chilling truth was revealed.
The person behind it all was her!
Concubine Chen?!
At this moment, countless details and clues flashed through Xu Qi An’s mind, information bubbling like boiling water.
This I truly didn’t expect… I need to leave this place immediately and report my findings to Duke Wei and Princess Huaiqing… Xu Qi An didn’t want to stay in Jingxiu Palace for another moment.
The feeling was like entering a remote mountain inn on a pitch-black night, only to discover it was a haunted house. The receptionist was a ghoul with eyeballs hanging on its face, covered in rotten flesh and crawling with maggots.
The dishes on the table were maggots, feces, rotting meat, human heads…
Xu Qi An was like the living person who had inadvertently uncovered the secret of the haunted house, his scalp tingling, only wanting to pretend he knew nothing and leave quickly before the ghoul realized.
“I’ve finished my questions. Little eunuch, let’s go back,” Xu Qi An took a deep breath and calmly suggested leaving.
“Yes!” The little eunuch responded without suspicion, quite relieved, and followed behind Xu Qi An as he stepped over the threshold of the side hall.
Wait!
Xu Qi An’s steps suddenly froze. If Concubine Chen was the person behind all this, then everything the Empress had suffered would be the price Concubine Chen was about to pay: stripped of her rank and banished to the Cold Palace.
Whether the Crown Prince would be deposed was uncertain… Xu Qi An didn’t care about the Crown Prince’s fate. What he cared about was: what about Lin’an?
She was very happy today because the case was about to be solved, and the Crown Prince’s innocence would be proven sooner or later.
But now, I might be pushing her mother into an abyss with my own hands.
When she learns of this, she’ll probably hate me.
Compared to Princess Huaiqing, a girl like Lin’an has a lower psychological tolerance. Her mother being banished to the Cold Palace, or even being given a white silk cord or poisoned wine, was entirely possible.
Not to mention the Emperor’s favor, just in terms of rank, there was a vast difference between a Concubine and the Empress.
The Empress was the Emperor’s primary wife; perhaps she wouldn’t be sentenced to death for causing the death of a concubine, but what about a mere Concubine? Would Concubine Chen receive such treatment?
“Lord Xu? Lord Xu?” The little eunuch called out a few times, seeing Xu Qi An standing still, lost in thought.
Xu Qi An snapped back to reality, still unable to think of a solution that would satisfy everyone. At the same time, some confusion flashed through his mind. Even after learning that Concubine Chen was behind it all, he still hadn’t unraveled all the mysteries.
Let’s go back first… I won’t tell Duke Wei about this yet. For Lin’an’s sake, I… I need to think it over some more…
At the courtyard gate, the guard eunuch gave Xu Qi An a resentful look.
But as Xu Qi An approached, he quickly suppressed his emotions, behaving obediently and respectfully.
“By the way, you took my silver. Did you pass on my message when you went inside?” Xu Qi An stopped in front of the guard eunuch.
“Of course!” The guard eunuch said helplessly, “This servant did pass on the message, but Sister Lang’er said she wouldn’t see you. This servant was greedy and didn’t want to return the silver note, but also didn’t know how to explain it to you, so…”
So she was prepared… Xu Qi An nodded and was about to leave when suddenly Lang’er’s voice called out from behind.
“Lord Xu, please wait!”
“Miss Lang’er.” Xu Qi An’s back muscles tensed imperceptibly, but he turned around casually. “What is it?”
The pretty senior palace maid stopped and smiled faintly. “The Concubine wishes to thank Lord Xu for solving the case of Concubine Fu, clearing the Crown Prince’s name. She invites you for a chat to thank you in person.”
…Xu Qi An’s muscles, which had just relaxed, tensed up again. Perhaps due to a guilty conscience, he felt his scalp tingling.
“I have urgent matters to attend to and can’t stay. The case of Concubine Fu was my duty by imperial order. The Concubine need not thank me,” he said, not wanting to see Concubine Chen now.
“Lord Xu is too modest,” Lang’er covered her mouth and chuckled, speaking as if in jest, “The Concubine said that if Lord Xu doesn’t go to see her, she won’t let Lord Xu take a single step out of Jingxiu Palace.”
…Damn it!
Xu Qi An’s heart suddenly sank. He quietly extended his divine sense, sensing his surroundings, and only relaxed after confirming he hadn’t received any “danger signals.”
