Chapter 512: Can’t Even Recognize My Voice Anymore, Nurse?

Chapter 512: Can’t Even Recognize My Voice Anymore, Nurse?

As he spoke, Mo Jiuya took out Chief Liu's identity plaque and showed it to the guards at the gate.

The guard took the plaque for inspection and then examined Mo Jiuya's attire, immediately putting on a smiling face.

"Please wait, Sir. I'll open the gate right away."

The palace gate slowly opened, and Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran quickly walked inside.

Mo Jiuya knew the palace layout so well that he could navigate it blindfolded.

There were many palace eunuchs inside, so it wasn’t surprising that the two looked unfamiliar to them. Therefore, they didn’t try too hard to hide and naturally walked on the bluestone path.

After a patrol passed by, He Zhiran scanned the area and whispered,

"Husband, where do we go first?"

"I want to go to Consort Yuan's palace first," Mo Jiuya replied in a low voice.

He Zhiran had the same plan in mind. Consort Yuan had always believed Mo Jiuya was her own son.

Moreover, Mo Jiuya had been frequently visiting Consort Yuan since childhood and was quite familiar with her.

Now that the situation inside the palace was unclear and Emperor Shunwu's fate was unknown, the best course of action was to find someone familiar to inquire about the situation so they could be well-prepared before making their next move.

They encountered several patrol teams along the way, but none of them suspected them, and the two successfully reached Consort Yuan's palace.

Outside Consort Yuan's palace, it was quieter than Mo Jiuya remembered, and the number of patrolling soldiers had noticeably increased as they approached.

There was no doubt that the Empress had already taken control of Consort Yuan's palace, meaning there was a high possibility that Consort Yuan had already lost her freedom.

As expected, the palace gate was tightly closed.

This wasn’t strange, considering it was late at night, and it was normal for the consorts' palaces to be closed at this hour.

Consort Yuan was a high-ranking consort, and even at night, her palace had the privilege of hanging four lanterns outside.

Indeed, four lanterns were hanging above the palace gate, but puzzlingly, none of them were lit.

The only explanation was that Consort Yuan had fallen out of favor and was being punished, which meant the emperor wouldn’t visit her.

Given the current situation, it wasn’t surprising at all that Consort Yuan was being treated this way.

Everyone in the court knew that the Empress saw Consort Yuan as her greatest rival, especially since both had given birth to princes for Emperor Shunwu. Most importantly, both princes had been candidates for the position of crown prince.

Given the Empress’s vengeful nature, it was no surprise she had already moved against Consort Yuan.

Mo Jiuya didn’t explain these things to He Zhiran. Instead, he led her around to the eastern side of Consort Yuan's palace.

This area was near Consort Yuan’s chambers, and if they were spotted, it would likely be by her loyal servants, who wouldn’t betray their presence.

To their surprise, the courtyard was eerily quiet, much like when they first arrived at the He family’s estate.

As a consort of the first rank, second only to the Empress, Consort Yuan’s courtyard should have been bustling with activity, but it was eerily empty.

If not for the faint candlelight glowing through the windows, they might have thought the place was abandoned.

Since this is a woman's residence, Mo Jiuya, as an outsider, being here already goes against the rules. If he were to barge in, it could damage Lady Yuan’s reputation.

He Zhiran, familiar with these ancient customs, stepped up to the door.

She first took out a packet of sedative from her bosom and held it in her palm just in case, before stepping forward to push the door open.

She didn’t knock, both to avoid alerting the guards and because they weren’t sure if Lady Yuan was inside.

The door wasn’t locked, and it opened with a light push.

The door creaked open, shattering the midnight silence.

An elderly woman’s voice called out, “Who’s there?”

He Zhiran stayed quiet, unable to confirm who was speaking, and stood at the door, peering inside using the faint light.

However, a screen adorned with a painting of a beautiful woman stood directly in front of the door, blocking her view.

Through the screen, she saw a shadow stumbling toward the door.

At the same time, the elderly voice spoke again, now tinged with helplessness and disdain.

“Lady Yuan has been tormented so badly she can’t even leave her bed. What do you want now?”

Although Nanny Wang’s voice wasn’t very loud, it was still heard by Mo Jiuya, who was standing outside the door.

He strode over the threshold and stood next to He Zhiran, asking in a low voice, “Nanny, what did you say about Lady Yuan’s condition?”

Mo Jiuya had always held a very good impression of Lady Yuan since he was little. Although it was due to her misunderstanding of his identity, the affection was real.

Now, hearing Nanny Wang say that Lady Yuan couldn’t even get out of bed, it didn’t take much to guess that it was the Empress’s doing, which immediately ignited Mo Jiuya’s anger.

Nanny Wang was also familiar with Mo Jiuya’s voice.

Like Lady Yuan, she believed that Mo Jiuya was the real Third Prince, so she naturally remembered every detail about him.

At this point, Nanny Wang had come out from behind the screen and, upon seeing a tall and a short figure standing at the door, she was stunned.

She had thought that the Ninth Master had come to save his ‘biological’ mother, but her hopes were dashed.

The two people in front of her were clearly the Empress’s palace eunuchs.

Fortunately, she had been cautious and hadn’t called out to the Ninth Master until she saw them in person.

Nanny Wang’s expression changed instantly, and although she was fearful of the two people in front of her, she didn’t lose her composure.

She straightened her back and glared at the people in front of her.

“Go back and tell your master that Lady Yuan won’t die so easily. She’s still waiting to see the day you pack of wolves meet your fate.”

Nanny Wang thought that the two eunuchs were sent by the Empress to check if Lady Yuan was still alive.

Mo Jiuya knew that both he and his wife’s disguises had caused a misunderstanding and took a step forward to explain.

“Nanny, can’t you even recognize my voice anymore?”

That voice…

It’s the Ninth Master.

But how could this palace eunuch possibly be the Ninth Master?

As Nanny Wang was puzzling over this, Mo Jiuya continued.

"Nanny Wang, this is Mo Jiuya. I changed my appearance to ensure a smooth entry into the palace."

As he spoke, he rolled up his left sleeve slightly, revealing a small scar on his wrist.

"Do you remember this scar, Nanny Wang? Nan Qi and I got it when we fell while playing in the royal garden. You were the one who bandaged it for me at the time."