Chapter 911: Only then can everything fall into place like water finding its channel

Si Yu opened her hand, Murong Jin turned over and sat up, snatched the slip of paper, unfolded it and looked.

"They found a peony silk kerchief on the assassin."

The slip slid from her fingers and fell lightly to the ground.

Murong Jin sat motionless, her gaze empty and fixed ahead, as if her soul had been sucked out.

Si Yu panicked and whispered, "Your Highness? Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Murong Jin didn't move a muscle.

Si Yu gritted her teeth, mustered courage, reached out and gently shook her shoulder: "Your Highness! Say something!"

Murong Jin didn't even twitch an eyelash.

Si Yu picked up the slip that had fallen to the ground, brought it to her eyes, her legs went weak, and she plopped down onto the floor.

She trembled all over, her teeth chattering: "This, this is……"

"No wonder." Murong Jin's voice suddenly sounded, soft and hoarse.

Si Yu jerked her head up to look at her.

Murong Jin still gazed ahead: "No wonder the Seventh Prince wanted to pull this assassination stunt at the investiture ceremony."

She gave a grim smile: "What a fine scheme!"

"Mother, Your Highness," Si Yu trembled as she asked, "I, I don't understand."

The emptiness in Murong Jin's eyes was replaced by a layer of cold hatred.

She said, word by word: "Kill two birds with one stone."

"It both secures his destined reputation and pins this huge calamity on me."

She slowly turned her head to look at Xiao Che, who was sound asleep in the cradle, her voice choking slightly: "If he can't kill the child, he wants to ruin me instead."

"If I am found guilty of this great crime of assassinating the crown prince, I will surely be deposed, and the child will no longer be the heir."

Two streams of tears slid down her face.

She lowered her head to look at Si Yu: "You say, if I am deposed, what will happen to the child?"

"Which palace will he be sent to? Will His Majesty even glance at him again?"

Si Yu knelt on the ground, trembling so violently she could not speak.

Murong Jin's tears burst forth: "I have no support from my natal family, no reliance in the inner palace; only His Majesty can I rely on."

"But assassinating the crown prince… such a grave crime, even if His Majesty wishes to protect me, he is powerless."

"He is so vicious!"

"Mother, Your Highness," Si Yu's voice trembled, "but these aren't your doing!"

"Even if they found a peony silk kerchief, it might not be from our Fengyi Palace, Your Highness—go tell His Majesty! His Majesty……"

"Say what?" Murong Jin cut her off, her voice unusually calm.

Si Yu was choked by that question, her mouth open, but she couldn't utter a word.

Murong Jin looked at her, a bitter smile touching her lips: "I will go tell His Majesty it wasn't me who did it."

"Do you think His Majesty will believe it?"

Si Yu's face turned as white as paper.

"The evidence lies right there." Murong Jin's voice was light as a falling leaf: "The crown prince was assassinated in the street; His Majesty must have already ordered a thorough investigation."

"The assassin is dead; that piece of silk kerchief is ironclad proof."

She paused, lifted her gaze to the window; on the phoenix tree, a few scarlet petals were blown off by the wind, falling soundlessly to the ground.

"I have nothing to prove my words; saying anything is useless."

Si Yu suddenly thought: "Princess! You treat the princess so well, and the princess likes the little lord—if you begged her?"

Murong Jin's eyes flashed a glimmer of hope, then dimmed: "This sort of thing, even Tuan Tuan probably can't help me."

Si Yu was utterly speechless.

Murong Jin lowered her head to glance at the slip on the floor: "Was it found under the teapot this time too?"

"No," Si Yu shook her head: "This time it was under your cosmetic box."

Murong Jin pondered a moment: "Prepare brush and ink."

"Yes!" Si Yu scrambled up from the ground and dashed out.

Moments later she returned, spread the paper on the table, added water and ground the ink.

Murong Jin walked to the table and sat down.

She picked up the brush and wrote a line on the paper: "What should I do?"

After writing, she gently blew on the ink, picked it up, folded it into two, and handed it to Si Yu: "Place it under the cosmetic box, don't stare at it, just keep things as usual."

"Tomorrow morning, go check again to see if anyone has taken it."

"Yes."

At the same moment, the Imperial Study.

Xiao Jieyun had just left court, his ceremonial cap not yet removed, when Eunuch Cheng reported: "Your Majesty, Minister of Dali Temple Li Jing requests an audience."

The Emperor gave a slight nod, and Eunuch Cheng announced loudly: "Summon him."

Li Jing entered with a bow, after saluting he took out a thin volume from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

"Your Majesty, I have traced the origin and destination of the silk kerchief."

Eunuch Cheng hurried over, took the thin volume, turned and walked back to the Dragon Desk, and gently placed it on the desk.

Xiao Jieyun glanced down and saw the three large characters "Stored Accounts" on the cover of the thin volume.

He opened the thin volume; on one page was a rubbing of the pattern of that peony silk kerchief, beside it attached the Needlework Bureau's archive record, clear and distinct, entry by entry.

Li Jing replied: "Your Majesty, the silk used for this kerchief is the cloud-pattern plain gauze specially supplied for the palace by the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau."

The embroidery thread is the superior Suzhou gold thread stored in the inner treasury, and the embroiderers are two veteran embroideresses from the Needlework Bureau who specialize in peony patterns, working together.

In the past two years, only ten kerchiefs of the same pattern have been made.

The Emperor did not lift his head: "Where did they all go?"

Li Jing paused.

All were taken away from the Fengyi Palace.

Xiao Jieyun's finger paused at the edge of the page, he lifted his head to look at him, his voice still calm: "What else have you found?"

Li Jing then presented another volume, its cover inscribed with "Record of Palace Gate Entries and Exits."

I have examined this record; the palace maid Siyu, who attends the Empress, once left the palace for several days.

He paused: "Coincidentally, the day Siyu returned was exactly the day the Crown Prince returned to the capital."

Eunuch Cheng's heart gave a jolt.

Xiao Jieyun remained silent for a long time: "Investigate further."

His voice low: "Have me find out clearly where she went and what she did."

"I obey the edict." Li Jing performed the salute, then bowed and retreated, turning and walking out.

Early the next morning, Siyu went to inspect the cosmetics case before dawn.

The note written by hand by Murong Jin lay there intact, untouched.

She quietly walked to the side of Murong Jin's couch.

Murong Jin was staring wide-eyed at the canopy above, asking in a low voice: "How is it?"

Siyu shook her head: "Still there."

Murong Jin's heart tightened.

Siyu hurriedly advised: "Your Ladyship, do not be anxious; surely that person has not yet found an opportunity."

Murong Jin nodded, not uttering a word.

At the same moment.

The Masked Man asked: "Did you see clearly? What the Empress wrote is how this palace should proceed?"

"Yes! Your subordinate saw it perfectly clearly."

"But I do not understand why Exalted Sir does not allow me to retrieve the note."

The Masked Man's eyes showed a smile: "The Empress is now isolated and helpless, with no recourse—precisely the time when she cannot rest easy all day."

"The longer that paper remains untaken, the more she will think; when she can no longer endure, you go take it, and then it will come about naturally."