I haven’t told anyone about my discovery, including Lang’er, who didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. Concubine Chen couldn’t possibly know that I’ve seen through her scheme. She probably just wants to thank me sincerely, going through the motions… Moreover, this is the Imperial Palace. Outside are the Imperial Guards, inside is Lin’an, and beside me is this watchdog sent by Emperor Yuanjing. Concubine Chen wouldn’t dare do anything to me here…
Besides, with my cultivation level that can take down two Li Yuchun’s with one strike, I’m not to be trifled with.
“Alright, please lead the way, Miss Lang’er,” Xu Qi An said, then turned to the little eunuch, “You come along too.”
The two followed behind Lang’er in her lotus-colored palace dress, passing through the front courtyard’s corridor and entering the back courtyard.
The main building of Jingxiu Palace was an exquisitely constructed two-story pavilion, with layers of black tiles, flying eaves and interlocking corners, and twelve roof beasts crouching on the four corners of the roof ridge.
The second floor had an observation deck, perfect for drinking and enjoying the scenery in spring or autumn.
Arriving at the inner courtyard, the little eunuch coughed loudly, giving a warning.
Xu Qi An understood and stopped in the courtyard.
Lang’er continued without stopping, entering the inner room alone. Then, Xu Qi An caught her soft voice: “Concubine, Lord Xu has arrived.”
Concubine Chen made a sound of acknowledgment and said gently, “I have some words to say to Lord Xu. You all withdraw to the outer courtyard.”
Then came Lin’an’s voice, saying coquettishly, “Huh? Does Lin’an have to leave too? I don’t want to go, I don’t want to go.”
“Lin’an, be good.”
“…Hmph.”
…What does Concubine Chen mean by this? Why dismiss everyone else? What words can’t be said with everyone present in the sunlight? Xu Qi An frowned deeply.
Next, Lin’an and the two senior palace maids from the room stepped over the threshold. As they brushed past Xu Qi An, Biaobi secretly stuck out her tongue and said in a low voice:
“Remember to report to this princess later.”
The little eunuch was in a dilemma, not knowing what to do, when he heard Lang’er say, “The Concubine said for everyone else to withdraw. Don’t you have ears?”
“Ah,” the little eunuch nodded and turned to follow.
“Wait,” Xu Qi An called out to him, reprimanding, “His Majesty sent you to supervise me. You should act like an ‘Imperial Envoy,’ stand up straight.”
Then he said loudly, “I am, after all, an outside official. It’s not appropriate for me to meet privately with Concubine Chen. This little eunuch is responsible for supervising me by His Majesty’s order.”
These words were ostensibly for Lang’er to hear, but they were actually directed at Concubine Chen inside.
After a few seconds of silence, Chen Guifei’s voice came from inside the room: “Then wait outside.”
“Stand farther away…” Xu Qi An waved his hand.
The young eunuch obediently retreated to a distance.
Standing in the courtyard, Xu Qi An pretended to adjust his appearance, but in fact, he was using this brief moment to weigh the pros and cons and guess what might happen next.
“If it’s just to thank me, there’s no need to dismiss everyone. In other words, what Chen Guifei wants to say to me cannot be heard by others.”
“I asked the little eunuch to stand far away as a compromise to Chen Guifei. The advantage of standing far away is that he can’t hear our conversation, but can clearly see our every move inside the room.”
“This prevents Chen Guifei from pretending to be an eagle eating a chick, actually framing me for bullying the imperial concubine… Although this operation is a bit crude, I can’t not be cautious.”
Finished with his thoughts, he entered the room and saw Chen Guifei sitting elegantly on a soft couch, dressed in luxurious palace attire.
This was the second time Xu Qi An had seen Chen Guifei. The last time was at the end of last year during the ancestral worship ceremony when he had shouted and collapsed the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple, then pretended to show loyalty, seeing the emperor’s women up close.
Chen Guifei had the same face shape as Lin’an, a standard oval face, with delicate eyebrows, eyes, lips, and nose.
Judging by appearance alone, Chen Guifei was slightly less attractive than the Empress, but her demeanor was dignified and gentle, with more approachability than the Empress.
However, the embroidered, luxurious dress and the complex, expensive ornaments on her head diminished her approachability.
Among the women Xu Qi An had seen, only Lin’an could carry off such luxurious ornaments and clothes. The more lavish she dressed, the stronger her charm became.
It’s like how many girls look beautiful without makeup, but once they put on heavy makeup, they appear gaudy. Lin’an, on the other hand, was the type of woman who looked better the more elaborately she dressed.
Mother and daughter were different in this aspect.
