Chapter 64: The Jade Bracelet

Chapter 64: The Jade Bracelet

Intent to Cover Up

Xiao Songzi's words were not without reason. With so many doubts, Su Jiaojiao was also deeply troubled.

She glanced at Xiao Songzi and spoke softly, "Xiao Songzi, you are clever and have worked in various places in the palace, so you must have seen more people than we have. Please discreetly inquire about Consort Lian's matters. If you find any information, let me know immediately."

Su Jiaojiao stared at the warm jade pillow for a long time, keeping pondering the Empress's motive for giving her this pillow.

The warm jade pillow had been bestowed upon her before the incident involving the Crown Prince's poisoning. At that time, she had already examined it carefully and found nothing wrong.

If it was intended to frame her, then there wouldn't have been the incident involving Qian Xia. There was no need to put effort into the same matter twice; it would be too deliberate.

But if it had nothing to do with the Crown Prince's poisoning, why would the Empress begin scheming so early?

Consort Lian, the warm jade pillow, the Emperor's rage...

Was Consort Lian truly the Emperor's birth mother, and did the Emperor deeply respect her?

If so, the warm jade pillow and all of Consort Lian's belongings should have been carefully preserved by the Emperor. How did they end up in the Empress's hands, and why did she casually give them to Su Jiaojiao?

Or perhaps, the warm jade pillow was never used by Consort Lian, and the Empress was simply lying to her?

If the warm jade pillow had been given privately, it would be easier to explain. But it was bestowed during a public audience, where everyone in the palace knew about it. If something happened to the pillow, wouldn't everyone immediately suspect who was behind it?

The warm jade pillow was still a mystery, with no clues at all. Even if Su Jiaojiao racked her brains, she probably couldn't figure out the Empress's intentions.

She couldn't use it herself, couldn't break it, and couldn't store it away to avoid giving the Empress an opportunity to make a big deal out of it...

Suddenly, Su Jiaojiao had an idea. She pursed her lips and said coldly, "Ling Xiao, this warm jade pillow was personally bestowed by the Empress and is extremely precious. After using it for just one day, I feel completely at ease. Such a good thing is not something I, a mere concubine, should use for a long time. Tomorrow, go to the Palace Command and have them find the best brocade box for this pillow. Place it carefully inside and enshrine it in the Pixiang Palace."

"This favor is hard to come by, so we must be careful. We must let everyone know the Empress's intentions."

Whatever the Empress had done to the pillow, Su Jiaojiao would make sure everyone knew it was a gift from the Empress. Whether it was poison, a threat using Consort Lian's name, or something else.

If there was something wrong with it, and Su Jiaojiao suffered, the Empress wouldn't be able to escape unscathed either.

After settling the matter of the warm jade pillow, Su Jiaojiao's anxious heart finally settled a bit.

Ling Xiao stepped forward to help Su Jiaojiao change and comb her hair, saying softly, "You've had a long day today, my lady. You should rest well. The Crown Prince's poisoning is a serious matter, and the Palace Command will surely not delay in reporting the results of the palace search to the Emperor tomorrow. Such a significant matter will likely only be known by the Emperor, the Empress, Noble Consort Mi, and the people of the Yutang Palace."

"The Emperor has exempted you from morning audiences for now, so you should take good care of yourself. I will send someone to inquire about the news tomorrow."

Su Jiaojiao hummed in agreement, lowering her gaze to the jewelry box filled with trinkets in front of her. Suddenly, she remembered the Emperor's gifts from noon and said, "Take the pearls the Emperor gifted me today to the Palace Command tomorrow and have them handle it for me. Also, bring the jade bracelet the Emperor gave me. I want to wear it every day."

Ling Xiao acknowledged the order, removing the hairpins and gold hairpins from Su Jiaojiao's hair. She then said with a hint of confusion, "Speaking of the jade bracelet, I find it somewhat peculiar now."

"The Emperor gave you two things. The first was a priceless pearl, exceedingly precious. The second, I also took a look at, was a jade bracelet of average quality. The Emperor has always been exceedingly generous to you and would never give you a second-rate item after the pearl to celebrate your birthday."

After saying this, Ling Xiao combed Su Jiaojiao's long, smooth black hair and let it fall naturally down her back. She then stepped back to the sandalwood table and carefully picked up the bracelet from the tray.

She handed it to Su Jiaojiao, pointing to a spot and whispering, "My lady, look. Although this jade bracelet looks new, there are faint scratches here, indicating it has been used before."

"You just asked about Consort Lian. I suspect that if Consort Lian was indeed the Emperor's birth mother, this jade bracelet might also be one of her former possessions."

Su Jiaojiao took the jade bracelet in both hands and examined it carefully under the candlelight. Sure enough, she saw the almost imperceptible signs of use. She frowned slightly, "It truly is."

She gazed at the bracelet in silence for a moment, then said, "If it really is Consort Lian's old belonging, then the Emperor gifting me the bracelet and the Empress gifting me the warm jade pillow are two entirely different matters."

"Consort Lian is a forbidden topic throughout the palace, not to be mentioned, but this decree may not necessarily have come from His Majesty. It could have been the Empress Dowager or the late Emperor. However, no one knows exactly what happened back then. But as the Empress just mentioned, damaging something belonging to Consort Lian would enrage His Majesty, indicating that in His Majesty's heart, Consort Lian's status, though unknown, is extremely important."

