The name “Aunt Ping” made Emperor Jingming startle for a moment, even forgetting to immediately ask for details.
During the Lantern Festival, when Princess Fuqing encountered danger at Xuande Tower, Emperor Jingming quietly allowed an investigation of Cining Palace due to Yu Jin’s words, though he couldn’t possibly suspect the Empress Dowager.
This Aunt Ping was recently discovered to have had frequent contact with Qingdai, Princess Fuqing’s maid.
Aunt Ping is dead?
This thought flashed quickly through Emperor Jingming’s mind as he asked, “How did the Empress Dowager come to see Aunt Ping’s body?”
Aunt Ping was the wardrobe official in Cining Palace, in charge of the maids responsible for the Empress Dowager’s clothing. She was considered to be in the Empress Dowager’s good graces.
The kneeling nanny lowered her head and said, “Aunt Ping brought the clothes for the Empress Dowager’s birthday for her to inspect today. After the Empress Dowager looked them over and found no issues, she told Aunt Ping to put them away properly. Unexpectedly, Aunt Ping went to the west room and didn’t come out for a long time. Later, there was a scream, and when the Empress Dowager went to look, she saw that Aunt Ping had hanged herself—”
“Where is that wretched servant now?” Emperor Jingming asked, his face ashen.
The nanny trembled as she replied, “Still… still hanging from the beam—”
“Lead me there!”
The nanny looked anxiously at the Empress.
The Empress hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, don’t let a mere servant disturb you—”
Emperor Jingming waved his hand and sneered, “I’ve seen plenty. Am I to be afraid of a corpse?”
The Empress couldn’t persuade him further.
Emperor Jingming glanced at the kneeling nanny and said coldly, “You lead the way.”
The nanny had no choice but to get up and walk ahead nervously.
After a few steps, Emperor Jingming said to the Empress, “You and Fuqing needn’t follow. Let Seventh Brother and his wife come with me.”
This made Yu Jin’s mouth twitch.
What did he mean? It made sense to call him along, but why bring Ah Si?
So the Empress and Princess Fuqing were delicate flowers, but his wife wasn’t a fragile woman?
Yu Jin grumbled inwardly, but his steps were quick. Looking at Jiang Si, he saw she was walking even faster than him.
The chest containing the Empress Dowager’s clothes was in the west room, just a few steps away.
A body swayed slightly from the ceiling beam, with an embroidered stool lying alone nearby.
Several palace servants stood at the entrance of the west room, not daring to move. They hurriedly bowed when Emperor Jingming and the others approached.
Emperor Jingming stood at the doorway, staring at the hanging woman for a moment before glancing at Pan Hai.
Pan Hai said quietly, “It’s Aunt Ping.”
After a moment of silence, Emperor Jingming spoke, “Seventh Brother, examine her and see if there’s anything unusual.”
“Yes.”
Yu Jin walked into the room.
Jiang Si followed without hesitation.
The palace servants of Cining Palace were shocked, thinking how bold Prince Yan’s wife was. Glancing at Emperor Jingming’s unsurprised expression, they were even more shocked: Was the royal family now choosing wives based on courage?
Princess Fuqing glanced towards the west room and whispered, “Mother, Aunt Ping—”
The Empress tightened her grip on Princess Fuqing’s hand and said softly, “Don’t say anything more.”
The fact that the Empress Dowager’s wardrobe official had died in her bedchamber made the situation even more mysterious. At this moment, staying silent was best.
Emperor Jingming returned and asked the nanny from earlier, “Was Aunt Ping alone when she went to put away the clothes?”
The nanny quickly replied, “Your Majesty, there was a young maid with Aunt Ping.”
“Where is that young maid?” Emperor Jingming immediately asked.
A timid voice came, “This… this servant is here…”
As someone knelt before him, Emperor Jingming saw the young maid clearly: she looked only thirteen or fourteen, her face pale and on the verge of tears, obviously terrified.
“Where were you when Aunt Ping hanged herself?”
Surely this young maid hadn’t watched Aunt Ping commit suicide.
“This… this servant wasn’t in the room…” The young maid prostrated herself, shaking like a sieve. “Aunt Ping sent me to fetch some incense to put in the chest to scent the clothes. When I returned and entered the room, I found Aunt Ping hanging—”
Hearing this, Emperor Jingming’s face turned ashen. He asked the nanny, “Didn’t you hear any noise before?”
The fallen stool should have made some sound.
The nanny shook her head, “At that time, the Empress Dowager was listening to music and didn’t hear any noise from the west room. It wasn’t until the young maid’s scream that the Empress Dowager came out to look—”
At this point, the nanny glared fiercely at the young maid.
If it weren’t for this wretched girl’s unseemly scream, how would the Empress Dowager have been frightened into fainting? If Aunt Ping’s corpse deserved to be whipped, this little hussy should be beaten to death.
However, Emperor Jingming couldn’t be bothered with the young maid’s impropriety. His attention was entirely focused on Aunt Ping.
If Aunt Ping had been murdered, the most important thing was to find the killer. If she had committed suicide, what was her purpose in choosing such a conspicuous place to hang herself?
Footsteps approached as Yu Jin and Jiang Si returned.
Emperor Jingming quickly asked, “How is it?”
Princess Fuqing looked towards Yu Jin and Jiang Si, also showing an expectant expression.
The Empress took in their reactions, secretly curving her lips.
She felt somewhat ashamed to admit that she wasn’t as concerned about the Empress Dowager as the Emperor was, which allowed her to see things more clearly.
The Emperor might not have realized it himself, but in situations like this, he placed considerable importance on Prince Yan’s opinion.
It was certainly a happy thing for her son to be valued by the Emperor.
Yu Jin shook his head, “There are no signs of struggle and no external injuries. I asked the palace servants, and aside from those who remained in the Empress Dowager’s room, everyone else was standing outside. No one was seen going to the west room. Based on this, we can conclude that Aunt Ping committed suicide.”
After a long silence, Emperor Jingming angrily exclaimed, “That wretched servant!”
At this moment, a palace maid hurried over, “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has awoken.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingming quickly went inside.
The Empress Dowager was being helped to sit up by a palace maid. Seeing Emperor Jingming approach, she showed a weak smile, “Your Majesty has come.”
“Mother, are you alright?” Emperor Jingming sat beside the Empress Dowager, asking with concern.
The Empress followed, asking, “Mother, are you feeling better?”
Princess Fuqing wiped her tears and forced a smile, “Grandmother, it’s so good that you’re awake.”
Yu Jin quietly touched Jiang Si’s hand, and they both greeted the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager’s gaze swept over everyone, lingering slightly longer on Yu Jin, and asked weakly, “You came to the palace today to pay respects to the Empress, didn’t you?”
Yu Jin nodded, “We originally wanted to pay respects to you, Grandmother, but feared disturbing your peace.”
Except on necessary occasions, princes, princesses, and their spouses from outside the palace couldn’t always visit Cining Palace and the Empress Dowager didn’t have the energy to deal with all of them. So it wasn’t considered disrespectful for Yu Jin and Jiang Si not to have come to Cining Palace to pay their respects.
“I would prefer it to be livelier—” The Empress Dowager’s voice stopped abruptly as if suddenly remembering something. She asked hoarsely, “Is Aunt Ping dead?”
Emperor Jingming nodded slowly.
The Empress Dowager patted the bedpost and sighed, “This Aunt Ping, she intended to die for me to see!”
Emperor Jingming was taken aback and quickly asked, “Mother, what do you mean by that?”