“This morning, His Majesty proposed to depose the Empress in court. I’m sure Lord Xu has heard about it,” Chen Guifei’s voice had lost the crisp tone of a young girl and gained the gentleness of a mature woman, making one feel as if bathed in spring breeze.
“This humble official is aware,” Xu Qi An nodded briefly.
“Then why has Lord Xu come to my Jingxiu Palace?”
“There are still some doubts about this case.”
Chen Guifei made an “Oh” sound, with a half-smile: “What doubts?”
“Well… This humble official is foolish and has no leads at the moment.”
The room fell silent briefly. Chen Guifei stared at Xu Qi An for a long time, her smile gradually fading until her face was as if covered in frost. She said word by word:
“You’re lying!”
These three words hit Xu Qi An’s heart like a heavy hammer, exploding like thunder in his ears.
How does she know I’m lying… A fierce light shot uncontrollably from his eyes, his breathing becoming rapid, but in the next moment, he suppressed all emotions and said confusedly:
“What does Madam mean by this?”
“You can use the art of aura reading to see others, and others can use it to see you.”
Chen Guifei picked up her teacup and took a leisurely sip, sighing, “I invited you here just to test you, but your lie just now makes it impossible for me to hope anymore. Lord Xu, you are quick-witted. Even the most intricate cases in the world are mere trifles to you.”
Chen Guifei is a practitioner?! That’s impossible.
Why is she confessing to me? Isn’t she afraid I’ll tell Emperor Yuanjing?
What was her purpose in inviting me here?
Various thoughts flashed through his mind, turning into a sigh: “Madam, why bother? I can pretend not to know.”
And then go back to find Duke Wei and Princess Huaiqing to deal with you… Xu Qi An added in his heart.
At this point, the two had essentially laid all their cards on the table.
Chen Guifei’s calmness surprised Xu Qi An. He knew this was certainly not a good thing.
“When did you figure it out, just now?” Chen Guifei took another sip of tea, as calm as if they were having a casual chat.
“Yes, I saw through Lang’er’s disguise.”
“But you had suspicions before, didn’t you? Tell me about them,” Chen Guifei smiled.
Xu Qi An pondered, “As this humble official reviewed the course of Imperial Consort Fu’s case, there were indeed many doubts. Why would Madam casually place the Hundred Days of Spring wine sent by the Empress on the table? This is, after all, the inner palace. Getting the Crown Prince drunk with aphrodisiac wine, weren’t you afraid he might make a mistake? This doesn’t fit your cautious style.”
When Princess Huaiqing told him about the Empress being sent to the Cold Palace, she mentioned Chen Guifei’s emphasis on the Crown Prince’s position and her narrow-minded, cautious style. Xu Qi An had doubts then.
He continued, “Although the Empress could bribe Huang Xiarou to set up the Crown Prince, how could she ensure he would definitely go to Qingfeng Palace? But you are the Crown Prince’s birth mother, and you know your son best. You knew he had feelings for Imperial Consort Fu, so you sent Huang Xiarou halfway to wait… Thinking about it this way, it makes more sense.”
“Later, from the discovery of Huang Xiarou’s body to my finding clues pointing to the Empress, the traces of human manipulation were too obvious. But if Huang Xiarou had just disappeared, it wouldn’t have achieved your goal of framing the Empress.”
“Of course, at that time I hadn’t realized it yet, and still thought the Empress was the most suspicious. What I couldn’t understand was why you had someone tear up the account book from the Imperial Pharmacy. That should have been the most beneficial evidence to incriminate the Empress. Not only was it unnecessary, but it also exposed yourself.”
Chen Guifei shook her head, “It wasn’t unnecessary. That was originally evidence I deliberately left behind. If the main investigator wasn’t you, it would have been one of the most useful pieces of evidence to attack the Empress.”
“But your return from the dead was completely unexpected. If Huang Xiarou’s body and the Imperial Pharmacy’s account book were discovered at the same time, the traces of manipulation would have been too obvious. I was afraid you might see through something and report directly to His Majesty, so I had someone tear up the account book.”
“So you had doubts at the time, but didn’t immediately assert that the Empress was being framed. Heh, if His Majesty had known about this beforehand, my tearful plea yesterday would have been much less effective.”
“Then, learning about the progress of the case from Lin’an, I pressured His Majesty while sending people to assassinate you. As long as you died and the Empress confessed, everything would have been perfect.”