Su Jiaojiao put the bracelet on her left hand, rubbed it for a moment, and then looked up at Ling Xiao: "I remember when the late Emperor appointed His Majesty as the Crown Prince, there was only one prince remaining in the palace. The other princes either died young or met their end outside the palace. If it weren't for this, His Majesty might not have ascended the throne smoothly, which illustrates how intense the harem conflicts were during the late Emperor's reign."

"Despite this, His Majesty managed to survive safely, was placed in the care of the Empress Dowager, and with her help, was eventually appointed as the Crown Prince and ascended the throne. In such a harsh environment, Consort Lian safeguarded His Majesty, ensuring his safe upbringing. Such profound maternal love—His Majesty must hold his birth mother in the highest esteem."

The candlelight flickered as Su Jiaojiao, lost in thought, caressed the jade bracelet. She could even envision the deep bond between His Majesty and Consort Lian—just like her mother and the young Su Jiaojiao.

At the thought of her mother, Su Jiaojiao's eyes grew slightly moist. She discreetly wiped away her tears and then spoke softly, "Regardless of the truth, it's all mere speculation. To verify these, we still need time."

She turned to pat Ling Xiao's hand, her voice gentle: "The most pressing matter now is the Crown Prince's poisoning. After today, I am nearly certain that the Empress is the culprit, but without evidence, given my status, I cannot involve myself in the subsequent events. I can only observe and wait."

Su Jiaojiao got up and sat on the bed, lowering her head and saying, "What concerns me most now is, what if His Majesty cannot find the culprit?"

Ling Xiao extinguished the extra candles in the Pixiang Palace, holding only one, and said, "Your meaning is—"

"The Crown Prince's poisoning has caused such an uproar; how can it conclude without finding the culprit?"

Su Jiaojiao lay down on the bed, quietly looking at the bed curtains, whispering: "When Lady Ji was poisoned, His Majesty was forced to choose between me and Miaoyu, and ultimately, he punished the innocent Miaoyu."

"The royal family's dignity must not be compromised. This matter has already escalated; regardless of the process, there must be a resolution."

But now, if the Empress is not implicated and there is no evidence against anyone, how will His Majesty conclude this matter?

The next morning, a light snow fell outside.

Su Jiaojiao endured a restless night, tormented by nightmares and body aches.

But since she didn't have to get up early for the morning greetings, the brief nap after waking at dawn helped her recover somewhat.

Yu Ying lifted the curtain and came in, seeing Su Jiaojiao sitting up, she immediately called out, "The mistress is awake, come in."

Several personal maids serving Su Jiaojiao came in carrying copper basins and dry towels for washing, quickly arranging the items.

Yu Ying went up to help her sit down, bowing and whispering, "Mistress, Ling Xiao sent someone early to inquire about the situation at the Yutang Palace. It's said that the Palace Command searched the palace but found nothing. Several maids from the training department were severely punished, but nothing was revealed, which enraged His Majesty. I'm afraid everyone in the palace will be on edge these days."

Su Jiaojiao nodded, finished washing, and sat in front of the dressing table, saying, "Keep an eye on the developments over there."

In the Fengyi Palace.

The Empress was sitting calmly on the main seat, drinking tea.

Le He was playing with the eldest princess, Shen Lanying, in the hall, and the palace was filled with the sound of silver bell-like laughter from time to time.

The Empress smiled as she watched her daughter's lively and adorable appearance, her hand holding the teacup lid paused slightly, and she said softly, "Lanying, come to mother."

Shen Lanying was wearing a rose-red palace dress with a white fox fur collar, making her look charming and cute. She ran to the Empress's knees and looked up, asking, "Mother called me."

The Empress, seeing her daughter's adorable appearance, grew fonder. She placed the porcelain cup on the table, picked up Shen Lanying, and said softly, "Did the Palace Command go to the Imperial College yesterday?"

"Yes, they even took Brother Nan Zhou's... desk and stationery, not even leaving a single piece of paper." Shen Lanying's dark eyes showed some confusion, "Mother, I heard Brother Nan Zhou is sick... will he not go to the Imperial College to study anymore?"

The Empress coaxed her, "Brother Nan Zhou is just feeling unwell, he will recover soon. Lanying, when you go out to play recently, you must listen to mother, and not get sick like Brother Nan Zhou, okay?"

Shen Lanying nodded obediently, and the Empress kissed her tender little face before handing her to the waiting wet nurse: "It's snowing lightly today, don't let the eldest princess catch a cold. At lunch, instruct the Shangshi Bureau to prepare some nourishing soup for the princess."

After the order was given, Yu He came forward and whispered, "His Majesty is furious. The Palace Command must have searched the palace more than once. Everything the Crown Prince used has been taken by the Palace Command for inspection, but this morning, they still found nothing. It seems the items are still with the Palace Command, and they will probably search a few more times before reporting."

The Empress's expression remained unchanged, and she said softly, "I remember the commander guarding the Palace Command has received many favors from me. His newlywed wife is also the legitimate sister of my maternal family's branch. Send someone to quietly deliver a message to him, telling him to hide it in his sleeve, burn it with fire, leaving no trace."