On the first day of the fourth month, the weather was somewhat unfortunate. A fine drizzle began to fall just as dawn broke.
Under the gray sky, a delicate blue-curtained carriage traveled through the misty rain. Inside, Madam Chang sat with her eyes closed, showing little interest in the street scenes outside.
For women of the palace, glimpses of the outside world were rare. However, traveling the same route year after year without being able to stray from the path eventually dulled all excitement and anticipation.
Fude Temple was located in the western part of the city, with maple trees lining the route. It would be most beautiful in autumn when the red leaves covered the sky.
But now, Madam Chang didn’t spare a glance as she was respectfully welcomed in by the monks waiting there.
After the customary prayers and incense offerings, Madam Chang was in no hurry to leave. Instead, she took a stroll through the temple grounds, breathing in the fresh, open air—a rare moment of leisure.
This was Madam Chang’s old habit. At such times, she preferred not to have novice monks following her, only bringing two palace maids as she walked and paused at her leisure.
As she walked, she found herself in a secluded area among flowers and trees.
Through the gaps in the foliage, a patch of pale blue was visible, and faint voices could be heard.
Madam Chang halted her steps, about to turn away.
Having lived in the palace for so long and witnessed much intrigue, she knew well the dangers of curiosity and had no interest in eavesdropping.
However, the next sentence stopped her from leaving and instead made her quietly take a step closer.
Although the Fude Temple was an imperial temple, it wasn’t exclusively for the royal family. Except for certain special holidays, it was open to ordinary worshippers.
“Have you heard about Prince Qi trying to kill Princess Qi?”
Another voice laughed, “Who hasn’t heard about that by now? Tsk, tsk, I never thought Prince Qi was that kind of person…”
The first voice argued, “If you ask me, the truth might not be so simple. The affairs of the nobility are full of truths and lies—how can we common folk see clearly?”
The other person chuckled, “Well, when the nobles stir up trouble, at least we get some entertainment. Otherwise, life would be so dull.”
“Indeed. Come to think of it, quite a few nobles have gotten into trouble these past couple of years. Recently, there’s Prince Qi and Prince Xiang, and before that, other princes. Even that Princess Royal lost her life—”
Madam Chang was stunned.
Princess Royal? Which one were they talking about?
There were quite a few princesses royal married in the capital, and she hadn’t heard of any of them having issues. All those who could attend had come to the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration not long ago, with only one excusing herself due to serious illness.
But given how these two were discussing it, the phrase “lost her life” shouldn’t be related to dying from illness, right?
Madam Chang couldn’t help but listen more closely.
A sigh came from behind the foliage: “Princess Royal? She’s already become a commoner, even lower than us now…”
Madam Chang’s heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily took a step back.
There was only one Princess Royal who had become a commoner—
Princess Rongyang was dead?
When did this happen? How had the Palace of Benevolent Peace not received any news?
Shocked, Madam Chang took another step closer.
The two palace maids following her looked nervous, not daring to make a sound.
A voice full of lament came through: “That Princess Royal married the wrong person. I heard that Consort Cui was always cold and indifferent to her as if she were living as a widow. In the end, she died at Consort Cui’s hands…”
Madam Chang was shocked again.
Princess Rongyang was killed by Consort Cui?
In her shock, Madam Chang’s ears perked up.
But the two behind the foliage had changed the subject, now talking about recent gossip in the capital.
These were two women who greatly enjoyed discussing gossip, a type all too common in the capital. Madam Chang had no interest in knowing their identities, only caring about Princess Rongyang’s situation.
After a moment’s thought, she made a decision. She gestured for the two palace maids to stay put and walked towards the source of the voices.
Behind the foliage were two ordinary-looking women. The older one wore a blue dress, the younger a red one. Though the styles were fashionable, to Madam Chang’s discerning eye, the fabric wasn’t of high quality.
She quickly made a judgment: these were likely wives of minor officials or clerks. Not high in status, but the fastest to spread gossip.
If they were ordinary commoners, busy with making a living, they wouldn’t have such idle interests.
Such women wouldn’t be difficult to deal with.
Madam Chang strode over to them.
Her sudden appearance startled the two women. The slightly older one in the blue dress asked, “You are—”
For convenience when leaving the palace, Madam Chang wore clothing styled for outside the palace, and the fabric wasn’t top-tier, but her bearing was unmistakable.
At the very least, the two women could tell that this suddenly appeared person was of higher status than them, so they used respectful terms.
Madam Chang swept her gaze over the two women, her presence commanding: “You needn’t ask about my identity, and I won’t ask about yours. I just want to inquire about Princess Rongyang’s situation.”
The two women looked at each other in confusion.
Madam Chang took out two gold ingots and placed them in the women’s hands.
The weight of the gold ingots made the women nervous to hold them.
Madam Chang smiled faintly: “I assume Princess Rongyang’s situation is common knowledge now, not a secret. If you two just tell me what you know, these two gold ingots are yours. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. When we leave Fude Temple, it’ll be as if nothing happened. Isn’t that good?”
The two women exchanged a glance. How could they not agree? They quickly spilled everything they knew about Princess Rongyang, like water from an overturned bamboo tube.
After listening, Madam Chang gave the two women a deep look and quickly left.
When her footsteps faded away, the woman in the red dress touched the gold ingot hidden in her bosom and couldn’t help but sigh: “The money of these nobles is really easy to earn.”
This gold ingot was worth more than half a year of her husband’s salary.
The woman in the blue dress glared at her: “Stop talking about that. Let’s hurry and leave.”
Of course, their earlier conversation had been tailored for the listener who had just left.
Being the first day of the month, despite the fine rain, quite a few worshippers were coming to offer incense.
Feeling guilty, the two women intentionally avoided people, choosing secluded paths. As they walked through a bamboo grove, their vision suddenly went black. When they regained consciousness, they found themselves in an unfamiliar place.
A young man appeared before them.
The two women wanted to scream but found their mouths gagged, unable to make a sound.
The young man’s face turned stern: “Jinlin Guard, conducting an investigation!”
The woman’s eyes widened in terror.
How could the Jinlin Guard be involved?
They had only accepted a gold ingot and said a few idle words, surely it wasn’t worth this!
The young man played with a dagger, saying coldly: “I have some questions for you. If you scream or don’t answer truthfully, think about the gold ingots you haven’t had a chance to spend.”
The women turned pale with fright.
It was the gold ingots that had brought trouble!
The gags were removed, and the women gasped for air.
“Speak. What are your identities?”
…
After questioning, the young man judged from experience that the two women hadn’t dared to lie, and only then let them go.
It’s better to be safe than sorry. Soon, two ordinary-looking men quietly followed each of the women.
The young man hurried back to the Yan Prince Manor and excitedly reported to Yu Jin in the study: “Your Highness, there’s a situation with the Empress Dowager!”