Xu Qi An nodded slowly. This morning, he still thought the Empress was the most likely suspect in his assassination attempt, and he was determined to divorce Princess Huaiqing. It wasn’t until Duke Wei told him the Empress had confessed that he felt there was more to this case.
So it was Chen Guifei who wanted to kill me. Well, that’s it, I’m going to divorce Lin’an.
“This humble official has two more questions, if Madam could answer them?”
“Let’s hear them,” Chen Guifei said indifferently.
“The Crown Prince is already the Crown Prince, why does Madam still act like this?”
Chen Guifei smiled, a very complex smile, as if mocking Xu Qi An, yet also seeming to mock herself:
“The Crown Prince is still just the Crown Prince. As long as he doesn’t ascend the throne, there’s always a possibility of change. The Empress has always been the Empress, so the Fourth Prince will always be the legitimate son. What if I tell you that His Majesty originally intended it to be the Fourth Prince? If it weren’t for His Majesty knowing that the Empress didn’t love him at all back then, the Fourth Prince would already be the Crown Prince.”
Xu Qi An keenly noticed that when Chen Guifei said this, there was both satisfaction and resentment in her eyes.
“But even so, after so many years, the position of Crown Prince hasn’t changed. Isn’t Madam worrying too much?”
“What do you know about court affairs?”
Chen Guifei sneered: “With Duke Wei around, the Fourth Prince will always have a better chance than my son. Duke Wei has always wanted to control the court alone, to sweep away all chronic ailments. If he wants to fulfill his ambitions, he will definitely push the Fourth Prince to the throne.”
“As a woman, I can’t compete with Duke Wei, so I can only exert effort on the Empress’s side. The Empress is the mistress of the inner palace, a model for the world, the highest honor for a woman. I am also a woman, and I covet the Empress’s position.”
Regarding Duke Wei’s ambitions, Xu Qi An had some understanding and knew that Chen Guifei was telling the truth.
“One last question, who is behind Madam?” Xu Qi An asked.
Chen Guifei was visibly taken aback. She remained silent for a long time, then shook her head and laughed: “I admire you more and more. It seems Lin’an has inadvertently dug up a treasure.”
“How are you so certain that there’s someone behind me?”
Xu Qi An lowered his gaze, looking at his toes, pondering: “If Madam had known about the Imperial Uncle’s doings for a long time, why endure for so long and only act now?”
“If Madam only recently learned about the Imperial Uncle and Huang Xiarou’s affair, then who told you? It certainly wouldn’t have been Huang Xiarou. She had been keeping quiet for so many years, and wouldn’t suddenly change her mind and reveal it to you for no reason. There must be someone who acted as a bridge.”
“Moreover, Madam knew I was lying. The art of aura reading from the Court of Astronomy isn’t something an ordinary person can use. I’ve just thought of another possibility.”
Xu Qi An raised his head, staring at Chen Guifei’s beautiful face, “Your target is the Empress, while the person or force behind you is targeting Duke Wei.”
The smile disappeared from Chen Guifei’s face. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Xu Qi An for a long time, then suddenly said: “What does Lord Xu think of Lin’an?”
Very nice… Xu Qi An’s heart stirred, but he didn’t answer.
“The Crown Prince has told me that Lin’an is of age to be married. I made a mental note, and then discovered that since she met you, whenever she comes to Jingxiu Palace, you are the person she mentions most often.”
Chen Guifei continued persuasively: “I’ve been through the age when young girls fall in love. I hear Lord Xu will soon be ennobled. Although a viscount title isn’t grand, it means you’ve entered the noble class.”
“I can promise you that within three years, I’ll help you advance your title further. By then, I’ll arrange for Lin’an to marry you.”
It was a blatant attempt to win him over, which was also the reason why Chen Guifei had been so frank with him.
Xu Qi An hesitated a bit.
Chen Guifei pressed her advantage: “Even if you know the secret, it’s impossible for you to accuse me. Lang’er has been unwell recently and suddenly fell ill. The imperial physicians couldn’t save her. What does Lord Xu think of this outcome?”
How could the innocent and adorable Lin’an have a mother like you, trying to lure me with empty promises… Xu Qi An pondered: “Three years is too long. Who knows if Madam is just trying to deceive this humble official?”
Chen Guifei frowned, “Two years at the earliest. You should know that matters of ennoblement are no small affair.”
“That’s not what this humble official meant.”
Xu Qi An waved his hand, showing a shy smile: “This humble official was wondering, it takes three years to get married, but could we consummate the marriage first?”